SaaS Conversations

SaaS Data in 2026: What's Changed and Why It's Never Mattered More

Data quality has always mattered in SaaS, but in 2026, the stakes are higher, the margin for error is smaller, and the questions boards and investors are asking have fundamentally shifted. In this episode of SaaS Conversations, Katherine Zhang sits down with Dan Palay, CEO of KPI Sense [https://kpisense.com/], to explore how SaaS data and metrics are being interpreted differently as companies navigate an AI-driven landscape and increasing scrutiny at moments of diligence and fundraising. This is not a conversation about dashboards or data tooling. It is a conversation about what it means to know your business, why a single source of truth requires multiple systems, how the wrong metrics or inconsistent definitions quietly erode board confidence, and why AI is introducing a new class of cost and measurement risk that most leadership teams are not yet tracking correctly. Dan draws on patterns he sees repeatedly across growth-stage SaaS companies, explaining why metrics that look clean on the surface often hide segment-level risk, why AI spend is behaving more like a variable professional services cost than a traditional SaaS fixed cost, and what strong financial leadership looks like when it matters most. For leaders who want to go deeper, Dan and the KPI Sense team work directly with growth-stage SaaS companies on financial analytics, metric dashboards, and data normalization. You can reach Dan at dan@kpisense.com [dan@kpisense.com] or visit kpisense.com [https://kpisense.com/].

Webinar: Benchmarking That Drives Decisions

This episode is a recording of a webinar hosted by AccountAim [https://www.accountaim.com/] on benchmarking for RevOps, finance, and GTM leaders in March of 2026. In the session, Katherine Zhang (CEO, OPEXEngine) and Josh McClanahan (CEO, AccountAim) break down when benchmarking makes sense, which metrics actually matter, how to ensure your data is truly comparable, and what it takes to get organizational buy-in. They also share practical guidance for teams that need defensible data to support planning, performance conversations, and boardroom decisions. If you’re responsible for RevOps, finance, or GTM strategy, this conversation offers a useful framework for turning benchmarking into a more strategic advantage.

Retention as Capital Credibility in SaaS

Retention has been interpreted differently for boards and investors over the past year. In this episode of SaaS Conversations, Katherine Zhang sits down with Ellie Wu, founder of CSuiteCX [https://www.csuitecx.com/], to explore how and why retention has shifted from a tactical customer success issue to a board-level credibility signal shaped by leadership judgment, timing, and capital risk at moments of scrutiny. This is not a discussion about churn reduction tactics or metric optimization. Instead, the conversation focuses on the patterns leaders and investors are seeing as we head into 2026, including how customer friction builds quietly, why confidence in the growth story often erodes before revenue declines, and what boards are really assessingwhen they scrutinize retention. Ellie shares insights drawn from patterns she sees repeatedly across hundreds of venture-backed and private equity-backed SaaS companies, explaining why dashboards can stay green while risk accumulates, why CFO involvement is often an early warning signal, and what strong leadership judgment looks like under pressure. For leaders who want to go deeper, Ellie has published an executive brief titled Retention as Capital Credibility that captures many of the patterns discussed in this episode and explains why confidence can erode before performance does. You can find it here:  https://www.csuitecx.com/retention-capital-credibility [https://www.csuitecx.com/retention-capital-credibility ]

SaaS Palooza 2025: What Makes an "A" Asset? Inside Tech PE

At this year’s SaaS Palooza event, Jennifer Smith (Partner, Bain & Company) and Katherine Zhang (CEO, OPEXEngine), explored what sets top-performing SaaS companies apart in today’s tech private equity market. From emerging deal trends to how investors define an “A” software asset, their discussion offered actionable insights for SaaS operators and investors alike. We’re excited to make this live session available as a special podcast episode! Drawing on OPEXEngine’s proprietary benchmarking data and Bain’s deep expertise in tech investing, Jennifer and Katherine dive into the evolving dynamics of deal flow, valuation trends, and the balance of growth and profitability that define leading SaaS businesses. Whether you’re preparing for a sale, raising capital, or benchmarking performance, this episode delivers clear takeaways on building sustainable value and driving operational excellence. The full episode transcript and video recording are available on our website. You can also download the presentation slides here.

Annual Planning in SaaS: Using Benchmarks to Drive Better Decision-Making

In this episode of SaaS Conversations, Tori Danforth [https://www.linkedin.com/in/toridanforth/], Senior Director of FP&A at Relativity [https://www.relativity.com/], shares how her team approaches annual planning at scale. From integrating long-range strategic goals to setting departmental targets and navigating trade-offs, Tori offers a detailed look into how benchmarking with external data strengthens both the planning process and cross-functional alignment. We cover: * How to connect long-range strategy to annual financial planning * The role of finance business partners in driving bottom-up alignment * Using benchmark data to inform investment decisions and trade-offs * Key metrics and frameworks for plan validation * Evolving planning processes while maintaining flexibility and trust * Practical approaches to embedding external data into internal workflows For finance and operations leaders navigating today’s environment, this conversation offers actionable insights on how to use benchmarking to build better plans and ultimately achieve better outcomes.