SaaS Metrics School

What sparked the recent “SaaSpocalypse” conversation across social media, news outlets, and investor circles?

In episode #358 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben Murray explains how the debate around AI potentially disrupting SaaS began. Ben breaks down what actually started the conversation, the major concerns investors and operators are discussing, and why SaaS founders and CFOs should pay attention to the shift.

Resources Mentioned

Ben’s blog post: The SaaSpocalypse — Bull Case, Bear Case, and How to Assess SaaS Defensibility: https://www.thesaascfo.com/the-saaspocalypse-ai-agents-vibe-coding-and-the-changing-economics-of-saas/

What You’ll Learn

What triggered the “SaaSpocalypse” narrative in early 2026

Why AI coding tools are accelerating the build vs. buy decision for software

How agentic workflows could pressure traditional SaaS products

Why seat-based pricing models may face scrutiny in an AI-driven world

How investors may rethink the durability of SaaS revenue and growth

Why It Matters

AI agents capable of executing workflows could reshape how software is delivered

SaaS pricing models tied to seats may become less durable if AI reduces headcount needs

The build vs. buy equation is shifting as AI coding tools make software easier to create

Investors may begin reassessing SaaS valuations based on AI disruption risk

SaaS operators must stay informed and proactive as AI reshapes the software landscape

Is AI killing SaaS? Ben argues the opposite.

In episode #357 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben Murray explains why AI isn’t replacing SaaS companies — it’s amplifying subject matter expertise. Drawing on his experience building SoftwareMetrics.ai with AI coding tools, he walks through how he would not be able to create a useful expert without domain knowledge. It doens't just apply to Ben.

Resources Mentioned

Ben's new app at: https://softwaremetrics.ai/

What You’ll Learn

Why AI is not replacing SaaS business models

How subject matter expertise becomes more valuable in an AI-native world

The importance of structured MRR schedules and clean invoice data

How metadata (ACV, geography, vertical, company size) unlocks deeper retention insights

The difference between dashboards and AI-powered revenue intelligence

How AI can identify dormant expansion opportunities within your existing customer base

Why It Matters

AI tools amplify expertise — they don’t replace it

Clean financial and customer data becomes a strategic asset

Revenue intelligence goes far beyond basic retention reporting

SaaS operators who understand their metrics can leverage AI more effectively

Industry-specific knowledge remains a competitive moat in a world of AI tooling

In episode #356, Ben shares the results from the FP&A category of his 7th Annual SaaS Tech Stack Survey, highlighting the top financial planning and analysis solutions used in software companies today.

With 37 FP&A solutions named in the survey, this remains one of the most competitive and fast-moving segments in the back-office tech stack. While spreadsheets still dominate usage—by a wide margin—dedicated FP&A platforms are gaining traction, especially as companies scale past $10M+ ARR and investor reporting requirements increase.

Ben also compares this year’s results to prior years and explains how FP&A tool adoption shifts by ARR size.

Resources Mentioned

7th Annual SaaS Tech Stack Survey: https://www.thesaascfo.com/surveys/finance-accounting-tech-stack-survey/

What You’ll Learn

The most widely used FP&A solutions in SaaS and AI companies

Why spreadsheets still dominate financial modeling workflows

Which platforms are gaining momentum (Drivetrain, Mosaic, Aleph, Pigment, Planful, and others)

How FP&A adoption changes as companies scale beyond $10M ARR

Why enterprise-grade tools like Workday appear in larger organizations

How funding and competition are reshaping the FP&A software landscape

Why It Matters

FP&A systems power your forecasting, budgeting, and board reporting

Spreadsheet-based processes eventually break as complexity increases

As ARR grows, investors expect more sophisticated financial modeling and analytics

Selecting the right FP&A tool impacts forecasting accuracy, KPI visibility, and strategic planning

Understanding market adoption trends helps founders and CFOs benchmark their financial systems

In episode #355, Ben breaks down the top invoicing solutions used by SaaS and AI companies based on his 7th Annual Tech Stack Survey.

With 57 different invoicing solutions named in the survey, this category shows far more fragmentation than core accounting. The top five solutions account for 55% of reported usage, but there’s still a long tail of specialized billing and revenue management platforms.

Ben walks through the most widely used tools and explains how invoicing increasingly overlaps with revenue management, subscription billing, and payment processing.

Resources Mentioned

7th Annual SaaS Tech Stack Survey: https://www.thesaascfo.com/surveys/finance-accounting-tech-stack-survey/

Metronome, sponsor of the invoicing category: https://metronome.com/

What You’ll Learn

The top invoicing and billing solutions used in software companies

Why QuickBooks and Stripe remain dominant in early and growth-stage SaaS

Which newer platforms are gaining traction

How fragmented the invoicing and billing landscape has become

Why It Matters

Invoicing is a critical link between bookings, cash flow, revenue recognition, and ARR reporting

Poor billing infrastructure can break your MRR schedules and retention calculations

As pricing models evolve (subscription, usage, hybrid), your invoicing system must handle complexity

Revenue management tools increasingly sit between CRM, payments, and your general ledger

Clean invoicing data is essential for accurate financial modeling, KPI tracking, and due diligence

In episode #354, Ben shares the results from his 7th Annual SaaS Tech Stack Survey and reveals the top accounting solutions used by software, SaaS, and AI companies today.

With participation across 22 software categories, this year’s survey highlights both the consistent market leaders and the rise of newer, AI-first ERP platforms. While legacy players continue to dominate, new entrants are gaining meaningful traction.

Ben breaks down the “Power Six” accounting platforms and what their market concentration tells us about the current state of financial systems in tech companies.

Resources Mentioned

7th Annual SaaS Tech Stack Survey: https://www.thesaascfo.com/surveys/finance-accounting-tech-stack-survey/

Light, sponsor of the core accounting category: https://light.inc/

What You’ll Learn

The top accounting and ERP systems used by SaaS and AI companies

How the “Power Six” now dominate the accounting stack landscape

Which newer AI-first ERP platforms are gaining traction

How concentrated is the accounting software market among SaaS companies

Why accounting system selection matters as companies scale ARR

Why It Matters

Your accounting system is the foundation of your financial reporting, SaaS metrics, and KPI tracking

Poor financial systems limit your ability to calculate ARR, revenue retention, and other recurring revenue metrics

As revenue grows, moving from SMB accounting tools to more robust ERP and financial systems becomes critical

Investors and auditors expect scalable accounting infrastructure as companies mature

Understanding market trends helps founders and CFOs evaluate whether their current financial systems can support growth