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, 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

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.

In this episode of SaaS Conversations, Tori Danforth, Senior Director of FP&A at Relativity, 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.

Although Revenue Operations (RevOps) is still an evolving function in SaaS, its role is critical to driving go-to-market efficiency.

At its core, RevOps ensures that go-to-market teams like Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success function as a unified, efficient system to enable the ideal customer journey.

One of the biggest challenges for RevOps leaders is managing resource allocation – making high-stakes decisions about structure, strategy, and investment. How do you allocate resources for maximum impact? When is the right time to scale? Which strategic focus areas will drive long-term success?

In this episode of SaaS Conversations, Katherine Zhang, CEO and General Manager of OPEXEngine by Bain & Company, shares expert insights on building a high-impact RevOps function. We cover:

• The foundational role of RevOps in go-to-market success
• How to structure RevOps around key strategic focus areas
• Common challenges in resource allocation and best practices
• The role of benchmarks in guiding smarter investment decisions – and how to use benchmarks effectively
• Why strong partnerships with Finance are critical for RevOps success
• How RevOps strategies must evolve as companies scale

Listen in to gain actionable insights on optimizing RevOps, aligning go-to-market teams, and setting the right strategic priorities for sustainable growth.

This episode is essential listening for anyone responsible for R&D investment, cost management, or strategic planning in SaaS. In today's conversation, we sit down with Ryan Kuchova, Head of Customer Strategy and Operations at Jellyfish, to explore frameworks for measuring and managing R&D ROI in SaaS.

We discuss strategies for optimizing R&D investment and how to encourage alignment between finance and engineering teams.

Moderator: Andy Rooks (Marketing, OPEXEngine by Bain & Company)

Guest speaker: Ryan Kuchova (Head of Customer Strategy and Operations at Jellyfish)

Learn how to maximize the value of benchmarks in this special podcast episode featuring Lauren Kelley’s SaaS Metrics Palooza ‘24 presentation.

In a new episode of SaaS Conversations, we explore benchmarking strategies that drive growth, profitability, and operational excellence. Lauren dives into the Rule of 40, critical efficiency metrics, and actionable steps SaaS leaders can take to uncover inefficiencies, align resources, and enhance EBITDA. The episode includes references to key data visuals from her presentation, available on-demand at https://www.opexengine.com/post/saas-conversations-podcast-benchmark-enabled-decision-making-at-saas-metrics-palooza-24.

Listen now to gain insights that can transform your operational strategy.

Speaker: Lauren Kelley (Founder and CEO of OPEXEngine by Bain & Company)

Moderator: Ray Rike (Benchmarkit)

How can SaaS companies drive operational excellence, maximize exit success, and create lasting value in today’s market?

In today’s conversation, we’re joined by Lauren Kelley, CEO of OPEXEngine, and Dania Shaheen Gutterson, General Manager at DealEdge and Senior Director of Private Equity at Bain & Company.

The experts discuss the Rule of 40, key efficiency metrics, and specific operational levers investors can use to drive value creation, addressing how successful SaaS companies optimize for both growth and profitability. As market conditions shift and the demand for efficiency intensifies, SaaS leaders are finding new ways to scale while remaining resilient.

Listen in to learn how top SaaS players are enhancing their operational playbooks and maintaining a competitive advantage in today’s challenging market.

You can download the accompanying white paper here: Driving Exit Success: Operational Excellence and Value Creation in SaaS Investments

Moderator: Lauren Kelley (Founder and CEO of OPEXEngine by Bain & Company) Guest Speaker: Dania Shaheen Gutterson (General Manager at DealEdge and Senior Director of Private Equity at Bain & Company)

What are the key strategies that SaaS companies are using to fine-tune growth efficiency and cost management in a challenging market? In today's conversation, we dive into the strategies that SaaS companies are using to improve EBITDA margins in 2024.

Lauren Kelley – CEO and Founder of OPEXEngine by Bain & Company – breaks down how companies are navigating a slower-growth environment by tightening cost management, refining the balance between new customer acquisition and account management by using benchmarks to identify the greatest opportunities for improvement.

As the market remains uncertain and sales cycles have lengthened for many, top SaaS players are still finding ways to optimize resources while maintaining growth, profitability, and strong valuations.

Lauren shares actionable insights on how successful SaaS companies are staying competitive – from enhancing sales productivity to aligning R&D efforts with your GTM strategy and shifting customer demands.