Kunal Agarwal

Growth at all costs is out. Strategic expansion is in. One stat from our new report that says it all: By $100M ARR, 67% of growth comes from expansion, not net-new customers. We’re seeing a mindset shift among top-performing founders. They’re prioritizing customer success early, building in product-led growth loops, and measuring how they grow, not just how fast. Full analysis and benchmarks here: https://lnkd.in/gZruurYs #AI #SaaS #CustomerSuccess #BeyondBenchmarks

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Every hire, product feature, and GTM experiment is a capital allocation decision, most teams just don’t call it that. I’m kicking off a 3-part series on capital allocation for founders, operators, and finance leaders with a simple question: ➡️ Will the next $1 you deploy become worth more than $1? Series overview Part 1: defines the core concept + the math Part 2: where capital goes + how to measure whether it’s working Part 3: AIMS framework for communicating allocation decisions to management teams and your board Part 1 (attached here) lays the practical foundation: 🔹 The $1 invested test and ROIIC vs. hurdle rates (scoreboard vs. decision lens) 🔹 A lightweight “investment brief” to evaluate bets (GROW / BUILD / BUY) 🔹 The small metric toolkit that translates finance into operating decisions (NPV / payback / ROIIC / incremental margin) 🔹 Early-stage proxies when DCF inputs are unknowable (burn multiple + revenue quality) 🔹 Operator “vital signs” to spot drift early (profit engine, leverage, cash conversion, optics) Series Roadmap ✔️ This series (Parts 1–3): breadth-first. shared, lightweight framework to define value creation, choose decision-grade metrics, and communicate tradeoffs clearly ✔️ Next series: depth-first. momentum drivers + operational decisions that need near real-time measurement to spot drift early and course-correct fast Read Part 1 here and Part 2 and 3 on substack. Next Series will be out next week. 💰 What’s one bet you’re funding right now, and how will you prove it’s working?

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I recently joined Tim Tonella on the VENTURE 2 VICTORY podcast for a thoughtful conversation on where we are in the software cycle. Find the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/gdSGXXDZ

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The growth-stage CFO role is uniquely isolating. As you scale toward IPO, you're expected to deliver operational precision while managing board scrutiny, investor expectations, and rapid organizational change. Every quarter can feel like you're being re-interviewed for your job. The Circle founder, Mark Dempster, joined Megan Weis, CPA, MBA on the CFO Weekly podcast to unpack why peer infrastructure has become essential for CFOs navigating this stage. In the conversation, he talks through: • The hidden isolation of the CFO seat • Why vulnerability among peers is a strategic advantage • How shared “scar tissue” reshapes risk tolerance Listen here: 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/e4MHz6px 🎧 YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eiBz6fdF 🎧 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ebnycBi3 The Circle by Founders Circle Capital is a private community built specifically for growth-stage CFOs leading through scale. If you’re in the seat, you don’t have to navigate it alone. Interested in learning more about membership? Explore here👇 https://lnkd.in/g-2Ygves

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💥 Singular Labs grew invoice volume by 448%. Their finance team? Still just two people 🤯 When Director of Finance Tsafrir Belfer joined Singular, AR was a grind: manual dunning emails, clunky reports, missed small-dollar invoices. Scaling seemed impossible. Then they plugged into Tesorio. Instead of “more headcount,” they got: 📈 31% faster collections (ADC down) 💸 67% of invoices current (vs 61+ day pileups before) 🚀 Hundreds of millions flowing through automated campaigns Tsafrir’s favorite part? “The automated campaigns. When I need to check a customer’s status, I go straight to Tesorio.” This is the future of finance ops: small, mighty teams punching far above their weight. Not because they automated a task or two. But because they obliterated the manual work entirely. Check out a walk-through of our automated campaigns here: https://lnkd.in/gm6THGkE

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Behind the Numbers Watch the Masters Explain the Game 🎬 Financial results aren't just spreadsheets—they're stories. Deep Dive Presentations from seat11a let you hear directly from CEOs, CFOs, and IR leaders as they decode their company's strategy, market positioning, and growth trajectory. No intermediaries. No delays. Just pure insight straight from the top. What questions should you ask before investing? 1. What's driving growth beyond this quarter's numbers? 2. How is the company navigating market uncertainties ahead? 3. What competitive advantages are invisible in earnings reports? 🎥 Ready to invest smarter? Watch curated Financial Results Presentations from publicly listed companies. 🔍 👉 https://lnkd.in/gYAghF5C #InvestorRelations #EarningsCall #FinancialInsights #StockMarket #CEOInsights 📲 Follow seat11a: 🔗 Website: https://seat11a.com 📢 LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/gfPR9PKF 🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/seat11a_com 🎧 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/g_Sn2MRs T&C:  http://seat11a.com/legal/

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📊 Board meetings shouldn’t be theater. Founders often spend weeks polishing slides instead of surfacing the hard truths that drive real board alignment. In “Five Startup Traps You Can Avoid with CFO Services,” we break down how transparency builds investor confidence—and how CFO services help you lead with clarity. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gmVctRqS #StartupSuccess #InvestorRelations #CFOInsights #BusinessClarity #LeadershipDevelopment #FinancialTransparency #BoardAlignment #EntrepreneurAdvice #CFOServices #Adventum

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Transformations take capital—and Markup AI is no exception. In this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast, Matt Blumberg (CEO @ Markup AI) shares details on their recently announced $27M financing, a mix of fresh equity from existing PE investors, debt refinancing, and strategic angel participation. This funding fuels a full reinvention of the business—including a major structural shift from a German GmbH to a newly domiciled U.S. entity. A great discussion on capital strategy, ownership, and rebuilding a company for its next stage of scale. Episode 218 is now available—links down below 👇 YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gz2i558r Apple: https://rpb.li/tgVFdD Spotify: https://rpb.li/7pwzP5xca #SaaS #CapitalRaising #PrivateEquity #SaaSPodcast #StartupFunding

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The SaaS IPO market faces significant hurdles, with just 20 VC- and PE-backed listings in 2025—a stark contrast to the 159 in 2021. Challenges like valuation discounts, market volatility, and regulatory uncertainty have slowed activity. Revitalization requires key catalysts, including reduced rates, stabilized inflation, and high-profile IPO successes. Dive into a case study exploring the market in our H1 2025 State of SaaS Report. Download your copy now: https://bit.ly/3VI70nF

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