In this episode of SaaS Metric School, Ben Murray dives deep into the often-confusing world of Subscription ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue). After analyzing over 160 public tech company filings, Ben shares the three most common ways companies define and calculate ARR—and why these differences matter for SaaS operators, investors, and finance teams. If you’ve ever struggled with benchmarking ARR or explaining it to stakeholders, this episode will give you clarity and context.

• The three standard definitions of Subscription ARR:

  1. Run-Rate MRR

  2. Annualized Contract Value

  3. Committed/Contracted ARR (CARR)

• The difference between ARR and CARR and why it matters

• Why even “pure subscription” businesses report ARR differently

• How public companies present ARR in earnings reports and filings

• The pitfalls of using AI tools (like ChatGPT) for ARR extraction

This episode is a must-listen if you are:
✅ A SaaS CFO or finance leader looking to align ARR reporting with industry norms
✅ A founder or CEO trying to understand what ARR numbers mean (and don’t mean)
✅ A SaaS investor or advisor comparing metrics across multiple portfolio companies
✅ Anyone responsible for forecasting, benchmarking, or reporting SaaS revenue metrics

• 📬 Join Ben’s SaaS Metrics Newsletter (85,000+ operators): https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

• 📚 SaaS Community for templates, events, and training: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/dzSx6W32

• 🔁 Coming soon: A database of ARR disclosures from public tech companies

• 🎧 Leave a rating or review to help grow the podcast!

In episode #286 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben Murray breaks down one of the most common — and costly — mistakes SaaS founders and CFOs make when building their Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) schedules: netting contraction and expansion. This seemingly small error can break your ability to calculate key SaaS metrics like Gross Revenue Retention (GRR) and Net Revenue Retention (NRR).

What You’ll Learn:

• The essential structure of an accurate MRR waterfall schedule

• Why separating expansion, contraction, and churn is crucial for calculating SaaS metrics

• How to calculate GRR and NRR using distinct MRR layers

• Why trailing 3- and 6-month annualized retention rates offer deeper insights

• Pro tips on segmenting your MRR by product, ICP, or geography

Who This Is For:
SaaS founders, CFOs, FP&A leaders, and revenue ops teams looking to improve their SaaS financial reporting and ensure clean, actionable SaaS metrics that stand up to investor scrutiny.

Resources Mentioned:

• Join Ben’s private SaaS metrics community: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout

• Subscribe to Ben's newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

• Free SaaS Metrics Tools & Templates at TheSaaSCFO.com

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In episode #285 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben Murray dives into one of the most overlooked levers in SaaS financial performance—G&A (General & Administrative) spend. How much should you really be spending on back office functions like finance, HR, legal, and IT?

Using data from Benchmarkit.AI, Ben walks through G&A as a percent of revenue across ARR stages—from startups under $1M to companies exceeding $100M. He also explains how operating leverage is created through back office efficiency and why using benchmarks segmented by ARR is crucial in SaaS metrics analysis.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why aggregate SaaS benchmarks are dangerous

• G&A benchmarks by ARR segment (top quartile vs. median)

• The role of operating leverage in SaaS profitability

• How to evaluate your own back office spend using metrics

• Actionable targets for G&A as a percent of revenue

SaaS Metrics Covered:

• G&A % of Revenue

• Operating Leverage

• Opex Profile by ARR

• Benchmarking by ARR vs. ACV

Resources Mentioned:

• Benchmarkit.ai

• Join Ben’s SaaS Metrics community for webinars, templates, and live sessions: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout

• Subscribe to Ben's SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

📈 Don’t forget to rate & review the show. It helps more SaaS founders and CFOs discover actionable finance content!