Responses from SaaS operators suggest industry leaders may have overhyped AI’s potential to bring immediate ROI.

Theory Ventures, the early-stage venture capital firm specializing in early-stage software investments across data, AI, and web3, today released the results of its Annual SaaS Go-To-Market (GTM) Survey. Publicly presented by founder Tomasz Tunguz at SaaStr Annual, the survey tracks year-over-year changes in software companies’ sentiments, sales processes, and stressors.

Theory Ventures surveyed 161 respondents, more than 69% of which were from early-stage software companies compared to about 5.9% representing enterprises with more than 1000 employees. Most of the companies’ respondents represented are well capitalized, with nearly half leveraging runways longer than two years. Survey respondents’ products offer a mix of per-seat, per-usage, and hybridized pricing models, target more than 12 different industries, and most would be categorized as mid-market. About one quarter of the respondents work fully remotely.

Key conclusions of the survey include:

1. The perceived efficiency gains of AI are high—but we haven’t yet seen those translate into conversion rates.
2. Nevertheless, in general, industry outlook has improved in 2024, with the average outlook score increasing to 6.7, up from 6.1 in 2022. However, most founders expect no change in fundraising prices.
3. Sales cycles are lengthening, representing the biggest stressor for industry insiders. Fifty-six percent of respondents saw sales cycles increase, with a median elongation of 12 days. This has knock-on effects for payback periods, which have increased on average by 12%.
4. YoY sales quotas have increased by 13.75% on average, and by nearly 50% for the top third. The typical company saw a 9% increase in sales qualified lead conversion.
5. SaaS companies using a mix of per-set and per-usage pricing saw three times the NDR (net dollar retention) expansion of other companies.

“This year’s survey delivers a range of actionable lessons for leaders in SaaS—but our findings on AI’s measured impact really stand out,” said Tomasz Tunguz, Founder and General Partner at Theory Ventures. “The most optimistic respondents expected a 500% increase in efficiency, but recorded a 0% efficiency gain. Leaders coming back down to earth about AI will absolutely have ripple effects across tech sectors.”

Access the full results of Theory Ventures’s 2024 SaaS GTM Survey here.

About Theory Ventures

Founded in 2023, Theory Ventures is a venture capital firm investing $1-25 million in early-stage software startups across theses in data, AI, and web3, with a focus on companies that leverage technology discontinuities into go-to-market advantages. Theory was founded by Tomasz Tunguz. Learn more at theory.ventures.

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