Episode Breakdown

• Evolution of the SaaS Benchmarks Report: brief history and transition from OpenView to High Alpha
• “Operation AI”: AI’s move from feature to foundational infrastructure
• Market rebound in venture funding, driven by mega AI rounds
• In-person events and office-based teams: outperforming remote-first approaches
• Product integration of AI and the deep bifurcation between pre/post-2022 founders
• What distinguishes leaders—retention, expansion, and pricing innovation in a crowded AI world
• Impact of AI on headcount, efficiency metrics, and unit economics at scale
• Commentary on industry benchmarks: ARR per employee, gross margin trends, the rise of outcome-based pricing
• Debate: Will agentic AI disrupt SaaS, or does the delivery and human element remain essential?

Featured Guests

• Blake Koriath – Partner & CFO, High Alpha (LinkedIn)
• Host: Drew Beechler – VP Marketing, Alloy Partners (LinkedIn)

Referenced in the Show

• High Alpha 2025 SaaS Benchmarks Report
• 20VC Podcast w/ Harry Stebbings, Jason Lemkin, Rory O’Driscoll: Why Vertical SaaS is a Bad Investment Today & Why VC Today is Worse than 2021
• Meritech Analytics: SaaS Public Benchmarking
• Advantaged Podcast archive

Resources & Related Links

• About High Alpha
• About Alloy Partners
• Sign up for the 2026 SaaS Benchmarks survey
• Subscribe on Spotify
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

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Advantaged: An Alloy Partners Podcast