The Two SaaStr Annual Slides Every SaaS Operator Needs to See Today

The Two SaaStr Annual Slides Every SaaS Operator Needs to See Today

From SaaS Metrics School by Ben Murray

May 20, 2026 · 3 min

About this episode

Ben Murray discusses two critical slides from Jason Lemkin's keynote that every SaaS operator must understand in the context of AI and revenue growth.

Are you a legacy SaaS company quietly hoping for a recovery that isn't coming? In episode #372, Ben Murray breaks down two slides from Jason Lemkin's State of SaaS keynote at SaaStr Annual that every SaaS operator and CFO needs to confront. The four categories Lemkin laid out will tell you exactly where your company sits in the AI transition, and whether your ARR growth is real or borrowed time. If you're building, leading, or financing a SaaS business right now, this is the reality check that should reshape how you frame your strategy for the next board meeting. Understand the four SaaS+AI categories Jason Lemkin used to map every software company, and which one quietly signals the end of the road Learn why AI driving expansion revenue versus net new customer acquisition matters more than top-line ARR growth right now See which public SaaS companies are pulling off the AI-powered rocket ship growth and what they share Hear the "tired versus wired" narratives that separate operators stuck in 2024 talking points from those building what's next Get a clear lens for whether your AI features are real revenue drivers or just a story you're telling investors Tune in to find out where…

People in this episode

Host: Ben Murray

Topics covered

  • SaaS
  • AI transition
  • ARR growth
  • business strategy
  • SaaS metrics

Keywords

  • SaaS
  • AI
  • ARR
  • revenue growth
  • business strategy
  • SaaStr Annual
  • Jason Lemkin

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: SaaStr Annual

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