Top trends overheard at SaaStock 2022

What do rain, Guinness, and technology have in common? SaaStock! 

This past week some of the m3ter team had the opportunity to attend SaaStock, a conference for SaaS founders hosted in Dublin, Ireland. It was a memorable week full of new connections, insightful sessions, and lots of fun. 

The most talked-about topics at SaaStock 2022

The team had many meaningful conversations throughout the conference, and we heard a few consistent themes that are top of mind for SaaS leaders today. 

Software buying is evolving

The first was one of the buzzwords of the week - usage-based pricing (UBP). Whether you’re looking to invest in a Product-Led Growth motion, have a hybrid subscription model, or pure UBP, there are many considerations in order to make the transition smooth. 

Co-Founder and CEO of m3ter, Griff Parry, hosted a session to kick off the first day of SaaStock on this topic - the mistakes to avoid and opportunities to seize with UBP. Check out this blog post to learn more about the tips Griff shared.

Treat pricing like a tool

Another trend we overheard throughout the week was the importance of pricing as a tool, especially in the current climate. Pricing is directly correlated to the value you bring your customers, and it’s a reflection of everything you do as a business. In this market, UBP continues to have strong adoption across the SaaS industry since a clear link to usage and impact drives retention, which is more important than ever right now. 

This topic and more was discussed in a live podcast recording from the SaaStock conference floor with John Griffin, Co-Founder and CRO at m3ter, and Neel Desai, Director of Product at Paddle. You won’t want to miss this one - recording coming soon!

How to price for scale

Throughout conversations we had with attendees, planning for scale when it comes to pricing was top of mind. The concern we heard was, how do I plan for usage-based pricing in the future, today?

We consistently heard from startups at the conference that today they are managing their billing manually, typically with a combination of Excel and Google Docs. It’s great to have a plan for today, and while your current processes may work right now, it’s not too soon to start thinking about a roadmap for how you’ll scale for UBP over time. Check out this blog to understand the considerations for UBP, and it should kick-start some ideas for how you can prepare now.

People are happy to be back in person

The energy of the conference was great, with lots of attendees interested in making genuine connections and sharing openly about challenges, learnings, and future plans. While we have all proven we can operate in a virtual world, it’s hard to replicate the buzz and organic interactions of an in-person gathering.

Our team found that the variety of social events across the week was a great way to meet people in a smaller setting. It’s definitely easier to break the ice with a pint of Guinness in hand! We had a great time at our very own m3ter m33tup, and are grateful to all the new and familiar faces who joined us. 

We can’t wait to be back next year.

What other trends did you overhear at SaaStock? Share with us on social!