# Top 10 in Tech - What to know for Week ending October 2, 2026

Published: 2 October 2026
Canonical: https://www.top10in.tech/posts/top-10-in-tech-what-to-know-for-week-ending-october-2-2026

## 1. SaaS METRIC OF THE WEEK

Always a good report - this bookmarkable  [Guide to SaaS Metrics](https://equals.com/guides/saas-metrics/) from [equals.com](https://equals.com) covers all the greatest hits and more (ARPA, LTV:CAC, Burn Multiples, etc.).

Link: https://equals.com/guides/saas-metrics/

## 2. SALARIES

Want to retain startup talent? Their pay still matters. [This breakdown shows how overall compensation mix](https://www.newsletter.datadrivenvc.io/p/startup-salaries-equity-and-their-impact-on-employee-retention) (cash vs. equity) impacts retention, with clear data points by role, stage, and geography. Bookmark this for your next comp review for sure.

Link: https://www.newsletter.datadrivenvc.io/p/startup-salaries-equity-and-their-impact-on-employee-retention

## 3. MEAT PROXIES

Copy the ticket into Claude Code. Don't read the output. Paste reviewer comments back in. Repeat. Who actually did the work here? You're just being [a meat proxy](https://gruhn.me/blog/2026-08-03/), and if that loop works with [your brain off,](https://danluu.com/brain-off/) the company can run the loop without you.

Link: https://gruhn.me/blog/2026-08-03/

## 4. RAISE

[A whopper guide (149 pages](https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/fdxcm043du3t1eymcmrpb/Book-Raise-Millions-The-ultimate-guide-to-fundraising-for-first-time-founders-by-Tam-Pham-with-Hustle-Fund.pdf?rlkey=e1z8rigm4zmxojet98hvho5iw&dl=0)) that provides actionable insights for navigating the complexities of raising capital, covering investor relations, pitching essentials, market awareness, and the fundraising process.

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/fdxcm043du3t1eymcmrpb/Book-Raise-Millions-The-ultimate-guide-to-fundraising-for-first-time-founders-by-Tam-Pham-with-Hustle-Fund.pdf?rlkey=e1z8rigm4zmxojet98hvho5iw&dl=0

## 5. NEGATIVE CAC

Athyna's newsletter will do [$750k to $1M this year ](https://www.opensourceceo.com/p/bill-kerr-interview-2)- this ain't no side project because it also drives 12 to 15% of their pipeline. They call it negative CAC: while we all fight to lower acquisition cost, they friggin' get paid to fill the funnel!

Link: https://www.opensourceceo.com/p/bill-kerr-interview-2

## 6. LAW

Not the litigious kind - from CB Insights is a [67-page report covering the 11 laws driving success in tech](https://www.dropbox.com/s/urw27exp9y9ub5e/CB-Insights_Laws-Driving-Success-In-Tech.pdf?dl=0), such as Amazon's 2-pizza rule, the 80/20 principle, and more.

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/urw27exp9y9ub5e/CB-Insights_Laws-Driving-Success-In-Tech.pdf?dl=0

## 7. OPTIONS and ESOP

Stock options are a necessary thing for hiring and retaining the best talent in this hyper-competitive startup land, so how can companies build an effective and compelling option plan? Check [this wonderful site](https://www.indexventures.com/optionplan) that has compiled a set of benchmark data, comprising over 20,000 option grants from more than 1,650 startups across the US and Europe, sorted by Seed or Venture stage.

Link: https://www.indexventures.com/optionplan

## 8. AI DEBT

The [metrics of AI Data Centers are crazy](https://tomtunguz.com/the-4-trillion-dollar-ai-data-center-debt-wave/) - $4T is the debt hyperscalers and data center operators raise over five years (to build about 70GW and servicing that is gonna need $1.2T to $1.5T in AI revenue  (it's $100B to $200B today). His companion post: GPU prices doubled in six months while AI got cheaper, and the metric to watch is gross profit per GPU-hour. Meanwhile, GPU rentals doubled to $8.08/hour in six months, but AI got cheaper, and the metric to watch is [gross profit per GPU-hour](https://tomtunguz.com/how-gpu-prices-double-while-ai-gets-cheaper/).

Link: https://tomtunguz.com/the-4-trillion-dollar-ai-data-center-debt-wave/

## 9. CROSS-SEL

L: Who owns cross-sell at your place: sales, CS, or the AM? [This article says the answer is none of them and all of them](https://hyperengage.substack.com/p/cross-selling-belongs-to-whoever). It goes to whoever watches the data. For example, if it came from usage, whoever watches usage owns it. If it came from new budget or a new buyer, it's sales. If nobody's sure, it's the AM.

Link: https://hyperengage.substack.com/p/cross-selling-belongs-to-whoever

## 10. CASE STUDY

LOOPS: Top startups don't grow by accident; they figure out how run growth loops that compound effects. [This playbook](https://www.thevccorner.com/p/growth-loop-playbook-top-startups?utm_source=substack&publication_id=2125183&post_id=165263304&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&utm_campaign=email-share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=true&r=2l6zh&triedRedirect=true) breaks down tactics from the likes of OpenAI and Pinterest.

Link: https://www.thevccorner.com/p/growth-loop-playbook-top-startups?utm_source=substack&publication_id=2125183&post_id=165263304&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&utm_campaign=email-share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=true&r=2l6zh&triedRedirect=true

## POD OF THE WEEK

**Check out** Jev - [a new kind of AI model from TypeSafe](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-i-ai-jev-for-beginners-i-left). It doesn't write anything. You give it a set of options, and it returns a pick: a category, a score, or a probability. Check out this Pod for how to apply it IRL in your day-to-day.

Link: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-i-ai-jev-for-beginners-i-left