# Top 10 in Tech - What to know for Week ending September 18, 2026

Published: 18 September 2026
Canonical: https://www.top10in.tech/posts/top-10-in-tech-what-to-know-for-week-ending-september-18-2026

## 1. SaaS METRIC OF THE WEEK

GROWTH -: Median growth for private B2B SaaS is 22%, down from 25% last year. [SaaS Capital's 15th annual survey](https://www.saas-capital.com/research/private-saas-company-growth-rate-benchmarks/) (across 1,000+ companies). Only 7.3% reported flat or negative growth, though - the market slowed, but it didn't stall. Equity-backed medians held at 25% while bootstrapped slipped to 20%.

Link: https://www.saas-capital.com/research/private-saas-company-growth-rate-benchmarks/

## 2. FOUNDERS

Daniel Dines gave his CEO job up at UiPath to some hired exec. Four months later (after one guidance cut and a 35% stock drop), [he took the role back](https://www.saastr.com/founders-are-coming-back-to-run-their-pre-ai-b2b-companies-because-its-the-last-stand/). The founder at Workday just did the same, same over at Intercom - Lemkin calls it The Last Stand - with a pre-AI B2B SaaS company that's big enough to survive, too slow to matter, but nobody but the founder can survive the rebuild needed.

Link: https://www.saastr.com/founders-are-coming-back-to-run-their-pre-ai-b2b-companies-because-its-the-last-stand/

## 3. CONCENTRATION

[1% of OpenAI and Anthropic's customers generate 80% of their enterprise revenue](https://www.saas-capital.com/research/private-saas-company-growth-rate-benchmarks/) (and it hasn't moved in three years) - seems like a bit of a risk. The median business spends $11.95 per employee per year on AI. The top 1% spends $7,400. The AI boom has a lot fewer buyers than the earnings calls suggest.

Link: https://www.saas-capital.com/research/private-saas-company-growth-rate-benchmarks/

## 4. MOATS

There seems to be a general worry out there that some vibe-coded upstart is coming for your SaaS renewals? SaaS Capital took a good look and says [it basically isn't happening](https://www.saas-capital.com/blog-posts/trust-is-the-true-moat-what-ai-is-actually-changing-for-saas/) - buyers grumble about building it themselves, then pay up like they always did (at least for now). The (more important) real move they're seeing is in reverse: the incumbents are doing the vibe-coding, building that adjacent tool so the client never buys it from anyone else.

Link: https://www.saas-capital.com/blog-posts/trust-is-the-true-moat-what-ai-is-actually-changing-for-saas/

## 5. BUY vs BUILD

Fast and opposing follow-up to #4 above and [taking the buyer's side](https://toplinemedia.substack.com/p/the-year-every-buyer-tries-to-build). The "We'll build it ourselves" objection has more than doubled in a year. Before you panic: under $25K, it's a bluff, the win rates don't move. Over $100K, it cuts your win chance 80% - and 60% of those losses aren't losses to a build. A median vendor, according to this post (only 100 anonymized companies), has nearly 10% of lost ACV tied to it.

Link: https://toplinemedia.substack.com/p/the-year-every-buyer-tries-to-build

## 6. MESSAGING

Would anyone notice if your competitor stole your homepage? It's brutal [because you already know the answer](https://www.the-founders-corner.com/p/would-anyone-notice-if-your-competitor). Most hero messages are interchangeable - It's category wallpaper.

Link: https://www.the-founders-corner.com/p/would-anyone-notice-if-your-competitor

## 7. AI-CESSION

Graduating into a severe recession job market typically costs someone about 10% in first-year earnings. But take a look at this data -[ If you are graduating in 2026 with a degree that is really exposed to AI  - it costs 13%](https://paulkedrosky.com/the-ai-cession-among-young-people-and-its-consequences/) - plus a 5-point lower chance of even having a job at all.

Link: https://paulkedrosky.com/the-ai-cession-among-young-people-and-its-consequences/

## 8. GROWTH

Check these [64 creative growth tactics](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/60-creative-growth-ideas) from Tom Orbach (who does this for a living at Wiz). Each of his ideas has been run at least once; most are niche. Heads up: it paywalls just past halfway - but that's 32 things - gotta be at least one for ya!

Link: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/60-creative-growth-ideas

## 9. PLANNING

End of year is around the corner - so this is your annual notice that Annual planning season is open - so start with CJ Gustafson's [Annual Planning Bible for 2027](https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xdaekofagvjy6rhs6lxbv/The_Annual_Planning_Bible_2027-mostlymetrics.com.pdf?rlkey=n4lbsuqof8pr0tzhnaupvwwql&dl=0). Before you model your dinero, [check five things](https://www.mostlymetrics.com/p/don-t-start-your-annual-plan-without-these-5-inputs): current headcount, open headcount, this month's P&L, rep attainment history, and 12 months of costs.

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xdaekofagvjy6rhs6lxbv/The_Annual_Planning_Bible_2027-mostlymetrics.com.pdf?rlkey=n4lbsuqof8pr0tzhnaupvwwql&dl=0

## 10. CASE STUDY

ElevenLabs went [from $0 to $100M ARR in 20 month](https://cloud.substack.com/p/elevenlabs-went-from-0-to-600m-arr)s, then $600M+ by month 41 - it friggin accelerated as it got bigger. Also - when their AI agents close revenue on an account, the human who owns it still gets the commission. Also, sales quota is 20x base salary (traditional B2B is 5x).

Link: https://cloud.substack.com/p/elevenlabs-went-from-0-to-600m-arr

## POD OF THE WEEK

This is for all you Enterprise folks - a podcast covering e[very step of a $100K-$1M enterprise deal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS9In813jJ0) in order, from first cold message to the final signature.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS9In813jJ0