# Top 10 in Tech - What to know for Week ending December 15, 2023

Published: 14 December 2023
Canonical: https://www.top10in.tech/posts/week-ending-december-15-2023

## 1. SaaS METRIC OF THE WEEK

Revenue Churn **-** and the differences between [Net vs. Gross revenue Churn are neatly explained in this article](https://chartmogul.com/blog/net-vs-gross-churn-rate-best-practices)**.** This is great if you're trying to understand your churn, reduce it, and [make negative churn](https://tomtunguz.com/negative-churn/) your thing (ka Net Dollar Retention).

Link: https://chartmogul.com/blog/net-vs-gross-churn-rate-best-practices

## 2. COMPENSATION

This is a great free library of [20 sales compensation plans](https://comp.quotapath.com/hub) that can even let you scenario plan into 2024. Seriously, next-level content marketing that has a significant amount of value.

Link: https://comp.quotapath.com/hub

## 3. AI UI

This is one of the AI topics that interests me the most: How will generative AI change UIs and the way we interact and use the internet? [This article discusses how LLMs can now turn sketches into interactive websites](https://blog.willgrant.org/2023/11/17/real-time-ui-production-generative-ai-radical-changes-ux-design-accessibility.html), hinting at AI-generated, real-time, user-specific interfaces [in the near future](https://www.matt-bristow.com/why-the-future-of-the-internet-is-conversational).

Link: https://blog.willgrant.org/2023/11/17/real-time-ui-production-generative-ai-radical-changes-ux-design-accessibility.html

## 4. AI

The [State of AI report](https://retool.com/reports/state-of-ai-2023) has been released by Retool and specifically looks at internal & external enterprise use cases and pain points when building AI apps/features. Asking the real questions - such as whether AI will replace Stackoverflow (a notable shift) and noting that Data security and output accuracy are major concerns in AI development.

Link: https://retool.com/reports/state-of-ai-2023

## 5. SECURITY

Referencing the security concerns above, the [State of Data Security Report](https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ujp4x6dfj6n0tnequx5h8/2024-State-of-Data-Security-Report.pdf?rlkey=jtmm5ihecg7asq09q5qmrchsp&dl=0) notes that the rise of AI has also corresponded to Enterprises becoming much more serious and aware of data privacy & security risks. Hopefully, this will increase data security budgets and prioritize data governance because stuff is moving fast!

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ujp4x6dfj6n0tnequx5h8/2024-State-of-Data-Security-Report.pdf?rlkey=jtmm5ihecg7asq09q5qmrchsp&dl=0

## 6. GROWTH 1

ChartMogul's 2023 [SaaS Growth Report](https://chartmogul.com/reports/saas-growth-report/2023)is out and reviews trends and benchmarks from 2,200+ companies in the $0-$30m ARR range. Here are some highlights: Best-in-class achieve over 100% annual growth, top SaaS startups reach $1M ARR within 9 months, and SaaS business experiences mild seasonality, with Q1 typically showing the best growth and Q4 the slowest.

Link: https://chartmogul.com/reports/saas-growth-report/2023

## 7. GROWTH 2

This fantastic read by the team at Reforge argues that [choosing between monetization and growth is a false dichotomy](https://www.reforge.com/blog/monetization-vs-growth-its-a-false-choice), suggesting businesses can successfully balance both for sustained, scalable success and also outline growth as a system with 3 elements: acquisition, monetization, and retention.

Link: https://www.reforge.com/blog/monetization-vs-growth-its-a-false-choice

## 8. CHARTS

This is a fun one. "[Friends Don't Let Friends Make Bad Graphs](https://github.com/cxli233/FriendsDontLetFriends)" is a GitHub article outlining some good and bad practices in data visualization - including examples and explanations.

Link: https://github.com/cxli233/FriendsDontLetFriends

## 9. SALES

Do technical products need a different type of sales process vs traditional enterprise SaaS products? [Check this guide on Tech SDRs](https://playbooks.hypergrowthpartners.com/p/product-advocates-technical-sdrs). These Reps, understanding developer needs, are key for selling DevTools efficiently.

Link: https://playbooks.hypergrowthpartners.com/p/product-advocates-technical-sdrs

## 10. CASE STUDY

I love the presentation style in [this illustrated case study on how Zapier successfully implemented a usage-based pricing strategy](https://growth.design/case-studies/zapier-upgrade) and notification system, encouraging user upgrades and boosting revenue through increased engagement.

Link: https://growth.design/case-studies/zapier-upgrade

## POD OF THE WEEK

Need a SaaS Metrics refresher for the new year? [CJ Gustafson interviews Alex Clayton on key software metrics and IPO evaluations in the software industry](https://open.spotify.com/episode/187sXqEmX1EmheS9EQ0U7z).

Link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/187sXqEmX1EmheS9EQ0U7z