# Top 10 in Tech - What to know for Week ending January 17, 2025

Published: 16 January 2025
Canonical: https://www.top10in.tech/posts/week-ending-january-17-2025

Going with a marketing-based theme for this year to get everyone's mindset into the growth year ahead

## 1. SaaS METRIC OF THE WEEK

Value metric is your business's north star. Similar to the [One Metric That Matters](https://userpilot.com/blog/one-metric-matters-omtm/) in that a Value Metric may be unique to your business or GTM model, these metrics directly align revenue models to customer acquisition models. There are two types of value metrics: functional and outcome-based. [Learn more here](https://productled.com/blog/value-metrics-for-product-led-growth).

Link: https://userpilot.com/blog/one-metric-matters-omtm/

## 2. MARKETING 1

Are you panicking because you need to quickly plan a 2025 SaaS marketing budget? [MKT1 has a detailed guide](https://newsletter.mkt1.co/p/budget)with practical steps to allocate resources efficiently, maximize ROI, and secure executive buy-in.

Link: https://newsletter.mkt1.co/p/budget

## 3. MARKETING 2

. Plan for 2025 - expanding on #2 above. [This marketing plan template](https://fullfunnel.substack.com/p/marketing-plan-wtemplate) can help you organize campaigns, track KPIs, and set actionable goals for the year ahead.

Link: https://fullfunnel.substack.com/p/marketing-plan-wtemplate

## 4. GROWTH HACKING

Hacks that work edition: Growth hacking isn't dead—it's evolving. [Foundation shares some cutting-edge strategies for 2025](https://foundationinc.co/lab/saas-hacking-strategies) to scale in competitive markets. There is some actual gold in there, from viral loops to leveraging micro-influencers.

Link: https://foundationinc.co/lab/saas-hacking-strategies

## 5. OUTCOME-BASED PRICING

The first new term for your 2025 Tech Dictionaries is [outcome-based pricing](https://newsletter.mkt1.co/p/how-to-run-effective-campaigns). It's a pricing strategy tied directly to the value your product delivers to customers, ensuring shared success.

Link: https://newsletter.mkt1.co/p/how-to-run-effective-campaigns

## 6. DUNNING

Bringing this real term with a weird-ass name back to the newsletter - it's a phrase for [involuntary churn](https://baremetrics.com/blog/involuntary-churn) (aka bad or failed payments). According to Baremetrics, on average, SaaS and subscription businesses lose around 9% of their MRR due to failed payments. Learn more about [a successful dunning (and pre-dunning) process](https://baremetrics.com/blog/dunning-process).

Link: https://baremetrics.com/blog/involuntary-churn

## 7. GTM

Crafting a GTM strategy, especially one that will look rad in the slide deck? [This guide details how to create a concise and effective GTM slide](https://knowledge.gtmstrategist.com/p/a-killer-go-to-market-slide-for-your), showing investors your market approach, priorities, and scalability at a glance

Link: https://knowledge.gtmstrategist.com/p/a-killer-go-to-market-slide-for-your

## 8. TRIALS

These are proven funnel methods for a solid go-to-market strategy. Check this article on [nine ways to optimize your SaaS trial](https://cxl.com/blog/saas-trials/), and then take note from Tomazs Tunguz on [how long your customer trial period should be](https://tomtunguz.com/how-long-free-trial/). TL;DR: Longer trials do not convert customers at greater rates. Two weeks, two months, same results.

Link: https://cxl.com/blog/saas-trials/

## 9. CAMPAIGNS

[MKT1's breakdown of effective SaaS campaigns](https://newsletter.mkt1.co/p/how-to-run-effective-campaigns) showcases some actionable tactics to boost conversions, refine targeting, and scale this year!

Link: https://newsletter.mkt1.co/p/how-to-run-effective-campaigns

## 10. CASE STUDY: Check

how [Customer.io](https://Customer.io) and others [leverage upselling](https://learn.customer.io/lifecycle-marketing/upselling-examples) and [product marketing](https://userguiding.com/blog/product-marketing-examples) to boost retention and revenue. There are some great real-world examples (with measurable outcomes).

Link: https://Customer.io

## POD OF THE WEEK

Marketing royalty - Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah, two Hubspot co-founders [talk about getting the business off the ground and coining "inbound marketing"](https://open.spotify.com/episode/4dKUFzcFpeeA4h4uZEk0zr?si=BXK6Ue_lQ66-9S0gDERDLQ) as a thing.

Link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4dKUFzcFpeeA4h4uZEk0zr?si=BXK6Ue_lQ66-9S0gDERDLQ