# Top 10 in Tech - What to know for Week ending October 18, 2019

Published: 17 October 2019
Canonical: https://www.top10in.tech/posts/week-ending-october-18-2019

## 1. SaaS METRIC OF THE WEEK

[Leading & Lagging Indicators - A cheat sheet](https://www.saleshacker.com/sales-metrics-cheat-sheet-smb-enterprise/). This is one from NZ’s very own [Matt Cameron](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattcameron2007/) - a list of what to look out for in your sales pipeline.

Link: https://www.saleshacker.com/sales-metrics-cheat-sheet-smb-enterprise/

## 2. SALES RAMP

[Hiring a Sales rep](https://saasx.com/2018/01/16/interview-strategies-to-hire-better-sales-reps/) is a big deal in a startup and successful onboarding is key! A 30/60/90 day onboarding plan is a great idea and SaaSx have a great [Google Doc Sample](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iDxJmf-4sOPNdNZXd5IJutBcJTjopbmEdBGbP3KZM3I/edit#gid=0) and [accompanying blog post](https://saasx.com/2019/08/27/a-saas-startup-sales-team-org-chart-example-3-2/).

Link: https://saasx.com/2018/01/16/interview-strategies-to-hire-better-sales-reps/

## 3. PRICING

This is the problem that is never solved. [SaaSx provide their 5 lessons](https://saasx.com/2019/09/19/5-lessons-on-saas-pricing/),

Link: https://saasx.com/2019/09/19/5-lessons-on-saas-pricing/

## 4. MAKE A PLAN

[Lessons learnt from some of the best planners (and their processes) at AirBnB and Eventbrite](https://firstround.com/review/the-secret-to-a-great-planning-process-lessons-from-airbnb-and-eventbrite/) - it’s a very deep read and has some really fantastic[templates](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JI73WrGplrhNE46aLyRD_B74gEynI77EPgXn1ic6WeQ/edit#) for you to put to work inside your organization.

Link: https://firstround.com/review/the-secret-to-a-great-planning-process-lessons-from-airbnb-and-eventbrite/

## 5. COMPETITORS

28% of companies aren’t doing any formal competitor research, which means over a quarter of companies are missing out on learning more about their customers via the competition. [This post makes the case of why](https://producthabits.com/stop-ignoring-competitors/) (in todays customer-centric world) you should definitely not ignore your competitors.

Link: https://producthabits.com/stop-ignoring-competitors/

## 6. RECESSION

There will be one - we just don’t know when. [Jason Lemkin of SaaStr explores what this will likely mean in the SaaS world](https://medium.com/saastr-all-about-paid-web-services/what-the-downturn-will-probably-look-like-in-saas-c491eac8b6ff).

Link: https://medium.com/saastr-all-about-paid-web-services/what-the-downturn-will-probably-look-like-in-saas-c491eac8b6ff

## 7. RETAIL 4/5

The future of retail is tech-centric and Business Insider are providing a 5 part series on the future of retail (2020 edition) In this fourth part of the series, the focus in on checkout, and how to [reduce friction both online and in brick-and-mortar.](https://www.dropbox.com/s/yu17m7smu2xskjz/future-of-retail-4-from-one-click-to-just-walk-out-october-2019.pptx?dl=0)

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/yu17m7smu2xskjz/future-of-retail-4-from-one-click-to-just-walk-out-october-2019.pptx?dl=0

## 8. CUSTOMER SUCCESS

In this current age of the customer, SaaSx make the argument that (customer) [Success is actually the product](https://saasx.com/2019/10/06/customer-success-is-product/).

Link: https://saasx.com/2019/10/06/customer-success-is-product/

## 9. STREAMING

here is a really interesting data point that made me pause - YouTube is now [the most popular video streaming platform among US teens](http://www.piperjaffray.com/3col.aspx?id=5751&), passing Netflix for the first time. This is all likely due to mobility based experiences with YouTubes views happening on mobile [70% of the time](https://www.tubefilter.com/2018/09/13/youtube-vertical-video-ads), compared to Netflix who [is at 10%](https://www.vox.com/2018/3/7/17094610/netflix-70-percent-tv-viewing-statistics).

Link: http://www.piperjaffray.com/3col.aspx?id=5751&

## 10. BaaS

Banking as a Service is on the rise! It’s actually not a new idea, it’s been around for a few years but with the spread of API’s and regulatory changes, we have seen opportunities really come to rise. [Business Insider offer a deep dive on this financial services opportunity](https://www.dropbox.com/s/g5ue2gs46qts9ac/bii_riseofbankingasaservice_2019.pdf?dl=0) (downloadable PDF report).

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/g5ue2gs46qts9ac/bii_riseofbankingasaservice_2019.pdf?dl=0

## POD OF THE WEEK

Problem solving is an art - it’s a skill that can change everything. [McKinsey dive into their methodology for problem solving](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mckinsey-podcast/id285260960?i=1000449123596) (that is very McKinseyan) and actually a super helpful tool for business problem solving.

**BONUS**: Want to take a crash course on SaaS Metrics? The SaaS Academy have [a great on-demand course](https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/FyooEi8X/checkout) (with templates) for $199 USD

Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mckinsey-podcast/id285260960?i=1000449123596