Top 10 in Tech - What to know for Week ending November 7, 2025

1. SaaS METRIC OF THE WEEK: ASP or Average Sales Price. ASP tracks the average price new customers pay when signing up. Unlike ARPA, which includes renewals and expansions, ASP spotlights initial deal size—a key signal for sales performance and pricing strategy. Track it by region, plan, or channel to optimize revenue growth.


2. UN-SCALE: I've talked about this a few times - we're all focused on building out that repeatable, scalable business model, but along the way, there are things that have to be done that are totally un-scalable.  This article highlights three specific non-scalable things sales teams should be doing right now.


3. AI-WARS: With OpenAI's new Browser, 'Atlas', and Perplexity's Comet, a new AI war has started for the Browser - shots are being fired at the dominance of Chrome. Security nightmare? You betcha, but it's part of a bigger play to own the full stack: model, agent, and now interface. The Chrome vs. ChatGPT battle is officially on.


4. AI SECURITY: Another week, another AI report but this one complements the AI Security nightmare in #3 above, Aikido's 2026 State of AI Security has to be a bit of a wake-up call: 90% of AI/ML repos have unresolved security issues, and model-level risks (e.g., prompt injection, training data poisoning) are rising - not even bringing up the browser issues. Security needs to shift - again.


5. FUNDRAISING: Going into fundraise mode is a bit of a full-time job, so check this great free AI-powered fundraising kit. Includes investor matching, warm intro prep, and a due diligence checklist. (and built by founders, not VCs - with a sprinkle of AI on top).


6. LEADERSHIP: Conflict is not necessarily a bad thing, and avoiding conflict is the fastest way to stall your team. In that article, Hypergrowth Partners makes the argument that great companies normalize tension and use it as a growth lever.


7. MARKETING: In many circles, LinkedIn is seen as a bit cringe, but it compounds. MKT1 breaks down the "LinkedIn Flywheel" - how founders and operators can use lightweight posting, engagement, and repackaging to build real pipeline without becoming a <insert vocal fry> thoughtfluencer.


8. TASTE: In our ever increasingly overcrowded SaaS markets, taste can be a competitive advantage. Sam Tomlinson explains why it's more than just aesthetics, as taste can help teams pick the right problems, craft better products, and earn trust faster.


9. SALES: Outreach analyzed millions of sales activities to uncover what's working as we start wrapping up 2025. Top reps are now sending 20% fewer emails but book 25% more meetings. Personalization still wins, but speed to first touch and persistence look to be the real differentiators.


10. CASE STUDY: How Intercom built a $50MM ARR Empire using strategic Content Marketing and SEO.


POD OF THE WEEK: Also a bit of a case study, and I've already shared this out a few times. Cursor is turning into a project manager's dream product-management system - featuring Dennis Yang from Chime.