Moving Beyond Spreadsheets to Calculate Your SaaS Metrics

Calculating SaaS metrics sounds straightforward—until you actually try to do it. In episode #353, Ben Murray breaks down why SaaS metrics are so difficult to calculate at scale, why spreadsheets eventually break, and what it really takes to produce CFO-grade metrics that stand up in the Boardroom and in due diligence.

Drawing on insights from the 7th Annual SaaS Tech Stack Survey, Ben explains why 58% of companies still rely on spreadsheets and highlights the growing mix of tools aimed at solving the SaaS metrics challenge.

At the core of the issue? SaaS metrics require clean, structured data from four distinct systems—and most companies don’t have that foundation in place.

Resources Mentioned

• 7th Annual SaaS Tech Stack Survey: https://mailchi.mp/thesaascfo.com/its-here-the-2026-saas-finance-ops-tech-stack-report
• Waitlist for Ben's SaaS Metrics app: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeMMKm1N6g0PifGBNhFacivqA-lqePH9id93dCGKxNeBOWbFw/viewform?usp=dialog
• SaaS Metrics Foundation Course with App: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/the-saas-metrics-foundation

What You’ll Learn

• The four key SaaS finance data sources required to calculate accurate metrics
• Why SaaS metrics are difficult to automate (and why most companies struggle)
• Why spreadsheets are the default starting point—and why they don’t scale
• The most common tools companies use today to calculate SaaS metrics
• Why understanding the manual process is critical before implementing software
• What “CFO-grade SaaS metrics” actually means

Why It Matters

• Without structured financial data, your metrics won’t stand up to board or investor scrutiny
• Disconnected systems create inconsistencies that undermine trust in your numbers
• Spreadsheet-based processes break as transaction volume and complexity grow
• Accurate SaaS metrics require integrating financial, bookings, HR, and customer revenue data
• If your data foundation isn’t solid, automation tools won’t fix the problem