Oliver Buchannon
Dirk Sahlmer

Hey there! 👋 I'm Dirk, an engineer turned SaaS enthusiast. From automotive jobs to a failed startup to SaaS M&A, I've taken a scenic route to find my passion. Now I share insights on SaaS, M&A, and the art of starting, growing, and exiting a software startup. Join me on this adventure as we make waves in the SaaS universe! 🚀

AI Coding Tools

Aug 21, 2025

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6 min read

AI Coding Tools

Productivity Promise vs. Reality

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
Your CTO Could Kill Your Margins

Jul 24, 2025

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5 min read

Your CTO Could Kill Your Margins

How AI Engineering Decisions Became Financial Strategy

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
The Figma NDR Deep Dive

Jul 10, 2025

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6 min read

The Figma NDR Deep Dive

Why 132% Might Actually Be <120%

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
OpEx Spend Ratios

Oct 14, 2024

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3 min read

OpEx Spend Ratios

How to quickly spot BS in your SaaS Company's Budget

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
Rising SaaS Inflation

Sep 13, 2024

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4 min read

Rising SaaS Inflation

A chance for Bootstrappers to challenge VC-backed rivals?

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
The Series A Trap

Aug 28, 2024

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4 min read

The Series A Trap

Why It's a Make-or-Break Moment for SaaS Startups

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
What is my SaaS worth?

Aug 16, 2024

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6 min read

What is my SaaS worth?

The Intrinsic Value of a SaaS Business

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
 Navigating the SaaS Crossroads

Jul 26, 2024

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4 min read

Navigating the SaaS Crossroads

Should you focus on Growth or Profitability?

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
SaaS Accounting: Cash or Accrual?

Jul 11, 2024

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4 min read

SaaS Accounting: Cash or Accrual?

Why switching to the latter pays off

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
Growth Benchmarks

Jun 16, 2024

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4 min read

Growth Benchmarks

Bootstrapped vs. VC-Backed

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
2024 Customer Acquisition Benchmarks

May 31, 2024

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5 min read

2024 Customer Acquisition Benchmarks

CAC Ratios in Today's Market Environment

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
My Go-To SaaS Benchmark Reports

May 17, 2024

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4 min read

My Go-To SaaS Benchmark Reports

Essential Data on Valuations, KPIs, Pricing and more

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
Micro M&A for SaaS Startups

May 2, 2024

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5 min read

Micro M&A for SaaS Startups

Boosting growth through strategic acquisitions

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
The Rule of 20+20

Apr 22, 2024

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3 min read

The Rule of 20+20

Finding the right balance in the current SaaS market

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
SaaS CoGS vs. Opex

Apr 11, 2024

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6 min read

SaaS CoGS vs. Opex

Understanding Gross Profit Margins

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
Cohort Analysis using AI

Apr 4, 2024

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7 min read

Cohort Analysis using AI

How you can use ChatGPT to break down your revenue cohorts

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
Churn Analysis using ChatGPT

Mar 21, 2024

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5 min read

Churn Analysis using ChatGPT

How you can use AI to predict and prevent customer churn

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
Typical SaaS Company Org Chart

Mar 14, 2024

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5 min read

Typical SaaS Company Org Chart

How does it evolve as the company grows?

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
SaaS Valuation Myths

Mar 7, 2024

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5 min read

SaaS Valuation Myths

Why EBITDA (still) matters in Small SaaS Valuations

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
Grandfathering in SaaS Pricing

Feb 22, 2024

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5 min read

Grandfathering in SaaS Pricing

What it is and why it's bad for your business

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
The Power of Better Retention

Feb 15, 2024

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5 min read

The Power of Better Retention

Unlocking growth by fixing the leaky bucket

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
Continuation Funds

Feb 8, 2024

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5 min read

Continuation Funds

VCs embrace PE tactics for quicker returns

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
Cost Structure of a B2B SaaS Business

Feb 1, 2024

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3 min read

Cost Structure of a B2B SaaS Business

Bootstrapped vs. VC-backed

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
Clearing the (cap) table

Jan 25, 2024

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4 min read

Clearing the (cap) table

Why VC-backed startups should consider recapitalization

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
Pieces of SaaS exit cake

Jan 18, 2024

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5 min read

Pieces of SaaS exit cake

Dirk Sahlmer
Dirk Sahlmer
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About the Author

I'm Dirk Sahlmer, a Tech M&A professional and partner at FE International. I help founders navigate their exits.

Before moving sell-side, I spent 6 years leading deal origination at saas.group as their first full-time employee - sourcing and closing 20 SaaS acquisitions in the $1-10M ARR range that helped grow the portfolio from $2M to $100M ARR. I've sat on both sides of the table, talked to hundreds of founders and review SaaS companies every week.

I write this newsletter to share what I'm seeing in the trenches - SaaS metrics, market trends, valuations, and the realities founders need to know.

Reach out via [email protected] if you want to chat about your business, content collaborations, sponsorhips, or anything SaaS!


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© 2026 saas.wtf.
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