Zombie companies, ARR, and broken SaaS economics | Brett Queener

February 5

1h 12m

Episode Description

In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Brett Queener, Managing Director at Bonfire Ventures, to trace the origins of ARR and examine how new revenue models are reshaping B2B software. Drawing on Brett’s time at Salesforce and SmartRecruiters, they explore the shift from annual contracts to outcome-based pricing, what it means for forecasting and gtm strategy, and where the next major inflection points in SaaS are likely to emerge.

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SPONSORS:

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Tabs is an AI-native revenue platform that unifies billing, collections, and revenue recognition for companies running usage-based or complex contracts. By bringing together ERP, CRM, and real product usage data into a single system of record, Tabs eliminates manual reconciliations and speeds up close and cash collection. Companies like Cortex, Statsig, and Cursor trust Tabs to scale revenue efficiently. Learn more at https://www.tabs.com/run

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LINKS:

Brett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettqueener/

Brett’s Substack: https://queener.substack.com/

CJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/

Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com

The Staffing Ratios Salesforce Used, with Brett Queener of Bonfire VC

https://youtu.be/lJVgstAXjJs

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TIMESTAMPS:

00:02:54 Welcome Brett & episode setup

00:03:51 On-prem software to SaaS