This survey of over 100 private (VC/PE-backed) SaaS offers a glimpse into the GTM strategies of a diverse mix of software firms, primarily in the $10M-$50M ARR range, spanning horizontal and vertical applications.

Here is Key Insights

🤝 Channel Contribution to New ARR

Channels contribute 15% of new ARR: While traditional field sales remains the dominant GTM strategy, driving 60% of new ARR, channels and partnerships add a valuable 15%.

This highlights that channels are an important complementary route to market, though not the primary driver.

Despite industry buzz around self-serve and PLG models, these account for only 7% of new ARR, reinforcing that enterprise SaaS success still heavily relies on direct sales, with channels supporting the broader GTM mix.

Partnership Adoption as Indirect Sales Channels

🛠️ 65% Use Tech Partnerships

Tech partnerships are commonly leveraged with large tech firms (e.g., cloud providers) for co-selling, co-marketing, and product integration, enabling SaaS companies to reach enterprise customers within a broader ecosystem.

However, 56% of respondents are decreasing their focus on tech partnerships, suggesting some are re-evaluating ROI due to factors like complexity, cost, or challenges in achieving direct referral or resale benefits.

🧰 52% Use System Integrators (SIs)

SIs play a crucial role in implementation, integration, and customization, making them invaluable for SaaS providers targeting large enterprises with complex needs.

Priority shifts are balanced, with 52% increasing and 48% decreasing focus on SIs, indicating selective investment based on target customer profiles.

🛍️ 38% Use Marketplaces

Although marketplaces are still an emerging channel, they are gaining traction, with 50% of respondents increasing their focus here.

This trend reflects growing interest in reaching customers who prefer the ease of cloud marketplaces and the ability to leverage cloud commitments for purchasing SaaS products.

📊 Evolving Distribution Model in Enterprise Software

The data reveals a continuous evolution in enterprise software distribution. While tech partnerships continue to form the backbone of indirect GTM strategies, cloud marketplaces are emerging as a critical complement.

This shift suggests a "both/and" future, where companies leverage both tech partnerships, marketplaces and SIs for comprehensive market reach.

Dave Wilner, Operating Partner at Sapphire Ventures, highlights that SaaS startups look to position themselves as part of the 'opinionated, modern stack' for enterprises adopting cloud technologies."

Source