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Reaching $100K ARR in your SaaS journey feels like a big win—and it is. But what comes next is harder, quieter, and far less talked about.
That awkward in-between phase—from $100K to $2M ARR—is where many startups stall. Some slow down. Others silently die. And most of what got you to $100K stops working the way it used to.
You won’t find a step-by-step playbook for this phase. But after reading founder stories, analyzing patterns from breakout SaaS products like Notion, Calendly, and Loom, and reflecting on hard-earned experience, I’ve distilled 8 brutally honest lessons that many learn too late.
1. Early Revenue Doesn’t Mean Product-Market Fit
Getting people to pay is great—but it’s not PMF. Real product-market fit feels like pull:
- Users return without reminders
- Referrals happen organically
- Usage grows without incentives
If you’re relying on handholding, discounts, or churn fixes, you haven’t nailed it yet.
2. Scaling on a Weak Foundation Will Break You
You can scale too early. And when you do, all your weaknesses get magnified—churn rises, CAC balloons, and morale dips.
Before you scale:
- Validate your GTM strategy
- Nail onboarding
- Understand why users are sticking around (or not)
More users won't fix a leaky bucket.
3. Sales Is Not Spam—It’s Insight
Founders often resist sales, thinking it’s beneath them or too “aggressive.” But in reality, early sales conversations are a goldmine.
They help you:
- Understand buyer objections
- Refine your positioning
- Learn what actually resonates
Skip this, and you risk scaling the wrong message.
4. Don’t Hire Until You Know the Impact
Hiring early sounds like progress. But vague hiring leads to expensive mistakes.
Before bringing someone on, ask yourself:
“Can I clearly define how this role grows ARR?”
If you can't answer that in one sentence, you're not ready.
5. Broad Market = Shallow Impact
A wide TAM is tempting. But early traction almost always comes from focus.
Start with one ICP (ideal customer profile) and win them over completely before expanding.
Airbnb started with airbeds. Not flights. Not hotels.
6. The Founder’s Job Is Focus, Not Features
This stage brings chaos. Everyone has an idea. Everyone wants a new feature.
Your job isn’t to chase them. Your job is to protect the roadmap and keep the team aligned.
Say “no” often. And say it fast.
7. All Channels Plateau
Your best channel today—SEO, paid, outbound—will slow down tomorrow. That’s normal.
When it happens:
- Don’t panic
- Don’t abandon it
- Layer in new channels instead of constantly switching
Real growth comes from compounding, not chasing.
8. Don’t Just Ask “Is It Working?”—Ask “Why?”
If something works, don’t blindly scale it. Study it.
- Why is SEO converting?
- What’s driving retention?
- Which part of the funnel is working best?
Then double down on that edge. Precision beats hustle.
Final Thoughts
There’s no trophy at $100K ARR. It’s just the end of chapter one.
What comes next is slower, messier, and more defining.
These lessons are from the trenches—not theory, not hype.
If you're in the middle of this phase, know that it's normal to feel stuck. You’re not alone.
And if you’ve made it through—share your scar. That’s the stuff that really helps.