      SaaStr · 2015-11-23
      · 3845d
    

Replace Exit Strategy Slides with Competitive and Cooperative Landscape Analysis in VC Pitches

Jason Lemkin advises SaaS founders to avoid explicit 'Exit Strategy' slides when pitching to venture capitalists hunting for unicorns, as they signal limited ambition. Instead, present a 'Competitive and Cooperative Landscape' slide featuring potential acquirers valued over $1.5B to help investors envision multiple successful outcomes.

4 metrics· Cited 0× in the knowledge base ·Open source ↗

Metrics in this report

ARR Growth Milestones

50-100-300$M

range

referenced ARR scaling targets for unicorn trajectory

Acquirer Market Cap Spending Rate

5-10%

range

percentage of market cap typically spent on acquisitions

Implied Exit Valuation Cap

100-200$M

range

realistic exit value for $2B acquirer at 5-10% spending rate

Minimum Acquirer Valuation Threshold

1.5$B

minimum

suggested threshold for including companies in competitive landscape slide