SaaStr · 2021-02-13
· 1936d
B2B Business Deceleration: Diagnosis and Reacceleration Strategies for 2026
Jason Lemkin analyzes why B2B businesses decelerate and provides actionable strategies to reignite growth. The article identifies four primary causes of deceleration—market saturation, competition, product issues, and pricing misalignment—and offers specific tactics for each, emphasizing the importance of rapid diagnosis and AI-native product evolution.
Metrics in this report
ARR per Employee
$1M-$5M$
range
AI-native companies
ARR per Employee
$200K-$300K$
range
Classic B2B companies
Annual Recurring Revenue Growth Rate
200-400%%
range
AI-native companies
Annual Recurring Revenue Growth Rate
60-120%%
range
Classic B2B companies
Declining Public Software Companies
35%%
share
Current market
Net Revenue Retention Rate
130-200%%
range
AI-native companies
Net Revenue Retention Rate
110-130%%
range
Classic B2B companies
Public B2B Company Growth Rate
15%%
average
Current market average
Public B2B Company Growth Rate
30%+%
historical average
2021 peak