Scaling SaaS to $100M+ ARR: 5 Lessons from Samsara

Kiren Sekar, Chief Strategy Officer at Samsara, shared insights on multi-product growth at SaaStr Annual. Samsara's strategic approach scaled multiple products to $100M+ ARR each. Learn their key lessons.

From WiFi to IoT Fleet Management

Sekar's journey began at Meraki, where he helped build their go-to-market engine. After Meraki's acquisition by Cisco, he co-founded Samsara in 2015. Samsara focuses on modernizing physical operations with IoT solutions. The company achieved rapid growth, reaching $100M ARR in just 2.5 years and now exceeding $1.3B ARR.

Five Key Lessons for SaaS Growth

1. Prioritize CAC Payback Period

CAC payback is the most important SaaS metric. It reflects market demand, go-to-market efficiency, and product quality. A healthy CAC payback signals strong product-market fit and efficient execution.

2. Embrace Cross-Vertical Expansion

Expanding across different verticals fosters unexpected innovation. Samsara's experience shows that solutions for one industry can spark demand in others. This cross-pollination accelerates product development.

3. Leverage the Mid-Market

The mid-market is an ideal testing ground for product and go-to-market strategies. Mid-market customers offer valuable feedback and faster sales cycles than enterprise clients.

4. Integrate Customer Feedback into Your Systems

Samsara embedded customer feedback mechanisms directly into their product and workflows. This continuous feedback loop enables data-driven roadmap prioritization.

5. Start Multi-Product Strategy Early

Don't wait to reach $100M ARR. Launching multiple products early establishes a platform identity and attracts customers seeking comprehensive solutions. Samsara's second product now surpasses its first in ARR.

Key Takeaways from Samsara's Success

  • Samsara's second product is now their largest revenue generator.
  • Early focus on diverse verticals led to balanced revenue distribution.
  • Mid-market customers provide optimal unit economics and valuable feedback.
  • Embedded feedback mechanisms are crucial for product development.

Samsara allocates resources strategically: 70% to near-term opportunities, 20% to mid-term bets, and 10% to high-risk, high-reward ventures. This balanced approach fuels sustainable growth and continuous platform expansion.

Learn more about multi-product strategies and when to implement them.