M. Allen LLC

BREAKING: The delinquency rate on commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) for offices jumped to a RECORD 11.0% in December. Delinquency rates on these loans is now up 9.4 percentage points over the last 2 years This puts delinquency rates above the 10.7% peak seen in December 2012. Furthermore, delinquency rates on these loans are rising twice as fast as during the 2008 Financial Crisis. Overall, there were more than $2 billion in office loans that became newly delinquent in December 2024. The commercial real estate crisis is worsening @kobeissiletter

CEOs were now placing a stronger emphasis on EBITDA metrics. “It’s not just about growth anymore; it’s about ensuring our businesses can sustain themselves through uncertainties. Financial health is paramount.” https://lnkd.in/gENWWCJX

As we step into 2025, imagine the sales and revenue generation landscape as a dynamic marketplace bustling with opportunities and challenges. Over recent years, we've seen rapid shifts—new technologies emerging like groundbreaking products, changing customer behaviors redefining the rules, and economic fluctuations altering the playing field. In the past two years, a "market lock-in effect" has taken root, with many businesses holding onto their tried-and-true strategies, much like a reliable, high-performing product line. This has resulted in a competitive environment where innovation and adaptability are key to standing out. For sales professionals, marketers, and revenue strategists, 2025 presents a landscape akin to a bustling marketplace. Successfully navigating this environment demands agility, foresight, and a willingness to embrace change. Think of 2025 as charting a course through a vibrant marketplace. We may not always foresee every twist and turn, but true leadership lies in steering from periods of steady growth to sudden shifts in demand, making informed decisions without becoming disheartened when the journey deviates from our strategic maps. In this landscape, the actions we take today shape our success tomorrow. Let 2025 be the year where you pivot from trying to overhaul everything to focusing on a few strategic initiatives that drive meaningful impact. I am here to support you. Not at some distant point, but right now. This moment could be our unique opportunity to seize the reins of 2025. If you need a partner, strategist, a new logo hunter, or collaborator to help navigate your path to success, reach out. Let’s explore how I can contribute to your journey in 25! Wishing you a prosperous and rewarding new year! Matt Slonaker Founder of M. Allen Outcome details: https://lnkd.in/gJTwngiR

There's a new gold rush in SaaS and it’s happening now. Here's the new AI playbook for building SaaS startups to $5M in ARR (with 5 FTEs): Take a legacy SaaS tool, add a layer of AI, slash the price and run it lean. The founders who do this will cause MAJOR DISRUPTIONS next year. Here's the 9 steps to follow: 1. Find a legacy SaaS app with the following characteristics: - Workflow automation, business process management, customer engagement - Preferably in a market niche - High Margin/Expensive 2. Find a way to inject AI: - Improve data collection using AI - Automate repetitive tasks and optimize workflows - Enhance personalization, improve analytics, enable predictive decision making - Identify new revenue opportunities using customer data - Automate mundane tasks using RPA or better information extraction 3. Build the app in weeks - Use rapid app development environment or AI code generators to create your app in weeks not months - I recently caught up with Jason Masciarelli from Pega Launchpad. Sounds like a terrific opportunity to cut down on dev time and cost to build a workflow automation tool. 4. Innovate on Pricing - Significantly lower SaaS pricing - Explore usage based pricing or outcome based pricing 5. Content and Thought Leadership - Position your app as a modern and efficient market substitute to legacy apps - Highlight the AI related optimizations and demonstrate - Mention the lower price and it’s impact on ROI - Ensure your buyers are receiving your content on Linkedin 6. Design efficient GTM - Don’t plan on hiring an enterprise sales team - Consider self serve GTM - Get early customers via Linkedin content and prior relationships 7. Don’t hire a large Support or CS team - Use as much automation as possible for support and CS - Try to serve 1000+ paid accounts with just 1 support staff   - Say NO to revenues that dont fit your initial business model 8. Org Design - Keep the team as small as you can - Don’t hire any VPs or senior folks for a long time - Hire a lot of fractional contractors, advisors or ICs 9. Capitalization - Bootstrap if you can, but you don’t have to - If you raise capital, find investors that care about efficiency and small exits - Do not take on the burden of large exit until you know that’s possible - Prioritize revenues. Pursue lean and profitable growth strategies By executing on this playbook, you could achieve a few million in revenue profitably with a lean team (<5 FTEs) in a year or two and possibly even an acquisition offer from a legacy app vendor. If you choose to scale further, you will have the option to secure a large investment from a growth fund to embark on your journey to scale at your terms.

https://lnkd.in/dG7rVKcg One highlight from this year was the publication of my first book! 🙏