Practical Rule of 40 Growth+Profits Still Works for SaaS Acquirers

Описание: Selling a SaaS company rarely happens overnight. According to Juan Ignacio García Braschi, founders should start preparing at least two years before they plan to sell.

In this episode of the Practical Founders Podcast, Greg Head talks with Juan Ignacio García Braschi, Managing Partner at L40, a tech M&A advisory firm helping SaaS founders navigate growth, valuations, and exits. Juan shares practical insights from working on dozens of tech transactions across Europe and the Americas, explaining what buyers really look for, how founders should think about timing, and why preparation matters long before a sale process begins.

If you’re building a profitable SaaS company and thinking about an eventual exit, this conversation offers a clear look at how deals actually happen.

Key Takeaways
Growth Drives Valuation: Growth rate correlates most strongly with SaaS multiples. Companies growing 50% command much higher valuations than those growing 20%.
Rule Of 40 Still Matters: Buyers increasingly expect SaaS companies to combine strong growth with some profitability.
Financial Buyers Dominant: Private-equity-backed platforms acquiring add-ons are the most active buyers for $50M–$100M SaaS companies today.
Sell During Momentum: Smaller companies growing 20–40% annually can be an ideal window for acquisition before growth naturally slows.

⏱️ Chapters:
0:00 – Intro and Welcome
1:13 – Meet Juan Ignacio
3:40 – What L40 Does
6:15 – Why SaaS Founders Sell
9:20 – Timing an Exit
12:45 – Growth Rates Buyers Want
16:30 – Strategic vs Financial Buyers
20:05 – Private Equity Entering SaaS
24:40 – Valuation Drivers Explained
28:15 – Due Diligence Red Flags
32:10 – Preparing Two Years Early
36:00 – Exit Market Trends

🔗 Links
Juan Ignacio Garcia Braschi on LinkedIn -   / jigarciab  
L40 on LinkedIn -   / l40-partners  
L40 website - https://www.l40.com/


About Practical Founders and Greg Head

Practical Founders build valuable software companies without big VC funding. This growing community of practical founders are winning the startup game with successful exits of $20 million to $100 million for founders, if they ever choose to sell. There has never been a better time to be a practical founder.

Greg Head is the founder in chief of Practical Founders. He is a 30-year software industry veteran who was part of the startup-to-scale journeys of three different CRM software companies, including one IPO. He is now an active advisor, community builder, and speaker who helps founders of SaaS software startups worldwide.

Greg is a paid strategic advisor to 40 early-stage SaaS company CEOs with his Practical Founders Peer Groups and his 1-1 CEO advisory programs. He hosts the weekly Practical Founders Podcast where he interviews successful founders who grew valuable software companies without big funding.

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