PLG B2B SaaS: Free Signups Up, Paid Conversions Flat
Free trials growing 30% MoM, paid conversion rate stuck at 2.4%. The fix was activation, not paid spend.
Allocation patterns
12 specific situations, 12 specific moves.
Short reads on the patterns I keep seeing in newly-funded paid programs. Each one is a real founder scenario, the diagnostic in three sentences, the allocation move, and when it does or doesn't apply.
B2B SaaS
Series A B2B SaaS: Pipeline Stalled Despite Increased Spend
Founder doubled spend, pipeline stayed flat. The diagnosis was channel mix that didn't match how the company actually closed deals.
Series A SaaS: Agency Split Spend Evenly Across 3 Platforms. CAC Was Unattributable.
Even-thirds Google + Meta + LinkedIn split is the agency's defensible default, not a strategic decision. The audit reallocated 60% in 30 days.
Vertical SaaS in a Regulated Industry: LinkedIn Underperforming Intent Search 4x
Regulated-industry vertical SaaS over-indexed LinkedIn. Intent search outperformed by 4x because the buyer was already shopping.
B2C SaaS
Finance App: 60-Day Churn 65% on TikTok vs 35% on Meta
Same product, same offer, two channels, 30-point churn gap at 60 days. The channel was buying different audiences.
Language Learning App: Apple Search Ads Underweighted While Competitors Bid on Our Brand
Branded ASA traffic was a 4-month-old leak. Competitors paying for our brand terms because we never claimed them ourselves.
Productivity Subscription: Trial-to-Paid Stuck at 18% Against a 32% Benchmark
7-day trial converting at 18% to paid. The problem was the trial design, not the paid acquisition channel.
Wellness App: Installs Up 40%, Paid Subscribers Flat
Cost-per-install down, install volume up, paid subs flat. The platform was optimizing for the wrong event.
E-commerce / DTC
Beauty Subscription: ROAS Drifted From 3.5x to 1.6x at Scale
Same 3 creative angles for 6 months. Audience saturated, not the channel. The fix was the angle library, not the spend.
Apparel DTC: Topline ROAS 2.8x, Contribution ROAS 1.4x. Wrong Operating Metric.
Brand thought they were profitable on paid. The contribution-margin walk showed they were breaking even on every order.
Home Goods DTC: Retargeting at 35% of Spend. New-Customer Growth Capped.
Retargeting felt efficient because it always does. Growth stalled because prospecting was starved.
Supplements DTC: 87% Meta Concentration Flagged in Series A Diligence
Concentration risk surfaced in diligence. Diversification was a 6-month build, not a 30-day reallocation.