1. Industry Benchmarks Are Broad — Too Broad
- Industry averages typically group together companies with very different:
- Stages (Seed vs. Series C)
- Models (PLG vs. enterprise SaaS)
- Geographies and customer segments
- Averages blur out nuances, making the benchmarks less actionable for any specific startup
Example: A “SaaS CAC of $1.20 per $1 of ARR” means little if you’re a Seed-stage PLG startup targeting SMBs — vs. a Series B enterprise team.
2. Peer-Based Benchmarking Is Contextual
- Matchita benchmarks only against companies at a similar stage, business model, and region
- Your metrics are compared to those most like you — not to global or outdated averages
- This gives a much sharper signal, especially for metrics like:
- CAC payback
- Burn multiple
- R&D as % of revenue
- LTV:CAC
- GTM ratios
Outcome: Founders get insights that are not just informative — but actionable and immediately relevant.
Accuracy Gap Example
| Metric | Industry Avg | Peer Panel Benchmark | Relevance |
| Burn Multiple | 1.9 | 1.2 for Seed SaaS (US, PLG) | Much higher |
| CAC | $14K | $6.2K for Series A B2B SaaS | More realistic |
| Gross Margin | 75% | 58% for similar region/model | More useful |
Conclusion:
Industry benchmarks give a blurry picture. Peer-based benchmarks give a mirror.
Matchita’s anonymized peer panels offer 10× more accurate, relevant benchmarks that drive smarter decisions — not just prettier metrics.
Doron Herzlich