Why a Perfect SaaS P&L Can Still Hide Serious Problems
In episode #348 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben Murray responds to a thoughtful LinkedIn comment that challenged a common assumption: that a well-structured SaaS P&L tells the whole story. While a properly built chart of accounts and SaaS P&L are foundational, Ben explains where hidden risks can still exist beneath clean financial statements.
Using real-world examples from SaaS founders and finance teams, this episode explores how revenue commingling, misclassified expenses, role overlap, and customer concentration can quietly distort decision-making—despite an “immaculate” P&L.
Resources Mentioned
- LinkedIn SaaS P&L Post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/benrmurray_saas-activity-7418308514533552128-l2eG/
- SaaS P&L Blog Post:
- SaaS Metrics Course:
What You’ll Learn
- Why a clean SaaS P&L can still hide structural business risk
- How revenue commingling and miscoding undermine financial clarity
- When and how to reclass employee costs across departments
- Why materiality matters more than perfection in early-stage accounting
- How customer concentration risk often surfaces late in due diligence
Why It Matters
- A SaaS P&L is only as useful as the assumptions behind it
- Poor expense classification can distort margins and unit economics
- Misunderstanding departmental cost ownership leads to flawed decisions
- Customer concentration can materially impact valuation and investor confidence
- Strong financial systems require both structure and experienced oversight