Triple Triple Double Double Double: How SaaS Companies Rapidly Grow Revenue

“Triple Triple Double Double Double” (often shortened to T2D3) is a term many B2B SaaS founders recognize as an ambitious roadmap for SaaS exponential growth. 

Put yourself in the driver’s seat: If you start near $2 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), the idea is to triple your ARR in the first two years, then double it for the following three years—potentially exceeding $100 million in ARR. 

Originally popularized by investor Neeraj Agrawal, T2D3 has guided well-known SaaS companies like Slack, Salesforce and Zendesk toward high valuations and, in some cases, unicorn status. 

At Revenue Reveal, we work closely with SaaS founders and go-to-market teams to build predictable, repeatable growth engines that align with frameworks like T2D3.

What Does Triple Triple Double Double Double Mean in SaaS Growth Strategy?

T2D3 sets yearly targets to keep SaaS businesses focused on scaling rapidly. By mapping out clear milestones—tripling two years in a row, then doubling three more—you sharpen your sales processes, refine your product, and build an organization capable of handling high-velocity growth.

Although it’s sometimes portrayed as a strict formula, most real-world applications involve adjusting these targets based on market realities and operational constraints. 

Why SaaS Companies Adopt T2D3

Achieving exponential revenue growth can quickly boost a SaaS firm’s visibility and help it dominate a niche. 

Investors, especially venture capitalists, often look for signs of fast ARR acceleration, and T2D3 directly addresses that. By pushing for “triple, triple, double, double, double,” founders can:

• Signal market demand and product viability.
• Attract top-tier funding and talent to sustain further expansion.
• Position themselves as category leaders, discouraging competitors.

While T2D3 does grab attention, it requires precise execution and a willingness to scale infrastructure at a pace that can be both exhilarating and challenging.

The 7 Key Phases of Triple Triple Double Double Double Growth

The T2D3 strategy provides a structured approach for SaaS companies to scale efficiently.

Below, we break down each phase of the journey, using Slack’s growth story to demonstrate how these steps can be applied in practice.

Slack’s journey through these phases illustrates how the T2D3 framework can guide SaaS companies toward achieving hypergrowth. While not every company will follow this exact trajectory, adapting these principles to your unique market and product can set the foundation for exponential success.

1. Achieve ~$2M ARR: Finding Product-Market Fit

• Key Actions
  • Focus on solving a clear pain point.
  • Rely on founder-led sales to learn customer needs directly.
  • Prioritize user feedback to refine the product (An ICP) Template will be useful during this phase)

In 2014, within 72 hours of its public release, Slack achieved $1 million in ARR, showcasing strong demand for its user-friendly interface and integration capabilities.

2. Triple to ~$6M ARR: Building Early Sales Engines

• Key Actions
  • Strengthen your early sales engine by hiring a core sales team.
  • Refine your sales pitch based on insights from initial customers.
  • Build a strong marketing funnel to drive consistent inbound interest.

Slack’s early success was driven by viral growth through its freemium model, allowing small teams to adopt the product organically, while the company began converting free users into paid accounts.

3. Triple to ~$18M ARR: Scaling Sales Operations

• Key Actions
  • Expand your sales team and introduce onboarding programs.
  • Align sales with marketing for stronger lead generation.
  • Strengthen customer success to reduce churn and drive expansion within accounts.

By 2016, Slack had surpassed $100 million in ARR, demonstrating its ability to scale rapidly through structured onboarding for sales reps and aligning sales and marketing efforts.

4. Double to ~$36M ARR: Expanding Market Reach

• Key Actions
  • Expand into new markets or regions, including international growth.
  • Focus on reducing churn by improving renewals and upselling.
  • Develop features tailored to enterprise clients or other underserved segments.

Slack began targeting larger enterprises by offering additional security, compliance, and administrative features, and by 2018, it had over 8 million daily users, 3 million of whom had paid accounts. This aligns with the Land and Expand strategy, where initial smaller deals are nurtured into larger, long-term enterprise contracts.

5. Double to ~$72M ARR: Optimizing Operations

• Key Actions
  • Formalize operational processes to streamline scalability.
  • Build strong global or regional teams to support growth.
  • Invest in partnerships to expand your ecosystem.

As Slack grew, it developed operational efficiencies by formalizing internal processes, creating unified global teams, and strengthening its channel partnerships, providing scalability while maintaining quality. 

At this stage, setting clear Sales OKRs is essential for aligning teams around shared objectives and tracking measurable progress toward growth goals.

6. Double to ~$144M ARR: Preparing for Big Moves

• Key Actions
  • Plan for larger corporate moves like an IPO or acquisition.
  • Emphasize profitability without sacrificing growth.
  • Build robust financial and operational foundations.

By 2019, Slack had prepared for its direct public offering (DPO), achieving significant ARR and strengthening its brand, with more than 10 million daily active users from over 600,000 organizations.

7. Surpass $100M ARR / Aim for $1B Valuation: Scaling Beyond the Core

• Key Actions
  • Diversify your offerings to capture a broader market.
  • Focus on net retention and upselling to ensure consistent growth.
  • Strengthen your brand to establish market dominance.

By 2021, Slack’s revenue reached $902.6 million, showcasing the success of its T2D3 strategy. At this scale, aligning sales, marketing, and customer success through revenue operations consulting becomes critical for sustained growth and efficiency. 

In December 2020, Salesforce announced its acquisition of Slack for $27.7 billion, reflecting its significant market position and growth potential.

How to Execute the T2D3 Strategy

To effectively implement the triple triple double double double growth strategy, adopt an approach that balances market entry, lead generation, cost management, and customer relationships.

Here’s an example T2D3 progression:

Phase	ARR Target (Approx)	Key Focus	Pitfalls
1	~$2M	Product-Market Fit	Poor retention, unclear ICP
2	~$6M	Early Sales Expansion	High churn if misaligned
3	~$18M	Sales Machine & CS	Onboarding volume issues
4	~$36M	Renewals & Referrals	Cultural / Mgmt complexity
5	~$72M	Operational Optimization	Overextended resources
6	~$144M	Large-Scale Growth	Balancing growth & profit

This table outlines an example progression strategy for implementing the T2D3 framework, focusing on different phases of scaling a SaaS business. The table breaks down key components for each phase:

• Phase: The stages of growth, from early development to large-scale growth. 
• ARR Target (Approx): Approximate Annual Recurring Revenue goals for each stage (e.g., ~$2M to ~$144M).
• Key Focus: Main goals or strategic priorities (e.g., Product-Market Fit, Early Sales Expansion, Renewals, and Referrals).
• Pitfalls: Potential risks or challenges at each stage (e.g., poor retention, onboarding issues, cultural complexity).

Choose the Right Go-to-Market Approach

• Product-Led: Best for smaller ACVs, leveraging the product itself to drive user acquisition and growth.
• Marketing-Led: Suitable for mid-level ACVs, focusing on strategic content and advertising to pull customers through the funnel.
• Sales-Led: Necessary for enterprise deals with higher ACVs, emphasizing personalized sales efforts and relationship building.

Diversify Demand Generation

Avoid dependency on a single channel by diversifying your lead sources:

• Use inbound marketing to build authority and organic lead flow through engaging content.
• Engage in outbound prospecting to actively reach potential customers with tailored messaging.
• Invest in paid advertising and attend industry events to broaden reach and form strategic partnerships.

Optimize CAC & ARPU

• Control CAC: Keep acquisition costs in check to enable scalable growth without overspending.
• Boost ARPU: Increase user value through premium offerings and additional features, enhancing both revenue and market standing.

Retain & Expand Customers

• Focus on customer success to ensure smooth onboarding and continued engagement.
• Identify upsell and cross-sell opportunities to increase revenue per customer and enhance overall lifetime value.

Implementing these strategies helps sustain rapid growth, aligning with T2D3 objectives while strengthening your market position.

Challenges and Missteps in T2D3 Growth

It’s easy to get tripped up while chasing triple triple double double double growth.

• Over-hiring or expanding too early can drain your runway.
• Targeting any prospect for quick wins may spike churn.
• Focusing only on top-line ARR can undermine margins.

Some businesses also struggle when they miss a “triple” or “double” milestone.

They might have to pivot product strategy or tighten sales funnels to get back on track. It’s okay to reevaluate and adjust your targets in response to market feedback.

Sometimes all it takes is clarifying your ideal customer profile or refining your pitch. Staying flexible can help you recover from shortfalls and maintain forward momentum.

Real-World Examples of Triple Triple Double Double Double Growth

Salesforce

Salesforce revolutionized the CRM industry by introducing a cloud-based subscription model. Their growth was propelled by:

• Continuous Innovation: Regularly adding cloud-based features to enhance user experience.
• Community Engagement: Hosting events like Dreamforce to build a strong user community and drive adoption.

These strategies led to rapid growth and a dominant market position for salesforce.

Zendesk

Zendesk scaled its support software by focusing on simplicity and user experience. Key strategies included:

• Inbound Marketing: Utilizing content to attract potential customers.
• Free Trials: Offering trial periods to lower the barrier to entry.
• User-Friendly Design: Creating an intuitive interface that appealed to mid-market companies.

This approach made customer service tools more accessible and drove significant growth.

Marketo

Marketo led the adoption of marketing automation by:

• Targeting Mid-Sized Firms: Developing lead-nurturing tools that resonated with this segment.
• Skilled Sales Force: Guiding new users through multi-year expansions.

By pairing a strong product with a focus on growth, Marketo achieved substantial market penetration.

Shopify

Shopify’s growth strategy involved:

• Merchant Acquisition: Expanding its merchant base through targeted marketing and innovative solutions.
• Ecosystem Development: Building a rich ecosystem through partnerships and integrations.
• Product Expansion: Investing in functionality and tools to improve the merchant experience.

These efforts have positioned Shopify as a dominant player in the e-commerce space.

Practical Tips for Implementation

Break your triple triple double double double growth journey into manageable steps, such as monthly or quarterly goals, to help your team recognize and celebrate progress along the way. 

Leverage analytics platforms like HubSpot or Salesforce to monitor key metrics in real time, including pipeline growth, churn rates, and expansions (For tools to support your processes, explore our Sales Meeting Cadence Template, designed to keep teams aligned and productive).

Hiring experienced leaders who have scaled companies before is essential.

These managers can help you avoid common pitfalls, such as overspending or overlooking churn signals. Additionally, maintaining a financial cushion is critical. 

Doubling or tripling ARR often requires significant investment in marketing and hiring, so make sure your funding or cash reserves are sufficient to support this growth. 

When creating a scalable sales process, implementing a Mutual Action Plan can be a big step towards aligning teams and driving deal closures.

Also, seeking guidance from trusted mentors or an advisory board is essential. Individuals with hands-on experience implementing T2D3 can provide valuable perspectives and help you refine your next steps for greater efficiency and success.

Bottom Line

T2D3 remains a standout framework for rapidly growing a SaaS business from just a few million in ARR to potentially $100 million or more. By syncing sales, marketing, product, and customer success around ambitious revenue milestones, you create an environment primed for exponential SAAS growth.

For SaaS teams seeking to adapt these principles to their specific challenges, Revenue Reveal offers expertise in building scalable growth engines that deliver results.

Still, success hinges on how you adapt these principles to your specific market, funding situation, and product strengths.

Even if you don’t follow the triple triple double double double growth model to the letter, embracing its core elements—faster innovation, disciplined operations, and a sharp customer focus—can lead to remarkable gains in SaaS revenue scaling.

Frequently Asked Questions