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    Jacob Roberge • William Blair

    Jacob Roberge's questions to Dynatrace Inc (DT) leadership

    Jacob Roberge's questions to Dynatrace Inc (DT) leadership • Q4 2025

    Question

    Jacob Roberge asked about the behavior of different DPS customer cohorts and whether the strong expansion rates of early adopters are also being seen across the broader, more recent customer base.

    Answer

    CFO James Benson confirmed that while early adopters were heavy users, the trend of leveraging more capabilities and expanding usage has broadly played out across newer cohorts as well. He stated the initial 'sampling bias' has become a widespread behavior pattern, validating the company's strategy of driving consumption via the DPS model.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to Dynatrace Inc (DT) leadership • Q2 2025

    Question

    Jacob Roberge questioned whether the new 6-month sales compensation plan pulled deals into Q2, potentially weakening the second-half pipeline. He also asked for an update on the growth of partner-sourced deals, given that partners now influence 75% of all deals.

    Answer

    CFO Jim Benson stated that the pipeline remains healthy, but confirmed the new comp plan likely accelerated some deals into the first half, contributing to their cautious second-half outlook. CEO Rick McConnell added that pipeline growth will also depend on the increasing productivity of newer reps. On the partner front, Benson noted that partner-sourced deals increased from a historical average of one-third to nearly half of all partner-involved deals in the first half, indicating positive traction.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to Appian Corp (APPN) leadership

    Jacob Roberge's questions to Appian Corp (APPN) leadership • Q1 2025

    Question

    Jacob Roberge inquired about the primary use cases driving demand for Appian's AI SKUs and the typical pricing uplift. He also asked about the growth in Data Fabric queries and how Appian's solution differs from competitors.

    Answer

    Matthew Calkins, Chairman and CEO, explained the AI SKUs carry a 25% pricing uplift and are primarily used for high-volume, "regular work" like document intake and processing. He differentiated Appian's Data Fabric as a unique semantic layer that is read/write, performance-tuned, and secure, calling it "strictly differentiated" from other market offerings using the same name.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to Appian Corp (APPN) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    Jacob Roberge asked about the demand and use cases for Data Fabric, its competitive differentiation, and its monetization strategy, specifically if customers are connecting more data sources to drive upgrades.

    Answer

    CEO Matt Calkins described Appian's Data Fabric as 'a world apart' from competitors, enabling real-time, performant data fetching (RAG) that is fundamental to their private and effective AI model. He confirmed that monetization occurs when customers connect multiple data sources, which requires an upgrade to the 'advanced' tier. He affirmed that this is happening, with broad adoption among new clients and increasing migration from existing customers.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to Vertex Inc (VERX) leadership

    Jacob Roberge's questions to Vertex Inc (VERX) leadership • Q1 2025

    Question

    Jacob Roberge asked about the competitive environment for e-invoicing compared to core indirect tax and questioned the potential impact on Vertex's model if transaction volumes were to slow down.

    Answer

    CEO David DeStefano explained that the e-invoicing market has many point solutions, but Vertex's key differentiator is its integrated and reconciled VAT compliance and e-invoicing offering. He also clarified that Vertex's core pricing is based on wide revenue bands, not pure transaction volume, making it resilient to slowdowns. Only the new e-invoicing solution is purely transaction-based.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to Vertex Inc (VERX) leadership • Q4 2024

    Question

    Jacob Roberge inquired about Acozio's current e-invoicing geographic coverage relative to market demand and asked about the reason for the lower-than-expected revenue true-ups in Q4.

    Answer

    CEO David DeStefano explained that the e-invoicing roadmap prioritizes greenfield countries with upcoming mandates (e.g., France, Germany) and other regions based on customer economic activity. Regarding Q4 true-ups, he cited a difficult comparison to a very strong prior-year quarter and noted that the company is implementing new processes to improve visibility and minimize such fluctuations in the future.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to Vertex Inc (VERX) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    Jacob Roberge inquired about Vertex's strategy for expanding e-invoicing geographic coverage, specifically asking about the approach of building versus buying capabilities. He also asked if the SAP migration opportunity is having a meaningful impact on new logo growth yet.

    Answer

    CEO David DeStefano stated that the plan is to build out e-invoicing coverage internally by investing in content development, rather than through further acquisitions. Regarding the SAP opportunity, he noted that while the pipeline is being influenced, it is still too early to quantify its specific impact on new logo growth, as other factors like regulatory changes are also driving demand.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to BlackLine Inc (BL) leadership

    Jacob Roberge's questions to BlackLine Inc (BL) leadership • Q1 2025

    Question

    Jacob Roberge asked about the strong SolEx performance, inquiring about feedback from new leadership at SAP and whether this quarter's results represent a new normal for the partnership.

    Answer

    An executive, likely Co-CEO Owen Ryan, indicated a very positive relationship with SAP's leadership, citing a clear, win-win game plan that is beneficial for customers. While cautious about the short-term macro outlook, he expressed that 'better days are ahead' for the partnership in the medium to long term, suggesting the strong performance is part of a sustainable trend.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to BlackLine Inc (BL) leadership • Q4 2024

    Question

    Jacob Roberge of William Blair inquired if slower deal velocity could persist into the new year and asked if the mid-90s revenue renewal rate is a sustainable level that could allow NRR to re-expand.

    Answer

    Co-CEO Owen Ryan acknowledged a risk of slower velocity on large deals as customers perform more upfront blueprinting, which defers start dates. He confirmed the mid-90s renewal rate is about right and that the goal is to re-expand NRR by driving more value and expanding relationships. He also noted that better customer selection in the mid-market is helping stabilize churn.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to BlackLine Inc (BL) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    Jacob Roberge noted the uptick in the Net Retention Rate (NRR) and asked whether the company expects to have fully lapped the headwinds from its strategic churn in the mid-market by next year.

    Answer

    CFO Mark Partin deferred specific guidance to the next earnings call but described the current environment as showing "stabilization" in key metrics like renewals and retention. He pointed to positive signals such as strong conference attendance and returns on marketing investments. He expressed confidence that BlackLine is now better equipped to communicate its value proposition to CFOs and CIOs, which should lead to better metrics, but converting demand into sales will depend on market conditions.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to Jamf Holding Corp (JAMF) leadership

    Jacob Roberge's questions to Jamf Holding Corp (JAMF) leadership • Q1 2025

    Question

    Jacob Roberge questioned the initial customer and partner reception to the Identity Automation acquisition and its effect on existing partnerships with traditional identity vendors. He also asked about the key drivers behind the reacceleration of net new ARR in the quarter.

    Answer

    CEO John Strosahl highlighted the strong early momentum, noting a deal closed on the second day post-acquisition. CSO Henry Patel added that the solution is additive and federates with existing identity providers, enhancing rather than replacing partnerships. Strosahl and CFO David Rudow attributed the net new ARR acceleration to traction with new platform solutions like 'Mac for Enterprise' and strength in the healthcare, financial services, and education verticals.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to Jamf Holding Corp (JAMF) leadership • Q4 2024

    Question

    Jacob Roberge asked about recent performance trends in the technology and education sectors, the impact of a data reclassification on security ARR growth, and the demand pipeline for the security suite heading into the new year.

    Answer

    CEO John Strosahl noted encouraging signs of stability in tech and education, with strong bookings in Q4 and opportunities from device refresh cycles. CFO David Rudow clarified that the ARR data adjustment accounted for a 2-percentage-point impact on security ARR growth, which would have been 19% instead of 17%. Strosahl affirmed that demand for security solutions remains strong and is a key driver for winning deals.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to Jamf Holding Corp (JAMF) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    Jacob Roberge of William Blair & Company questioned what drove the record customer increase for the Jamf Business Plan and whether the recent strength in mobile deals was influenced by market disruption from the Workspace ONE acquisition.

    Answer

    CEO John Strosahl attributed the Business Plan's success to both the product's value proposition of combining management and security and the go-to-market team's improved execution. He confirmed that the competitive replacement market, fueled by customer uncertainty around other solutions, has been a significant tailwind for large mobile deals.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to Datadog Inc (DDOG) leadership

    Jacob Roberge's questions to Datadog Inc (DDOG) leadership • Q1 2025

    Question

    Jake Roberge asked for more detail on the AI-native cohort, particularly regarding optimization trends and renewal conversations. He also inquired about the dynamics in the log management market and the opportunity for Flex Logs.

    Answer

    CEO Olivier Pomel noted that while the AI-native cohort is growing fast, there is revenue concentration and potential for volatility, similar to the cloud-native cohort a few years ago. He described the log management market as a 'tremendous opportunity,' stating that Flex Logs is adding net new use cases and positioning Datadog to displace existing players, which is a key reason for expanding sales capacity.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to Workiva Inc (WK) leadership

    Jacob Roberge's questions to Workiva Inc (WK) leadership • Q1 2025

    Question

    Jacob Roberge inquired if the adoption cadence for Wave 1 CSRD reporters might change following the Omnibus proposals and asked for an update on the progress of the go-to-market transition.

    Answer

    CEO Julie Iskow stated that a significant opportunity remains with Wave 1 reporters, as many are still using manual processes and Workiva's platform is well-suited to manage the complexity. She also confirmed the go-to-market maturation is proceeding with expanded major account teams, smaller territories for better focus, and hiring of experienced platform sellers.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to Workiva Inc (WK) leadership • Q4 2024

    Question

    Jacob Roberge asked about the adoption patterns of new ESG logos in Europe, specifically the mix of customers landing with ESG alone versus the broader platform. He also inquired about customer feedback on Workiva Carbon (formerly Sustain.Life) and its impact on win rates.

    Answer

    CEO Julie Iskow stated that the company always leads with the full platform's value proposition and is increasingly landing multi-solution deals, though they meet customers where they are. She described the launch of Workiva Carbon as highly successful, with strong momentum that has made the entire integrated reporting platform more marketable and relevant, opening up new opportunities.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to Workiva Inc (WK) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    Jacob Roberge of William Blair asked about the competitive environment in the ESG space and the early impact of the Sustain.Life acquisition (Workiva Carbon) on win rates. He also questioned the potential effects of the U.S. presidential election on SEC climate mandates.

    Answer

    CEO Julie Iskow stated that Workiva's unified platform is a key differentiator against point solutions. She explained Workiva Carbon is a strategic addition to capture deals where carbon calculation is the entry point, facilitating a broader platform sale. Regarding the election, Iskow expressed confidence that global sustainability reporting demand is a durable trend driven by performance and risk management, independent of specific U.S. regulations.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to DocuSign Inc (DOCU) leadership

    Jacob Roberge's questions to DocuSign Inc (DOCU) leadership • Q4 2025

    Question

    Jacob Roberge of William Blair asked about the early reception of DocuSign's Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM) platform in the enterprise market and inquired about the expected timeline for the recent billings acceleration to translate into revenue growth.

    Answer

    CEO Allan Thygesen stated that early signs for IAM in the enterprise are 'very encouraging,' noting that while sales cycles are longer, the value proposition is stronger for larger companies. CFO Blake Grayson explained that revenue recognition lags billings by 6-7 quarters due to the average contract duration, and that fiscal 2026 will be the first full year of expected billings acceleration, which should drive long-term revenue growth.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to DocuSign Inc (DOCU) leadership • Q3 2025

    Question

    Jacob Roberge asked about the drivers of DocuSign's revenue and billings reacceleration, seeking to differentiate between core business stabilization and new IAM momentum. He also questioned why the IAM platform is selling significantly faster than the previous CLM product.

    Answer

    CFO Blake Grayson stated that the core business is the predominant driver of reacceleration, with early renewals, improved retention, and digital growth being the main factors. He noted IAM's contribution is still small but promising. CEO Allan Thygesen explained that IAM targets a much broader market than the enterprise-focused CLM, addressing simpler workflows and a wider range of company sizes with out-of-the-box value, which facilitates faster adoption.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to DocuSign Inc (DOCU) leadership • Q2 2025

    Question

    Jacob Roberge from William Blair & Company asked for more detail on the early customer feedback for the IAM platform and inquired why IAM appears to be selling much faster than CLM historically did. He also asked about the rationale behind the recent sales leadership transition and whether the new CRO, Paula Hansen, plans significant changes.

    Answer

    CEO Allan Thygesen explained that early IAM feedback highlights its ease of deployment and rapid time to value, allowing customers to instantly gain insights from their agreements. He differentiated IAM from CLM by noting IAM's broader applicability and ease of use, contrasting with CLM's complexity which limited it to large enterprises. Regarding the leadership change, Thygesen stated the company is in a 'transformation moment' and sought a leader to guide the shift from selling a single product to a richer platform solution, while emphasizing that the core omnichannel strategy remains unchanged.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to UiPath Inc (PATH) leadership

    Jacob Roberge's questions to UiPath Inc (PATH) leadership • Q4 2025

    Question

    Jacob Roberge asked for more details on the significant macroeconomic volatility observed in the past few weeks and inquired about the initial use cases and monetization strategies for the 3,000 agents already created on the platform.

    Answer

    CEO Daniel Dines acknowledged the market volatility, citing an example of a Canadian bank reviewing all recent approvals. He explained that agents are being applied across industries like financial services and healthcare for tasks such as general ledger coding and claims processing. Dines emphasized that these agents work within end-to-end enterprise processes, collaborating with robots and humans, a concept UiPath calls 'Agentic Orchestration'.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to UiPath Inc (PATH) leadership • Q3 2025

    Question

    Jacob Roberge of William Blair asked about the progress of go-to-market changes and what tasks remain to achieve steady execution. He also inquired about customer feedback and pipeline generation from the FORWARD conference, particularly concerning Agentic Automation.

    Answer

    CEO Daniel Dines reported that go-to-market simplification and eliminating silos are progressing well, highlighted by a new customer-centricity office. He described the FORWARD conference as transformational, generating significant interest in the Agentic offering. CFO & COO Ashim Gupta added that the high number of private preview registrations reinforces their confidence in the pipeline.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to Elastic NV (ESTC) leadership

    Jacob Roberge's questions to Elastic NV (ESTC) leadership • Q3 2025

    Question

    Jacob Roberge asked about the specific changes made to stabilize the go-to-market motion after Q1 and how the recent shift back to a more open-source friendly license has impacted top-of-funnel activity for vector search.

    Answer

    CEO Ash Kulkarni stated that stabilization came from a doubled-down focus on managing pipeline creation and progression, which is now part of their regular operating rhythm. Regarding the license change, he said it's still early, but the goal was to increase visibility where developers find open-source tech. He noted the community excitement suggests they are on the right path for long-term adoption.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc (IONS) leadership

    Jacob Roberge's questions to Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc (IONS) leadership • Q4 2024

    Question

    Jacob Roberge of William Blair, on for Myles Minter, asked about Ionis's plans for an ex-U.S. launch of olezarsen in sHTG and whether development of the next-generation Lp(a) asset is contingent on the pelacarsen HORIZON study readout.

    Answer

    CEO Brett Monia confirmed that the strategy for olezarsen outside the U.S. is to secure a commercial partner, similar to its approach with donidalorsen, and that discussions are progressing well. Regarding the next-gen Lp(a) asset with Novartis, he stated that its development timeline is not necessarily contingent on the pelacarsen data, as the new molecule is already advancing into IND-enabling studies, and suggested it was a question best directed to Novartis.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to Pegasystems Inc (PEGA) leadership

    Jacob Roberge's questions to Pegasystems Inc (PEGA) leadership • Q4 2024

    Question

    Jacob Roberge sought to quantify the financial impact of Pega GenAI Blueprint on 2024 results, such as its contribution to ACV growth, and asked about the typical price uplift seen when customers migrate to Pega Cloud.

    Answer

    CFO Kenneth Stillwell explained that while Blueprint is driving faster client engagement and a significant pipeline, its direct financial impact on sales efficiency is still emerging. For cloud migrations, he noted the price uplift varies widely, from 25-35% on the low end to over 100% on the high end, as it depends on the customer's original contract and whether they are purchasing new capabilities simultaneously.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to Pegasystems Inc (PEGA) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    Jacob Roberge asked for specific examples of how Pega GenAI Blueprint is expanding the company's total addressable market (TAM) and whether there are plans to increase go-to-market investments to capitalize on this. He also sought a general pulse on the market and whether AI-related budgets are increasing.

    Answer

    CEO Alan Trefler explained that Blueprint expands their TAM by enabling them to more directly target and replace clients' legacy systems, moving beyond a simple "wrap and renew" strategy. He noted that while they are open to investments, they will remain cautious and focused, as this disciplined approach has improved growth. Regarding the market, Trefler observed that customers are eager for automation but confused by market noise, and Pega's AI transformation message is resonating. CFO Kenneth Stillwell added a note of caution, citing ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainties that may cause clients to remain timid.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to Paycom Software Inc (PAYC) leadership

    Jacob Roberge's questions to Paycom Software Inc (PAYC) leadership • Q4 2024

    Question

    Jacob Roberge asked if the strong January sales performance was driven by internal execution or a broader opening of HR budgets. He also inquired about progress in getting sold products implemented and any new priorities for the CRR team.

    Answer

    CEO Chad Richison attributed the record January sales entirely to internal factors, including strong execution, preparation, and product strength, not external budget changes. He stated that the priority for the CRR team, and the entire company, remains client satisfaction, which includes helping clients implement products to realize their full ROI.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to Paylocity Holding Corp (PCTY) leadership

    Jacob Roberge's questions to Paylocity Holding Corp (PCTY) leadership • Q2 2025

    Question

    Jacob Roberge of William Blair & Company asked if the hiring profile for sellers will change with the increased focus on the Office of the CFO. He also inquired about plans to add agentic AI and its potential for monetization.

    Answer

    Executive Chairman Steven Beauchamp explained that they will likely use a specialized inside sales team for Office of the CFO products, rather than changing the profile of their core HCM reps. Regarding AI, he said the focus is on automating workflows and providing insights to create differentiation and efficiency, which is the primary value driver over near-term direct monetization.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to Paylocity Holding Corp (PCTY) leadership • Q1 2025

    Question

    Jacob Roberge inquired about learnings from prior products sold to the CFO persona that influenced the Airbase acquisition, and asked for early feedback on AI features and any potential for monetization.

    Answer

    Executive Chairman Steven Beauchamp explained the CFO is a familiar persona, often the final decision-maker on HCM deals, and their focus on ROI aligns well with Airbase's value. On AI, he noted the focus is on embedding it for differentiation, not monetization. Early feedback on the AI chatbot is positive for its ability to provide quick answers, with a long-term goal of assisting employees directly.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to Mitek Systems Inc (MITK) leadership

    Jacob Roberge's questions to Mitek Systems Inc (MITK) leadership • Q4 2024

    Question

    Jacob Roberge asked about Mitek's near-term versus long-term organic growth initiatives, the sustainability of the 13% three-year CAGR as a medium-term target, and the customer acquisition strategy for Check Fraud Defender (CFD).

    Answer

    CEO Edward West outlined that near-term growth would come from integrating identity solutions like MiVIP, cross-selling to the existing financial institution base, and driving adoption of Check Fraud Defender. He affirmed that returning to double-digit growth is the primary goal and a low-teens CAGR is a fair medium-term target. Regarding CFD, West highlighted its compelling ROI and rapidly growing data consortium as key selling points. CFO David Lyle added that CFD is gaining the expected traction.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to Mitek Systems Inc (MITK) leadership • Q1 2025

    Question

    Jacob Roberge of William Blair & Company inquired about near-term opportunities from the go-to-market integration, confidence in returning to double-digit growth, the partner channel progress for Check Fraud Defender (CFD), and the status of previously delayed ID R&D deals.

    Answer

    CEO Ed West affirmed his confidence in returning to double-digit growth, citing strong customer dialogues around fraud solutions and growing SaaS revenue. He noted that CFD partner channels are expanding as the consortium's value grows. CFO David Lyle added that the previously delayed large ID deals are still expected to close and contribute in the second half of fiscal 2025 and into 2026.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to Mitek Systems Inc (MITK) leadership • Q2 2025

    Question

    Jacob Roberge asked about CEO Edward West's reflections after his first few quarters, customer sentiment amid market turbulence, and the impact on usage-based businesses in April. He also questioned the maintained top-line guidance after a strong quarter and inquired about progress toward the Check Fraud Defender ACV target.

    Answer

    CEO Edward West highlighted positive customer feedback and strong execution from the Mitek team, noting that the company's strategy is highly aligned with market needs for combined fraud and identity solutions. He stated that while encouraging, it's only one strong quarter. CFO David Lyle explained that the maintained guidance reflects a large mobile deposit customer order pulling forward from Q3 into Q2. West added that for Check Fraud Defender, the 23% coverage of U.S. checking accounts is a strong leading indicator, though sales cycles in banking remain long.

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    Jacob Roberge's questions to PagerDuty Inc (PD) leadership

    Jacob Roberge's questions to PagerDuty Inc (PD) leadership • Q2 2025

    Question

    Jacob Roberge, on behalf of JP, asked if the updated guidance reflects different assumptions for large deal closures or SMB churn, and when increased top-of-funnel activity from recent outages might materialize in the business.

    Answer

    CFO Howard Wilson confirmed the guidance change accounts for the lag in professional services revenue and back-end loaded quarters. CEO Jennifer Tejada added they have strong pipeline visibility and are seeing improved go-to-market execution. Regarding the outages, Tejada stated they are not yet modeling in new pipeline from this, as the initial impact is on customer awareness and internal approvals, with a timeline for revenue impact that is difficult to predict.

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