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    monday.com Ltd (MNDY)

    Q4 2023 Earnings Summary

    Reported on Feb 5, 2025 (Before Market Open)
    Pre-Earnings Price$199.00Open (Feb 12, 2024)
    Post-Earnings Price$199.00Open (Feb 12, 2024)
    Price Change
    $0.00(0.00%)
    • Successful price increase accepted by customers: The company has implemented a price increase, with customers accepting it due to significant added value in the platform. This updated pricing model is expected to contribute to revenue growth in the second half of fiscal year 2024.
    • Strong growth among enterprise customers: The company is seeing strong growth in enterprise customers, with larger accounts expected to expand further. They reported a record number of net new $50,000 cohort customers and anticipate continued strength in large deals throughout the year, driving higher net dollar retention and revenue growth.
    • Healthy top-of-funnel demand and increased pipeline generation: The company is experiencing very healthy top-of-funnel activity, with increased marketing efforts resulting in more leads and pipeline generation, which supports future growth expectations.
    • The company continues to face macroeconomic headwinds, with customers cautious in their spending, which impacted Q4 results and has led to a more conservative guidance for FY24. Management noted that macroeconomic headwinds are still present and haven't changed from what was seen in the past. , ,
    • The net dollar retention rate (NDR) declined slightly in Q4 to 110%, reflecting continued macroeconomic headwinds, and is expected to stabilize only in the second half of fiscal year 2024. This indicates potential challenges in customer expansion and retention in the near term. ,
    • There is uncertainty about the company's ability to monetize its AI features, with management stating that they are still working on monetizing AI and it's too early to say how impactful the pricing of AI will be. This could delay expected revenue growth from AI investments.
    1. Conservative Guidance Despite Strong Metrics
      Q: Why does guidance seem conservative despite healthy metrics?
      A: Management maintains prudent guidance, considering early stages of price increases and ongoing macroeconomic headwinds. Despite strong customer growth and metrics suggesting a healthier business, they prefer to remain cautious given the uncertain environment. Net Dollar Retention (NDR) is expected to stabilize in the second quarter of 2024, with optimism for an uptick in the second half due to updated pricing and product scaling.

    2. Price Increase Impact on Churn
      Q: How will the price increase affect churn and assumptions?
      A: The company advanced its price increase by 3-4 months, starting to roll out to existing customers earlier than planned. Initial reactions from customers are positive and in line with expectations. They anticipate an impact of about 15% to 20% on annual revenues. As this is their first price increase to existing customers, they are cautious but optimistic about the outcome.

    3. Net Dollar Retention Trends
      Q: Are NDR rates stabilizing or showing weakness?
      A: NDR is stabilizing, remaining flat compared to prior months. While macroeconomic headwinds persist, impacting customer spending, management expects NDR to improve in the second half of 2024, bolstered by price increases and additional products and add-ons.

    4. Enterprise Customer Growth Pipeline
      Q: Will large deal momentum continue next year?
      A: Management sees strong momentum in the pipeline for large enterprise deals, expecting growth throughout the year, not just in Q4. They have opportunities both smaller and larger than the previously mentioned account of over 25,000 seats, indicating sustained strength in this area.

    5. Operating Margin Guidance and Investments
      Q: Why is Q1 margin guidance lower despite past improvement?
      A: The focus for 2024 is on increasing top-line growth through investments. While operating margins improved in the past, the company plans to invest more in performance marketing in Q1 to impact the entire year. This aligns with their strategy of prioritizing revenue growth over margin expansion for now.

    6. Macroeconomic Impact and Middle East War
      Q: Any impact from macro headwinds or Middle East conflict?
      A: Customers remain cautious with their spending due to ongoing macroeconomic headwinds, which impacted Q4 results and guidance for the year. Regarding the Middle East conflict, the company has seen no material impact on its business and continues to operate globally without significant issues.

    7. Product Development and Cross-Selling
      Q: How will new products contribute and cross-sell evolve?
      A: The company is rolling out new products to the entire customer base, expecting substantial cross-sell opportunities throughout the year. Specialized sales teams are being developed for products like CRM and Dev. Though hard to model due to small numbers, management anticipates significant contribution from these products going forward.

    8. Go-to-Market Strategy with Bundles
      Q: Are there plans for product bundles in the sales strategy?
      A: While currently selling products individually, the company plans to offer bundles in the future, potentially with discounts for multiple products. This approach aims to provide integrated solutions to customers, enhancing value and encouraging the adoption of additional products.

    9. AI Functionality and Monetization
      Q: How confident are you in monetizing AI features?
      A: Management is working on monetizing AI functionality but considers it early days. They believe AI will help penetrate markets faster and are integrating it into core products, like automation. There's significant upside anticipated, but the impact on pricing is yet to be determined.

    10. Competitive Landscape Changes
      Q: Any changes in competition with new product adoption?
      A: Landing with CRM and Dev products introduces new competitors compared to Work Management. In CRM and Dev deals, 50% face competition, whereas Work Management remains largely greenfield with 70% of deals uncontested. The company continues to see some competition in strategic products but maintains strong positioning.

    11. Free Cash Flow Seasonality
      Q: How should we think about free cash flow seasonality?
      A: Free cash flow may exhibit seasonality due to bonus payments in Q2 and Q4. The company expects slight declines in those quarters compared to Q1. With 80% of customers on annual contracts, cash flow remains strong, but investments may introduce variability. Overall, it is expected to be stable throughout the year.

    12. Top-of-Funnel Demand and Marketing Costs
      Q: What's the outlook for demand and marketing expenses?
      A: Top-of-funnel demand is healthy, with increased marketing leading to more leads and pipeline generation as expected. Performance marketing costs are stable compared to last year, with prices lower than in the past but stabilizing. The company continues to invest in marketing to support growth.

    13. Customer Adoption Drivers
      Q: What drives new customer adoption and use increase?
      A: The main driver is the combination of an efficient performance marketing engine and increasingly dominant products. Work Management remains the largest segment due to its broad applicability, while CRM and Dev cater to more specific needs. This allows the company to acquire customers across various departments.

    14. Services Product Launch Timing
      Q: What's the timing for launching the services product?
      A: The company continues to build Monday Service, planning to launch on schedule in the second half of the year. Beta testing with customers has yielded positive feedback, informing the feature set for the initial release.

    15. Price Increase Acceptance and Added Value
      Q: How are customers reacting to the price increase?
      A: Customers are accepting the price increase, understanding that significant value has been added to the platform over the past years without previous price hikes. Early signs indicate wide acceptance, with customers acknowledging the enhanced offerings.

    16. Growth Impact Between Customer Adds and Expansions
      Q: How will growth be impacted between new adds and expansions?
      A: The price increase hasn't materially changed ARR from the price increase itself. There was a small change in conversion rates, mainly affecting smaller customers. Overall, the effect is seen as positive long-term, with expectations of continued growth from both new customer adds and expansions.

    17. Landing Strategies and Standardization
      Q: At what point do customers standardize on Monday?
      A: It's a mix; some decisions are top-down across the company, while others are department-based. As clients increase usage and the platform becomes significant within the company, there's a shift toward standardization driven by management, which the company is encouraging.

    18. Acceleration in Monday Dev Adoption
      Q: What's driving acceleration in Monday Dev net new adds?
      A: Improvements in the product and go-to-market strategy, along with opening the multiproduct suite to more customers, have driven acceleration. Enhanced features and acquisition efforts are contributing to increased adoption, with full rollout expected by the end of Q1.

    19. Elevate WorldTour Customer Feedback
      Q: What was customer feedback on new initiatives at Elevate?
      A: Feedback was very positive, with customers excited about deep platform improvements in scale, performance, and security. The variety of use cases presented expanded customers' understanding of what they can achieve with the platform, generating enthusiasm for new solutions.

    20. Opportunity in AI Expansion
      Q: Where is the opportunity to increase AI functionality?
      A: AI is central to the platform's evolution. The company has introduced AI in several areas, including automation, allowing customers to integrate AI into workflows. Plans include adding AI to core services and other products, aiming to democratize AI and drive growth.

    21. Orchestration Engine Role
      Q: Is Monday becoming an orchestration engine across systems?
      A: Yes, the platform facilitates cross-company workflows, orchestrating between multiple tools. Through workflow tools, integrations, and automations, Monday acts as a layer connecting various systems, filling gaps where specific software may not exist and enhancing overall business processes.

    22. Monetizing AI Functionality Confidence
      Q: How confident are you in monetizing AI features now?
      A: Monetizing AI is still in progress, with pricing specific to AI under consideration. While it's early to determine the impact, management sees significant upside potential, believing AI will accelerate market penetration for products that include it.

    23. Services Side Work and Timing
      Q: Can you give color on services work and timing?
      A: The company is developing Monday Service, aiming for a launch in H2. Beta testing with customers has been positive, and user feedback is shaping the feature set, particularly for ITSM and service management aspects.