On asking 'why?'
With Mike Grouchy, CEO @ PageCloud
In this episode, Allan and Lauren sit down with Mike Grouchy, CEO of Ottawa-based SaaS company Pagecloud, to talk about how a simple question, "Why are we doing this?", can transform the way a team uses data.
Mike walks through two principles that shape how Pagecloud approaches data: leading with a hypothesis and building a culture of discovery. Start with a clear "why," pair it with curiosity, and then let the metrics do their job. That combination, he argues, is where real insight comes from.
He also shares what "succeeding with data" means to him — and yes, it involves flossing your teeth. You'll have to listen to find out how.
Metrics mentioned in this episode
Mike and the hosts dig into several SaaS metrics tracking throughout the conversation. Here's a quick reference:
Why hypothesis-driven thinking matters
Most teams track metrics. Fewer ask why those metrics matter before they start tracking them. Mike's hypothesis-driven analytics approach flips the default: define the question first, then find the data that answers it.
This keeps teams from drowning in dashboards full of numbers that don't connect to decisions. When every metric has a "why" behind it, it's easier to know what to act on and what to ignore.
Building a culture of discovery
Hypothesis thinking only works if the team around it stays curious. Mike talks about data culture discovery — creating an environment where asking questions is expected, not exceptional. That means treating unexpected metric movements as starting points, not anomalies to explain away.
For a SaaS company like Pagecloud, that curiosity shows up in how the team interprets signals like trial-to-paid conversion shifts or changes in net revenue retention. The numbers point somewhere; the culture determines whether anyone follows.
Key takeaway
The metrics Mike references, ARR, MRR, NRR, churn, LTV, are standard SaaS fare. What's less standard is the discipline to ask "why" before reaching for them. That question is what separates data-driven decision making from data that just fills a report.