Hockey stick growth describes a company's revenue trajectory on a graph that visually mimicks the shape of a hockey stick. Initially, there's a period of slow or flat growth as the company establishes itself. This is followed by a phase of steadier but gradual increase. Then, a tipping point is reached, and revenue explodes upwards in a dramatic curve.

This surge can be triggered by factors like a perfect product-market fit, a strategic partnership or a highly successful marketing campaign. While achieving hockey stick growth is desirable, it's not always realistic for B2B SaaS companies. Their complex products and longer sales cycles often lead to a more sustainable, gradual growth path.  For these businesses, focusing on profitability and customer metrics alongside growth can be just as successful.

A hyperscaler is a large technology company that operates massive, global networks of data centers and drives significant industry growth with their expansive cloud computing capabilities. They offer a wide range of cloud services to businesses on a pay-as-you-go basis such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS).

Major cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) are some examples. Hyperscalers derive their name from "hyperscale computing," a method of processing data that enables software architecture to scale seamlessly as demand increases.

Hyperscalers offer businesses of all sizes scalable, on-demand solutions thanks to data centers around the world with millions of virtual machines.

By outsourcing infrastructure to hyperscalers, businesses can focus on building their software and innovating rather than doing maintenance. It also gives businesses access to cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data analytics, without the need for huge upfront investments in infrastructure.