If you’re navigating the world of recurring revenue — whether it’s SaaS, subscriptions, or usage-based models — you’ve probably noticed that the classic sales funnel doesn’t tell the whole story anymore. It’s built for getting customers in the door — but what about everything that happens after?
In today’s landscape, the real growth kicks in post-sale: retaining customers, helping them succeed, and expanding their value over time. That’s where a smarter, more complete approach comes in.
Meet the Bowtie framework — a modern take on the customer journey that gives equal weight to both acquisition and retention. It’s become a go-to model for businesses built on recurring revenue, and for good reason. In this article, we’ll break down what the Bowtie model is, why it’s crucial for long-term success in subscription-based businesses, and how it was shaped by Winning by Design — a consulting firm that’s redefining how growth-stage companies scale sustainably.
The Bowtie is a framework that extends the traditional funnel to cover the entire customer journey, from acquisition to retention and expansion. Unlike the linear, seller-focused funnel, the Bowtie is shaped like — you guessed it — a bowtie, with the left side handling customer acquisition and the right side focusing on delivering ongoing impact to drive renewals and growth. It’s a holistic system designed to align every stage of the customer experience with their success.
This game-changing model was developed by Winning by Design, a leading consultancy known for helping SaaS and recurring revenue businesses scale through data-driven, customer-centric strategies. Their expertise in go-to-market (GTM) motions has made the Bowtie a go-to framework for companies looking to move beyond one-time sales and build sustainable, long-term revenue streams
Winning By Design
The marketing and sales funnel has been a staple for over a century, guiding prospects through three core stages:
This works beautifully for one-off sales, like hardware or perpetual software licenses. But for recurring revenue businesses, it’s only half the story. Here’s why the funnel struggles:
