Podcast appearances and mentions of phil alves

Entrepreneurs often view strategy and tactics as essential elements for propelling their startups toward success. Today, Phil Alves of DevSquad and DevStats sits down with A.J. to shed light on the nuances of strategic planning and tactical decision-making and how to balance these two vital aspects. They also explore the significance of tactical focus in business, how to build operational excellence, and why a good work-life balance is vital for every business owner.About Phil Alves:Phil Alves is currently the CEO of DevSquad and DevStats. He became a successful business owner very early on at 18 after teaching himself to code and becoming an SEO powerhouse—ranking a post at #1 on Google while still in high school. From there, he grew his first venture to a 10-employee size business, then sold it all before he could legally buy a lottery ticket.Phil's relentless zeal for entrepreneurship didn't stop there. He moved to the US from his home country, Brazil, seeking further education, and settled in Salt Lake City, fore-fronting a new adventure by founding DevSquad. Over the years, he successfully grew his startup into a 100-person cross-functional team operating in the US and Brazil. Alongside, he's been instrumental in leading numerous startups to multi-million dollar exits and developing digital products for major establishments like ADP, Box, and the US Ski and Snowboarding team.Key InsightsMake the most out of your team's capabilities. Leverage the unique skills and expertise of your team. When you invest in developing and expanding their skill sets, you boost your business's tactical adaptability. This makes you more equipped to adapt in the face of changes, keeping you at the forefront of your industry's curve. (05:34)Balance autonomy and direction. While giving your team autonomy is key, it's equally important to provide strategic direction. The right balance between the two can improve productivity and bring fresh ideas while moving towards the same business goals. This helps your team be happier, perform better, and feel more motivated. (08:33)Reduce the downs in your business. Every business experiences peaks and downs. However, consistently striving to reduce those downs can strengthen your business and make it more resilient. This involves proactive risk management, where you identify potential problem areas, analyze their impact, and take measures to prevent or reduce their occurrence. (14:56)Build a strong acquisition channel. A strong customer acquisition channel ensures a constant influx of potential customers, allowing businesses to focus on delivering quality products and services without fear of losing current customers. Instead of limiting yourself to one method, use multiple platforms to widen your reach and secure your customer base. (23:23)Find a good balance between life and work. While professional accomplishments are important, they should never override the value of personal well-being. So, aim to find the right balance between work and personal life to avoid burnout and feel more fulfilled. (31:45)Phil's best advice for entrepreneurs:“Every business has ups and downs, but what you're trying to do [...] is reduce the downs. And also, you're going to be able to know better how to behave into those downs because you know it's not the end, and things are going to turn around.” (14:56)Connect with Phil:LinkedInTwitterPersonal WebsiteResources Mentioned:DevSquadDevStatsFollow Beyond 8 Figures:LinkedinTwitterWebsite

Phil Alves is a man on a mission: helping underdog SaaS (Software as a Service) founders compete against Big Tech. As the CEO and Principal Consultant at DevSquad, he's led the build of over 100 SaaS products for bootstrapped founders and VC-funded startups alike, leading multiple clients to multi-million dollar exits. Now, he's paving the way for other up-and-coming SaaS founders by developing the strategies, tactics, and insights they need, earning a reputation as a leading expert on taking on tech giants… and winning.   In this podcast episode, Matt Lillie welcomes Phil Alves to explain the concept of SaaS and how it has revolutionized the way software is sold and used. He shares examples of businesses that have successfully transitioned from using internal tools to selling their own SaaS products and discusses the time and cost involved in developing and maintaining a SaaS offering. This episode provides valuable insights for entrepreneurs and business leaders looking to streamline their processes and explore new revenue opportunities through SaaS.     Connect with Phil Alves Website: https://devsquad.com/ Instagram: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philalves/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/philalves_?lang=en Follow the BriteVibe podcast Instagram: @britevibesonly Facebook: @BriteVibe TikTok: @britevibe YouTube: @BriteVibe     00:01:26 SaaS is subscription-based software. 00:05:31 Entrepreneurs can build software. 00:14:34 SaaS development takes time and investment. 00:21:09 Opportunities in outdated industries. 00:25:25 Software for managing government contracts.  

Phil Alves, CEO & Founder of DevSquad, talks about his passion for piloting, how he was introduced to it, how it has helped improve his problem-solving skills and much more!

Phil Alves is the Founder and CEO of DevSquad, a boutique consulting firm specializing in strategizing, designing, and developing SaaS products. A SaaS aficionado, Phil has led the build of 100-plus software products for bootstrapper founders, VC-funded fast-growing startups, and big enterprises such as ADP, Box, and the US ski team. In addition, he is the Founder of DevStats, a developer analytics tool that helps product and engineer leaders optimize data and improve how they measure performance metrics to build healthier teams. Phil also hosts The SaaS Origin Stories Podcast, where he sits with founders to explore their SaaS journeys and share insights on navigating the world of SaaS. In this episode… Are you aiming to thrive in the SaaS world as an entrepreneur? How can you create a SaaS product that meets your expectations and exceeds the expectations of your users?  Many SaaS entrepreneurs have intelligent ideas for creating new products, revamping existing ones, and writing custom software to transform their businesses. Still, they often need more skills to implement them successfully. Furthermore, with many competitors in the market, it is challenging to stand out and gain traction with your target audience. Phil Alves recommends partnering with a consulting firm to help you strategize, design, and develop SaaS products. With consulting advice, you can take your SaaS company to the next level and achieve your desired success.  In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, host Dr. Jeremy Weisz welcomes Phil Alves, Founder and CEO of DevSquad, to discuss how to build a successful SaaS company. Phil talks about his companies, how to balance innovation and growth in SaaS startups, and the mistakes people make while building a SaaS company.

 In this episode of Zero to CEO I speak to Leading SaaS Visionary, Phil Alves about Leadership, SaaS, and Founder-Product Fit. Explore the world of entrepreneurship with Phil as we navigate critical topics such as the value of competition, the game-changing potential of spinoff SaaS products, the significance of leaders forming leaders, and the vital concept of founder-product fit. 

The second part of our discussion with Phil Alves takes us into designing an environment where we embrace feedback and use it for growth. Communication is often key to successful teamwork, and feedback is the most important thing we can communicate. That is how we learn that our approach is wrong or can be improved. We can sit back and watch others. However, the active participation of feedback takes out the guesswork. Improvement Follows When We Embrace Feedback Our discussion takes us through improving as a developer and as a team. We can improve in both areas when we embrace feedback and build a culture that desires that level of communication. A close look at high-performing cultures and organizations almost always shows that the members are comfortable with communicating and receiving feedback. It is almost like learning on the job. Our co-workers instruct us, and we provide the same for them. This interaction not only helps us learn faster but it also builds trust within the team. The members become more comfortable discussing their challenges, and growth becomes a part of the team rather than a competition. While this can occur only among team members, it is best when the organization takes this approach from the top to the bottom. Clear communication and feedback help make everyone better. About Phil Phil is a product and engineering leader. He has led the build of 100+ software products, working closely with hundreds of SaaS Founders. The list includes SaaS products for his use, bootstrapping founders, VC-funded fast-growing startups, and big enterprises like ADP, Box, and the US Ski Team. Check out His Products DevSquad DevSquad is a bootstrapped, profitable, ~90-person boutique consulting firm specializing in strategizing, designing, and developing SaaS products. DevStats DevStats helps SaaS Founders and Engineering leaders measure what matters to increase velocity and improve development teams' ability to get things done.

We start a conversation in this episode with Phil Alves and cover a lot of ground, including why code reviews make better developers. Phil has a unique development approach as a self-made developer who grew a software development company. His experience and personal growth, as well as translating that to a company, provide us with many improvement gems. This is one of those episodes where it is helpful to take notes. Code Reviews Make Better Developers We can always start with a statement like code reviews make better developers and find ways to defend it. However, this discussion digs into why these actions improve us as developers and as a team. Phil breaks down some of the key benefits of working in a team and how that can help our career whether we stay with the organization. About Phil Phil is a product and engineering leader. He has led the build of 100+ software products, working closely with hundreds of SaaS Founders. The list includes SaaS products for his use, bootstrapping founders, VC-funded fast-growing startups, and big enterprises like ADP, Box, and the US Ski Team. Check out His Products DevSquad DevSquad is a bootstrapped, profitable, ~90-person boutique consulting firm specializing in strategizing, designing, and developing SaaS products. DevStats DevStats helps SaaS Founders and Engineering leaders measure what matters to increase velocity and improve development teams' ability to get things done.

Join Matt DeCoursey and Phil Alves, Founder & CEO of DevSquad, as they talk about finding a product market fit. Tune in as the founders delve into the essence of product-market fit and its pivotal role in your success journey. Matt and Phil also dissect the telltale signs of a well-aligned product or service and the decision to pivot or persevere.   Find Startup Hustle Everywhere: https://gigb.co/l/YEh5 This episode is sponsored by Full Scale: https://fullscale.io   Learn more about DevSquad: http://devsquad.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this podcast Shane Hastie, Lead Editor for Culture & Methods spoke to Phil Alves about how leaders can enable developer effectiveness. Read a transcript of this interview: https://bit.ly/3P1FAFc Subscribe to the Software Architects' Newsletter [monthly]: www.infoq.com/software-architect…mpaign=architectnl Upcoming Events: QCon San Francisco qconsf.com/ Oct 2-6, 2023 QCon London qconlondon.com/ April 8-10, 2024 Follow InfoQ: - Mastodon: techhub.social/@infoq - Twitter: twitter.com/InfoQ - LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/infoq - Facebook: bit.ly/2jmlyG8 - Instagram: @infoqdotcom - Youtube: www.youtube.com/infoq Write for InfoQ - Join a community of experts. - Increase your visibility. - Grow your career. www.infoq.com/write-for-infoq/?u…aign=writeforinfoq

Taking to the skies, every pilot understands the intricate balance between the intoxicating freedom of soaring and the precise discipline within the cockpit. While they venture into new horizons, their safety and mastery rely on diligently monitoring their flight instruments. This precision and need for measured freedom is mirrored in the B2B SaaS sector. Success isn't about wild gambles but about innovating with a keen eye on vital metrics that determine the trajectory of the enterprise.Phil Alves, a virtuoso of the SaaS realm and CEO at DevSquad, draws a striking parallel between piloting planes and pioneering in tech. Recognizing the importance of metrics and innovation, Phil emphasizes that the best don't just follow but rely on indispensable instruments. In our upcoming episode, join us as we navigate the SaaS skies with Phil, uncovering the crucial gauges every company must watch to achieve unparalleled success.High-Level OverviewDecision Making & Rule Breaking in Business: Phil Alves discusses his approach to not always following best practices in business and market decisions, emphasizing the importance of understanding markets before making a choice. Learning from SaaS Founders Through Podcasting: Andrew Davies and Phil Alves discuss the "SaaS Origin Stories" podcast that Phil runs. They delve into the insights and themes that have emerged from interviewing SaaS founders.The Evolution of Market Strategies: Phil highlights how market strategies have changed over time, and how strategies that worked a few years ago might not be as effective today.Advice for Early-stage SaaS Founders: Both speakers share advice for new SaaS founders, particularly when planning their MVP. Emphasis is placed on the importance of focusing on the initial stages of a business, being adaptive, and learning from the early days of successful companies.The 6 Pivotal Instruments for SaaS Success: planning accuracy, failure rate change, cycle time, deployment frequency, code quality review, and rework rate.The 6 Instruments to Keep Your Product AliveIn the vast skies of SaaS development, while innovation and groundbreaking ideas give your product the initial thrust, it's the vigilant monitoring of key instruments that ensures sustained flight. Think of these instruments as the critical gauges in the cockpit of a plane: without keeping an eagle eye on them, even the most impressive flights could encounter turbulence. The six essential instruments to keep your SaaS product thriving are planning accuracy, failure rate change, cycle time, deployment frequency, code quality review, and rework rate.Planning Accuracy:Begin by setting clear, measurable goals for each sprint or project.Regularly review and adjust targets based on the evolving needs and feedback.Allow a buffer for unexpected challenges, keeping in mind that a target of 80% is healthy to maintain flexibility and innovation.Failure Rate Change:Continuously monitor product deployments for bugs or issues.Implement a robust testing framework to catch potential failures before deployment.Foster a culture where quick fixes are prioritized to maintain user trust.Cycle Time:Track the time taken from initiating a project to its deployment.Strive for shorter cycle times to increase agility, but ensure quality isn't compromised.Use agile methodologies to enhance efficiency without sacrificing effectiveness.Deployment Frequency:Regular deployments signal a dynamic product environment to users.Invest in automation tools that streamline and standardize the deployment process.Aim for at least a weekly deployment to remain competitive and responsive to user needs.Code Quality Review:Implement thorough code reviews as a mandatory step before any deployment.Foster a culture of constructive feedback, ensuring that code reviews become learning opportunities.Keep reviews concise, targeting under 200 lines for optimal comprehension.Rework Rate:Differentiate between productive refactoring and unproductive rework.Track instances where previous work has to be redone and investigate root causes.Use this metric as a mirror to reflect on the clarity of initial requirements and communication.In closing, while charting the unknown is the dream of every SaaS pioneer, it's essential to remain tethered to these six instruments. They not only ensure smooth flight but also guide towards uncharted territories safely. Remember, in the realm of SaaS, it's not enough to just take off; sustained flight requires vigilance, responsiveness, and an unwavering commitment to quality and user satisfaction.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 768 features our interview with Phil Alves, CEO of DevSquad. Phil and I covered a wide range of topics starting with how he structures teams to perform in dynamic environments and culminating in a discussion of SaaS and entrepreneurship. Software development of any stripe is a team sport; either get it right or suffer the consequences.  Phil describes himself as a SaaS Aficionado!  He builds products for bootstrapped founders, fast-growing startups, and big enterprises at DevSquad. His SaaS company, DevStats, helps product and engineering leaders measure what matters. Phil also is a podcaster!  The SaaS Origin Stories Podcast uncovers those pivotal moments and decisions that turned SaaS companies into major successes. Contact Information DevSquad: DevStats: Podcast:   Re-Read Saturday News In Chapter 5 of we find that an analytical approach reduces people's ability to be emotionally connected to an idea or concept. Without an emotional connection, they are far less apt to act. Calls to action that are emotionally engaging will generate action.  Buy a copy of the book and then catch up on the logistics of this re-read: Week 1: -   Week 2: -   Week 3: -   Week 4: -   Week 5: -   Week 6: -   Week 7: -   Next SPaMCAST  In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 769, we return to our summer theme of Critical Thinking. My daughter (Meghan also is the editor for the blog and podcast and sounding board on a wide range of topics) pointed out a model for levels of research. The model provides an interesting filter to help understand the types of research we use and the “power” each delivers.  We will also have a visit from Keis Kostaqi. Keis brings her wit, empathy, and wisdom as a Scrum Master in complex environments to help you improve. 

In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 767,  we continue our summer dive into critical thinking.  In this installment, we consider research and evidence. The discussion of research and evidence ties into this week's installment of Re-Read Saturday (Chapter 4 of which is about credibility). Research and evidence provide credibility and that is not always a good thing. Tony Timbol brings his To Tell A Story column to the podcast. In this installment, Mr. Timbol continues to unravel the mystery of the agile requirements and user stories. Re-Read Saturday News Credibility is the fourth requirement for maximum stickiness (short of Gorilla Glue) discussed in  . Credibility is defined as the quality or power of inspiring belief or trust. Without credibility, the attributes of simplicity, unexpectedness, and concreteness crumble.  Buy a copy of the book and then catch up on the logistics of this re-read: Week 1: -   Week 2: -   Week 3: -   Week 4: -   Week 5: -   Week 6: -   Next SPaMCAST  In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 768, Phil Alves, CEO of DevSquad discusses how he structures teams to perform in dynamic environments. Software development of any stripe is a team sport, you either get it right or suffer the consequences.   

Phil Alves, founder of DevSquad and LiveStats, is a software entrepreneur driven by building impactful solutions. From his humble beginnings, coding at age 12, to becoming a leader of development teams, his path has been marked by curiosity, determination, and a desire to improve developers' lives.Phil placed the start of his journey with Flash and ActionScript and then with PHP, with which he created his first business at the age of 16. We then discussed learning in the open, growing and selling his business. Moving to the USA, returning to school, and taking his first (and last) "job." We talked about his side business, which became DevSquad, his company of 100 people now. We talked about product developers vs. software developers. We discussed development cycles and customer relations. And we finished talking about the SaaS business he is creating, DevStats, and how to create hyper-performing teams.In this episode, Phil discusses his journey from a self-taught developer to an entrepreneur creating high-performing development teams. He delves into the challenges of growing a company and transitioning from deep work to managerial tasks. He also shares insights on building a solid company culture, fostering efficiency, and promoting a balance between productivity and preventing burnout. The conversation further delves into the role of data in improving team performance and the importance of product mindset in developers.If you want to learn more about fostering high-performing development teams and get inspiration from Phil's incredible journey, tune in to this episode!Three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:Learn from Phil Alves' journey from being a self-taught programmer to a successful entrepreneur. His experiences offer a unique perspective on the different paths one's career in tech can take.Understand the importance of strong company culture and the role of data in improving team performance. These are critical elements that can contribute to the success of any tech team.Gain insights into the importance of a product mindset in developers. This can help aspiring developers understand their work's broader impact and become more effective team contributors.Support the show

If you want to grow your consulting business and enhance your marketing, you're in luck! Today, we have a special guest who will share his secrets to success in driving business growth. Phil Alves, the CEO of DevSquad, has a unique strategy to grow his consulting business through inbound marketing to generate endless consulting clients. He provides tips on how you can avoid digital marketing mistakes that could cost you thousands. Phil also shares his strategy to attract the best employees and how you can create an optimal environment to fuel your creativity. Witness Phil's expertise as he ventures through inbound marketing today!Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://www.consultingsuccess.com/podcast

Founding a successful SaaS company has never been easy, but as of 2022, it got much harder. Valuations took a hit, investment dollars became scarce, and for the first time ever, SaaS companies actually started laying off employees. In this episode of TECHtonic, Thomas is joined by Phil Alves, SaaS entrepreneur, CEO of DevSquad, and host of SaaS Origin Stories, a podcast where he interviews SaaS founders. In this fantastic conversation on the current state of SaaS, they discuss:How the current economic environment is impacting SaaS companiesThe best approach to starting a SaaS companyHow AI plays into SaaS valuationsWhether AI will soon start to replace technical staffReady to learn more? Keep up to date on this subject by subscribing to TSIA's Research Journey, The Year of Profitable SaaS today!

EPISODE SUMMARYProduct development is the backbone of software companies, so nurturing your dev team is paramount to success. Despite this, the knee-jerk response to product development usually measures the KPIs for an optimal go-to-market. However, the secret to productivity lies in numbers and developer experience.In this week's episode of Scale Your SaaS, DevStats Founder, and DevSquad CEO Phil Alvez shares the ingredients for successful product development with Host and B2B SaaS Sales coach, Matt Wolach. He highlights the importance of culture and encourages minimalism in software development. Set your developers for success and enjoy the domino effect on your bottom line by watching the video!PODCAST-AT-A-GLANCEPodcast: Scale Your SaaS with Matt WolachEpisode: Episode No. 271, "How to Make Sure Your Dev Team Productivity is Maximized - with Phil Alves"Host: Matt Wolach, a B2B SaaS sales coach, Entrepreneur, and InvestorGuest: Phil Alves, Founder at DevStats and CEO at DevSquadTOP TIPS FROM THIS EPISODEFocus on Good Developer ExperienceMake Culture the Bedrock of Your CompanyTalk to Customers to Understand the ProblemCreate Solutions that Target Pain PointsAvoid Copying Bigger CompaniesEPISODE HIGHLIGHTSSmaller Companies Have Lesser BureaucracyThe Best Software Leaders are Expert Visionaries Software Creation will Become Niched TOP QUOTESPhil Alves[7:55] "I want to make my firm like the Disney for software developers."[13:20] "I'm not talking to my customers to understand the solution. I'm talking to my customer to understand the problem.[14:17] "I don't believe we can build software by using democracy."Matt Wolach[12:22] "Once we found the culture that worked for us, it just became so strong within our organization. It was something that we could hire to, something we could train to, something that people just kind of felt, and it helped them become more passionate for the business and what the business was doing."LEARN MORETo learn more about DevStats, visit: https://www.devstats.com/To learn more about DevSquad, visit:https://devsquad.com/You can also find Phil Alves  on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philalves/enFor more about how host Matt Wolach helps software companies achieve maximum growth, visit https://mattwolach.com/Get even more tips by following Matt elsewhere: Sales Tips LinkedIn Twitter Instagram

Phil Alves, the CEO of Devstats (& Devsquad), discusses how they grew their developer performance improvement SaaS to 50 customers within 12 months of its launch, with an ACV of around $10k. In this interview, we cover their product, journey from 0 to 1, growth over the past 12 months, sales cycle, and long-term vision.In the interview, we discuss the following:How Devstats is the only engineering management tool for leaders focused on actionable performance data and healthy teams.How they acquired over 50 customers in the past 10-12 months with an ACV of around $10k, primarily using founder-led sales.How they used cold emailing to acquire all of their first set of customers.What their sales cycle looks like and how it took almost 10-12 months to close their first set of customers.How Phil built a hugely successful dev consulting company (Devsquad) with around 100 employees doing in excess of $10MN in top-line revenue.How he plans to bootstrap the company using his other successful dev consulting business.Their vision and team.

Today we have another episode of Better Done Than Perfect. Listen in as we talk to Phil Alves, founder of DevSquad and DevStats. You'll learn how to prioritize feature development, how to take care of your developers' well-being, what non-technical founders should know, and more.Please head over to the episode page for the detailed recap and key takeaways.Show notesDevSquad — Phil's consultancyDevStats — Phil's productShape Up — a book by Ryan SingerUI Breakfast Podcast Episode 238: The Allied Team Model with Anthony ArmendarizDORA MetricsSPACE FrameworkSaaS Origin StoriesCheck out Phil's websiteFollow Phil on TwitterThanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning @userlist, or leave us a review on iTunes.SponsorThis show is brought to you by Userlist — an email automation platform for SaaS companies. Onboard, engage, and nurture your customers, as well as marketing leads. To follow the best practices, download our free printable email planning worksheets at userlist.com/worksheets.Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more here.Leave a ReviewReviews are hugely important because they help new people discover this podcast. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, please leave a review on iTunes. Here's how.

How do you get the best ROI from your engineering team while keeping them happy? In this episode, we talk to Phil Alves, founder of DevSquad and DevStats. You'll learn how to prioritize feature development, how to take care of your developers' well-being, what non-technical founders should know, and more.Visit our website for the detailed episode recap with key learnings.DevSquad — Phil's consultancyDevStats — Phil's productShape Up — a book by Ryan SingerUI Breakfast Podcast Episode 238: The Allied Team Model with Anthony ArmendarizDORA MetricsSPACE FrameworkSaaS Origin StoriesCheck out Phil's websiteFollow Phil on TwitterThanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about the show on Twitter mentioning @userlist, or leave us a review on iTunes.SponsorThis show is brought to you by Userlist — an email automation platform for SaaS companies. Onboard, engage, and nurture your customers, as well as marketing leads. To follow the best practices, download our free printable email planning worksheets at userlist.com/worksheets.

This week in our SaaS Fuel™ Expert Series, Jeff is joined by Phil Alves, CEO and Principal Consultant at DevSquad, who delves into the significance of comprehensively understanding a problem to create a successful product. By sharing personal experiences and insights gained from working with clients, Phil underscores the significance of data-driven decision-making and comprehending the crucial metrics for constructing high-performing development teams. Moreover, they touch upon the hurdles of business scaling and adapting to changing circumstances, while emphasizing the value of prioritizing profitability rather than solely pursuing revenue.Make sure you don't miss out on valuable insights and practical tips by tuning in to SaaS Fuel!Key Takeaways00:00:00 Recent Graduation Ceremonies In Texas00:04:55 Insider Secrets: Venture Capitalist Reveals Future of SaaS00:10:02 How Solving Your Own Problems Can Lead to the Best Products00:13:33 How One Company Created Their Own Benchmarks and Changed the Game00:17:48 The 6 Key Metrics Every High-Performing Team Needs to Track00:23:30 The Importance of Planning Accurate Rates in Development Teams00:25:15 How Dev Stats Helped Us Deliver More Accurately00:31:14 The Evolution of a CEO in Scaling a Business00:33:21 Funding Your Second Business After Selling Your First00:36:59 Why Profitable SaaS Companies Should Be the New Unicorns00:40:08 Why Being Bootstrapped is the Key to Serving Your Customers00:44:51 Mastering the Art of Investing: Why Small Bets Can Lead to Big WinsTweetable Quotes"Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart, but it's worth it when you see your vision come to life." - Phil Alves (09:45)"The key to success in SaaS is to focus on solving a real problem for your customers." - Phil Alves (14:20)"Benchmarking six key numbers is crucial for high-performing teams in software development." - Phil Alves (18:38)As a SaaS founder, you have to be willing to pivot and adapt to changing market conditions." - Jeff Mains (22:10)"Effective planning is key to the success of any product." - Phil Alves (25:25) "Building a successful SaaS company requires a team effort, with each member bringing their unique skills to the table." - Phil Alves (30:15)"As a SaaS founder, you have to be closer to those who have already achieved what you're striving for." - Phil Alves (46:29) "Building a huge company comes with trade-offs, it's important to weigh them carefully." - Jeff Mains (40:08)The best way to learn about entrepreneurship is to talk to other entrepreneurs who have been there and done that." - Jeff Mains (46:29)SaaS Leadership LessonsBenchmarking is crucial for high-performing teams. By tracking metrics such as customer acquisition cost and lifetime value, SaaS leaders can identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions to drive growth. Effective planning is key to product success. By taking a strategic approach to product planning, SaaS leaders can ensure that their products meet the needs of their target customers and drive business growth. The evolution of CEOs and founders in growing companies. As companies grow, the role of the CEO and founder evolves. By adapting to the changing needs of their companies, SaaS leaders can drive growth and achieve long-term success. The overlooked strategy of doing a spin-off of an existing company to fund a SaaS. By leveraging the resources and expertise of an existing business, SaaS leaders can reduce...

DevSquad is a bootstrapped, profitable, ~90-person boutique consulting firm that specializes in strategizing, designing, and developing SaaS products. We build SaaS products for bootstrapper founders, VC-funded fast-growing startups, and big enterprises like ADP, Box, and the US ski team. Here is some of what we touched on: -Phil's journey from Brazil to the United States and how he has developed his team, their core values, and why simplicity is so important to them. -The mindset difference between a founder and CEO and the beauty in founder thinking. -Insights into lessons learned through rapid scaling. -How Dev Squad seeks to reduce the chance of SaaS development horror stories and increase the odds of success and satisfaction for clients who build custom SaaS products.  -The importance of their website in lead development and how relevant content is to inbound pull and then the story will help potential customers self-select that the fit is right for them. -Technologies they are coding in today such as JavaScript and React and why sometimes the simplest technology is the best solution. -How Phil balances stress with adventure as a pilot flying his own plane, cycling, and Brazilian jujitsu. Phil Alves is a man on a mission: helping underdog SaaS founders compete against Big Tech. As the CEO and Principal Consultant at DevSquad, he's led the build of over 100 SaaS products for bootstrapped founders and VC-funded startups alike, leading multiple clients to multi-million dollar exits along the way. Now, he's paving the way for other up and coming SaaS founders by developing the strategies, tactics, and insights they need, earning a reputation as a leading expert on taking on tech giants… and winning. Connect with Phil: Website: https://devsquad.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philalves/  Connect with Allison: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonsummerschicago/  Website: DisruptiveCEONation.com Twitter: @DisruptiveCEO   #futurist #CEO #startup #startupstory #founder #founderstory #business #businesspodcast #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phil Alves is the CEO of DevSquad & DevStats and the Host of the SaaS Origin Stories Podcast. He shares his journey from starting and selling his first company, moving from Brazil to Utah and gives some tips for founders and revenue hires for quickly scaling revenue. Contact Phil: Website: https://philalves.com/ DevSquad: https://devsquad.com/ DevStats: https://devstats.com/ Podcast: https://www.saasoriginstories.com/ Join the Free SSP Slack Community: https://launchpass.com/saas_sales_players If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review & share. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jesse-woodbury/support

On this episode of The Meat & Potatoes Podcast Garrett sits down with Phil Alves, a successful entrepreneur and technology expert who is the founder and CEO of two innovative software development companies: DevSquad and DevStats. With more than 15 years of experience in the technology industry, Phil has established himself as a thought leader and an expert in software development and team management.   Outline of the conversation: 0:00 Introduction to DevSquad 5:45 Building DevSquad 12:00 Different customers 14:00 DevStats 16:15 Success stories 19:50 Podcast 24:00 Piloting 25:00 Closing remarks   Show links: https://devsquad.com https://devstats.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/saas-origin-stories/id1634444637   Social: Twitter - https://twitter.com/siliconslopes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/siliconslopes/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/silicon-slopes/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8aEtQ1KJrWhJ3C2JnzXysw

On this episode of The Meat & Potatoes Podcast Garrett sits down with Phil Alves, a successful entrepreneur and technology expert who is the founder and CEO of two innovative software development companies: DevSquad and DevStats. With more than 15 years of experience in the technology industry, Phil has established himself as a thought leader and an expert in software development and team management.   Outline of the conversation: 0:00 Introduction to DevSquad 5:45 Building DevSquad 12:00 Different customers 14:00 DevStats 16:15 Success stories 19:50 Podcast 24:00 Piloting 25:00 Closing remarks   Show links: https://devsquad.com https://devstats.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/saas-origin-stories/id1634444637   Social: Twitter - https://twitter.com/siliconslopes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/siliconslopes/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/silicon-slopes/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8aEtQ1KJrWhJ3C2JnzXysw

DevSquad comprises a team of over 80 elite developers focused on helping successful entrepreneurs take their SaaS ideas from concept to reality. We don't just work with our clients on project development, we engage in the full product development process. This means we build relationships with our clients to continuously improve their software and SaaS sales. Connect with Phil

In this episode of SaaS Origin Stories, Niclas Lilja, CEO of Yoonium, joins host Phil Alves to discuss a wide range of topics, from keeping your Minimum Viable Product (MVP) simple to early growth strategies and scaling outwards from a narrow customer profile.Niclas Lilja is the Founder and CEO of Younium, an automation subscription management SaaS. He has over seventeen years of experience in product development, management, and marketing.Guest at a Glance:Name: Niclas LiljaWhat he Does: Niclas Lilja is the Founder and CEO of Younium. He has led production and marketing teams in his previous roles. Younium is a six-year-old startup founded in Stockholm, Sweden. Niclas Lilja on LinkedInYounium on LinkedInNiclas's Book Recommendation Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap While Others Don't by Jim CollinsTopics we cover:Birthing a SaasKeeping a Tight Control on MVP ScopeEarly Growth StrategiesCatering to a Niche and Scaling OutwardsHighlights:The Birth of an Idea and Validating itNiclas shares how the idea of automating subscription management stems from one of his tasks in a previous role where, among other things, he was responsible for managing the subscription portfolio of the company. It was a tedious, time-consuming, and frustrating manual process. The desire to automate subscription management was the birth of his startup idea. Niclas shared his idea with his peers in other companies and discovered that the desire was universal.“Using your peers in other companies as a sounding board is the initial first-hand research”.  Keep Your MVP Light on Design and EngineeringWhen designing the MVP, keep a tunnel vision of your first three customers' needs; don't think of serving 10,000 customers. Above all, you need to make sure that the product works. The way to do this is to keep a tight rein on design and engineering complexities and focus on the product's core solution. “We went for a basic and pragmatic first version; we went with something we knew while avoiding new things initially”.Early Growth StrategiesNiclas started promoting the initial version at B2B industry meetups. The approach helped get in front of potential clients and build a contact network. It was also valuable for getting feedback in real-time. Attending meetups ran parallel to hard cold-calling to identify new leads. “In the beginning, you don't need 100 meetings. You only need to catch a few relevant prospects in a friendly environment”.  Go Vertical Before Branching out HorizontallyNiclas feels it was smart to identify a target niche in the B2B space and develop a product for it. He followed the same logic in his GTM strategy. The product evolved with vertical growth in the niche before broadening the scope of the ideal customer profile. The ensuing growth was more stable without the constant effort of trying to be everything to everyone.“If we hadn't been hard about a granular definition of our ICP, we might not have been here today”. 

In this episode of SaaS Origin Stories, Brendon Metcalf, CEO of Place, joins host Phil Alves to discuss a wide range of topics ranging from funding strategies, creating a product-market fit, and how to run a SaaS startup when 80% of your business comes from one client. Brandon Metcalf is an accomplished entrepreneur with a strong track record in building and leading successful companies. A graduate of Harvard Business School, Brandon also hosts the popular Cash & Burn podcast. As the CEO of Place, a financial analytics stack for Salesforce, he leads the company's growth strategies. Guest at a Glance:Name: Brendon MetcalfWhat he Does: Brendon Metcalf is a repeat founder and CEO of Place, a Salesforce stack focused on managing sales-to-cash workflows. With his expertise in the software industry, particularly in the realm of Salesforce, he has a wealth of experience in creating, scaling, and managing global businesses.  Brandon on LinkedInPlace on LinkedInBrendon's Book Recommendation The Hard Things About Hard Things by Ben HorowitzTopics we cover:The quality of your leadership team makes a difference when seeking fundingLessons from repeat foundingThe first customer and early growth strategiesLeveraging outbound learnings to sharpen the product-market fitStrategies when 80% of the revenue pipeline is one customerHighlights:Quality of Leadership Counts When Seeking FundingA good leadership team inspires confidence for investors who are looking for answers to three questions: Does the idea solve a real-world problem? What is the size of the potential market? Do you inspire confidence? A high-quality leadership team with successful exits behind them inspires confidence and opens the doors to funding more easily.  “Three things count when it comes to seeking funding from investors, who do you know, how do you connect with investors, and what is the confidence you deliver”.Lessons from Repeat FoundingBrandon founded Place after a successful exit from his previous startup. He shares some insights and learnings that helped him in founding Place. The biggest lesson he learned from his previous startup was the ability to separate work and personal life and ensure that he devotes sufficient time to his personal relationships. Brandon says he starts early, around five-thirty in the morning, but you won't find him working after 6 PM on a weekday. “I ensure that I get downtime with family and friends after six o'clock every day”.The First Customer and Early Growth StrategiesBrandon explains how they lucked out as their first customer was the company the sales head was working for previously. Early growth came through inbound and outbound marketing to companies in the B2B SaaS space who were also clients of Salesforce. The company closed the loop on customer feedback to tweak the product and accelerate conversions.“We actively sought feedback to identify specific use case issues faced by the core of daily users of Salesforce”. Sharpening the Product Market Fit with Feedback From Outbound MarketingBrandon shares how, initially, the efforts from outbound marketing were subpar. Users who opted for the free trial were not converting after the trial period. The Nos far outnumbered the Yeses. To resolve this, the sales team contacted every lead that did not convert to identify why they chose not to subscribe to the service. Based on the feedback, the company identified additional functionalities that the customers were seeking. These were then added to the product for a better product-market fit.  “We felt something had shifted; that was a better product-market fit”.Strategies When 80% of Your Business Comes From One clientWhen the bulk of your business comes from one client, the best practice is to split your workflow and teams into two parts. One team across the workflow focuses on the large client to give them customized and personalized service. Then there is a second team to handle the other customers. Having a single team for the two customer personas runs the risk of the smaller clients getting average service since the internal resources across verticals will be focused on the large client. “One of our customers is a twenty-four billion dollar client who uses 30,000 licenses globally; putting together the other customers account for 3,000 licenses. We had to have two teams”. 

Episode Summary:In this episode of SaaS Origin Stories, Amit Mishra, Founder and CEO of iMocha, joins host Phil Alves. iMocha (formerly Interview Mocha) is the world's largest skills assessment solution API platform, helping organizations build winning teams and empowering them to thoroughly assess employees as well as candidates.Amit is the Founder and CEO of iMocha and was previously the Director of Business Development at Ecotech IT Solutions. He is also the Founder and the former CEO of Radix Business Models. He shares how he came up with the idea for iMocha, why you should offer as much value as possible to your customers, and why you should utilize time at the beginning of your business. He also delves into the necessity of connecting with your customers face-to-face, even if you're just a SaaS business.Guest at a Glance:Name: Amit MishraWhat he does: Amit is the Founder and CEO of iMocha, the world's largest skills assessment solution API platform. He has also been the Director of Business Development at Ecotech IT Solution. He is the Founder and the former CEO of Radix Business Models.Amit on LinkedIniMocha on LinkedInTopics we cover:The origins of iMochaWhy you should go with the customers who bring the most valueThe struggles of trying to focus on too many SaaS problemsConnect with your customers face-to-faceDon't waste time simply waiting for funding for your SaaS startupHighlights:How and Why iMocha came to beOne of the biggest problems Amit found when hiring and interviewing people for his own company was the lack of interview skills and charisma. Because of this, he decided to come up (while drinking a mocha in a coffee shop) with the idea of building a SaaS company that would help entry-level candidates give the best interviews they possibly can."We were having a mocha coffee in a local coffee shop in India, so we decided to call it Interview Mocha (iMocha). Once we dug deeper into it, we realized it's not just an interview problem, but it's a problem with skills. When we onboarded customers, we realized skills were the biggest problem we needed to solve.'Go with the Customers Who Bring the Most ValueAmit explains that, when getting customers for their service, they tried to make sure they were providing them the best value and were offering the best they could. This involved boosting SEO and making sure the best channels were being utilized for it! It's important to look into who your customers are and figure out why some are sticking around and why some are leaving. This is a great way to figure out your weaknesses and strengths.Connect With Your CustomersEven if you have a SaaS business which rarely interacts with customers, go the extra mile and connect with them anyway! As great as SaaS channels are, customers will always warm up to a business faster if they speak with an actual person; nothing beats the human touch, and your customers will greatly appreciate the gesture!‘We thought that SaaS was a mechanism where you create something, you create a website and people will come and put their credit card in, and you do not talk to them. The good thing that we did was, we started not only to sell but once a customer became a customer, we connected with them on Zoom or Skype calls, asking them about their problems and how we were helping them. The output and insights that we got were phenomenal.'Don't Waste Time, and Take Risks!Amit admits that, during the pandemic, he realized that a mistake he made at the beginning of iMocha was taking too much time to raise money. It is advisable, then, that when you start your business, don't waste time missing out on opportunities, especially if they require a certain level of risk. Be relentless and take risks! You never know what the future holds, so it's best to be prepared for anything!

The number one reason that exits fail is a decline in performance during the sales process. Going into the sales process, you must ensure that you can sustain performance. On this episode, Phil Alves, CEO at DevSquad, recalls how his firm was able to demonstrate sustainability to potential buyers by expanding their service offerings and reinforcing their business development efforts.

Episode Summary:In this episode of SaaS Origin Stories, Mark Stouse, Chairman and CEO of Proof, joins host Phil Alves. Proof offers an analytic tool used by sales, revenue, and analytics teams. The company is a five-year-old SaaS startup with a revenue pipeline of over four and a half million.Mark is a former CCO and CMO at multi-billion dollar enterprises like Honeywell and HP. He shares his perspective of an older founder and walks us through his journey from a unique funding concept to market fit, positioning, and pricing. Along the way, he shares his insights on leadership traits. Guest at a Glance:Name: Mark StouseWhat he does: Mark is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Proof, a SaaS company that offers an analytic tool used by sales, revenue, and analytics teams. He has been a CCO and CMO at multi-billion dollar enterprises like Honeywell and HP.Mark on LinkedInProof on LinkedInMark's Book Recommendation Misbehavior of MarketsTopics we cover:Things they don't teach you about leadershipA unique funding modelYou have way less than a one percent chance of founding a unicornA unique way of attracting customersKnow these facts before embarking on your startup journeyHighlights:Everything They Don't Teach, but You Should Know About LeadershipIt all starts with a shift in mindset. Trying to be indispensable at work is akin to slavery. They'll never promote you if you're indispensable, and you'll be stuck in a box. Leaders build teams that are collectively smarter than the leader, and sooner or later, the leader becomes dispensable—time to move on to bigger challenges. You need to be a leader before becoming a founder.“As a leader, it's my job to ask the best questions and not be the smartest person in the room”. Discovering Family Office Funding for a SaaS StartupMark made a conscious decision to avoid venture funding as VC expectations and benchmarks distort the nurturing phase of startups. Mark instead tapped into family office funding, a network of privately held companies that do wealth and asset management for high net-worth individuals. The family office is a tightly knit community, and the companies in a given niche talk to each other. Hence, if you can get one of them on board and have a successful proof of concept, the other family offices will knock on your door.  “We went with family offices that were in the software space and tied up funding rounds linked to performance gateways”.Set Realistic Goals; You're not Founding a Unicorn.Mark cautions founders, especially young founders, from setting unrealistic goals for their startups. Goals and performance gateways need to be realistic because no matter how unique and revolutionary your idea is, it's a brutal market out there. Also, there's a high chance that someone bigger than you and who has been around for longer is doing the same thing, maybe in just a slightly different way. “It's great if you build a unicorn and sell it for a billion dollars, just know that the real-world chances of that happening are way less than one percent”.A Unique Strategy for Building Trust and Attracting CustomersAt Proof, Mark uses conventional digital tools like ABM to achieve the marketing goal of converting leads into sales. However, much of his time to date is still devoted to posting on LinkedIn. He follows relevant conversations and offers free tips and advice. This helps build trust among his audience, and he counts on the audience to spread the word and create awareness. It also makes the audience more likely to convert when Mark recommends Proof as a solution. Mark is also a fan of the marketing mix modelling.“I participate below a relevant post and offer help to people; I'm like a free consultant. It helps build trust with the audience”.  One Person' Hindsight Is Another's ForesightKnow that being an entrepreneur will teach you things you can't learn anywhere else. Get ready to devote almost every waking moment to building and thinking about your SaaS. Get prepared to fail in front of an audience and know how to handle those situations. Be ready to pivot if your proof of concept proves that there are no takers for your exact idea but there is a crying need for something slightly different. Another must-have is the ability to talk in your audience's language. If you're qualifying your SaaS product in technical terms to a CMO, you will not make the sale. Instead, qualify your product in impact on marketing goals.   “We talk about product-market fit, but the real challenge is to qualify and sell your product in a language your audience understands”.

Episode Summary:In this episode of SaaS Origin Stories, Dan Martell, Founder, and CEO of SaaS Academy, joins host Phil Alves. SaaS Academy is the number one coaching program for SaaS founders. Dan has over twenty-two years of experience in the SaaS space as a serial entrepreneur with three successful seven-figure exits. Dan shares his insights on critical but rarely mentioned skills that SaaS founders need in their toolkits before building their SaaS. He also unpacks the playbook for implementing successful exits and how each exit paves the way for your next and bigger venture. Dan is also the author of the best-selling guide for entrepreneurs, Buy Back Your Time. Guest at a Glance:Name: Dan MartellWhat He Does: Dan mentors SaaS founders at his company, SaaS Academy. He equips founders with the foresight to capture demand for the best product-market fit and implement successful exit strategies. Dan on LinkedInSaaS Academy WebsiteDan's Book Buy Back Your TimeTopics we cover:Upscale your knowledge base by readingLearn to insert yourself in customer conversationsExit strategy 101, every exit is a doorway to a new ventureThe first ‘oh shoot' momentKey Takeaways:Expand Your Horizons by Reading BooksEvery SaaS startup has two sides: a technical and a business side. Most SaaS founders come from a technical background and have the first one covered. The technical side is essential for the design and proofing stage, but once your SaaS hits the market, your success pivots around your business skills. Every SaaS founder needs technical skills and business nous in their toolkit.Books like Purple Cow by Seth Godin and Start With Why by Simon Sinek are must-reads. Reading books like Atomic Habits and The Power of Positive Thinking is essential to building your core strengths. Make it a habit to read at least ten pages a day.“Books are so powerful, and that's how I learn the things that I know today to run my business”. Timing Your Customer Conversations Delivers Product-Market FitDan shares a story about a salesperson for an office supplies company who, for fifteen years, consistently outperformed his peers by a wide margin. His modus operandi was simple; he would wait outside the competitor's warehouse and follow the delivery trucks as they made their monthly deliveries. He noted the delivery addresses, and next month, a week before the competitor's delivery, he would contact the company and offer his office supplies. Learn to insert yourself in customer conversations when your customer is problem-aware. You can have the coolest software, but if you pitch it to a customer who is unaware of the problem, you're not going to make a sale. If your sales cycles are consistently at sixteen to twenty-four months, chances are you're talking to customers who don't have a problem. Timing your customer conversations is critical for creating product-market fit. “The moment our target clients realized they had a problem, we became the most obvious and responsive solution”. Every Exit Builds Your Net Worth and Opens Doors for a New VentureLet's address two universal truths. Most successful startup founders have an endless chain of ideas. And all profitable startups will eventually hit an inflection point and come up against someone larger who has been doing it for longer. Don't let your passion blind you; learn to cash in if you get a good offer. The ability to let go and exit, and knowing when to do it, is a critical skill in your toolkit. Every successful exit teaches you valuable lessons on the technical and business side, and investors love entrepreneurs with proven exits. On all three fronts, a successful exit eases your segue to your next venture.A seven-figure exit when you own 80 percent of your company puts more money in your pocket than an eight-figure exit down the line when you only own five percent of the company. With every exit, maintain the discipline to invest half of what you get while keeping the other half as your seed capital for the next venture.“In the valley, if you're a founder with a successful exit behind you, investors will move their calendars around to meet with you”. The First ‘Oh Shoot' Moment – Be Open to Pivoting Post LaunchDan's first ‘oh shoot' moment came with his third startup, Clarity.fm. The SaaS solution pivoted around monetizing the time spent by an influencer while talking to followers seeking advice. The app used Facebook connect to reach the follower, and the call was placed through an 800 number, and the follower was billed via Stripe at the end of the call.The unique concept generated much interest among the investors, and Dan was able to tie up just under two million dollars in thirty days. The problem arose at the proof of concept stage, where it was discovered that the followers wanted to talk to the influencer but were unwilling to pay for their time. This is when Dan pivoted on the target audience and started focusing on investors who would pay high dollars for advice on their planned investments.“We pivoted out of my passion area and targeted investors who were willing to pay four to five thousand dollars for an hour with someone who could provide insights on their planned investments”.

Episode Summary:In this episode of SaaS Origin Stories, Ajay Goel, Founder of GMass, joins host Phil Alves. Ajay, a twenty-four-year veteran in the SaaS space and a serial entrepreneur, shares his insights on building and scaling a SaaS business in the outbound email space.His seven-year-old company was founded on an investment of $10,000 and has been scaled on internal accruals without investor participation. Ajay shares his insights on how low-cost and high-impact business strategies enable GMass to compete with majors like MailChimp in the email outreach space.Guest at a Glance:Name: Ajay GoelWhat He Does: Ajay is the Founder of GMass, a SaaS stack in the email outreach space.Connect With Ajay on LinkedInConnect With Ajay on TwitterTopics we cover:Ignore the media hype; most SaaS startups are bootstrappedMinimize expenses during the development stageLaunch on established platforms to minimize marketing expenseOutbound marketing to scale your startupGet the pricing right the first timeKey Takeaways:Ignore Media Hype on Big-Ticket Funding Startups with big-ticket funding are outliers and not the norm; ignore the media hype surrounding these startups. Most sustainable SaaS companies have been bootstrapped to different degrees. These companies fly under the radar and don't get highlighted. Funding is cyclical.In a growth environment, the focus is on spending for growth. In an economic downturn stage, like our current environment, the emphasis is on profitability, with money selectively chasing profitable companies. “Basically, bootstrapped and organically grown companies are not sexy enough to make the headlines”Keep Your Startup Costs LowThe bulk of pre-launch spending is on product development. Hence, it is essential for the founders to be able to code, develop, and test the proof of concept (POC) product with minimal expenses for outsourced coding. Once your POC is validated, don't get tempted to throw money at marketing; instead, focus on low-cost, high-yield launch strategies. “ It wasn't a big concern to generate enough money to cover expenses because my expenses were super low”Leverage Established Platforms Like Google and Apple StoreAnother way to keep initial marketing costs low is to offer your product as a plug-in that works with established platforms like Chrome. Leverage the platform traffic to build your sales. A word of caution here – platforms have strict approval processes to weed out spammers and malware, but for the benefits you get, it's worth the effort. Once you establish a revenue stream, you can then migrate to your website. The downside of staying exclusive to platforms is that the platform can shut you down at any time, which is an unacceptable risk. “So now I was getting referrals from just visibility on the Chrome store”Outbound Marketing is Alive and KickingAjay shares his insights on the value of outbound marketing for scaling a startup. He used virtual assistants to scrape reviews of his competitors on the Chrome store to make a mailing list for his outreach. He then pitched his product and USP to this audience and acquired conversions.Email is still a viable sales channel in the SaaS space. While many old-school marketers have moved away from email, lots of success stories are built around outbound cold emails. The key to cold email campaigns is to avoid using your business domain to prevent it from getting blacklisted. “Six months into my launch, I started to dig into the cat-and-mouse game of avoiding spam filters and preventing the domain from getting blacklisted”Get Your Pricing Right The First TimeMost founders are conservative when it comes to pricing their products. They will price their products at a third or one-fourth of what the market leaders are charging to try and go after volumes. This approach needs to be corrected. Not only are you leaving money on the table, but you're also sowing seeds of doubt in the customer's mind; the customer thinks they'll get what they pay for.Make sure you read up on different pricing strategies and identify the one that works best for your business. “I read everything online on pricing and spoke to a couple of pricing consultants. There are companies that specialize in pricing consulting for SaaS companies. Speak to them”

Episode Summary:In this episode of SaaS Origin Stories, Spencer Barclay, Founder and CEO of Savology,  joins host Phil Alves to share a founder's insight on the roadmap for building a successful SaaS business. Spencer's insights are best practices across different business phases, from ideation and funding to market validation of the MVP and how to scale. He also offers insights on hiring the right people and some pitfalls to avoid while recruiting talent.Guest at a Glance:Name: Spencer BarclayWhat He Does: Spencer is the founder of Savology, a SaaS startup providing financial planning and financial wellness solutions to consumers through a B2B gateway of employers and financial consultants.Connect with Spencer on LinkedInTopics we cover:Limiting your scope with a stair-step approachInvest in discovery and proof of conceptFocus on monetizing with a minimum viable productTalent acquisition is keyThree tips to keep front and center on your SaaS journeyKey Takeaways:Limit the Initial Project Scope to Delivering a Minimum Viable ProductYour initial focus should hinge on delivering an MVP and getting market validation. Don't set out with the objective of building the final product; instead, build the project scope step-by-step, just like you'd climb a stairway. This ensures that you'll minimize the initial investment and monetize your product faster. Funding becomes simpler for a market-validated product. If your product is gaining traction, but the growth could be faster with a different product, give due thought to an exit. Put some money in your pocket to start again and become what investors love, a successful serial entrepreneur. “There are some people that are successful going straight for the big scope, but I think it decreases the probability of success while adding a lot of risk along the way”.Invest in Discovery and Proof of ConceptSpend time in discovery to identify the problem you're looking to resolve and the solution the customers are looking for. Invest time and resources in conducting market research, interviews, and focus group studies. Be ready to pivot if the core issue and solution desired by the customer varies from your initial scope. The next step is to validate your discovery with a proof of concept, which should precede your MVP launch. This is critical for tech and SaaS startups. Through all this, stay flexible and ready for change. Fall in love with the problem and not the solution. The solution is what the customers want. “I wouldn't have succeeded with the MVP if I hadn't done the proof of concept. We would have wound up building the wrong product”. The Real Learning Starts Once you Launch Your MVPGetting the product in the hands of your customers is when real learning starts. The feedback you get helps you to tweak and modify your product for higher adoption. Feedback is also an opportunity to evaluate your business model and see if any changes are required. This is also the time to look at a pre-seed round of funding. Keep your pitch deck updated with every new learning, so you're ready to engage with your investors. “The big pivot was to move from a D2C to B2B space. We needed to change our GTM strategy on the fly and pivot to a B2B strategy”. Hire Talent that Can Grow with Your BusinessDon't hire talent based on personality; instead, hire based on skills that will help fill your company's need gap. Instead of hiring a VP of marketing outright, hire a senior marketing manager with the skills to fill your gap today and the talent to grow into the VP role in a couple of years. Don't be tempted into hiring overqualified talent. Chances are you'll lose them in a couple of months once they find another role at double or more of what you can pay. “We know that we need to get the right people on the ship. Know that it's very difficult to find the right people, but every time you get it right, it accelerates the growth of the company”. One Person's Hindsight is Another's ForesightSpencer shares his top three hindsight learnings while setting up and scaling his SaaS business. First, be ready to pivot. Statistics prove that agile startups that pivot once or twice in the early stages are more likely to succeed. Pivot based on your learnings. Lesson two is to monetize as soon as possible. Validate your proof of concept and start monetizing your MVP while you continue to build your product. Find the distribution channels that get your product to your audience most efficiently.Number three is don't get caught up in the SaaS hype. Stop blindly following successful entrepreneurs. Know that for every successful startup, there are 1,000 that didn't make it. Instead, keep your head down, focus on your business needs, and work accordingly. Don't quit or give up.“It's the founders who don't quit who make successful products”.

Episode Summary:In this episode of SaaS Origin Stories, Janna Bastow, CEO and Co-Founder of ProdPad, joins host Phil Alves. She shares how the idea for ProdPad had its roots in her frustrations from her product management days and how her bootstrapped startup provides workflow solutions for product teams and operations.  She shares her insights on five strategies that led to ProdPads success and gives her must-dos for all startups. She also advises on how to bootstrap your idea, develop a product market fit, and market positioning, and ramp the revenue pipeline. Guest at a Glance:Name: Janna BastowWhat She Does: Janna is the Co-Founder and CEO of ProdPad, a prioritization, and workflow solution for project management teams. Connect with Janna on LinkedIn Topics we cover:Factors to consider when bootstrappingFinding a good product market fitThe Now, Next, Later framework for painless and efficient prioritizationHow to position your product in the marketRamping your revenue streamKey Takeaways:Tick These Boxes Before Deciding to Bootstrap Janna has successfully bootstrapped her start-up by ticking the yes box on several critical points. First, your savings should cover your monthly expenses for at least 6-9 months before you quit your job. Next, always keep a secondary revenue stream going. Even after leaving your job, utilize your skillset and make time to do consulting gigs to maintain a parallel revenue stream.Make a timeline for go-to-market and a budget for expenses. It helps if the co-founders can cover the development tasks between them so that external and paid help is not required.“I counted up and calculated that if I quit my job and kept spending as I did, I had nine months cash in the bank”.Finding a Good Product Market FitHow do you ensure the ideal product-market fit? By solving a core and endemic problem faced by your audience. Identifying this problem is the crux of the discovery process. The real problem may differ from what you first think, so you need feedback from plenty of potential customers. However, there's a twist here. Customer feedback often pivots around the symptom and not the malaise, so to get to the real problem, you have to continuously ask the five ‘why' questions until you get to the core.“I would have saved myself a lot of heartache if I had spent more time in discovery than I did”. The Now, Next, Later Prioritization of TasksAny project manager will tell you that their biggest challenge is the rigidity of workflow timelines. No matter how well designed, real-world events always affect timelines, impacting on-time delivery. The Now, Next, and Later prioritizes tasks based on a broad timeline, providing much-needed flexibility at the task level. “Don't penalize yourself by having a timeline roadmap when you can have a flexible one”.How to Create a Winning Position in the MarketThe SaaS market is highly competitive, and whatever your idea, chances are someone bigger than you has been doing it for longer. How do you create a niche for yourself in this market? One way is not competing head-to-head and instead following a complementary positioning strategy. All legacy stacks like Jira, Atlassian, and Confluence have unique blindspots that create pain areas for project managers. Janna positioned ProdPad to work with these legacy systems while covering the blind spots giving ProdPad a winning and complementary positioning. “We never set out to replace Jira; we just wanted to sit really well alongside of it”.Focus on Ramping Your Revenue Pipeline After Implementing GTMOnce you've launched your product, you need to focus on building revenue for your startup. Most acquisition strategies hinge around offering a free trial and then converting a percentage of the leads to customers. So the two things you need to do is to ramp the number of leads and the conversion percentage. Janna shares how to iterate onboarding to achieve both goals. The other must-do is tracking the retention percentage and amplifying it.“We kept reiterating the onboarding process to get higher conversions, and we never lost sight of the retention number”.

Episode Summary:In this episode of SaaS Origin Stories, Phil Alves is joined by Dani Grant, CEO, and Co-Founder at Jam.dev. This successful SaaS startup offers developers and project managers a fast and reliable debugging solution. Dani shares her insights on the different ingredients that make up a successful startup, including funding, attaining product market fit, and working with small and agile teams. Along the way, she also busts some commonly-held startup myths.Guest at a Glance:Name: Dani GrantWhat she does: Dani is the CEO and Co-Founder at Jam.dev, a SaaS startup that offers a fast and reliable debugging solution. Connect with Dani: LinkedInTopics we cover:Don't start without concept validation Investor meetings: how to ace themIs product market fit enough on your mind?Myth Busting - #1 -  Go-to-market speed is criticalMyth Busting - #2  - Ship fast; just get it in front of the customerKey Takeaways:Worry About Concept Validation Before Thinking About Market ValidationThe concept of fast and reliable debugging software was born out of Dani's struggles while working as a project manager at Cloudflare, where project delays due to endless communications cycles on bugs and fixes were endemic. So the concept of Jam.dev was to deliver software that would speed up the debugging process. To validate the concept, she connected with over 50 project managers across various industries to understand if the problem was universal. Validating your idea is the first brick of your SaaS startup and a nifty talking point when in front of investors.  We interviewed over 50 project managers across different industries to check if this was an issue they faced as well.Be Who Your Investors are Looking For - Helpful Tips for Investor MeetsDani spent two years at a VC listening to pitches, and she offers her insights on the typical investor's playbook. The investor's appetite is minimal, so how and what you pitch is critical. Don't focus on the investment you need; instead, focus on making the meeting a great experience for the investor. One that they will remember for a while and hence remember your proposal. Face-to-face meetings are better than Zoom meetings. Keep your answers short and engaging, don't jump into micro details. Offer a top view and then move on to offer further details. Make your meetings memorable. When answering questions, give a high-level overview first and then offer to go into details. You're now letting the VC steer the conversation.Achieving Product Market Fit and BeyondThe amount of mind space you devote to thinking about product market fit depends on the evolution stage of your startup. It should be front and center leading up to the launch and a couple of quarters down the line, and the retention rate is a good indicator of fit level. As the retention rate stabilizes, start thinking about how to tweak your product to improve the fit, customer feedback is vital at this stage. Once you achieve the desired PMF, other business priorities will occupy your mind, and you will think less about PMF.  We moved from living and breathing PMF to not thinking about it, and we probably achieved our product market fit somewhere in between. Myth Busting - Go to Market Speed is Critical - Don't Reiterate the PrototypeOnce you have your prototype, don't think of it as the Holy Grail, which doesn't need fixing. Spending a few weeks revisiting your prototype and making required changes and upgrades can save you valuable time that you would spend on improving the framework post-launch. Pre-launch delays are less costly than post-launch ones. Spending a few weeks or even a month reiterating your prototype allows you to set a solid foundation and move faster one or two years down the line.Myth Busting - It Will Never Be 100% Right, so Ship Fast is Better Than Ship RightThe conventional logic says to get the product in front of the customer as fast as possible. But shipping a buggy product that is still a work in progress is a recipe for disaster. Dani gives the example of her startup, where they iterated the base software for 18 months before taking it to the market. At every iteration, they would use it as a customer to check if the software did everything it promised.  In a SaaS environment, people rely on software to do their daily tasks, which must work every time. 

Episode Summary:In this episode of SaaS Origin Stories, Phil Alves is joined by Bogdan Maksak, CEO of DigitalGenius, a successful startup in the SaaS space. He shares his insights on the critical aspects of the startup journey, including achieving a good product-market fit and funding strategies and common pitfalls.Guest at a Glance:Name: Bogdan MaksakWhat he does: CEO at  DigitalGenius, an AI platform focused on providing customer service solutions to e-Commerce companies. Connect with Bogdan: LinkedinTopics we cover: A two-point playbook for achieving product market fit Funding your business, how, when, and pitfalls to avoidTwo metrics to measure and track PMFThree takeaways for building your SaaS startupKey TakeawaysYou Won't Get to First Base Without a Good Product Market FitA good PMF is the oxygen for SaaS startups that delivers sales, conversions, and retention. Product market fit has two dimensions; product and market. The product benefits need to align with customer pain areas and on the market front, especially in the early stages, target customers who are losing sleep over the problem your product will solve. As you scale and work with larger customers with more unique needs, the product will need tweaking to realign with evolving customer needs. During this phase, the product team needs to stay in touch with the customer to understand the root cause of their problems and tweak the product to resolve these issues. In retrospect, we had lost focus. We were chasing too many companies with disparate needs instead of focusing on those who were losing sleep over the problem we could solve.A SaaS Funding PlaybookAngel investors and venture capitalists are two familiar funding sources for SaaS startups. To amplify your success rate, ensure that you get a referral. Start building your network at least six months before actively seeking funding by connecting with entrepreneurs who have gone down the funding route.Have a market-validated PMF in place before you seek funding; else, it's easy to blow up millions of funding in scaling your marketing, sales, and revenue teams, only to discover you don't have sales traction due to a less-than-ideal product market fit. In this business, you don't get second chances.It's very hard to get in front of an investor if you don't have someone introduce you to them. So if you can, try and build a network for it.Tracking and Measuring Your PMF ScoreThe customer conversion journey starts with offering a limited period free trial of your product. Bogdan recommends not gating any features in the trial and offering a reasonable trial period of 6-8 weeks. The free trial should come with no strings attached, and there should be transparency on the purchase price post-trial. Once the customer has used the product, the two metrics to measure your PMF are trial conversion and annual retention. A trial conversion north of 80% and an annual retention rate of over 85% are critical milestones of an excellent product market fit. We had over 95% trial conversions in our first year and a 130% net dollar retention rate in our second year. And we were like, yeah, it's working.

In this special episode of SaaS Origin Stories, Phil Alves brings you the Best Moments in SaaS from four big players in the SaaS space, Rand Fishkin, Co-founder of SparkToro; Sujan Patel, Co-founder of Mailshake; Alfonso de la Nuez, Co-founder and CVO at UserZoom, and Bryan Clayton, CEO and Co-founder of GreenPal. Guests at a Glance:Rand Fishkin is the Co-founder and CEO of SparkToro, a SaaS company providing audience research for its clients. Rand is also the former CEO and Founder of Moz and the author of Lost and Founder. He shares practical advice on how to build a sustainable and profitable business without tapping venture capitalists. Sujan Patel is the Co-founder and CEO of Mailshake, and he shares his experience and mistakes while building and scaling Mailshake and how to identify product market fit. Sujan is also a data-driven content marketer, Managing Director at Ramp Ventures, and a part-time Board Member of the Entrepreneurs'​ Organization. Alfonso de la Nuez, the Co-founder and CVO of UserZoom, shares his insights on delivering the best-in-class user experience that helps amplify your net retention rate. He is also the author of the bestseller The Digital Experience Company. Winning in the Digital Economy with Experience Insights.  Bryan Clayton, CEO and Co-founder of GreenPal, joins the conversation to discuss how him and his co-founder turned a household errand into an incredibly successful SaaS business... while both working full-time.Key Takeaways:In this episode, we discuss the following:Audience research will be a game-changer in the next 10 yearsCustomer retention starts on day oneThe 80/20 rule for founders, i.e. be pretty good at everythingHow to create an excellent product-market fitRand Fishkin - Leading Through Sources of InfluenceMost customers won't care about your product in its early phases, though they will utilize a crappy product if it solves a problem they have. This conundrum persists because businesses benefit hugely from audience research since it clarifies which issues they should concentrate on or address first. Rand discusses the value of audience research, why you should know your audience thoroughly, and how audience research fits into a marketing strategy.The best way to influence the market is through audience research, which is SparkToro's bread and butter. It depends on knowing and spending time in the places where your target audience already hangs out, so you can understand and relate to them directly.We are laser-focused on building a unique product that solves the audience research problem and not diversifying into other areas - Rand FishkinSujan Patel - Finding the Right CustomerThe first 250 customers of Mailshake were from pre-launch marketing but needed help finding the product market fit. The product had a retention and activation problem, and people weren't using it successfully. Sujan was trying to solve these problems by talking with every new customer. Eventually, more salespeople started using it, so Sujan and his team decided to focus on them, rebrand, and improve their functionalities.Figure out how to remove noise first. But first, look at how to identify the noise. And again, you found a new customer. But who is the right customer? - Sujan PatelAlfonso de la Nuez - What Makes a Great User Experience?Retention is the holy grail for a SaaS business. You have to build a phenomenal onboarding and day-to-day user experience. Great UX design understands what the end user is looking for and exceeds expectations. When you deliver a great user experience, your customer will become your best salesperson and marketer.You only have one chance to provide a great first experience - Alfonso de la NuezBrian Clayton - Applying the 80/20 Rule to SaaSWhen you start a SaaS company, you need to be good enough at everything. That includes coding, product design, basic accounting, data science, and copywriting. Apply the 80/20 rule and invest your time to learn and get good enough at every skill. Then, hire somebody to do it.As a founder, you have to be 80/20 and good at about 30 different things - Brian ClaytonFor more interviews from the SaaS Origin Stories podcast, check us out on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player!

All founders dream that their business will skyrocket and succeed from the very beginning, but the reality is that most will fail. However, this isn't a reason to give up. When you bounce back and start again, the story can repeat itself unless you learn the lessons of your failure. That was exactly the case for Jose Cayasso of Slidebean, who shares his insights and learnings from re-starting a SaaS business after failing the first time..In this episode, we discuss:The right moment to start a businessSolving problems for other SaaS entrepreneursWhy SaaS founders should focus on what they are good atHow to develop an effective customer acquisition strategyThe Right Moment to Start a BusinessBefore Slidebean, Jose left college and founded a startup that failed, which was when he started Slidebean. However, Jose believes that starting another company immediately after you fail is a bad idea because you focus on generating revenue quickly rather than following your business interests. For him, the best time to start a new business is once you're an expert in an industry and discover a problem or opportunity. Then you can work on your company from a position of comfort rather than risking everything you have.I think the best companies get started when you have a job and discover something in the market that you have unique insight and expertise to solve. But you can do that from a position you can question this concept, whether it's a good or a bad idea - Jose CayassoLet Your First Product Do Its JobThe original version of Slidebean was simple, yet it served its purpose well. That's a great strategy for building the first version of your product, in that it solves a specific problem for your customers. After that, you can develop it, add new features, and customize it for your clients.The original product was so simple, and I loved it. We came up with the concept that you could only build a slide with one piece of content and make a simple but beautiful presentation - Jose CayassoRunning an Effective Customer Acquisition StrategyIn a market where you have to compete with Prezi and PowerPoint, Slidebean started acquiring customers through organic reach, which proved ineffective. That forced the team to rethink the pricing and conversion funnels and opt for paid direct marketing acquisition channels, which feeds you customers quickly to test with and adjust your strategy.Any startup, any SaaS company, especially B2B, should first focus on getting profitable unit economics via paid marketing. It's an equation of running ads, understanding how much those ads cost, and understanding the revenue that those ads generated or the conversions that those ads generated are enough to pay for the cost of the service, the software, and the cost of acquiring those customers - Jose CayassoFor more interviews from the SaaS Origin Stories podcast, check us out on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player!

What makes great SaaS companies thrive? Every business has its own story.  But there's one thing they all share, and that is a passionate founder who wants to solve a problem or cover a need. That is the case for Ben Dowling of IPinfo, who shares his company journey with the audience.In this episode, we discuss:How can IP data help your business?Building a business where you love to work Bootstrapping versus fundingAn effective hiring strategyHow to approach sales in SaaSHow Can IP Data Help You?IP data has plenty of uses, from website personalization to customizing website language, and currency and in cybersecurity, attacks on your network. Effectively, IP data also helps you gather more information and make more cost-effective decisions, deliver a better customer experience, and improve business advertising.We focus as a company on making sure our data's great and then leaving how customers want to use it to them. And there are a bunch of different use cases that it's useful for - Ben DowlingTake Your TimeSo many entrepreneurs try to move too quickly when building their businesses. Instead, try growing your company little by little, to the point where it makes enough money to support you. That allows you to create an enduring business where you love to work and don't need to rely on investors and instead can keep bootstrapping that company.I wanted to create something that I wanted to work on, a company where I wanted to work, the environment that I wanted to work in, and I was in no rush to see how big we can make it in a couple of years - Ben DowlingBootstrapping Versus FundingRaising money gives you a bunch of resources you can use. Funding can also be critical in some industries where you have well-funded competitors. However, bootstrapping allows you to grow your business slowly, experiment with different opportunities, and explore the problem you're trying to solve.The nice thing with going at the pace that we're going at, which is quick for a bootstrap business, is that you get to identify opportunities as you go along. You incrementally build out what you're working on, and you have more time to explore the problem - Ben DowlingFor more interviews from the SaaS Origin Stories podcast, check us out on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player!

You found a problem and came up with an idea of how to solve it. All you have to do now is make it a reality. To do that you need a great plan to launch your business, get money, find your product-market fit, and so on. And one of the best ways to do that is by taking examples from successful SaaS founders, like John Stojka, the Co-Founder of Sertifi.In this episode, we discuss:Bootstrapping versus raising capitalHorizontal versus vertical marketsHow to find your vertical marketFinalizing Business FasterSertifi provides an agreement platform that brings contracts and payments together. Historically, people would send the contract, get it signed, and then request the payment. The platform combines those things into one process and builds a workflow around that. The idea for Sertifi came to John and Nick when they noticed that the contracts were getting lost and the contract execution component was time-consuming.We thought that the most important thing was to make sure that the contract signing and the payment processes were easy - John StojkaBootstrapping Versus Funding a SaaS BusinessIf you raise too much money too quickly, the risk of you not having a great outcome can be higher, and there is also time pressure that comes from the investors. When investors give you money, they expect you to either become a huge success or die. When bootstrapping, you move at your own pace, and the chances of your business growing are much higher. But, if you don't invest enough, and you don't get the capital that you need, you could miss the market too, and someone else will fill the gap.If you can get product market fit and some acceleration, I think you're pretty likely to get a base hit or a double, maybe even a triple. But if you're gonna raise a lot of capital, you will be gunning for that Grand Slam - John StojkaFinding Your VerticalIf you build a product and choose a vertical market, you can expand to other verticals. Besides, in a vertical market, it may be an easier customer solution. A horizontal market is more challenging and competitive and requires more money to succeed. The challenge is to find your vertical. The best way to do that is by asking the following questions: Has this market adopted any tool like this yet? Is there a standard CRM or a place of integration I can integrate into? Is there a need for this product?You pick a small pond, and you dominate it. We had this product that could solve various problems for many different people. But we didn't start getting success until about 2015 when we verticalized the solution for a specific vertical - John StojkaFor more interviews from the SaaS Origin Stories podcast, check us out on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player!

Creative content is the top ingredient when it comes to marketing. Things like podcasting could bring tons of value to your customers and business. But the challenge is to measure that value and show it in numbers. And Lindsay Tjepkema encountered the same problem. So she decided to build Casted. Today, she joins the SaaS Origin Stories podcast to share her journey in detail.In this episode, we discuss:What does amplified marketing mean?How can you understand if you are the right founder for a specific SaaS product?Why should you first develop and launch a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)?How does a strong network help you grow your customer base?Risk or RegretMany ideas remain theories because most people are too scared to act and see the outcomes. The uncertainty is too great. But one way to think about opportunities is to imagine if you will be more frustrated and disappointed if you do it and fail or if you never do it. If it's the second one, you should give it a shot. Otherwise, the regret of never trying could become unbearable.I already knew it was a good idea. And I couldn't bear the thought of somebody else doing it instead of me seeing this company come to life and see what it does, whether it was successful or a failure - Lindsay TjepkemaAre You the Right Founder?Starting a SaaS product and business is not a walk in the park. It is one of the most challenging and demanding activities someone could do. You must have strong incentives and a passion for the problem you are trying to solve and the product you build. Also, you should be a real industry expert who knows the market inside out and understands the customers well. Moreover, you must have a clear vision of what your solution looks like and how you can develop it.I am weirdly passionate about this problem we're solving, the company we're building, and this solution we've created - Lindsay TjepkemaLess is MoreVince Lombardi said: "Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence." That applies to everything, including your SaaS product. When you first build and want to get it on the market, start with the bare minimum of capabilities. If things go well, develop your product, add features step-by-step, and focus on delivering value for your customers.We just quickly asked a bunch of questions to get to the root of what is the fastest thing we could build that would add the most value people would pay for. And how can we have a solid roadmap from there to keep people excited about what's coming next? - Lindsay TjepkemaBuild a Strong NetworkYour first ten customers are also the first investors you have to buy into your vision. If you succeed with that, the next phase is reaching one hundred customers by building a network and talking to people about your product. Keep in mind that your product should help them solve a problem or cover a need. So don't just try to sell to them. Listen to them, understand if you can help them, and treat them as human beings and individuals rather than customers.Customers come to my network, their networks, and then their networks. Be bullish and bold enough to ask for more conversations and introductions. I think you have to be approachable, and if you say that you're not gonna try to sell something, don't lie. Don't try to sell something - Lindsay TjepkemaFor more interviews from the SaaS Origin Stories podcast, check us out on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player!

Most B2B SaaS founders start their businesses with the desire to solve some problems. Great products come from those who have experienced these problems themselves. And many opportunities arise from unexpected places or situations. That is how Vishal Sunak and his business partner, Chris Combs, came up with the idea of LinkSquares, an AI-powered contract management platform for legal teams. Their experience should become a playbook for SaaS entrepreneurs, and Vishal shares every step of their journey.In this episode, we discuss:How does AI make an impact in the SaaS space?Why should you do proper market research before building your SaaS product?How to choose the right technologyHow to market your SaaS productResearch Before BuildingBuilding a SaaS product might be exciting, especially if you're a builder. But many start creating their products too quickly. Then they are afraid to show the product to anybody because they don't know if they are creating something people want. Before building the product, ensure you're solving a problem multiple people face and would like to use your solution.We will not build the software until we talk to 100 general counsels and ensure we make the customer discovery, which is important in understanding the problem we're solving - Vishal SunakDon't Overthink the TechnologyWhen you start a SaaS company, you have to decide if it will be product-led, technology-led, or sales-led. If you decide on the product-led, find the technology that will allow you to focus on the product and not on the technology. One mistake many founders make is that they want to build their product and look for the most complex technology. Instead, use a stack framework platform that allows you to launch your product to market, like Ruby on Rails.I didn't want to pick any weird MEAN or LAMP stack, like a flash-in-the-pan technology in which only sixteen people on earth are experts. But how do we make it easy to hire people who know how to code in Rails, React front ends, and PostgreSQL back ends, like standard stuff? Not get obsessed with technology - Vishal SunakMake it Look Expensive.Your product should look and feel modern so that customers would pay the full price. Deliver that modern experience by getting a top UX designer to make your product look great, investing in your branding, delivering trendy features, and thinking about high-level usability.Make it look expensive, so your sales team can sell it at a decent price. If it looks like a 1990s Toyota Corolla with rust on the bumper, it will get priced like a 1990 Toyota Corolla with rust on the bumper. If it looks like a Rolls Royce phantom, that's the answer - Vishal SunakFor more interviews from the SaaS Origin Stories podcast, check us out on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player!

The demand for a killer digital experience is higher than ever. But when launching a new product, you don't have the luxury of time to see if you've made the right choices regarding its design. You must know what your customers want for from the very beginning. Fortunately, one piece of software allows you to get accurate user insights and create digital experiences people will adore: UserZoom. Today, one of its Co-founders and CVO, Alfonso de la Nuez, joins us to discuss:Alfonso's experiences that other entrepreneurs should add to their playbookHow UserZoom helps you deliver a best-in-class digital experienceWhat makes a great user experienceGetting User Insights for a Better Digital ExperienceUserZoom is a SaaS platform that helps businesses understand their end users by testing and measuring their behavior and the quality of experience with digital products. Thus, it gives you a better chance to create a great digital experience that will impact your business results positively.Fall in love with the problem before you launch your business - Alfonso de la NuezWhat Makes a Great User Experience?Retention is everything for a SaaS business. When you look at it in today's world, the end users purchase the software. So you have to build a phenomenal onboarding experience. A great UX design understands clearly what the end user looks for and even exceeds expectations by providing them guidance, convenience, and ease of use. When you deliver a great user experience, your customer will become your best salesperson and marketer.You only have one chance to provide a great first experience - Alfonso de la NuezThe Difference Between a VC and Private EquityPrivate equity typically likes to own a majority, put together their operating experience and capital, and grow with profitable companies. VCs tend to like minority investments and high, faster growth and a little more risk. VCs are not that active now, while private equity tends to be very active - Alfonso de la NuezFor more interviews from the SaaS Origin Stories podcast, check us out on Apple, Spotify or your favorite podcast player!

One of the most difficult challenges in building a SaaS product is understanding your user and putting yourself in their shoes. But when you are at the same time the user and the developer, the final result might become a hit.Let's see what that looks like in real life. For that, we invited Emily González-Cebrián Lombán, Co-founder and CEO of Froged, to share her story behind building a SaaS product that helps other SaaS subscription businesses succeed.In this episode, we discuss:How does Froged help SaaS businesses solve conversion and churn problems?How can SaaS businesses manage churn?Why should you constantly look for feedback as you develop your SaaS product?What does human power technology mean?A Problem-Solver for Subscription-Based SaaS BusinessesFroged is a SaaS product that focuses on customer success and support. The platform solves two main problems. One is converting users from free trials to paying customers, and the second is reducing the churn rate.The economy, in general, has been transformed into a subscription economy. So we are driving super fast towards this subscription economy where all businesses become platforms where they deliver subscriptions - Emily González-Cebrián LombánLaunching, Testing, and Getting FeedbackWhen launching the MVP, Emily and her team wanted to test and receive honest feedback from the market on every functionality they were developing. One way to do that is to launch your product in AppSumo, which can also help you find the product market fit.Whenever you create something like your baby and your own self. And you have to make sure that you don't attach yourself to that idea or to that project so that you're able to receive feedback - Emily González-Cebrián LombánManaging the ChurnChurn is one of the metrics that show how long your business can last. A subscription-based business grows by attracting new clients but also helping the clients you already have grow with you. A high churn rate indicates that you are losing money fast and not delivering what the market expects from you.You don't need to fight against churn, but to work proactively not to have it - Emily González-Cebrián LombánPowering PeoplePeople are the most valuable asset you have in your SaaS company. As your business develops, people realize things that allow them to have the lifestyle they want and be surrounded by the desired environment. Address these areas to maintain a positive culture and work environment people will love being a part of. We always say that we are a human power technology - Emily González-Cebrián LombánFor more interviews from the SaaS Origin Stories podcast, check us out on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player!

You don't have any technical background, and you have no idea where or how to start building your SaaS product. But there is a problem you want to solve. Should you take on the challenge or leave it for someone else to deal with?This is the exact problem Robin Eissler, the Founder and CEO of BoosterHub faced. When Robin began her SaaS journey, she knew nothing about what developing software products involved. In this episode of SaaS Origin Stories, Robin shares what you need to start building your SaaS product when you have no experience, how to find the right people and mentors to help you, and how to drive a product-led growth strategy that will boost your sales.In this episode, we discuss:How does BoosterHub enhance booster clubsWhat is a booster clubBuilding a SaaS product with zero experienceHow to transition from sales-led to product-led growthBoosting the Nonprofit SpaceBoosterHub provides infrastructure for nonprofit organizations, specifically high school booster clubs, for their athletic and fine arts programs. It also enables volunteers to jump into the organization and have a ready-made set of tools that help them communicate, manage volunteers and fundraise.BoosterHub popped into my head like Hey, we need to use one tool to do all of this. And I was at a time in my life when it was time to start a new venture. So we decided to jump in and do it - Robin EisslerBuilding a SaaS Product With Zero ExperienceBefore starting BoosterHub, Robin worked in aviation and was also the Founder and President of Sky Hope Network. She says that running a new business is all about duplicating and adapting the systems and processes of the previous one. If you didn't have to deal with SaaS before, like Robin, a great idea is to find a mentor that will guide you. Also, spend some time learning basic SaaS principles and tools to get started.Running a business is really all about systems and processes and then duplicating those systems and processes - Robin EisslerFrom Sales-Led to Product-Led GrowthThe first BoosterHub customers were beta testers. The team adopted a classic SAS marketing strategy of building the funnel, prospecting, looking for contact information, working through the process of nurturing those leads, and selling them. In the beginning, you can start too with a sales-led approach, where you try to find the right people and present your product. As the product develops, you can take on a product-led approach.We're definitely trying to move to as much product-led as we can. I think the nature of our business will always remain some percentage of sales led just because of how booster clubs operate and the relationship model there - Robin EisslerFor more interviews from the SaaS Origin Stories podcast, check us out on Apple, Spotify or your favorite podcast player!

Building great products starts with a strong desire to solve a problem you have encountered in your own experience. But there is more to it than that; you have to think about what makes it different, the value it brings to people, your brand's messaging, and much more.Matthew Barnett knows what it takes to build SaaS products that thrive. Matthew is the Founder and Papa Bear of Bonjoro, and today, he shares what SaaS founders need to do to develop products that people will love and help them grow successful businesses.In this episode, we discuss:Why are industry experts more likely to build successful startups?Biggest fears and challenges startup founders experienceHow can you drive customer loyalty?How should founders approach brand building?The Right Founder for the Right ProductIndustry experts are more likely to succeed when building a business. They are the ones who experience and understand industry problems, thus developing products that solve them is much easier.I think a lot of the most successful startups you see come from people who have a problem in a specific industry - Matt BarnettPrioritize Your Growth StrategyFrom day one, think about your specific growth mechanism, which depends on your company. Every business is different. Some are sales-driven, marketing-led, or ads-led. What works for one company doesn't mean it will work for you. I think it's extremely important…you have a mechanism that can do that - Matt BarnettHow Can You Drive Customer Loyalty?When people mention loyalty, they think about loyalty cards, discounts, and other benefits. However, loyalty is the ability to increase the lifetime value of your customers and generate advocacy, which leads to net new customers.If you nail loyalty, you increase the lifetime value of every customer. So every customer spends more and stays longer, and then you increase that by basing your customers as its growth channel - Matt BarnettYour Brand is More Than the LogoMany founders don't understand what a brand represents. Most just think about the logo and stop there. Besides visual elements, a brand is also how you talk to customers, what you stand for, your views, values, and people.A brand is basically like the external facing piece of your culture - Matt BarnettFor more interviews from the SaaS Origin Stories podcast, check us out on Apple, Spotify or your favorite podcast player!

Companies use various SaaS products to manage and grow their businesses. But how do they keep track of these software applications? Cristina Vila Vives found that most either use spreadsheets ineffectively or do not manage them at all.Are there other alternatives? Passionate about bringing a solution, Cristina presents you with the Cledara platform, designed to improve SaaS stack management.In this episode, we discuss:Using Cledara to make better business decisionsFundraising tips that will help you succeedWhy should you first launch a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to marketWhat should SaaS founders focus on when building a productHow to Nail Your Next FundraisingUnderstand what you want to build in the future and your product vision. Have a clear roadmap on what you want to do with the capital. Prepare well for every investor meeting and explain how you will achieve that vision.I remember that for every half-hour investor meeting, I would spend three hours preparing for all the possible questions they may ask - Cristina Vila VivesUse the Capital WiseAfter raising your first capital, think of launching the MVP to market. Find the right people to help you build the product and talk to potential customers to understand how they would like it to work. If you lack some business skills, bring a co-founder who can complement your weaknesses, someone strong in the go-to-market and business partnership operations. Then hire the first team members.Make sure that on that first version, you are building something people actually want - Cristina Vila VivesPeople Want Your Product...Help Them Realize ThatFinding the right product-market fit is a matter of building a SaaS product that helps your customers solve their problems. Your job is to understand them, develop your product according to their feedback, and help them realize the potential of your solution. You need these people who believe in your vision and are willing to dedicate their time to help you shape your ideas.When I started, I knew that it was just a matter of educating the market and building a product that would truly help companies when companies were ready to recognize that they had that problem - Cristina Vila VivesFor more interviews from the SaaS Origin Stories podcast, check us out on Apple, Spotify or your favorite podcast player!