Podcasts about saas companies

In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan are joined by seasoned sales leader Jim Drill to discuss essential aspects of the B2B sales process, career development, and leadership. Jim shares valuable lessons from his extensive career, emphasizing the importance of understanding customer pain points, selling higher in the customer organization, and connecting solutions to concrete business metrics. Through insightful stories from his experience at companies like IBM, PTC, and beyond, Jim highlights how asking the right questions and staying curious can lead to substantial sales success. The conversation also delves into practical advice for young sellers and leaders, stressing the significance of structured training and continuous learning. Jim's anecdotes offer perspective on effectively driving urgency, building strong champions, and implementing impactful sales strategies.ADDITIONAL RESOURCESLearn more about Jim Drill:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimdrill/Watch Force Management's Panel Discussion on AI in Sales Leadership: https://hubs.ly/Q03rlW4Z0Download the CRO Strategy Checklist: https://hubs.li/Q03f8LmX0Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT[00:02:09] Jim's Early Career at IBM[00:05:23] Learning the Sales Process[00:07:13] The Importance of Curiosity and Learning[00:15:34] Advice for Young Sellers[00:21:15] Understanding Business Metrics[00:30:08] High-Level Sales Strategies[00:38:08] Budget Constraints and Problem Solving[00:38:43] The M and W Approach to Organizational Navigation[00:39:12] Connecting Metrics to Urgency and Champions[00:40:12] The Importance of Metrics in Sales[00:41:09] Creating Emotional Connections in Sales[00:45:51] The Power of the Champion Letter[00:56:58] The Role of Sales Leadership[01:00:31] Common Mistakes in StartupsHIGHLIGHT QUOTES"Knowledge builds confidence. Confidence turns into credibility. Credibility turns into enthusiasm. That turns into passion, and passion turns into persuasion. But the foundation is knowledge.""The urgency, lack of champions—if sellers are struggling, go back to your metrics. Where are you with your metrics?""Consultative selling is not just about providing solutions, but deeply understanding the pain points and creating value.""You can either do this, separate yourself and set yourself up for the future, or you're going to end up working for someone that did it.""Fires are going to happen. My job is to make sure the whole forest doesn't burn down."

In this episode of the Transform Sales Podcast: Sales Software Review Series, Eddie Bello

Andrew Gazdecki is the founder and CEO of Acquire.com, a marketplace of buyers and sellers of smaller, profitable SaaS products with revenues between $100,000 and $5,000,000. Andrew sold his own software company and learned how little support and information was available to sell a software product for under $5-10 million in deal size. Acquire.com has helped over 2000 entrepreneurs sell their software products for a combined value of more than $500 million. Acquire offers additional support to help founders package, promote, negotiate, and close their transactions. Potential buyers are vetted for financial viability and identity confirmation before getting confidential details for any deal. In this episode, Andrew describes their typical seller and buyer profiles, the typical process for a founder to sell a small and profitable SaaS company, typical multiples of profit that financial buyers offer, and founder transition periods. Quote from Andrew Gazdecki, founder and CEO of Acquire.com "There are three buckets of active buyers on Acquire.com. The first is below $100,000 net profit. That's going to be an individual buyer looking for something with maybe a little bit of product market fit. They want to take the product, grow it a little bit, see what they can do from there. They're buying a very, very early startup. So some buyers will actually start small and then work their way up. "From $100,000 to $1 million in net profit in our middle range, the buyer will a blend of "micro PE firms" and holding companies that want to get their hands on a business where there's a lot more going on. And then a $1 million in profit and above is going to be for the more traditional private equity or strategic buyers." Links Andrew Gazdecki on LinkedIn Andrew Gazdecki on Twitter Acquire.com on LinkedIn Acquire.com website The Practical Founders Podcast Tune into the Practical Founders Podcast for weekly in-depth interviews with founders who have built valuable software companies without big funding. Subscribe to the Practical Founders Podcast using your favorite podcast app or view on our YouTube channel. Get the weekly Practical Founders newsletter and podcast updates at practicalfounders.com.

Jason Lemkin is one of the leading SaaS investors of the last decade with a portfolio including the likes of Algolia, Talkdesk, Owner, RevenueCat, Saleloft and more.  Rory O'Driscoll is a General Partner @ Scale where he has led investments in category leaders such as Bill.com (BILL), Box (BOX), DocuSign (DOCU), and WalkMe (WKME), among others. In Today's Episode We Discuss: 04:23 What is Wrong with Billionaires on Twitter: Are They Depressed? 08:49 Why Does product Market Fit Mean Less Than Ever 11:50 Why is Venture Capital More Risky Than Ever and No One is Discussing It 16:17 Will Private Equity Save a Generation of SaaS Companies and VCs 23:53 a16z's $20BN Fund: Seriously? 31:29 Why Josh Kushner and Thrive Capital are Masters of the World 38:21 Why is Seed Investing for Suckers 45:49 Why Are $50 Million Seed Funds Useless 46:21 Founders Fund Raises $4.6BN: Analysis 52:00 How WIll LPs Change Their Approach to Venture in the Next Five Years 59:53 When Will IPOs Comeback? 01:09:15 Why Does it Not Make Sense for the Best Companies to IPO 01:09:51 Lost Ethics and Morals in Founder Secondaries and Term Sheets 01:22:58 Quickfire: OpenAI, Cursor, Deel vs Rippling      

Nina Achadjian is a Partner at Index Ventures, where she invests across seed, venture, and growth stages in AI, enterprise software, and vertical SaaS. She sits down with Beezer Clarkson, LP at Sapphire Partners, and the two discuss Nina's predictions for M&A in 2025, the importance of product market fit and what Nina looks for in a new hire. Plus, the two dig into Index's recent IPO with ServiceTitan, and how they managed a high-profile exit in the difficult IPO market of 2024.Learn more about Sapphire Partners: sapphireventures.com/sapphire-partnersLearn more about OpenLP: openlp.vcLearn more about Asylum Ventures: asylum.vcLearn more about Top Tier Capital Partners: ttcp.comSubscribe to the OpenLP newsletter for a monthly roundup of the latest venture insights, including the newest Origins episodes, delivered straight to your inbox.CHAPTERS:(0:00) Welcome to Origins(1:49) The Trading Floors of London and New York4:54-The ServiceTitan IPO(15:22) The Exit Window for SaaS Companies in 2025(17:45) Predictions & AI(25:10) More M&A vs. IPO(30:34) Investment Lessons Learned at Index(34:59) Hiring People Who Become Great Investors(39:03) Hive & the Armenian Tech Ecosystem

Die Stimmung im B2B SaaS Markt dreht sich langsam aber sicher ins Positive. In dieser Podcastfolge sprechen wir über das neue Momentum im Markt und warum gerade jetzt der perfekte Zeitpunkt ist, um mutiges Marketing zu machen. Außerdem gibt es brandheiße Tipps aus der Praxis für SaaS Companies, die wieder in Wachstum investieren wollen. Wenn du spüren willst, wie viel Bewegung gerade im B2B SaaS Markt steckt, ist diese Folge genau perfekt für dich. Jetzt reinhören!

In this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast, we are excited to have Ali Rizvi, the innovative CEO and founder of TrueRev, as our guest. Ali's journey from being a CPA with a solid background in finance and audit to becoming the driving force behind TrueRev, offers a wealth of insights. He draws on his extensive experience as a CFO for early-stage tech firms to highlight the persistent financial challenges SaaS companies face, ultimately leading him to develop TrueRev as a solution for subscription and revenue management issues. TrueRev is dedicated to streamlining operations for small to medium-sized businesses dealing with recurring revenue complexities. Ali elaborates on how the platform addresses these challenges by focusing on revenue recognition, subscription management, and financial reporting, providing SaaS companies with a cohesive solution. With a mission to solve the financial chaos that arises in tech-driven companies, TrueRev aims to ensure accurate and seamless financial operations, especially for businesses lacking the resources to address these problems with existing systems or headcount. In addition to sharing the vision behind TrueRev, Ali provides a glimpse into the strategic roadmap for growth and the essential role of clean data in financial operations. He offers valuable perspectives on the evolving landscape of subscription management and where the industry is headed. Whether you're an entrepreneur in the SaaS space or a finance professional seeking to optimize financial processes, Ali's discussion is full of actionable insights and forward-thinking strategies. Tune in to explore how TrueRev is changing the game in SaaS financial management and what it means for your business. Show Notes: 00:00 Revenue Recognition Challenges 05:34 Target Market: Growing Companies' Recurring Revenue 09:09 Side Project to Startup Launch 11:28 Inbound Strategy Focused on Conversion 13:32 Bootstrapping vs. VC Funding Pressure 18:49 Holistic Subscription Management Challenges 20:34 Complexity of Contract Management 23:08 "Explore TrueRev with Ali" Links: Ali Rizvi's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rizvial/ TrueRev's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/true-rev/ TrueRev's Website: https://truerev.com/ To learn more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben's daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben's SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben's SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In this episode, we talk about how top B2B SaaS companies are winning with SEO in 2025. Our guest, Tom Shapiro, is the founder and CEO of Strata Beat. He shares his knowledge and experience, including how he helped grow iProspect from $12 million to $75 million in yearly revenue. As an expert in neuroscience, psychology, and behavioral intelligence, Tom offers a fresh way to think about SEO and audience engagement.Key Timecodes(0:48) - Guest Introduction: Tom Shapiro and his background(1:32) - Discussion on SEO performance report by Strata Beat(2:17) - Explanation of AI Overview by Google(3:01) - Importance of ranking in AI Overviews(4:27) - Misconceptions about AI overviews and SEO(5:52) - Strategies for optimizing for AI Overviews(7:04) - Reverse engineering approach for AI Overviews(8:08) - Audience segmentation and its impact on SEO(9:53) - Explanation of audience segmentation(12:27) - Content strategies for effective audience segmentation(14:01) - Adding free tools to websites and their SEO impact(15:31) - Evaluating the effectiveness of free tools(17:02) - Benefits of free tools for lead generation(18:34) - Creating simple vs. sophisticated free tools(19:47) - Original research and its benefits(21:09) - Uses of original research beyond SEO(22:10) - Effort involved in producing original research(24:30) - Blogging frequency and maximizing organic traffic(25:59) - Impact of custom graphics in blogs(27:42) - Importance of internal links for SEO(28:53) - Best practices for internal linking(30:13) - Summary of top SaaS companies' SEO strategies(31:30) - Content hubs and different content types(33:10) - Contrarian views on SEO and AI Overviews(34:36) - Importance of targeting relevant keywords(36:13) - Strategies for SaaS founders in 2025(37:27) - Importance of ICP research(39:00) - Advice for SaaS founders aiming for 10K MRR(40:41) - Advice for SaaS founders aiming for 10 million ARR(43:21) - Testing and optimizing CTAs(44:56) - Conclusion and contact information for Tom Shapiro(46:22) - Summary of the episode and closing remarks

How can SaaS companies scale globally while managing risks and maintaining sustainable growth?In this episode of B2B Revenue Acceleration, Aurelien Mottier sits down with Mike Malloy, CEO of Malloy Industries, to dive deep into the strategies that help SaaS companies scale effectively.Mike kicks off the discussion by sharing his journey and the mission behind Malloy Industries. He then sheds light on the key methods for penetrating new markets and reaching customers across different regions. These strategies are crucial for any SaaS company expanding its footprint internationally.But scaling isn't just about growth—it's about overcoming the challenges that come with it. Mike and Aurelien discuss common hurdles B2B SaaS companies face, from managing cash flow to aligning sales strategies with international markets. They also emphasize the importance of building and managing sales teams that can operate efficiently across multiple regions.Innovation is at the heart of successful scaling. Mike explores how SaaS companies can tailor their value propositions to resonate with diverse customers and industries. He also delves into the critical aspect of risk management and contingency planning, offering creative approaches to mitigate risks as companies scale globally.Whether you're a startup or an established player in the SaaS space, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you navigate the complexities of scaling.

In this episode of the Transform Sales Podcast: Sales Software Review Series, Eddie Bello

In today's episode of the EUVC podcast, Andreas talks with Stephen Millard, Operating Partner & Chief Platform Officer at Notion Capital, a London-based fund exclusively investing in B2B SaaS. With roots dating back to early SaaS pioneers like Message Labs, Stephen brings deep operational know-how and a data-driven approach to venture investing. Notion Capital's Cloud Champions latest report unpacks European SaaS companies' unique challenges, from navigating fragmented markets to scaling revenue rapidly, emphasizing the need for constant reinvention.Using extensive experience and real-world case studies, Stephen explains how today's well-informed buyers reshape the traditional seller-buyer dynamic. He outlines the critical transition for founders: from a hands-on, experimental phase to a disciplined, outcome-focused strategy, ensuring that teams align across sales, marketing, and product development. Stephen also shares practical insights on adapting go-to-market strategy and building enduring, high-growth businesses in a rapidly evolving market landscape.Go to eu.vc for our core learnings and the full video interview

Today, we're joined by Srikrishnan Ganesan, Co-Founder & CEO of Rocketlane, the #1 customer onboarding, PSA, and project delivery software. We talk about:Launching an incomplete product vs. going to market too late Determining the scope of an MVP & a full-featured, differentiated productUnique approaches to “Design Partners” during product development Best ways to build a communityMaintaining a sense of urgency once established & not getting too comfortable

How much do software businesses sell for in the seven, eight, or even nine-figure range? This episode of the Buying Online Businesses Podcast dives into what it takes to sell or buy a SaaS company. Host Jaryd Krause speaks with Diamond Innabi, an expert in buying and selling software businesses. With over 10 years of experience, she has helped close successful deals in industries like energy, government, education, real estate, and technology. Diamond understands the challenges that come with selling a software company, from making sure sellers get full credit for their recurring revenue to explaining complex technology to buyers. She also knows how to position businesses with high customer concentration and other tricky factors in a way that attracts the right buyers. In this episode, listeners will learn: ✅ How long it takes to prepare a business for sale (sometimes up to two years!)✅ What needs to happen before a business is ready to sell✅ How software companies in the $15M - $150M range are valued✅ The biggest mistakes that cause deals to fall apart—and how to avoid them✅ Key negotiation strategies to get the best deal✅ How to assess a business’s strengths and weaknesses before making an offer Since joining SCG in 2014, Diamond has helped grow the team, mentor new investment bankers, and improve processes that lead to better deals. She has a strong track record of getting results and often helps clients secure deals beyond their expectations. Tune in now to discover what it takes to successfully buy or sell a SaaS company.

Guest: Ty Tinker, Head of Analytics at AdQuickWhat if everything you thought about billboard advertising was wrong?Ty Tinker, Head of Analytics at AdQuick, breaks down the myth that out-of-home (OOH) advertising is unmeasurable and outdated. In reality, leading SaaS companies—including Dropbox, Salesforce, and Shopify—are embracing billboards, transit ads, and airport placements to drive brand awareness, accelerate sales cycles, and even generate measurable leads.Ty reveals how brands are leveraging data science, AI, and sophisticated measurement techniques (beyond old-school QR codes) to track campaign performance. He also shares why smart SaaS marketers are treating OOH as a long-term investment, not just a one-off trade show play.Key Takeaways:

saas.unbound is a podcast for and about founders who are working on scaling inspiring products that people love, brought to you by https://saas.group/, a serial acquirer of B2B SaaS companies. Following our previous live AMA sessions, join us for this one uncovering the best SEO tips for B2B SaaS. Sam is the Host of Breaking B2B podcast (Top 2.5% B2B Marketing Podcast) and the Founder at Breaking B2B, B2B SEO & web design for revenue, not vanity. Ane is the SEO lead at saas.group, bringing the latest trends in SEO and making sure saas.group is prepared for anything Google has coming its way! ----------Episode's Chapters-------------- 00:00 - Introduction to SaaS and SEO Strategies 10:00 - When SEO Works and When It Doesn't 19:56 - Quick Wins in SEO for SaaS Companies 30:01 - Common Mistakes in SEO Implementation 39:42 - Effective Link Building Techniques 43:46 - Navigating AI in SEO 50:30 - The Role of AI in SEO Automation 59:15 - Breaking into SEO: Skills and Resources Subscribe to our channel to be the first to see the interviews that we publish twice a week - https://www.youtube.com/@saas-group Stay up to date: Twitter: https://twitter.com/SaaS_group LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/14790796

How do you position your B2B SaaS for explosive growth? In this exciting episode of the Grow Your B2B SaaS podcast, host Joran Hofman sits down with April Dunford, the founder of Ambient Strategy and a leading expert in brand positioning. April shares valuable insights on why positioning is crucial for success in the B2B SaaS world. Positioning is often confused with branding and messaging, but it's far more important and foundational. It's about clearly defining why your product is the best at delivering value to a specific group of customers. Positioning helps you understand your competitors, highlight your unique features, and make it clear why your solution stands out in the market. Tune in to learn how effective positioning can drive massive growth for your SaaS business. Key Timecodes (0:00) - Introduction: Understanding Competition and Positioning (0:58) - Guest Introduction: Featuring April Dunford (1:42) - Defining Positioning vs. Messaging and Branding (3:18) - Importance of Clear Positioning (4:18) - Positioning as a Foundation for Marketing and Sales (6:01) - Differentiating Positioning from Branding (6:59) - Positioning in Practice: Impact and Implementation (9:23) - Common Mistakes in SaaS Positioning (12:34) - Misunderstanding Competition: The Intern Analogy (14:28) - Importance of Positioning in B2B (20:18) - Sales Pitch and Positioning: April's Process (24:08) - Testing Positioning with Sales Pitches (27:44) - Cross-functional Team Importance in Positioning (30:40) - Workshop Style for Positioning Process (34:32) - Challenges in Implementing Positioning (36:53) - Future of Positioning in Crowded Markets (39:07) - Advice for Early-stage SaaS Companies (41:39) - Advice for Scaling SaaS Companies (44:06) - How to Contact April Dunford

Artificial intelligence will affect all facets of modern-day business in some way or another. But it will most definitely go a few layers deeper with the type of companies whose job is to be a record of business' today – SaaS companies.SaaS as a business model is investment-heavy in the beginning. It's risky to build, it takes time to build, and it takes skill to build. But if successful, it is a cash cow. Think of the biggest SaaS companies – Salesforce, Microsoft and Adobe. They spent years building and iterating on software products. And today, all of these products they poured money into make them billions of dollars.But there's a perfect storm that has been turning the tides, and the incumbents have seen the signs and have jumped at it to secure their advantage and not lose out to upstarts.The one thing about SaaS products is that they have to be constantly sold to their customers. But with AI, the entire loop becomes a solution that makes the customer's life easier. SaaS products integrated with AI will be bought because they'll solve the use case of its customers specifically. Companies which usually resort to different pricing strategies for small additional features will have to reconsider and be aligned to deliver outcomes for their customer, not a feature list which is based on purchasing licences to gain access.And in all of this, what happens to the Indian SaaS companies as the AI wave ushers in?In episode 21 of Two by Two, hosts Praveen Gopal Krishnan and Rohin Dharmakumar sat down with guests Sumanth Raghavendra, CEO and co-founder of Presentations.AI and one of the co-founders of The Ken, and Sidu Ponnappa, CEO and co-founder of Realfast and former managing director of Gojek India.This is a '30-minute version' of the full conversation we had published on 12 December 2024. Full episodes are available to Premium subscribers on The Ken app and Apple Podcasts with a separate monthly subscription.A Premium subscription to The Ken will get you access to our long-form stories, premium newsletters, podcasts, and visual stories in addition to Two by Two.If you'd just like access to Two by Two, you can do that too by getting a Premium subscription to Two by Two on Apple Podcasts.Tune in to the latest Two by Two podcast to listen to an engrossing discussion on how AI will shake up SaaS models across the world and what's in store for India's SaaS companies.——Additional reading:The AI apocalypse is coming: Are SaaS companies ready?BarbAIrians at the Gate: The Financial Opportunity of AIThe End of the SaaS Era: Rethinking software's role in business——This episode of Two by Two was produced by Hari Krishna. Mixing and mastering for this episode was done by Rajiv CN.Write to us with what you thought of the episode at twobytwo@the-ken.com.

Guest: Steve Brothers, CEO of SplashmetricsWith 77% of millennial buyers avoiding sales interactions until they've already made a purchase decision, buyers are consistently clear about what they need: fast, personalized, and self-directed answers. Yet vendors stubbornly stick to outdated practices, forcing buyers into their processes rather than meeting them where they are.In this episode of SaaS Backwards, Steve Brothers, CEO of Splashmetrics, explores how modern B2B buyers are reshaping the sales process—and how many vendors are failing to adapt. He discusses how Splashmetrics bridges this gap by enabling companies to deliver tailored, interactive content journeys that put buyers in control while providing sales with critical insights to close deals more effectively.Key Takeaways:The buyer is in control: Buyers prefer to self-educate, completing 80% of their research before engaging with sales. Vendors must adapt or risk irrelevance.Outdated models kill opportunities: Relying on traditional MQL-driven processes results in 95% of SDR outreach being ignored.TheSplashmetrics solution: The platform allows buyers to “choose their own adventure,” and bridges the sales-marketing divide to create a truly buyer-centric experience.This episode is a wake-up call for companies still stuck in yesterday's playbook.---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

Show Notes: Marilyn Lin, a customer support thought leader with over two decades of experience, discusses the importance of customer support in driving business success in the Software as a Service (SaaS) industry. She has led global Technical Support Teams that not only resolve issues but also foster customer loyalty, drive renewals, and inform product strategies. In today's competitive SaaS landscape, customer support is not just a cost center but a linchpin of retention and growth.   Customer Support in the SaaS Industry The conversation turns to the different terms for customer support, such as customer support, customer service, customer care, and customer success. Marilyn identifies the difference between terms. She equates customer success to the team focused on the health of a customer, focusing on how they are leveraging and using the product and solution, realizing value from their investments. They are more akin to the account management side of the organization, taking care to understand the customer's top priorities and helping guide them through leveraging and using the solution and products they have purchased or subscribed to. She explains that customer support and customer service are terms used interchangeably to describe the teams that help customers resolve issues with using their products or services. In B-to-B environments, customer support are more technical support teams, while customer care and customer service is more tactical and often describe teams within B-to-C environments.   Subcategories within Customer Support There are different subcategories within customer support, such as onboarding teams, which help new B2B customers onboard with a SaaS company. Major functions  tied to customer support include customer training and onboarding, customer delivery teams, and customer escalation teams. The support delivery team handles cases and interacts with end users, helping them find solutions to their issues. A customer escalation team is involved when customers escalate issues or outages, ensuring timely resolution. Marilyn explains that historically, customer support organizations have been seen as reactive and cost centers rather than a strategic arm. However, there is a treasure trove of insights from the interactions with end users, which can be used to drive improvements in the product and solution. This information can feed into the product development cycle, helping product and engineering teams prioritize their roadmaps and drive the voice of the customer. Support teams can also provide insights related to training and enablement, usability, and user experience, which can be shared with the enablement and design teams. The Importance of Customer Support in Business The importance of customer support in a business is discussed, including the need for analytics to understand the impact of the customer support team and how that ties back to customer retention rates. A high retention rate can lead to increased value and a better brand image. Marilyn talks about key metrics she pays attention to as VP of customer support, including the importance of understanding the time to resolution, common themes of issues, and the financial impact of these metrics is mentioned. In a recurring revenue environment, it is crucial to highlight top case drivers or issues tied back to the customers and provide the ARR to the executive team. The need to prioritize areas like product bug fixes or feature enhancements is stressed, and the cost to serve customers, breaking it down by segments and regions to better understand customer needs and improve efficiency. By focusing on these metrics, businesses can better serve their B2B customers and drive more value. Examples are shared.   Tracking Trends and Changes in the Support Business In a VP of Customer Support role, key metrics include time to resolve issues, first time to resolve, and the ability to address user issues with the first interaction. Additionally, the team and individual level is monitored to identify areas for improvement. Employee engagement is a key focus, with companies conducting quarterly or twice a year employee satisfaction surveys. The focus is on analyzing trends and identifying high priority areas for improvement. In a support organization, it is crucial to prioritize employee experience, provide the right tools and processes, and listen to employee feedback. Support leaders should prioritize their team's well-being, as it translates into better customer service and interaction. By taking care of their employees, support leaders can improve their overall customer experience.   Evaluating a SaaS Company's Customer Support In evaluating a SaaS company, it is essential to consider whether the support organization has a strategic roadmap outlining their vision and quarterly milestones. This roadmap should evolve as business objectives and priorities change. A more holistic view of investments should be considered, not just focusing on key metrics. Marilyn suggests that organizations should give their team the support to take time to step back and look for ways to make things more efficient, such as creating knowledge articles based on interactions to prevent customers from having to log cases. Training and enablement should be provided for employees to continue learning and grow.   AI Customer Support Solutions AI solutions are being evaluated and implemented by support organizations to enhance customer service. Marilyn led the first support team at Salesforce  to leverage AI and machine learning within their support processes, using SupportLogic. The app helped identify potential cases that would escalate, allowing managers and teams to be aware of potential cases and provide timely resolutions to end users. The SupportLogic app has improved the way managers manage their teams and assigned cases to the right agents with the right knowledge and experience to handle unresolved cases more efficiently. This has led to improvements in the way managers manage their teams and elevating the customer experience provided by their support agents.   Timestamps: 03:40: Defining Key Customer Service Terms  07:47: Classification of Customer Service Roles  10:22: Transforming Customer Support from a Cost Center to a Revenue Driver  13:00: Metrics and KPIs for Customer Support  18:00: War Stories and Practical Examples  21:48: Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Metrics for VP of Customer Service  25:44: Evaluating Customer Service in SaaS Companies 29:07: Implementation of AI in Customer Service    Links:  Resource: https://umbrex.com/resources/how-to-analyze-a-saas-company/ Website: Golotusgroup.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marilynlin/   Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.

Guest: Beth McHugh, Fractional Product LeaderWhen deals stall, buying committees often default to doing nothing. Why? Because they didn't all agree that the problem was worth solving.In this episode, Beth McHugh explains why pain points alone rarely drive action and how the Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) methodology identifies the “struggling moments” that compel prospects to move forward. These critical moments are when a prospect or team collectively decides that a problem can no longer be ignored.Beth shares why JTBD is, in her view, the most effective way to uncover the true motivations behind customer decisions. Beyond improving product-market fit, she highlights how JTBD creates alignment across sales, marketing, and product teams, ensuring everyone is focused on what truly matters to customers.Key Takeaways:Struggling Moments vs. Pain Points: Not all pain points are actionable. JTBD uncovers the struggles customers are motivated to resolve.Driving Differentiation: JTBD helps identify where your product stands out by focusing on the jobs customers are trying to accomplish.Faster Product-Market Validation: With JTBD, you can prioritize development efforts that directly address critical customer needs, reducing wasted resources.Tune in to learn how to move beyond surface-level insights and position your SaaS offering as the solution customers can't ignore.---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

SaaStr 783: HubSpot Co-Founder and Chairman Brian Halligan on SaaS Markets and AI (Part 1) SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin recently sat down with HubSpot Chairman and co-founder Brian Halligan, who shared valuable insights on the current state of SaaS, evolving board meeting formats, and how AI is reshaping the industry. Here are the key takeaways from part 1 of this interview. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Overview 01:00 Early Days and Growth of HubSpot 02:41 IPO Reflections and Market Insights 04:06 Regrets and Lessons Learned 06:38 Public Company Challenges and Board Dynamics 14:03 Innovative Board Meeting Formats 21:15 The Dreaded Monday Morning Meeting 22:10 Meta Learnings and SaaS Market Vibe Check 22:55 Navigating the SaaS Downturn 24:35 Challenges for SaaS Companies in 2024 29:11 AI in B2B: Who Wins? 32:46 The Future of AI and Pricing Models 36:18 AI Parity and Customer Support 40:31 Real-World AI Implementation Challenges   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Hey everybody - thanks to the 10,000 of you who came out to SaaStr Annual. We had a blast and big news -- we'll be back in MAY of 2025. That's right, the SaaStr Annual will be a bit earlier next year, May 13-15 2025. We'll still be back in the same venue, in the SF bay area at the 40+ acre sprawling san mateo county events center. Grab your tickets at saastrannual.com with code JASON50 for an extra discount on our very best pricing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

The Growth Syndicate is a collective of experienced growth leaders focused on helping B2B software companies develop their own in-house capabilities to ensure unprecedented, sustainable growth. Our experts have a proven track record, helping 30+ b2b companies grow, achieving several notable exits, including Recruitee (now Tellent), 3D Hubs (now Protolabs) and Impraise (now Betterup). We take a holistic approach to growth, providing strategic support across major growth disciplines, from demand generation to market expansion, account-based marketing, and product-led growth. Connect with Sameer

In episode #258, I address fundraise sizes. Let's break down common Series C and D round raises. - Series C round sizes - Series D round sizes - Sourced from TheSaaSNews.com Join my SaaS community for the latest data, trends, and templates: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout

Episode 257 – How Much Are SaaS Companies Raising in Series A and B Rounds? In episode #257, I address fundraise sizes. Let's break down common Series A and B round raises. - Series A round sizes - Series B round sizes - Sourced from TheSaaSNews.com Join my SaaS community for the latest data, trends, and templates: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout

Guest: Bob Moesta, Author of “Demand-Side Sales 101”In this episode, Bob Moesta, author of Demand-Side Sales 101, reveals why uncovering your customers' “struggling moments” is the single most efficient step for any business. Whether it's product development, marketing, or sales, understanding the root causes behind why customers make a change transforms every decision you make.As Bob explains, customers don't buy products—they hire solutions to make progress. Without a clear struggling moment, there's no motivation to change, and no sale. By focusing on these moments, you'll align your entire go-to-market strategy, saving time, money, and effort across teams.Key Takeaways:The Struggling Moment as a Catalyst: Every purchase starts with a struggle. Most companies fail to uncover this because they focus on features or pain points instead of the deeper context driving change.Align Teams Around Progress: When marketing, sales, and product understand the customer's struggle, handoffs disappear, and everyone works toward the same goal—helping the customer progress.Most Companies Miss the Mark: 60% of B2B proposals fail due to “no decision.” This happens because companies don't clearly define or quantify a problem worth solving.---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

Send us a textPeek into a head-turning conversation comparing the daily utility of Meta Ray-Bans versus Apple's Vision Pro. How do these technologies influence branding and consumer engagement? We've got first-hand accounts that might just reshape your tech investments.In this episode, Jordan West with Andrew Faris, who began his e-commerce adventure with Kalo, a famed silicone wedding ring brand, and grew his expertise through strategic roles at Common Thread Collective. Together, they discuss the power of community engagement, the importance of authenticity in branding, and the innovative marketing approaches that have propelled them to success.Listen and learn in this episode!Key takeaways from this episode:Usable Technology:Meta Ray-Bans showcase the value of consumer-friendly tech that integrates into daily life, unlike Apple's Vision Pro.E-commerce Growth:The e-commerce sector continues to expand, making it an opportune time for new entrants thanks to shared industry knowledge.Effective Marketing:Authentic engagement with niche communities, like CrossFit, is crucial for brand success. Tailored strategies are necessary for different markets.Creative Advertising:High-volume, low-cost creative ad production can be effective, but diverse advertising strategies may also yield success.Financial Management Tools:Tools like Lifetimely and Triple Whale are vital for managing cash flow and ensuring business transparency.Knowledge Sharing:Free resources and advanced software tools have enhanced e-commerce operations, benefiting businesses across the board.Podcast Networking:Podcasts serve as excellent networking tools, facilitating connections and industry insights.Niche Market Focus:Targeting the smallest viable market can drive success, as advised by experts like Seth Godin and Alex Hormozi.Involvement in Business:Staying engaged in day-to-day operations is valuable, as highlighted by Andrew Farris's personal approach to business management.Today's Guest:Andrew Faris, who has been involved in e-commerce for approximately a decade, mainly outside of the SaaS sector. He began his career in branding with Kalo, a silicone wedding ring company, and swiftly achieved significant growth without external funding. After Kalo, he became one of the initial strategists at the Common Thread Collective (CTC) and was involved in managing brand strategies with Taylor Holiday. Andrew later led growth at CTC, which spun off brands under 4 by 400, and is now managing his agency, AGF Growth, focusing on a select number of clients.Growth Plan: www.upgrowthcommerce.com/growMillion Dollar Offers: www.upgrowthcommerce.com/growIn this episode's sponsor is Revenued - is a financial technology company that provides businesses with revenue-based financing solutions. Instead of relying on credit scores or collateral, Revenued offers funding based on a company's revenue. This allows businesses to access capital quickly and repay it as they generate income. Learn more here: Revenued

I am excited to have Wes Bush, the Founder of ProductLed and author of the bestseller Product-Led Growth: How to Build a Product That Sells Itself. He is the author of the new book, The ProductLed Playbook In this episode, Wes Bush, founder of ProductLed and author of Product-Led Growth, shares his journey into startups and the transformative power of product-led growth (PLG). Wes explores the shift from sales-led to PLG models, insights from Vidyard, and the keys to scaling SaaS businesses. He discusses freemium challenges, leveraging AI for better conversion, and mastering content marketing with books as lead magnets. Wes also dives into hiring for growth, metrics for PLG success, and creating standout content with a contrarian viewpoint, and much more! Subscribe on Spotify Subscribe on YouTube Subscribe on iTunes Learn What do you see as the biggest benefits for companies adopting a product-led approach? What does a successful product-led team look like How can sales teams integrate with a PLG strategy? What is your favourite business book/ podcast? –Traction What is your favourite online tool? –Canva If you could go back to when you started working, what is the one thing you would have focused on? – Stopped creating after the first book Timestamps Wes's Journey into Product Management (00:02:45) The Transition from Sales-Led to Product-Led Growth (00:04:30) Insights from Vidyard and Growth Challenges (00:07:15) Focus on One Growth Channel or Multiple Channels? (00:12:30) Recommended Ad Budgets and Key Considerations (00:15:00) Defining Product-Led Growth vs. Sales-Led Models (00:18:00) Examples of Successful PLG Companies (00:20:30) Freemium Model Challenges and AI Opportunities (00:23:00) PLG for B2B vs. B2C Companies (00:25:45) Content Marketing and the Role of Books (00:28:00) Using Books as Lead Magnets for SaaS Companies (00:31:30) Why Wes Turned Down Traditional Publishers (00:34:00) Content Team Integration with Consulting Practices (00:37:00) Best Channels for Growth and Future Trends (00:40:15) The Role of Contrarian Opinions in Content Strategy (00:42:45) Impact of AI on SEO and Search Trends (00:45:30) Reaching Younger Audiences Through TikTok and Social Media (00:48:00) Key Metrics for Measuring PLG Success (00:50:30) When to Hire a Head of Growth (00:53:00) Motivation Behind Writing the Product-Led Playbook (00:56:00) Differences Between Product-Led Growth and Product-Led Playbook (00:58:30) Wes's Links LDN– https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesbush Product Led Playbook - https://www.amazon.com/Product-Led-Playbook-Self-Serve-Dominate-ProductLed/dp/1777119367 My Links Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes YouTube: youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal 5-day email course: www.enterprisesalesexpertise.com

Guest: Peter Cohan, Author of “Great Demo!”Have you ever walked into a software demo, hoping to learn something new, only to sit through a “Harbor Tour” of irrelevant features? You're not alone – and neither are your prospects.Peter Cohan, author of Great Demo!, joined us on the SaaS Backwards Podcast to unpack the biggest demo mistakes SaaS teams make:❌ Starting with the how instead of the why❌ Overloading prospects with unnecessary features❌ Failing to tailor demos to decision-makersHis solution? Flip your demos upside down. Start with the results your prospects crave, not the laundry list of features.Peter also shared:✅ How to identify wasted demos (hint: 30% of them are)✅ Why "vision generation demos" are the key to nurturing leads✅ The metrics that show if your demos are working---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

Artificial intelligence will affect all facets of modern-day business in some way or another. But it will most definitely go a few layers deeper with the type of companies whose job is to be a record of business' today – SaaS companies.SaaS as a business model is investment-heavy in the beginning. It's risky to build, it takes time to build, and it takes skill to build. But if successful, it is a cash cow. Think of the biggest SaaS companies – Salesforce, Microsoft and Adobe. They spent years building and iterating on software products. And today, all of these products they poured money into make them billions of dollars.But there's a perfect storm that has been turning the tides, and the incumbents have seen the signs and have jumped at it to secure their advantage and not lose out to upstarts.The one thing about SaaS products is that they have to be constantly sold to their customers. But with AI, the entire loop becomes a solution that makes the customer's life easier. SaaS products integrated with AI will be bought because they'll solve the use case of its customers specifically. Companies which usually resort to different pricing strategies for small additional features will have to reconsider and be aligned to deliver outcomes for their customer, not a feature list which is based on purchasing licences to gain access.And in all of this, what happens to the Indian SaaS companies as the AI wave ushers in?In episode 21 of Two by Two, hosts Praveen Gopal Krishnan and Rohin Dharmakumar sat down with guests Sumanth Raghavendra, CEO and co-founder of Presentations.AI and one of the co-founders of The Ken, and Sidu Ponnappa, CEO and co-founder of Realfast and former managing director of Gojek India.This is a short ‘highlights only' version of the hour-and-a-half-long discussion.A Premium subscription to The Ken will give you access to our long-form stories, premium newsletters, podcasts, and visual stories in addition to Two by Two.If you'd just like access to Two by Two, you can do that too by getting a Premium subscription to Two by Two on Apple Podcasts.You can sign up for The Two by Two newsletter here—it's free!Tune in to the latest Two by Two podcast to listen to an engrossing discussion on how AI will shake up SaaS models across the world and what's in store for India's SaaS companies.Additional reading:The AI apocalypse is coming: Are SaaS companies ready?BarbAIrians at the Gate: The Financial Opportunity of AIThe End of the SaaS Era: Rethinking software's role in business------Listen to the Two by Two 'unlocked' episode – What does Ola Electric's future hold?Link to the 'unlocked' episode:Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | Youtube------This episode of Two by Two was produced by Hari Krishna. Mixing and mastering for this episode was done by Rajiv CN.Write to us with what you thought of the episode at twobytwo@the-ken.com.

Guest: Randy Likas, Head of North America Go-to-Market at NektarTraditional marketing tactics are losing their edge, with MQLs falling short as costly, outdated signals of real buyer intent.In this week's episode, we explore tactics for CROs to tackle the “great ignore” with guest Randy Likas, Head of North America Go-to-Market at Nektar, a revenue efficiency platform that unifies customer interaction data and helps you discover new revenue opportunities.Randy discusses how CROs must reevaluate their playbooks and processes, focusing on how to re-engineer strategies and redeploy technology to align with emerging trends in buyer behavior–positioning the CRO role as not just operational but transformational.Key insights you'll gain:How changing buyer behaviors, like the "great ignore," are reshaping outreach strategiesWhy MQLs are losing relevance and how to focus on buying groups insteadHow breaking down silos between sales, marketing, and success boosts revenue efficiencyOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

I am happy to have Steven Schneider, the CEO of TrioSEO. TrioSEO helps six, and eight-figure businesses scale organic traffic and profits by turning boring blogs into organic traffic titans.In this episode, Steven Schneider, CEO of TriSEO, shares his journey from finance to building a successful SEO career. Steven discusses scaling organic traffic, creating high-intent content, and leveraging SEO for SaaS businesses. He explores the impact of AI on search, balancing quality and quantity in content, and strategies like buying undervalued blogs. Steven delves into keyword research, bottom-of-funnel content, and optimizing for user experience, and much more!Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on YouTubeSubscribe on iTunesLearn* Is AI going to kill SEO?* What are some common misconceptions about SEO?* How can one integrate CRO and UX suggestions into their SEO strategy?* What is your favourite business book? –Value of SEO* What is your favourite online tool? –Airtable* If you could go back to when you started working, what is the one thing you would have focused on? – get on more podcastsTimestampsSteven's Journey into SEO (01:00–02:30)First Steps in SEO (02:30–03:30)Scaling SEO Operations (03:30–04:30)Pre-AI Content Production (04:30–05:30)Buying and Selling Blogs (05:30–06:30)Inception of Trisu SEO (07:00–08:30)Impact of AI on SEO (08:30–10:30)AI vs. Google Search (10:30–12:00)Detecting AI-Generated Content (13:30–14:30)Quality vs. Quantity in SEO (14:30–16:00)Common SEO Misconceptions (16:00–17:30)SEO for SaaS Companies (17:30–19:00)Bottom-of-Funnel Content (19:00–20:30)Keyword Research Strategy (20:30–22:00)Tools for Competitor Analysis (22:00–23:00)CRO and User Experience Integration (23:00–24:30)Fractional SEO Partnerships (24:30–26:00)Metrics for 90-Day SEO Sprints (26:00–27:30)Building Sustainable SEO (27:30–29:00)Outsourcing SEO (29:00–30:30)Art vs. Science in SEO (30:30–31:30)Steven's LinksLDN– https://www.linkedin.com/in/schneis/Website – https://trioseo.com/My LinksPodcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunesYouTube: youtube.com/lifeselfmasteryTwitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal5-day email course: www.enterprisesalesexpertise.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit partnergrow.substack.com

Guest: Isabelle Papoulias, Fractional GTM & Business Operations ExecutivePipeline isn't just a metric—it's a team sport.But when marketing, sales and customer success work in silos, it creates a fractured buyer journey and practically guarantees you'll miss opportunities.So, who should be responsible for driving this cross-functional alignment?In this episode, fractional GTM leader and business operations executive Isabelle Papoulias  breaks down how SaaS companies can realign their go-to-market teams under unified leadership for faster growth and smarter execution.Key insights you'll gain:How common goals and shared metrics across teams drive alignmentThe benefits of a CCO or CRO with a broad understanding of GTM strategiesAdvice for ditching “lead generation” as a success metric in the enterprise saleOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

Guest: Warren Zenna, Founder of The CRO Collective Scaling a SaaS company is no walk in the park. At a certain point, operational complexity demands more than just growth—it demands cross-functional alignment. Enter the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO).In this episode, we dive into the evolving role of the CRO with expert Warren Zenna, founder of The CRO Collective and Zenna Consulting Group, and host of the CRO Spotlight podcast.Warren unpacks why misalignment between Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success persists—and how the CRO may be uniquely positioned to fix it.Key insights you'll gain:What it means for a SaaS company to be “CRO-ready”Why scaling companies make the same costly mistakes—and how to avoid themPractical tips for CROs, CMOs, and CEOs to align teams and drive revenue growthOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

Send us a textWe're celebrating our 600th episode—a special milestone featuring four brilliant minds and the evolution of our strategy that took us to astonishing growth. Dive deep into discussions of cultural shifts and generational shopping behaviors. In this episode, Jordan West gets into a dynamic discussion featuring a star-studded lineup of "the awesome pod guys" (ASOM): Jon Roman, Amir, Brian, and Jimmy Kim. Our focus? The controversial rise of TikTok Shop and the broader landscape of social commerce. We'll explore how this platform is reshaping consumer behavior, its implications for DTC brands, and its potential to rival established marketplaces like Amazon.Listen and learn in this episode!Key takeaways from this episode:Adapting to Social Commerce: Brands must embrace TikTok Shop and similar platforms within the next 6 to 18 months to stay competitive as social commerce grows rapidly and resembles marketplaces like Amazon.Challenges for SaaS and DTC: Platforms dominated by social commerce create hurdles for SaaS companies lacking email integration.Influencer Leverage: Influencers hold significant power over brand strategies due to their commission structures, resembling MLM models, which can impact companies' approaches to social commerce.Differing Regional Success: Social trust and ecosystem development contribute to Asia's success in social commerce, contrasted with Western skepticism.Generational Shopping Shifts: Younger consumers lean towards platforms like TikTok, while older demographics prefer Meta, showing distinct behaviors shaped by age.Content and Brand Strategy: ASOM's growth strategy underscores the success of social media engagement, consistent content, and adapting to platform dynamics.Risks of Platform Dependency: Over-reliance on social platforms and influencer presentation autonomy pose risks, highlighting the need for adaptive strategies.Challenges in Advertising: Mobile game ads face hurdles in e-commerce with user experience issues, akin to the challenges of Google display ads.Today's Guests: John Roman, Founder of Battle Box, is well-versed in ecommerce, particularly direct-to-consumer (DTC) models. He offers insights on the state of social commerce both in the U.S. and internationally.Bryan MacDonald, is an ecommerce expert who brings attention to the operational challenges of social commerce, such as varying influencer commissions.Jimmy Kim, is involved in the Commerce Roundtable, a platform that brings together eCommerce leaders to discuss trends, strategies, and innovations. This initiative provides events and resources for the direct-to-consumer (DTC) community​Amer Grozdanic, is a professional with experience in managing and scaling e-commerce operations.  He discusses logistics, supply chain, and operational strategies for e-commerce businesses.Growth Plan: www.upgrowthcommerce.com/growMillion Dollar Offers: In this episode's sponsor is Revenued - is a financial technology company that provides businesses with revenue-based financing solutions. Instead of relying on credit scores or collateral, Revenued offers funding based on a company's revenue. This allows businesses to access capital quickly and repay it as they generate income. Learn more here: Revenued

Pricing and packaging can either bog down your go-to-market engine or fuel it to peak performance.This week's SaaS Backwards podcast features Dan Balcauski, Founder and Chief Pricing Officer at Product Tranquility, a consultancy that helps high-volume B2B SaaS CEOs define pricing and packaging for new products. In this episode, Dan discusses the critical role pricing plays in a SaaS business model and why leadership teams must view it as a dynamic lever, not a "set-it-and-forget-it" element. He dispels the common myth that success hinges solely on what you charge, emphasizing instead that who and how you charge are the real determinants of success.Breaking this down, Dan walks through the four key elements of SaaS packaging: price metric, price model, offer configurations, and price fences.Our conversation also explores how to conduct a pricing study, realigning pricing strategies, AI's role in pricing decisions, and the ever-debated topic: should pricing be displayed on the website?This episode offers actionable insights for SaaS leaders looking to harness pricing as a powerful tool for growth and market alignment.Key takeaways from this episode:The impact of pricing and packaging on revenue, profitability, and valuationWhy pricing is a critical lever for growth in SaaS businesses that shouldn't be overlookedSigns a new CMO or CRO should look for to determine if pricing needs attention at a prospective employerOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

Affiliate marketing is an invaluable strategy for B2B SaaS companies that want to expand their reach and increase sales. In this special episode, the host of this show Grow Your B2B SaaS Podcast, Joran Hofman, founder of Reditus, hosts himself to dissect the crucial topic of affiliate marketing. By leveraging third-party affiliates—such as influencers, bloggers, and consultants—companies can promote their products or services and pay affiliates a commission for driving conversions. This indirect marketing approach lets companies tap into new audiences and grow their customer base effectively. However, to succeed in affiliate marketing for B2B SaaS companies, you need a strategic approach and a clear understanding of the different types of marketing models, including referral, affiliate, and partner marketing. Key Timecodes (00:00) - Introduction: Selling Yourself First (01:03) - Joran's Background and Journey to Reditus (02:13) - Understanding Indirect Marketing (03:29) - Explanation of Referral Marketing (04:46) - What is Affiliate Marketing? (05:55) - Partner Marketing Defined (07:06) - Common Mistakes in Affiliate Programs (09:18) - Affiliate Marketing: Not a Quick Win (10:18) - Importance of Onboarding Affiliates (11:25) - Strategies for Growing an Affiliate Program (12:33) - Competitor Analysis for Affiliate Recruitment (13:43) - Leveraging Keywords and Content (14:43) - Using Affiliate Networks (15:49) - Inviting Your User Base (16:55) - Responsibility in Affiliate Program Management (18:01) - Challenges in Growing an Affiliate Program (19:08) - Future of Affiliate Marketing (20:14) - Hybrid Deals and Long-Term Partnerships (21:24) - Advice for Growing a B2B SaaS Company to 10K MRR (22:33) - Moving from 10K MRR to 10M ARR (23:46) - Predicting Growth and Resource Needs (24:51) - Conclusion and Call to Action

In this episode of the Funky Marketing Podcast, we dive deep into SEO strategy for B2B companies with Sam Dunning, founder of Breaking B2B. Learn the actionable steps to enhance your company's SEO, build trust through your website, and capture demand effectively. Sam shares his insider knowledge on how B2B and SaaS companies can leverage content marketing, demand capture, and SEO to gain a competitive edge. Actionable Steps: - Identify "Money Keywords": Focus on bottom-of-the-funnel keywords that directly drive leads and demos. - Tailor Website Messaging: Ensure your website quickly communicates your unique value and builds trust with clear proof of results and customer testimonials. - Leverage Competitor-Based Content: Create alternative and comparison-based pages to capture demand from prospects evaluating similar solutions. - Partnerships for Link Building: Build partnerships with companies that target the same ICP but are not direct competitors, and create content that brings reciprocal business opportunities. - SEO for Mid-Funnel Content: Develop content around real problems your prospects face and the solutions your product offers. Connect with Sam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samdunning/ Breaking B2B: https://www.breakingb2b.com/ Subscribe to the FUNKY MARKETING podcast on any podcast platform and drop a question here in the comments.

In today's world of technology, many entrepreneurs are interested in Software as a Service (SaaS) businesses. But running a successful SaaS company is not always easy. In this episode on the Grow Your B2B SaaS host Joran Hofman sits down with Tim Schumacher, co-founder of SaaS Group, who has built a proven playbook for growing 20+ B2B SaaS companies. His playbook gives useful advice on how to overcome challenges and build strong SaaS businesses. SaaS Group has acquired over 20 B2B SaaS companies, and this experience has taught Tim a lot about what it takes for these businesses to thrive. Key Timestamps (00:00) - Introduction to SaaS Growth Strategies (00:54) - Meet Tim Schumacher: Co-Founder of SaaS Group (01:24) - What is a Bootstrapper Mindset? (03:16) - The Dangers of Overspending in SaaS (05:33) - Tim's Tips: How to Avoid Financial Pitfalls (06:36) - How SaaS Group Optimizes Processes Post-Acquisition (08:43) - Growth Strategies: A Real Example from Typebutler (12:16) - Effective Go-to-Market Strategies for SaaS Success (18:54) - Overcoming Growth Plateaus in SaaS Companies (21:07) - Building the Right Team Beyond $10 Million ARR (27:39) - When and Why SaaS Founders Should Consider Selling (29:05) - Growing to $10K MRR: Tim's Founder's Advice (30:20) - Reaching $10 Million ARR: Building a Strong Team (32:50) - Episode Summary: Key Takeaways for SaaS Success

It's hard to grow a SaaS company! Vuk knows this best. He helped grow lemlist from $0 to $13M ARR before he left. His next startup he helped grow to $3M ARR and then ventured into helping SaaS companies go from 0 to 1 and $1-10M ARR. *Need SDRs/BDRs or sales people to grow your B2B business? - Check out our experienced & vetted candidates here: https://sdrhire.ck.page/4135d244ab In this episode of the SDR Hire podcast, Vuk shares his secrets for growing lemlist from $0 to $13M ARR as their full stack marketer doing cold outreach, content and community management. Connect with Vuk: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vukasinvukosavljevic/ Connect with Stefan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefan-conic/

Join us for an insightful conversation with Hamlet Azarian from Azarian Growth Agency, where we explore the key differences between growth agencies and traditional ones. Hamlet shares how managing the entire customer lifecycle, from acquisition to retention, maximizes customer lifetime value. Discover how programs like the National Science Foundation aid in customer discovery, optimizing acquisition costs and attracting investors.Hamlet recounts his experience scaling multiple businesses, including growing a small company to over 150 employees and a successful M&A exit. Success stories like CBDFX's rise through SEO and Disco's transformation of Survey Junkie into a unicorn highlight the power of strategic experimentation.We also dive into scaling startups from $1 million to $10 million in revenue, emphasizing the importance of a predictable growth engine and operational framework. Learn about investor criteria, early customer commitments, and integrated business functions. Finally, explore the future of AI-driven personalization in marketing and education, offering deeply personalized experiences. Tune in for actionable advice and resources, including webinars and scholarships.__More from EWR and Matt:Leave a Review if it was content you enjoyed: https://g.page/r/CccGEk37CLosEB0/reviewFree SEO Consultation: https://www.ewrdigital.com/discovery-callOne-on-One Consulting: https://www.ewrdigital.com/digital-strategy-consulting/private-consulting-session—The Unknown Secrets of Internet Marketing podcast is a podcast hosted by Internet marketing expert Matthew Bertram. The show provides insights and advice on digital marketing, SEO, and online business. Topics covered include keyword research, content optimization, link building, local SEO, and more. The show also features interviews with industry leaders and experts who share their experiences and tips. Additionally, Matt shares his own experiences and strategies, as well as his own successes and failures, to help listeners learn from his experiences and apply the same principles to their businesses. The show is designed to help entrepreneurs and business owners become successful online and get the most out of their digital marketing efforts.Find more great episodes here: bestseopodcast.com/https://seo-podcast-the-unknown-secrets-of-internet-marketing.buzzsprout.comFollow us on:Facebook: @bestseopodcastInstagram: @thebestseopodcastTiktok: @bestseopodcastLinkedIn: @bestseopodcastPowered by: ewrdigital.comPowered by: https://www.ewrdigital.com/Hosts: Matt Bertram Disclaimer: For Educational and Entertainment purposes Only.Support the show

In today's BOB episode, we dive into the fascinating journey of Pascal Levy-Garboua, the founder and CEO of Noosa Labs. Pascal has built a $15M ARR holding company by acquiring small, profitable, bootstrap SaaS businesses with ARR between $150K and $800K. With four companies currently in his portfolio, Pascal draws on over 20 years of experience in the tech industry, including launching two venture-backed startups, serving as the first executive at Cheka, and investing in 140 startups with 15 successful exits. Jaryd and Pascal discuss the lessons learned from acquiring multiple businesses in a single year, including the challenges of due diligence and business growth strategies. Pascal shares insights into the unique risks associated with SaaS businesses, his approach to sales and business development, and his philosophy behind the creation of Noosa Labs. You won't want to miss this in-depth conversation filled with valuable takeaways for anyone interested in business acquisitions and SaaS growth. Now, let's get started and catch today's episode! Episode Highlights 03:45 How did Pascal start Noosa Labs? 10:30 Start with fulfillment goals rather than money goals! 19:00 Pascal's mistakes in buying businesses 24:20 What's a dangerous strategy when buying a business? 30:00 How to grow a business? 40:20 Where to find Pascal?  Key Takeaways ➥ Starting and running a business is challenging, and having a strong sense of fulfillment and joy in work is crucial for overcoming setbacks and staying motivated. ➥ Pascal's experience taught him to be flexible and adapt his acquisition strategy based on what he could realistically manage and afford, ensuring he remained true to his goals and capabilities. ➥ Before acquiring a business, it's vital to have a well-defined strategy. This includes knowing exactly how you will improve and grow the business, rather than relying on learning and fixing issues post-acquisition. About The Guest Pascal Levy-Garboua is the founder and CEO of Noosa Labs, a holding company that buys small, profitable SaaS Companies ($150-$800k in ARR). He has 4 companies in his portfolio. He's spent over 20 years in the tech industry, launched 2 venture back startups, was the first executive hired at Checkr and has invested in 140 Startups with 15 successful exits.      Connect with Pascal Levy-Garboua  ➥ www.noosalabs.com ➥ https://www.linkedin.com/in/pascallevygarboua/ Resource Links ➥ Sell your business to us here - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/sell-your-business/ ➥ Buying Online Businesses Website - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com ➥ Download the Due Diligence Framework - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/ ➥ GoDaddy (Website Hosting & Buying Domains) - https://bit.ly/3YiRkWV ➥ Surfer SEO (SEO tool for content writing) - https://bit.ly/3WWMKjM ➥ Active Campaign (Email Software Provider) - https://bit.ly/3DCwYQH

This week on the Expert Voices podcast, Randy Wootton, CEO of Maxio, speaks with Ray Rike, CEO of Benchmark IT, a company specializing in providing the SaaS industry with comprehensive and contextualized benchmarking data. Randy and Ray discuss the growth trends seen among private B2B SaaS companies, emphasizing how certain market dynamics are influencing growth rates. They further break down the distinction between small companies under $1 million in revenue and their larger counterparts, elucidating intriguing growth patterns and the impact of pricing models on these dynamics. Listen as Randy and Ray examine infrastructure industries, pointing out how investment behaviors and market conditions are shaping which sectors thrive. Quotes“CAC ratio measures your sales and marketing expenses divided by your new ARR, which is new name customer and expansion customer ARR. But then be more granular, and look at your sales and marketing investment expenses allocated to the pursuit of new logos in the ARR. And divide that by the new logo, ARR. What I do with a lot of our customers is I actually build a matrix. " -Ray Rike [13:40]“One of the most illuminating things from the Maxio Institute report was you segmented by fixed rate pricing, that is, traditional subscription pricing and usage based pricing. Now, you did that for small companies, below a million and then above. So below a million, the fixed rate pricing companies were growing. They hit 44% in Q1 and 41% in Q2 of 24. Compare that to usage based pricing companies.” -Ray Rike [23:02]Expert Takeaways Private B2B SaaS Growth: Private B2B SaaS companies are currently experiencing an average annual growth rate of 17%, a significant yet stable rate compared to prior exuberant expectations.Small Business Resurgence: Companies with less than $1 million in annual revenue are seeing robust growth rates of 26% in Q1 and 21% in Q2 of 2024, suggesting a revival in the small business sector.Impact of Pricing Models: Fixed rate pricing is benefiting smaller companies with rapid growth, whereas usage-based pricing drives substantial growth for larger enterprises.Industry Investment Trends: Infrastructure-related industries like cybersecurity, transportation, and healthcare are thriving, in contrast to the slower growth in entertainment and e-commerce sectors.AI Evolution: Investment in AI, particularly foundational models, has increased dramatically, with the trend continuing to shape the SaaS landscape. Timestamps(00:04) Benchmarking SaaS Growth with Data-Driven Insights(05:24) Key Insights from Q2 Maxio Growth Report(11:43) Balancing Growth and Efficiency in Sales and Marketing Investments(19:33) Small Companies See Significant Growth Amid AI Investments(23:02) Usage Based Pricing Versus Fixed Rate Pricing in SaaS Growth(29:54) Impact of Inflation and Funding on B2B Tech Companies(33:45) Investment Trends and Business Models in AI Companies(38:52) Strategies for Scaling Companies and Optimizing Customer Profiles(46:35) Ray Reich on SaaS Wisdom and Learning from Industry ExpertsLinksMaxio

Tim founded SaaS Group in 2018 using his own money from Eyeo exit to acquire Deploybot. SaaS Group is structured as an LLC and funded all deals with equity until 2020 when they began using debt. In 2024, they sold about 5% of the SaaS Group LLC for $25m implying a value of $500m. They've purchased 20 companies over the last 5 years. Their companies do $60m in combined revenue today and employ 300 people. They typically pay 2-4x multiples. DashThis, Usersnap, and Rewardful are some of their larger companies. Can they acquire $60m more in ARR over the next 12 months?

Send us a Text Message.The concept of using a pop-up to offer discounts in exchange for learning about your brand's story and values is a fresh and effective approach to customer engagement.In this episode, Jordan West unveils a game-changing tool that is revolutionizing email and SMS capture for ecommerce brands. He shares his discovery of a pop-up tool called Alia, which focuses on educating customers about the brand to drive higher conversions and increased customer lifetime value. Jordan delves into the success stories of brands using Alia, emphasizing the significant impact on sales and sign-ups. He also touches on the potential of the tool for ecommerce brands and his plans to get clients on board with this innovative solution Listen and learn in this episode!Key takeaways from this episode:The significance of innovative tools in the e-commerce space and how they can impact merchants.The introduction and endorsement of a new tool called Alia, which focuses on email and SMS capture.The impact of educating potential customers about a brand's special attributes on conversion rates and average order value.The success stories of brands, such as Urban Smokehouse, using the Alia pop-up and achieving significant increases in monthly sales and sign-ups.The suggestion to check out the Alia pop-up tool and potential benefits for e-commerce brands, along with a call-to-action to tell them that Jordan sent you.Recommended Tools/Apps:Alia Popup: https://apps.shopify.com/alia Growth Plan: www.upgrowthcommerce.com/growMillion Dollar Offers: www.upgrowthcommerce.com/growIn this episode's sponsor is Revenued - is a financial technology company that provides businesses with revenue-based financing solutions. Instead of relying on credit scores or collateral, Revenued offers funding based on a company's revenue. This allows businesses to access capital quickly and repay it as they generate income. Learn more here: Revenued

This week on the Expert Voices podcast, Randy Wootton, CEO of Maxio, speaks with Chris Morgan, CEO of LBMC. Randy and Chris highlight the evolving intricacies in financial operations within B2B SaaS companies. They discuss the necessity for moving beyond simple cash accounting to sophisticated systems capable of managing accrual accounting and providing deeper insights into business performance. With a rich background in accounting and finance, Chris talks about the significance of order-to-cash cycles, the dangers of revenue leakage, and the sophisticated demands placed on modern CFOs in today's data-rich business environment.Quotes“I think it's really consistency. Not all businesses are the same. And you really want to have somebody who's going to take the time and really kind of dive in and understand the business and the nuances around it so they can kind of better guide you on how all that should be captured and reported.” -Chris Morgan [19:54]“I think if a client is keeping their customers and growing and they're not losing business, then that's a great business, especially if they're hitting those two really well. And hopefully on the other side of it they're not losing customers, they're growing and adding customers as well from that standpoint.” -Chris Morgan [37:07]Expert Takeaways Implement Robust Accounting Systems: Utilize specialized SaaS tools to manage accounting operations, ensuring accurate and timely financial data.Maintain Consistency in Reporting: Develop and adhere to standardized methods for financial reporting and analysis.Prepare for Growth: Anticipate the inflection points in business growth that require enhanced financial oversight and transition smoothly with prepared systems and personnel.Embrace a Strategic Role: CFOs should evolve beyond the numbers, contributing to strategic business decisions and operational efficiencies.Timestamps(00:04) The Evolution of the CFO Role and LBMC's Growth(02:30) Outsourced Accounting Solutions for Growing Businesses(07:24) Navigating Financial Operations for Early-Stage B2B SaaS Companies(09:42) The Critical Role of Accurate Accounting in Capital Raises(16:12 Complexities of Consumption-Based Models in SaaS Revenue Recognition(28:40) Creating Consistent and Digestible Financial Reports(30:12) Strategic Financial Insights for SaaS Companies(33:38) The Importance of Data Visualization for Modern CFOs(33:44) The Evolution of CFOs from Compliance Officers to Strategic Partners(37:07) The Importance of Gross Retention and Churn in SaaSLinksMaxioUpcoming EventsMaxio Institute ReportRandy Wootton LinkedIn Chris Morgan LinkedIn

Are you thinking about exiting your SaaS business? Unsure about where to start, who to talk to or what it's worth is? This episode will guide you through buying and selling SaaS businesses with expert advice! In this episode of the Grow Your B2B SaaS Podcast, Joran chats with Blake Hutchinson, CEO of Flippa. They dive into how to prepare for a business exit, the details of buying and selling SaaS businesses, and Blake's own journey as an entrepreneur. This discussion is packed with valuable tips for anyone involved in the SaaS world.This episode looks at SaaS business transactions and gives helpful advice for new and experienced entrepreneurs. Key Timecodes (0:46) - Introduction to Blake Hutchinson (1:26) - What is Flippa? (2:27) - Flippa's Revenue and Business Model (3:24) - Employee Distribution and Offices (3:53) - Blake's Entrepreneurial Journey (4:08) - Transition from Entrepreneurship to Corporate (7:41) - Dealing with Entrepreneurial Failure (17:45) - Importance of Preparing for an Exit (10:52) - Common Misconceptions in SaaS Exits (14:50) - Valuation and Multiples for SaaS Companies (22:37) - Maximizing Exit Outcomes (25:01) - The Selling Process on Flippa (30:52) - Why Buy an Existing SaaS? (28:54) - Challenges in Buying and Selling SaaS (35:27) - Advice for Growing a SaaS to 10K MRR (36:57) - Advice for Scaling to 10 Million ARR (39:37) - Summary and Key Takeaways (39:49) - How to Contact Blake Hutchinson

Dax Dasilva is the Founder & CEO Lightspeed Commerce, one of the most incredible stories in startups. For 7 years they did not raise outside funding and ran a very profitable business. Ultimately they partnered with Accel and Innovia before going public on the Canadian Stock Exchange with just $70M in ARR. Lightspeed also undertook 9 acquisitions over the course of a four year period to consolidate the global market. Today they have a whopping $900M in ARR but are only valued at $2.6BN. Today we ask the question, is Lightspeed one of the public market's most misunderstood companies? In Today's Episode with Dax Dasilva We Discuss: 1. VC Funding is Distorting SaaS: Why did Dax decide not to raise money for Lightspeed in the early days? Does Dax believe Lightspeed would have been successful had they have raised a seed round like many do today in SaaS? Why does Dax believe venture funding is distorting a generation of SaaS companies today? How does Dax advise founders scaling their business today from $0-$1M in ARR? 2. What Went Wrong: The Founder Returns: Why did Dax feel he had to come back to the role of CEO in 2024? What was not working? What was the single biggest problem that the public markets had with Lightspeed? What were some of the biggest challenges that came with the intense amount of M&A? What would Dax most like to do that the public market will not allow? 3. What Makes a Great Leader: How it Changes: What required skills in leadership change with the changing scale of the company? What skill does Dax have that he is slightly ashamed of but has most contributed to his success? What did Dax not know when he founded Lightspeed that he wishes he had known? What question is Dax never asked that he should be asked more?

Krista Morgan started her first tech company by raising funding and trying to grow very fast. When the company faced a big issue and failed, she learned that big funding was more of a problem than a help in the growth and wind-down processes. Krista is now CEO and General Partner of Stage Fund, an early-stage private equity fund that makes control acquisitions of venture-funded SaaS companies that are stuck and need an alternative option to continue in a practical and profitable way. In this expert episode, Krista explains: Why “growth at all costs” rarely works for software companies Why VCs and funded founders don't plan for the likely scenario that the company won't have a successful exit What's happening in M&A for practical SaaS companies Why acquiring software companies to grow is often less risky than growing organically How to approach potential future acquirers to have a conversation about someday joining forces Quote from Krista Morgan, General Partner of Stage Fund “The game for practical startup founders is to find a way to make good decisions in the reality of today while still holding this big vision of the future. We can't just grow at all costs, and we can't just make all these big investments. “There's this misconception that practical founders don't have a big vision of the future. Of course, they do. They're just thinking about it and getting there in a different way. And that's where we want to be. “When I was founder of my first tech company, I thought money was always the answer. But money is usually NOT the answer. There is usually an answer, and maybe it takes money to get there, but it's not the magical thinking of, If I just had five more people, I'd be here. Maybe, or maybe you wouldn't. There's no guarantee on that.” Links Krista Morgan on LinkedIn Stage Fund on LinkedIn Stage Fund website The Practical Founders Podcast Tune into the Practical Founders Podcast for weekly in-depth interviews with founders who have built valuable software companies without big funding. Subscribe to the Practical Founders Podcast using your favorite podcast app. Get the weekly Practical Founders newsletter and podcast updates at practicalfounders.com. 

Send us a Text Message.The importance of human connections and personalized interactions in influencer marketing is underscored, highlighting the need for fair compensation for creators and the value of simplifying and streamlining influencer marketing processes.In this episode, Jordan West with Danil, CEO and co-founder of Insense Pro, to dive deep into the world of influencer marketing, affiliate marketing, and creating authentic relationships with influencers. Together, they explore the importance of building genuine connections with influencers and discuss the future of social commerce, including the impact of live shopping and the potential of Meta shops. Listen and learn in this episode!Key takeaways from this episode:Focus on building authentic relationships with influencers rather than one-off transactions. The emphasis is on constant deposits and treating influencers as human beings, not merely transactional partners.Utilize a combination of small compensation and affiliate deals to motivate creators to produce content for platforms like TikTok shop. The approach is particularly successful with vetted creators due to the limited number in the network.Incense aims to simplify manual and operational tasks in influencer marketing, such as copyrights and payments, through its platform. It offers a vetting process for creators, higher opt-in rates, and supports multiplatform campaigns for scalability.The team is the "secret sauce for the scale" according to Danil. Organizations should evaluate team members based on skill set, result orientation, and productivity. Leaders should engage in self-evaluation, seek external feedback, and conduct open conversations with the executive team.Today's Guest: Danil Saliuk, the CEO and co-founder of Insense Pro, a creator commerce marketplace based in New York. He is an expert in influencer marketing, social commerce, and scaling influencer programs to drive performance sales. Throughout the episode, he shares insights into the evolution of influencer marketing, the impact of micro-influencers on driving sales, and the future of social commerce, including the emergence of live shopping and the potential of Meta shops.Growth Plan: www.upgrowthcommerce.com/growMillion Dollar Offers: www.upgrowthcommerce.com/growIn this episode's sponsor is Omnisend - is a comprehensive marketing automation platform designed to help eCommerce businesses enhance their customer engagement and boost sales. It offers tools for email marketing, SMS campaigns, and various forms of automation, allowing businesses to create targeted and personalized marketing strategies. With features like segmentation, A/B testing, and advanced analytics, Omnisend helps brands streamline their marketing efforts and achieve better results. Learn more here: Omnisend

In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Farzad Rashidi about the human capital challenges of launching two bootstrapped SaaS companies. Farzad Rashidi (https://www.linkedin.com/in/farzadrashidi/) is the lead innovator at Respona, the link-building outreach platform that helps businesses increase their organic traffic from Google. He previously ran the marketing efforts at Visme, where he helped the company gain over 20 million active users and pass 3.5M monthly organic traffic. Check out all of the podcasts in the HCI Podcast Network! Check out the ⁠HCI Academy⁠: Courses, Micro-Credentials, and Certificates to Upskill and Reskill for the Future of Work! Check out the LinkedIn ⁠Alchemizing Human Capital⁠ Newsletter. Check out Dr. Westover's book, ⁠The Future Leader⁠. Check out Dr. Westover's book, ⁠'Bluer than Indigo' Leadership⁠. Check out Dr. Westover's book, ⁠The Alchemy of Truly Remarkable Leadership⁠. Check out the latest issue of the ⁠Human Capital Leadership magazine⁠. Each HCI Podcast episode (Program, ID No. 655967) has been approved for 0.50 HR (General) recertification credit hours toward aPHR™, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™ recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®). Each HCI Podcast episode (Program ID: 24-DP529) has been approved for 0.50 HR (General) SHRM Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCPHR recertification through SHRM, as part of the knowledge and competency programs related to the SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge™ (the SHRM BASK™). Human Capital Innovations has been pre-approved by the ATD Certification Institute to offer educational programs that can be used towards initial eligibility and recertification of the Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) and Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) credentials. Each HCI Podcast episode qualifies for a maximum of 0.50 points.