SaaS District
240 episodes — Page 5 of 5
S1 Ep 39How to Reduce Churn, Optimize Pricing, & Grow Your Subscription Business with Patrick Campbell | Podcast #39
This episode is sponsored by bCast, a podcast hosting software for marketers, by marketers, where they help you Grow social engagement, traffic and revenue with a podcast.If you'd like to receive a promo code for Balsamiq, or even just thank the folks at Balsamiq for supporting our community, visit https://balsamiq.com/go/saas-district/Patrick is the CEO of ProfitWell (Previously known as Price Intelligently), a software solution for subscription model companies. With their monetization and retention strategies they provide free turnkey subscription financial metrics for over eight thousand successful companies. Prior to ProfitWell, Patrick led Strategic Initiatives for Boston based Gemvara and was an Economist at Google and the US department of defence. During this interview we cover:00:00 - Grow Social Engagement, Traffic & Revenue with a Podcast with bCast ( A Word from the Sponsor )01:13 - Intro02:14 - How Profitwell Monitors Churn Rates & How does Their Models Work04:23 - Which Method To Estimate Churn is Best For You?07:10 - How Covid Has Affected Churn & Revenue in B2B SasS in the Last Months11:15 - How to Reduce Up to 40% Churn From Your Mechanical Churn14:37 - Go Up Market to Reduce Churn?16:20 - Key Points About Monetization & Pricing21:12 - Price Point to Churn, Benchmarks You Should Be Aiming For25:21 - How Often You Should Be Increasing Pricing in Your B2B SaaS Without Losing New & Old Clients33:34 - Get your Value Metric Right35:00 - Profitwell Recur Network38:11 - Get In Touch With PatrickMentions:ProfitwellProfitwell Recur NetworkTerms:ChurnNet Revenue RetentionMechanical ChurnCACMRRARRCompanies:HubspotGet in touch with Patrick:Pat’s [email protected] us & follow:FacebookLinkedInInstagram: @Horizen.Capital<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYvpqdVVSlSMunWiEwlMjzw" rel="noopener...
S1 Ep 38Bootstrapping and Managing a 3000+ Team Marketplace While Hitting 50% YoY growth with Steve Pockross | Podcast #38
This episode is sponsored by Catapult, an all-in-one Request for Proposal solution that empowers procurement departments to streamline their processes through automation.Visit Catapulthq.com TodaySteve brings more than 20 years of startup, Fortune 500, and nonprofit experience to his role at Verblio. As the CEO, he applies leading gig economy and SaaS principles to provide a high-quality, fast and flexible content creation platform.Steve was part of the early management team at marketplace services pioneer LiveOps, growing the company into the largest virtual contact center in the world. At LiveOps, Steve served as vice president of business development and strategy, and also spearheaded the creation of the award-winning LiveOps Foundation. Steve holds an MBA from Kellogg School of Business and his MA in history from Wesleyan University.Outside the office, Steve is a Denver native and enjoys ultimate frisbee, hosting jazz concerts, history, telemark skiing, practicing Portuguese, and spending time with his two boys.During this interview we cover:00:00 - Catapult, A Better Way to Manage, Evaluate, Respond & Automate Your RPF’s (A Word From The Sponsor)01:11 - Intro02:40 - The Idea of Launching Verblio, a SaaS Content Marketplace in 201004:11 - Staying Bootstrapped & Hitting 50% Growth Year Over Year 08:19 -The “Blue Apron ” Strategy 13:05 - How to Manage Over 3,000 Content Creators & Fit the Talent to the Client Needs20:18 - Should You Invest Your Market Budget on Written Content?29:07 - How to Leverage Video on Your Content Marketing Strategy31:48 - Why You Should be Using An Content Marketing Agency34:35 - Cut Back Your Marketing Budget or Adopt a More Aggressive Strategy in The Still Ongoing COVID Crisis.40:17 - OutroMentions:VerblioThe Verblio ShowQuotes:“Copy isn’t written, is assembled”Terms:Blue OceanRollUp Strategy Blue Apron Approach ROIPeople:Neil PatelGary SwartAndy Crestodina Brian HalliganRand FishkinChapman...
S1 Ep 37How to Use Interactive Content for Improving Conversions, Scaling an International Content Marketing Team and Growth Through Acquisition With Diego Gomes | Podcast #37
This episode is sponsored by MicroAcquire.com, a free startup acquisition marketplace.MicroAcquire helps startups get acquired. Simple as that. When you list your startup on MicroAcquire, you get free and instant access to over 10,000 trusted buyers with total anonymity, Say goodbye to brokers and meet your ideal buyer today.Diego is an Entrepreneur, angel investor, SaaS expert and the CEO of Rock Content. After studying advertising he met Victor - his co-founder. They were both avid blog readers which led them to start a blog about trends, technology and the Internet.Not long after that Diego Created EverWrite, which was an SEO platform that was reverse-engineered by Google to give brands intelligence when creating content. To demonstrate that the SEO hypotheses worked, they created a blog and Diego spent his days producing content on the most diverse topics.Diego always wanted to undertake and build an impactful company in Brazil. With Diego's experience and network, that gave rise to Rock Content, one of the largest content marketing companies in LATAM.Today, he and his 2 co-founders lead Rock Content, a team of more than 300 professional Rockers, produces content for 20 global companies in different languages and their revenue continues to grow at a fast pace. They’ve hit over $25 million in annual revenues and they have big plans for their next steps, which we’ll cover today.During this interview we cover:00:00 - MicroAcquire helps startups find buyers. Simple as that (A Word From The Sponsor)01:03: - Intro02:49 - About RockContent, it’s Product & Trajectory04:41 - A Service Driven Creative Marketplace 07:10 - The Talent Rating System that Ensures Quality & Growth 08:34 - Why You Should Start Using Interactive Content in Your Marketing Strategy11:21 - Create Authority by Summarizing Articles through an Original Post12:44 - Super Specialized Niche Content VS Larger Audiences 15:14 - How to Deploy Your Content Marketing To Max Long Term ROI17:40 - High Quality Media VS High Volume Approach 19:07 - Best Content Schedule (Length & Frequency)21:43 - Successful M&A Strategies & Market Expansion24:58 - Perspectives of the Future Entrepreneurial Scene in LATAM 28:13 - Customer & Talent Differences Between Center, South & NorthAmerica 32:49 - The Future of RockContent34:04 - Diego’s Favourite Thought Leaders To Check Out35:44 - Get In Touch With Diego GomesMentions:Rock StudioStageIon InteractiveVisual.lyScribbleliveThe Angel VCPeople:Nathan LatkaChis Janz The Angel VCMark OrganCompanies:<a...
S1 Ep 36How to Source High Quality Leads Who are More Likely to Convert in the B2B SaaS Industry With Mark Colgan | Podcast #36
This episode is sponsored by Onboard, a customer onboarding software that helps you automate, optimize, and create the perfect journey for every customer.Be sure to check out onboard.io, where they’re currently looking for early beta customers and the founders will work directly with you to help improve your onboarding process!Go to: Onboard.ioMark is the Co-Founder & CEO of Speak on Podcasts, which is an Outbound Prospecting Coach at the Sales Impact Academy, CRO at Task Drive, a B2B SaaS Revenue Growth Consultant at Yello O & Mentor at Growth Mentor. By day Mark works with B2B companies to increase revenue by helping them with their Lead Generation and Data Enrichment strategies & by night he helps B2B SaaS companies scale revenue with their Sales & Marketing Automation and Customer Journey Optimisation..Revenue Generation is Mark’s brain default state and his personal mantra is to give without expecting anything in return.During this interview we cover:00:00 - Reduce User Churn with Onboard.io (A word from the Sponsor)01:19 - Intro 02:34 - Mark’s Background (From Prospectin to B2B Revenue Growth)07:34 - Channels for Building a Predictable and Scalable Outbound System08:51 - How to Source Leads who are More Likely to Buy or Convert11:04 - Key Metrics to Look at to Keep the Pipeline Flowing 14:40 - How to Invest on Acquiring the first & Right Customers 17:09 - How to Better Build the Customer Profile for Higher Success in Positive Responses18:56 - If you Create Content, Customers Will Come?20:48 - What’s the Story Behind Launching Speak on Podcasts?23:03 - Why You, as a SaaS Founder or Marketer, Should Launch a Podcast35:02 - How Should We Be Thinking About Lead Generation Through Podcasting as a Marketing Channel37:58 - Mark’s Top Marketing/Sales Stack Tools 39:31 Get In Touch With MarkMentions:5 Myths About SaaS Sales Founders Usually BelieveSpeak On PodcastsTerms:LTVCACICP & User PersonaPeople:David SkokOren GreenRand FishkinTom HuntCompanies:Task DriveConvert Flow<a...
S1 Ep 35How to Become a Thought Leader Through Consistent Content Marketing for your SaaS with Tristan Pelligrino | Podcast #35
This podcast is sponsored by Balsamiq, makers of Balsamiq Wireframes, everyone's favorite low-fidelity wireframing tool. If you want to say hi to the good people at Balsamiq, visit https://balsamiq.com/go/saas-district/. On that page, you can also find a promo code (SaaSDistrict) for our audience to try out Balsamiq for 90 days absolutely free. Tristan Pelligrino is the Co-Founder of Motion where he helps tech companies get noticed, engage their prospects, and become thought leaders. Early on in his consulting career, Tristan worked for firms such as Oracle and IBM and learned how challenging it is to articulate the value of technology. While working towards his MBA in Marketing, Tristan launched a video production company that he ended up getting on the Inc. 5000 list before selling his stake to his business partner. Now, Tristan is able to combine his firsthand experience in technology with his marketing expertise in order to help tech companies develop amazing visual content, position themselves as the choice in their industry, and ultimately, show the world their value. Tristan also co-hosts a B2B tech marketing podcast, Tech Qualified, where he interviews industry leaders to uncover what is working in the world of B2B technology marketing.During this interview we cover:00:00 - Try Out Balsamiq for 90 Days Absolutely free (A Word From the Sponsor)01:35 - Intro 03:05 - Start with a Podcast or Video Series to Get Better Consistent Results in Your Content Creation Strategy 06:33 - Establishing your Expectations Upfront and Baseline When Determining your Content Marketing ROI11:05 - Why to set The Audiovisual Channel as Your Main for a Solid Marketing Strategy13:15 - Should all SaaS Startups Launch a Podcast or Video Series? 15:56 - How to Get the Most Out of Your Podcast Interviews and Guests20:12 - How to Ensure the Content you Produce Reach, Engages & Converts to the Right Audience, at Scale.29:27 - Establishing & Finding Credibility & Authority, Voicing the Content & Standing Out for the Audience's Attention31:01 - A Good Marketing Budget Balance (Organic & Paid)33:06 - Recommendations for a Content Creation Cadence and Publication Timing 35:02 - Podcasts for B2B to Check Out36:57 - OutroMentions:Startups For The Rest Of UsIndie HackersPeople:Justin WelshCompanies:motionagency.io Social PilotGet in touch with Tristan:Tristan's LinkedinTag us & follow:FacebookLinkedIn<a...
S1 Ep 34How to Find your Economic Moat in a Competitive SaaS market with Jeroen Corthout | Podcast #34
Jeroen is the co-founder and CEO of Salesflare, a fast, powerful and intuitive CRM for B2B SMBs focused on improving prospect relationships and sales. Salesflare has been featured on TechCrunch and Entrepreneur.com, and has been named as one of the top CRMs on both Product Hunt and AppSumo.Prior to Salesflare, Jeroen founded Doctura, a medical personal journal that worked with tech startups and healthcare companies with new ways of doing business by fusing modern technology. He worked as a PM and account manager for some of the leading health and life science companies in Europe, US and China. Some of his work and expertise were focused on multichannel promotion, diverse multichannel campaigns, mobile sales apps, multichannel mix assessments, strategic consulting projects, mobile strategy workshops to digital benchmarks, competitive analysis, innovation workshops and many more.During this interview we cover:00:00 - Intro01:20 - Building a Sales Platform For Salesforce 07:30 - The Need For a New CRM Over the Other 600+ Options09:40 - Why You Should Start Using a CRM11:55 - What Analytics Data is Most Useful for Your SaaS Sales/Marketing Team14:46 - Getting The First 100 Customers 17:45 - How to Effectively Take Advantage of Launching With ProductHunt & Appsumo19:46 - Salesflare User Acquisition, Content Marketing Strategy & What hasn’t Worked25:40 - The Founder Coffee Podcast 27:10 - Habits Over Goals For Self Improvement & Business Growth30:26 - $1MM in External Funding & Next Milestones For Salesflare 32:49 - OutroGet 25% off For 3 Months for Your New B2B CRM Salesflare with the Code: SaaSDistrict Less Work, More SalesMentions:6 foolproof ways to get your startup its first 100 customersTerms:CRMSales CycleCompanies:ProductHuntAppsumoSalesforceAirtableNotionTrelloGet in touch with Jeroen:Jeroen’s LinkedinTag us & follow:<a...
S1 Ep 33How to Implement Performance Management in Your SaaS Organization with Denis Coleman | Podcast #33
Denis started his career as a qualified CIMA Accountant, working for US multinationals located in Ireland, Eastern Europe and the US. It was after two and a half years of researching management practices, the behavioural science and the competitive landscape which led to WorkCompass being founded.Denis Coleman is the CEO of WorkCompass, a performance management software designed to help organizations to manage their talent through ongoing performance check-ins, The company's software uses artificial intelligence to improve performance appraisal, revenue growth, customer reviews, and domain influence, enabling organizations to set goals for the employees, monitor their progress and give feedback.During this interview we cover:00:00 - Intro01:21 - Getting the Best Out of Your Team & Teaching Grit07:47 - Why is Performance Management Important & at What Point Should you Consider Using It?14:12 - How WorkCompass Assess the performance & Team Management 15:50 - Why the the SaaS Industry is Still Using The Traditional Performance Appraisal Process17:40 - Recommendations to Implement an Efficient Performance Appraisal System (Employees Feeling Helped not Policed)24:41 - Leveraging AI, ML (machine learning) and NPL (Natural Language Processing) to assess the business outcomes31:47 - Recommendations On Improving Employee Onboarding33:48 - What to Look For When Hiring & Screening Top Performers39:22 - Why Your Sales Process should be Your Star Performer42:52 - OutroMentions:Silicon Review The Sandwich Method Illusory Superiority Quotes:“Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to high sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard” Peter F. Drucker.Terms:Performance Management People:Peter Drucker Books:The Challenger Sale Companies:WorkCompass Get in touch with Denis:Denis’s LinkedIn [email protected] us & follow:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaSDistrictPodcast/LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/horizen-capital" rel="noopener noreferrer"...
S1 Ep 32An Unusual Round of Founding & Unusual Times to Launch a Startup with Rand Fishkin | Podcast #32
Rand is an author, co-founder and CEO of SparkToro, a company focused on allowing software that connects audience intelligence at every marketer's fingertips. Rand is a tech entrepreneur, blogger and leader in the field of Search Engine Optimisation. He is a frequent keynote speaker for events around the marketing and startup world as well as a best selling author of Lost and Founder: A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World.During this interview we cover:00:00 - Intro00:58: - Stepping down as Moz CEO, was the right decision?03:14 - An Unusual $1.3M Round of Funding & Avoiding the Plague10:00 - Why Raising Capital VS Bootstrapping13:16 - Get Richer, die Trying & the Genetic Lottery 17:50 - An Unusual Time to Launch & Was it the Right Decision?21:02 - Where to Focus your Marketing Efforts & Rand Best Practices33:58 - Why Podcasting & Episodic Content are a Powerful Tool to Build Connections 39:08 - How to Leverage SEO in 2020 46:10 - What’s Rand a Lifer Of?47:20 - A Question For Rand Fishkin from Eric Vardon49:04 OutroMentions:Where you Should Start Marketing Terms:People:Casey Henry Melanie Deziel Eric VardonBooks:Lost and Founder The Content Fuel Framework Companies:Moz Morphio.ioSparkToroGet in touch with Rand:Rand’s LinkedinRand’s TwitterTag us & follow:FacebookLinkedInInstagram: @Horizen.CapitalYouTube: Akeel Jabber - SaaS DistrictMore about Akeel:Twitter LinkedIn Saas Podcast<a href="https://horizencapital.com/saas-consulting-services/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...
S1 Ep 31Current SaaS Acquisition Environment Post COVID-19 with Andrew Gazdecki [SDI]| Podcast #31
Andrew Gazdecki is a storyteller and has been an entrepreneur for a very long time, he started his first company, Bizness Apps, while still in college, which was an affordable mobile app development platform for small businesses, and initially, raised around $100,000 in funding. By the time Bizness Apps was acquired by private equity firm Think3, they had grown to $10M in annual recurring revenue, operating in 40 countries, and employing over 100 people.His second business, Altcoin.io, was a decentralized exchange (DEX) for trading digital assets, by trading on their decentralized, non-custodial platform, traders could protect their assets. Altcoin.io became a champion of security in a market dominated by custodial platforms that put users’ funds at risk. By challenging the status quo, they were defending the rights of traders everywhere – a story that their prospects loved. This eventually led the company to be acquired by global investment firm BnkToTheFuture.During this interview we cover:01:54 - How Andrew, as a College Student, Built BiznessApss in 201013:28 - At $10 MMin ARR, Was Exiting the Right Decision?23:12 - Building Microaquire & Current Vision32:43 - Streamlining the Sales Process of a SaaS company37:31 - What's more important, the content you publish or where you publish it?45:42 - Long-Term Strategies in the Market for Buyers & Sellers on the Post-Covid Environment49:16 - What has Changed on Acquisition Deals, & Some Trends As Startups Emerge from Lockdowns50:46 - Valuations that Sell Quickly in 2020 and Comparison from 201952:22 - How Does the Rest of 2020 Looks like for Andrew Gazdecki58:44 - OutroMentions:SaaS Deal or BustTerms:SMBsForbesEntrepreneur MagazinePeople:Nathan LatkaEddie MaachalaniCompanies:WixWeeblyTechCrunchBiznessappsG2Get in touch with Andrew:Andrew’s LinkedinAndrew’s TwitterTag us & follow:FacebookLinkedInInstagram<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYvpqdVVSlSMunWiEwlMjzw" rel="noopener...
S1 Ep 30How You Can Start Implementing AI in Your Marketing Campaigns With Eric Vardon | Podcast #30
Eric is an accomplished AI Tech Entrepreneur and Advisor with more than 20 years of success in different verticals such as marketing, advertising, health and wellness, fashion, technology, and digital industries.Eric’s broad areas of expertise include brand development, digital strategy, entrepreneurship, leadership, and growth. Most notably, Eric is the Co-Founder of Arcane, a digital marketing and advertising agency, where, under Eric’s leadership, Arcane grew from zero to $15M in just six years. Currently, he holds equity positions in multiple rapidly-growing organizations and is focused on his current game-changing machine-learning and AI tech venture called Morphio.Morphio is an AI-driven anomaly platform built for advanced marketers described as the first marketing security software, where it integrates your marketing data in one platform and delivers insights from landing page health, marketing & AI anomalies, segmentation, budget recommendations & many other marketing and analytics anomalies.During this interview we cover:From $0 in a Basement to $15M & a 4,000 sq ft BuildingStepping Down as a Startup CEO & Building MorphioDecision to Raise $1M Seed Round in Canada“Spend the Money Like You Don’t Have It” & Other Growth Strategies Lessons From Tests & Growth Hacking With Morphio & Past VenturesWhat Makes Morphio a Different & Unique AI Marketing ToolHow Morphio Ensures You Have Both Quantity & Quality of the Data Used for the AnalyticsHow Marketers & Founders Should Consider Using AI In Their Plans or BudgetsFull AI for the Future or Predictive+Human Decision making/judgement?The Future of Marketing for the Next CMOsA question For Rand Fishkin & Lessons from his BookMentions:Terms:IRAPPeople:John D’orsayJeff Epstein EpisodeNima MirbakhshRand FishkinBooks:Lost & FounderCompanies:G2Get in touch with Eric:Eric’s LinkedIn ProfileEric’s Twitter Tag us & follow:FacebookLinkedInInstagram: @Horizen.CapitalYouTubeMore about Akeel:<a...
S1 Ep 29The Current VC Seed Stage Investment Market & Some Key Metrics to Pay Attention Post-COVID for SaaS Founders With Cindy Padnos [SDI]| Podcast #29
Cindy Padnos is an innovator and an advocate for all things entrepreneurial. She is a founder (both of a VC-backed tech startup and a VC firm), with a passion for enabling experimentation that can lead to the discovery of new business models and unique points of leverage. Cindy bleeds B2B/Enterprise Tech – gaining the moniker “Queen B2B” and a place at the table with the top institutional investors in the category.Cindy has been working with enterprise technology startups for more than 20 years - as a founder, operating executive, adviser, or investor. She founded Illuminate Ventures, a seed and early-stage venture capital firm that invests exclusively in enterprise cloud and mobile software companies. Illuminate seeks entrepreneurs that are "re-inventing the enterprise" with products that deliver dramatic productivity and decision making improvements while leveraging better, faster, cheaper - cloud technologies and innovative business models.Prior to her investing career, Cindy led several successful venture-backed entrepreneurial efforts. She was the founder/CEO of Vivant (now part of Oracle) an early Software as a Service (SaaS) company. She was CEO of Acumen, orchestrating a profitable M&A, and VP Marketing for Scopus, helping position this early CRM company for its successful IPO. Early in her career, Cindy served as a management consultant at Booz Allen and Arthur D Little.Illuminate is particularly interested in companies delivering:- B2B SaaS applications and infrastructure- Application of AI and blockchain technologies to the Enterprise- Enterprise mobile solutions- Predictive and prescriptive analytics that improve business results- Business model innovation enablers- Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)”Cindy is also an investor at various companies, such as Jacobi, Cafe X Communications, Bedrock Analytics, Peerlyst, ChannelEyes, Pyze Inc., JetStream Software Inc. Influitive, Hoopla Software, Xoupang, Contentstack, BrightEdge, and Allocadia.During this interview we cover:00:00 - Intro02:09 - Early SaaS Experience from Raising VC Capital to Acquisition15:00 - The Decision Behind Illuminate Ventures and Transformation to what it is today (Metrics)22:21 - Experience & Perspective on the Volatility of Deal Flow Investments with the COVID-19 Pandemic24:10 The Value of a Dollar & Current Challenges in the COVID-19 Environment26:18 How Founders Deal with the Slow Down in Decision to Buy or Renew Software from Customers and Some Strategies for the New Normal31:34 What Illuminate Ventures Share with Startups Beyond Capital Support38:46 What is a Founder Heroic & Why Any Founder Should Aim to Become One40:54 Cindy’s Winner Startup Criteria for Investing42:29 Cindy’s Turn Down Startup Criteria for not InvestingMentionsTerms:- Shelfware- RRSPPeople:- Jennifer Savage- Ken Goldman- Michael Stonebraker- Chris Cabrera- Gary Swart "The future of work Ep."Companies:- Illuminate...
S1 Ep 28Top Challenges that Cost SaaS Startups $100k+ Each Year & How to Avoid Them with Marketing Innovation with Oren Greenberg | Podcast #28
Oren Greenberg is the founder of Kurve - a modular growth marketing consultancy with experience of helping FTSE 250s and funded startups to navigate the perilous waters of growth and marketing, his impressive track record of results include; managing over £10M marketing budgets, juggling paid search campaigns with over 13.7 million key phrases, organic traffic growth from 2.3M a month to 3.1M a month for a single client, scaling paid search delivery by 139% to 12,600 B2B clients.Oren’s highly regarded digital strategy and commercial expertise have been instrumental in the growth of client brands including Investec Bank, Peakon, Wonga, Wink Bingo, Nutmeg, Funding Circle and he has been featured in The Telegraph, Social Media Examiner, forbes, virgin entrepreneur, the guardian, and the HubSpot blog, and nonetheless he’s also an instructor on Skillshare and Jolt.During this interview we cover:How to communicate effectively and convince the board to invest in your marketing strategyBest Framework and Channels for SaaS Businesses & Best Content Creation-Promotion RatioHiring the On-Demand Marketing DepartmentWhat to Value about Seniority VS Young Talent How to Decide which Channels to Focus Budget for your B2B SaaS CompanyHow to Go From 0 to 500 leads a dayThe Right Touch Point Strategy to increase your ROI Why Use Personalized Videos in your B2B outreach Efforts The Importance of Choosing the Right Tech StackLinks :Kurve Get in touch with Oren:Oren’s Linkedin Tag us & follow:FacebookLinkedInIG: @Horizen.CapitalYouTubeMore about Akeel:Twitter LinkedIn Saas PodcastSaaS ConsultingHow to Value a SaaS Company
S1 Ep 27How to Perfect the Onboarding Process for Improving Customer Experience and Reduce Churn with Jeff Epstein | Podcast #27
Jeff is an entrepreneur, team-builder, hustler & investor. He is the founder of Onboard.io which is a SaaS made specifically for customer implementation to automate, optimize & create the perfect journey for every customer and enabling companies to manage the perfect onboarding process. Jeff was previously the founder of Ambassador for over 9 years, a referral tracking, attribution and management platform for businesses. Acquired by West Corp. in late 2018He’s a lifelong entrepreneur, a 2011 NYC TechStar graduate, and is described as one of those rare founders you only read about in books because of his unmatcheable drive to succeed.During this interview we cover:Right Time to Sell, Negotiation Tips & Emotional load when selling your business (selling Ambassador)Most Common Areas where you can Improve Onboarding for your SaaS BusinessWhy you should Invest on Onboarding Practices and Build your ProcessWhy the Customer Success Team should own the Onboarding ProcessHow to Measure ROI on Customer Success How to personalize and Balance the Onboarding ProcessProactive VS Reactive For Customer SuccessTech Stack Recommendation When to Expect Onboard.ioWhy the Current Times Represent a Good Opportunity to Launch Links :OnboardAmbassdor Mentions:Baran OzbekGet in touch with Jeff:Jeff EpsteinTag us & follow:FacebookLinkedInInstagramYouTubeMore about Akeel:Twitter LinkedIn Saas PodcastSaaS ConsultingHow to Value a SaaS Company
S1 Ep 26Managing Hyper-growth Campaigns and International teams for B2B SaaS Companies with The Chapman Brothers | Podcast #26
The Chapman Brothers are the Co-Founders of SocialChaps, a Marketing Agency described as a no-nonsense B2B agency focused on growing pioneering businesses by understanding them and working towards their goals.Elliot and his brother Dom, after years of searching for a good marketing agency in the B2B space they decided to roll up their sleeves and founded SocialChaps, after 3 successful years of growth they decided that the systems & processes they put into place are replicable across all types of B2B businesses, which we will discuss today.During this interview we cover:Searching for a Marketing Solution, not finding it & building it yourselfMethodologies, Analytics, Software Tools, & Growth Marketing Tactics for B2B StartupsHow SocialChaps Work With Founders to Ensure they’re actually ready to scaleTop rated scalable channels for B2B SaaS companiesDealing With Leads, Sales & business Growth on Hyper-growthMarketing Priorities While on Hyper-Growth VS Normal GrowthStep By Step to Generate leadsIs There Still Value in Podcasting?Benefits & Challenges When Building & Operating an International TeamTools For Remote & Modern WorkflowsLinks and mentions:https://www.socialchaps.co https://www.socialchaps.co/social-chaps-podcast Get in touch with The Chapman Brothers:Elliot’s LinkedinSocial Chaps websiteDom’s Linkedin More about Akeel:Twitter LinkedIn Saas PodcastSaaS ConsultingHow to Value a SaaS Company--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
S1 Ep 25How to Hire Professionals and Freelancers Effectively Online and NOT get Burned with Liz Pearce | Podcast #25
Liz Pearce is the CEO of Seattle-based Fresh Chalk, where they aim to build a faster and more efficient way to find highly-vetted professionals, everything from doctors to plumbers to landscapers to photographers online. The site allows users to create profiles and search through service providers to see which have been recommended by their friends. They can also offer their own recommendations across more than 500 categories. Fresh Chalk is taking on the giants of Facebook, Google, Yelp, and other giant platforms.Liz holds a B.A. and M.A. from The George Washington University. Prior to starting Fresh Chalk, Liz was with LiquidPlanner for 11 years, starting as the company's marketing contractor and working her way up to COO in 2011 and ultimately to CEO in 2012. Before LiquidPlanner, she held marketing roles at Amazon, Google, and PlayStation and ran an independent marketing consulting business.During this interview we cover:Lessons Learned Working on Amazon, Google & SonyHow Hunger & Proactively Acquiring Responsibilities earn you the CEO PositionLiz’s Best Management PracticesFreshChalk: Idea and DevelopmentMaximizers VS SatisfiersRaising 2M in VC FoundingThe Value of Connection & Recommendations from friendsOwners Reviewing other OwnersPost-COVID Service acquisition trendsTwo key questions for hiring higher quality ProfessionalsLiz’s Approach to Challenges & OpportunitiesLinks and mentions:Fresh Chalk websiteGet in touch with Liz:Liz’s LinkedinMore about Akeel:Twitter LinkedIn Saas PodcastSaaS ConsultingHow to Value a SaaS Company--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
S1 Ep 24Q2 Deals Review at HoriZen Capital and 2020 Goals with Pierre Heurtebize [SDI]| Podcast #24
Doing something a little different for this episode. I want to make it more personal and openly share what’s going on behind the scenes inside HoriZen both good and bad over the last 3 months, post-COVID and what our plan is for going into Q3.Pierre is the investment manager ate HoriZenc Capital, he's an expert in financial modeling, Business Plan modeling, Financial Due Diligence, Corporate finance, and private equity investments.He holds an MBA from top tier Business School ESSEC (Paris / Cergy), formerly an investment associate in small caps private equity, he has over 4 years of experience in M&A financial due diligence at PwC, one of the big 4 on professional services for enterprises, he builds business plans and has advised several entrepreneurs in Europe and Australia.As an entrepreneur, he's building a start-up in the wellbeing industry and has recently worked as an investment associate in a newly created For Purpose social investment vehicle supporting OZHarvest, Australia's leading food rescue charity.Pierre has a full-time Data Scientist training where he learned how to leverage his business analysis skills using Machine learning and deep learning techniques that allows him to go deeper in his understanding of businesses and dig up valuable insights from big datasets. He has also created a list of very effective Excel Models and efficiency tools that everybody can download and use for free.During this interview we cover:Pierre’s background before joining HoriZenThe numbers wizard (Joining HoriZen and main focus)Analyzing 3 HoriZen deals: (Revenue size, churn, age, size, risks)Post-COVID impact on dealsFocus on helping more SaaS entrepreneurs on growing their business and applying our playbookHiring interns and job opportunities at HoriZen CapitalThe main reason to reject a deal and what we do and what we do not.The average timeline for dealsGoals for Q3Links and mentions:https://horizencapital.comhttps://www.eloquens.com/channel/pierre-alexandre-heurtebizeGet in touch with Pierre:https://www.linkedin.com/in/pheurtebize/More about Akeel:Twitter LinkedIn SaaS PodcastsSaaS ConsultantHow To Value Your SaaS Company--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
S1 Ep 23Leveraging the 4 Rules of Smart Budgeting to Grow your Startup with Jesse Mecham | Podcast #23
Jesse Mecham is a founder, CEO, and Bestselling author of You Need a Budget, which is not only an award winning software and proven budgeting tool but also an education company where they teach people a whole new way of thinking about their money so they make better financial decisions, get out of debt, and build the life they want.During this interview we cover:Why Your SaaS StartUp Need a BudgetFrom Personal Finance Spreadsheets to One of The Best Budgeting ToolsThe 4 Budgeting Rules ( Personal finance and Business Owners )Why solutions are squeezed out of scarcityFocusing the Product Usability and Intentionality as a Differential from Your CompetitorsThe Importance of Making Better Hiring DecisionsWhy Never to Tell Your Users When to Expect a New VersionFounders Affiliate and Partner To EarlyJesse’s Investment tips.Links and mentions:YNAB (You Need a Budget)Get in touch with Jesse:Jesse’s LinkedIn [email protected] about Akeel:Twitter LinkedIn Saas PodcastSaaS ConsultingHow to Value a SaaS Company--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
S1 Ep 22The Impact of Branding and Building Innovative Digital Products When Launching your StartUp with Dmytro Grechko | Podcast #22
Dmytro Grechko is a self-taught Entrepreneur & Software Engineer who found his passion & borrowed his inspiration from the constant process of learning and meeting new people, his skills and interests range from emerging technologies and latest market trends to sports and music.As a Founder and CEO of Deskree & Deskree Studio, he specializes on helping brick and mortar companies, digitalizes their operation and reinvents their business with the latest technologies, his personal goal is to help early-stage startups and entrepreneurs uncover their potential in new unique markets, and connect them with like-minded investors and the right people for the job.During this interview we cover:After launch CTO for non-tech foundersDeskree playbook on founder resource managementAssessing the market viability for StartupsTrends on innovation and automation solutions for startupsThe importance of branding design for startupsDifferences in the investment and startup ecosystem between Canada, Europe, and the USFocusing on the functional features, the problem that the solution aims to solve, and the solution that delivers the maximum valueDeskree’s ideal profile of entrepreneurs to work withDmytro’s top underrated digital tools for SaaS foundersRaising a VC fund focused on teaching branding, sales and developmentLinks and mentions:DeskreeWebflowFirebaseIntercomGet in touch with Dmytro:Dmytro’s LinkedIn [email protected] about Akeel:Twitter LinkedIn Saas PodcastSaaS ConsultingHow to Value a SaaS Company--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
S1 Ep 21Where to Invest Your Digital Marketing Budget in 2020 with Neil Patel [SDI]| Podcast #21
Neil Patel is an entrepreneur, angel investor, and analytics expert who specializes in SEO and digital marketing, he has co-founded several marketing tech. companies including KissMetrics, Hello Bar, and Crazy Egg. He also now runs his own ad agency called Neil Patel Digital and a KW research tool, UberSuggest. Over the years he has helped big companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, Airbnb, Google, and HP to help them grow through his amazing marketing skills. Among his many achievements, Neil has been recognized as a New York Times bestselling author, a top influencer by the Wall Street Journal, a Top 10 Marketer by Forbes, a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 30 by former US president Barack Obama, a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 35 by the United Nations, and he created one of the 100 most brilliant companies according to Entrepreneur Magazine. Neil also runs a blog about marketing that has generated over 3 million visitors per month, he co-hosts his own podcast with Eric Siu, Marketing School, that has generated over 1 million listens per month and a YouTube channel about marketing that has over 10 million views. During this interview we cover:Digital Marketing trends Risk & opportunities for SaaS founders & Marketers Ubersuggest Freemium to Customer conversion rate numbers The right time to make the switch to go from freemium to paid vs. Raise VC capital to keep fueling user growth Comparing keyword research tools in the market and where does Ubersuggest stands SEO Automation an AI Digital marketing and investing trends for 2020 and during COVID-19 Key Metrics and Red Flags to look for when Investing Building a SaaS company VS Marketing Agency Real SEO experts and high-value products VS frauds/lower quality ones Where to focus your Marketing efforts and budget in 2020 Focusing on Mid or Top of funnel content marketing?Links and mentions: Neil Patel Digital Get in touch with Neil: Neil’s Linkedin profile More about Akeel: Twitter LinkedIn Saas PodcastSaaS ConsultingHow to Value a SaaS Company--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
S1 Ep 20How to Land More Clients with Your Proposals and Launch a Spin Off Product in A Very Competitive Market with Ruben Gamez | Podcast #20
Ruben Gamez is a specialist in Bootstrapping, marketing, User Experience, and software development, he is the founder of Bidsketch, a professional web app focused on designing, tracking, and customizing proposals in no time.In the past, Ruben owned 9thSign, a small business specialized in web development and consulting, after that Ruben worked In Oasis Outsourcing as a Web development Manager, the largest privately-held PEO at the time, then Ruben decided to quit his job and founded Bidsketch where he’s been growing and improving since 2009.During this interview we cover:Shifting from part-time gig to running a full time startupClearly identifying your startup idea & problem you're solvingVC vs. Bootstrapping your companyGrowth Strategies that worked well for BidsketchFailures & how to use them as experienceKey differences when comparing winning or losing business proposalsConceiving other ideas to integrate with your StartUp (Docsketch)Proposals for closing SMB’s vs. Enterprise leadsTrends in e-Signature Market during COVID-19Making Docsketch CompetitiveConsidering Merger or Acquisition as a way to growLinks and mentions:BidsketchDocsketchGet in touch with Andy:Ruben’s LinkedIn ProfilePersonal BlogMore about Akeel:Twitter LinkedIn More SaaS Podcast Sessions SaaS Consulting ServicesLearn How to Value a SaaS Company--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
S1 Ep 19Leading the World’s Largest Online Workplace (UpWork) and What is The Future of Work with Gary Swart | Podcast #19
Gary Swart is a tech and healthcare investor at Polaris Partners and a former executive with experience in general management of all size organizations, including leading sales, operations, staffing, and strategy.Up until April 2014, Gary was the CEO of oDesk (UpWork now), the world's largest online workplace. He guided the company to industry leadership and through a merger with eLance, while serving as a leading voice for the future of work and the emerging online work industry.Gary is passionate about helping entrepreneurs build their businesses, where he regularly shares his knowledge and provides mentorship on how to craft a successful path with fellow business people and anyone building their career.His past positions included:-VP of Sales and Operations at Intellibank, a SaaS collaboration platform-Business Unit Executive (SMB Division), IBM Rational Software-Director of Corporate Sales, Rational Software-Western Region Sales, Pure AtriaGary is an expert in the future of work, fundamentals of management, effective interviewing and staffing methods, entrepreneurship, online marketplaces/platform strategy and sales/go-to-marketDuring this interview we cover:Going through a merger and getting acquired by IBMLeaving IBM and Gary’s career path criteriaGrowth and development not to steep that you go off of the cliffTurning down an offer on Netflix as employee #3Why you should consider merging with a better business model (oDesk & eLance merge)User Experience as the best marketing tool.Insights on the Future of Work and the landscape after COVID-19Hiring talent criteria as a SaaS founderInvesting trends surrounding Healthcare and TechnologyAdding value to a company post-acquisitionProductivity and effective leadership habits advice (Hint: ABR)Book Recommendation:That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an IdeaLinks and mentions:UpWorks WebsitePolaris Partners WebsiteGet in touch with Gary:Gary’s LinkedIn ProfileMore about Akeel:Twitter LinkedIn Saas PodcastSaaS ConsultingHow to Value a SaaS Company--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
S1 Ep 18Why you Should Always Stick to Your Values When Building and Growing Your Startup with Peldi Guilizzoni | Podcast #18
Peldi Guilizzoni is the Founder and CEO of Balsamiq, a fully bootstrapped ISV focused on prototyping UI/UX.After studying Computer Science in Italy he moved to San Francisco, where he worked for a couple of years. Through his experience at adobe systems as an Engineering lead, he discovered an opportunity to develop a tool that could make everyone more productive and help them do a better job, something he describes as a “no going back technology”.After a series of events that lead to quitting his job at Adobe and focusing on his project, he decided to go back to Italy and found his successful company.During this interview we cover:Early Web Apps and conceiving Balsamiq from the beginning Staying bootstrapped & the love of the craft (money as a consequence)How to compete as a bootstrapped company vs VC funded competitorsLongevity rather than growthBuilding a business in a non-VC friendly marketSpecialist product for non specialized customersUsability & customer service as a grow strategyHow a transparent startup gains customer trustWhy you can copy technical, but you can’t copy people (the golden puzzle concept for customer output)Why is it important for a SaaS company to teach you what to make for dinner (unique customer interactions)Who can start wireframing and how can someone like me get good at itPlus policies & investing in people for remarkable resultsThe importance of developing company values for a better work culture (to comepte with Google, Apple)Links and mentions:Balsamiq Website *(Get Balsamiq cloud web app free for 3 months! Enter the code: SAASDISTRICT)*Join the office hour program at Balsamiq for advice on:Founders and businessUX wireframingProduct designCareers in product designAnd many more…Get in touch with Peldi:Peldi’s LinkedIn ProfileBalsamiq TwitterMore about Akeel:Twitter LinkedIn More SaaS Podcast Sessions SaaS Consulting ServicesLearn How to Value a SaaS Company--Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
S1 Ep 17Why Human Experience, as an Investment, Enhances the SaaS Onboarding Experience with Andy Mura | Podcast #17:
Andy is an expert on Marketing, Business Strategy, Leadgen, SaaS, Digital Transformation, User Onboarding, and UX. He is a marketer, founder, speaker, and mentor with over 10 years of experience in SaaS, Digital Transformation, and Growth.Andy's focus is on the HX (Human Experience), making sure that companies invest resources in creating a great employee experience to support successful change management processes that lead to an enhanced customer experienceOver the past years, Andy has been working directly (as a founder or head of marketing) and indirectly (as a mentor or consultant) with over 200 companies in North America and Europe and he's now in charge of marketing operations at ExB Group, an AI/ML-driven natural language processing platform that provides cognitive process automation for insurers.During this interview we cover:Current COVID-19 StrategyPre & Post Investment SaaS company Grow AdviceLead Generation VS Product FocusedThe importance of U/X (Tips & strategies)Effective Marketing BudgetsTrial to Paid VS Enterprise FocusedSales Cycles & how to shorten themLinks and mentions:ExB WebsiteGet in touch with Andy:Andy’s LinkedIn ProfileAndy’s’s Twitter ProfileMore About AndyMore about Akeel:Twitter LinkedIn Saas PodcastSaaS ConsultingHow to Value a SaaS Company--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
S1 Ep 16Using Storytelling, Unsuccessful Exit, and Adaptive Marketing to Grow your Marketplace with Murali Satagopan | Podcast #16
Murali Satagopan is a strong marketer and storyteller who loves communication and solving problems in the web space. He founded a company, got funded, grew it big and then had an unsuccessful exit where he left with no money and lots of experience. He used that experience at Freshdesk to help grow their marketplace. Product GTM, Content Marketing, telling great stories and crafting creative marketing campaigns are some of his many strengths. He is currently Head of ISV Partnerships and Partner Marketing at Freshworks Marketplace where he handles marketing for the Freshworks Marketplace - one of the hottest horizontals at Freshworks. Murali is also a standup comedian with a strong theatre background. He was invited to the Short+Sweet Festival in Sydney where he performed. During this interview we cover: The importance of leveraging strategic partnerships and integrations to grow your startup How an “unsuccessful exit” was the foundational experience for a successful Marketplace Working beyond the scope for personal and professional growth The do’s and dont's when building a product. Trying again to start a business VS joining a company Why to use Freshworks as a leveraging channel for growth COVID-19 customer trends and unique approaches to problem solving How can a SaaS founder or marketer validate whether a partner program will be worthwhile for their SaaS? The 2 best practices to build better products Links and mentions: FreshWorks website Get in touch with Murali: Murali’s LinkedIn Profile Murali’s Twitter Profile More about Akeel: Twitter LinkedIn SaaS PodcastsSaaS ConsultantsLearn How to Value SaaS Companies--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
S1 Ep 15How To Stand Apart From your Competitors through Better Product Positioning and Messaging with Praval Singh | Podcast #15
Praval is an expert at brand, product positioning & messaging, go-to-market strategy, demand generation, and content-led marketing initiatives. He is a serial entrepreneur and has co-founded several start-ups.He worked as a freelance content marketer for web publishers and blogs in Europe, South-east Asia, and India. Also, he was the Co-Founder of Dokito, an in-house social media analytics tool at Media Redefined; a digital media agency in New Delhi he also Co-Founded.He worked as a Senior Product Marketing Manager and Marketing Head at Zoho Corporation, where he is now Vice President of Marketing and Customer Experience.Praval leads marketing for Zoho.com and focuses on brand, positioning, messaging, communication, and other marketing initiatives. He also works closely with various product teams and helps them with go-to-market strategy and special projects.As one of the official spokespersons, He also represents Zoho before media and analysts, as well as at various international conferences and forums.During this interview we cover:The importance of standing out through messaging and positioning for B2B SaaS companies.How using social media helps customer experience for growthWorking beyond the scope for personal and professional growthThe marketing strategy approach of large product company VS a SaaS businessBuilding an all- in-one SaaS business ecosystem solution as a differentiator from the competitorsThe current value and impact of remote work toolsLinks and mentions:Zoho.comGet in touch with Praval:Praval’s LinkedIn ProfilePraval’s Twitter ProfileMore about Akeel:Twitter LinkedIn Saas PodcastSaaS ConsultingHow to Value a SaaS Company--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
S1 Ep 14How to Create an Epic Content Marketing Plan for your B2B SaaS Company with Bree Brouwer | Podcast #14
Bree Brouwer is a specialist in the B2B SaaS and online video industries. She has created blog posts that landed on the #1 and #2 spots in Google search for their respective keywords, re-written home page copy which increased product downloads by more than 64.5% and written blog posts that generated $40K in extra revenue. Bree has a Bachelor’s degree in English Writing. Bree’s professional experience includes being a Staff Writer and Digital Media Journalist at Tubefilter, a Freelance Copywriter at Tubebuddy, a Public relations consultant at Unreel Entertainment, An Online Video and Digital Media Contributor at Forbes, an Online video Columnist at EContent Magazine, a Blogger and Content Marketing Writer for Asset Panda, a Freelance Public Relations Consultant at Unscreen, and B2B Content Marketing Consultant and Writer for video and tech brands at Brouwer Power Media LLC. Most recently, Bree was a Content Marketing Writer at Tubular Labs, and now she is the Editor-In-Chief of Tubular Insights. Tubular Labs is the leading global video measurement and analytics platform that powers broadcasters, publishers, and brands to create successful content and scale audiences faster. During this interview we cover: - When contenting marketing becomes important for a B2B SaaS company in their growth journey - Effective strategies and what you need to get started to if you’re a founder or marketer looking to use video marketing to real drive ROI - The blog post you wrote that helped drive $40k in revenue and why was it so successful - Habits, tools and proven strategies to overcome writer's block and produce high quality content - Using pillar content as a strategy to distribute to many channels as a SaaS company - Providing a great experience to your audience and stand apart to get the Wow factorAbout Bree:Bree’s self bio: https://breebrouwer.com/about/ Bree’s Twitter profile: https://twitter.com/BreeBrouwer Bree’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/breebrouwer/ Bree’s website: https://breebrouwer.com/ Tubular labs: https://tubularlabs.com/ More about Akeel: Twitter LinkedIn More SaaS Podcast Sessions SaaS Consulting ServicesLearn How to Value a SaaS Company--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
S1 Ep 13Using an Omnichannel Approach In your Marketing Campaigns to Drive More Sales for your Startup with Rytis Lauris | Podcast #13
Rytis Lauris (@RytisLauris) is a serial entrepreneur of various start-ups, and an expert on E-commerce, Online Marketing and Email Marketing. In 2009, he was the Founder of Treenex, which was a company focused on environmental services.Rytis was also the Co-Founder of IQ Polls, which is an easy to use voting tool that interacts with audiences during conferences, seminars and training sessions.In 2009, he became the Founder and CEO of Soundest, which first started off as a digital marketing agency operating in the Baltic states but then in 2014 transitioned to focus on a newly built email marketing platform. 3 years later Rytis is still the Co-Founder and CEO of the now renamed platform, known today as Omnisend. His startup Omnisend, is an all-in-one and omnichannel e-commerce marketing automation platform that helps companies boost their sales by converting their visitors and retaining their customers through personalized messages.During this interview we cover:Covid-19 e-commerce trends that he's experiencedOmnichannel marketing for your marketing campaignsEffective omnichannel trends and statsTarget audiences and sales cycleWhy and how to use segmentation effectivelyLinks and mentions:Get in touch with Rytis:Twitter: @RytisLaurisOmnisendMore about Akeel: Twitter LinkedIn Best Rated SaaS PodcastsLearn About Our SaaS ConsultingLearn How to Value a SaaS Company---Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
S1 Ep 12How to Get Your First 100 Customers with Confidence and Clarity with Asia Orangio | Podcast #12
Asia Orangio joins us for a 1-on-1 interview, where her focus is on working with early-stage startups and high-growth technology companies. She is an expert at helping SaaS companies define their go-to-market strategy, craft a data-driven approach to growth, implement marketing strategies and programs that help them win an audience in their market and to beat the "90% of startups fail" statistic.Asia is currently the CEO and Founder at DemandMaven, a company focused on helping startups either get their first 100 customers, or help them get to the next stage in their growth.She was also head of marketing at Hull, an Advisor at Atlanta Tech Village, and is currently a mentor at companies like Tinyseed and GrowthMentor.During this interview we cover:Defining Demand generationGetting your first 10 and 100 customers as a Start-upHer recommended SaaS marketing strategiesThe biggest marketing mistakes Startups makeHow to approach conversion optimization in the marketing funnelTop underrated growth hacksLinks and mentions:Get in touch with Asia:Twitter: @AsiaMatosDemandmaven.ioMore about Akeel:Twitter LinkedIn Saas PodcastSaaS ConsultingHow to Value a SaaS Company--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
S1 Ep 11How to Make Better Decisions Around Cost Management with Hani Abdou | Podcast #11
Hani is Founder and CEO of Tradogram, an online purchasing system that helps businesses manage their purchasing process and control their business spending. Tradogram also offers advising and coaching for organizations on the implementation and development of a better procurement process.Prior to Tradogram, Hani was the manager at the Magdi Store Company, An importer and wholesaler of dry foods, and was also Partner and Managing Director at Madji Food Centre, where he was able to manage several large projects such as establishing a new factory, conduct business analysis, implementation, and configuration of a Sage ERP system. He played a major role in negotiating the deal and in planning the entire set up when the company was acquired by another large corporation.Finally, Hani has more than 30 years of experience in business management including working in Wholesale supply, Food Processing, and Business Services.During this interview we cover:Procurement process: Risks and challengesMaking better decisions when managing your costs in a startupGrowth channels that helped him build Tradogram (hint: PLG)Better cost control frameworksLinks and mentions:TradogramGet in touch with Hani:Email: [email protected] about Akeel:Twitter LinkedIn Saas PodcastSaaS ConsultingHow to Value a SaaS Company--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
S1 Ep 10How Podcasting Can Still be a Powerful Marketing Channel for Your Startup with Tom Hunt | Podcast #10
Tom Hunt has experience at building several startups and SaaS businesses from scratch. After graduating from the Imperial College in London, he decided to build Virtual Valley, a marketplace connecting online entrepreneurs and virtual assistants from scratch whilst travelling the world. He then sold 90% of the businesses in 2017. He then joined Repairly as the COO, which was on demand mobile phone repair delivery service. He is now the Co-Founder of <a href="bcast.fm">BCast</a>, a podcast hosting platform for high growth businesses. Tom is also the Managing Director at SaaS Marketer, where they publish biweekly SaaS growth case study and runs his own podcast: Confessions Of A B2B Marketer. At SaaS Marketer, he also helps SaaS businesses grow with their own profitable podcast. Finally, Tom is an Angel investor at different companies, such as Gleam, Dusk Foundation, Taz.com, Ebsta, Parabola Labs and Stashbee. During this interview we cover: Exiting his first business after get burnt out Deciding on moving forward on a startup vs. shutting down at Repairly The value of launching your own podcast for your startup Why he decided to start angel investing in startups Underrated growth hacks that startup founders should consider and work really wellLinks and mentions:<a href="bcast.fm">BCast.Fm</a> <a href="https://saasmarketer.io/blog/">SaaS Marketer</a> Get in touch with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomhuntio/ More about Akeel: Twitter LinkedIn Saas PodcastSaaS ConsultingHow to Value a SaaS Company
S1 Ep 9How to Find your Next Disruptive Ideas for your Startup with Dan Sallis | Podcast #9
In today’s episode, Dan Sallis joins us for a 1-on-1 interview on the SaaS District podcast.Dan is a Software Architect and Database Designer. He is an expert in Software Development, E-commerce, Enterprise Software and Strategic Planning. He is also a serial entrepreneur and Co-Founder and CEO of Cynch! (formerly OrderStorm), a global provider of the next generation of ERP.Cynch is a unified commerce platform that enables small to large enterprises to manage their sales and services both offline and online including online commerce, in-store sales, CRM, inventory, purchasing, and after-sales operations including repair, warranty claims, service contracts, and 3rd party repair operations.Dan is also the founder of Repair Storm, an all-in-one platform built for growing and optimizing the modern service center and repair business.The application is designed to save time automating tedious tasks and delivering a professional, smooth experience to both workers and customers.During this interview we cover:Finding a disruptive product in an industry that others may find boringHow he previously hired one junior sales rep close 157 stores in 15 monthsHis proven model for his sales and and growth processDan's framework on how to uncover new business models that are worth exploring in 2020Links and mentions:Cynch!Get in touch with Dan: [email protected] about Akeel:Twitter LinkedIn Saas PodcastSaaS ConsultingHow to Value a SaaS Company--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
S1 Ep 8Validating and Building your Startup through Industry and Corporate pain points with Thomas Petersen | Podcast #8
In today’s episode, Thomas Petersen (@Hello_World) joins us for a 1-on-1 interview on the SaaS District podcast.Thomas is a serial entrepreneur and startup expert in Service & Product Design, Innovation, Branding, UI/UX and just generally building great innovative Start-Ups from scratch. He has worked with hundreds of different organizations spanning from early stage startups all the way to large Fortune 500 companies. Thomas also co-founded Hello Group in 2006 which was sold to NOA Group in 2018, while spending time with a company called 80/20 before they were acquired by Square in 2012.He was the Creative Director at Square for 5 years, where he developed some of the core products and services that exist there today, taking it from a start-up idea all the way until their successful IPO.He is now the Co-Founder and CEO at First Principle, a Creative Venture Studio focused on starting, helping and funding businesses, including founding several companies such as WeekendHacker and Ghostnote. At First Principle, Thomas and his team help entrepreneurs and corporations create category defining products around the world. Some industry leaders they’ve worked with to build these startups, include: Adobe, Intel, Verizon, HP, Fidelity, Sony, Google, CitiBank, Nokia, Amazon among many others.During this interview we cover:Creative Venture Studios: what they doValidating your ideasRanking idea productsUnderrated growth strategies for startupsThe importance of design principlesLinks and mentions:First PrincipleGet in touch with Thomas:🐦Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hello_WorldMore about Akeel:Twitter LinkedIn Saas PodcastSaaS ConsultingHow to Value a SaaS Company--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
S1 Ep 7Bootstrapping Your Startup to Acquisition with Einar Vollset from TinySeed | Podcast #7 [SDI]
Einar (@einarvollset) is currently the Co-Founder and General Partner at Tinyseed, a remote-based startup accelerator designed for early stage, bootstrapped SaaS Founders which provides funding, community, guidance, advice and mentorship.He is also the Managing Partner of Discretion Capital, a technology enabled Investment Bank focused on M&A, due diligence and strategic partnership development for tech & technology enabled services businesses.Einar was a professor of Computer Science at Cornell University. He is a serial entrepreneur who founded many companies like ReMail which was acquired by Google in 2010, Octopus Mercantile, and AppAftercare, a company which was built from scratch, with zero outside funding, which was completely bootstrapped from zero revenue until acquisition in 2016.Einar was also CEO at Left Coast R&D, and an advisor at Trigger.io and Biomeme.During this interview we cover:Exiting to big corporations like GoogleManaging the investment strategy during a crisisThe importance of having a specific investment criteria and what he looks for in funding startupsInitial traction and acceleration programsBenefits of Bootstrapping vs. VC funding of your startupLinks and mentions:Tinyseed.comDiscretioncapital.comGet in touch with Einar:🐦Twitter: https://twitter.com/einarvollsetMore about Akeel:Twitter LinkedIn Saas PodcastSaaS ConsultingHow to Value a SaaS Company
S1 Ep 6How to Unlock your Potential and Become a More Effective CEO and Leader for your Startup with Mark Green | Podcast #6
Mark (@MarkEGreen) is a Speaker, Author, Strategic Advisor and a Business & Leadership Growth Coach. He facilitates workshops with executive teams to help them stay on track, hit their goals and continue growing.He coaches CEOs and executive teams all over the world, where he’s worked with thousands of different business leaders, helping them unlock more of their potential and also teaching them how to do the same for their teams.Mark is also a Certified Behavioral Analyst, a Certified Values Analyst, and a Certified Attribute Index Analyst. He is the founder and president of Performance Dynamic Group, where he helps organizations accelerate their revenue and profit growth. We’ll share Mark’s expertise and advice in today’s interview.During this interview we cover:Being a more effective leader for your teamLeadership habitsInspiring your team to become more productiveAccountability practices for your startupImportance of developing your networkLinks and mentions:mark-green.comActivators: A CEO's Guide to Clearer Thinking and Getting Things Done by Mark GreenCreating a Culture of Accountability by Mark GreenTwitter: @MarkEGreenLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachmarkgreen/More about Akeel:Twitter LinkedIn SaaS PodcastsSaaS ConsultantHow To Value Your SaaS Company--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
S1 Ep 5Generating High Quality B2B Leads Through LInkedIn for Your Startup with Isaac Anderson | Podcast #5
Isaac (@realzeeko) has his LinkedIn Industry Top 1% SSI certification meaning. Meaning he is an all LinkedIn Expert. Including marketing, consulting, conversion optimization, and business strategy.He was the former COO at an online marketing agency, TEV Marketing, where they specialized in LinkedIn, Adwords, and SEO.Isaac is currently the CEO of Zeeko, a platform that uses LinkedIn to create real, meaningful relationships between clients and customers so that businesses can improve their ROI.He is also a LinkedIn instructor and educator at Data Driven U, an online training program platform for people who want to master the skills of digital marketing. He has a video course: “LinkedIn Jumpstart”: to teach other business owners how to use LinkedIn to do market research and create relationship-driven leads, which we’ll cover more on today’s interview.During this interview we cover:Running an effective LinkedIn CampaignCold Email Outreach vs LinkedInEngagement through targeted outreachHow to leverage semi personalized messagingTop tools for prospecting leadsThe Quad MethodROI through lead generationContent sharing strategies through LinkedInLinks and mentions:Zeeko.io LinkedIn Outreach Bootcamp CourseTwitter: @realzeekoLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zeeko/Get in touch with Akeel:Twitter LinkedIn Saas PodcastSaaS ConsultingHow to Value a SaaS Company---Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
Ep 4How to Validate and Launch a Successful Product in the Market with Mike Watts | Podcast #4
In this episode, Mike Watts (@mike100w) joins us for a 1-on-1 interview on the SaaS District podcast.Mike is an experienced entrepreneur who has 6 startup companies under his belt including founding three consecutive multi-million dollar companies in the last 10 years. He has successful exits from three companies including one for over $6 million, and he had a business partnership with Shark Tank famous: Daymond John.He currently serves as Founder and CEO of LoveHandle, a fast-growing American manufacturer of custom smartphone grips. His products which have been featured on Good Morning America, QVC, HSN, The Today Show and sold through major retailers such as Walmart, CVS, Home Depot, Lowe’s, RiteAid, Office Depot and more.Mike is also a regular keynote speaker for entrepreneur and inventor group, a guest professor at Texas AM University's entrepreneur program in College Station, a 2-time winner of the Aggie 100 Award for fastest growing companies and has been listed on the Fortune 5000. In today’s interview Mike shares his tips and experience on how to overcome the market’s most challenging scenarios.During this interview we cover:Challenges when starting off as an entrepreneurSourcing and manufacturing a product during a crisisFinding a reliable supplier for your productIncreasing the odds for successFinding a valuable investor/mentorSteps on overcoming the “perfect” ideaValidating your business modelDealing with competitionLinks and mentions:LoveHandle's Website: https://www.lovehandle.com/Get in touch with Mike:Linkedin Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-watts-21402578/Twitter: https://twitter.com/mike100wInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikewatts/Get in touch with Akeel: Twitter LinkedIn Best Rated SaaS PodcastsLearn About Our SaaS ConsultingLearn How to Value a SaaS Company---Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
Ep 3How to Run More Effective Growth Experiments with Your Startup with Emilia Chagas, CEO of Growth Hackers | Podcast #3
In today's episode, Emilia Chagas joins us for a 1-on-1 interview on the SaaS District podcast.Emilia is an expert in online marketing, enterprise content management, content strategy, growth hacking, and entrepreneurship. She started her career as a content manager at a marketing agency, managing multiple projects for enterprises and SMB’s. In 2015, Emilia founded ContenTools, a streamline content creation software. Ever since then, she has been a full-time serial entrepreneur. Last year, Contentools joined operations with GrowthHackers, a company originally founded by Sean Ellis, to offer a full stack of software for growth and marketing using A.I. at its core.Emilia is currently the CEO of GrowthHackers, an online community for the growth-obsessed to connect and get inspired by other top marketers in the industry. In today's interview, Emilia shares her experience on how she managed to grow her company to the point it is today.During this interview we cover:Building and maintaining a network for growthEffective channels for growthGrowth strategies for startupsGrowth through acquisitionGrowth acceleration programsTools for GrowthHackingGrowth ExperimentsLinks and mentions:Growth Master Training Course: https://university.growthhackers.com/p/growthmaster-training-courseGrowthHackers website: https://growthhackers.com/GrowthHackers Conference: https://www.growthhackersconference.comGet in touch with Emilia:Email address: [email protected]: https://twitter.com/emilia_chagasLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emiliachagas/ Contact Akeel:Twitter LinkedIn Saas PodcastSaaS ConsultingHow to Value a SaaS Company---Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
Ep 2How to Manage your Startup Through Uncertainty with Arvind Jha | Podcast #2
In this episode, Arvind Jha(@jalajboy) joins us for a 1-on-1 interview on the SaaS District podcast.Arvind is the director and co-founder at Pariksha Labs, a software consulting and development company working with global start-ups and SMEs.He’s the founder of Partee Hai, a lead generation platform & marketplace for party services, and the founder of a cloud video startup, Movico, India's leading video asset management company.Arvind has built and led large software R&D teams for major global players in delivering leading products. His specialty has been in conceptualizing innovative new products and building businesses from scratch. He now mentors tech startups in India. Finally, I’d describe him as a Startup Evangelist, Advisor, and Investor for over 10 companies, including an exit of a notable company, Signals. In our interview, Arvind shares his experience and views on the SaaS industry.During this interview we cover:World’s current environment of the SaaS industryStrategies to plan around uncertaintyMain challenges we can expect to face in the SaaS industryFocusing on a strategy to gain initial tractionGrowing your SaaS business pre and post-investmentStrategic partnershipsInvestment criteria/strategiesLinks and mentions:Get in touch with Arvind:Linkedin Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arvind-jha-6a3512/Twitter: https://twitter.com/jalajboyMore About AkeelTwitter LinkedIn Saas PodcastSaaS ConsultingHow to Value a SaaS Company---Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
S1 Ep 11| Podcast #How to Create Sustainability in Your SaaS Business with Josh Patrick | Podcast #1
In this episode, Josh Patrick joins us for a 1-on-1 interview on the SaaS District podcast.His specialty is helping private business owners grow and create more value in their business. He has over twenty years of experience as an adviser to private businesses. For nineteen years (1976-1995) he owned a vending and food service company, where he managed to take it from 1.5 to 90 employees before successfully selling the business. During that time he admits to having made a lot of mistakes, but now, he uses that experience as part of his advising strategy, which we share throughout the interview.During this interview we cover:Business sustainabilityLessons on how to be a better entrepreneurMaintaining sustainability in your business during a crisisMistakes when seeking for success and financial freedomSetting appropriate expectations for your businessSetting an appropriate Business strategyEffective hiringUnderrated resources to grow your businessOvercoming the “finding the right idea” hurdle and taking actionLinks and mentions:Josh is the author of his Stage 2 blog: “Creating Value” (http://www.stage2planning.com/blog). He’s also a writer for American Express Open as well as Inc.com, The Huffington Post, and Forbes.com.Josh is also the author of the book: “Sustainable: A Fable About Creating a Personally and Economically Sustainable Business”. (https://www.sustainablethebook.com/)He’s the host of the podcast called “The Sustainable Business” (https://sustainablebusiness.co/category/sustainable-business-podcast/), where he talks with leaders to help his audience think about the future of their business and clients.The cash flow code: https://thecashflowcode.com/More About Akeel Twitter LinkedIn More SaaS Podcast Sessions SaaS Consulting ServicesLearn How to Value a SaaS Company---Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message
Episode Zero: Welcome to SaaS District | Newest SaaS Podcasts
We're Live! Time to learn more about everything SaaS.In this episode, our host Akeel Jabber introduces himself and the new SaaS District Podcast.Akeel is a former petroleum engineer turned entrepreneur investor. He runs a micro private equity firm called HoriZen Capital focused specifically in SaaS businesses, where he is a general partner and investment director. Akeel started in the online business world five years ago building, selling, and building websites. He is a serial entrepreneur who has founded several start-up businesses.Before starting HoriZen Capital, Akeel worked with another private equity firm called Wired Investors, where he helped raise limited partnership capital and grew their product-type service and SaaS companies, including 99 Dollar Social. He also worked closely with the CEOs from the company’s portfolio. He collaborated with them to improve operations, growth, marketing, and to become more effective leaders. Akeel’s expertise is getting deep into the trenches of operations, growth, and running a business.Each week, we will have episodes where we will host 1-on-1 interviews with experts from the industry to learn from their experience, stories, and strategies.The SaaS District Podcast is meant for highly driven SaaS founders, operators, Private equity or VC investors, SaaS consultants, SaaS Growth Marketers or anyone who wants to learn more about entrepreneurship, Growth marketing, hiring, raising capital, exiting, scaling, difficult challenges, balance and productivity, bootstrapping, Venture Capital, Private Equity, Investment philosophy, and other topics focused on running a business in the right direction.Links and mentions99 Dollar Social Case Study: https://horizencapital.com/how-we-doubled-reseller-revenue/Learn about HoriZen Capital: https://horizencapital.com/More About Akeel Twitter LinkedIn Best Rated SaaS PodcastsLearn About Our SaaS ConsultingLearn How to Value a SaaS Company---Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/saas-district/message