SaaStr 836: The Step-By-Step Playbook for Building AI-Powered GTM Teams with Personio's CRO Philip Lacor, CRO of Personio, shares his company's journey to building an AI-powered go-to-market motion, including 5 critical lessons learned and 4 real-world use cases delivering measurable results. In this podcast, Philip breaks down: ✅ The 5 lessons for AI transformation: top-down + bottom-up motion, cross-functional teams, prioritization frameworks, building AI culture, and combining great stack with context  ✅ How to build AI-powered workflows that actually work (not just more tools to test)  ✅ Real use cases: Win/loss analysis, expansion SDR assistants, intent scoring, and AI chat ✅ Why their expansion SDRs went from 2 hours of research per day to 15 minutes while doubling pipeline per rep ✅ The truth about AI ROI: where it shows up and how long it takes  ✅ How to get your team excited about AI (not scared of it) Philip doesn't hold back on what's working, what's failed, and what questions they still haven't answered. If you're a CRO, founder, or GTM leader trying to figure out how to actually implement AI beyond the hype, this is the playbook.  --------------------- This episode is Sponsored in part by HappyFox: Imagine having AI agents for every support task — one that triages tickets, another that catches duplicates, one that spots churn risks. That'd be pretty amazing, right? HappyFox just made it real with Autopilot. These pre-built AI agents deploy in about 60 seconds and run for as low as 2 cents per successful action. All of it sits inside the HappyFox omnichannel, AI-first support stack — Chatbot, Copilot, and Autopilot working as one. Check them out at happyfox.com/saastr   ---------------------   Hey everybody, the biggest B2B + AI event of the year will be back - SaaStr AI in the SF Bay Area, aka the SaaStr Annual, will be back in May 2026.    With 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% AI-first professional, this is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.     But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait.    Lock in your spot today by going to podcast.saastrannual.com to get my exclusive discount SaaStr AI SF 2026. We'll see you there. --------------------- More from SaaStr: https://www.saastr.com 📺 Subscribe for more AI & SaaS insights #AIinSales #GTM #SaaStr #AIAgents #SalesAI #RevenueOperations

SaaStr 835: AI + B2B in 2026: Find the Tailwinds or Get Left Behind with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin Software spend is set to hit record levels in 2026, but you're not getting any of it unless you change. SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin breaks down the paradox facing B2B companies right now: It's never been easier to scale to $100M (for a select few), while everyone else struggles. Half of all VC dollars are going into just 4 deals. IPOs ended the year with a whimper. And that AI copilot you built? It doesn't count. In this session, Jason shares the data on what's actually happening and what you need to do to capture your share of the hundreds of billions flowing into software. Key insights: Why "seed is for suckers" in today's VC environment The 3 types of AI products that unlock budget (and the one that doesn't) Why 30% of new IT budget is going to AI and how to steal it The TAM expansion math behind Cursor, Gamma, and AI SDR tools Why copilots and AI features alone won't save you The efficiency metrics every founder needs to track in 2026 If you didn't reaccelerate growth in 2025, you get a D. You can't get a D in 2026. 🎤 Recorded at SaaStr London AI Summit | December 2025  --------------------- This episode is Sponsored in part by HappyFox: Imagine having AI agents for every support task — one that triages tickets, another that catches duplicates, one that spots churn risks. That'd be pretty amazing, right? HappyFox just made it real with Autopilot. These pre-built AI agents deploy in about 60 seconds and run for as low as 2 cents per successful action. All of it sits inside the HappyFox omnichannel, AI-first support stack — Chatbot, Copilot, and Autopilot working as one. Check them out at happyfox.com/saastr   ---------------------   Hey everybody, the biggest B2B + AI event of the year will be back - SaaStr AI in the SF Bay Area, aka the SaaStr Annual, will be back in May 2026.    With 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% AI-first professional, this is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.     But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait.    Lock in your spot today by going to podcast.saastrannual.com to get my exclusive discount SaaStr AI SF 2026. We'll see you there.

SaaStr 834: Why OpenAI Doesn't Pay Sales Commission (And Why It Works) with OpenAI GTM Leader Maggie Hott, and Harry Stebbings, Founder of 20VC Discover how OpenAI's unique approach to B2B sales compensation is changing the game. In this interview with Harry Stebbings, Founder of 20VC, Maggie Hott, OpenAI GTM leadership, shares her experience at OpenAI, including why they don't pay sales commissions, and what B2B sales leaders can learn from this disruptive model. --------------------- This episode is Sponsored in part by HappyFox: Imagine having AI agents for every support task — one that triages tickets, another that catches duplicates, one that spots churn risks. That'd be pretty amazing, right? HappyFox just made it real with Autopilot. These pre-built AI agents deploy in about 60 seconds and run for as low as 2 cents per successful action. All of it sits inside the HappyFox omnichannel, AI-first support stack — Chatbot, Copilot, and Autopilot working as one. Check them out at happyfox.com/saastr --------------------- Hey everybody, the biggest B2B + AI event of the year will be back - SaaStr AI in the SF Bay Area, aka the SaaStr Annual, will be back in May 2026.  With 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% AI-first professional, this is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.   But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait.  Lock in your spot today by going to podcast.saastrannual.com to get my exclusive discount SaaStr AI SF 2026. We'll see you there.

SaaStr 833: AI and the Death of the 2021 Sales Playbook with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin Join SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin from SaaStr London as we tackle pressing topics in AI and sales during an engaging AMA session. From discussing the evolution of inbound vs. outbound sales to detailing the transformative impact of AI on sales roles and outbound strategies, this session covers it all. Learn about the importance of product expertise for selling AI solutions, the rise of AI SDRs, and why knowing your top three problems is crucial for effective outbound marketing. Plus, discover insights on the rapidly improving capabilities of AI agents and their implications for competitive moats. Whether you're a sales professional, marketer, or tech enthusiast, this episode is packed with actionable insights and future trends in the AI landscape.  --------------------- This episode is Sponsored in part by HappyFox: Imagine having AI agents for every support task — one that triages tickets, another that catches duplicates, one that spots churn risks. That'd be pretty amazing, right? HappyFox just made it real with Autopilot. These pre-built AI agents deploy in about 60 seconds and run for as low as 2 cents per successful action. All of it sits inside the HappyFox omnichannel, AI-first support stack — Chatbot, Copilot, and Autopilot working as one. Check them out at happyfox.com/saastr   --------------------- Hey everybody, the biggest B2B + AI event of the year will be back - SaaStr AI in the SF Bay Area, aka the SaaStr Annual, will be back in May 2026.  With 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% AI-first professionals, this is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.   But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait.  Lock in your spot today by going to podcast.saastrannual.com to get my exclusive discount SaaStr AI SF 2026. We'll see you there.

SaaStr 832: How to Use AI to Hyper-Customize Go-To-Market at Scale with SaaStr's CEO and Chief AI Officer In this episode from SaaStr AI London 2025,  SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin and SaaStr's Chief AI Officer, Amelia Lerutte discuss the implementation and optimization of AI SDRs within various business contexts. They focus on key AI agents used for sales processes, data aggregation, and the customization of outbound and inbound messages. Real-world results, like increased email response rates, are highlighted along with practical steps for setting up and training AI SDRs. They also offer advice on selecting the right vendors, the importance of human oversight, and leveraging AI to improve qualification and customer interactions. Key takeaways include how AI can handle more interactions consistently and efficiently and the role of AI in augmenting human sales capabilities.  --------------------- This episode is Sponsored in part by HappyFox: Imagine having AI agents for every support task — one that triages tickets, another that catches duplicates, one that spots churn risks. That'd be pretty amazing, right? HappyFox just made it real with Autopilot. These pre-built AI agents deploy in about 60 seconds and run for as low as 2 cents per successful action. All of it sits inside the HappyFox omnichannel, AI-first support stack — Chatbot, Copilot, and Autopilot working as one. Check them out at happyfox.com/saastr  --------------------- Hey everybody, the biggest B2B + AI event of the year will be back - SaaStr AI in the SF Bay Area, aka the SaaStr Annual, will be back in May 2026.  With 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% AI-first professional, this is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.   But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait.  Lock in your spot today by going to podcast.saastrannual.com to get my exclusive discount SaaStr AI SF 2026. We'll see you there.

SaaStr 831: How We Use 20+ AI Agents for Marketing & Go-to-Market with SaaStr's Chief AI Officer and CEO & Founder Join us for part two of our series on leveraging AI tools for Go-To-Market in B2B/SaaS. In this episode, SaaStr's CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin, and SaaStr's Chief AI Officer, Amelia Lerutte discuss the importance and current state of AI in marketing, highlighting their key tech stack and tools.   They share their experiences and insights in utilizing these tools for creating personalized marketing collateral, automating content repurposing, and optimizing email campaigns with AI. Learn about the convergence of sales and marketing tools, the future of AI in go-to-market strategies, and how specialized AI agents can dramatically improve your outreach, lead generation, and content creation processes.   --------------------- This episode is Sponsored in part by Salesforce: Connect data, automate busywork and empower teams like nobody's business with the one platform that grows with you, every step of the way. Learn how Salesforce works for Startups at salesforce.com/smb.  --------------------- This episode is Sponsored in part by HappyFox: Imagine having AI agents for every support task — one that triages tickets, another that catches duplicates, one that spots churn risks. That'd be pretty amazing, right? HappyFox just made it real with Autopilot. These pre-built AI agents deploy in about 60 seconds and run for as low as 2 cents per successful action. All of it sits inside the HappyFox omnichannel, AI-first support stack — Chatbot, Copilot, and Autopilot working as one. Check them out at happyfox.com/saastr ---------------------   Hey everybody, the biggest B2B + AI event of the year will be back - SaaStr AI in the SF Bay Area, aka the SaaStr Annual, will be back in May 2026.  With 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% AI-first professional, this is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.   But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait.  Lock in your spot today by going to podcast.saastrannual.com to get my exclusive discount SaaStr AI SF 2026. We'll see you there.

SaaStr 830: 6 Months Later, How Our AI SDRs Actually Work as AI Runs GTM with SaaStr's CEO and Chief AI Officer In this episode, SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin and SaaStr's Chief AI Officer, Amelia Lerutte delve into their journey of integrating AI into our go-to-market strategy over the past six months. Starting with just one AI agent before SaaStr Annual in May, we've scaled to roughly 20 core agents by November, covering various use cases across marketing, sales, customer support, and operations. Together they discuss the specifics of our AI implementations, the tools we have deployed, including Artisan, Qualified, and Salesforce's AgentForce, and share valuable insights on their performance, benefits, and challenges. Tune in to learn about the unexpected outcomes, the time and management required, and the significant impact on our efficiency and revenue.   --------------------- This episode is Sponsored in part by Salesforce: Connect data, automate busywork and empower teams like nobody's business with the one platform that grows with you, every step of the way. Learn how Salesforce works for Startups at salesforce.com/smb.    --------------------- This episode is Sponsored in part by HappyFox: Imagine having AI agents for every support task — one that triages tickets, another that catches duplicates, one that spots churn risks. That'd be pretty amazing, right? HappyFox just made it real with Autopilot. These pre-built AI agents deploy in about 60 seconds and run for as low as 2 cents per successful action. All of it sits inside the HappyFox omnichannel, AI-first support stack — Chatbot, Copilot, and Autopilot working as one. Check them out at happyfox.com/saastr

SaaStr 829: A Hands-On Guide to SaaStr's New AI Tools with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin We delve into the functionalities of our SaaStr AI tools, including the AI Mentor, which has been engaged over 100,000 times, providing answers to various startup-related queries.   You'll see a demonstration of how our AI VC tools, including a startup valuation calculator, pitch deck analyzer, and benchmarking tool, work effectively to help startups understand their valuations, get honest feedback on pitch decks, and connect with VCs.   Additionally, explore our newly launched VC matchmaking system and other AI agents that have been integral in automating and enhancing SaaStr's operations. Experience these tools firsthand and discover how they can add value to your startup journey. Visit SaaStr.ai to access these tools for free and see the comprehensive suite of AI agents that we use.   00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:14 Exploring SaaStr AI Tools 01:15 Deep Dive into Digital Jason 04:20 AI VC Tools and Fundraising 05:26 Startup Valuation Calculator 06:07 Pitch Deck Analyzer 16:16 Benchmarking Your Startup 18:51 VC Matchmaking and Research 21:58 Conclusion and Q&A   --------------------- This episode is Sponsored in part by Salesforce: Connect data, automate busywork and empower teams like nobody's business with the one platform that grows with you, every step of the way. Learn how Salesforce works for Startups at salesforce.com/smb.   --------------------- If you're serious about B2B and AI, you need to be in London this December.   SaaStr AI London is bringing together more than 2,000 leaders and founders for two days of practical advice on scaling into the new year.    We'll have speakers flying in from OpenAI, Wiz, Clay, Intercom, and all your favorite SaaS companies, including yours truly with Harry Stebbings for a live 20VC podcast. It'll be fun, and it's all in the heart of London.    Don't miss out: get your tickets with my exclusive discount by going to podcast.saastrlondon.com   ---------------------   Hey everybody, the biggest B2B + AI event of the year will be back - SaaStr AI in the SF Bay Area, aka the SaaStr Annual, will be back in May 2026.    With 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% AI-first professional, this is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.     But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait.    Lock in your spot today by going to podcast.saastrannual.com to get my exclusive discount SaaStr AI SF 2026. We'll see you there.

SaaStr 828: The AI Revolution in B2B: Insights from SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin and SaaStr Chief AI Officer Amelia Lerutte, and Qualified's CEO Kraig Swensrud Join Kraig Swensrud, founder and CEO of Qualified, as he sits down with Jason Lemkin, CEO & Founder SaaStr, and Amelia LeRutte, Chief AI Officer at SaaStr. In this insightful discussion, they explore the current landscape of AI in business, including the challenges and opportunities of integrating AI agents into companies. From the importance of training to the pressures of staying ahead in AI adoption, this conversation offers actionable advice for both startups and established enterprises looking to innovate. Get ready to dive deep into the transformative power of AI in the go-to-market strategies and beyond.  --------------------- This episode is Sponsored in part by Salesforce: Connect data, automate busywork and empower teams like nobody's business with the one platform that grows with you, every step of the way. Learn how Salesforce works for Startups at salesforce.com/smb.  --------------------- This episode is Sponsored in part by Intercom: Fin is the #1 AI Agent for resolving complex queries like refunds, transaction disputes, and technical troubleshooting—all with speed and reliability. See how Fin can deliver the highest resolution rates and highest-quality customer experience at fin.ai/saastr. --------------------- If you're serious about B2B and AI, you need to be in London this December. SaaStr AI London is bringing together more than 2,000 leaders and founders for two days of practical advice on scaling into the new year.  We'll have speakers flying in from OpenAI, Wiz, Clay, Intercom, and all your favorite SaaS companies, including yours truly with Harry Stebbings for a live 20VC podcast. It'll be fun, and it's all in the heart of London.  Don't miss out: get your tickets with my exclusive discount by going to podcast.saastrlondon.com --------------------- Hey everybody, the biggest B2B + AI event of the year will be back - SaaStr AI in the SF Bay Area, aka the SaaStr Annual, will be back in May 2026.  With 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% AI-first professional, this is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.   But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait.  Lock in your spot today by going to podcast.saastrannual.com to get my exclusive discount SaaStr AI SF 2026. We'll see you there.

Brett Queener is Partner at Bonfire Ventures, a $1B AUM seed-stage fund writing $3-4M checks into application software companies. He was employee #70 at Salesforce.com, where he built go-to-market, launched the AppExchange, and helped scale the company from its earliest days. Previously, he worked at Siebel Systems (the fastest-growing software company of its era) and ran a B2B startup (SmartRecruiters) from pre-revenue to $100M ARR. He writes about the changing software industry in real-time at his Substack. He came to SaaStr Annual + AI Summit for a deep dive on AI and Product. This episode explores the evolution of application software, the increasing pace of product innovation, and the new challenges and opportunities faced by founders. Key topics include the commoditization of tech stacks, the impact of AI on software development, and the importance of rapid product iteration. Learn how to build differentiated products that stand out in a fast-changing landscape, the critical role of onboarding in customer success, and why staying nimble is more essential than ever. Whether you're an entrepreneur or an investor, this discussion offers valuable insights for thriving in today's tech-driven market.   --------------------- This episode is Sponsored in part by Salesforce: Connect data, automate busywork and empower teams like nobody's business with the one platform that grows with you, every step of the way. Learn how Salesforce works for Startups at salesforce.com/smb.    ---------------------   This episode is Sponsored in part by Intercom:   Fin is the #1 AI Agent for resolving complex queries like refunds, transaction disputes, and technical troubleshooting—all with speed and reliability. See how Fin can deliver the highest resolution rates and highest-quality customer experience at fin.ai/saastr.   --------------------- If you're serious about B2B and AI, you need to be in London this December.   SaaStr AI London is bringing together more than 2,000 leaders and founders for two days of practical advice on scaling into the new year.    We'll have speakers flying in from OpenAI, Wiz, Clay, Intercom, and all your favorite SaaS companies, including yours truly with Harry Stebbings for a live 20VC podcast. It'll be fun, and it's all in the heart of London.    Don't miss out: get your tickets with my exclusive discount by going to podcast.saastrlondon.com   ---------------------   Hey everybody, the biggest B2B + AI event of the year will be back - SaaStr AI in the SF Bay Area, aka the SaaStr Annual, will be back in May 2026.    With 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% AI-first professional, this is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.     But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait.    Lock in your spot today by going to podcast.saastrannual.com to get my exclusive discount SaaStr AI SF 2026. We'll see you there.

In this comprehensive session, SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin dives into the latest trends and developments in AI, particularly in the go-to-market (GTM) sector. The session outlines how innovative AI tools are transforming businesses, from AI SDRs and BDRs to forward-deployed engineers. Leaders in the industry are pushing the boundaries, showing higher growth rates and superior marketing efficiency. We also discuss the importance of hands-on deployment and training of AI tools to achieve success, and analyze the current and future impact of AI on B2B companies. Tune in for detailed insights and learn how to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving world of AI. --------------------- 

This episode is Sponsored in part by Salesforce:

 Connect data, automate busywork and empower teams like nobody's business with the one platform that grows with you, every step of the way. Learn how Salesforce works for Startups at salesforce.com/smb.   --------------------- This episode is Sponsored in part by Intercom:
 Fin is the #1 AI Agent for resolving complex queries like refunds, transaction disputes, and technical troubleshooting—all with speed and reliability. See how Fin can deliver the highest resolution rates and highest-quality customer experience at fin.ai/saastr.  --------------------- If you're serious about B2B and AI, you need to be in London this December.   SaaStr AI London is bringing together more than 2,000 leaders and founders for two days of practical advice on scaling into the new year.    We'll have speakers flying in from OpenAI, Wiz, Clay, Intercom, and all your favorite SaaS companies, including yours truly with Harry Stebbings for a live 20VC podcast. It'll be fun, and it's all in the heart of London.    Don't miss out: get your tickets with my exclusive discount by going to podcast.saastrlondon.com   ---------------------   Hey everybody, the biggest B2B + AI event of the year will be back - SaaStr AI in the SF Bay Area, aka the SaaStr Annual, will be back in May 2026.    With 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% AI-first professional, this is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.     But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait.    Lock in your spot today by going to podcast.saastrannual.com to get my exclusive discount SaaStr AI SF 2026. We'll see you there.

SaaStr 825: How the AI Era Has Directly Impacted Marketing and Sales with Snowflake's CMO and Founding CRO Join us for an insightful episode discussing the impact of AI on marketing and sales at Snowflake. Hosts Chris Degnan, founding CRO of Snowflake, and Denise Persson, CMO at Snowflake, delve into how AI has revolutionized their operations. They share key learnings from Snowflake's data cloud market strategies and their record-breaking IPO. Discover the significance of company culture, security, and a centralized data foundation in leveraging AI. Hear about Snowflake's AI Council, customer use cases, task automation, and the consolidation of intelligence teams. Don't miss this comprehensive discussion on the transformative role of AI in the enterprise and valuable hiring insights for staying ahead in the AI era. 00:00 Introduction and Speaker Backgrounds 02:05 Impact of AI on Company Culture 05:09 Snowflake's AI Strategy and Data Security 08:03 AI Use Cases in Marketing 21:26 AI Use Cases in Sales 29:42 Governance and Security in AI Implementation 32:10 AI's Influence on Hiring and Company Growth 34:58 Closing Thoughts and Resources  --------------------- This episode is Sponsored in part by Salesforce: Connect data, automate busywork and empower teams like nobody's business with the one platform that grows with you, every step of the way. Learn how Salesforce works for Startups at salesforce.com/smb.  --------------------- This episode is Sponsored in part by Intercom:
  Fin is the #1 AI Agent for resolving complex queries like refunds, transaction disputes, and technical troubleshooting—all with speed and reliability. See how Fin can deliver the highest resolution rates and highest-quality customer experience at fin.ai/saastr. --------------------- If you're serious about B2B and AI, you need to be in London this December.   SaaStr AI London is bringing together more than 2,000 leaders and founders for two days of practical advice on scaling into the new year.    We'll have speakers flying in from OpenAI, Wiz, Clay, Intercom, and all your favorite SaaS companies, including yours truly with Harry Stebbings for a live 20VC podcast. It'll be fun, and it's all in the heart of London.    Don't miss out: get your tickets with my exclusive discount by going to podcast.saastrlondon.com   ---------------------   Hey everybody, the biggest B2B + AI event of the year will be back - SaaStr AI in the SF Bay Area, aka the SaaStr Annual, will be back in May 2026.    With 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% AI-first professional, this is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.     But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait.    Lock in your spot today by going to podcast.saastrannual.com to get my exclusive discount SaaStr AI SF 2026. We'll see you there.

SaaStr 824: VC in the AI Era - Exactly What's Getting Funded, Why & When with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin In this episode, SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin delves into the current state of venture capital (VC) funding, informed by data from over a thousand reviewed pitch decks and approximately 400,000 startup valuations on SaaStr AI. Learn about the latest trends, what VCs are looking for, and what it takes to secure funding in today's market. We'll discuss the performance metrics and benchmarks necessary for SaaS and AI startups and how AI-native companies are reshaping investment dynamics. Discover SaaStr AI's new tools, including pitch deck reviews and real-time valuation benchmarks, to help you understand where your startup stands and improve your funding prospects.   00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:41 VC Funding Trends and Insights 02:11 Top Quartile SaaS Benchmarks 03:14 AI Native Companies and Hypergrowth 08:00 Public vs. Private Company Growth Expectations 10:22 VC Funding Criteria and Expectations 15:35 SaaStr AI Tools and Resources 20:15 Practical Advice for Founders 26:26 Conclusion and Final Thoughts    --------------------- This episode of the SaaStr podcast is Sponsored by Salesforce: Connect data, automate busywork and empower teams like nobody's business with the one platform that grows with you, every step of the way. Learn how Salesforce works for Startups at salesforce.com/smb.  --------------------- This episode of the SaaStr podcast is Sponsored by Intercom:  Fin is the #1 AI Agent for resolving complex queries like refunds, transaction disputes, and technical troubleshooting—all with speed and reliability. See how Fin can deliver the highest resolution rates and highest-quality customer experience at fin.ai/saastr.  --------------------- If you're serious about B2B and AI, you need to be in London this December.   SaaStr AI London is bringing together more than 2,000 leaders and founders for two days of practical advice on scaling into the new year.    We'll have speakers flying in from OpenAI, Wiz, Clay, Intercom, and all your favorite SaaS companies, including yours truly with Harry Stebbings for a live 20VC podcast. It'll be fun, and it's all in the heart of London.    Don't miss out: get your tickets with my exclusive discount by going to podcast.saastrlondon.com   ---------------------   Hey everybody, the biggest B2B + AI event of the year will be back - SaaStr AI in the SF Bay Area, aka the SaaStr Annual, will be back in May 2026.    With 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% AI-first professional, this is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.     But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait.    Lock in your spot today by going to podcast.saastrannual.com to get my exclusive discount SaaStr AI SF 2026. We'll see you there.

SaaStr 823: Is GTM Really Dead?! with SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin In this episode, Jason Lemkin, SaaStr CEO and Founder, addresses common misconceptions about traditional go-to-market strategies in the age of AI. Despite claims that outbound marketing, SEO, and old-school tactics are dead, the speaker highlights how leading AI companies are successfully employing these methods with minor tweaks. Drawing from the success stories of OpenAI, Notion, Dialpad, and others, the presenter emphasizes the importance of high-quality content, dynamic sales tactics, and the unmatched potential of AI-driven tools like AI SDRs. He also discusses the necessity of providing substantial ROI from day one and urges marketers to reassess and improve their strategies rather than dismiss them as obsolete. Finally, practical advice is given on optimizing sales and marketing efforts to tap into the booming AI budget effectively.   This episode is sponsored by:   Fin is the #1 AI Agent for resolving complex queries like refunds, transaction disputes, and technical troubleshooting—all with speed and reliability. See how Fin can deliver the highest resolution rates and highest-quality customer experience at fin.ai/saastr.  This episode is sponsored by: You didn't create a startup to run a small business. Let Salesforce help you connect data, automate busywork and empower employees on the only platform you'll ever need, no matter how big you get. With smarter AI and built-in collaboration tools like Slack, the sky's the limit. Learn how Salesforce works for startups at salesforce.com/smb.   Hey everybody, SaaStr AI in London is this December and we're on track to completely sell out.    Join 2,000 B2B + AI leaders for two days of practical advice on scaling into the new year.  We'll have speakers flying in from OpenAI, Wiz, Clay, Intercom, and all your favorite SaaS companies, including yours truly with Harry Stebbings for a live 20VC podcast. It'll be fun, and it's all in the heart of London.  Don't miss out: get your tickets while you still can by going to podcast.saastrlondon.com

SaaStr 822: SaaStr's Top 10+ AI Agents: AI SDR, AI BDR, AI RevOps + More: The How, The Who, The Why with SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin Join us in this comprehensive deep dive into the use of AI agents within SaaStr's operations, as requested by many of our followers.  Led by SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin, and SaaStr Chief AI Officer, Amelia Lerutte, we'll detail our journey from having no AI at the start of the year to utilizing 20 different AI agents, including 11 core ones that we rely on daily. Learn from our insights on our most utilized AI agents, their workings, actual data, and how we manage them for optimal results. Discover specific tools like Artisan, Qualified, Gamma, and Replit, and understand how they're integrated into our outbound, inbound, and sales processes. This episode also covers how we've internally developed AI-powered solutions for speaker application reviews, content review, startup valuation, and more. If you're interested in bringing intelligent automation to your business, this session offers practical advice and firsthand experiences to guide you on your AI journey. --------------------- This episode is brought to you by Intercom:   Fin is the #1 AI Agent for resolving complex queries like refunds, transaction disputes, and technical troubleshooting—all with speed and reliability. See how Fin can deliver the highest resolution rates and highest-quality customer experience at fin.ai/saastr.   --------------------- If you're serious about B2B and AI, you need to be in London this December.   SaaStr AI London is bringing together more than 2,000 leaders and founders for two days of practical advice on scaling into the new year.    We'll have speakers flying in from OpenAI, Wiz, Clay, Intercom, and all your favorite SaaS companies, including yours truly with Harry Stebbings for a live 20VC podcast. It'll be fun, and it's all in the heart of London.    Don't miss out: get your tickets with my exclusive discount by going to podcast.saastrlondon.com   ---------------------   Hey everybody, the biggest B2B + AI event of the year will be back - SaaStr AI in the SF Bay Area, aka the SaaStr Annual, will be back in May 2026.    With 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% AI-first professional, this is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.     But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait.    Lock in your spot today by going to podcast.saastrannual.com to get my exclusive discount SaaStr AI SF 2026. We'll see you there.

SaaStr 821: Swapping Stories - Building AI-First Companies: Insights from Zapier's CEO and Co-Founder Wade Foster Join us for an in-depth conversation with Wade Foster, co-founder and CEO of Zapier, on the SaaStr AI Swapping Stories Podcast! Wade shares how Zapier is leading the way in AI-powered automation, the evolution from simple workflows to agentic systems, and why AI fluency is now a must-have for every new hire. In this episode, we discuss: The journey of Zapier from integration tool to AI orchestration platform Real-world examples of agentic workflows and automation at scale How Zapier's culture embraces "don't be a robot, build a robot" The impact of AI on sales, customer success, and internal operations Tips for companies looking to hire and upskill for an AI-first future The latest trends in AI tools, including voice-to-text and workflow automation Whether you're a founder, operator, or just curious about the future of work, this episode is packed with actionable insights and inspiration. And see you at Zapconnect next week (sign up here - it's free.)  -----------------------------------------------------------------------    Fin is the #1 AI Agent for resolving complex queries like refunds, transaction disputes, and technical troubleshooting—all with speed and reliability. See how Fin can deliver the highest resolution rates and highest-quality customer experience at fin.ai/saastr.  --------------------- If you're serious about B2B and AI, you need to be in London this December 2nd and 3rd.   SaaStr AI London is bringing together more than 2,000 leaders and founders for two days of practical advice on scaling into the new year.  We'll have speakers flying in from OpenAI, Wiz, Clay, Intercom, and all your favorite SaaS companies, including yours truly with Harry Stebbings for a live 20VC podcast. It'll be fun, and it's all in the heart of London.  Don't miss out: get your tickets with my exclusive discount by going to podcast.saastrlondon.com ---------------------   Hey everybody, the biggest B2B + AI event of the year will be back - SaaStr AI in the SF Bay Area, aka the SaaStr Annual, will be back in May 2026.    With 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% AI-first professional, this is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.     But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait.    Lock in your spot today by going to podcast.saastrannual.com to get my exclusive discount SaaStr AI SF 2026. We'll see you there.

SaaStr 820: The Complete Guide  to Vibe Coding  Without a Developer with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin Join us in this episode as we dive into the world of vibe coding with a prosumer approach. SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin shares his extensive journey of building production-ready applications without a developer, using platforms like Replit and Lovable. From initial excitement to hard-earned lessons, learn about the strengths, challenges, and key takeaways from creating and deploying vibe-coded apps. Discover why the hype around 'building an app in 20 minutes' is often misleading, and understand the importance of thorough planning, competitive research, and mastering your platform. Whether you're a founder, aspiring app creator, or tech enthusiast, this episode will provide valuable insights into the future of no-code and low-code development.   ----------------------- This episode is sponsored by Intercom  Fin is the #1 AI Agent for resolving complex queries like refunds, transaction disputes, and technical troubleshooting—all with speed and reliability. See how Fin can deliver the highest resolution rates and highest-quality customer experience at fin.ai/saastr. --------------------- If you're serious about B2B and AI, you need to be in London this December 2nd and 3rd.   SaaStr AI London is bringing together more than 2,000 leaders and founders for two days of practical advice on scaling into the new year.    We'll have speakers flying in from OpenAI, Wiz, Clay, Intercom, and all your favorite SaaS companies, including yours truly with Harry Stebbings for a live 20VC podcast. It'll be fun, and it's all in the heart of London.    Don't miss out: get your tickets with my exclusive discount by going to podcast.saastrlondon.com   ---------------------   Hey everybody, the biggest B2B + AI event of the year will be back - SaaStr AI in the SF Bay Area, aka the SaaStr Annual, will be back in May 2026.    With 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% AI-first professional, this is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.     But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait.    Lock in your spot today by going to podcast podcast.saastrannual.com to get my exclusive discount SaaStr AI SF 2026. We'll see you there.

SaaStr 819: Swapping Notes on the AI Revolution in Marketing with G2's CMO Sydney Sloan Welcome to Swapping Notes, a new SaaStr podcast series where we cut through the AI hype and get real about who's doing what with AI in B2B.  Amelia LeRutte, Chief AI Officer at SaaStr, and co-host Guillaume Cabane, Co-Founder and General Partner at HyperGrowth Partners, sit down with AI leaders from the companies to share notes and stories on what's working in AI.  In this episode, we swap notes with G2's CMO, Sydney Sloan. Together, we deep dive into the evolving role of AI in marketing and buyer behavior. We explore how AI is reshaping the buying process, the significance of brand trust, and the future of web experiences. The episode also covers the importance of AI orchestration roles and practical advice for founders and CMOs to adapt to the rapid advancements in AI tools and strategies. Tune in to discover insights on how to effectively integrate AI into your marketing efforts and stay ahead in the dynamic landscape. ---------------------   Fin is the #1 AI Agent for resolving complex queries like refunds, transaction disputes, and technical troubleshooting—all with speed and reliability. See how Fin can deliver the highest resolution rates and highest-quality customer experience at fin.ai/saastr. --------------------- If you're serious about B2B and AI, you need to be in London this December 2nd and 3rd.   SaaStr AI London is bringing together more than 2,000 leaders and founders for two days of practical advice on scaling into the new year.    We'll have speakers flying in from OpenAI, Wiz, Clay, Intercom, and all your favorite SaaS companies, including yours truly with Harry Stebbings for a live 20VC podcast. It'll be fun, and it's all in the heart of London.    Don't miss out: get your tickets with my exclusive discount by going to podcast.saastrlondon.com   ---------------------   Hey everybody, the biggest B2B + AI event of the year will be back - SaaStr AI in the SF Bay Area, aka the SaaStr Annual, will be back in May 2026.    With 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% AI-first professional, this is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.     But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait.    Lock in your spot today by going to podcast podcast.saastrannual.com to get my exclusive discount SaaStr AI SF 2026. We'll see you there.

SaaStr 818: Anthropic, Cursor, Fal & Bessemer: The Realities of Scaling AI Join Talia Goldberg (Bessemer Venture Partners), Kelly Loftus (Anthropic), Jacob Jackson (Cursor), and Gorkem Yurtseven (FaL - Feautres and Labels) as they discuss the evolving landscape of AI, business models, metrics, and the future of generative media.  00:00 - Introduction & Panelist Bios 01:19 - How AI Companies Are Changing Metrics 02:20 - The New Economics: Margins, Growth, and Pricing 04:41 - Usage-Based Models & The Cost to Serve 06:31 - The Impact of Expensive Models on Margins 08:00 - Go-To-Market Team Structures at Anthropic 09:36 - Scaling Sales Teams & The Quota Debate 12:01 - Hiring and Team Building Tactics 14:47 - How AI Is Used Internally at These Companies 17:47 - Key Decisions & Pivots in Company Journeys 20:07 - Collaboration vs. Competition: Cursor & Anthropic 22:23 - Measuring Productivity Gains from AI 24:26 - The Metrics That Matter Most 27:16 - Final Thoughts & Audience Q&A   --------------------- Fin is the #1 AI Agent for resolving complex queries like refunds, transaction disputes, and technical troubleshooting—all with speed and reliability. See how Fin can deliver the highest resolution rates and highest-quality customer experience at fin.ai/saastr. --------------------- If you're serious about B2B and AI, you need to be in London this December 2nd and 3rd.   SaaStr AI London is bringing together more than 2,000 leaders and founders for two days of practical advice on scaling into the new year.    We'll have speakers flying in from OpenAI, Wiz, Clay, Intercom, and all your favorite SaaS companies, including yours truly with Harry Stebbings for a live 20VC podcast. It'll be fun, and it's all in the heart of London.    Don't miss out: get your tickets with my exclusive discount by going to podcast.saastrlondon.com   ---------------------   Hey everybody, the biggest B2B + AI event of the year will be back - SaaStr AI in the SF Bay Area, aka the SaaStr Annual, will be back in May 2026.    With 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% AI-first professional, this is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.     But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait.    Lock in your spot today by going to podcast podcast.saastrannual.com to get my exclusive discount SaaStr AI SF 2026. We'll see you there.

div]:bg-bg-000/50 [&_pre>div]:border-0.5 [&_pre>div]:border-border-400 [&_.ignore-pre-bg>div]:bg-transparent [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8"> _*]:min-w-0 standard-markdown"> SaaStr 817: What Happens When AI Kills Your SaaS Growth? Live Q&A with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin In this Q&A session from SaaStr Annual, Jason Lemkin delivers hard truths about how AI is reshaping the entire SaaS landscape. No sugarcoating, no feel-good platitudes - just the brutal reality of what's happening to B2B companies right now. What You'll Learn: Why 80% of B2B investors now only do AI deals (and what that means for traditional SaaS) The real reason $100M revenue companies are suddenly hitting growth walls Why VCs have shifted from seeking billion-dollar to trillion-dollar outcomes How the "triple-triple-double-double" growth model died in 18 months Why you need to go multi-product by $10M revenue (not $100M) The downward death spiral killing SaaS companies that aren't adapting Specific tactics for surviving when your go-to-market playbook stops working Key Moments: A founder admits he's "terrified" of AI - Jason's response will surprise you Why vertical SaaS is becoming the only "safe haven" The harsh math on fundraising when you're not AI-first How brand marketing is changing as search moves from Google to ChatGPT Why working "twice as hard and four times smarter" isn't optional anymore Raw Founder Questions Answered: "How do I fundraise when I'm not AI-first?" "Is triple-double-double still attractive to investors?" "Should my sales team experiment with AI?" "How many resources should we devote to becoming AI-first?" This isn't your typical conference recap. It's 90 minutes of unvarnished insights from founders in the trenches, dealing with the AI disruption in real-time. Jason doesn't hold back on what's working, what's broken, and what you need to do differently starting tomorrow. Perfect for: SaaS founders, revenue leaders, and anyone trying to navigate the AI transformation of B2B software. ------------------   Hey everybody, SaaStr AI's next stop takes us to London on December 2nd and 3rd!   It's Christmas with SaaStr and 2,000 of the best SaaS and AI leaders.    The biggest names will be there. The best networking.    Early adopter tickets are selling faster than we expected. So don't wait. With only 5 months until the event, we expect this year's SaaStr London event to sell out to capacity.    Use my code jason20pod for exclusive savings. Get your tickets now at podcast.saastrlondon.com or use code jason20pod at checkout.   SaaStr AI London – where SaaS Meets AI in London. See you there. --------------------------------------------------- Hey everybody, SaaStr Annual will be back in May of 2026.  The world's largest SaaS + AI gathering for executives. Just this May we hosted: 10,000 attendees with 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% were AI-first professionals. This is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.  But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait. Lock in your spot today. Use my code JASON100 for exclusive savings. Get your tickets at podcast.saastrannual.com or use code JASON100 at checkout.  SaaStr Annual 2026. We'll see you there.

Join us as Jason Lemkin, CEO, and Founder of SaaStr, sits down with Tope Awotona, CEO, and founder of Calendly for an insightful AMA session. They discuss Calendly's journey, their success in the Product-Led Growth (PLG) domain, and how it balances self-serve with enterprise sales strategies. Tope shares candid lessons learned from growing Calendly, from managing customer acquisition costs to aligning product development with customer needs. The conversation also delves into how Calendly plans to integrate AI to enhance user productivity and manage meetings more efficiently. This episode is packed with valuable insights for founders, CEOs, and anyone interested in SaaS growth strategies. ------------------   Hey everybody, SaaStr Annual will be back in May of 2026.  The world's largest SaaS + AI gathering for executives. Just this May we hosted: 10,000 attendees with 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% were AI-first professionals. This is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.  But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait. Lock in your spot today. Use my code JASON100 for exclusive savings. Get your tickets at podcast.saastrannual.com or use code JASON100 at checkout.  SaaStr Annual 2026. We'll see you there

SaaStr 815: Redpoint Ventures Playbook: How Top VCs Are Really Investing in AI with Jacob Effron, Managing Director of Redpoint Ventures  Jacob Effron, Managing Director at RedPoint, discusses the state of AI investing and the rapid advancements in AI technology. He highlights the significant decrease in model costs, increased AI capabilities in applications like coding, voice models, and customer support, and the rapid scaling of AI startups. Jacob also talks about how venture capital strategies have shifted, with a focus on AI-driven end-use cases and quality. He outlines a three-part investment framework focused on identifying effective AI applications and the potential for future expansion. Effron shares insights on successful AI companies like Abridge and Lara, emphasizing their high-quality products and rapid market adaptation. He concludes by noting the importance of brand building, velocity in product development, and the evolving landscape of AI investments. 00:00 Introduction and Speaker Background 00:25 Current Trends in AI and Model Costs 01:30 Implications for AI Application Companies 05:06 Challenges in the AI Investment Landscape 09:07 Effective AI Application Companies 10:59 Investment Framework for AI Companies 15:14 Case Studies: Abridge and Lara 21:38 Key Learnings and Final Thoughts 23:38 Q&A Session

SaaStr 814: How to Build Top-Performing Sales Orgs with OpenAI's GTM Leader Maggie Hott Join Maggie Hott, GTM Leader at OpenAI, as she shares her extensive experience in building top-performing sales organizations at SaaStr. With a remarkable career history at Eventbrite, Slack, Webflow, and OpenAI, Maggie distills 15 years of insights into a tactical playbook for building and scaling sales teams. Learn key principles for hiring the right candidates, fostering thriving teams, maintaining customer obsession, and driving sustainable growth. Discover common pitfalls to avoid, the importance of storytelling, and how to align your teams for maximum impact. Whether you're a startup founder or a seasoned leader, these practical lessons will help you scale your sales team effectively.     ------------------ Hey everybody, SaaStr AI's next stop takes us to London on December 2nd and 3rd!   It's Christmas with SaaStr and 2,000 of the best SaaS and AI leaders.    The biggest names will be there. The best networking.    Early adopter tickets are selling faster than we expected. So don't wait. With only 5 months until the event, we expect this year's SaaStr London event to sell out to capacity.    Use my code jason20pod for exclusive savings. Get your tickets now at podcast.saastrlondon.com or use code jason20pod at checkout.   SaaStr AI London – where SaaS Meets AI in London. See you there.   ------------------ This episode of the SaaStr podcast is sponsored by: get.tech The best .coms are taken or overpriced. So you settle on a workaround domain for your website. Don't compromise. Get a clean, sharp .tech domain that instantly says: this is a tech startup. Grab yours at get.tech/saastr or via domain registrars like GoDaddy.

In this session, CRO of ServiceTitan, Ross Biestman, and Chemistry's Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Kristina Shen, discuss ServiceTitan's founding principles and growth from a small company to a $11 billion vertical SaaS leader. Together they cover ServiceTitan's mission-driven approach, and its successful adoption of AI for operational efficiency. Ross shares personal anecdotes about customer interactions and pivotal moments leading to ServiceTitan's massive success. The episode underscores the importance of on-site customer interactions and the role of AI and disciplined expansion in their growth strategy. ------------------ This episode of the SaaStr podcast is sponsored by: get.tech The best .coms are taken or overpriced. So you settle on a workaround domain for your website. Don't compromise. Get a clean, sharp .tech domain that instantly says: this is a tech startup. Grab yours at get.tech/saastr or via domain registrars like GoDaddy. ------------------ Hey everybody, SaaStr AI's next stop takes us to London on December 2nd and 3rd! It's Christmas with SaaStr and 2,000 of the best SaaS and AI leaders. The biggest names will be there. The best networking.  Early adopter tickets are selling faster than we expected. So don't wait. With only 5 months until the event, we expect this year's SaaStr London event to sell out to capacity.  Use my code jason20pod for exclusive savings. Get your tickets now at podcast.saastrlondon.com or use code jason20pod at checkout. SaaStr AI London – where SaaS Meets AI in London. See you there. ------------------ Hey everybody, SaaStr Annual will be back in May of 2026.  The world's largest SaaS + AI gathering for executives. Just this May we hosted: 10,000 attendees with 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% were AI-first professionals. This is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.  But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait. Lock in your spot today. Use my code JASON100 for exclusive savings. Get your tickets at podcast.saastrannual.com or use code JASON100 at checkout.

SaaStr 812: What's Working Now: AI's Real Impact on Sales with SaaStr's CEO and Co-Founder, and SVP & GM  Join Jason Lemkin, CEO and Founder of SaaStr, and Amelia Lerutte, SVP and GM of SaaStr as they dive deep into the practical applications, results, and learnings from integrating AI into sales workflows. This session covers the initial struggles, data preparation, and continuous optimization required to achieve high-quality outputs with AI. They share specific examples of what's working, the importance of human oversight, and the benefits of combining AI with human expertise. Whether you're initiating outbound sales or reactivating lapsed accounts, learn how SaaStr successfully increased response rates and closed deals using AI-driven strategies. ------------------ This episode of the SaaStr podcast is sponsored by: get.tech The best .coms are taken or overpriced. So you settle on a workaround domain for your website. Don't compromise. Get a clean, sharp .tech domain that instantly says: this is a tech startup. Grab yours at get.tech/saastr or via domain registrars like GoDaddy. ------------------   Hey everybody, SaaStr AI's next stop takes us to London on December 2nd and 3rd!   It's Christmas with SaaStr and 2,000 of the best SaaS and AI leaders.    The biggest names will be there. The best networking.    Early adopter tickets are selling faster than we expected. So don't wait. With only 5 months until the event, we expect this year's SaaStr London event to sell out to capacity.    Use my code jason20pod for exclusive savings. Get your tickets now at podcast.saastrlondon.com or use code jason20pod at checkout.   SaaStr AI London – where SaaS Meets AI in London. See you there. ------------------ Hey everybody, SaaStr Annual will be back in May of 2026.  The world's largest SaaS + AI gathering for executives. Just this May we hosted: 10,000 attendees with 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% were AI-first professionals. This is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.  But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait. Lock in your spot today. Use my code JASON100 for exclusive savings. Get your tickets at podcast.saastrannual.com or use code JASON100 at checkout.  SaaStr Annual 2026. We'll see you there

SaaStr 811: Marketing in the Age of AI with Wiz's CMO Raaz Herzberg Join us for an insightful discussion with Raaz Herzberg, the Chief Marketing Officer of Wiz, as she dives into her unconventional journey from engineering to leading Wiz's marketing strategy. In this episode, Raaz shares her unique perspectives on how a lack of traditional marketing background shaped her approach, focusing on building brand awareness and solving customer pain points. Learn about the innovative tactics she's employed to stand out in the cybersecurity market, the importance of hiring curious and driven individuals, and how AI is transforming the marketing landscape. Whether you're in marketing, sales, or a founder, Roz offers valuable advice on making impactful hires and driving exponential growth. ------------------ This episode of the SaaStr podcast is sponsored by: get.tech The best .coms are taken or overpriced. So you settle on a workaround domain for your website. Don't compromise. Get a clean, sharp .tech domain that instantly says: this is a tech startup. Grab yours at get.tech/saastr or via domain registrars like GoDaddy. ------------------ Hey everybody, SaaStr Annual will be back in May of 2026.  The world's largest SaaS + AI gathering for executives. Just this May we hosted: 10,000 attendees with 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% were AI-first professionals. This is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.  But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait. Lock in your spot today. Use my code JASON100 for exclusive savings. Get your tickets at podcast.saastrannual.com or use code JASON100 at checkout.  SaaStr Annual 2026. We'll see you there

SaaStr 810: AI and the Bottom Line, How Canva Turns Freemium into Conversions with Canva's CCO Rob Giglio Join John Gleason, founder and managing partner at Success Venture Partners, as he interviews Rob Giglio, Chief Customer Officer at Canva. Rob shares his extensive experience leading customer success, sales, and go-to-market functions at top companies like HubSpot, DocuSign, and Adobe. In this episode, Rob delves into his strategic approach to scaling Canva's enterprise business while maintaining the company's unique customer-centric culture. He also discusses the integration of AI to enhance customer experiences and how value-driven customer journeys underpin Canva's growth. Perfect for aspiring CCOs and anyone interested in the intersection of customer success and sales.   00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 00:29 Rob's Role and Responsibilities at Canva 03:11 Career Journey and Mentorship 07:17 Building Enterprise at Canva 14:20 Customer-Centric Approach 21:42 AI Integration at Canva 24:36 Conclusion and Final Thoughts     ---- This episode of the SaaStr podcast is sponsored by: get.tech The best .coms are taken or overpriced. So you settle on a workaround domain for your website. Don't compromise. Get a clean, sharp .tech domain that instantly says: this is a tech startup. Grab yours at get.tech/saastr or via domain registrars like GoDaddy. ---- Hey everybody, SaaStr AI's next stop takes us to London on December 2nd and 3rd! It's Christmas with SaaStr and 2,000 of the best SaaS and AI leaders.    The biggest names will be there. The best networking.    Early adopter tickets are selling faster than we expected. So don't wait. With only 5 months until the event, we expect this year's SaaStr London event to sell out to capacity.    Use my code jason20pod for exclusive savings. Get your tickets now at podcast.saastrlondon.com or use code jason20pod at checkout.   SaaStr AI London – where SaaS Meets AI in London. See you there.

SaaStr 809: Why Enterprise AI Adoption Is Moving 5-10X Faster Than Cloud with Box's CEO and Co-Founder, IBM's VP for AI and SaaStr's CEO and Founder This conversation between Aaron Levie, CEO & Co-Founder of Box, Raj Datta, Global Vice President for Software and A.I. Partnerships at IBM and Jason Lemkin, CEO and Founder of SaaStr, covers the evolution from chat interfaces to digital labor models, the integration of AI to automate complex tasks, and the emergence of new paradigms for businesses deploying AI agents. Key topics include the distinction between AI agents and assistants, the development of proprietary data models, and the rapid pace of AI adoption. With real-world examples from companies like IBM and Box, this session offers insights into how AI is reshaping software ecosystems, enhancing enterprise capabilities, and potentially redefining market moats. ------------------ This episode of the SaaStr podcast is sponsored by: Attention.com   Tired of listening to hours of sales calls? Recording is yesterday's game. Attention.com unleashes an army of AI sales agents that auto-update your CRM, build custom sales decks, spot cross-sell signals, and score calls before your coffee's cold. Teams like BambooHR and Scale AI already automate their Sales and RevOps using customer conversations. Step into the future at attention.com/saastr   ------------------   Hey everyone, we just hosted 10,000 of you at the SaaStr Annual in the SF Bay Area, and now get ready, because SaaStr AI is heading to London! On December 2nd and 3rd, we're bringing SaaStr AI to the heart of Europe. This is your chance to connect with 2,500+ SaaS and AI executives, founders, and investors, all sharing the secrets to scaling in the age of AI.   Whether you're a founder, a revenue leader, or an investor, SaaStr AI in London is where the future of SaaS meets the power of AI. And we just announced tickets and sponsorships, so don't wait! Head to SaaStrLondon.com to grab yours and join us this December in London. SaaStr AI in London —where SaaS meets AI, and the next wave of innovation begins. See you there!

SaaStr 808: AI and Cybersecurity: Scaling Rubrik to a Billion Dollar Enterprise with Rubrik's Co-Founder and CTO In this episode, Kit Colbert, former CTO of VMware and Platform CTO at Invisible, sits down with Arvind  Nithrakashyap, Co-founder and CTO of Rubrik, to discuss the company's journey and innovations over the last 11 years.    Arvind  shares insights into Rubrik's platform for cyber resilience, their approach to scaling with multiple product pillars, and their unique use of hackathons to spark innovation. The conversation also delves into customer satisfaction strategies, the implementation of AI in both their products and internal processes, and how they measure the ROI of AI initiatives. With highlights of Rubrik's 39% year-over-year growth, a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 80, and the launch of their AI product Ana, this episode offers valuable takeaways for businesses looking to scale and innovate.   ------------------ This episode of the SaaStr podcast is sponsored by: Attio This episode is brought to you by Attio — the AI-native CRM. Connect your email, and Attio instantly builds a powerful CRM - with every company, contact and interaction you've ever had. Get 15% off your first year at https://attio.com/saastr   ------------------ This episode of the SaaStr podcast is sponsored by: Attention.com Tired of listening to hours of sales calls? Recording is yesterday's game. Attention.com unleashes an army of AI sales agents that auto-update your CRM, build custom sales decks, spot cross-sell signals, and score calls before your coffee's cold. Teams like BambooHR and Scale AI already automate their Sales and RevOps using customer conversations. Step into the future at attention.com/saastr ------------------ Hey everyone, we just hosted 10,000 of you at the SaaStr Annual in the SF Bay Area, and now get ready, because SaaStr AI is heading to London! On December 2nd and 3rd, we're bringing SaaStr AI to the heart of Europe. This is your chance to connect with 2,500+ SaaS and AI executives, founders, and investors, all sharing the secrets to scaling in the age of AI. Whether you're a founder, a revenue leader, or an investor, SaaStr AI in London is where the future of SaaS meets the power of AI. And we just announced tickets and sponsorships, so don't wait! Head to SaaStrLondon.com to grab yours and join us this December in London. SaaStr AI in London —where SaaS meets AI, and the next wave of innovation begins. See you there!

SaaStr 807: Snowflake's CEO on the AI Data Cloud, Partner Strategy, and What's Next Join Sridhar Ramaswamy, CEO of Snowflake, and Jeremy Burton, CEO of Observe, in a comprehensive discussion led by SaaStr CEO & Founder, Jason Lemkin. Discover the inner workings of Snowflake's Board, the dynamics of strategic partnerships, and the evolving role of AI in data management. Learn how Snowflake aims to be the AI Data Cloud and how Observe integrates with Snowflake to provide scalable analytics. With detailed insights into the partnership strategies, future technological trends, and success stories, this conversation offers a blueprint for leveraging AI and data to drive business value. Don't miss out on the valuable lessons and future predictions shared by these industry leaders. ----------------- This episode of the SaaStr podcast is sponsored by: Attio This episode is brought to you by Attio — the AI-native CRM. Connect your email, and Attio instantly builds a powerful CRM - with every company, contact and interaction you've ever had. Get 15% off your first year at https://attio.com/saastr  ------------------ This episode of the SaaStr podcast is sponsored by: Attention.com Tired of listening to hours of sales calls? Recording is yesterday's game. Attention.com unleashes an army of AI sales agents that auto-update your CRM, build custom sales decks, spot cross-sell signals, and score calls before your coffee's cold. Teams like BambooHR and Scale AI already automate their Sales and RevOps using customer conversations. Step into the future at attention.com/saastr ------------------ Hey everyone, we just hosted 10,000 of you at the SaaStr Annual in the SF Bay Area, and now get ready, because SaaStr AI is heading to London! On December 2nd and 3rd, we're bringing SaaStr AI to the heart of Europe. This is your chance to connect with 2,500+ SaaS and AI executives, founders, and investors, all sharing the secrets to scaling in the age of AI. Whether you're a founder, a revenue leader, or an investor, SaaStr AI in London is where the future of SaaS meets the power of AI. And we just announced tickets and sponsorships, so don't wait! Head to SaaStrLondon.com to grab yours and join us this December in London. SaaStr AI in London —where SaaS meets AI, and the next wave of innovation begins. See you there!

SaaStr 806: How The Smartest Founders Are Already Winning with AI: SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin on My First Million  SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin recently returned to HubSpot's My First Million Podcast with Sam Parr and Shaan Puri to do a deep dive on AI and SaaS. It was a fun one because we approached it more from a content creator and end-user perspective than from a software builder perspective. Together they discuss various applications of AI in content creation, customer support, and business advice, highlighting unexpected use cases and the potential for AI to surpass human capabilities. Jason also provides a candid look at the future of startups, the challenges of VC investment, and the evolving landscape of tech-driven by AI. Whether you're a startup founder, investor, or tech enthusiast, this episode is packed with valuable lessons and forward-thinking perspectives. ------------------   This episode of the SaaStr podcast is sponsored by: Attio This episode is brought to you by Attio — the AI-native CRM. Connect your email, and Attio instantly builds a powerful CRM - with every company, contact and interaction you've ever had. Get 15% off your first year at https://attio.com/saastr   --------------------   This episode of the SaaStr podcast is sponsored by: Attention.com Tired of listening to hours of sales calls? Recording is yesterday's game. Attention.com unleashes an army of AI sales agents that auto-update your CRM, build custom sales decks, spot cross-sell signals, and score calls before your coffee's cold. Teams like BambooHR and Scale AI already automate their Sales and RevOps using customer conversations. Step into the future at attention.com/saastr   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 805: CRO Confidential - 5 Ways AI Has Already Changed SaaS Sales Forever with Perplexity's CBO Dmitry Shevelenko. Hosted by Sam Blond. Join Sam Blond in the latest episode of CRO Confidential live from SaaStr Annual, featuring Dmitry Shevelenko, Chief Business Officer at Perplexity. Dive deep into how cutting-edge AI can transform your go-to-market strategies, sales processes, and organizational efficiency. Explore key topics like leveraging AI for demand generation, advanced meeting preparation, pipeline management, and more. Learn from Dmitry's expertise on integrating AI to accelerate business growth and gain insights into Perplexity's innovative approach to AI-powered sales. Perfect for tech founders, sales leaders, and AI enthusiasts looking to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving sales and customer acquisition landscape. ------- Hey everyone, we just hosted 10,000 of you at the SaaStr Annual in the SF Bay Area, and now get ready, because SaaStr AI is heading to London!   On December 2nd and 3rd, we're bringing the SaaStr AI to the heart of Europe. This is your chance to connect with 2,000+ SaaS and AI executives, founders, and investors, all sharing the secrets to scaling in the age of AI.   Whether you're a founder, a revenue leader, or an investor, SaaStr AI in London is where the future of SaaS meets the power of AI.   And we just announced tickets and sponsorships, so don't wait! Head to SaaStrLondon.com to grab yours and join us this December in London.   SaaStr AI in London —where SaaS meets AI, and the next wave of innovation begins. See you there! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   This episode of the SaaStr podcast is sponsored by: Attio This episode is brought to you by Attio — the AI-native CRM. Connect your email, and Attio instantly builds a powerful CRM - with every company, contact and interaction you've ever had. Get 15% off your first year at https://attio.com/saastr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This episode of the SaaStr podcast is sponsored by: Attention.com   Tired of listening to hours of sales calls? Recording is yesterday's game. Attention.com unleashes an army of AI sales agents that auto-update your CRM, build custom sales decks, spot cross-sell signals, and score calls before your coffee's cold. Teams like BambooHR and Scale AI already automate their Sales and RevOps using customer conversations. Step into the future at attention.com/saastr   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 804: AI and The Future of Sales, Marketing & CS with HubSpot CEO Yamini Rangan Join us as HubSpot's CEO Yamini Rangan delves into the dynamic landscape of SaaS, discussing the rapid transformations driven by AI. In this insightful session, Yamini shares her experience with pivoting HubSpot's roadmap after the advent of ChatGPT, the increasing role of AI in product development, and the evolving customer expectations. Gain valuable insights into creating urgency, leveraging AI to enhance productivity, and the importance of a unified partner ecosystem. Perfect for entrepreneurs and SaaS founders, this episode underscores the necessity of adaptability, curiosity, and a growth mindset in today's tech industry. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This episode of the SaaStr podcast is sponsored by: Attio This episode is brought to you by Attio — the AI-native CRM. Connect your email, and Attio instantly builds a powerful CRM - with every company, contact and interaction you've ever had. Get 15% off your first year at https://attio.com/saastr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This episode of the SaaStr podcast is sponsored by: Attention.com Tired of listening to hours of sales calls? Recording is yesterday's game. Attention.com unleashes an army of AI sales agents that auto-update your CRM, build custom sales decks, spot cross-sell signals, and score calls before your coffee's cold. Teams like BambooHR and Scale AI already automate their Sales and RevOps using customer conversations. Step into the future at attention.com/saastr   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 803: AI, Sales + GTM in 2025/2026: This Really Changes Everything with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin and Owner CRO Kyle Norton In this engaging session, we dive deep into how AI is transforming the sales landscape, featuring a conversation between SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin and Kyle Norton, the Chief Revenue Officer of Owner, a company recently valued at over a billion dollars. The discussion covers Kyle's background and his insights into implementing AI in sales operations, the challenges and benefits of using AI tools, and the critical importance of a curiosity-driven approach to technology among sales leaders. Key topics include the integration of AI in SMB sales, the future of sales professional roles, and the necessity of continuous improvement and adoption of AI tools. The conversation also touches on the need for creating a seamless customer journey through AI and human interface, managing hybrid teams of AI and sales reps, and the potential for AI to close deals. Essential for anyone interested in the intersection of AI and sales, this session offers practical strategies and forward-looking perspectives. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Tired of listening to hours of sales calls? Recording is yesterday's game. Attention.com unleashes an army of AI sales agents that auto-update your CRM, build custom sales decks, spot cross-sell signals, and score calls before your coffee's cold. Teams like BambooHR and Scale AI already automate their Sales and RevOps using customer conversations. Step into the future at attention.com/saastr   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Do you know what would make your customer service helpdesk dramatically better? Dumping it and switching to Intercom.  But, youʼre not quite ready to make that change. We get it!   Thatʼs why Fin, the worldʼs leading AI customer service agent, is now available on every helpdesk.   Fin can instantly resolve up to 80% of your tickets,  Which makes your customers happier. And you can get off the customer service rep hiring treadmill.   Fin by Intercom. Named the #1 AI Agent in G2ʼs Winter Report.      Learn more at : inter.com/saastr   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 802: SaaS + AI: It's Time to Move Much Faster with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin Join SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin in this compelling podcast that was recorded live from SaaStr Annual, as he discusses the rapid transformation in the SaaS industry driven by AI advancements. Reflecting on changes since last September, Jason emphasizes the necessity for SaaS leaders and companies to move faster, re-skill their teams, and adopt AI-first strategies to stay competitive. Hear real-world examples of how AI is revolutionizing sales, customer support, and coding productivity, leading to significant industry shifts. This session is a call to action with a message of tough love: adapt quickly, be relentless, and work harder to navigate the evolving landscape and ensure continued success. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Tired of listening to hours of sales calls? Recording is yesterday's game. Attention.com unleashes an army of AI sales agents that auto-update your CRM, build custom sales decks, spot cross-sell signals, and score calls before your coffee's cold. Teams like BambooHR and Scale AI already automate their Sales and RevOps using customer conversations. Step into the future at attention.com/saastr   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Do you know what would make your customer service helpdesk dramatically better? Dumping it and switching to Intercom.  But, youʼre not quite ready to make that change. We get it!   Thatʼs why Fin, the worldʼs leading AI customer service agent, is now available on every helpdesk.   Fin can instantly resolve up to 80% of your tickets,  Which makes your customers happier. And you can get off the customer service rep hiring treadmill.   Fin by Intercom. Named the #1 AI Agent in G2ʼs Winter Report.      Learn more at : inter.com/saastr   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 801: AI, M&A, and the Future of SaaS: Lessons from Marc Benioff, Chair, CEO & Co-Founder of Salesforce Join us for as SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin sits down for a conversation with Mark Benioff, the CEO, Chair and Co-Founder of Salesforce. Together, we delve into the practical applications of AI in the B2B space. With 40 billion under Salesforce's belt, this discussion sheds light on how AI is transforming enterprise software. Learn about Salesforce's major acquisitions like Tableau and Slack, the evolution of their product offerings, and how they seamlessly integrate AI with business intelligence and analytics. Mark also shares insights on the strategic direction of Salesforce, the significance of data management, and the role of AI assistants in revolutionizing customer service and product development. Tune in for a glimpse into the future of enterprise software and the impactful initiatives driven by Salesforce. -----------------  Hey everybody. SaaStr Annual is almost here. It's May 13th to the 15th, right here in the SF Bay, the heart of the AI Revolution, and you've gotta be part of it in B2B and be it SaaStr 2025. We'll have an incredible line above speakers, the best in SaaS and AI. From HubSpot and Perplexity from Anthropic, to OpenAI, from Snowflake to Cursor, to Google Coud, to Box to IBM and more. We'll have AI matchmaking for founders and investors for the first time,  and we'll have over 1,000+ C-level executives at our VIP summits. It's gonna be great. So we'll see you there. If you want to come in person, use my code Jason20 before tickets sell out.  And we'll see anyone that can't make it in person on our live streams. It'll be all over my Twitter and LinkedIn and everywhere. May 13th to the 15th 2025. It's gonna rock. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Hey, are you tired of listening to hours and hours of sales calls? Recording is yesterday's game, folks. Yesterday's game attention.com unleashes an army of AI sales agents that auto update your CRM build custom sales decks. Spot cross-sale signals and score calls even before the coffee cold. Teams like Bamboo, HR, and scale AI already automate their sales and rev ops using customer conversations. Step into the future at attention.com/saastr. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Do you know what would make your customer service helpdesk dramatically better? Dumping it and switching to Intercom.  But, youʼre not quite ready to make that change. We get it!   Thatʼs why Fin, the worldʼs leading AI customer service agent, is now available on every helpdesk.   Fin can instantly resolve up to 80% of your tickets,  Which makes your customers happier. And you can get off the customer service rep hiring treadmill.   Fin by Intercom. Named the #1 AI Agent in G2ʼs Winter Report.      Learn more at : inter.com/saastr   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 800: 10 Ways AI Is Going to Change Sales. For Real with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin

SaaStr 799: The Series A Landscape in 2025: Insights from Chemistry VC's Ethan Kurzweil SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin and Ethan Kurzwiel, previously partner at Bessemer Venture Partners and now founding partner at Chemistry VC, took us through a deep dive of exactly where Series A funding is right now in 2025. Current State of Early-Stage Venture Market The early-stage venture landscape has experienced significant shifts since the peaks of 2021. We're seeing: Deal activity decline: From the highs of 2021 (around 3.5B raised in Q4 2021), we're seeing a return to baseline levels but still below pre-zero interest rate era volumes. Longer funding timelines: Seed to Series A timelines have stretched from approximately 12 months to 25 months on average, requiring founders to plan for longer runways. More capital into fewer deals: While total capital deployment is returning to pre-2021 levels, it's being concentrated in fewer companies, making the environment more binary and competitive. Graduation rates plummeting: The percentage of seed companies successfully raising Series A has dropped significantly across all industries, creating a "crunch" for many startups. Listen in for more! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Alright everybody in SaaS, this is it.  The biggest, best, most action-packed SaaS + AI event of the year—SaaStr Annual 2025—is coming this May. Three full days. 10,000+ SaaS and AI leaders and more tactical, no-fluff content than you'll find anywhere else.   If you want to scale faster—$10M, $50M, $100M ARR and beyond—you need the right playbooks, the right connections and the right people in your corner. And SaaStr Annual is where it all happens. We'll have 100's of Legendary speakers from companies like Snowflake, HubSpot, OpenAI, Canva, and more. More networking than you can handle—meet your next investor, co-founder, or biggest deal.  A New AI Demo & Pitch Stage— with your chance to win up to $5M in funding!  So don't wait—grab your tickets now at SaaStrAnnual.com with my code jason100 to save $100 on tickets before prices go up. That's jason 100 at saastrannual.com   See you in May!    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Do you know what would make your customer service helpdesk dramatically better? Dumping it and switching to Intercom.  But, youʼre not quite ready to make that change. We get it!   Thatʼs why Fin, the worldʼs leading AI customer service agent, is now available on every helpdesk.   Fin can instantly resolve up to 80% of your tickets,  Which makes your customers happier. And you can get off the customer service rep hiring treadmill.   Fin by Intercom. Named the #1 AI Agent in G2ʼs Winter Report.      Learn more at : inter.com/saastr   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 798: The Top 10 Reasons to Come to 2025 SaaStr Annual May 13-15 in SF Bay with SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin SaaStr Annual is almost here! And we delve into the key reasons why you should attend SaaStr Annual 2025, happening from May 13th to 15th in the SF Bay Area. Learn about the unparalleled networking opportunities, including opt-in one-on-one meetings, braindates, and C-level summits. Discover how the event can help you meet potential C-suite hires and VCs, and stay ahead of the latest in B2B SaaS, Cloud, and AI through hundreds of workshops and sessions. Don't miss out on the chance to be inspired by top industry leaders and get actionable insights for your business. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Alright everybody in SaaS, this is it.  The biggest, best, most action-packed SaaS + AI event of the year—SaaStr Annual 2025—is coming this May. Three full days. 10,000+ SaaS and AI leaders and more tactical, no-fluff content than you'll find anywhere else.   If you want to scale faster—$10M, $50M, $100M ARR and beyond—you need the right playbooks, the right connections and the right people in your corner. And SaaStr Annual is where it all happens. We'll have 100's of Legendary speakers from companies like Snowflake, HubSpot, OpenAI, Canva, and more. More networking than you can handle—meet your next investor, co-founder, or biggest deal.  A New AI Demo & Pitch Stage— with your chance to win up to $5M in funding!  So don't wait—grab your tickets now at SaaStrAnnual.com with my code jason100 to save $100 on tickets before prices go up. That's jason 100 at saastrannual.com   See you in May!    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Do you know what would make your customer service helpdesk dramatically better? Dumping it and switching to Intercom.  But, youʼre not quite ready to make that change. We get it!   Thatʼs why Fin, the worldʼs leading AI customer service agent, is now available on every helpdesk.   Fin can instantly resolve up to 80% of your tickets,  Which makes your customers happier. And you can get off the customer service rep hiring treadmill.   Fin by Intercom. Named the #1 AI Agent in G2ʼs Winter Report.      Learn more at : inter.com/saastr   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Join Jason Lemkin and Sam Blond as they discuss the evolving role of AI in sales and marketing. Featuring insights from SaaStr's CRO Confidential Series with Rippling, Databricks, and Toast, this episode explores how AI is reshaping the sales landscape. Learn about the impact of AI on productivity, the effectiveness of cold calls, and how technical sales require specific expertise. Don't miss out on these valuable lessons and real-world examples from top industry leaders!   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Alright everybody in SaaS, this is it.  The biggest, best, most action-packed SaaS + AI event of the year—SaaStr Annual 2025—is coming this May. Three full days. 10,000+ SaaS and AI leaders and more tactical, no-fluff content than you'll find anywhere else.   If you want to scale faster—$10M, $50M, $100M ARR and beyond—you need the right playbooks, the right connections and the right people in your corner. And SaaStr Annual is where it all happens. We'll have 100's of Legendary speakers from companies like Snowflake, HubSpot, OpenAI, Canva, and more. More networking than you can handle—meet your next investor, co-founder, or biggest deal.  A New AI Demo & Pitch Stage— with your chance to win up to $5M in funding!  So don't wait—grab your tickets now at SaaStrAnnual.com with my code jason100 to save $100 on tickets before prices go up. That's jason 100 at saastrannual.com   See you in May!    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Do you know what would make your customer service helpdesk dramatically better? Dumping it and switching to Intercom.  But, youʼre not quite ready to make that change. We get it!   Thatʼs why Fin, the worldʼs leading AI customer service agent, is now available on every helpdesk.   Fin can instantly resolve up to 80% of your tickets,  Which makes your customers happier. And you can get off the customer service rep hiring treadmill.   Fin by Intercom. Named the #1 AI Agent in G2ʼs Winter Report.      Learn more at : inter.com/saastr   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 796: The Secrets Inside Google Cloud's Growth with Sarah Kennedy, Vice President Google Cloud Marketing   In our latest episode of the SaaStr What's New series, SaaStr CEO and founder Jason Lemkin spoke with Sarah Kennedy, VP of Google Cloud Marketing. The conversation explores the explosive growth of Google Cloud and what's driving this momentum. Kennedy highlights the critical role AI plays in their success, from Google's world-class infrastructure to the cutting-edge AI models like Vertex AI and Gemini. We dive into the specifics of why startups and enterprises are increasingly choosing Google Cloud, the importance of customer-centric strategies, and the shift towards developer-led decisions. We also explore Google Cloud's major partnership with Salesforce and how AI and security are transforming business strategies. Tune in for insights on how Google Cloud is shaping the future of AI and stay ahead of the curve with expert tips on leveraging these technologies for your business. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Alright everybody in SaaS, this is it.  The biggest, best, most action-packed SaaS + AI event of the year—SaaStr Annual 2025—is coming this May. Three full days. 10,000+ SaaS and AI leaders and more tactical, no-fluff content than you'll find anywhere else.   If you want to scale faster—$10M, $50M, $100M ARR and beyond—you need the right playbooks, the right connections and the right people in your corner. And SaaStr Annual is where it all happens. We'll have 100's of Legendary speakers from companies like Snowflake, HubSpot, OpenAI, Canva, and more. More networking than you can handle—meet your next investor, co-founder, or biggest deal.  A New AI Demo & Pitch Stage— with your chance to win up to $5M in funding!  So don't wait—grab your tickets now at SaaStrAnnual.com with my code jason100 to save $100 on tickets before prices go up. That's jason 100 at saastrannual.com   See you in May!    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Do you know what would make your customer service helpdesk dramatically better? Dumping it and switching to Intercom.  But, youʼre not quite ready to make that change. We get it!   Thatʼs why Fin, the worldʼs leading AI customer service agent, is now available on every helpdesk.   Fin can instantly resolve up to 80% of your tickets,  Which makes your customers happier. And you can get off the customer service rep hiring treadmill.   Fin by Intercom. Named the #1 AI Agent in G2ʼs Winter Report.      Learn more at : inter.com/saastr   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 795: The AI Impact on Banking and Finance with CEO and Co-founder at Treasury Prime, Chris Dean Join SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin and Chris Dean from Treasury Prime as they delve into the intricate world of Banking as a Service (BaaS) and FinTech. The discussion spans a host of critical topics, including the fallout from Silicon Valley Bank, the complexities of reconciliation, Synapse and Evolve's banking controversy, and the evolving financial landscape. They also explore the resurgence of FinTech, the impact of AI on banking operations, and Treasury Prime's upcoming AI-powered operational tools. A must-watch for anyone interested in the future of banking and financial technology.    ----------------------   Alright everybody in SaaS, this is it.  The biggest, best, most action-packed SaaS + AI event of the year—SaaStr Annual 2025—is coming this May. Three full days. 10,000+ SaaS and AI leaders and more tactical, no-fluff content than you'll find anywhere else.   If you want to scale faster—$10M, $50M, $100M ARR and beyond—you need the right playbooks, the right connections and the right people in your corner. And SaaStr Annual is where it all happens. We'll have 100's of Legendary speakers from companies like Snowflake, HubSpot, OpenAI, Canva, and more. More networking than you can handle—meet your next investor, co-founder, or biggest deal.  A New AI Demo & Pitch Stage— with your chance to win up to $5M in funding!  So don't wait—grab your tickets now at SaaStrAnnual.com with my code jason100 to save $100 on tickets before prices go up. That's jason 100 at saastrannual.com   See you in May!    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Do you know what would make your customer service helpdesk dramatically better? Dumping it and switching to Intercom.  But, youʼre not quite ready to make that change. We get it!   Thatʼs why Fin, the worldʼs leading AI customer service agent, is now available on every helpdesk.   Fin can instantly resolve up to 80% of your tickets,  Which makes your customers happier. And you can get off the customer service rep hiring treadmill.   Fin by Intercom. Named the #1 AI Agent in G2ʼs Winter Report.      Learn more at : inter.com/saastr   ------------------------------------

SaaStr 794: The Top 10 Customer Success Metrics Investors Care About in 2025 with Gainsight CEO Nick Mehta   Nick Mehta is the CEO of Gainsight, the customer success platform that helps businesses deliver value to customers and drive scalable growth.   Over the past 12 years, Nick has met with more than 5,000 companies and hundreds of investors, becoming one of the foremost authorities on customer success strategies. In this engaging presentation, Nick discusses the crucial role of customer success in driving business growth and securing investments. He breaks down the top 10 questions investors grill companies about, covering key metrics like net retention, gross retention, and early warning indicators. Nick also highlights the importance of customer stickiness, value demonstration, and efficient customer success operations.   Additionally, he shares a personal story of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, drawing parallels between the entrepreneurial journey and the challenging yet rewarding climb to success.   ----------------------   Alright everybody in SaaS, this is it.  The biggest, best, most action-packed SaaS + AI event of the year—SaaStr Annual 2025—is coming this May. Three full days. 10,000+ SaaS and AI leaders and more tactical, no-fluff content than you'll find anywhere else.   If you want to scale faster—$10M, $50M, $100M ARR and beyond—you need the right playbooks, the right connections and the right people in your corner. And SaaStr Annual is where it all happens. We'll have 100's of Legendary speakers from companies like Snowflake, HubSpot, OpenAI, Canva, and more. More networking than you can handle—meet your next investor, co-founder, or biggest deal.  A New AI Demo & Pitch Stage— with your chance to win up to $5M in funding!  So don't wait—grab your tickets now at SaaStrAnnual.com with my code jason100 to save $100 on tickets before prices go up. That's jason 100 at saastrannual.com   See you in May!    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Do you know what would make your customer service helpdesk dramatically better? Dumping it and switching to Intercom.  But, youʼre not quite ready to make that change. We get it!   Thatʼs why Fin, the worldʼs leading AI customer service agent, is now available on every helpdesk.   Fin can instantly resolve up to 80% of your tickets,  Which makes your customers happier. And you can get off the customer service rep hiring treadmill.   Fin by Intercom. Named the #1 AI Agent in G2ʼs Winter Report.      Learn more at : inter.com/saastr   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 793: The 10-Point Checklist For When You Sell Your Company with David Frankel Managing Partner at Founder Collective and SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin David Frankel is Managing Partner at Founder Collective, a successful seed fund with investments in companies like The Trade Desk, Olo, and Coupang. With decades of experience as both a founder and investor, David brings a unique perspective to the often-misunderstood process of selling a company. He openly admits that many of his past exits were mistakes, which makes his advice on the topic particularly valuable. He joined SaaStr Workshop Wednesday LIVE to do a deep dive with Jason Lemkin on his 10 Point Checklist when you sell your startup. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Alright everybody in SaaS, this is it.  The biggest, best, most action-packed SaaS + AI event of the year—SaaStr Annual 2025—is coming this May. Three full days. 10,000+ SaaS and AI leaders and more tactical, no-fluff content than you'll find anywhere else.   If you want to scale faster—$10M, $50M, $100M ARR and beyond—you need the right playbooks, the right connections and the right people in your corner. And SaaStr Annual is where it all happens. We'll have 100's of Legendary speakers from companies like Snowflake, HubSpot, OpenAI, Canva, and more. More networking than you can handle—meet your next investor, co-founder, or biggest deal.  A New AI Demo & Pitch Stage— with your chance to win up to $5M in funding!  So don't wait—grab your tickets now at SaaStrAnnual.com with my code jason100 to save $100 on tickets before prices go up. That's jason 100 at saastrannual.com   See you in May!    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Do you know what would make your customer service helpdesk dramatically better? Dumping it and switching to Intercom.  But, youʼre not quite ready to make that change. We get it!   Thatʼs why Fin, the worldʼs leading AI customer service agent, is now available on every helpdesk.   Fin can instantly resolve up to 80% of your tickets,  Which makes your customers happier. And you can get off the customer service rep hiring treadmill.   Fin by Intercom. Named the #1 AI Agent in G2ʼs Winter Report.      Learn more at : inter.com/saastr   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 792: Why I'm Scared to Buy New SaaS Apps Now with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin highlights nine key reasons that create friction in the modern SaaS buying cycle. He emphasizes how these factors can deter new customers and impact overall growth. Through examples involving well-known companies and the importance of a seamless customer experience, Founders are encouraged to evaluate and reduce these hurdles within their own SaaS products to ensure they remain true to "Software As a Service." ----------------------   Alright everybody in SaaS, this is it.  The biggest, best, most action-packed SaaS + AI event of the year—SaaStr Annual 2025—is coming this May. Three full days. 10,000+ SaaS and AI leaders and more tactical, no-fluff content than you'll find anywhere else.   If you want to scale faster—$10M, $50M, $100M ARR and beyond—you need the right playbooks, the right connections and the right people in your corner. And SaaStr Annual is where it all happens. We'll have 100's of Legendary speakers from companies like Snowflake, HubSpot, OpenAI, Canva, and more. More networking than you can handle—meet your next investor, co-founder, or biggest deal.  A New AI Demo & Pitch Stage— with your chance to win up to $5M in funding!  So don't wait—grab your tickets now at SaaStrAnnual.com with my code jason100 to save $100 on tickets before prices go up. That's jason 100 at saastrannual.com   See you in May!    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Do you know what would make your customer service helpdesk dramatically better? Dumping it and switching to Intercom.  But, youʼre not quite ready to make that change. We get it!   Thatʼs why Fin, the worldʼs leading AI customer service agent, is now available on every helpdesk.   Fin can instantly resolve up to 80% of your tickets,  Which makes your customers happier. And you can get off the customer service rep hiring treadmill.   Fin by Intercom. Named the #1 AI Agent in G2ʼs Winter Report.      Learn more at : inter.com/saastr   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 791: CRO Confidential: How Codeium Built A Billion-Dollar AI Company and a Winning Sales Machine with VP of Worldwide Sales, Graham Moreno Join us on this episode of CRO Confidential as host Sam Blond dives into the remarkable journey of Codeium's VP of Worldwide Sales, Graham Moreno. Discover how Graham led Codeium from a 30-employee startup to a unicorn with 150 employees in just one year. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Alright everybody in SaaS, this is it.  The biggest, best, most action-packed SaaS + AI event of the year—SaaStr Annual 2025—is coming this May. Three full days. 10,000+ SaaS and AI leaders and more tactical, no-fluff content than you'll find anywhere else.   If you want to scale faster—$10M, $50M, $100M ARR and beyond—you need the right playbooks, the right connections and the right people in your corner. And SaaStr Annual is where it all happens. We'll have 100's of Legendary speakers from companies like Snowflake, HubSpot, OpenAI, Canva, and more. More networking than you can handle—meet your next investor, co-founder, or biggest deal.  A New AI Demo & Pitch Stage— with your chance to win up to $5M in funding!  So don't wait—grab your tickets now at SaaStrAnnual.com with my code jason100 to save $100 on tickets before prices go up. That's jason 100 at saastrannual.com   See you in May!    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Do you know what would make your customer service helpdesk dramatically better? Dumping it and switching to Intercom.  But, youʼre not quite ready to make that change. We get it!   Thatʼs why Fin, the worldʼs leading AI customer service agent, is now available on every helpdesk.   Fin can instantly resolve up to 80% of your tickets,  Which makes your customers happier. And you can get off the customer service rep hiring treadmill.   Fin by Intercom. Named the #1 AI Agent in G2ʼs Winter Report.      Learn more at : inter.com/saastr   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 790: AI at Scale: 8 Learnings from monday.com Co-Founder and Co-Ceo Eran Zinman and SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin Join us for an inspiring conversation with monday.com co-CEO and Co-Founder Eran Zinman and SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin. From humble beginnings at $10 million ARR in 2017 to smashing the $1 billion ARR mark in just eight years, Eran shares their journey, challenges, and strategies that have fueled their remarkable growth. Discover the importance of customer diversity, maintaining NRR and GRR levels, leveraging AI for business efficiencies, and the impact of adopting a multi-product approach. Learn how monday.com effectively manages SMB, mid-market, and enterprise customers, and gain valuable insights into the future of AI in SaaS solutions. Perfect for SaaS founders and tech enthusiasts looking for proven strategies to scale their businesses.   ----------------------   Alright everybody in SaaS, this is it.  The biggest, best, most action-packed SaaS + AI event of the year—SaaStr Annual 2025—is coming this May. Three full days. 10,000+ SaaS and AI leaders and more tactical, no-fluff content than you'll find anywhere else.   If you want to scale faster—$10M, $50M, $100M ARR and beyond—you need the right playbooks, the right connections and the right people in your corner. And SaaStr Annual is where it all happens. We'll have 100's of Legendary speakers from companies like Snowflake, HubSpot, OpenAI, Canva, and more. More networking than you can handle—meet your next investor, co-founder, or biggest deal.  A New AI Demo & Pitch Stage— with your chance to win up to $5M in funding!  So don't wait—grab your tickets now at SaaStrAnnual.com with my code jason100 to save $100 on tickets before prices go up. That's jason 100 at saastrannual.com   See you in May!    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Do you know what would make your customer service helpdesk dramatically better? Dumping it and switching to Intercom.  But, youʼre not quite ready to make that change. We get it!   Thatʼs why Fin, the worldʼs leading AI customer service agent, is now available on every helpdesk.   Fin can instantly resolve up to 80% of your tickets,  Which makes your customers happier. And you can get off the customer service rep hiring treadmill.   Fin by Intercom. Named the #1 AI Agent in G2ʼs Winter Report.      Learn more at : inter.com/saastr   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 789: 10 Things No One Tells You About Getting Acquired for $1.5B Steve Mitzenmacher, Former Vice President Corporate Development, Own Company Join Steve Mitzenmacher as he reveals the hidden truths about getting acquired for $1.5 billion. Drawing on his extensive experience in corporate development, Steve discusses the rare odds of closing a deal, the unseen challenges, and the insider dynamics that play a crucial role in successful acquisitions. From pre-LOI preparations to integration post-closing, explore valuable lessons and strategic advice to navigate the complex M&A landscape. Learn why relationships matter, the importance of managing expectations, and how to leverage negotiations in your favor. Don't miss these key insights that can make or break your next big deal. ----------------------   Alright everybody in SaaS, this is it.  The biggest, best, most action-packed SaaS + AI event of the year—SaaStr Annual 2025—is coming this May. Three full days. 10,000+ SaaS and AI leaders and more tactical, no-fluff content than you'll find anywhere else.   If you want to scale faster—$10M, $50M, $100M ARR and beyond—you need the right playbooks, the right connections and the right people in your corner. And SaaStr Annual is where it all happens. We'll have 100's of Legendary speakers from companies like Snowflake, HubSpot, OpenAI, Canva, and more. More networking than you can handle—meet your next investor, co-founder, or biggest deal.  A New AI Demo & Pitch Stage— with your chance to win up to $5M in funding!  So don't wait—grab your tickets now at SaaStrAnnual.com with my code jason100 to save $100 on tickets before prices go up. That's jason 100 at saastrannual.com   See you in May!    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Do you know what would make your customer service helpdesk dramatically better? Dumping it and switching to Intercom.  But, youʼre not quite ready to make that change. We get it!   Thatʼs why Fin, the worldʼs leading AI customer service agent, is now available on every helpdesk.   Fin can instantly resolve up to 80% of your tickets,  Which makes your customers happier. And you can get off the customer service rep hiring treadmill.   Fin by Intercom. Named the #1 AI Agent in G2ʼs Winter Report.      Learn more at : inter.com/saastr   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 788: The Real Data on What it Takes to Go Big and Eventually IPO with Meritech Capital Join Alex Clayton and Kathy Choi from Meritech Capital as they delve into the path to IPO for SaaS companies. With 25 years of experience and over 60 IPOs, they explore the size, performance, qualitative factors, and post-IPO success metrics that matter. Learn essential considerations for going public, from creating a compelling story to demonstrating durable growth, operational excellence, and predictable business outcomes. They also provide case studies of successful companies like HubSpot and CrowdStrike, underscoring the importance of durable, long-term revenue growth and strategic multi-product approaches. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Alright everybody in SaaS, this is it.  The biggest, best, most action-packed SaaS + AI event of the year—SaaStr Annual 2025—is coming this May. Three full days. 10,000+ SaaS and AI leaders and more tactical, no-fluff content than you'll find anywhere else.   If you want to scale faster—$10M, $50M, $100M ARR and beyond—you need the right playbooks, the right connections and the right people in your corner. And SaaStr Annual is where it all happens. We'll have 100's of Legendary speakers from companies like Snowflake, HubSpot, OpenAI, Canva, and more. More networking than you can handle—meet your next investor, co-founder, or biggest deal.  A New AI Demo & Pitch Stage— with your chance to win up to $5M in funding!  So don't wait—grab your tickets now at SaaStrAnnual.com with my code jason100 to save $100 on tickets before prices go up. That's jason 100 at saastrannual.com   See you in May!    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Do you know what would make your customer service helpdesk dramatically better? Dumping it and switching to Intercom.  But, youʼre not quite ready to make that change. We get it!   Thatʼs why Fin, the worldʼs leading AI customer service agent, is now available on every helpdesk.   Fin can instantly resolve up to 80% of your tickets,  Which makes your customers happier. And you can get off the customer service rep hiring treadmill.   Fin by Intercom. Named the #1 AI Agent in G2ʼs Winter Report.      Learn more at : inter.com/saastr   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 787: The 2025 SaaS Vibe Check: What Founders Need to Know Right Now with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin delves into a comprehensive 2025 vibe check, focusing on the state of tech, AI, and SaaS industries. He discusses the returning presence of founders in San Francisco, the resurgence of venture capital interest reminiscent of 2021, and the significant shift towards AI and AI-native investments. Additionally, he addresses the challenges faced by B2B founders, the importance of rapid product development, and the evolving dynamics of the venture capital landscape. Key insights include the rise of AI applications within SaaS, the critical need for growth over mere profitability, and practical advice for startups looking to secure funding or hire their first account executive. The session concludes with an open Q&A. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alright everybody in SaaS, this is it.  The biggest, best, most action-packed SaaS + AI event of the year—SaaStr Annual 2025—is coming this May. Three full days. 10,000+ SaaS and AI leaders and more tactical, no-fluff content than you'll find anywhere else. If you want to scale faster—$10M, $50M, $100M ARR and beyond—you need the right playbooks, the right connections and the right people in your corner. And SaaStr Annual is where it all happens. We'll have 100's of Legendary speakers from companies like Snowflake, HubSpot, OpenAI, Canva, and more. More networking than you can handle—meet your next investor, co-founder, or biggest deal.  A New AI Demo & Pitch Stage— with your chance to win up to $5M in funding!  So don't wait—grab your tickets now at SaaStrAnnual.com with my code jason100 to save $100 on tickets before prices go up. That's jason 100 at saastrannual.com See you in May!  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Do you know what would make your customer service helpdesk dramatically better? Dumping it and switching to Intercom.  But, youʼre not quite ready to make that change. We get it! Thatʼs why Fin, the worldʼs leading AI customer service agent, is now available on every helpdesk.   Fin can instantly resolve up to 80% of your tickets,  Which makes your customers happier. And you can get off the customer service rep hiring treadmill.   Fin by Intercom. Named the #1 AI Agent in G2ʼs Winter Report.      Learn more at : inter.com/saastr   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 786: Going Long: How Procore's Founder Tooey Courtemanche Built a Billon-Dollar SaaS Empire Over 23 Years What does it take to build and scale a vertical SaaS giant over two decades? According to Tooey Courtemanche, CEO and Founder of Procore, it's about focus, perseverance, and a relentless commitment to customer success. In a recent conversation with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin, Tooey shared insights into his 23-year journey as CEO of Procore, the leading SaaS platform for construction management. From surviving economic downturns to scaling into a multi-product enterprise serving millions, Procore's story is a masterclass in vertical SaaS excellence. Tooey offers insights into maintaining work-life balance, strategic shifts during the financial crisis, transitions to multi-product offerings, and the impact of AI in the construction industry. Tooey also emphasizes the importance of customer-centricity and how Procore's brand has become ubiquitous in the U.S. construction market while exploring new international territories. Whether you're a SaaS enthusiast, a founder, or interested in the construction tech landscape, this episode is packed with valuable lessons and forward-thinking strategies. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 this 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 785: The Playbook for Going Upmarket with Stripe's CBO, Jeanne Dewitt Grosser, and Checkr's COO, Lindsey Scrase Want to know when to move upmarket and how to actually pull it off? Jeanne Dewitt Grosser, Chief Business Officer at Stripe, and Lindsey Scrase, COO at Checkr, have done it multiple times at companies like Google Cloud, Stripe, and Checkr. They came to SaaStr Annual to share what they've learned about making the move to go more enterprise actually work. They dive into their professional histories, strategies for startups when targeting and pivoting to enterprise markets, and the signals to watch for before making the leap. Learn from their experiences, including the importance of an aligned company push, the evolution of pricing, and tips for managing unit economics efficiently. Don't miss their actionable advice on understanding unit economics and building a solid operating model to enhance your business success. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 784: From $1M to $3B ARR: Databricks CRO Ron Gabrisko on Scaling a Revenue Rocket Ship In the latest episode of SaaStr's CRO Confidential Series, our host Sam Blond sits down with Ron Gabrisko, CRO of Databricks, to unpack the journey from $1M in ARR to crossing $3B ARR at the end of January 2025. With Databricks now one of the largest pre-IPO technology companies, with $10 billion of expected non-dilutive financing and a valuation of $62 billion, Ron's insights are gold for any revenue leader looking to scale. Dive into the journey of Databricks, from its early days with less than a million in ARR to becoming one of the largest pre-IPO technology companies. Ron shares his insights on the importance of having a technical background in sales, strategic hiring, and the evolution of Databricks' pricing and customer acquisition strategies. Learn how leveraging unique business advantages and building strong community ties with customers can drive exponential growth. Whether you're a startup founder or a seasoned revenue leader, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 783: How to Build a World-Class Customer Success Machine - Top Lessons from the CRO of Notion and VP of CS at GitHub Join Erica Anderson, CRO of Notion and Abbas Haider Ali, VP of CS at GitHub, as they share their unique experiences and professional journey starting at GitHub and continuing to Notion. Learn about building effective customer success teams, the importance of the right KPIs, balancing investments, and fostering great CRO-CCO relationships. Find out how both structured and pod organizational models can contribute to business growth, and gain insights into effective monetization strategies for various customer-facing roles. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 782: The Future of AI in B2B SaaS: Insights from Synthesia's CEO and Theory Ventures. Hosted by SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin As the AI revolution accelerates, it can be hard to keep up with the pace of innovation. SaaStr's AI Day 2025 brought together the top minds in the SaaS, AI and Cloud to dive deep into the intersection of AI and B2B. Featuring insights from Victor Rippabelli, CEO of Synthesia, and Tomas Tunguz of Theory Ventures, Jason Lemkin leads the discussion that covered everything from enterprise AI adoption to the evolution of video technology and the changing landscape of venture funding.  Learn about the latest advancements in AI video models and how they enhance productivity and innovation. The discussion also explores the evolving landscape of venture funding in AI, the impact of cheaper AI models on enterprise costs, the dynamics of seat-based vs. outcome-based software pricing, and the future of AI agents in business workflows. Don't miss this insightful conversation on the current and future state of AI in the enterprise. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 781: The RevOps Playbook: Owner.com CRO's Secrets to Scaling Join Kyle Norton, CRO at Owner.com, as he dives into the fundamentals of operating a revenue team with excellence. In this 40-minute session, Kyle outlines his SaaS-focused 'revenue operating system,' inspired by analogies of the Iron Man suit. Learn about the four key components crucial for predictable revenue growth: measuring, managing, planning, and communicating. Kyle shares practical tools, metrics, and rhythms designed to streamline business operations, turning chaos into order and accelerating organizational growth. Gain insights from his extensive experience and take away actionable steps and templates to implement immediately in your own business. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 780: 9 Things You Can Do to Grow Faster this Year with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin Join us for this insightful podcast where SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin discusses the key strategies to differentiate a successful year from a mediocre one. Focusing on 9 practical and effective layers to add to your business, this session covers everything from outbound strategy, customer conferences, and going multi-product, to the importance of customer success and global expansion. Learn from real-world examples and actionable advice to drive your growth and add value effectively.  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 789: What to Expect from a New CRO with Kathy Lord, CRO at Zensai and Jason Lemkin, SaaStr CEO and Founder SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin sat down with Kathy Lord, CRO of Zensai (and formerly of Intacct), to talk about what CEOs and CROs should really expect from one another, especially in those critical first 90 days. Kathy shares her journey and insights, and together they discuss the critical aspects CEOs and founders should align on when hiring a CRO or VP of Sales, the importance of having a real 90-day plan, and the differences in expectations between a CRO and a VP of Sales. Kathy provides actionable takeaways for ensuring alignment and setting realistic goals while addressing common pitfalls in hiring executive sales roles. This episode is packed with valuable strategies and real-world examples, making it a must-listen for anyone involved in scaling up SaaS companies. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 788: Going Multi-Product in the Age of AI with Webflow, Rubrik, Zoom, and ProductBoard At SaaStr Annual's AI Summit, we asked product leaders from some of the fastest-growing SaaS companies to share their insights on navigating the AI revolution while scaling multi-product strategies. This panel of product leaders featured Anneka Gupta, CPO at Rubrik, Mahesh Ram, Head of AI Product at Zoom, Hubert Palan, CEO at Productboard, and Rachel Wolan, CPO at Webflow. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 787: 10 Ways Sales is Different in Vertical SaaS with Mangomint's VP of Sales Marchelle Mooney While some might dismiss sector-specific vertical SaaS software as 'too small' or 'too niche', companies like Veeva ($40B), Clio ($3B), Toast ($1.3B), and Slice ($1B) have proven there's massive value in going deep rather than broad. Mangomint has quietly built an impressive vertical SaaS business in the spa and salon space, growing 100% year-over-year to approach $20M ARR with 110% NRR. So we asked Mangomint's VP of Sales Marchelle Mooney to share 10 ways sales is different in vertical SaaS. Marchelle's personal journey took her from early adopter of Mangomint, to 6 years later, VP of Sales over a 25+ person SMB sales team. Here's some of what she's learned along the way. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 786: Adding AI to SaaS: Inside the AI Product Strategies of Figma, Cloudflare, GitHub and Ramp At SaaStr Annual's AI Summit, we gathered an all-star panel of product leaders who have built some of the most widely-used AI features in production today. The speakers included Mario Rodriguez, Chief Product Officer at GitHub at GitHub, Diego Zaks, VP of Design at Ramp, Dane Knecht, SVP of Emerging Technologies at Cloudflare, and Vincent van der Meulen, Design Engineer at Figma, and Dani Grant, CEO at Jam.dev. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 785: Usage-Based Revenue Models: Successes and Pitfalls from Checkr COO Lindsey Scrase on CRO Confidential In the latest episode of our SaaStr CRO Confidential podcast, host Sam Blond sat down with Lindsey Scrase, COO of Checkr (and former CRO), to discuss her tactics for driving growth at the background screening unicorn. Lindsey shares valuable lessons on transitioning from a CRO to COO role, how usage-based pricing effected commission structures, leveraging data for operational improvements, aligning incentives to drive company success, and enhancing customer experience to ensure long-term growth. Dive deep into the strategic approaches that have led Checkr to become a $5 billion generational SaaS business. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 784: What Really Works When Hiring VPs and Executive Teams with HubSpot Co-Founder and Chairman Brian Halligan and SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin The success rate for executive hires at high-growth SaaS companies can be surprisingly low - you're often lucky if 50-60% of your management team works out long-term. In a recent conversation between HubSpot Chairman and co-founder Brian Halligan and SaaStr Founder and CEO Jason Lemkin, they shared their advice on what actually works when hiring VPs and building your SaaS executive team.

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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 782: How to Train Your Sales Leaders: Key Learnings from HubSpot and BILL with Michelle Benfer Former Head of Revenue at BILL and HubSpot Americas leader Michelle Benfer recently joined us to share her insights on one of the most critical roles in any SaaS organization: the frontline sales manager. Having led sales teams of 500+ at BILL and 800+ at HubSpot, Michelle has unique insights into what makes great frontline managers and why investing in them is crucial for sustainable growth. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 781: How to Think About Product-Led Growth, Bootstrapping vs VC, and Early Exits with Jason Lemkin At the closing AMA (Ask-Me-Anything) of SaaStr Annual, SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin delves into key topics facing SaaS startups including bootstrapping, private equity (PE) opportunities, and achieving product market fit. With practical advice and real-world examples, the Q&A covers critical issues such as growth strategies, funding options, and the dynamics of venture capital. Additionally, Jason addresses the importance of sales, the potential pitfalls of relying on design partners, and the nuances of pricing strategies. A must-watch for any SaaS founder or entrepreneur looking to navigate the complexities of scaling their business in today's competitive market.   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.

SaaStr 780: From Outbound to Channel Partnerships: Your Burning Sales Questions Answered by SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin At the closing AMA of SaaStr Annual, SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin shared candid insights about what's really happening in SaaS today. In this Ask Me Anything Part 1, Lemkin answers the questions:  What does SaaStr Annual attendee data tell us about the state of SaaS? Is outbound sales dead?  When sales slow how do you keep the team motivated and push through? How important are channel partnerships for sales and revenue? When should founders make their first executive hires? Let's find out the answers.  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   This episode is sponsored by: Anrok A question for SaaS finance leaders, do you know where your customers are? Anrok tracks where your sales are creating exposure, and automates tax calculation and filing worldwide. Built for high-growth software companies, Anrok protects your revenue and saves you time. Visit anrok.com/saastr to learn more.

SaaStr 779: 5 Things That Are Actually Working and 5 Things That Aren't in B2B SaaS AI with Ironclad's CEO and a16z Ironclad CEO and co-founder Jason Boehmig joined Seema Amble, Partner at Andreessen Horowitz at SaaStr Annual to share their observations on what's currently working – and what's not quite there yet – for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in SaaS. With Ironclad's journey from an AI-first concept in 2014 to a Series E+ company and a16z's extensive portfolio view, their insights offer a valuable perspective on the current state of AI in SaaS. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: Anrok A question for SaaS finance leaders, do you know where your customers are? Anrok tracks where your sales are creating exposure, and automates tax calculation and filing worldwide. Built for high-growth software companies, Anrok protects your revenue and saves you time. Visit anrok.com/saastr to learn more.

SaaStr 778: How to Leverage Pricing and Packaging to Drive Growth, Revenue, and Profit with Miro, Loom, OpenAI, and Splunk  Pricing is more than just a number on a contract — when used thoughtfully, it can become a strategic tool for your SaaS product that can drive product adoption, customer satisfaction, and business growth. At this year's SaaStr Annual AI Summit, Akshay Sharma, Head of Pricing and Monetization at Miro, chats with a panel of experts, including Janie Lee, Head of Product at Loom, Alison Harmon, Head of Growth at OpenAI, and Carsten Holm, VP of Pricing and Monetization at Splunk, about their nuanced approach to pricing and monetization. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: Anrok A question for SaaS finance leaders, do you know where your customers are? Anrok tracks where your sales are creating exposure, and automates tax calculation and filing worldwide. Built for high-growth software companies, Anrok protects your revenue and saves you time. Visit anrok.com/saastr to learn more.

SaaStr 777: The Rise of Vertical SaaS: Achieving 110% NRR from SMBs with Mangomint's CEO Join SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin, and CEO of Mangomint, Daniel Lang, as they dive into the booming world of vertical SaaS. Discover why software tailored for niche industries like salons and spas is gaining traction. Daniel shares insights on the evolution of salon software, the impact of embedded financial services, and the challenges and strategies around customer onboarding and retention. Learn about Mangomint's impressive growth and the importance of automation and AI in small business operations. This episode is packed with valuable takeaways for SaaS enthusiasts and entrepreneurs. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 NOVEMBER20 for an extra discount on our very best pricing. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: mmhmm.app Build client relationships faster with mmhmm, the app that helps you impress prospects in every meeting. Create and send recordings that help them get to know you. Try it free on Mac and Windows at mmhmm.app. That's M-M-H-M-M dot app --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 776: How to Successfully Bring AI Products to Market at Scale with GitHub's CRO Elizabeth Pemmerl Join Elizabeth Pemmerl, Chief Revenue Officer at GitHub, as she shares an in-depth look at GitHub's journey with CoPilot and its growth from an internal tool to a widely adopted AI product. With nearly a decade of experience at GitHub, Elizabeth discusses the importance of customer feedback, iterative development, and scalable strategies for product and team growth. Learn about the challenges, successes, and key strategies employed at GitHub to reach tens of thousands of organizations and millions of users leveraging AI solutions. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 NOVEMBER20 for an extra discount on our very best pricing. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: mmhmm.app Build client relationships faster with mmhmm, the app that helps you impress prospects in every meeting. Create and send recordings that help them get to know you. Try it free on Mac and Windows at mmhmm.app. That's M-M-H-M-M dot app --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 775: If You Fall Off the Venture Track, At Least Stay on The PE Track with Andy Wilson CEO Logikcull and SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin In this episode of the SaaStr podcast, Jason Lemkin and Andy Wilson dive deep into the topic of selling your SaaS company to private equity.  From initial discussions in 2012-2013 to strategic exits and lucrative sales, Andy shares valuable lessons learned from his own journey. Key takeaways include the impact of private equity on the SaaS industry, essential tactics for re-accelerating growth, aligning incentives, handling investment bankers, and mastering the deal process. Whether you're a founder looking to scale, exit, or just curious about the PE track, this session offers crucial insights to navigate your path to a successful sale. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 NOVEMBER20 for an extra discount on our very best pricing. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: mmhmm.app Build client relationships faster with mmhmm, the app that helps you impress prospects in every meeting. Create and send recordings that help them get to know you. Try it free on Mac and Windows at mmhmm.app. That's M-M-H-M-M dot app --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 774: The Vertical SaaS Rocketship: Samsara's CEO and Co-Founder Sanjit Biswas and SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin on Samsara's Journey to $1.26 Billion in ARR! SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin has an exclusive conversation with Sanjit Biswas, founder and CEO of Samsara and a two-time entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience.  Sanjit shares insights on the growth of Samsara, a leading vertical SaaS company that's disrupting the industry by growing 36% and reaching $1.26 billion in ARR. We dive into how Samsara is transforming operations across various fields including fleets, trucks, and more, by leveraging innovative AI technologies. Sanjit discusses the company's early days, the impact of their first startup, Meraki, and what led them to create Samsara. We also explore the importance of maintaining strong team dynamics, the role of customer feedback in product development, and how Samsara is enabling real-world AI applications. Tune in to learn about the fascinating journey and the future of Samsara directly from its visionary founder. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 NOVEMBER20 for an extra discount on our very best pricing. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: mmhmm.app Build client relationships faster with mmhmm, the app that helps you impress prospects in every meeting. Create and send recordings that help them get to know you. Try it free on Mac and Windows at mmhmm.app. That's M-M-H-M-M dot app --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 773: CRO Confidential: Moving Beyond Traditional Sales, Clay CEO & Co-Founder Kareem Amin on the Future of AI-Driven Growth CRO Confidential podcast host Sam Blond chats with the CEO and co-founder of Clay, Kareem Amin, about two major topics: The evolution of Go-To-Market systems: where we are today with the incorporation of AI, and where we're headed. How Clay approaches GTM itself and how they've realized their level of success in such a short amount of time. They also dive into how Clay is transforming the way companies approach growth by leveraging data and AI. Kareem shares his journey, from founding Frame, acquired by SailThru, to his time as VP of Product at Wall Street Journal, and now leading Clay. The episode covers the evolution of revenue systems, the role of AI in go-to-market strategies, and how Clay successfully carved out its niche in the tech landscape. Don't miss the insights on leveraging happy customers, creative campaigns, and innovative tactics for business growth! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 NOVEMBER20 for an extra discount on our very best pricing. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: mmhmm.app Build client relationships faster with mmhmm, the app that helps you impress prospects in every meeting. Create and send recordings that help them get to know you. Try it free on Mac and Windows at mmhmm.app. That's M-M-H-M-M dot app --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 772: What Really Matters in SaaS in 2025 with Jason Lemkin and Dave Kellogg In this episode, SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin and Dave Kellogg, Executive in Residence at Balderton Capital (+ SaaStr fan favorite) share what really matters in SaaS for 2025. We delve into 5 key topics in SaaS and cloud for 2025, discussing the future of AI in B2B, strategic pricing changes, the impact of moving customer success to sales, and the state of private equity deals. Dave provides a unique perspective on re-founding companies and addressing slow growth in SaaS. This episode is packed with expert opinions on navigating the evolving landscape of SaaS and cloud businesses. Don't miss the deep dive into pressing issues every SaaS founder and executive should be aware of going into 2025. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 NOVEMBER20 for an extra discount on our very best pricing. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: mmhmm.app Build client relationships faster with mmhmm, the app that helps you impress prospects in every meeting. Create and send recordings that help them get to know you. Try it free on Mac and Windows at mmhmm.app. That's M-M-H-M-M dot app --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaaStr 771: The Top Marketing Strategies for 2025 Growth with the CMOs of Snowflake, LinkedIn, and Carta  Right now is one of the hardest times of the year for marketers. Most CMOs will be heads down wrapping up a year-end assessment and figuring out what to pitch for next year's budgetary spend to drive revenue, all while navigating an ever-changing environment of inconsistent metrics, lower conversion rates, and a rapid rate of change with the adoption of AI in SaaS. A CMO panel consisting of the CMO of Snowflake, Denise Persson, CMO of Carta Nicole Baer, and the VP of Marketing at LinkedIn for Sales, Gail Moody-Byrd all answer Carilu Dietrick's questions, CMO and advisor formerly at Atlassian, about all things growth for 2025. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 NOVEMBER20 for an extra discount on our very best pricing. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: mmhmm.app Build client relationships faster with mmhmm, the app that helps you impress prospects in every meeting. Create and send recordings that help them get to know you. Try it free on Mac and Windows at mmhmm.app. That's M-M-H-M-M dot app

SaaStr 770: How to Avoid a Bad VC Investor with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin In our latest episode, SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin delves into 11 ways you can identify bad investors before signing a term sheet. Use this 11-part test to avoid common pitfalls:  Do reference checks  Ask if they write second or third checks See how many control they want Figure out their long-term goals Ask about the lows too Ask about outside CEOS What was their worst investment? Ask what CEO they're a fan of Should you ask your potential investors to sign an NDA? The best advice if you're going from bootstrapping to venture capital to avoid a mistake If you are offered a second check, how picky should you be? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: remote.com When the right person for the job is a world away, Remote Talent brings the world to you. As the top job board for remote-first companies, we give you powerful tools to post your listings and reach the world's top candidates and remote professionals. Start building your dream team from anywhere—visit Remote.com/jobs today. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: Anrok A question for SaaS finance leaders, do you know where your customers are? Anrok tracks where your sales are creating exposure, and automates tax calculation and filing worldwide. Built for high-growth software companies, Anrok protects your revenue and saves you time. Visit anrok.com/saastr to learn more.

SaaStr 769: The State of SaaS Go-to-Market with Theory Ventures General Partner Tomasz Tunguz Join us in this insightful episode as seasoned venture capitalist Tomasz Tunguz, General Partner at Theory Ventures shares transformative insights on the current landscape of SaaS Go-To-Market. Six months ago, security was the number one prohibition preventing businesses and software companies from buying AI. Today it's ROI. In this episode, Tomasz shares nine observations from a Go-To-Market survey Theory Ventures did with hundreds of startups, 68% of them early-stage, well-funded, mostly mid-market ACV, and 25% remote. Here's what they found: We've noticed founders are more positive despite sales cycles being 12% longer The lengthening sales cycle increases the payback period to offset it Startup founders and CEOs have increased their sales team quotas linearly AI today has no impact on conversion rate AI does not impact ARR growth, even though people who buy AI perceive it as meaningfully contributing to overall efficiency gains If you're considering changing your pricing model, consider creating a hybrid or matrix pricing model. You'll have six percentage points more of net dollar retention. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: remote.com When the right person for the job is a world away, Remote Talent brings the world to you. As the top job board for remote-first companies, we give you powerful tools to post your listings and reach the world's top candidates and remote professionals. Start building your dream team from anywhere—visit Remote.com/jobs today. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: Anrok A question for SaaS finance leaders, do you know where your customers are? Anrok tracks where your sales are creating exposure, and automates tax calculation and filing worldwide. Built for high-growth software companies, Anrok protects your revenue and saves you time. Visit anrok.com/saastr to learn more.

SaaStr 768: Approaching Half a Million Customers: How to Win in SMB with BILL CEO and Founder René Lacerte Join our in-depth exploration of Bill.com's remarkable evolution, from BILL CEO and Founder René Lacerte and SaaStr CEO and founder Jason Lemkin. Tune in as they share how BILL has reached half a million customers and $1.3B in revenue. Together, Jason and René discuss: How to sell to multiple stakeholders as a SaaS platform  Going long and BILL's 20+ year journey to $1B Creating a Moat How to create product stickiness The impact of artificial intelligence on BILL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: remote.com When the right person for the job is a world away, Remote Talent brings the world to you. As the top job board for remote-first companies, we give you powerful tools to post your listings and reach the world's top candidates and remote professionals. Start building your dream team from anywhere—visit Remote.com/jobs today. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: Anrok A question for SaaS finance leaders, do you know where your customers are? Anrok tracks where your sales are creating exposure, and automates tax calculation and filing worldwide. Built for high-growth software companies, Anrok protects your revenue and saves you time. Visit anrok.com/saastr to learn more.

SaaStr 767: The Future of AI in SaaS Sales with Henry Schuck, CEO of ZoomInfo and SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin joined ZoomInfo's Season 2 of its ZI Labs Podcast as the opening guest alongside ZoomInfo CEO Henry Schuck. Along with co-host Ben Salzman, Jason and Henry discuss the transformative power of AI within SaaS and the evolving dynamics that are reshaping the landscape of software as a service. Together they explore the intricacies of scaling SaaS companies, including the importance of recruiting and developing strong management teams, implementing multi-product strategies, and navigating emotional and operational hurdles as the company grows. The discussion also emphasizes the significance of hiring passionate and top-tier talent, leveraging AI to enhance sales efficiency, and maintaining a core Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) for profitability. Real-world examples from companies like HubSpot, DocuSign, and Zendesk provide valuable lessons on leadership, innovation, and the future of sales. A must-listen episode for SaaS founders and entrepreneurs aiming to scale their business and stay ahead in a competitive market. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: remote.com When the right person for the job is a world away, Remote Talent brings the world to you. As the top job board for remote-first companies, we give you powerful tools to post your listings and reach the world's top candidates and remote professionals. Start building your dream team from anywhere—visit Remote.com/jobs today. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: Anrok A question for SaaS finance leaders, do you know where your customers are? Anrok tracks where your sales are creating exposure, and automates tax calculation and filing worldwide. Built for high-growth software companies, Anrok protects your revenue and saves you time. Visit anrok.com/saastr to learn more.

SaaStr 765: The Bar Has Gone Up. The Era of HyperFunctional SaaS is Here with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin In this comprehensive episode, SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin explains why the era of hyper-functional SaaS is here, and how it's reshaping the landscape of SaaS companies. Key topics include the critical role of AI and automation in meeting rising customer expectations and the imperative for tech companies to develop multi-product strategies to sustain growth. We explore how companies like Slice, Datadog, and Monday are navigating market dynamics, balancing efficiency with innovation, and adapting to accelerated benchmarks despite claims of downturns in SaaS spending. Additionally, we delve into the evolving sales challenges, maintaining product market fit, and finding untapped opportunities amidst the surge of AI advancements. Tune in to uncover strategies and real-world examples for building a thriving platform in the modern SaaS industry. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: remote.com When the right person for the job is a world away, Remote Talent brings the world to you. As the top job board for remote-first companies, we give you powerful tools to post your listings and reach the world's top candidates and remote professionals. Start building your dream team from anywhere—visit Remote.com/jobs today. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: Anrok A question for SaaS finance leaders, do you know where your customers are? Anrok tracks where your sales are creating exposure, and automates tax calculation and filing worldwide. Built for high-growth software companies, Anrok protects your revenue and saves you time. Visit anrok.com/saastr to learn more.

SaaStr 764: State of the Cloud 2024: The Cloud AI Era with Bessemer Venture Partners, Anthropic, Jasper, Abridge and EvenUp Bessemer Venture Partners is committing $1 billion in capital to back AI-native companies and founders at the bleeding edge. Sameer Dholakia, Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners speaks with Julia Chapin, COO at Abridge, Kate Jensen, Head of Revenue at Anthropic, Rami Karabibar, CEO and founder at EvenUp, and Timothy Young, CEO at Jasper, on the impacts of AI on the State of the Cloud.  The discussion delves into the integration of AI into SaaS, marketing, healthcare, and legal industries, with a focus on the challenges and opportunities of implementing AI solutions. Key topics include building defensible business models, embracing multimodal capabilities, and strategizing change management for successful AI adoption. Gain valuable insights into the importance of trust, partnerships, and user-centric applications in leveraging AI for sustainable business growth. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: remote.com When the right person for the job is a world away, Remote Talent brings the world to you. As the top job board for remote-first companies, we give you powerful tools to post your listings and reach the world's top candidates and remote professionals. Start building your dream team from anywhere—visit Remote.com/jobs today. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: Anrok A question for SaaS finance leaders, do you know where your customers are? Anrok tracks where your sales are creating exposure, and automates tax calculation and filing worldwide. Built for high-growth software companies, Anrok protects your revenue and saves you time. Visit anrok.com/saastr to learn more.

SaaStr 763: The Secrets to Selling and Scaling in Vertical SaaS with Slice's CRO Loren Padelford Loren Padelford, CRO of Slice and previously SVP and GM of Shopify Plus, does a deep dive with the SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin on the top learnings selling to SMBs and within Vertical SaaS. The conversation dives into Slice's approach of helping independent pizzerias by offering integrated software and services, comparing it to the approach of Domino's. Lauren offers lessons learned during his career in SaaS, with inspirational views on growth strategies, customer focus, and building trust with SMB entrepreneurs. This discussion is ideal for anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of vertical SaaS and its impact on the business ecosystem. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: remote.com When the right person for the job is a world away, Remote Talent brings the world to you. As the top job board for remote-first companies, we give you powerful tools to post your listings and reach the world's top candidates and remote professionals. Start building your dream team from anywhere—visit Remote.com/jobs today. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: Anrok A question for SaaS finance leaders, do you know where your customers are? Anrok tracks where your sales are creating exposure, and automates tax calculation and filing worldwide. Built for high-growth software companies, Anrok protects your revenue and saves you time. Visit anrok.com/saastr to learn more.

SaaStr 762: How to Build a Product Customers Love and Drive Nearly $1B in Revenue Along the Way with Klaviyo CEO Andrew Bialecki and SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin Klaviyo is the most awesome SaaS company you don't know enough about yet. :) Join SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin and Klaviyo CEO and Co-Founder, Andrew Bialecki as they discuss Klaviyo's rise as a leading marketing and customer data platform for B2C businesses. Discover the strategies behind its growth, the challenges faced in expansion, the pivotal partnership with Shopify, and insights into successfully navigating the journey from SMBs to enterprise markets. Learn about the company's IPO experience, the impact of strategic product development, and how Klaviyo became an indispensable tool for e-commerce businesses that has millions of raving customers and nearly $1B in revenue. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Join us at SaaStr Annual 2025:  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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: remote.com When the right person for the job is a world away, Remote Talent brings the world to you. As the top job board for remote-first companies, we give you powerful tools to post your listings and reach the world's top candidates and remote professionals. Start building your dream team from anywhere—visit Remote.com/jobs today. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: Anrok A question for SaaS finance leaders, do you know where your customers are? Anrok tracks where your sales are creating exposure, and automates tax calculation and filing worldwide. Built for high-growth software companies, Anrok protects your revenue and saves you time. Visit anrok.com/saastr to learn more.

SaaStr 761: How to Build Pipeline and GTM Alignment with Datadog's CMO Sara Varni Sara Varni, Datadog's CMO, shares how to build pipeline and create alignment across sales and marketing. The CMO role at Datadog covers the usual aspects of marketing, including product marketing, corporate communications, events, partnership marketing, and solutions marketing. While these insights seem like pipeline 101, they aren't always implemented. Let's look at some quick facts about Sara's experience. She spent a decade at Salesforce before moving on to Twilio as CMO when they were at about $400M ARR with 30 sales reps. They had a healthy self-service motion, but growth was flattening. About four years later, she joined Attentive as CMO, a late-stage startup in the SMS marketing space. Now, she's the CMO at Datadog. Each of these companies had different GTM motions.   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: remote.com When the right person for the job is a world away, Remote Talent brings the world to you. As the top job board for remote-first companies, we give you powerful tools to post your listings and reach the world's top candidates and remote professionals. Start building your dream team from anywhere—visit Remote.com/jobs today. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: Anrok A question for SaaS finance leaders, do you know where your customers are? Anrok tracks where your sales are creating exposure, and automates tax calculation and filing worldwide. Built for high-growth software companies, Anrok protects your revenue and saves you time. Visit anrok.com/saastr to learn more.

SaaStr 760: CRO Confidential: Rippling's Top 3 Growth Tactics for Driving Revenue at Scale with Rippling CRO Matt Plank and Former CRO at Brex Sam Blond  At this year's SaaStr Annual, Rippling's CRO, Matt Plank, chats with Sam Blond, host of the SaaStr CRO Confidential and former CRO at Brex, about Rippling's top 3 growth tactics, which have led to the Rippling becoming a $14B company with several hundred million of ARR. A few years ago, Matt was making cold calls from CEO Parker Conrad's basement, and he's helped bring Rippling to where it is today. The three growth tactics that worked for Rippling can be categorized into three different stages: Outbound Increasing closed-won revenue rates Serving customers and expanding revenue in the base -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2025 at: SaaStr Annual: May. 13-15 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Get your early bird tickets TODAY. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: Pendo This episode is sponsored by our good friends at Pendo the all-in-one product experience platform. Pendo brings together product analytics. Guides discovery and replay. So you can improve your product experiences for every customer and employee try Pendo for free at Pendo.io/saastr. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: remote.com Ready to expand into new markets with confidence? Remote's comprehensive HR suite propels your growth from the ground up. From setting up new entities and managing intellectual property, to overseeing contractor compliance Remote makes scaling effortless.With their platform and partnership, your business grows not just bigger, but smarter. Transform your growth today with remote at Remote.com.

SaaStr 759: 5 Metrics that Matter When Raising Your SaaS Series A and Series B Round with Christoph Janz, Partner at Point Nine Capital  What data and metrics do you need to convince SaaS investors you're in good shape and aligned with what they care about? Christoph Janz, Partner at Point Nine Capital, shares 5 key insights during this year's SaaStr Annual. These metrics are more targeted to those preparing for a Series A or B round and could make the difference between an excited-to-invest-in-you investor and a pass. Why should you spend the time getting your act together before fundraising? If your data is self-explanatory, in good shape, easy to understand, and aligned with what investors care about, you avoid a lot of unnecessary back and forth. Less time clarifying what your metrics mean results in more time to talk to more investors in parallel and increased confidence with each of those investors. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2025 at: SaaStr Annual: May. 13-15 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Get your early bird tickets TODAY. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: Pendo This episode is sponsored by Pendo, the all-in-one product experience platform. Pendo helps your users do the things you really want them to do. You can try Pendo for free at Pendo.io/saastr and check out Mind The Product, the community for product people like… us. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: remote.com Big things start like this. Every industry leader began with a simple idea and the courage to dream big. At Remote, we're here to help you turn your vision into reality. From onboarding top talent to managing payroll worldwide, our tools and expertise support your journey from initial start to impressive growth worldwide. Start anywhere. Grow everywhere. Forge your path to success at Remote.com.

SaaStr 758: Avoid These Common Founder Mistakes to Hire a Great VP of Sales in 2024 with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin In this episode of the official SaaStr podcast, we delve into the common pitfalls founders encounter when hiring a VP of Sales. SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin kicked off the SaaStr Annual by reflecting on twelve years of hiring lessons, sharing critical insights into why sales leaders fail and how founders can avoid these mistakes. The discussion covers the importance of due diligence, understanding the product, embracing sales involvement post-hire, and recognizing the signs of jaded or broken candidates. The episode emphasizes the need for rigorous hiring processes and the impact of a bad hire on startup growth. Tune in for practical advice to ensure your next critical hire drives success.   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2025 at: SaaStr Annual: May. 13-15 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Get your early bird tickets TODAY. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: Pendo This episode is sponsored by Pendo, the all-in-one product experience platform. Pendo helps your users do the things you really want them to do. You can try Pendo for free at Pendo.io/saastr and check out Mind The Product, the community for product people like… us. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: remote.com Big things start like this. Every industry leader began with a simple idea and the courage to dream big. At Remote, we're here to help you turn your vision into reality. From onboarding top talent to managing payroll worldwide, our tools and expertise support your journey from initial start to impressive growth worldwide. Start anywhere. Grow everywhere. Forge your path to success at Remote.com.

SaaStr 757: 10 Cheat Codes I Learned While Scaling to $400M with Yext and Roam Founder Howard Lerman Dive into a unique and tactical journey with Howard Lerman, Founder at Roam, sharing unconventional yet effective strategies drawn from personal experiences and notable figures like John Lennon. Learn the importance of mastering storytelling, the art of live demos, the controversial take on one-on-one meetings, and the benefits of Sunday night executive meetings. Discover how leveraging your cap table for strategic advisors can accelerate your business and understand the significance of maintaining product market fit. Embrace the philosophy of doing things your way and making your company an extension of your vision. This episode is packed with practical advice for startup founders looking to navigate the complexities of building and scaling their companies. Howard's 10 cheat codes: Memorize Your Lines: Master storytelling by memorizing your company's story. The Live Demo: Take the risk with live demos. 1:1 Meetings Are Terrible: Avoid scheduled one-on-one meetings. Sunday Night Meetings: Start your week with Sunday night exec meetings. Advisor-Led Growth: Use stock options to bring on influential advisors. 5-Minute Meetings: Hold short, effective meetings. Meet with Customers: Meeting customers lifts spirits. Board Chair: Have a powerful chairperson. Do Not Delegate: Retain control over critical functions like product-market fit. Have Fun: Make your company your creative canvas.

SaaStr 756: From Challenges and Churn to Triumph - How to Deliver Exceptional Customer Support at Scale with Monday.com's VP of Customer Experience In this episode of the Official SaaStr Podcast, Natalie Margolin, VP of Customer Experience at monday.com, shares her journey and strategies for enhancing customer experience in a rapidly growing company. From tackling challenges of scale, implementing AI and chatbots, to ensuring customer satisfaction and building an expert support team, Natalie explains the transformative steps and guiding principles that have positioned monday.com as an industry leader in customer experience. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: Paragon Are you constantly saying no to your customers' integration requests? You're not alone. That's why companies like Copy.ai and Sinch use Paragon, an embedded integration platform, to ship integrations 7 times faster. Ready to scale your product's integration strategy? Visit useparagon.com/saastr to explore how Paragon can help you go-to-market faster with integrations today. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: remote.com   When the right person for the job is a world away, Remote Talent brings the world to you. As the top job board for remote-first companies, we give you powerful tools to post your listings and reach the world's top candidates and remote professionals. Start building your dream team from anywhere—visit Remote.com/jobs today.

SaaStr 755: How to Optimize Sales Performance, SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin Answers Your Top SaaS Sales Questions In this episode, we dive into the intricacies of effective sales check-ins, best practices for managing remote teams, and the essential strategies for hiring and ramping up sales leadership. Jason Lemkin answers audience questions, covers why Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) are becoming obsolete, the significance of measuring sales team activities, and the critical importance of ensuring new hires are product experts before they start. Other key topics include handling lone wolf sales reps, sourcing pipeline percentage, and the differing approaches needed for SMB and enterprise sales teams. A must-listen for SaaS founders, sales leaders, and anyone looking to optimize their sales process in our remote-first world.   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: Paragon Are you constantly saying no to your customers' integration requests? You're not alone. That's why companies like Copy.ai and Sinch use Paragon, an embedded integration platform, to ship integrations 7 times faster. Ready to scale your product's integration strategy? Visit useparagon.com/saastr to explore how Paragon can help you go-to-market faster with integrations today. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: remote.com   Elevate your contractor management with a platform built for SaaS leaders. With Remote, you get zero-cost compliance screening and a fair price guarantee from day one. Enjoy fast, international payments, round-the-clock support, and robust indemnity coverage with Contractor Management Plus. Scale your operations confidently with Remote.com—visit us to start your free 30-day trial and unlock a solution that simplifies end-to-end contractor management.

SaaStr 754: 7 Things the Best Sales Reps Get Right and 8 Ways the Rest Make Things Worse with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin   Join Jason Lemkin, in this insightful episode as he dives deep into distinguishing the best sales reps from the rest.   Jason outlines seven key traits that make sales reps successful, such as understanding customer problems, facilitating product demos, and being honest about competition. He also discusses common pitfalls that mediocre sales reps fall into, including playing endless games with pricing and creating urgency without value. Perfect for founders, sales leaders, and team managers looking to improve their hiring process and team efficiency, this episode offers practical, real-world examples and strategies to implement right away.   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: Paragon Are you constantly saying no to your customers' integration requests? You're not alone. That's why companies like Copy.ai and Sinch use Paragon, an embedded integration platform, to ship integrations 7 times faster. Ready to scale your product's integration strategy? Visit useparagon.com/saastr to explore how Paragon can help you go-to-market faster with integrations today. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is sponsored by: remote.com   When the right person for the job is a world away, Remote Talent brings the world to you. As the top job board for remote-first companies, we give you powerful tools to post your listings and reach the world's top candidates and remote professionals. Start building your dream team from anywhere—visit Remote.com/jobs today.

SaaStr 753: Unveiling the 2024 CRO Playbook, How to Navigate A Shifting Sales Environment with Salesloft's CRO Mark Niemiec In this insightful podcast, Mark Niemiec, the CRO of SalesLoft, shares his strategic approach and key lessons learned since joining the company in February. Drawing from his extensive experience at Salesforce and Cisco, Mark discusses the challenges and opportunities that come with onboarding as a new CRO, especially in dynamic market conditions. He emphasizes the importance of vision setting, strategic planning, and effective communication. Mark also provides practical tips on customer engagement, team dynamics, and the significance of maintaining a balanced work-life routine. Whether you're a founder, sales leader, or aspiring CRO, this episode offers valuable actionable insights for driving successful change in your organization.

SaaStr 752: 9 Signs a Startup Isn't Going to Make It with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin SaaStr Founder and CEO, Jason Lemkin sat down to discuss 9 signs a startup isn't going to make it. We all know, we're living in strange times. A lot of AI companies are growing 500% a year and exploding A lot of public leaders are struggling Some unicorns are doing incredibly well, while others have stalled and are growing at zero Founders are struggling with how to deal with these changes, and VCs and executives are trying to decide if companies are worth joining, investing in, or sticking it out with. It's nuanced. So, let's look at the nine signs a startup will fail. As leaders, if you see yourself doing some of these things, maybe it's time to stop it.

SaaStr 751: How to Use AI-Powered Marketing to Get More Leads and Customers with Guillaume Cabane of HyperGrowth Partners As a marketing leader, how do you use today's AI platforms and tools to become more efficient?  Guillaume Cabane, Co-Founder and General Partner at HyperGrowth Partners and ex-head of marketing at Drift, Gorgias and Segment, shares how you can win with AI in outbound, SEO, and paid.  AI was good a year or two ago, but its quality was less than that of a human. There was less cost and less quality. Nowadays, we have more quality and speed, yet still at a lower cost. What does that mean for marketing? Each motion has different CACs. The sales-led approach we're used to, which is pretty efficient but relatively expensive. On the other side, you have PLG, which is fairly cheap but generally drives lower CAC and smaller customers. You have this spectrum from low contract value to high ACV, which is correlated with low CAC to high CAC. With those CACs and ACVs, you have typical segmentation of micro to Enterprise, and within that segmentation, you have the channels. On the cheap, low-CAC side, you'll have SEO and virality: the PLG playbooks. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 --------------

SaaStr 750: What it Takes to Get Funded in 2024 with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin What it really takes to raise venture capital today, in 2024 Stress in System Why Everyone Seems to be Chasing AI Where the Decacorns Are Databricks and Canva What a "Fund Returner" is in Venture Capital How a $2B and a $100m VC Fund Make Money What a Top Decile Startup Looks Like and Much More!! SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20

SaaStr 749: The Lost Podcast Aaron Levie, CEO of Box, and Jason Lemkin, CEO of SaaStr, in 2013:  "Thinking About $1 Billion in ARR" Hey, everybody at SaaStr, we didn't realize until a Twitter exchange the other day that we have a lost SaaStr podcast for real. Just when SaaStr was getting going in January 2013, SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin went out and went to Box's offices and interviewed Aaron Levie CEO and Co-founder of Box. This was over a decade ago now and it was lost.  We recorded it but didn't know what to do with it. And the audio quality was pretty bad, but we used AI to clean it up and we thought this would be really fun to listen to at a formative time. Back then, Box had just crossed 400 employees. It was no longer a startup. And we talked about going enterprise. We talked about squinting on the horizon and seeing the $1B ARR which box has since passed, and what it might be like to go bigger.  It's a moment in time but you can listen to a different side, maybe even a more lighthearted side before things get really hard after the IPO.  It is harder after you go public. But this was just before that. It's the lost SaaStr podcast. The earliest days of Box with Aaron Levie and Jason Lemkin together.  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20

SaaStr 748: Fundraising During A Downturn, Advice for Hiring in 2024 and Much More with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin  To close out SaaStr Europa 2024, Jason Lemkin, SaaStr CEO and Founder took the stage to answer the audience's most burning questions. AMA's with Jason are wildly popular for his expertise and no-holds-barred delivery. Jason give his advice on the following topics: Hiring in 2024 Running PLG and Enterprise GTM at the same time How to Categorize Revenue for VCs Are Marketing Agencies Worth Investing In? Do VCs Ignore Founder Logos The ideal post-sales process Advice For Companies Looking To Raise During A Downturn -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 --------------   This episode is sponsored by Pendo, the all-in-one product experience platform. Pendo helps your users do the things you really want them to do. You can try Pendo for free at Pendo.io/saastr and check out Mind The Product, the community for product people like… us.

SaaStr 747: Top 10 GTM Mistakes Founders Make Again … and Again with SaaStr's CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin What are the biggest GTM mistakes founders make? SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin shares The Top 10 Mistakes Founders Make Again and Again. Some are decades-old problems, while others have emerged from this new world we're in. Let's jump right in. Hire a VP of Sales that can sell or demo the product Hire a VP of Marketing who can do demand generation As a Founder or CEO, stay in sales Don't cut your marketing budgets to almost nothing Jump on the AI bandwagon in a meaningful way Prioritize growth Be cautious when hiring the broken, the bitter, and the fractional Don't hire for the logo ROI isn't always instant, build pipeline Don't eliminate true customer success -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 This episode is sponsored by: Remote.com Are international payroll regulations giving you a headache? Remote.com is your solution. With our best-in-class interface and expertise, we consolidate payroll for your employees, whether in one country or a hundred. Trust us with swift, secure payments for your team while you focus on scaling markets and driving business growth.

SaaStr 746: What's Really Happening in Venture Capital Today with Redpoint Ventures Managing Director Logan Bartlett There are a lot of haves and have-nots in the software industry today. Some companies have more people throwing money at them than they know what to do with, and others are struggling to raise any money at all. Logan Bartlett, Managing Director at Redpoint Ventures, shares their yearly "State of the Market" report to understand what is and isn't happening in venture capital today. 2024 is the tale of two markets, so let's get into some of the data on today's episode. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 --------------   This episode is sponsored by Pendo, the all-in-one product experience platform. Pendo helps your users do the things you really want them to do. You can try Pendo for free at Pendo.io/saastr and check out Mind The Product, the community for product people like… us.

SaaStr 745: Mastering SaaS Sales Hiring, Customer Retention, and Growth with OpenAI, Retool, and 20VC Dominic Grill, Head of Technical Success at OpenAI, and Eleanor Dorfman, Head of Sales at Retool, answer some of the most pressing questions from Harry Stebbings, Founder at 20VC, about mastering the customer lifecycle, how roles and motions in sales and post-sales have changed, the role of AI in sales, and some of the biggest lessons learned at these hyper-growth companies. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 --------------   This episode is sponsored by Pendo, the all-in-one product experience platform. Pendo helps your users do the things you really want them to do. You can try Pendo for free at Pendo.io/saastr and check out Mind The Product, the community for product people like… us.   This episode is sponsored by: Remote.com Are international payroll regulations giving you a headache? Remote.com is your solution. With our best-in-class interface and expertise, we consolidate payroll for your employees, whether in one country or a hundred. Trust us with swift, secure payments for your team while you focus on scaling markets and driving business growth.   This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent Get more when Northwest Registered Agent starts your business. They'll form your company fast and stand up your entire business identity in minutes. That means business free domain, business email, website, hosting, address, mail scanning, business phone app, all within minutes. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 744: A Tale of 3 Worlds: Where SaaS, Cloud, and AI are in 2024 with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin What's the theme and current trends in SaaS, Cloud and AI now that we're midway through 2024? SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin reflects on the SaaS industry's journey over the past several years, particularly focusing on the challenges and growth seen in 2022 and 2023. Despite economic ups and downs and the gloom and doom on social media, companies like Canva and Netskope are thriving today. Jason's best advice? "Just build." In this episode, he emphasizes the importance of SaaS startups and companies continuing to build amidst macroeconomic fluctuations and the inevitable rise and fall of markets. Additionally, he addresses head-on how AI is reshaping the landscape and driving venture capital investments. For aspiring and current SaaS founders, this episode offers practical advice on staying competitive and resilient in an unpredictable market. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 -------------- This episode is sponsored by Pendo, the all-in-one product experience platform. Pendo helps your users do the things you really want them to do. You can try Pendo for free at Pendo.io/saastr and check out Mind The Product, the community for product people like… us. This episode is sponsored by: Remote.com Are international payroll regulations giving you a headache? Remote.com is your solution. With our best-in-class interface and expertise, we consolidate payroll for your employees, whether in one country or a hundred. Trust us with swift, secure payments for your team while you focus on scaling markets and driving business growth. This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent Get more when Northwest Registered Agent starts your business. They'll form your company fast and stand up your entire business identity in minutes. That means business free domain, business email, website, hosting, address, mail scanning, business phone app, all within minutes. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 743: 9 Easy Sales Concepts So Many Get Wrong with Sam Blond, Former CRO Brex Sam Blond, the former CRO at Brex with 15 years in tech sales, took the stage at SaaStr Europa 2024 to share nine easy sales concepts that so many get wrong. Sam got his first job in tech sales as an SDR for Jason Lemkin's company, EchoSign, which later sold to Adobe and launched his career. These nine sales concepts, when done correctly, will greatly improve your sales and sales teams: Don't Outsource Recruiting Focus on Demand Until You Have Too Much Do Things That Stand Out Leverage Happy Customers to Generate New Ones Distribution Is As Important As The Announcement Be Prescriptive On How To Buy Your Product The Presumptive Close Meet Prospective Customers In Person Obsess Over Implementation -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent Get more when Northwest Registered Agent starts your business. They'll form your company fast and stand up your entire business identity in minutes. That means business free domain, business email, website, hosting, address, mail scanning, business phone app, all within minutes. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.   This episode is sponsored by: Remote.com Are you overwhelmed with paperwork managing overseas contractors? Say hello to efficiency with Remote's Contractor Management solution! Seamlessly handle invoicing, fixed payments, and compliant, localized contracts. Kickstart your free trial today at Remote.com.   This episode is sponsored by Pendo, the all-in-one product experience platform. Pendo helps your users do the things you really want them to do. You can try Pendo for free at Pendo.io/saastr and check out Mind The Product, the community for product people like… us.

SaaStr 742: The Top 5 Secrets for Building Great Products with Leaders at Slack, Rubrik, and Grammarly As Product leaders, you have to build trust with CEOs and founders, align on vision and strategy, stay focused on the customer's problem, and effectively navigate misalignment to ensure your product has the greatest chances of success right out of the gate.  But how do you tactically achieve all of that? Tamar Yehoshua, former CPO at Slack and Partner at IVP, Anneka Gupta, CPO of Rubrik, and Noam Lovinsky, CPO of Grammarly, shared practical advice at SaaStr Annual from the trenches so you can build great products and great teams all at once.  Follow along with the full write-up of this podcast here. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent Get more when Northwest Registered Agent starts your business. They'll form your company fast and stand up your entire business identity in minutes. That means business free domain, business email, website, hosting, address, mail scanning, business phone app, all within minutes. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.   This episode is sponsored by: Remote.com Feeling stuck in your talent search? Remote Talent is the leading job board for remote-first companies and startups. Visit Remote.com/jobs today to start building your dream team, anywhere in the world.   This episode is sponsored by Pendo, the all-in-one product experience platform. Pendo helps your users do the things you really want them to do. You can try Pendo for free at Pendo.io/saastr and check out Mind The Product, the community for product people like… us.

Gong's CEO and Co-Founder Amit Bendov sat down with SaaStr Founder and CEO Jason Lemkin at SaaStr Europa 2024 last week to talk about all things AI in Sales and the lessons learned while scaling to billions.  Back in 2015, Google AI beat the world chess champion easily. AI was starting to diagnose diseases better than doctors. Amit asked himself, "How hard would it be to understand customers better than salespeople?" That was the idea for Gong, an early vision of an autonomous customer management system that could capture customer conversations, understand them, and turn insights into action. Believe it or not, Gong struggled to raise money because people didn't believe that AI would be big one day. In this episode, you'll learn what Gong's CEO thinks about: *AI-enhanced sales in two years *Where we're too optimistic with AI in the near term *What the AI budget actually looks like *B2B last year vs. summer of 2024 *How to handle competition *What to expect next year -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 -------------- This episode is sponsored by Pendo, the all-in-one product experience platform. Pendo helps your users do the things you really want them to do. You can try Pendo for free at Pendo.io/saastr and check out Mind The Product, the community for product people like… us.   This episode is sponsored by: Remote.com Are international payroll regulations giving you a headache? Remote.com is your solution. With our best-in-class interface and expertise, we consolidate payroll for your employees, whether in one country or a hundred. Trust us with swift, secure payments for your team while you focus on scaling markets and driving business growth.   This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent Get more when Northwest Registered Agent starts your business. They'll form your company fast and stand up your entire business identity in minutes. That means business free domain, business email, website, hosting, address, mail scanning, business phone app, all within minutes. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 740: The Top 10 GTM Mistakes I See Founders Making Today with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin If you've read SaaStr or have been around for the last decade, you might be familiar with some of the repeated GTM mistakes founders tend to make, but the world of hiring, people, scaling, and workplace expectations are significantly different today than they were before March 2020. SaaStr Founder and CEO, Jason Lemkin, shares the top GTM mistakes founders make today and some cheat codes to avoid them. Some are mistakes we make again and again, and others are newer territory as we evolve.   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 --------------   This episode is sponsored by Pendo, the all-in-one product experience platform. Pendo helps your users do the things you really want them to do. You can try Pendo for free at Pendo.io/saastr and check out Mind The Product, the community for product people like… us.   This episode is sponsored by: Remote.com Ready to take your business global? With Remote.com, it's effortless! From onboarding to payments to compliance, our expert support and all-in-one solution have you covered. Choose Remote.com and embark on your journey to worldwide growth with confidence.   This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent Get more when Northwest Registered Agent starts your business. They'll form your company fast and stand up your entire business identity in minutes. That means business free domain, business email, website, hosting, address, mail scanning, business phone app, all within minutes. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 739: The Three SaaS Metrics That Matter in 2024 and Will IPOs Be Back? with SaaStr Founder and CEO Jason Lemkin What are the three most under-discussed metrics on social media, with VCs, and especially with founders? SaaStr founder and CEO Jason Lemkin shares his top three SaaS metrics that matter in 2024: Net new customer count Growth vs. efficiency The bar to IPO -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 --------------   This episode is sponsored by Pendo, the all-in-one product experience platform. Pendo helps your users do the things you really want them to do. You can try Pendo for free at Pendo.io/saastr and check out Mind The Product, the community for product people like… us.   This episode is sponsored by: Remote.com Are you overwhelmed with paperwork managing overseas contractors? Say hello to efficiency with Remote's Contractor Management solution! Seamlessly handle invoicing, fixed payments, and compliant, localized contracts. Kickstart your free trial today at Remote.com.   This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent Get more when Northwest Registered Agent starts your business. They'll form your company fast and stand up your entire business identity in minutes. That means business free domain, business email, website, hosting, address, mail scanning, business phone app, all within minutes. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 738: How Shopify Implements AI Across Sales and Product with Mike Tamir, Head of AI at Shopify, and Rudina Seseri, Managing Partner at Glasswing Ventures At SaaStr AI Day, Mike Tamir, Head of AI at Shopify, and Rudina Seseri, founder and Managing Partner at Glasswing Ventures, level-set about where we are in the cycle for Enterprises adopting AI and the critical work being done at Shopify to leverage AI and solve real problems. Mike and Rudina do a great job of explaining the complex AI terminology for everyday non-technical founders and leaders to understand and apply to their businesses. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 --------------   This episode is sponsored by Pendo, the all-in-one product experience platform. Pendo helps your users do the things you really want them to do. You can try Pendo for free at Pendo.io/saastr and check out Mind The Product, the community for product people like… us.   This episode is sponsored by: Remote.com Are international payroll regulations giving you a headache? Remote.com is your solution. With our best-in-class interface and expertise, we consolidate payroll for your employees, whether in one country or a hundred. Trust us with swift, secure payments for your team while you focus on scaling markets and driving business growth.   This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent Get more when Northwest Registered Agent starts your business. They'll form your company fast and stand up your entire business identity in minutes. That means business free domain, business email, website, hosting, address, mail scanning, business phone app, all within minutes. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 737: How to Build Go-to-Market Efficiency in SMB Sales with Owner.com CRO Kyle Norton How do you build GTM efficiency in SMB sales? The CRO at Owner.com, Kyle Norton, shares his learnings and strategies for building better efficiency into your GTM motion. While this title is SMB-oriented, the advice applies to Mid-Market and Enterprise, too. The three topics we'll cover in today's podcast are:  The importance of staying focused and how to say no. Ways to scale that don't include rampant inefficiency and burn. How to build operational excellence into your organization at different stages of the growth curve. Full playbook, video and recap of this session here on saastr.com.  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on final Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This episode is sponsored by Pendo, the all-in-one product experience platform. Pendo helps your users do the things you really want them to do. You can try Pendo for free at Pendo.io/saastr and check out Mind The Product, the community for product people like… us. This episode is sponsored by: Remote.com Are international payroll regulations giving you a headache? Remote.com is your solution. With our best-in-class interface and expertise, we consolidate payroll for your employees, whether in one country or a hundred. Trust us with swift, secure payments for your team while you focus on scaling markets and driving business growth. This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent Get more when Northwest Registered Agent starts your business. They'll form your company fast and stand up your entire business identity in minutes. That means business free domain, business email, website, hosting, address, mail scanning, business phone app, all within minutes. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

Harry Glaser was the co-founder and CEO of Periscope Data, which raised a seed round before finding customers, yet didn't run out of money before becoming an overnight success 3-4 years later. They grew like crazy when they found product-market-fit and raised a big Series A and B.  When you're growing fast, everything can feel like it's breaking constantly, and you're hiring and rehiring people fast. During those rapid growth years, someone would reach out every once in a while and ask if Harry would consider selling. He always said no. But then growth flatlined for a couple of years, and it was time to talk about selling. From the start of the company to a couple of years after being acquired, it was about a ten-year journey altogether.  In today's episode, Harry shares the honest truth and lessons learned from selling Periscope Data for $130M.  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Remote.com Are you overwhelmed with paperwork managing overseas contractors? Say hello to efficiency with Remote's Contractor Management solution! Seamlessly handle invoicing, fixed payments, and compliant, localized contracts. Kickstart your free trial today at Remote.com -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent Get more when Northwest Registered Agent starts your business. They'll form your company fast and stand up your entire business identity in minutes. That means business free domain, business email, website, hosting, address, mail scanning, business phone app, all within minutes. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

Jennifer Tejada, CEO of PagerDuty, discusses the influence of AI on business workflows, focusing on automating operations, maintaining customer trust, and navigating generative AI challenges. Together with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin, they addresses the role of AI in managing incidents, improving efficiency, and changing decision-making in enterprises. Lastly, we delve into how AI and human roles can coexist, foreseeing a shift towards high-value work as automation increases, with a call for leaders to embrace AI's potential while adapting to technological advancements. -------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Remote.com Are you overwhelmed with paperwork managing overseas contractors? Say hello to efficiency with Remote's Contractor Management solution! Seamlessly handle invoicing, fixed payments, and compliant, localized contracts. Kickstart your free trial today at Remote.com -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent Get more when Northwest Registered Agent starts your business. They'll form your company fast and stand up your entire business identity in minutes. That means business free domain, business email, website, hosting, address, mail scanning, business phone app, all within minutes. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 734: The Latest in Series A Rounds, AI Growth Rates and More with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin  So Redpoint Ventures published some of the slides they recently presented to their Limited Partners (their own investors) here. There's a ton of good data there, but this one slide stood out to me, because it was put together in a really clear fashion, better than other data sources I've seen. And what it says is that even though Seed stage investing remains arguably as strong as ever … Series A hasn't bounced back.  Not at all. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Remote.com Feeling stuck in your talent search? Remote Talent is the leading job board for remote-first companies and startups. Visit Remote.com/jobs today to start building your dream team, anywhere in the world. -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent Get more when Northwest Registered Agent starts your business. They'll form your company fast and stand up your entire business identity in minutes. That means business free domain, business email, website, hosting, address, mail scanning, business phone app, all within minutes. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 733: Advice Every SaaS Founder Needs to Know in 2024 with Sam Blond and Jason Lemkin At SaaStr Miami, former Founder's Fund Partner and CRO of Brex Sam Blond — host of the SaaStr CRO Confidential Podcast — sat down with SaaStr CEO and founder Jason Lemkin for a fireside chat about finding success as a SaaS company in 2024. They discuss Sam's learnings at Founders Fund, what the 2024 playbook looks like, hiring and motivating sales teams, and a handful of audience questions.  Sam just finished 18 months at Founders Fund after joining in mid-to-late 2022. We were coming off an environment where startup funding was as fruitful as ever. With personal experience from EchoSign and other high-growth companies, he was spoiled when it came to those companies raising money from exceptional VCs.  What he's learned on both sides of the VC table is that the bar is really high for most VCs. Higher than he imagined in terms of the founder quality bar and, the stage of the business, and growth and efficiency metrics.  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent Get more when Northwest Registered Agent starts your business. They'll form your company fast and stand up your entire business identity in minutes. That means business free domain, business email, website, hosting, address, mail scanning, business phone app, all within minutes. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 732: What It's Like Running a Profitable $400M Public SaaS Company with Vimeo CEO Adam Gross and SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin Vimeo CEO and SaaS veteran Adam Gross and Jason Lemkin, SaaStr founder and CEO, recently hosted a fireside chat at SaaStr Miami, talking about running a profitable public company with $400M in revenue, including themes around:  Using a combination of self-serve and sales-led motions How to juggle and manage several different ICPs  How to avoid over-monetization during tough times Who owns "free" What to expect from AI in the near future Adam is an OG in Cloud and SaaS. His first company was Personify and he went on to be a VP of Developer Relations at Salesforce, then hire number 11 at Dropbox, CEO at Heroku, and an investor and on many boards before landing as the current CEO at Vimeo.  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent Get more when Northwest Registered Agent starts your business. They'll form your company fast and stand up your entire business identity in minutes. That means business free domain, business email, website, hosting, address, mail scanning, business phone app, all within minutes. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 731: 10 Things Founders Should Know About Getting Acquired with Brett Goldstein, Former M&A at Google Former member of the M&A team at Google, Brett Goldstein, now Founder at Micro and Co-Founder & CEO of Launch House Ventures, shares the nine things founders should know about getting acquired. It's a common dream for founders to hope their startup be acquired one day, but what is a company, like Google, really looking for in their acquisitions? And what should all founders know about the process if the time comes?  First, there are three types of acquisition deals:  Talent — To get the expertise on your team and more firepower.  Asset — To gain certain assets like code, patents, data sets, etc, while leaving the team and often the company behind.  Talent + Asset — Taking everything to expand the business or some core piece of the product. Or integrate the features into an existing product, which is an acquisition of the product.  Now, we'll dive into what founders should know before, during, and after the M&A process.  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent Get more when Northwest Registered Agent starts your business. They'll form your company fast and stand up your entire business identity in minutes. That means business free domain, business email, website, hosting, address, mail scanning, business phone app, all within minutes. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 730: How to Price and Package AI SaaS Products with Sandhya Hegde, General Partner at Unusual Ventures With everything in AI moving so rapidly, what's the best way to price Artificial Intelligence products or SaaS tools with custom AI features and integrations? Should it be subscriptions, usage, solutions, or something entirely different? While companies are scrambling to roll out these new tools, they also want reliability and predictability in the value they're getting from your products, which can make pricing extremely difficult.  So we asked the expert, Sandhya Hegde, General Partner at Unusual Ventures to share her best practices and trends for pricing and packaging AI products.  Sandhya has been in the startup ecosystem for about 15 years, with the last two years heavily focused on investing in AI-native startups, primarily on the application and Enterprise software side. Over the past year, people have started to recognize how challenging pricing and packaging are for AI products, as well as the competitive pressure. Why is pricing so tricky?  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent Get more when Northwest Registered Agent starts your business. They'll form your company fast and stand up your entire business identity in minutes. That means business free domain, business email, website, hosting, address, mail scanning, business phone app, all within minutes. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 729: 6 Questions Founders Should Ask Themselves to Drive Value from Generative AI with Base10 Partners Generative AI is a platform shift where models can take inputs such as text, image, audio, video, and code and generate new content into any of the modalities mentioned. TJ Nahigian, co-founder and Managing Partner of Base10 Partners, and Luci Fonseca, Partner, deep dive into the current GenAI landscape, incumbents vs. startups, and the six questions founders should ask themselves to drive value from GenAI. For some context, Base10 is a research-driven investment firm focusing on companies automating the largest sectors of the real economy. They're trying to figure out what will happen with GenAI and share what they're observing today so startups and incumbents can take advantage of it to build significant value. Base10 is interested in mega-trends that change how people live and work in the next ten years. We're at the beginning of a platform shift, and for the first time, GenAI has become accessible to more than just the mega businesses of the world. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent Get more when Northwest Registered Agent starts your business. They'll form your company fast and stand up your entire business identity in minutes. That means business free domain, business email, website, hosting, address, mail scanning, business phone app, all within minutes. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 728: How to Double Your Magic Number and Increase Your Go-to-Market Efficiency with Sapphire Ventures Go-to-market (GTM) design and efficiency are sometimes overlooked, but they're a critical driver of any SaaS business. Rajeev Dham and Karan Singh, Partners at Sapphire Ventures, and Jane Lee, Vice President at Sapphire walk us through how to double your "Magic Number," a shorthand for your sales and marketing efficiency. Magic Number is your growth in ARR over a quarter divided by the sales and marketing spend in the prior quarter.  Previously in SaaS, it was widely seen that anything > 1 was healthy if you were venture-backed, and anything > 1.5 is was seen as perhaps too capital-efficient.  If you were well-funded, 0.7 was fine. But as Rajeev, Karan, and Jane point out to set the stage for this discussion, Go-to-market efficiency in recent years has suffered a significant drop across both public and private SaaS companies.  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent Get more when Northwest Registered Agent starts your business. They'll form your company fast and stand up your entire business identity in minutes. That means business free domain, business email, website, hosting, address, mail scanning, business phone app, all within minutes. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 727: High-Velocity Techniques to Maximize Sales with Gusto's CRO and Head of Go-to-Market Tolithia Kornweibel, CRO, and Jamie Edwards, Head of Go-to-Market Operations and Tools, share how Gusto maximizes revenue so that you can do the same.  Together they share the high-velocity techniques they use to maximize sales, including: Sell to SMBs Use round-robin to assign accounts, but you're not sure if it's optimal Are stuck in a world of geographic territories Spend a lot of time manually building territories -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent Get more when Northwest Registered Agent starts your business. They'll form your company fast and stand up your entire business identity in minutes. That means business free domain, business email, website, hosting, address, mail scanning, business phone app, all within minutes. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 726: How to Build Out Your SDR Function in 2024 with Sam Blond, Partner at Founders Fund and Host of SaaStr CRO Confidential How do you build out a Sales Development (SDR) function at your SaaS company? Sam Blond, Partner at Founders Fund and host of SaaStr's CRO Confidential shares his advice for building an SDR function in 2024 based on his experience as CRO at Brex.  We'll cover everything from setup to efficiencies in setting up an SDR function, including: The benefits of SDR When to hire your first SDR Who to hire How to measure performance Scaling the team  Trends in outbound -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 725: Mastering High-Volume, Low-CAC Marketing: Strategies from Gorgias, Vercel, and Hypergrowth Partners In today's world, there's a clear shift in what founders, boards, and investors are all after — scalable, low-CAC (customer-acquisition cost) growth strategies.  In a panel, Guillaume Cabane (G) and Martin Gontovnikas (Gonto), co-founders of HyperGrowth Partners, Axelle Heems, Senior Director of Growth Operations at Gorgias, and Morgane Palomares, VP of Marketing at Vercel, share real-life examples of how demand generation, growth, and marketing strategies have been executed to scale beyond 2x ARR each year, even on a low budget.  Let's deep dive into how combining innovative demand gen strategies with a modern tech stack and specific team setup can provide a winning formula for scaling B2B growth, even with low budgets of greater than a 2x burn multiple.  In this episode we'll share:  Automated outbound at-scale strategies.  Sales-assisted, product-led growth strategies that close Enterprise leads.  How to use community as a driver of product-led growth.  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 724: CRO Confidential: Bringing Product-Led and Sales-Led Growth Together For Go-To-Market Success with Giancarlo Lionetti, CRO of Zapier. Hosted by Sam Blond, Partner at Founders Fund In this latest episode of CRO Confidential, Sam Blond, Partner at Founders Fund and former CRO at Brex, sits down with the CRO of Zapier, Giancarlo Lionetti (GC), to chat about Product-Led Growth (PLG) and Go-To-Market (GTM). Everything from hiring on the GTM side to layering in a sales-led motion into PLG.  Before joining Zapier, Giancarlo was at Atlassian as a technical sales lead before moving to DropBox as a Senior Director of Growth and Monetization, and was CMO at Confluent – so he has a wealth of knowledge from Zapier's Go-To-Market history as well as these successful SaaS companies to pull from.  From a Go-To-Market perspective, Zapier uses a hybrid model that involves a combination of freemium offerings, subscription plans, and partnerships. Let's dive into what's making that hybrid model successful.  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 723: Nick Mehta, CEO of Gainsight, and Jason Lemkin, CEO and Founder of SaaStr: Answer Your Top 10 2024 Customer Success Questions In 2024, for customer success in SaaS, what's "good" NRR? What's a "good" NPS? Who should Customer Success report into? Questions like this and many others are the most common questions asked of SaaStr Fan Fave and expert on Customer Success, Gainsight CEO Nick Mehta, and SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin.  While we recently published an episode on what will change for Customer Success in SaaS in 2024 with Jason and Nick, we ran out of time to answer some of the top questions both get and what their answers would be now in 2024. So in the latest installment of the official SaaStr Podcast, we did exactly that. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 722: 2024 State of SaaS: Trends and Predictions with SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin At Pavilion's CEO Summit, SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin, took the stage to do something .. a little bit different. Typically on SaaStr.com, we try to focus our content on mistakes to avoid, lessons learned and how to scale faster, but for the CEO Summit, Jason addressed the audience with what's most top of mind for him at the start of 2024. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 721: How Revenue Leaders at Box, Calendly, and Lattice Scaled From $0 to $100M+ and Beyond Mark Roberge, SaaStr fan-favorite and Co-Founder and Managing Director of Stage 2 Capital brought together some of the top CROs in SaaS during the SaaStr Annual to share some of their greatest learnings and pivotal moments leading some of the Cloud 100 SaaS companies.  Dini Mehta, former CRO at Lattice, Kate Ahlering, CRO at Calendly, and Mark Wayland, CRO at Box, share their stories and offer advice to founders on: How do you define and refine an ICP? Can you start and stop a PLG motion?  What should you look for in an Enterprise rep vs. a Mid-Market rep?  How do you diagnose and solve churn?  How should you handle presenting challenges to your C-suite team when you've just joined the company?  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 720: CRO Confidential: What It Really Takes to Be Successful in Enterprise SaaS Sales with Christian Smith, CRO of Splunk. Hosted by Sam Blond, Partner at Founders Fund In this week's episode of CRO Confidential, Sam Blond, Partner at Founders Fund and former CRO at Brex, sits down with the CRO of Splunk, Christian Smith. Splunk is a 20-year-old Enterprise software giant that has accomplished many things — a 2012 IPO, a $28B+ Cisco acquisition in 2023, and $3.7 billion of ARR last year, with a market cap of $25.7 Billion.   Splunk's core product is a platform for collecting and analyzing high volumes of machine-generated data. Over the years, Splunk has expanded its offerings through acquisitions and product development. As Christian shares on the pod,  the company's current customer list includes many notable companies, with 92 of them being on the Fortune 100. A feat! As Christian's been the CRO of Splunk for over seven years now, he's a wealth of knowledge on what it really takes to be successful in Enterprise SaaS Sales. Together with Sam, in today's episode, they discuss everything Enterprise SaaS sales including: Pipeline health Enterprise pipeline generation How to create demand in the Enterprise when new business slows The pros and cons of a product-led pipeline And of course, Customer Success with Enterprise-level customers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

This is SaaStr's What's New series where our very own CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin, sits down with the top CEOs and leaders in SaaS to discuss What's New, what's top of mind, and what every SaaS founder should be thinking about. In today's episode, Jason sits down with Matt Mullenweg, CEO of Automatic and Co-Founder of WordPress on what's new at WordPress.  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 718: Predictions for Venture, IPOs, and the State of SaaS in 2024 with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin and Harry Stebbings, Founder and Host of the 20 Minute VC Harry Stebbings, Host of the 20VC, recently hosted SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin for one of the first podcasts of the year. Together, they talk about the best of SaaS from 2023, the state of SaaS in 2024, and their predictions for Venture and IPOs for the year ahead.  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 717: How Enterprise SaaS Companies are Buying AI (or Not) with ContextualAI, Anthropic, and Glean While AI seems to have gone mainstream for consumers and smaller SaaS companies, but what about the big guys? While the first generation of Generative AI is great, it's not quite ready to solve Enterprise problems. So, where are we now in the adoption cycle for the Enterprise world?  We brought together an Enterprise SaaS panel with: Douwe Kiela, CEO of ContextualAI Benjamin Mann, co-founder of Anthropic Arvind Jain, CEO of Glean and Sandhya Hedge, General Partner at Unusual VC To help us figure out how to sell GenAI software to some of the biggest organizations in the world.  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 716: The Future of Customer Success in 2024: Insights and Predictions from Gainsight CEO Nick Mehta and SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin Is it the end of an era in SaaS customer success? It seems like some of the biggest changes to the human side of SaaS are happening right now. What does the AI revolution and SaaS spending cuts mean for the future of Customer Success and support? In this episode, SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin, and SaaStr fan-favorite, Nick Mehta, CEO of Gainsight share their insights and predictions on what the future of customer success will hold in 2024 and beyond.  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 715: The 7 Biggest Mistakes CMOs Make (And How to Avoid Them) with the CMOs of Databricks, Zoom, and Okta In this CMO panel, Rick Schultz, CMO at Databricks, Janine Pelosi, Former CMO at Zoom, and Ryan Carlson, Former CMO at Okta, joined Carilu Dietrich, Advisor at Hypergrowth B2B Startups to talk about the seven biggest mistakes CMOs make. These CMOs have all taken their companies from the early stages through IPOs and have been apart of multi-billion dollar organizations. Here are the 7 big mistakes they made, so you can avoid them.  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 714: From Zero to Hero: How to Dominate Outbound SaaS Sales with Rippling and Founders Fund on CRO Confidential. Hosted by Sam Blond, Partner at Founders Fund. With Ashley Kelly, VP of Global Sales Development at Rippling. In the latest episode of SaaStr's CRO Confidential series, host Sam Blond, partner at Founders Fund and former CRO at Brex, sits down with Ashley Kelly, VP of Global Sales Development at Rippling. For context - Ashley had previously helped Sam scale Brex's outbound sales from $2M to over $300M in ARR as Senior Director of SDR.  Together they discuss: Scaling outbound sales and SDRS (sales development representatives) from 0 to $100M and beyond How to hire the right outbound sales team The SDR interview checklist How to create an environment to set up outbound sales reps for success Which KPIs to measure and matter most in outbound SaaS sales Increasing the quality and closed-won revenue with your outbound sales team  Listen now! -------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 713: Why the Future of Customer Success, Sales and Marketing Has Changed: Ask-Me-Anything Part 2 with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin In part one of this Ask-Me-Anything (AMA) with SaaStr founder and CEO Jason Lemkin, he answered the community's questions about whether all anyone cares about is AI anymore, investor appetites going into 2024, vertical SaaS, and thriving as a solo founder. In part two we head into IPO waters, how to incorporate AI into your products, the best way to drive employee performance, pricing models, and why the future of roles in customer success, sales and marketing have forever changed in SaaS.  -------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 712: Is AI the Only Thing in SaaS that Anyone Cares About Anymore? Ask-Me-Anything Part 1 with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin Ask Me Anything with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin Part One. In the first part of this open AMA, Jason shares his thoughts on the current state of sales and marketing, if anyone really cares about anything other than AI anymore, how to hire great partners, and breaking out of a crowded ecosystem. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 711: 5 Lessons from Scaling Six Products to $100M+ with Samsara's Chief Strategy Officer Kiren Sekar For any Cloud and SaaS Founders or execs seeking practical strategies and inspiration to stay ahead of the curve, this episode's for you. At the SaaStr Annual, Kiren Sekar, Samsara's Chief Strategy Officer and founding chief Product Officer shared five lessons he learned along the way from scaling six products to $100M+. The six products/companies Kiren helped scale to $100M that he'll reference in this playbook include: Bill, Cloudflare, Crowdstrike, Samsara, Snowflake, and Zscaler.  His five lessons are: A single metric that helps guide decisions of when to pivot, when to iterate, and when to pivot.   Discovering the entire market and mapping out all potential verticals early in the process. The incredible power and value of the mid-market segment. Building customer feedback into the DNA of your product team and products. Going multi-product early.  Listen to the full episode now.  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

Welcome to the Official SaaStr Podcast Episode 710: Running a PLG and Sales-Led Motion at the Same Time: What's New at ZoomInfo with CEO Henry Schuck and SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin In the latest installment of SaaStr's What's New series – where we sit down with the leaders in SaaS and Cloud for the inside scoop on what's top of mind and what's new, SaaStr CEO and Jason Lemkin chats with the CEO of ZoomInfo, Henry Schuck. So, what's new at ZoomInfo? In this episode, Jason and Henry discuss: *PLG vs. a sales-led motion, and which is more efficient *The macro-environment and what to expect next year *What's new at ZoomInfo -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 709: 15 Signs You Have A SaaS Metrics Problem (and How to Fix it) with Dave Kellogg, EIR at Balderton Capital In this episode of the SaaStr Podcast, SaaStr OG and fan fave, Dave Kellogg, EIR at Balderton Capital, walks you through the complexities of SaaS metrics. With a wealth of experience leading major SaaS and enterprise software firms, Dave delves into the art of leveraging metrics for strategic advantage and the potential pitfalls of their misinterpretation. This episode will equip you with a nuanced understanding of how SaaS metrics can shape success and why careful interpretation is paramount. SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

The Top 10 Mistakes People Make When Hiring a VP of Sales with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin Hiring a VP of Sales isn't new, but the conversations have evolved as the world has. SaaStr's own Jason Lemkin shares the top 10 mistakes he sees during the hiring process during Workshop Wednesday, held every Wednesday at 10 a.m. PST.  Jason has written about the cheat codes for hiring VPs of Sales since 2012 and realized it was worth a deeper dive. The last 18 months have seen the biggest changes in the VP of Sales in his SaaS career. We're still learning what world we're in — some people interview over Zoom, some are focused on how to build teams in the current age, and many are dealing with a weird overhang from the SaaS explosion of 2021, quiet quitting, layoffs, and team turnover.  While this topic isn't new, you want to avoid getting this hire wrong. So, let's look at the top 10 mistakes Jason sees in the VP of Sales hiring process.  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

SaaStr 707: The Where, When, and How of AI with Theory Ventures, Open AI, MotherDuck and Lamini Hear the latest insights on AI from leading VC Tomasz Tunguz of Theory Ventures Theory Ventures, joined by Jordan Tigani, Founder and CEO of Mother Duck Maggie Hott, GTM at OpenAI, and Sharon Zhou, Co-Founder and CEO of Lamini. Together they discuss the new architecture for building Software as a Service (SaaS) applications with data & machine learning at their core, moderated by Tomasz. The focus of the episode centers around the transformative role of data, which has become an integral part of the production stack. The speakers also delve into the implications of this shift and explore how leveraging data within the architecture empowers developers to create more robust, intelligent, and scalable SaaS solutions. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

In our 'What's New' series, SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin sits down with the top CEOs from leading SaaS companies to discuss What's New and what's top of mind. In this episode, Jason sits down with Aaron Levie, CEO and Co-Founder of Box, and also a SaaStr-fan fave from speaking at various SaaStr events in-person and digitally. Together they discuss: How to go long as a CEO and Founder in SaaS Overhauling operating margins at Box to a top-tier 25% Implementing AI at BOX Macro issues on the horizon for 2024 What's new at Box ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave200 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

A holistic and well-executed go-to-market strategy is one of the key pillars that drives sustainable, long-term growth for software companies. But there is a dearth of data that leaders can leverage to inform building out the best team, strategies, and tactics to scale their go-to-market organization. Leveraging proprietary data from over 200 leading GTM executives and tens of thousands of data points related to executive profiles across Sales and Marketing leaders, Doug Pepper, General Partner, and Christine Edmonds, General Partner and Head of Analytics at ICONIQ Growth will share detailed answers to the key go-to-market questions from B2B SaaS leaders including: The latest insights on what "effective" scaling means in today's environment Best practices for building out GTM teams and processes Learnings related to what profiles make the most successful IPO-ready executive hires How top companies are tweaking tactics in today's environment to drive efficient selling -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave50 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

We had a party in 2020 and 2021 where valuations and growth were crazy. Then, we had a hangover in 2022 and the first half of this year. Now, investing is coming back, public markets have returned, and we're almost back to normal.  Jameson Yung, SVP of Sales at Gong, and Sam Blond, Partner at Founders Fund and previous CRO at Brex, share five tactical ways to get back to growing and hitting revenue targets.  The days of working a little for big returns are behind us in the Boom of '21, so what can you do to start hitting revenue targets?  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave50 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

As AI continues to reshape the way businesses operate, it has become a critical differentiator in gaining a competitive edge. Stage 2 Capital Co-founder and Managing Director Mark Roberge dissects the advantages and challenges faced by both startups and incumbents in leveraging AI for Go-to-Market strategies. Uncover the unique capabilities that startups bring to the table and how they disrupt established players with their agility, innovation, and ability to adapt to changing market dynamics. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave50 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

From seed funding to reaching $100M ARR to going public in 2021, Spenser Skates knows about growing and scaling a business. But for many founders, the question becomes: how do you maintain hypergrowth? In this podcast, Spenser will share key lessons around maintaining long-term, sustainable growth, including when to expand your product suite, why iteration matters more than perfection, where AI fits (and doesn't!) fit into growth strategy, and how to ensure your exec team is the right group for your next stage of growth. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave50 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

Scott Belsky, CSO, and EVP at Adobe, does a deep dive on the profound transformations taking place in the creative world. As technology continues to reshape the landscape, Cloud and SaaS Founders, VCs, and Executives must adapt and evolve to stay ahead. Discover the playbook to thrive in this dynamic environment and unlock unprecedented opportunities. Belsky will share his deep insights into the rapidly changing creative industry, drawing from his vast experience at the forefront of innovation. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave50 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

In this episode, Nick Mehta will share ten significant mistakes he made during his career, and how these failures shaped his journey as CEO of Gainsight. Mehta will impart valuable lessons on resilience and growth, offering attendees actionable takeaways for their own entrepreneurial ventures. This is a must-listen for anyone seeking to learn from real-life experiences and turn failures into opportunities for success in the software-as-a-service (SaaS) world. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Join us in 2024 at: SaaStr Annual: Sept. 10-12 in the SF Bay Area. Join 12,500 SaaS professionals, CEOs, revenue leaders and investors for the world's LARGEST SaaS community event of the year. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on tickets here: https://www.saastrannual2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave50 SaaStr Europa: June 5-6 in London. We'll be hosting the 5th SaaStr Europa in London for two days of content and networking. Join 3,000 SaaS and Cloud leaders. Podcast listeners can grab a discount on Europa tickets here: https://www.saastreuropa2024.com/buy-tickets?promo=fave20 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

In this new episode of CRO Confidential, we take a look at the proven customer acquisition strategies behind Toast's explosive growth to over $1.1B ARR. Hosted by Founders Fund Partner Sam Blond, this episode features the CRO of Toast Jonathan Vassil, who walks us through Toast's go-to-market and customer acquisition strategies. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

Welcome to Part Two of SaaStr founder and CEO Jason Lemkin's Ask Me Anything session at this year's SaaStr Annual. Jason re-takes the stage in Part 2 of the series to answer questions about the right time is to invest in a new product line, building vertical vs. horizontal, multiples in 2024, and much more.  Building and scaling a startup isn't for the faint of heart and often comes with many ups and downs that SaaS veterans have experience in.  So, let's jump right into Part Two.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This episode is sponsored by: Northwest Registered Agent When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/saastr to get a 60 percent discount on your next LLC.

Each year, tens of thousands of SaaS fans attend SaaStr Annual. And every year, Jason Lemkin, the founder of SaaStr, takes the stage to answer the audience's most pressing questions. For part one of this Ask Me Anything session, Jason covers everything you need to know about hiring your first VP of Sales, when to use AI at early-stage companies, and when the right time is to invest in a new product line. Building and scaling a startup isn't for the faint of heart and often comes with many ups and downs that SaaS veterans have experience in. Let's dive into the questions and answers!

As industry leaders, understanding the transformative power of AI and how it can be harnessed to drive innovation and growth is essential for staying ahead in today's rapidly evolving business landscape. In this episode, Aliisa Rosenthal, Head of Sales at OpenAI, will delve into the ways in which AI is reshaping the way we work. With her extensive experience and deep knowledge of AI technologies, Aliisa will share insights, trends, and practical examples of how AI is being applied across various sectors.

As SaaS companies slash campaign budgets, marketing leaders need to find other ways to augment customer wins from their remaining campaigns. Increasing down-funnel conversions by having marketing enable sellers to "all-star" levels along the funnel can help make up the difference. In this episode, Datadog's CMO Alex Rosemblat will explore the tactics, personas, best practices, and tracking metrics to significantly up-level product and campaign-level sales enablement.

In the dynamic landscape of SaaS startups, pursuing rapid customer growth while achieving and maintaining profitability is an art that requires flexible strategies and, more importantly, employees that are eager for the challenge. In this episode, Expensify COO Anu Muralidharan will share how Expensify became profitable on its way to securing millions of users in less than 15 years. You'll hear real-world examples and walk away with specific tactics they can immediately deploy at their own companies, including:  a.) when, where, and why to outsource b.) a new, more bullish approach to testing and launching products with confidence  c.) how to leverage automation to reduce expenses while simultaneously supporting growth.

Monday has gone from $7m in 2017 to over $700m in revenue today, showcasing the sheer power of compounding revenue. Did Monday's founders feel like they'd be 100x bigger in just six years since that first SaaStr conference they attended? Eran Zimman, Monday's co-founder and co-CEO, shares his secrets to scaling and growth in an unpredictable market. Monday hasn't missed a bit, but before we dive into their secrets, let's first learn where it all started and what they do today.

Discover the best ways for a seed-stage startup to pitch to investors and successfully fundraise from Y Combinator's Michael Seibel. Any founder you talk to likely remembers every investor who said no to them. Those founders hold a special kind of "not hatred," says Michael Seibel, Managing Director and Group Partner at Y Combinator, but a special kind of something for those investors and a desire to prove them wrong. If you're a seed-stage startup, Michael shares the best ways for you to present your company to startup investors.

SaaStr founder Jason Lemkin deep dives into the current state of SaaS and the Cloud and what to expect over the next year.

One of the open secrets behind a lot of great companies is going multi-product. Jack Altman, CEO and co-founder of Lattice, firmly believes that many more companies should be multi-product, and many should go multi-product earlier than they think. Lattice has launched four product suites in the last eight years, and the ideas that drove their growth apply to most companies today.

Given the massive downturn that started 18 months ago, many SaaS founders are nervous about what it takes to raise capital in SaaS in 2023. Christoph Janz, General Partner of Point Nine Capital, shares some answers about what it takes to raise capital in SaaS, overall investment activity in 2023, and how to develop a convincing AI strategy.

Discover Bessemer Venture Partners's annual State of the Cloud report, going through trends, benchmarks, and metrics that underpin the Cloud economy.  Presented by: Mary D'Onofrio, Partner @ Bessemer Venture Partners Janelle Teng, VP @ Bessemer Venture Partners Caty Rea, VP @ Bessemer Venture Partners The past twelve months have been relatively turbulent for Cloud founders. SVB collapsed, market multiples are down, yet the IPO window is re-opening, and we have a platform shift to AI that's exciting everybody.  What does this mean for Cloud companies?  Let's find out.

Freshworks is a successful public SaaS company that has a humble beginning in the small town of Chennai, India. Founder and CEO Girish Mathrubootham shares five big bets that paid off as he scaled this multi-product company.  Listen to discover Mathrubootham's key decisions in launching and scaling a company, which include: *Betting on inbound while going global *Hiring talent when talent is hard to find *Going multi-product early on *Layering a sales-led motion on top of a product-led motion *Betting on AI and the future before it arrives

Are you curious to learn what the future of SaaS will look like in 2024? Well, look no further. In this informative interview, two of the biggest pioneers of SaaS, David Sacks, Founder and General Partner of Craft Ventures and Jason Lemkin, SaaStr Founder and CEO, team up to discuss the potential landscape for AI-focused SaaS over the next five years. From understanding what it takes to raise a Series A these days to discovering how AI will shape the industry, get a unique insight into the world of SaaS as two leading experts share their predictions and experience. Don't miss your chance to keep ahead of the competition – listen now!

SaaStr Founder and CEO Jason Lemkin and Partner at QED Investors Amias Gerety chat on the Fintech Beat podstream about all things SaaS, money, and what makes a great founder.  Some topics covered include:  What makes SaaS so great How SaaS is fairing in the "macro" economy Perspectives on fintech and SaaS and how they overlap How an investor chooses what to invest in and when it's time to walk away Fintech Beat is all about the intersection of finance, tech, and policy, and now they're touring outside the neighborhood of fintech and into the great big world of SaaS.  While the world of public tech stocks is defined by consumer-facing juggernauts like Facebook, Amazon, and Google, the world of venture capital is defined by the North Star of SaaS.  Let's dive right in.

G2 is a unicorn startup that's stayed in the game for over a decade. G2 CEO Godard Abel deep dives into his original vision for G2, going multi-product, selling with multiple sales teams, demand gen spend, and why AI is the most important thing right now.

Discover how three breakout SaaS companies scaled from an idea to hundreds of employees and $1B+ valuations, all while living their values along the way.  Notion COO Akshay Kothari, Motive CEO and Founder Shoaib Makani, and CEO and Co-Founder of Incredible Health Iman Abuzeid share the secrets of ensuring their company-centered values and purpose remained an anchor amidst hypergrowth.  Moderated by Laura Weidman Powers, Operating Partner at Base10 Partners. As we dive into these three highly successful companies, we'll talk about their values, the process of creating them, and the right time for founders to create their own values.

10 Terrible Pieces Of SaaS Advice To Avoid If You Want To Succeed with SaaStr Founder Jason Lemkin   Bad advice is everywhere these days. Hundreds of thousands of experts are telling you how to succeed in SaaS. Many of those voices are incredible, yet terrible bits of advice pops up again and again.   On top of that, founders are full of excuses preventing them from scaling.    SaaStr Founder and CEO Jason Lemkin shares the 10 worst pieces of SaaS advice, excuses, and mistakes founders make, and what to do instead.

Whether you're going from nothing to something or already scaling and thriving beyond $10-100M, healthy, sustainable growth in SaaS is on every founder's mind.  Cockroach Labs' CEO Spencer Kimball shares hard-won lessons from scaling from $0 to $5B and his time as an angel investor for more than 80 different startups.  He'll walk you through the three stages of growth:  0-$1M — From nothing to something $1M-$10M — Building, innovation, and customers $10M-$100M+ — Scaling and thriving And what sustainable growth strategies you can implement (and pitfalls to avoid) wherever you're at in your SaaS journey.   This edition of the SaaStr podcast is brought to you by: Prescient Security & Assurance. Your trusted partner in cybersecurity and compliance. Automated solutions, expert protection, regulatory compliance. Secure your future at prescientsecurity.com   Can't afford an engineer in Silicon Valley? Tap the talent pool in Eastern Europe. Working with a global expansion partner, like Atlas, is a quick, cost-effective, and compliant solution. Visit www.atlashxm.com for a strategy call.

Learn about the most important SaaS metrics for founders in 2023 with the CEOs of the most metric-oriented company, monday, and the founder of SaaStr. The godfather of SaaS and founder of the world's largest community for business software sits down with one of the most metric-oriented companies today to discuss the most important SaaS metrics for founders in 2023. Jason Lemkin, Founder of SaaStr, and co-founders and CEOs, Eran Zinman and Roy Mann of the wildly successful monday.com chat with Startup For Startup about ARR, NRR, CAC, and what it takes to beat the odds in a tougher environment.

Are you trying to unlock sustainable low customer acquisition costs (CAC) growth for your SaaS company? Then you need to hear what Guillaume Cabane, Co-Founder and President of HyperGrowth Partners, has to say on the subject. In this podcast, Guillaume shares the formula he used at Ramp, Gorgias, and Drift to reach explosive saas growth - showing you the secrets of smart scaling.  Don't miss out - listen now now for groundbreaking advice on generating fast CAC growth success!

Founders of 2023 ask themselves, "What does it take to raise money right now in this uncertain market environment?" Peter Specht, Partner at Creandum, shares a data-driven perspective and real-time insights into the market of very recent rounds and current VC expectations.  Unfortunately, raising money isn't the same as raising in 2021. Specht walks you through what has happened in the last 12 months and the best practices for today.

Some SaaS and Cloud leaders have seen big impacts from the post-Covid hangover, but others keep accelerating. MongoDB is one of those that has never stopped.    Instead of looking at those who are struggling, let's take a look at the epic growth story of MongoDB, a company crushing it in 2023.    MongoDB is at a stunning $1.5B in ARR, 29% overall growth, and is worth $29B. That's about as good as it gets in SaaS and Cloud!    While many less efficient public SaaS companies are trading at tough multiples of 3-4x ARR, and the average is about 6x ARR, MongoDB is almost 20x ARR.    Let's look at nine interesting learnings about this leading company.

2023 has been a difficult year for many tech companies. Markets have been all over the place, layoffs occurred, and investors weren't funding as much as usual. However, Sam Blond, Partner at Founders Fund & Host of the SaaStr CRO Confidential Podcast, believes there are reasons to be optimistic for the rest of 2023. In a special workshop, Sam shares advice on how to spot bottlenecks, reallocate the right resources, and grow revenue in 2023.  SaaStr Workshop Wednesdays are LIVE every Wednesday. Sign up for free.

Many people at this year's SaaStr Europa wondered about the future of customer success, motivation during hard times, and how to grow in this new era of efficiency.  SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin sat down with the audience for an Ask Me Anything session to answer some of the most pressing questions from the audience.  If you missed part 1, catch that here. First up is a bootstrapped founder looking for advice in today's market.

Startups come in all shapes and sizes on various stages of a timeline, yet it's not surprising how many have the same questions and concerns about how to scale from x to y to z, the right time to hire and fire, and how to keep a team motivated during hard times.    At this year's SaaStr Europa, Jason Lemkin, CEO and Founder of SaaStr, took the stage to answer the audience's most pressing questions about the present and future of startups.    His answers didn't disappoint.

Retention is the new acquisition.   This paradigm shift has placed Customer Marketing in the spotlight as a pivotal function that helps companies achieve robust NRR metrics. Despite the revenue impact, Customer Marketing teams remain relatively lean and often struggle to secure the necessary support from cross-functional teams. Companies that have successfully unlocked the potential of Customer Marketing have seen a substantial increase in revenue.   Join Insider's Co-founder and CEO, Hande Cilingir, and CMO, Merve Nazlioglu, as they unveil ten game-changing tactics to accelerate your customer marketing programs on the path to achieving an outstanding 140% NRR.

Struggling to find product market-fit?   Join former Divvy CRO, Sterling Snow, and learn how the company went from 0 to a $2.5B exit in just four years using effective go-to-market strategies. Find out what the team did differently that set them apart from their competition and get your product off the ground in no time!  There are 6 primary operating models Divvy used to fuel incredible growth, culture, and results. The best part is they're dead simple and every team should be using them. Don't miss this session where Sterling will talk through the tactics, mistakes, and lessons learned.

It's not an easy time to be a startup entrepreneur. Even as generative AI and LLMs present the potential for a technical paradigm shift, startups today must also grapple with the realities of financial market upheaval, ominous global power shifts, uncertain economic indicators, and disruption up and down the supply chain: It may feel as though "hunkering down" is the best that a founder can do. Bill Magnuson, Co-founder and CEO of Braze, has a different take, in which there's no time like the present era of change to uncover opportunities that can distinguish your business from competitors' as the skies clear. Having navigated through the early days of mobile and the multiple macro disruptions since to take Braze public and scale to a revenue run rate of $400+ million, Bill has put this strategy to the test. Seeing opportunity in today's times requires a longitudinal perspective on the underlying forces of change that create growth opportunities and strategy that anticipates the evolution of those forces while positioning your business to best take advantage of the resulting changes over time.. Timing around disruptions is key, and they provide a key opportunity for innovators to build in response to the evolution of new skillsets, team structures, and business models, all of which create new buyer personas, and can be cultivated even while headwinds stall growth. Those who lean into disruptions with curiosity and optimism can emerge as stronger innovators with deeper competitive moats because they were out building with a growth mindset while everyone else was hunkered down. Key takeaways from this talk include: *How to think about second-order effects of disruption, and when their evolution may ultimately reward patience, creating room for the slower growth that is often forced by a difficult macro. *What to watch for in areas of macro disruption in order to identify differentiating opportunities in unexpected places.  *How evolving skillsets, team compositions, and ways of working can transform business, and why its absence can lead to obsolescence.

The First Rule You Know About Building Software is Wrong.   Discover why with Rippling CEO and Co-Founder, Parker Conrad, and Sam Blond, Partner at Founders Fund. In this session, Parker will explain step-by-step his theory of the compound startup and how it can help you scale your SaaS company.   *****   Shipping projects doesn't have to be a mess. Notion combines project management with your docs, knowledge base, and AI. So you can stop jumping between tools, and stop paying too much for them too. Get Notion Projects for free at Notion.com/SAASTR.   Vention provides technology leaders with the top engineering talent they need to accelerate their roadmap, innovate faster and more efficiently, and ultimately catapult their operation to new heights. Vention developers sync with clients' in-house teams, helping them get to market 30 percent faster and saving them more than $600,000 on average. Looking for the edge to outpace your competition? Vention is your partner. Learn more at ventionteams.com.   *****   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

June 2016: Loom was on its last legs. With more than one failed launch + fundraising attempt behind them, the co-founders were maxing out credit cards and had about two weeks of runway left before calling it quits. One idea changed everything: they took a chance on a single piece of their product — the video recorder. They decoupled it from the broader platform they'd been developing, launched it as a standalone offering on Product Hunt, and saw more signups in one day than the past six months combined. Today, the company has raised over $203M and counts 20M users in over 230 countries. Those first months of tumult aren't the only ups and downs CEO Joe Thomas and his co-founders have encountered in Loom's journey. And they're not alone; today's tech founders are navigating an increasingly difficult economic climate, shifting expectations from investors + employees, and the need to continue to innovate faster — all with fewer resources.  In this session, Thomas will share some of the lessons he's learned throughout the past year and beyond, including the need to make agility your superpower. He'll talk about the need to balance long-term planning with strategic short-term adjustments for when the curveballs come (because they will). Thomas will also share insight into how other founders — including customers/partners of Loom — are adopting new processes, emerging tools, and shifting workplace norms to adapt. With so much uncertainty still ahead in 2023, it's important for founders to learn how to take a half step back, reevaluate their game plan, and orient their short-term priorities around customers' needs.   *** Slides for this session: https://www.slideshare.net/saastr/from-2-weeks-of-runway-to-a-15b-valuation-the-founder-playbook-with-looms-ceo-joe-thomas-cofounder-and-ceo-loom-492 Joe's 2021 Flywheel session on YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/rbOoikTMfyI The podcast version: SaaStr 445: Loom CEO Joe Thomas On How Speed & Simplicity Can Fuel Your Flywheel https://sites.libsyn.com/77527/saastr-445-loom-ceo-joe-thomas-on-how-speed-simplicity-can-fuel-your-flywheel   *****   Shipping projects doesn't have to be a mess. Notion combines project management with your docs, knowledge base, and AI. So you can stop jumping between tools, and stop paying too much for them too. Get Notion Projects for free at Notion.com/SAASTR.   Vention provides technology leaders with the top engineering talent they need to accelerate their roadmap, innovate faster and more efficiently, and ultimately catapult their operation to new heights. Vention developers sync with clients' in-house teams, helping them get to market 30 percent faster and saving them more than $600,000 on average. Looking for the edge to outpace your competition? Vention is your partner. Learn more at ventionteams.com.   *****   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Learn directly from Edith Harbaugh, Co-founder and Executive Chair of LaunchDarkly, about the top 10 mistakes to avoid when scaling your SaaS company. Edith is an experienced startup executive and has firsthand insights into how to grow any SaaS business quickly and successfully. Don't miss this opportunity to get valuable guidance for scaling to 100 million in ARR! We'll cover how: *Everything is up & to the right if you zoom out Big changes every 6-18 months Revenue is it's own funding Hiring changes over time Value your time and get leverage A good Exec Recruiter is worth it Pricing - no right answer Creating category takes constant effort Refresh Values No playbook, just play pages   Watch the video, including Q&A: https://youtu.be/5ccWUwinkJg   ****** Shipping projects doesn't have to be a mess. Notion combines project management with your docs, knowledge base, and AI. So you can stop jumping between tools, and stop paying too much for them too. Get Notion Projects for free at Notion.com/SAASTR.   Vention provides technology leaders with the top engineering talent they need to accelerate their roadmap, innovate faster and more efficiently, and ultimately catapult their operation to new heights. Vention developers sync with clients' in-house teams, helping them get to market 30 percent faster and saving them more than $600,000 on average. Looking for the edge to outpace your competition? Vention is your partner. Learn more at ventionteams.com.   *****   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Why are things in SaaS so different in 2023 than in 2022? And extremely different than 2021? "I think for most of us during the crazy lockdown era, it was just nuts," Lemkin explains. "And this is, I know this sounds obvious, or maybe it doesn't, but as someone's been doing SaaS since 2005, this is the first time in the last 10 years that SaaS has gotten harder."   Watch the video: https://youtu.be/h1Hpag6gnOI   ****** Shipping projects doesn't have to be a mess. Notion combines project management with your docs, knowledge base, and AI. So you can stop jumping between tools, and stop paying too much for them too. Get Notion Projects for free at Notion.com/SAASTR.   Vention provides technology leaders with the top engineering talent they need to accelerate their roadmap, innovate faster and more efficiently, and ultimately catapult their operation to new heights. Vention developers sync with clients' in-house teams, helping them get to market 30 percent faster and saving them more than $600,000 on average. Looking for the edge to outpace your competition? Vention is your partner. Learn more at ventionteams.com.   *****   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Discover the secrets to scaling a SaaS business with UiPath's CEO & Founder Daniel Dines, and Philippe Botteri, Partner at Accel.   Learn 10 interesting lessons for driving a new category in SaaS to over a billion dollars in annual revenue and beyond. Sharing the learnings from the founding of UiPath in 2005 to its present-day success with over a billion dollars in revenue, watch to learn insights into how UiPath has achieved its monumental growth, and how you can apply these strategies to your own SaaS business.   ***** Shipping projects doesn't have to be a mess. Notion combines project management with your docs, knowledge base, and AI. So you can stop jumping between tools, and stop paying too much for them too. Get Notion Projects for free at Notion.com/SAASTR.   Vention provides technology leaders with the top engineering talent they need to accelerate their roadmap, innovate faster and more efficiently, and ultimately catapult their operation to new heights. Vention developers sync with clients' in-house teams, helping them get to market 30 percent faster and saving them more than $600,000 on average. Looking for the edge to outpace your competition? Vention is your partner. Learn more at ventionteams.com.   ***** Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

In 2020-2021, many SaaS startups faced a unique challenge. With teams spread across the globe, they had to find new working patterns to scale their businesses in a distributed environment. Wiz, one of the fastest-growing SaaS companies focused on security solutions, was one of them. The company helps enterprises internationally with contextual and actionable insights to secure their cloud infrastructure.  Today, Wiz is one of the highest-valued private tech companies, at $10 billion, as announced in Feb 2023. Wiz CRO Colin Jones shared with host Sam Blond how this traditional startup evolved, thrived and grew from 0 to $100 million in just two years.  Watch the video: https://youtu.be/yDS8xKlAeXw   ***** Vention provides technology leaders with the top engineering talent they need to accelerate their roadmap, innovate faster and more efficiently, and ultimately catapult their operation to new heights. Vention developers sync with clients' in-house teams, helping them get to market 30 percent faster and saving them more than $600,000 on average. Looking for the edge to outpace your competition? Vention is your partner. Learn more at ventionteams.com.   SaaStr Annual will officially be back in 2023. Join 12,500 SaaS CEOs, Founders, Revenue leaders, and investors. Annual 2023 will take place September 6-8, 2023 in the SF Bay Area. Podcast listeners can use code FAVE100 to save 100 off tickets. Use FAVE100 when you buy your tickets at saastrannual2023.com   *****   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Building a company for $0-$1M in revenue differs wildly from $1-10M ARR. And scaling from $10M to $100M is wildly different still.  Sameer Dholakia, Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners with decades of operational experience, shares what you need to change as you scale from $10M to $100M ARR.  The short answer is almost everything.  Keep an open mind as you move into the next chapter of your company.  "Everything that got you to where you are isn't going to get you where you want to be," says Dholakia.    Watch the full video, including Q&A: https://youtu.be/ucgtUQiyEJE Sameer's slides: https://www.slideshare.net/saastr/sameer-dholakia-saastr-workshop-wednesdays   ***** SaaStr Europa is back! And this time, we're heading to London for 2 fun-filled days of content, networking, and SaaS. Join us June 6th and 7th for SaaStr Europa 2023. Use code FAVE100 for $100 off tickets at saastrlondon.com. *****   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

You'll never truly understand how to lead a SaaS company until you've done it firsthand. But it always helps to get advice from someone with experience.  Dan Robinson, current Advisor and former CTO at Heap, shares nine essential learnings from nearly a decade of building a SaaS business. Watch the video: https://youtu.be/FXdPe6tGE3A   ***** SaaStr Annual will officially be back in 2023. Join 12,500 SaaS CEOs, Founders, Revenue leaders, and investors. Annual 2023 will take place September 6-8, 2023 in the SF Bay Area. Podcast listeners can use code FAVE100 to save 100 off tickets. Use FAVE100 when you buy your tickets at saastrannual2023.com *****   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

At nine figures in revenue and 550 people, the CEO of Lattice, Jack Altman, has seen every stage of building a startup.    In this week's Workshop Wednesday — held every Wednesday at 10 a.m. PST — Altman talks more in-depth about his viral tweet storm, sharing the eight things you think as a first-time founder that usually aren't true.   This episode is an excerpt of Jack and Jason's conversation. Watch the full video, including Q&A: https://youtube.com/live/2sNsZdFjWOE?feature=share   ***** SaaStr Europa is back! And this time, we're heading to London for 2 fun-filled days of content, networking, and SaaS. Join us June 6th and 7th for SaaStr Europa 2023. Use code FAVE100 for $100 off tickets at saastrlondon.com. *****   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

People keep asking when we'll get out of this downturn in venture. The truth is: It's not a downturn—only a reset. For the people who haven't been raising capital or haven't seen this side of things since, say, 2018, they'll probably think this is a terrible time.    Black Mangroves Founder and Managing Director Arnaud Bonzom, and SaaStr Founder and CEO, Jason Lemkin answer some of the bigger questions about venture investing in 2023.     This episode is an excerpt of Jason and Arnaud's AMA at SaaStr APAC 2023. You can watch the full session on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JPEo8r2d3Oc   ***** SaaStr Annual will officially be back in 2023. Join 12,500 SaaS CEOs, Founders, Revenue leaders, and investors. Annual 2023 will take place September 6-8, 2023 in the SF Bay Area. Podcast listeners can use code FAVE100 to save 100 off tickets. Use FAVE100 when you buy your tickets at saastrannual2023.com   *****   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

In this week's episode of CRO Confidential, host Sam Blond wraps up the founder-led sales series with one of the most accomplished sales leaders in the world, Ben Cassidy.  Cassidy was Blond's VP of Sales at Echosign and, before that, was one of the first sales leaders at LinkedIn. Post-Echosign, he was the first sales leader at Talkdesk, valued at $10+B. Cassidy is now a co-founder at CoSell, a.k.a. the relationship platform designed to organize your intro efforts.  The point of CRO Confidential is to help startups acquire customers, and Cassidy provides a unique perspective on founder-led sales as a current founder and highly talented sales leader.  So what secrets has Cassidy learned over the past decades of building businesses and acquiring customers?  Let's find out.  Watch the video: https://youtu.be/3m5s7tskuB4   ***** SaaStr Europa is back! And this time, we're heading to London for 2 fun-filled days of content, networking, and SaaS. Join us June 6th and 7th for SaaStr Europa 2023. Use code FAVE100 for $100 off tickets at saastrlondon.com.   ***** Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

We exist in a market where things are tougher. It's year two of the venture downtown, meaning it's flat, and the value of each dollar in the public market is at 5-6-year lows, making it hard for VCs to invest.    Jason Lemkin, SaaStr Founder and CEO, shares nine types of CEOs that are hard for VCs to work with. Why does it matter what VCs think? They play a small role, but it's an important one. It matters today because happy VCs mean it's easier to get that next check.    Watch the video: https://youtu.be/edPw60dHU5I   ***** SaaStr Annual will officially be back in 2023. Join 12,500 SaaS CEOs, Founders, Revenue leaders, and investors. Annual 2023 will take place September 6-8, 2023 in the SF Bay Area. Podcast listeners can use code FAVE100 to save 100 off tickets. Use FAVE100 when you buy your tickets at saastrannual2023.com   *****   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Omni Co-Founder and CEO Colin Zima and CRO Confidential host Sam Blond discuss how leveraging your network can supercharge sales and recruiting in the early days. You don't have to be a former founder or be part of YC to have a great network. Everyone will have friends, family, former college classmates, former work colleagues, or other sources. Colin encourages founders to find your particular "cheat code," whether that's your network or an amazing skill, and lean into it.   Watch the video: https://youtu.be/9kQIke7x7F4   ***** SaaStr Europa is back! And this time, we're heading to London for 2 fun-filled days of content, networking, and SaaS. Join us June 6th and 7th for SaaStr Europa 2023. Use code FAVE100 for $100 off tickets at saastrlondon.com. *****   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Gainsight CEO Nick Mehta shares his top 10 mistakes in 10 years of running Gainsight. This is the second half of a Workshop Wednesday session in which SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin chats with Nick about his top mistakes as a CEO. You can hear the first half in episode 656.   You can watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/dtdh2Dkhpig   ***** SaaStr Annual will officially be back in 2023. Join 12,500 SaaS CEOs, Founders, Revenue leaders, and investors. Annual 2023 will take place September 6-8, 2023 in the SF Bay Area. Podcast listeners can use code FAVE100 to save 100 off tickets. Use FAVE100 when you buy your tickets at saastrannual2023.com   ***** Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Gainsight CEO Nick Mehta shares his top 10 mistakes in 10 years of running Gainsight. This is the first half of a Workshop Wednesday session in which SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin chats with Nick about his top mistakes as a CEO. You can hear the second half in episode 657, which will air on May 5.   You can watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/dtdh2Dkhpig   ***** SaaStr Europa is back! And this time, we're heading to London for 2 fun-filled days of content, networking, and SaaS. Join us June 6th and 7th for SaaStr Europa 2023. Use code FAVE100 for $100 off tickets at saastrlondon.com.   ***** Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

In this episode of CRO Confidential, Roam Founder & CEO Howard Lerman sits down with Sam Blond to talk about Roam's unconventional approach to acquiring its first customers.   Full video: https://youtu.be/dGj6VZoi0Kw   ***** What if you could prospect in a single click?And what if that click came with accurate, intent data you need to meet your goals? Meet Klarity with One-Click Prospecting by DemandScience. Let's make your job easier. Visit demandscience.com   Sage Intacct is a powerful cloud-based financial management system that delivers automation around billing, accounting, and reporting. Voted market leaders by G2, Sage Intacct is the ideal Finance Solution to scale your business. Visit us at sage.com/uk/intacct.   SaaStr Annual will officially be back in 2023. Join 12,500 SaaS CEOs, Founders, Revenue leaders, and investors. Annual 2023 will take place September 6-8, 2023 in the SF Bay Area. Podcast listeners can use code FAVE100 to save 100 off tickets. Use FAVE100 when you buy your tickets at saastrannual2023.com *****   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Growing and scaling your customer base requires robust systems, teams, and playbooks that work in lockstep with one another. One of the most impactful teams, yet often least invested in, is customer marketing. From determining the ideal org structure to understanding clear KPIs, the playbook for customer marketing is still being written and is often misunderstood. In this session, we'll discuss key strategies that can be leveraged to build and scale a high-performing customer marketing team. You'll walk away with actionable insights and a clear understanding of how you can improve net dollar retention and unlock growth, regardless of your stage or size.   Full video: https://youtu.be/8zgkk0DFQs8   ***** Sage Intacct is a powerful cloud-based financial management system that delivers automation around billing, accounting, and reporting. Voted market leaders by G2, Sage Intacct is the ideal Finance Solution to scale your business. Visit us at sage.com/uk/intacct.   What if you could prospect in a single click? And what if that click came with accurate, intent data you need to meet your goals? Meet Klarity with One-Click Prospecting by DemandScience. Let's make your job easier. Visit demandscience.com.   SaaStr Europa is back! And this time, we're heading to London for 2 fun-filled days of content, networking, and SaaS. Join us June 6th and 7th for SaaStr Europa 2023. Use code FAVE100 for $100 off tickets at saastrlondon.com. *****   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

If you're looking for a marketing strategy to grow your SaaS business, SaaStr's very own Jason Lemkin has five things you can do today, this week, or this month that always work.     And the great news is that almost everything costs little to no money.    Most SaaS companies need to spend more on marketing. To save money, many freeze marketing spend, which is cool for a few months, but if it becomes the norm, they won't have enough pipeline for the rest of the year.    No matter what, you need to do more marketing in the back half of this year. If you don't, your teams are going to starve. As the saying goes, "You can't cut your way to growth."    While many of these ideas seem basic, they aren't done enough. Instead of tackling all five strategies simultaneously, do just one thing better, and you'll get more leads.    This episode is the second half of Jason's Workshop Wednesday session. You can listen to the first half in Episode 652. You can watch the full session here: https://www.youtube.com/live/vc0nITbOlos?feature=share   ***** What if you could prospect in a single click?And what if that click came with accurate, intent data you need to meet your goals? Meet Klarity with One-Click Prospecting by DemandScience. Let's make your job easier. Visit demandscience.com   Sage Intacct is a powerful cloud-based financial management system that delivers automation around billing, accounting, and reporting. Voted market leaders by G2, Sage Intacct is the ideal Finance Solution to scale your business. Visit us at sage.com/uk/intacct.   SaaStr Annual will officially be back in 2023. Join 12,500 SaaS CEOs, Founders, Revenue leaders, and investors. Annual 2023 will take place September 6-8, 2023 in the SF Bay Area. Podcast listeners can use code FAVE100 to save 100 off tickets. Use FAVE100 when you buy your tickets at saastrannual2023.com   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

If you're looking for a marketing strategy to grow your SaaS business, SaaStr's very own Jason Lemkin has five things you can do today, this week, or this month that always work.     And the great news is that almost everything costs little to no money.    Most SaaS companies need to spend more on marketing. To save money, many freeze marketing spend, which is cool for a few months, but if it becomes the norm, they won't have enough pipeline for the rest of the year.    No matter what, you need to do more marketing in the back half of this year. If you don't, your teams are going to starve. As the saying goes, "You can't cut your way to growth."    While many of these ideas seem basic, they aren't done enough. Instead of tackling all five strategies simultaneously, do just one thing better, and you'll get more leads.    This episode is the first half of Jason's Workshop Wednesday session. We'll share the second half in Episode 653. You can watch the full session here: https://www.youtube.com/live/vc0nITbOlos?feature=share ***** Sage Intacct is a powerful cloud-based financial management system that delivers automation around billing, accounting, and reporting. Voted market leaders by G2, Sage Intacct is the ideal Finance Solution to scale your business. Visit us at sage.com/uk/intacct.   What if you could prospect in a single click? And what if that click came with accurate, intent data you need to meet your goals? Meet Klarity with One-Click Prospecting by DemandScience. Let's make your job easier. Visit demandscience.com.   SaaStr Europa is back! And this time, we're heading to London for 2 fun-filled days of content, networking, and SaaS. Join us June 6th and 7th for SaaStr Europa 2023. Use code FAVE100 for $100 off tickets at saastrlondon.com. ***** Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Arnaud Bonzom, Founder and Managing Director @ Black Mangroves moderates a panel with Carmen Yuen, General Partner @ Vertex, Jenny Lee, Managing Partner @ GGV Capital, and Piruze Sabuncu, Partner @ Square Peg Capital on what founders should look out for when raising a Series A.   In this panel, Carmen, Jenny, and Piruze will discuss the lessons learned at Vertex, GGV, and Square Peg on the common pitfalls to look out for when you are raising your Series A. For each pitfall, they will provide tips and tactics on how to overcome them.   This episode is an excerpt of the VC session. You can watch the full video: https://youtu.be/nFUUTXlnaa0   ***** What if you could prospect in a single click?And what if that click came with accurate, intent data you need to meet your goals? Meet Klarity with One-Click Prospecting by DemandScience. Let's make your job easier. Visit demandscience.com   Sage Intacct is a powerful cloud-based financial management system that delivers automation around billing, accounting, and reporting. Voted market leaders by G2, Sage Intacct is the ideal Finance Solution to scale your business. Visit us at sage.com/uk/intacct.   SaaStr Annual will officially be back in 2023. Join 12,500 SaaS CEOs, Founders, Revenue leaders, and investors. Annual 2023 will take place September 6-8, 2023 in the SF Bay Area. Podcast listeners can use code FAVE100 to save 100 off tickets. Use FAVE100 when you buy your tickets at saastrannual2023.com   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Generative AI has taken the world by storm, and VCs and SaaS founders are looking at new opportunities it can bring. Even considering the more conservative fundraising market in 2023, there are opportunities for startups to get investor attention with AI. Tomasz Tunguz, Founder & General Partner at Theory Ventures, believes that with the right GTM plan and capital efficiency, it is still possible to get funding. It's simply a matter of watching your burn: "The main difference in the market between 2021 and today is that efficiency matters more than growth."   Full video with Q&A: https://youtube.com/live/xiYzzLe9BAs ***** Sage Intacct is a powerful cloud-based financial management system that delivers automation around billing, accounting, and reporting. Voted market leaders by G2, Sage Intacct is the ideal Finance Solution to scale your business. Visit us at sage.com/uk/intacct.   What if you could prospect in a single click? And what if that click came with accurate, intent data you need to meet your goals? Meet Klarity with One-Click Prospecting by DemandScience. Let's make your job easier. Visit demandscience.com.   SaaStr Europa is back! And this time, we're heading to London for 2 fun-filled days of content, networking, and SaaS. Join us June 6th and 7th for SaaStr Europa 2023. Use code FAVE100 for $100 off tickets at saastrlondon.com.   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

In a crowded and distracted world, it can be hard to break through with customers, the media, recruiting and investors. Capturing the zeitgeist is more important than ever in making you stand out. In this session Josh will share his story building DoNotPay and how building a movement has given his company an advantage and the non-traditional lessons that he has learned.   Video: https://youtu.be/kORBMIxRLs4   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Not every leader is created equally. A bad experience with a revenue operations leader might taint your view of the position at all future companies, but that would be a mistake, as CRO Confidential podcast host Sam Blond learned first-hand.  In this week's CRO Confidential episode, Blond talks to one of the best revenue operations leaders on the planet, Cherishma Shah, where she shares insights into the Rev Ops role, why your startup might need one, and how to maximize impact with this powerhouse position.  Shah is the Senior Vice President of Go-To-Market Strategy, Operations, and Enablement at Guild Education and formerly held the same role at Brex, working alongside Blond.    1:40 Intro  2:57 How Rev Ops fills critical gaps in the sales org   4:35 Cherishma's background, how that led to Rev Ops, and what a great Rev Ops candidate looks like  8:45 How to define Rev Ops  12:43 When is the right time to hire dedicated Rev Ops  20:47 More on the ideal candidate profile  24:11 Mistakes Cherisma has seen startups make as they make the first Rev Ops hires or build out the function  28:26 Where should Rev Ops sit within the org  35:07 Biggest opportunities for impact on the business for first hires  38:33 Scaling the Rev Ops org  40:35 How to structure the Rev Ops team and how to measure impact  47:00 Tactical examples of success Cherishma and Sam have seen    Video: https://youtu.be/S5JpOvgNtSY   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

The SMBTech economy is very different from enterprise software, and there is massive opportunity to capture it. There are over 400M small businesses worldwide. That's more than 90% of companies and 40-50% of GDP.    In this episode, Jeff Richards and Tiffany Luck, Managing Director and Partner at GGVCapital, share what it takes to win as a SMBTech startup in today's economy.    Full video with Q&A: https://youtube.com/live/pcgXYRMX2XU   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

There is plenty you could go deep on when talking about what it takes to scale a business from 1m to 1bn+, but in this session you'll hear 30 years of experience doing exactly that - compressed into a handful of key focus areas that really matter - principles that have proven to make the difference when surrounded by options and chaos.   Video: https://youtu.be/CQdAzSfhz54   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Significant strides in digital technology combined with the COVID-19 pandemic heavily impacted the world of corporate summits, events, and tradeshows. Many businesses changed their strategy to incorporate virtual or hybrid events recently. Before the pandemic, hybrid and virtual gatherings accounted for only 18.9% of all events. But after the pandemic, the number shifted, with 59.5% of event planners stating that they will focus more on hybrid events.   Is there still room for in-person events in 2023 and beyond? Further, can it drive value for your business? For Todd White, Co-Founder of GUIDEcx, the answer to both questions is a resounding yes. In this episode, Todd shares with SaaStr's Poya Osgouei why GUIDEcx finds live events so valuable, even beyond sales, and the playbook he uses to ensure his team gets the most out of events.   Watch the full webinar for even more about GUIDEcx and tips for successful events.    Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Back in the early 2000s, people didn't entirely accept that a virtual machine could be as good as a physical one. Of course, we all know how that turned out.  Ed Lenta, the SVP and GM of Databricks, had the rare opportunity of scaling three hypergrowth companies — VMware, AWS, and Databricks. All of which were disruptors when they first came on the scene.  Is there a recipe or formula that will predict the success of a pre-growth, high-potential company? Lenta shares his lessons learned through scaling these early-stage companies.    Full video: https://youtu.be/FvYovHfm7rs   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Buying software has changed significantly over the past 27 years. Despite the economic headwinds we've seen, buyers still buy a lot. The average mid-size company has 111 SaaS applications. By next quarter, that's estimated to rise to 119.    Of course, companies are experiencing some economic impact, and average spend is coming down slightly. Chris Perrine, the Vice President of G2, Asia Pacific, shares what's holding up buyers in today's economy and how you can meet them where they are.   Video with Q&A: https://youtu.be/S9yQ1Oe30zU   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

If you're on the path to building a startup, you know what it means to fail. In this week's Workshop Wednesday, Tracy Young, CEO and Co-Founder of TigerEye and PlanGrid, says that "everything is going to fail." Young took PlanGrid from nothing to $100M ARR before passing the baton and shares the biggest lessons learned, the biggest failures, and how to navigate them.   Full video with Q&A: https://youtube.com/live/w9-lMhAyJeo   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

With product-led growth, your product is the main driver of revenue growth; companies can scale up faster while keeping sales and marketing costs low. Conversely, sales-led growth puts human interaction at the center of sales processes. But sometimes, choosing a single path when it comes to a sales-led or a product-led growth model isn't enough. In this session, Amplitude's Mark Velthuis will share how companies can embrace a mix of the two strategies, how it will affect our traditional understanding of sales, marketing, and product, and how leaders can get everyone on board.   Video: https://youtu.be/7DQPNB6AU2o   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

How did the largest product-led growth enterprise company in the world find success? In this week's episode of CRO Confidential, Cameron Deatsch, CRO of Atlassian, shares his wisdom with Founders Fund Partner Sam Blond. Atlassian is trading at over $40B with revenue north of $3B. When the company started 20 years ago, it didn't hire salespeople. Not because they planned to start as a product-led company but because they couldn't afford to. So what should earlier-stage companies do: immediately build out a big sales team or focus on product-led growth?   Video: https://youtu.be/s897t3MSAxM   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Having scaled the APAC region for 3 US companies, with a big emphasis on building culture as a foundation for success, Scott will speak of his learnings and lead a discussion for: Recruiting Enabling  Creating Culture Video: https://youtu.be/CfW0W0E3F4A   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Chris Merritt, Chief Revenue Officer of Cloudflare joined Cloudflare nearly a decade ago when annual revenue was around $1M with one sales person — and has since been scaling the sales organization and helping grow Cloudflare into the multi-billion dollar business it is today. When building a sales team and business at scale, organizations go through various stages of growth with key milestones along the way—from 1-10 million in revenue, to 50-100 million, to 100 million, and onward. While no two businesses are the same, we'll dive into a few areas that are most likely to change, with Chris sharing some findings along the way to help others effectively scale their organizations.   Full video with Q&A: https://youtu.be/YkmDl59sDkg   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

In this illuminating session, ICONIQ Growth general partner Doug Pepper and head of analytics Christine Edmonds will share some of the latest insights from ICONIQ's annual "Growth and Efficiency Study" which utilizes aggregated operating data from a large set of enterprise SaaS companies, about half of which have gone on to IPO and/or been named to the Cloud 100 list. From the metrics most indicative of healthy business fundamentals and what top quartile performance looks like across these KPIs, to how those core metrics may be impacted in the current environment and where leaders are focusing in response to the macroeconomic uncertainty of today, Doug and Christine will share what strength looks like at all stages of company growth.   Updated slides: https://www.slideshare.net/saastr/unveiling-the-data-behind-effective-scaling-with-iconiq-growth-253098692   Video: https://youtube.com/live/oRtla9psS_8   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Stripe CTO David Singleton shares insights from the company's focus on going the extra mile to obtain user feedback and even more extreme lengths to turn that feedback into successful products. He'll show how one simple rule helped the company grow from a single API to a sophisticated platform, and discuss the challenges of managing change, defining product-market fit, and designing infrastructure that can scale.   Video: https://youtube.com/live/N2BPdAk_riU   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

While the allure of customer acquisition can pull a founder's attention, it's equally important to dedicate resources to fighting churn and expanding revenue from existing customers. One company that has unlocked the secret to solid retention and revenue expansion is Brex, an easy-to-use corporate cards and spend management software in an integrated global solution.   In this edition of CRO Confidential, Sam Blond (former CRO at Brex and current Partner at Founders Fund) hosts his former colleague Lucas Fox (GM of Brex for Startups). They discuss how Fox helped build a churn-fighting, upselling, and cross-selling machine that continues to generate revenue.   Video: https://youtu.be/_dfDqPJqqFU Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/cro-confidential-how-customer-first-focus-drives-retention-and-revenue-with-brex-gm-of-startups-lucas-fox-pod-635-video/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

What do some of the most successful PLG companies have in common? How do you build a best-in-class go-to-market model to get to 100mn ARR and beyond? Iconic PLG companies share how they integrated GTM into their growth strategy to go from single digits to over a billion in ARR. Lightspeed Partner, Anoushka Vaswani, is joined by Raj Sarkar, CMO at 1Password, Kim Walsh, SVP, Sales, Partnerships and Customer Success at Apollo.io, and Chris De Vylder, CRO at Sentry, to pass along key lessons from their growth journey.    Video: https://www.youtube.com/live/4mzgUHp2Dtc?feature=share   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

As Chief Product Officer at DigitalOcean and a developer-turned-entrepreneur himself, Gabe Monroy is deeply familiar with some of the pitfalls that founders encounter on the road of product development. In this session, Gabe will discuss how founders can avoid the trap of over-engineering products, as well as why focusing on the must-haves (developing "painkillers" for your customer's problem) will better serve your business versus focusing on the nice-to-haves (developing "vitamins").   Video: https://youtu.be/KwWxIURQVRg   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Every week, more and more companies are doing big layoffs. As news of layoffs continues, many are left wondering what happened and how to shift course. Many startups missed 2022 revenue goals and are forecasting slower growth for 2023, especially compared to the explosive growth of teams and revenue during the Boom of 2021 and early 2022.   In this week's episode of CRO Confidential, Founders Fund Investor Sam Blond sits down with the SVP of Sales at Modern Health, Hannah Willson, to discuss how companies can adapt to the current sales environment and how to correct course when you don't have a right-sized sales team.   Video: https://youtu.be/24tKS8g_QJg   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Jason recently joined Harry Stebbings on 20VC to discuss VC in 2023. Hear why you shouldn't wait to raise (if you're fundable), even though the venture landscape will look better by the end of 2023.   This episode is an excerpt of Jason and Harry's discussion. You can watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/dHIWdwljt7Q   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

What is the right Go-To-Market strategy for a startup getting out of the gate? Sales-led vs. product-led is a hot topic right now, and Jason Eubanks, Chief Revenue Officer of Harness, shares the answer.    At Harness, Eubanks leads go-to-market. Everything is defined by customer interactions, from how they find Harness to becoming a customer. What's his response to startups figuring out which strategy to begin with, product-led or sales-led? "It doesn't really matter where you start because you'll need to do both," Eubanks said.    Full video with Q&A: https://youtu.be/aJqNJfph4Mw Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/sales-led-vs-product-led-todays-startups-need-both-with-jason-eubanks-cro-at-harness-video/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

As the past few years have demonstrated, it's wise to expect the unexpected, especially when it comes to hiring. In particular, hiring for your sales team is critical in an uncertain economic outlook. Additionally, sales professionals looking for a new role should choose their next company wisely.   In this edition of CRO Confidential, Sam Blond, Partner at Founders Fund and former CRO at Brex, discusses the current SaaS sales landscape and tips for hiring in 2023 with guest Ben Braverman, Head of Flexport Fund and former Flexport CRO and CCO.    Video: https://youtu.be/oONsrUYsQtw   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

In many companies, the longtime dispute between sales and marketing prevents them from collaborating or agreeing on a goal. Divvy's CRO, Sterling Snow, created a structure aligning these two teams with others to create a formidable revenue team. This structure drove the company to a $2.5 billion-dollar acquisition by Bill within five years. In this episode, Snow shares the journey to realizing the strength of revenue alignment through sales, marketing, and customer success and the principles for implementing this structure to yield tremendous results.   Video: https://youtu.be/1L2P-fi6gfM   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Sure, strong collaboration between Sales and Marketing is critical - but this CPO and CMO contend that the Product to Marketing connection might just be the most critical dynamic within your executive team. Learn how Meron Colbeci (CPO) and Leela Srinivasan (CMO) are driving the right outcomes through close collaboration.   Full video with Q&A: https://youtu.be/gWub2D4XZCQ   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Reaching unicorn status is nice validation, but the luster fades when founders can't navigate the hidden challenges that come with uncharted territory. David Cancel and Elias Torres, co-founders of Drift, share their insight on steering a company to a $1B valuation with both the tenacity to problem-solve and a fearlessness to fail. They'll take you through their own personal experiences, from creating a scalable product strategy to building an enduring company that puts people and purpose before profit. Find out how the steps they took not only helped nurture a company's success, but also allowed its leaders to retain a growth mindset long after they hit the $1B milestone.   Full video: https://youtu.be/gGVSaRcZkOs   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Join Colin Jones, CRO at Wiz, as he shares key takeaways from building and scaling a sales organization that went from $0 to $100 million ARR in less than two years, making Wiz the fastest company to reach the $100M ARR. Colin will share key lessons he learned along the way, along with real-life examples of things that break when you grow at such unprecedented speeds, how to fix them, and how to build a team that consistently performs with grace under pressure.   Full video with Q&A: https://youtu.be/setOmORB76g   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Jason and Pete chat about SaaStr Fund, the state of VC funding in Q1 2023, and whether LPs play a role in the former "grow at all costs" mindset that prevailed in 2021 and early 2022.   Video: https://youtu.be/cvYe2jf2gOE   This conversation is an excerpt from a Modern Sales Pros fireside chat. You can find that video on their channel: https://youtu.be/fVckRPSUG-U   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

In any given day, the enterprise buyer has many priorities that will come before your product. How do you ensure your solution gets implemented and retained? In this session, we walk through some of the lessons learned at Attentive on their path to over 5,000 customers in 5 years. We will dig into real world examples for reducing friction in sales, product and customer success.   Full video: https://youtu.be/47ReBgKEgEY   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

It may seem counterintuitive to seek out a sales leadership hire during this time of slowed hiring, but it's the number one topic that many founders talk about and many SDRs, AEs, and sales managers ask about.  Founders may ask, "how do I find the right sales leadership hire?" While someone in sales may ask, "how do I become a CRO someday?" In today's episode of CRO Confidential, Sam Blond, Partner at Founders Fund, discusses these very questions with the previous CRO of Lattice, Dini Mehta.   Video: https://youtu.be/6eyB4G8y214   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Join Cliff Bockard, Senior Vice President of Revenue at DigitalOcean, as he discusses how DigitalOcean has won "big numbers" from "small customers" by tapping the underserved market of startups and SMBs. Cliff will discuss how companies can prioritize the success of their customers and benefit in turn, as well as why customer-centric and responsible, profitable growth matters more than ever.   Full video: https://youtu.be/vbj20ekVKsE   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Ready to kick-start 2023? Worried about team morale after a less-than-stellar Q4 (and Q3)? Jason shares 8 ideas that you can use right now to keep your sales team motivated and have a better Q1.   Full video: https://youtu.be/ji8mYoAGGjU   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Join Sarah Patterson as she shares key lessons on scaling marketing engines from her experience as a Marketing EVP at Salesforce and now the CMO at Samsara. Sarah will share three key lessons she has learned along the way, from building successful feedback loops to knowing when to invest for the long term or push for rapid growth.   Video: https://youtu.be/z7qITAzT5wc Blog: https://www.saastr.com/3-lessons-from-building-a-marketing-engine-to-grow-pipeline-from-millions-to-billions-with-samsara-cmo-sarah-patterson-pod-619-video/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

For many SaaS companies, serving the world's largest businesses requires evolving some of its most critical business strategies and operations. In this session, Airtable's Howie Liu sits down with Coatue's Caryn Marooney to share the lessons he's learned from scaling Airtable. From how to think about competitors and categories, to the importance of building the right organizational culture, Howie and Caryn reveal what SaaS leaders need to consider as they move upmarket. Video: https://youtu.be/if4nKnNMl4s Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

In today's CRO Confidential, Sam chats with Rippling VP of Sales Matt Plank. Matt was employee #5 and the first sales hire at Rippling. In this episode, he shares how he built and scaled Rippling's sales team. Video: https://youtu.be/yAloXeNI1Qw Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-cro-confidential-founders-fund-partner-sam-blond-rippling-vp-sales-matt-plank-pod-617-video/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

There are so many interesting things everyone selling to SMBs can learn from HubSpot. Don't miss this talk with Hubspot's and SaaStr's CEOs Yamini Rangan and Jason Lemkin where they'll dig into how HubSpot is growing a stunning 41% year-over-year at $1.7 Billion in ARR.  Yamini and Jason discuss: -why Hubspot chose to "take a step backward" by moving from sales-led to product-led -why focusing on free makes your product better -the importance of having multiple products -why NRR should be a North Star metric for SaaS businesses -working with partners -international expansion and localization: why less is more   Full video: https://youtu.be/sNU4h7LpHOI   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin recently moderated a session with 3 of the best investing in SaaS:  Doug Pepper, GP at Iconiq, Arun Mathew, GP at Accel, and Alex Kayyal, VP and head of all of Salesforce Ventures. The four deep-dive on the real state of venture capital today and into 2023.   This podcast was recorded live during G2's digital reach event. Check out the rest of the sessions over at Reach.G2.com   This episode is an excerpt from the session. Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/hTvNqr395nY   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Sam, Jason, and Jameson discuss: Category creation: what Gong did well and what didn't go so well The importance of content marketing, especially in very early stages maintaining team morale in the current economy the importance of messaging and customer relationships Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

To scale your business customers need to be at the center of all you do. The reason for your business is to solve their largest problems and be mission-critical to their success. If your customers succeed your business will too. However, what if you can't find or engage your target buyers? The way technology is bought and sold today has dramatically changed. The buyer's journey is not linear but something they want to control. According to Bain and Co study, 94% of prospective buyers are well informed about a product before ever engaging with a sales team. From our research at TrustRadius, virtually 100% of buyers want to self-serve, 58% of buyers say word-of-mouth is a top source for discovery and evaluation. We'll evaluate these buyer trends and provide strategies to find and win these new-age customers now and in the future.   Full video: https://youtu.be/eGL9ndS3Kmk   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

SDRs are the most efficient channel for predictable B2B pipeline generation, but successfully scaling a team isn't easy. This session will cover the pillars of effectively recruiting, training, aligning, and empowering SDRs from the early stages of revenue through a global operation. Lars Nilsson has designed and built 25+ SDR operations at B2B SaaS software companies, and currently leads Snowflake's 200+ SDRs. Come have a listen to what all the buzz in SDR-Land is about!   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Building a flexible platform for your products and a strategic ecosystem around them is the key to fueling sustained growth. But when you're in the throes of putting it together, it's challenging to track the countless workstreams, investments, and partnerships involved – not to mention bringing all these pieces into alignment. Join Atlassian's Chief Revenue Officer, Cameron Deatsch, to learn how to invest in an ecosystem, how to optimize your platform for innovation, and why long-term thinking is crucial to becoming a $10 billion company.   Full video: https://youtu.be/eVDucwrUgq8   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Keeping a Saas unicorn on the track of profitable, responsible growth requires clear alignment across the leadership team, and a purposeful approach to making decisions that drive the corporate mission. In this session, Algolia's Bernadette Nixon and Michelle Adams will discuss the dynamics of building a highly effective, open, direct and empathetic relationship between the critical CEO and CRO roles on the leadership team.   Full video: https://youtu.be/tJAPaW5GoxU   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

The two biggest mistakes business leaders can make in a competitive space are thinking their competitors are too smart or, alternately, too dumb. The game on the field has shifted dramatically over the past 12 months, and what matters to a startup today is much different from a couple of years ago.    In the second installment of CRO Confidential, Founders Fund Partner Sam Blond, previous CRO at Brex, goes head-to-head with the CRO at Divvy, Sterling Snow, previously bitter rivals turned curious comrades. Snow and Blond dive deep into competition — how to position yourself against competitors and make the most of that competition.    Brex and Divvy are adversaries in the corporate card space, with many deals going up against each other. There has always been a ton of respect there and a bit of animosity, too, because of how competitive the businesses were.    This poses the question: Does staunch competition lend itself to better business? Psst… the answer is yes! Let's see what Snow and Blond have to say about competition.    Full video: https://youtu.be/7LTyMpxy9LQ   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

At the end of Day 3 of SaaStr Annual 2022, Jason opened up the mic for an AMA. This episode is the second half of the session. In this episode, Jason discusses: Advice for very early-stage founders Why real customer support is critical Bootstrapping What's next for SaaStr The first half of the session was published in Episode 607.   You can watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/apc5GwLlaDI

At the end of Day 3 of SaaStr Annual 2022, Jason opened up the mic for an AMA. This episode is the first half of the session. In this episode, Jason discusses: Breaking rules Setting goals Technical debt Black Swan events Y Combinator The second half of the session will be published in Episode 608. You can watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/apc5GwLlaDI   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

The foremost topic on every founder's mind right now: how to weather the ups-and-downs of an unpredictable economy. Gusto, has swerved with every economic curve since its founding 10 years ago. But throughout it all, Gusto has defined valuation differently—in terms of the value it provides to customers vs the value it extracts.   In this talk, Gusto CEO and founder Josh Reeves can speak to how Gusto has weathered the ups-and-downs of the economy—and why aligned success models (what's good for the customer = what's good for society = what's good for your business) are so important, especially now. Josh can share the specific business decisions Gusto has had to make with this approach, particularly over the past few years and today.   Full video: https://youtu.be/TuJnbPG3Tmk   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Top of mind for many startups during a downturn is the question, "How do we balance investment in growing our business while maintaining a modest burn to extend our time to next funding?" In this session we will explore some creative techniques to grow your business with efficiency. Hear from three VC partners with experience successfully co-founding, leading, and growing startups during previous market downturns   Full video: https://youtu.be/hQ-lDnEMCgo   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Founders Fund Partner and former Brex CRO Sam Blond joins the SaaStr podcast to host this series with SaaS CROs. But first, to kick off the CRO Confidential series, Sam chats with SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin about whether tech founders still need to be based in SF, the current correction of the VC market, and what to look for in an investor.   Full video: https://youtu.be/rwHdE318dqA   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Founders Fund Partner and former Brex CRO Sam Blond joins the SaaStr podcast to host this series with SaaS CROs. But first, to kick off the CRO Confidential series, Sam chats with SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin about gross margins, macro impact on 2022 revenue, and sales leadership recruiting.   Video: https://youtu.be/yAyym4uJMcs   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

The rapid proliferation of cloud services has added to overwhelm among enterprise workers. Over the years, Grammarly has learned effective strategies to stand apart with users and business decision-makers while channeling customers' needs, whether in customer support, sales, HR, and marketing. CEO Brad Hoover shares the customer-centric principles and lessons that he has learned in growing their user base to tens of millions of enterprise and individual customers, with teams from Accenture to Zoom.   Full video: https://youtu.be/zoyxXSYeZhM   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

"Find a need and fill it" is a well-known maxim. After identifying the white space, though,  understanding how to navigate category creation is key in order to grow and scale a company for the long term. For many SaaS businesses, the first category others consign you to may not match your ambitions as a founder. Entrenched forces have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo, and it takes courage to stick to your convictions about the future. As industries expand and mature, new strategies are needed to further deepen the competitive moat to secure and retain category leadership. Product is just the beginning: Ongoing success hinges on the growth and cultivation of the team, the company culture, and the larger stakeholder community—the work is never done.  When Braze was founded in 2011 with Bill Magnuson as CTO, smartphones were just becoming mainstream and mobile marketing was in its infancy. At that time, the category term 'customer engagement platform' did not exist yet, but the cofounders believed that technology which enabled brands to better understand and serve customers across mobile and beyond was the future for Braze. Fast forward 10+ years, and the founding team's conviction has enabled Braze to become a leader in the nascent customer engagement category, reaching $100M in ARR in eight years, then doubling that to $200M less than 18 months later, to then making its public company debut at the end of 2021. In this session, Braze Cofounder and CEO Bill Magnuson will share best practices and lessons learned from his experience scaling Braze and establishing the company as a leader in the recently formed customer engagement category, including:  Having conviction for your vision will help you navigate the changing SaaS landscape as you grow your business. Staying true to your initial vision is critical to category creation and for long-term company success.  Determine when and whether to pivot, or to adapt to shifting circumstances. Founders must be adept at identifying and articulating the unique value the business delivers, refining the message over time without deviating from foundational beliefs.  Category leadership results from a community effort: customers, end users, partners, investors, analysts, and team members collaborate to build on the founders' vision. How and why a CTO founder might transition to CEO: Technical founders deeply understand product value and can take on the wider leadership role as they navigate the nuance of category creation.   Full video: https://youtu.be/T5r6ajAHyvI   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Tune into Founder Confidential with SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin and Hubspot Founders Dharmesh Shah and Brian Halligan to hear their key learnings and considerations of what it takes to be a Founder in today's SaaS landscape.   Full video: https://youtu.be/gn01HIUyE9M   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

It's no secret that 2022 has brought market shifts that even the previous two years lacked. While previously, investors were a bit more open and hyper-focused on growth, now SaaS VCs are more interested in proving efficiency alongside growth. As always, investors still have high-growth expectations, which have not changed. But in 2022, there is a new focus on efficiency. In fact, 82% of investors in a recent survey said that efficiency is more critical this year.   During this year's SaaStr Annual event, Christophe Janz, Partner at Point Nine Capital, shares the secret to attracting investors in the new landscape.   Full video: https://youtu.be/nBYHFm-H8pA   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Leading a scaling business requires systems and plans for various stages of growth. Dave McJannet shares lessons learned from scaling HashiCorp, including: how to implement overlapping systems for the business (finance, people, product, go-to-market); how to manage the layered time horizons of various teams (36 months for a CEO, 90 days for sales); and how to reinvent these systems as the company enters new phases of growth.   Full video: https://youtu.be/KJk5B3R9rBw   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

The number of global venture capital (VC) investments dipped in 2022, thanks to ongoing geopolitical tensions, turbulence in global capital markets, supply chain issues, and increasing interest rates. This has caused VC investors to be increasingly wary. With no end in sight to the economic uncertainty, VC investment could remain soft, with downward pressure on valuations resulting in decreasing levels of investment. Founder and Managing Partner at Cowboy Ventures, Aileen Lee, discusses the state of the VC market in 2022 with Founder and CEO of SaaStr Jason Lemkin—the change in VC activities and seed deals, the importance of the board in the success of a startup, profitability and much more.   Full video: https://youtu.be/R3G6P19qHY4   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Amidst the volatility of today's economic climate and market, GTM leaders need to be especially savvy when it comes to their company growth strategies and earning their customers' love. A renowned enterprise software leader that has led revenue organizations and spearheaded the cloud GTM strategies at companies such as Oracle, New Relic and now Confluent, Erica Schultz is Confluent's President of Field Operations and will share what she has seen evolve in enterprise GTM and tips on how to thrive in the current environment. From PLG and consumption-based pricing, to value-based selling and driving efficient growth, Erica will share veteran insights that will help you develop your own successful GTM strategy.   Full video: https://youtu.be/j293NArWW38   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Anu Hariharan works with hundreds of startups annually as Managing Director at Y Combinator. Through experience, she explains five company-altering learnings from B2B startups that founders should consider at the earliest stages of their businesses.   Full video: https://youtu.be/pPgtmFaxkrc   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Product-led growth (PLG) is the consumerization of software—a strategy B2B software companies can learn from growth teams at successful consumer tech companies.    Stage 2 Capital's Co-Founder and Managing Director, Mark Roberge, breaks down what a consumer tech growth team looks like and how they operate. He advises bringing these features to a B2B growth team and then shares mistakes that B2B companies make while adding go-to-market (GTM) to PLG.   Full video: https://youtu.be/prLzBINL4tI   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Bessemer Venture Partners unpacks the most important trends of the cloud economy, and explores the new milestone entrepreneurs need to value above all else—reaching Centaur status, or $100M in ARR—and the paths to get there. Releasing insights for founders with big ambitions, Sameer Dholakia, Elliott Robinson, and Mary D'Onofrio share the insights from cloud benchmark data and dive into the strategies that three Centaur companies took to scale their cloud businesses to $100M ARR.   Full video: https://youtu.be/pUKwyAxwAqI   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Join Mailchimp Co-Founder Ben Chestnut and SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin in a follow-up to their popular fireside chat held during SaaStr @ Home 2020. Ben and Jason will chat about the highlights–and the challenges–of scaling a company like Mailchimp to $1B ARR.   Full video: https://youtu.be/5fx3qFD62ak   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

This session will explore the approaches and measures that founders and leadership teams can take to successfully scale their business and expand into new markets. It will be led by Harry Briggs, a founder turned VC with experience both in building his own business with customers in over 35 countries and supporting his portfolio founders in executing their international expansion plans. OMERS Venture Managing Partner Jambu Palaniappan led Uber's EMEA expansion and Harry also shares some of Jambu's learnings from Uber.   Full video: https://youtu.be/I56lkBqi5yI   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

As reaching $100 million in ARR continues to be a critical milestone for SaaS players, UserZoom CEO Alfonso de la Nuez and CMO Sophie Chesters will explain how they have taken UserZoom's business to the next level since its founding in 2007 and share ten relevant lessons learned during UserZoom's journey to $100 million in ARR in the user experience management space.   Full video: https://youtu.be/ldf7eOfuDkg   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Fundraising with a successful VC firm is a huge goal for entrepreneurs, especially in the early stages of the business. But the path to a deal isn't always as straightforward as it may seem. During an enlightening session at SaaStr Europa 2022, Zach Coelius (Managing Partner at Coelius Capital) and Tiffany Luck (Investor at GGV Capital) share the secrets and lesser-known players in the world of venture capital. As Luck says, "There are many players in the VC ecosystem, and so your entry point to fundraising might be with any one of these players."   Full video: https://youtu.be/xKb4ORuFDSc   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

How do you build a sales organization from scratch? How do you go from $0 to $1M ARR and beyond? What about moving from founder-led sales to building a sales team and scaling your revenue growth?Demodesk's CEO, Veronika Riederle, and VP of Revenue, Lauren Wright, answer the most pertinent questions on scaling a SaaS start-up as they take us through lessons learned from the three stages of growth.   Full video: https://youtu.be/sAXI0nP2YW4   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

As a founder, there are different ways you can set your start-up apart from other companies at the venture and growth stages. Investors look for specific metrics to see whether you stand out from the crowd, ranging from your market expansion potential to your product vision and product-market fit. Atomico Partner, Irina Haivas, and Principal, Hillary Ball, explore what investors are looking for from the early stage through growth.   Full video: https://youtu.be/gP87MIf7Vbk   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

As Showpad is close to crossing $100 in ARR PJ will share his most important learnings from scaling Showpad as its CEO.  He'll cover the hard lessons learned, the highs and the lows on hiring, board dynamics, raising money, internationalization and personal growth.   Full video: https://youtu.be/YGfjHVAMFQ0   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

As SaaStr Europa 2022 drew to a close, attendees took one more opportunity to ask Jason questions about topics like how to navigate the current market, the future of work, playing in a crowded space, and hiring your first VP of Sales. Podcast episode 585 is an excerpt from the AMA. You can watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/AGHRqE54hTg Transcript of full AMA here: https://www.saastr.com/the-answers-to-scaling-hiring-and-everything-else-a-saastr-europa-ama-with-saastr-ceo-jason-lemkin-pod-585-video/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Most software startups rely on ARR as the first indicator of success. However, not every company understands the power of trust and credibility your first customers bring. Eleonore will speak about Pigment's customer growth strategy and the approach to build a raving ambassador community. She will also share insight into bringing the trust philosophy into early product development.   Full video: https://youtu.be/GpRBa7e6IKs   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Jason recently opened up an AMA on Twitter Spaces to answer questions about scaling faster. This episode is an excerpt of that AMA. Jason answers questions about marketing and customer acquisition customer onboarding M&A as a growth strategy sales comp plans sustainable scaling sales cycles  the fake question that won't go away: "build vs buy"   Transcript of the full AMA: https://www.saastr.com/scaling-faster-part-2-an-ama-with-saastr-founder-ceo-jason-lemkin-pod-583/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

We've learned Saas companies strive to achieve the T2D3 model. Join Bill Binch, Former EVP Sales, Marketo (currently Operating Partner at Battery Ventures) as he discusses Marketo's success and why the same old playbook needs to be adapted for today. Learn from Bill on how the CEO & CRO relationship shapes this and what new ideas founders need to think through.   Full video: https://youtu.be/MS3e6_T5RYs   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Jason recently opened up an AMA on Twitter Spaces to answer questions about VC funding and scaling in SaaS. This episode is an excerpt of that AMA.   Transcript: https://www.saastr.com/vc-funding-scaling-saas-an-ama-with-saastr-ceo-jason-lemkin-pod-581/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

In conversation with Matthew Jacobson, Partner at ICONIQ Growth, Miro Founder and CEO Andrey Khusid will share his real-time revelations from growing Miro— which he likens to "building a plane while flying"—and what it takes to create a company that will endure for the longterm.   Full video: https://youtu.be/s1Wz1nwASGM   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

SaaStr's own Poya Osgouei has a great Uncharted podcast that does a deeper dive with many SaaS execs.  Up this week is our own Jason Lemkin, Founder and CEO of SaaStr.  We're cross-posting this great deep dive episode where they discuss how SaaStr has evolved over the last 10 years, and discuss the importance of focusing on field marketing now that folks are eager to get back together.

Which metrics matter and which can distract you when building a fast growth SaaS startup? Index Ventures Partner Molly Alter shares benchmarks for the most important metrics that will accelerate your growth and attract investors in your next round. She will explain how these differ by stages of the business, from Seed to Growth, and for different types of SaaS businesses.   Full video: https://youtu.be/UtfXQx4zc7o   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Jason recently opened up an AMA on Twitter Spaces to answer questions about scaling faster. This episode is an excerpt of that AMA.   Read the full transcript of the AMA: https://www.saastr.com/scaling-faster-an-ama-with-saastr-founder-ceo-jason-lemkin-pod-577   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Although core to the European economy, accounting for around 11M companies and 99.8% of businesses in Western Europe, the SMB market has largely been underserved by software providers. Now, companies like PayFit are on a mission to meet this underserved audience's needs. With its unique and flexible cloud architecture, PayFit has already met the payroll and HR management demands of 7,000+ SMBs across four countries and grown to 900+ employees. Getting to this point from just 40 team members and 200 customers back in 2017 takes more than just grit, vision and a great product. It takes a solid GTM strategy focused on launching and growing the company's competitive advantage in each core market, an in-depth knowledge of your target audience and the ability to hire exceptional team members along the way. In this session, Philippe Botteri, Partner at Accel, and Firmin Zocchetto, co-founder and CEO at PayFit, discuss the seven secrets behind the company's SMB GTM strategy.   Full video: https://youtu.be/HZDBNg8JQ8w   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

The last few years have certainly tested marketers, but 2022 serves up a brand new array of challenges. Uncharted territory stretches ahead, but the unknown can also present opportunities for growth and greatness.    At Mutiny's The Second Lever digital conference, SaaStr Founder Jason Lemkin hosted a star-studded CMO panel featuring Salesforce President & CMO Sarah Franklin, Box CMO Chris Koehler, and Attentive CMO Sara Varni. In the eye-opening session, these marketing leaders discuss the market pulse, impactful branding, and strategies for the future.   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Scale-up seems easier than start-up in many ways. You've established product-market fit. You've sold $5 or $10M in ARR. You've found a buyer persona to sell and problem (aka, use-case) to solve. You've answered all the hard questions. Now, all you have to do is scale it up. Easy-peasy, right? Not so fast. In this presentation, I'll cover what I see as the top 5 mistakes made during the scale-up phase based on my experience as a CEO of two startups in the $0 to $100M range, CMO of two in the $50M to $1B range, advisor to dozens of startups, and EIR at Balderton capital where we work with scores of startups at both the early and growth stages. We'll discuss: premature scaling, US expansion, insufficient enablement and support, inexperienced management, and the delicate topic of reacceleration after a stall. As a bonus, we'll talk about when your "second album" (i.e., product) should come out and how to maintain focus in a world of market- and sometimes board-driven distractions.   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Jason recently opened up an AMA on Twitter Spaces to answer questions about scaling from $1M to $10M. This episode is an excerpt of that AMA.   See the full transcript: https://www.saastr.com/scaling-from-1-to-10m-an-ama-with-saastr-ceo-and-founder-jason-lemkin-pod-573   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

In this episode of the SaaStr Podcast, Insider Co-Founder and CEO Hande Cilinger will dive into 10 mistakes to avoid in building out a revenue organization. Tune in to this week's episode for Hande's take on how to best hire, enable, sell, and grow. Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/tnBklWSZJ-g Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

n this session, ZoomInfo founder and CEO Henry Schuck shares how he built a business from scratch and grew it into one of the most successful IPOs of the 21st century. Join this session with Henry and SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin to learn where he went wrong, what he would do differently, and how to avoid making the same mistakes he did.  This is Part 2 of Jason and Henry's interview. Part 1 can be found in Episode 570. Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/YLSNCjAqDW0 Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/5-more-mistakes-from-zero-to-ipo-with-zoominfo-ceo-henry-schuck-podcast-571-and-video/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

In this session, ZoomInfo founder and CEO Henry Schuck shares how he built a business from scratch and grew it into one of the most successful IPOs of the 21st century. Join this session with Henry and SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin to learn where he went wrong, what he would do differently, and how to avoid making the same mistakes he did.  This is Part 1 of Jason and Henry's interview. Part 2 can be found in Episode 571 to be released on June 8, 2022. Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/YLSNCjAqDW0 Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

To celebrate 10 years of SaaStr, we're revisiting some classic podcast episodes. Up today: a 2016 interview with Harry Stebbings and Front Co-Founder and CEO Mathilde Collin. Just this week, Front announced their Series D at a 1.7 billion dollar valuation that makes Front one of only 11 SaaS Unicorns founded and led by women.   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

In the last few weeks, the VC funding environment has changed dramatically. In this session, Christoph will share tactical advice on how to weatherproof your financial plan for the funding downturn.   You can see Christoph's slides here: https://www.slideshare.net/saastr/mind-the-gap-balancing-growth-and-efficiency-in-tougher-times-with-point-nine   Full video: https://youtu.be/vIOZ5T0HaNc     Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

To celebrate 10 years of SaaStr, we're revisiting some classic podcast episodes. Up today: Harry Stebbings interviews Shippo Co-Founder and CEO Laura Behrens Wu. In April 2016, Shippo had only 22 employees and was just beginning to scale. They've since opened new hubs in Austin and Dublin and in 2021, hired Employee number 200.   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

At SaaStr Europa 2022, Jason shared the results of 16 SaaStr LinkedIn polls and discusses where he thinks SaaS companies are on track or need improvement.   Full video: https://youtu.be/ra3g8XEJFs0   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

To celebrate 10 years of SaaStr, we're revisiting some classic podcast episodes. Up today: a 2016 interview with Harry Stebbings and Gusto Co-Founder and CEO Josh Reeves. At the time of this interview, Gusto had 350 employees serving 40,000 customers. Today, it's grown to more than 2,000 employees serving over 200,000 businesses. Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

RevenueCat's API handles subscriptions for more than 8 million mobile subscribers and is the subscription infrastructure for more than 4000 apps. Join Miguel Carranza, Co-founder and CTO to hear his top learnings on designing and scaling a high throughput API.   Full video: https://youtu.be/LOkTz0cvwS8   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

To celebrate 10 years of SaaStr, we're revisiting some classic podcast episodes. Up today: a 2016 interview with Harry Stebbings and Flexport Founder and CEO, Ryan Petersen. In October 2016, Flexport was a single-product company with a valuation of 300 million. Today, it's a multi-product platform valued at 8 billion.   Ryan discusses why NPS isn't just a customer measurement, and how empowering your employees makes for happier employees and customers.   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Looking to scale revenue, get funding from a VC or private equity firm to grow your business, or take your company public? Marketing plays a key role in making any of that happen. Noreen Allen will share tips from her experience at five different tech companies, which includes three IPOs, multiple fundraising rounds, and several M&A events. She'll walk you thru how to turn your marketing organization into a growth driver.   Full video: https://youtu.be/7I21W5NEFsY   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

To celebrate 10 years of SaaStr, we're revisiting some classic podcast episodes. Up today: Plaid co-founder and CEO, Zach Perret. This interview with CNBC's Ari Levy took place in February 2019, shortly after Plaid raised a Series C round at a $2.7B valuation. In 2021, Plaid raised their Series D at a $13.4B valuation.   Companies that have access to more accurate financial data have the ability to develop seamless exchanges of information, providing consumers with improved ways to manage their finances. But how do companies gain secure access to that data in the first place? Enter the platform company. Hear from Plaid co-founder and CEO, Zach Perret, as he walks through his lessons learned building Plaid and how it found itself at the center of the fintech ecosystem.   Full video: https://youtu.be/cUIahrKfOq0   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

The community industry is booming. Now, more than ever, companies are realizing the importance of community and the impact it can have on their businesses. Learn from a community professional with over 10 years of experience in building community for SaaS companies about what community is, who you build community for, why it's important, when to start, and how to kick things off.   Full video: https://youtu.be/CHV_GUO_FZw   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

People do not want to buy one-size-fits-all solutions. Rather, they are looking for something flexible and adaptable to their unique needs.  When marketing teams spend the bulk of their time completing manual tasks, data gets siloed, workflows break down, and leaders do not have the visibility they need to make customer-focused decisions. Airtable's CMO Archana Agrawal shares how marketers can tackle these challenges to develop solid marketing foundations for rapid customer acquisition and growth. She reveals how customer centricity, operational rigor, and data-driven strategies drove Airtable to scale and serve over 300,000 organizations, including 80% of the Fortune 100.   Full video: https://youtu.be/2aAT8-Omcqc   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Organizations need livable values that drive the business and employees. If appropriately discussed and embedded, a values playbook can be the hallmark of your organization and one of the most strategic tools founders and managers have.   Emery Wells, co-founder of Frame.io, discusses how to set results-driven company values and why it's essential to embed those values into every part of the employee lifecycle.   Full video: https://youtu.be/CwoHIZ16ess   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Doug's been an investor is so many of top SaaS companies, from Marketo to Calendly to Loom to Braze to Lattice. Today he's a general partner at one of the top growth-stage VC firms, Iconiq. He and Jason do a deep dive on where the venture markets really are today, and what it means for founders.   Key Takeaways: #1. VC remains open — at least for deals   #2. So many top, mid, and later-stage SaaS companies raised tons of capital in 2021, so much … that few really need to go back to market and raise again this year.   #3. VCs are taking more time, but more "back to normal" time Growth deals can still be done in 3-4 weeks, just not 1 week now.   #4. Not only is there is plenty of money in venture — but even more is coming. Top funds are continuing to raise huge funds.   #5. The biggest issue in venture today is just that founders haven't changed their expectations   #6. 2016 was tough, too.    #7.  Watch What the Big PE Firms like Vista, Thoma Bravo, etc. do in SaaS.  They know.   Full video: https://youtu.be/WehTJ4RNBaQ   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

From a remote-first company founded in 2005 to a $7B valuation in 2022, 1Password grew for 14 years through word-of-mouth marketing and a core focus on its customers. Today the company has grown to over 600 employees, serves over 100,000 businesses, and counts individual customers in the millions. The processes have changed and the teams have grown, but the core focus on customers remains. CEO Jeff Shiner and Board Advisor Carilu Dietrich will dive into the seven most meaningful tactics that have brought 1Password to this stage.   Full video: https://youtu.be/HpNsBsnafBo

Building a revenue marketing engine provides an invaluable asset to a company's growth by harnessing the combination of people, data, and instinct. The problem is most companies have fragmented go-to-market efforts that prevent them from seeing the power of connecting these dots. In this session, Tracy Kraft, VP of Global Revenue Marketing at Demandbase, will provide key considerations and a proven formula that go-to-market teams can use to establish, grow, and scale their revenue marketing strategies…and directly link it to company growth.   Full video: https://youtu.be/gosmIylk4AM   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

We know the secret to SaaS is technology that scales, but what about the people? Effective collaboration between go-to-market and R&D teams is critical, and it all starts with understanding how the other side operates. Product-led organizations are made up of "builders and sellers," two parts of your organization who inherently approach their work differently. To get the entire organization on the same page, a different playbook is required. From introducing more effective communication practices to finding shared purpose in disparate operating models, there are required shifts that need to be made at each stage of growth. In this talk, 20+ year SaaS entrepreneur and CircleCI CEO, Jim Rose, will share: Understanding what product-led growth really means and how to find harmony during rapid expansion How to build and use a data-driven engine to get R&D and GTM teams speaking the same language How to look for the key signals that drive critical decisions at various stages of growth   Full video: https://youtu.be/39NqdMTKUC8   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

After an impressive career in SaaS, SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin knows a thing or two about growing business in today's competitive climate. Boast.AI Co-Founder Lloyed Lobo recently interviewed Jason about his experience and advice for SaaS leaders, which included: Why being a serial entrepreneur in SaaS is a bad idea Why hiring VPS is critical to really growing your startup   This episode is an excerpt from Jason and Lloyed's discussion. You can see the full video here: https://youtu.be/RqgjBMlQ6ik   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Podium's EVP of Sales, Than Hancock shares his insights on how to maximize and grow your sales organizations for every stage of growth from seed round to global scale. He will be joined by Regional Sales Manager, Carlie Adams to discuss both the challenges and opportunities for setting up your sales organization for success, particularly during hyper growth.    Full video: https://youtu.be/MFB8X9mvFM8   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Managers often grapple with how to create and scale a global product team. Scaling a team isn't about increasing the size, rather it's about increasing the output of the teams and producing tangible value. For that reason, scaling teams require different leadership chains inside the company.   Poorvi Shrivastav, GM and VP of Products at HubSpot, shares her passion for team development and discusses her journey of leading cross-geographical product teams and revealing how to execute the scaling plan successfully.   Full video: https://youtu.be/jWCbO87OEgc   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Category creation involves dreaming up a new suite of products that can sell via traditional channels or methods. It's a process that demands more than a game-changing product, as it takes having the right talent on your team and a consistent vision that drives all aspects of your business.   Mark Ghermezian, the co-founder of Braze, takes us through his journey of reinventing a category and building Braze from an idea into a dominant player in the mobile lifecycle marketing space.   Full video: https://youtu.be/pVsmB8nhneE   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

What are the key product and organizational learnings from taking a company to $500 million in annual recurring revenue in just six years? Kiren Sekar joined Samsara's founding team as a CPO after working with the co-founders at their previous company, Meraki. Calling on more than twelve years of product work between Meraki and Samsara, Kiren shares valuable and actionable insights on innovating in underserved markets. Full video: https://youtu.be/3ZrNFs4uQfA Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/from-0-to-500-million-arr-in-6-years-learnings-from-innovating-in-underserved-markets-with-samsara-cpo-kiren-sekar-pod-549-video/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Every sales leader struggles to retain their talent - especially in today's employee market. In this session, Alice Katwan, Twilio's SVP and GM of North America Sales, will reveal her strategies for building a high-performing sales team that sticks around for the long haul. If you are spending too many cycles recruiting, onboarding, and worrying about retaining your top sales reps — this session is for you. Full video: https://youtu.be/iKhWflFcU-U Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/how-to-build-a-super-high-retention-sales-team-with-twilio-svp-gm-of-north-america-sales-alice-katwan/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Spenser Skates is the CEO of Amplitude, one of the leading customer analytics services for enterprises and product makers. But getting customers like Twitter, Instacart, Match, and IBM didn't happen overnight. Spenser lays out the mistakes young companies will often make as they grow, and how he positioned Amplitude for growth and success. He found these lessons essential for founders to learn on their way to $100 million ARR and beyond. In this episode, Spencer discusses: * Focusing on the product and expansion * Taking your company public This is the second half of Spenser's session from 2022 SaaStr Build. You can find the first half in Episode 546 here: https://sites.libsyn.com/77527/saastr-546-the-secrets-to-going-big-going-multi-product-and-going-public-with-amplitude-ceo-spenser-skates-part-1 Full video: https://youtu.be/2UPMCcC3OHQ Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Spenser Skates is the CEO of Amplitude, one of the leading customer analytics services for enterprises and product makers. But getting customers like Twitter, Instacart, Match, and IBM didn't happen overnight. Spenser lays out the mistakes young companies will often make as they grow, and how he positioned Amplitude for growth and success. He found these lessons essential for founders to learn on their way to $100 million ARR and beyond. In this episode, Spenser will discuss laying the right foundation for long-term success: * Find the right product-market fit * Build the best founding team for growth * Hire a team of people more talented than you * Surround yourself with a well-rounded board of advisors Full video: https://youtu.be/2UPMCcC3OHQ Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Carly Brantz scaled marketing at SendGrid to grow company revenue from $5M to $200M. Now as DigitalOcean CMO, she's focused on marketing to its developer and startup audiences and helping them on their growth journeys. Carly will share lessons learned as a marketing leader – and how simplicity, community, credibility and happiness – provide a powerful platform for growth. SaaStr GM & SVP, Marketing Amelia Ibarra joins Carly for the discussion. Full video: https://youtu.be/Qu6wr3u2-yU Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Being a product leader is different at every company, and learning to lead at every company can widely vary. After leading product teams at Twitter, Oculus, and Robinhood, and working with companies of all sizes at McKinsey, TechStars, and now as an investor — here's exactly how Madhu approaches his first 90 days on the job as CPO at Notion, step-by-step. He'll walk through foundations, learnings, and challenges, pulling insights and experiences from the top product leaders in software. This episode is an abbreviated version of Madhu's session at SaaStr Build. You can see the full video here: https://youtu.be/kxgox905lho Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/people-process-and-product-a-product-leaders-first-90-days-with-notion-cpo-madhu-muthukumar-pod-544-video/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin sits down with Raise Commercial Real Estate CEO Justin Bedecarre and Head of Raise's New York office, Jamie Katcher, to discuss the future of work. Raise.Work is a leader in planning, leasing, and sourcing tech real estate spaces. Full video: https://youtu.be/0MnlhVXUo3Q Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

The SaaS world is competitive, and standing out in a highly saturated market takes remarkable hard work and skill. However, the companies that adapt and create transformational change tend to survive. COO Anu Bharadwaj's years of experience at Atlassian have shaped her outlook on how to thrive in the market.  In this session, Boast.AI Co-Founder Lloyed Lobo interviews Bharadwaj as she shares Atlassian's five building blocks to win. This podcast is an excerpt of the full interview, which you can find here: https://youtu.be/zQCdwoT7Kak Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Sam Blond, Chief Revenue Officer at Brex, shares how to set and hit revenue targets for your sales team, when to adjust, and how to structure and hire your team around your sales KPIs and goals.  Video: https://youtu.be/NXKvxb1AoPU Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/how-to-set-and-hit-revenue-targets-with-brex-cro-sam-blond-pod-541-video/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin, shares the top 15 ways to help the sales team close more right now, this year -- with the same number of leads you already have!! Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/can-help-sales-team/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Customer feedback is an essential road map to guide a company toward success. When you have a customer-centric culture, your business has a greater chance of growing and thriving. But how can businesses create spaces for customers to engage in productive dialogue?  Mapistry sought out feedback about its direction by organizing a Customer Advisory Board (CAB). Mapistry received commendations for the process from participants of its CAB—executives and practitioners from diverse industries. Maya Colato, Vice President of Customer Experience at Mapistry, outlines how you can build a successful Customer Advisory Board.  Full video: https://youtu.be/OfjP01RmuvQ Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/building-a-successful-customer-advisory-board-in-the-enterprise-with-mapistrys-vp-of-customer-experience-maya-colato/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

OpenPhone and AgentSync are two SaaS businesses with very different growth strategies, but the same ultimate goal: to continue selling while simultaneously problem-solving for current customers. They are a perfect example of implementing a growth model, mastering it, and then expanding horizons into other growth strategies with strategic testing and experimenting. Contrary to the title of this article, the two brands prove that product-led growth is neither panacea nor boondoggle, but rather a winning strategy for the appropriate product when thoughtfully implemented. OpenPhone and AgentSync are two SaaS businesses with very different growth strategies, but the same ultimate goal: to continue selling while simultaneously problem-solving for current customers. They are a perfect example of implementing a growth model, mastering it, and then expanding horizons into other growth strategies with strategic testing and experimenting. Contrary to the title of this article, the two brands prove that product-led growth is neither panacea nor boondoggle, but rather a winning strategy for the appropriate product when thoughtfully implemented. Jenn Knight, Co-founder and CTO of AgentSync, and Daryna Kulya, Co-founder of OpenPhone, discuss how different approaches have helped each brand reach its target audience and accomplish its goals, the potential of product-led growth, and how to scale growth strategies to yield desirable results. Session moderated by Craft Ventures Partner & COO Brian Murray, discuss how different approaches have helped each brand reach its target audience and accomplish its goals, the potential of product-led growth, and how to scale growth strategies to yield desirable results. Session moderated by Craft Ventures Partner & COO Brian Murray.     Full video: https://youtu.be/L4oRfut9ufI Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

What do you remember about your experience in the workplace prior to 2020? Is it the moments of collaborative synergy and collective achievements? Is it the feeling of solving complex problems and hitting milestones with your team? Perhaps it's the joy of closing deals and celebrating with your colleagues? It's been more than two years since the pandemic interrupted our daily work life, and companies are taking stock and preparing for a return to the workplace. How can company leadership retain these important experiences of collaboration in the workplace and pair them with the opportunity and flexibility we've discovered since working remotely? Raise CEO and co-founder, Justin Bedecarre, and president, Felipe Gomez-Kraus, discuss how SaaS companies can build successful hybrid workplaces that are empathetic while incentivizing their team to return to the office. Full video: https://youtu.be/ohe10zViLdw   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Reaching the first billion is a milestone for every SaaS company, so what's the best way to get there? During his SaaStr Annual presentation, Tom Clayton, CRO of Bill.com shared his insights and advice for growing revenue streams to maximize business success.    Video: https://youtu.be/AY5NFn1CSVo Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/the-path-to-a-billion-dollars-how-to-create-multi-revenue-streams-with-bill-com-cro-tom-clayton-pod-536-video/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

All high-growth startups reach a point in scaling their business when their processes and operations start to inhibit their growth. From SendGrid to DigitalOcean, Yancey Spruill is the person these startups brought in when they were ready to graduate to the big leagues. In his presentation, Yancey will discuss the most common mistakes startup founders make and how to overcome hurdles at different stages of growth. Full video: https://youtu.be/MD_wD5hp7r0 Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/hacks-for-founders-of-high-growth-startups-with-digitaloceans-ceo-yancey-spruill/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Panelists: Katrina Wong, VP Marketing and Demand Generation Segment Asawari Samant, Head of Marketing, Anyscale Jeffrey Yoshimura, CMO and Customer Experience Officer, Snyk Three marketing leaders discuss the importance of community, data, and experimentation, as well as the do's and don'ts of using agencies. This episode is an abbreviated version of the session. You can see the full session here: https://youtu.be/7wucuUQSQvQ Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/marketing-secrets-to-hypergrowth-from-building-elastic-zuora-and-segment/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

In this episode, Marilee Bear, SVP North America Enterprise Sales at Zendesk sits down with SaaStr's own VP of Sales, Bryan Elsesser, to talk about the best practices to deploy in motivating and organizing your sales team in Q1.

Talent Acquisition to Talent Access: Building a winning culture with a workforce that is 75% freelancers Upwork CEO Hayden Brown addresses common myths around working with freelancers, such as, "Freelancers aren't reliable," and, "I can't build my company culture with freelancers." She'll share how Upwork has scaled by including freelancers in every part of the company and treating them as part of the team rather than outsiders, and how it can benefit every company to have access to the talent it needs, when it needs it, regardless of geography or business ebbs and flows.   Full video: https://youtu.be/APgXDu37UIk Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/the-secrets-to-scaling-a-public-company-with-a-75-freelancer-workforce-with-upworks-ceo-hayden-brown-pod-532-video/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Joe will share four case studies of companies that have achieved transformational growth using asynchronous communication. You'll hear how they've rebuilt sales processes, won talent wars, delivered best-in-class products, and fully reimagined the employee experience. He'll also highlight the work principles fueling these initiatives and the opportunities ahead for companies that employ them across their teams.   Full video: https://youtu.be/OAxJvk04JKU Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/4-ways-to-get-to-10-billion-by-working-async-without-burning-out-with-loom-ceo-joe-thomas-pod-531-video/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin, shares the top 20 PLG (product-led growth), Self-Serve, Free, and Freemium lessons we can learn from everyone from Asana to Slack, Monday to Zoom, and Shopify to Squarespace.

SaaS is evolving rapidly. In many ways, we are witnessing the equivalent of the Cambrian Explosion in terms of the number of SaaS companies created each month. And these startups look different than their predecessors. Trends like vertical SaaS, Product-led Growth, and payment make the industry almost unrecognizable compared to the era of the SaaS pioneers more than a decade ago. Yet many companies are still adopting Customer Success practices - like fixed size-based segmentation and activity-based "check-ins" - that were created in the 2010s. Modern cloud businesses are rethinking Customer Success in many ways. They are looking at it as a growth engine, shifting focus from purely looking at churn to increasingly emphasizing Net Dollar Retention. They are recognizing the need for CSMs, in some cases, to be deeply technical. And they are, particularly in Product-led Growth companies, integrating Sales and CS motions and organizations tightly together. In this talk, Gainsight CEO Nick Mehta will cover 10 best practices that represent the cutting edge of Customer Success. Check it out to save your company from becoming a SaaS dinosaur.   Full video: https://youtu.be/PzCnKSL2kx8 Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/10-things-changing-now-in-the-world-of-customer-success-with-gainsight-ceo-nick-mehta-pod-529-video/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Postman CEO Abhinav Asthana shares how community, product, data can power marketing, customer success, and sales are the key elements for the next generation of SaaS software leaders.   Full video here: https://youtu.be/jK8trhy5i-k Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/building-a-5-6b-company-with-a-product-led-flywheel-with-postmans-ceo-abhinav-asthana-pod-528-video/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

A crucial part of any business model is customer acquisition. In order for a company to optimize their customer base, data must be intrinsic to their strategy. Join Gorgias CEO Romain Lapeyre as he discusses how the company acquired 10,000 SMB customers from just data alone. Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software.   Video: https://youtu.be/5OJZM-uH4uE Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/acquiring-10000-smb-customers-solely-from-data-with-gorgias-ceo-romain-lapeyre-pod-527-video/   Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

The biggest challenge in building a data infrastructure company over the next decade will be to redefine strategies for awareness, activation, user-centricity, and growth. While all of this is possible in theory, building categories with staying power in the age of the public cloud remains a lofty goal. Emil Eifrem, CEO and co-founder of Neo4j, will discuss the blueprint that's emerging and some of the lessons he's learned after launching Neo4j Aura, the company's fully-managed graph database as a service.     Video: https://youtu.be/6vay3Ny3o0M Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/modern-infrastructure-companies-in-the-cloud-lessons-learned-building-a-2-billion-database-company-from-scratch-with-neo4js-ceo-emil-eifrem/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Marketing isn't one size fits all, particularly at a hyper-growth company. In this session, Kady Srinivasan, SVP, Global Head of Marketing at marketing automation unicorn, Klaviyo, will pull from her 20+ years of experience and share actionable tips on how you can scale your team, your campaigns and more. Full video: https://youtu.be/s4WZcgL5fc0 Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/6-steps-to-managing-marketing-hyper-growth-at-scale-with-klayvio-global-head-of-marketing-kady-srinivasan-pod-525-and-video/ Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

The world of product-led growth is a highly dynamic space. Join this session with Calendly CMO Patrick Moran and Head of Marketing Growth & Demand Gen Garrett Scott to learn more about these changes and how they are reflected in Calendly's evolution as a SaaS company. Full video: https://youtu.be/ey9aiYOupSg Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/whats-changed-in-product-led-growth-with-calendly-cmo-patrick-moran/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

We've talked a lot on SaaStr about how to hire a Great VP of Sales. And we'll keep talking about it — so long as 70% of first-time VPs of Sales don't make it 1 year. In this episode of the SaaStr podcast, SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin, shares his best advice for all first-time VPs coming into a SaaS startup.    Video: https://youtu.be/_gWZxKwV44w Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/how-not-to-fail-as-a-first-time-vp-of-sales/

When you think of scaling up, many things may come to mind, like hiring, culture, marketing, and sales. But what are the essentials of scaling up, and how do you navigate obstacles along the way to function as a high-impact organization? Cathy Gao, Partner at Sapphire Ventures, and Anoushka Vaswani, Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, moderated a panel with Carlos Delatorre, CRO at TripActions, and Latané Conant, CMO at 6sense to discuss how you can scale your startup from $20 million ARR to $200 million ARR through go-to-market execution, talent, and culture.

Driving peak sales performance is a mission most SaaS companies strive to accomplish. Yet, sales team targets are often set extremely high, with management expecting their teams to miss. This might bring success for the company, but it leads to negative experiences for the sales rep, and your teams may ultimately fail to perform to their fullest potential. Hootsuite CRO Melissa Murray Bailey shares secrets to running a successful SaaS sales team and reducing employee turnover.    Video: https://youtu.be/wl1Qx4KHqMo Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/how-to-create-a-high-performing-saas-sales-organization-with-hootsuite-cro-melissa-murray-bailey-pod-521-video/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Every high-growth organization inevitably reaches the point of pivoting its strategy and offerings to capture new audiences—a journey made more complex with the new demands emerging this past year. In this session, Dorian Stone will share lessons learned from Grammarly's evolution from consumer to SMB to enterprise, address common assumptions and pitfalls in the process of scaling, and reveal must-know strategies to drive efficient growth this year and beyond.

Vimeo went public in May as an $8 billion powerhouse in video software. Better known as the indie version of YouTube for more than a decade, the company has redefined itself from a B2C destination to the B2B solution that empowers any business to create, collaborate and connect with professional-quality video. Join Vimeo CEO Anjali Sud for a conversation with Brent Thill, Financial Analyst @ Jefferies about spotting potential in what is now a $70 billion market, and how operating as a founder within a 16-year old company helped her take bets on a strategy that's paying off.   Full video: https://youtu.be/9JgkbS4FgjQ Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/from-b2c-to-billions-how-vimeo-executed-a-b2b-pivot-that-redefined-their-future-with-vimeo-ceo-anjali-sud/   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Building out a marketing channel is like building product. It takes countless iterations and constant market feedback to get right. This session will introduce tactics on how to slowly and methodically test, assess success, and eventually scale a marketing channel until it hits a ceiling and it's time to move to the next one.

When sales teams succeed, the company succeeds. Revenue goes up, productivity increases, and ideally, the team continues to grow. But running a high-performing sales team isn't an easy task. How can you ensure success within your sales organization in a way that scales with you? Heather Akuiyibo, VP of Sales at Databricks, shares her four adaptable frameworks for high-performing sales teams and how those frameworks helped Databricks' sales teams succeed. Full video: https://youtu.be/9tn-I4f9Va4

Zach joined Canva in 2013 as one of Canva's earliest employees and has worked across product management, communications and human resources before establishing the global marketing function. Eight years later 50 million people are now using Canva every month and the company recently approached $1 Billion in Revenue. In this podcast, Zach and Jason dive into the initial growth marketing strategies and framework behind Canva's exponential growth as a start-up, the strategies for targeting and growing into the enterprise, and how to build out a global marketing function.   Full video: https://youtu.be/CEoam_9sHt0 Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/lessons-learned-scaling-canva-to-1-billion-with-zach-kitschke/

No one word strikes more terror in the heart of product-, engineering-, or even sales-oriented founders and CEOs than "marketing." How to understand marketing? How to drive marketing? How to measure marketing? What to look for in a marketing leader? In this session, we'll talk about how CEOs (and other startup execs) should think about, charter, direct, and support marketing. Full video: https://youtu.be/ggUwcE600xU Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/a-ceos-guide-to-marketing-with-dave-kellogg-five-things-every-founder-should-know-podcast-515-and-video/ Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Learn more about Box's journey to reaccelerate growth and march toward $1B in SaaS ARR, and their CRO's lessons learned along the way. Full video: https://youtu.be/RQ6gom-lLxE Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/reaccelerating-growth-at-scale-with-boxs-cro-mark-wayland-podcast-514-video/ Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the 🌎largest community for B2B software. Subscribe for weekly updates: https://www.saastr.com/subscribeform Twitter: https://twitter.com/saastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2724976 Quora Group: https://www.quora.com/q/cloud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaStr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saastr/ Our North American Event: https://bit.ly/2OXeAYh Our European Event: https://bit.ly/2OZTad8

Amy Appleyard, SVP Global Sales @ Malwarebytes, Michelle Benfer, VP, Head of North America Sales @ HubSpot Tony Benvenuto, SVP of Sales West @ Seismic, and Anna Baird, CRO @ Outreach share lessons learned when scaling their sales teams, the importance of BDRs, key hires and when to prioritize them, and more.

GitLab started as an open-source project that expanded into a public company with a buyer-based open-core business model. With over 300+ code contributions per month, innovating with the wider community is key to accelerating development efforts. Join GitLab CEO, Sid Sijbrandij, as he discusses GitLab's journey, choosing the right business model that balances high revenue potential and community contributions, and co-creating the product with the wider community to deliver safer software faster.

In today's SaaStr podcast, SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin shares 5 interesting learnings from Samsara at $500M ARR, growing 72% year-over-year. Video and episode notes: https://www.saastr.com/5-interesting-learnings-from-samsara-at-500000000-in-arr/

Over the past ten years, Zapier has grown from a weekend side project to global unicorn, serving millions of small and medium businesses around the world. But Zapier isn't your typical startup story and their roots aren't in Silicon Valley. Come hear what Zapier's early employees learned from building the foundation of one of today's most successful startups.

Many start-ups today start with an amazing Product Led Growth (PLG) engine that hasn't required an outbound sales and marketing motion. As amazing as this is, if your company wants to move into the mid-market or enterprise business, you're going to have to build and hire a Sales team, and expand the capabilities of your Marketing function. How can you add this GTM motion effectively, without cannibalizing your existing business? How do you balance the two for the right target markets and audiences? Product-market fit, pricing, packaging, messaging, strategic investments, culture, evangelism all play a critical part and will change as soon as you add this team. Hear from the CMOs of top tech companies on they helped Freshworks, Twilio, Salesforce, 1Password, Atlassian, Litmus, CircleCi, Coda and many others have faced this challenge and led their companies through this successful transition. Stacey Epstein, CMO @ Freshworks Sara Varni Bright, CMO @ Twilio Carilu Dietrich, Fractional CMO @ 1Password Viviana Faga, General Partner @ Coda

Pricing can kill your product, or make it soar. To start with, create pricing tiers and make pricing easy and convenient for your customers. Beyond that, the decisions are difficult, such as usage-based vs. predictable pricing. In this presentation, we discuss the key principles of pricing and app or online service, showing the pros and cons of your choices. Blog post & video: https://www.saastr.com/picking-the-perfect-pricing-model-that-fits-your-app-with-hackerone-ceo-marten-mickos-podcast-508-and-video/

When is the best time to find your next gear of growth? Now. Whether you are growing rapidly or seeing growth start to slow, this talk will share proven ways to accelerate. Karen Peacock, CEO of Intercom and former SVP of Small Business at Intuit, will discuss how putting customers at the forefront of your business is the key to hitting that next level. She'll cover how to segment your customer base and analyze the health of each part as input to strategy, design and package your product based on value and build highly contextual and personalized customer experiences that lead to happy customers, retention, expansion, and growth.   Karen will share stories based on her experience at Intuit building one of the world's largest SaaS product lines from $500M to $2.5B and in her current role leading Intercom's high growth on the path to IPO. Blog post & video: https://www.saastr.com/shifting-to-the-next-gear-proven-strategies-to-accelerate-growth-with-intercom/

Treasure Data was founded as a big data platform company, but struggled to compete against larger tech companies. After pivoting to a more vertical solution (CDP - Customer Data Platform), revenue growth accelerated, going from $20m to $100m in 3 years. Kazuki will share the struggles and decisions a part of pivoting the company. Blog post & video: https://www.saastr.com/100-million-arr-pivot-with-treasure-data-ceo-kazuki-ohta/

A lot of startups and SaaS companies that build a business around an open source technology struggle to commercialize in a way that is both profitable and scalable, while also supporting the open source community that is so critical to innovation. Join Ali Ghodsi, CEO and Co-Founder of Databricks and Nithya Ruff, Head of Open Source at Comcast and Chair of The Linux Foundation Board, who are both open source thought leaders, for a fireside discussion about the value open source software has delivered for enterprises and their perspectives on the current state of the open source landscape. Blog post & video: https://www.saastr.com/the-future-of-ai-open-source-databricks-ceo-ali-ghodsi/

In this episode, Bryan Smith, Co-Founder at Leon Health sits down with SaaStr's own VP of Sales, Bryan Elsesser, to talk about the best techniques to overcome Q4 and end-of-year stress in sales teams.

Gone are the days of Sales and Marketing building their own tech fiefdoms. In this podcast, Sydney Sloan, CMO at SalesLoft shares a holistic approach to adding technology that powers your revenue engine and shares examples of tech stacks, best practices, and org designs from successful companies at different growth stages. Blog post and video: https://www.saastr.com/the-revtech-stack-playbook-going-from-1m-to-100m-with-salesloft/

There are countless ways for founders to learn how to build strong teams, strengthen go-to-market processes, and focus on growth and customer success. But a topic that's becoming more important, especially after such a challenging year, is founder well-being. Shopify President Harley Finkelstein shares insight on how successful entrepreneurs approach personal change, coaching, and ongoing development to achieve work-life harmony. Harley will be joined by Felicis founder and Managing Partner Aydin Senkut and Felicis' Head of Founder Success Dasha Maggio. They will discuss what founders should ask for and how focusing on personal development can lead to stronger teams and better outcomes for the business. Blog post and video: https://www.saastr.com/why-founders-should-prioritize-personal-development-with-shopify/

The state of software buying has changed. SaaS spending dipped in the first half of 2020 but has since accelerated and increased as we reach the end of 2021. Amanda Malko, CMO at G2, shares a fascinating look at the data that reveals shifting patterns in the way consumers purchase software. Blog post & video: https://www.saastr.com/the-state-of-software-buying-from-smb-to-enterprise-with-g2s-cmo/

We're celebrating episode 500 of the SaaStr Podcast! Our SaaStr 'OG' podcaster, Harry Stebbings, Founder of The 20 Minute VC and, Jason Lemkin, SaaStr CEO and Founder discuss the future of the markets and how to build a successful SaaS sales team from the ground up.  Blog post & video: https://www.saastr.com/how-to-scale-saas-sales-team-with-harry-stebbings-jason-lemkin/ Sponsors: https://shortcut.com/saastr https://www.litmus.com/saastr https://flatfile.com/saastr/

In this episode, Mark Jung, VP Marketing at Dooly, and Zoë Hartsfield, Community Manager at Dooly, sit down with SaaStr's own VP of Sales, Bryan Elsesser, to talk about best practices for brand re-launches and the cutting edge techniques for an impactful live event strategy.  Blog post & video: https://www.saastr.com/saas-live-event-strategy-dooly/ Sponsors: https://calendly.com/ https://www.invoca.com/ https://stripe.com/ https://www.ontheclock.com/

Mark Roberge is the Managing Director at Stage 2 Capital, Sr. Lecturer at Harvard Business School, and author of the bestselling book, The Sales Acceleration Formula. In this podcast, he'll outline some of the most common SaaS sales potholes when scaling from $0 to $100 million and how to avoid them. Blog post & video: https://www.saastr.com/the-most-common-saas-sales-potholes-and-how-to-avoid-them-with-mark-roberge-podcast-498-and-video/ Sponsors: https://shortcut.com/saastr https://www.litmus.com/saastr https://flatfile.com/saastr/

Featuring 3 prominent Founders - from Calendly, Coda and LaunchDarkly - that have achieved scale, at "Founder Confidential" you will hear about the highs and lows of fundraising, working with a VC board, and real talk about what it really is like to be a true Founder. Moderator: Lloyed Lobo, Co-Founder, Boast.AI Panelists: Shishir Mehrotra, Cofounder and CEO, Coda Edith Harbaugh, Cofounder and CEO, LaunchDarkly David Barrett, Founder and CEO, Expensify Jason Lemkin, Founder and CEO, SaaStr Blog post and video: https://www.saastr.com/founder-confidential-saas-fundraising-expensify-launchdarkly-coda-boast-saastr/ Sponsors: https://www.invoca.com/ https://stripe.com/ https://www.ontheclock.com/

In today's SaaStr podcast, we present the Cutting Edge. Where SaaStr's own VP of Sales, Bryan Elsesser sits down with the best revenue leaders in SaaS to share cutting-edge tactics and strategies. In this episode, Doug Landis, Growth Partner at Emergence Capital talks about the art of business conversations and how your customers should inform your go-to-market messaging.  Blog post and video: https://www.saastr.com/business-conversations-doug-landis-emergence-capital/ Sponsors: https://shortcut.com/saastr https://www.litmus.com/saastr https://calendly.com/ https://flatfile.com/saastr/

In this podcast, Aaron Levie, CEO, and Co-founder of Box will discuss "what's next in hybrid work," leading through a dynamic economy, the lessons learned from 2020, what technology needs to exist to bridge the gap between in-person and virtual, and what the office will look like whenever we return. Blog post and video: https://www.saastr.com/the-secrets-behind-creating-scalable-products-with-boxs-ceo-aaron-levie/ Sponsors: https://www.invoca.com/ https://stripe.com/ https://www.ontheclock.com/

Reaching unicorn status is goal #1 for many startups. In this podcast, Tope Awotona, CEO at Calendly, Bernadette Nixon, CEO at Algolia, Steve Sloan, CEO at Contentful and by Casey Renner, Partner at OpenView discuss how high-growth companies can strive for profitability while growing responsibly to reach unicorn status. Blog post and video: https://www.saastr.com/demystifying-the-unicorn-buzz-with-the-ceos-of-calendly-algolia-and-contentful/ Sponsors: https://shortcut.com/saastr https://www.litmus.com/saastr https://flatfile.com/saastr/

Jack Ryan, Sr. Partner Manager @ SaaStr, and Bryan Elsesser, VP Sales @ SaaStr talk about Jack's incredible journey from being completely paralyzed to climbing Mt. Whitney and sourcing over $1M in revenue for SaaStr. Full video: https://youtu.be/c3-Kzs81uD0 Sponsors: https://www.invoca.com/ https://stripe.com/ https://www.ontheclock.com/

As Marqeta's CMO, Vidya Peters drives marketing strategy and execution including brand, PR, corporate marketing, product marketing, events, and demand generation. Prior to joining, Vidya ran marketing for MuleSoft where she helped scale the business from pre-IPO to one of the most successful and fastest-growing public enterprise software companies and later one of the most significant enterprise acquisitions. In this podcast, learn why intent is the new lead and Vidya's hard-earned marketing lessons from Marqeta and Mulesoft.   Sponsors: https://shortcut.com/saastr https://www.litmus.com/saastr https://flatfile.com/saastr/

You're the founder of a nicely growing SaaS startup that has just raised a Series A, Series B, or Series C funding round. You need to hire rapidly to seize the opportunity. But how much should you hire, what roles should you hire, and what should the org chart look like when you're done?  David Sacks, co-founder and general partner at Craft will share what works from the 20 unicorns he's invested in, including AirBnB, Bird, ClickUp, Eventbrite, Facebook, Houzz, Lyft, OpenDoor, Palantir, Postmates, Reddit, Slack, SpaceX, Twitter, Uber, and Wish. Blog post and video: https://www.saastr.com/the-saas-org-chart-by-series-with-david-sacks/ Sponsors: https://shortcut.com/saastr https://www.litmus.com/saastr https://www.ontheclock.com/

Product-led scaling isn't about growth hacking. Scaling 10X is really hard…no matter if you are starting at $1M, $10M, $100M or $1B ARR. Join Dropbox GM, Rachel Wolan, as she shares hard-earned, practical lessons learned through product-led scaling at Dropbox, LiveRamp, and Talkdesk. Blog post and video: https://www.saastr.com/beyond-product-led-growth-7-lessons-learned-in-product-led-scaling-podcast-490-and-video/ Sponsors: https://www.invoca.com/ https://stripe.com/ https://www.ontheclock.com/

In today's SaaStr podcast, we present the Cutting Edge. Where SaaStr's own VP of Sales, Bryan Elsesser sits down with the best revenue leaders in SaaS to share cutting-edge tactics and strategies. In this episode, Abby Hammer, Chief Customer Officer and Head of Product at ChurnZero talks about what it takes to build a genuinely authentic and customer-centric support team.   Sponsors: https://shortcut.com/saastr https://www.litmus.com/saastr https://www.ontheclock.com/

Michael Seibel has spent the last eight years advising thousands of startups at Y Combinator. In this podcast, he'll talk about the advice that he's found to be most transformative for startups. Blog post and video: https://www.saastr.com/the-essential-startup-advice-for-founders-with-y-combinators-michael-seibel-podcast-488-and-video/   Sponsors: https://www.invoca.com/ https://stripe.com/ https://www.ontheclock.com/

At the heart of product-led growth is the user. And in this podcast, Olivia Nottebohm, CRO of Notion ($10B valuation), will delve into the more complex aspects of product-led growth, and why they're essential for building a successful business that will thrive for years to come. Blog post and video: https://www.saastr.com/how-community-led-growth-drives-product-led-growth/ Sponsors: https://shortcut.com/saastr https://www.litmus.com/saastr https://www.ontheclock.com/

In today's SaaStr podcast, we present the Cutting Edge. Where SaaStr's own VP of Sales, Bryan Elsesser sits down with the best revenue leaders in SaaS to share cutting-edge tactics and strategies. In this episode, Amy Frampton, Head of Marketing at BambooHR shares high-impact best practices for scaling SDR teams.     Sponsors: https://www.invoca.com/ https://stripe.com/ https://www.ontheclock.com/

PagerDuty's CEO, Jennifer Tejada, and Sameer Dholakia, former CEO of SendGrid and current PagerDuty Board Member share what fellow founders can learn from PagerDuty's post-IPO reality, and the realities of operating as a public company, two years later.  Blog post and video: https://www.saastr.com/hyperscaling-post-ipo-with-pagerdutys-ceo-jennifer-tejada-podcast-485/   Sponsors: https://shortcut.com/saastr https://www.litmus.com/saastr/ https://www.ontheclock.com/

BVP partners Byron Deeter, Mary D'Onofrio, and Elliott Robinson share a state of the cloud economy, tactical lessons and case studies for early-stage founders, private market analysis, alongside key predictions and trends driving innovation in SaaS around the globe.  Full video: https://youtu.be/HZDOQAGW6-E Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/the-state-of-the-cloud-2021-how-to-build-a-cloud-unicorn-with-bessemer-venture-partners-podcast-484-and-video/   Sponsors: https://www.invoca.com/ https://stripe.com/ https://www.ontheclock.com/

In this episode of the SaaStr podcast, SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin, sits down will Bill.com CEO, René Lacerte. Bill.com has become an SMB powerhouse, with 120,000+ customers and a stunning $25B+ market cap.  All while selling at a $2k ACV! Video + blog post: https://www.saastr.com/10-learnings-from-rene-lacerte-ceo-of-bill-com/ Sponsors: https://terminus.com/ https://checkr.com/

A great deep dive on Vimeo at $330m+ in ARR, and especially, on how they do self-serve and enterprise at the same time with their CEO Jason Lemkin. Blog post: https://www.saastr.com/10-learnings-from-anjali-sud-ceo-of-vimeo/

As companies grow while sharing a single, common SaaS infrastructure, their security, reliability, and integration needs evolve. In this podcast, Asana's Head of Engineering, Prashant Pandey, will outline how to advance your infrastructure to support and grow with your largest customers, including tips on how to: - Earn enterprise trust with robust infrastructure - Give admins control over product usage - Build data isolation into your architecture and - Support customers by interconnecting their data

The financial services industry – banking, lending, insurance – has long benefited from deep competitive moats that limited competition and stifled innovation. Now with digital finance, innovation is occurring at lightning speed. New developments are popping up so quickly that it's hard to keep track of what's out there, and what isn't. In this session, Eric Sager, COO of Plaid will make clear what digital finance has enabled thus far, and what else is to come. Blog post + video: https://www.saastr.com/non-obvious-observations-about-the-future-of-fintech-with-plaid-coo-podcast-480-and-video/

Enterprise players are not born overnight, and the march upmarket cannot come at the cost of the customers that helped get you there. Zendesk's ability to balance Enterprise customer needs with SMBs has allowed it to thrive and become one of the very few SaaS companies to exceed $1B in annual revenue. In this podcast, Adrian McDermott, Zendesk's Chief Technology Officer, will explore the importance of balance in pursuing fast, sustainable growth.  Full video: https://youtu.be/XQe6KI5aebc

Over the last decade, Square has introduced a variety of new hardware, software, and financial services offerings targeted at businesses of all sizes -- and yet, many still think of Square as only serving farmer markets and local coffee shops. In this session, you'll hear from Square's Global Head of Sales, Ashley Grech, on the challenges and learnings of Square's work to move upmarket and serve multiple customer segments at once. Video + show notes: https://www.saastr.com/moving-upmarket-and-serving-multiple-segments-with-square-global-head-of-sales-saastr-podcast-478-and-video/

In today's SaaStr Insider episode, SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin shares the Top 10 Interview Questions to Ask VP of Marketing Candidates Video + show notes: https://www.saastr.com/top-10-questions-to-ask-a-vp-of-marketing-in-an-interview/

Recently, Vidya ran both the marketing and revenue functions for Marqeta, during a critical time as the company prepped for an IPO. This podcast will discuss the nuances of building a cohesive marketing and revenue strategy and share advice for other organizations seeking to align these functions during a critical time of growth for their companies. Video + show notes: https://www.saastr.com/secrets-to-aligning-marketing-revenue-strategy-with-marqeta-cmo-saastr-podcast-476-and-video/

The role of Chief Customer Officer only continues to rise and become an integral role for scaling in the Cloud. As HubSpot's first Chief Customer Officer, and now CEO, Yamini Rangan shares her top lessons for focusing on the Enterprise customer experience and the different approaches required for the Enterprise customer journey. Video + show notes: https://www.saastr.com/3-ceo-lessons-in-scaling-enterprise-cx-with-hubspots-ceo-saastr-podcast-475-and-video/

In today's SaaStr Insider episode, SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin shares 10 ways to build a moat in SaaS. Video + show notes: https://www.saastr.com/whats-your-moat/

Chime wasn't the first digital bank, but it has become the largest one in the United States. In this episode, hear from Chris Britt, co-founder, and CEO, about Chime's journey in a highly competitive market and what it took to win. Video + show notes: https://www.saastr.com/ringing-the-bell-on-competition-with-chime-ceo-chris-britt-and-satya-patel-homebrew/

In just 5 years, TripActions has grown to be a leader in the travel management space. Michael Sindicich, GM of TripActions Liquid, a new expense management platform, that serves companies including Lyft, Toast, and Zoom will explore sales tips, tricks, and his lessons learned. Video + show notes: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-472-and-video-5-tips-to-reduce-the-enterprise-sales-cycle-with-tripactions/

A great deep dive on why the Cloud is on fire right now, and what it means for founders. Learn more at TheCloud100.com, a free digital event with the Top 100 private Cloud and SaaS companies on Aug 10!! Video + notes: https://www.saastr.com/25-of-the-cloud-100-is-growing-100-at-100m-arr-woah/

In today's digital age, product management and marketing need to have an integrated and collaborative relationship. In this podcast, hear from PagerDuty CPO, Sean Scott, and CMO, Julie Herendeen, on how PagerDuty has embraced a product-led growth model and the success they've seen since doing so. Video + show notes: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-470-and-video-how-product-marketing-should-work-together-with-pagerduty/

Everyone loves a unicorn, but how do you keep innovation alive past the start-up phase? Pushing past the awkward "teen years" and igniting the next wave of growth means rethinking your culture, organizational structure, and innovation investments. Join Workday's EVP of Product Pete Schlampp as he shares how he's accelerating product innovation on the hunt to $10B. Video + show notes: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-469-and-video-fueling-product-innovation-on-the-path-to-10-billion-with-workday/

In today's SaaStr podcast, we present the Cutting Edge. Where SaaStr's own VP of Sales, Bryan Elsesser sits down with the best revenue leaders in SaaS to share cutting-edge tactics and strategies. In this episode, Kevin Dorsey, VP of Inside Sales at PatientPop shares how to build trust in today's competitive market. Video + show notes: https://www.saastr.com/kevin-dorsey-patientpop-cutting-edge-sales/

As the SaaS landscape becomes more and more crowded, companies must improve retention, and adding analytics is the key. In this session, ThoughtSpot CEO Sudheesh Nair shares how embedding modern, consumer-grade analytics delights customers and drives revenue. Video + show notes: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-467-and-video-bottom-up-vs-top-down-selling-in-the-enterprise-with-thoughtspot/

In today's SaaStr insider episode, SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin Shares 11 Simple Tips To Drive Down Churn. Video + show notes: https://www.saastr.com/what-can-you-do-to-lower-your-customers-churn-rate/

The value of investing in technology has only been heightened throughout the past year. In this podcast, Okta CIO Alvina Antar and SurveyMonkey CIO Eric Johnson share how to best move your company forward and create new opportunities across the enterprise.

Hear from Elastic founder and CEO, Shay Banon, about his founder story and key takeaways he learned when growing Elastic from an open-source platform moderated from his living room to an $11B global enterprise.

20 years ago, Atlassian pioneered the direct-sales model in the B2B software space based on the belief that software should be bought, not sold. Join Cameron Deatsch, Atlassian's Chief Revenue Officer, in conversation about the challenges and benefits of building a flywheel powered by word of mouth and amplified by data-driven touchpoints.

At her last startup, which she founded and scaled from $0 to $50M ARR, Clara Shih experienced first-hand the pain of a customer support issue costing her business one of their largest customers. Now as the CEO of Salesforce Service Cloud, she has vowed to help other organizations avoid these same mistakes.

In part two of this series, Klaviyo CEO Andrew Bialecki discusses the nitty-gritty details of the journey from the company's origins to its incredible $9.5 billion valuation. Full video: https://youtu.be/zwzV0muXB64

What does success look like for SaaS founders? Whatever the answer is, it rarely happens overnight. Meet Klaviyo –– a heavyweight industry player in the next generation of eCommerce and customer communication. In this podcast, Klaviyo CEO Andrew Bialecki discusses the nitty-gritty details of the journey from the company's origins to its incredible $9.5 billion valuation. Full video + episode notes: https://www.saastr.com/klaviyo-ecommerce-ceo-andrew-bialecki/

Join ServiceNow's Chief Customer and Partner Officer, Lara Caimi, and VP of Strategic Operations for the Customer and Partner Organization, Aneesa Sayall, as they discuss how hitting the gas on how they deliver partners is fundamental to how ServiceNow scales to $10B and beyond. Video + show notes: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-459-and-video-the-role-of-partners-to-scaling-to-15-billion-with-servicenow/

Zig Serafin, CEO @ Qualtrics shares his lessons in scaling with Julia Laroche, Correspondent @ Yahoo Finance. Hear how Zig focuses on building the right team, simplifies organizational design, and scales from the ground up. Video and episode notes: https://www.saastr.com/qualtrics-ceo-zig-serafin-on-high-growth-and-scale/

In this episode, get ready to learn from Carilu Dietrich, Advisor at 1Password, Isabelle Papoulias, CMO of Mediafly and VP of Product Marketing and Demand Gen, Katrina Wong of Segment on both the importance and effective tactics in building the ideal customer profile. Episode notes: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-457-and-video-building-your-ideal-customer-profile/ Full video: https://youtu.be/7dsouVBpYr8

In today's SaaStr podcast, SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin shares 5 interesting learnings from ServiceNow, Palantir, and Snowflake.  Video and episode notes: https://www.saastr.com/5-interesting-learnings-with-servicenow-palantir-and-snowflake/

This dynamic duo from Duo Security share best practices on how they transformed the go-to-market motion by simplifying the customer experience to help build Duo Security to $100M ARR.

The VP of Product is a critical hire to drive the product strategy, road-mapping, and execution across the organization. Shiven Ramji, the Chief Product Officer at Auth0, has dedicated years to being a VP, Product himself and has hired and mentored others into this role. In this session, he will share tips on what to look for and expect out of a great VP+ of Product.   Full video: https://youtu.be/9sT5wp_HUvo Episode notes: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-454-and-video-what-to-expect-from-a-great-vp-of-product/

Serial entrepreneur Jyoti Bansal founded AppDynamics, a company sold to Cisco in 2017 for $3.7 billion but didn't stop there. He went on to launch Harness which gained Unicorn status this year. Hear from Jyoti about the lessons he's learned from building not one but two unicorn companies. Full video: https://youtu.be/LMAxG-ddDkU Episode notes: https://www.saastr.com/harness-founder-jyoti-bansal-on-building-a-second-unicorn/

In today's SaaStr podcast, SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin shares 5 interesting learnings from Squarespace at $700M ARR.   Video + blog post: https://www.saastr.com/5-interesting-learnings-from-squarespace-at-700000000-in-arr/

Partnerships can fuel company growth. Co-founder and CEO of Gorgias.io, Romaine Lapeyre, and Axelle Heems, Growth Ops Manager at Gorgias will share how they built a partnership program that powered incredible growth for Gorgias. Video + blog post: https://www.saastr.com/how-leveraging-partnerships-can-double-your-saas-growth/

Sandi Lin, CEO of Skilljar, shares how she successfully hired her first CRO. Then we will take an inside-out view and hear from Kathy Lord, CRO of Skilljar, about being the first CRO and what it really means. Video + blog post: https://www.saastr.com/how-to-hire-your-first-chief-revenue-officer/

Two years ago, Notion was just 10 people building a product that had a few dozen diehard fans. In conversation with Hustle Crew's Abadesi Osunsade, Ivan will share how he thinks about community as one of Notion's unfair advantages, and why this has been a game-changer for the business.   Video + blog post: https://www.saastr.com/notion-saas-community-building/

In today's SaaStr podcast, SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin shares 5 interesting learnings from Slack at $1B ARR. Find notes for this episode on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/5-interesting-learnings-from-slack-at-1b-in-arr/

As Head of Experience Research at Asana, Beth Toland will share different ways to make customer insights a deep part of product development and strategy from ideation to delivery. Video + blog post: https://www.saastr.com/asana-product-development-strategy/

In today's SaaStr podcast, SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin shares 5 interesting learnings from UiPath at $600m in ARR.   Video + blog post: https://www.saastr.com/5-interesting-learnings-from-uipath-at-600000000-in-arr/

In this episode of the SaaStr podcast, Joe Thomas, CEO of Loom, shares how a focus on user experience helped Loom build its flywheel and grow to 10 million users without paid marketing.   Video + blog post: https://www.saastr.com/loom-ceo-joe-thomas-on-how-speed-simplicity-can-fuel-your-flywheel/

Jeff Lawson, Twilio CEO and the author of  "Ask Your Developer: How to Harness the Power of Software Developers and Win in the 21st Century," shares secrets on bridging the gap between your technical team and leadership team to maximize success. This episode is an excerpt of Jason and Jeff's session from SaaStr Build. You can watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/WPvjG-44zJ4

Denise Persson, the CMO of Snowflake, shares the five secrets to a winning marketing strategy to grow your company's revenue and cement customer loyalty.   Video + blog post: https://www.saastr.com/building-your-marketing-to-100m-with-snowflake-cmo-denise-persson/

In today's SaaStr podcast, SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin shares 5 interesting learnings from MongoDB as they accelerate past $700M ARR.    Video + blog post: https://www.saastr.com/5-interesting-learnings-from-mongodb-at-700000000-arr/

Monday.com wasn't always worth billions. Its Co-Founders, Roy Mann and Eran Zinman share the top 5 things they'd repeat and the 5 they wish they'd done differently.   Video + blog post: https://www.saastr.com/top-5-dos-and-donts-of-scaling-with-monday-com/

In today's SaaStr podcast, SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin shares 8 Ways to Motivate the Sales Team After a Rough Quarter.   Video + blog post: https://www.saastr.com/how-do-you-motivate-your-sales-team-after-a-disastrous-month/

In today's SaaStr podcast, Tomasz Tunguz, Managing Director at Redpoint Ventures shares the 5 metrics and benchmarks you should track to maximize your company's valuation.    Video + blog post: https://www.saastr.com/5-metrics-you-should-track-to-maximize-your-companys-valuation/

Webflow, a no-code website builder, doubled its customer base last year, pushing the company's valuation to $2.1 billion. Webflow CEO Vlad Magdalin openly shares the struggles and triumphs they endured along the way to their success.   Video + blog post: https://www.saastr.com/webflow-ceo-vlad-magdalin-on-building-a-four-billion-dollar-company/

In today's SaaStr insider episode, SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin shares 5 interesting learnings about Zoom as they reach $4 billion.   Video + blog post (including full transcript): https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-437-5-interesting-learnings-on-zoom-at-4b-with-saastr-ceo-jason-lemkin/

In today's SaaStr podcast the team at Bessemer Venture Partners unveils the 2021 state of the cloud. Listen in as Byron Deeter, Elliott Robinson and Mary D'Onofrio share the latest trends and predictions for the cloud marketplace.   Video + blog post: https://www.saastr.com/state-of-the-cloud-2021-with-bessemer-venture-partners/

In this episode of the SaaStr podcast, SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin, chats with Sam Blond, Chief Revenue Officer at Brex. Together they discuss the future of SaaS sales and buying cycles in a post-covid marketplace.   Video + blog post: https://www.saastr.com/future-of-sales-post-covid-with-brex/

In this episode of the SaaStr podcast, Garrett Langley, CEO @ Flock Safety and Alex Latraverse, VP Growth @ Flock Safety discuss How to Build out a Sales Organization from 0 reps to ~100 in 18 months.   Video + blog post: https://www.saastr.com/building-a-sales-organization-from-0-to-100-with-flock-safety/

Is your marketing team struggling to deliver the right kind of prospects and accounts that actually convert into revenue for your company? In this episode of the SaaStr Podcast, Latane Conant, CMO at 6Sense shared her 6 steps for building marketing campaigns that deliver pipeline and revenue.  This episode is an excerpt of Latané's session from SaaStr University: Spring Semester conference. Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/UW9fl1Z6Jac Transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-433-with-6sense-cmo-latane-conant-what-it-really-takes-to-have-your-marketing-team-deliver-pipeline-and-revenue/   Is getting compliant with a SOC 2 report on your company's 2021 roadmap? Vanta automates the tedious and time-consuming process of collecting evidence for an audit. So you can get focused on growing your business. On average Vanta customers are SOC 2 compliant in just two to four weeks compared to three to five months without Vanta, learn more and redeem a $1,000 off coupon at Vanta.com/SaaStr.

In today's SaaStr insider episode, SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin shares 5 interesting learnings about Wix as they cross $1 billion ARR.   Video + blog post: https://www.saastr.com/5-interesting-learnings-from-wix-at-1-billion-in-arr/

Want to accelerate your SaaS growth? Start by prioritizing your Net Revenue Retention (NRR). In this episode of the SaaStr podcast, Tim Kopp, the CEO of Terminus, shares his playbook for boosting net retention to fuel your business growth.   Video + blog post: https://www.saastr.com/the-playbook-to-boosting-net-retention-quickly-with-terminus/

In today's SaaStr insider episode, SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin catches up with Brian Halligan, CEO and Co-founder of HubSpot. Together they discuss: why partners are a moat, why HubSpot avoided going more enterprise, building vs. buying, and building an eco-system.    Video + blog post: https://www.saastr.com/brian-halligan-ceo-and-co-founder-at-hubspot-the-secrets-to-1b-arr-and-beyond/

In this episode, ProfitWell Founder & CEO Patrick Campbell shares benchmarks from over 23,000 companies and offers a helpful framework to re-evaluate your retention strategy and increase your CLV (Customer Lifetime Value) between 10 and 60%. This episode is an excerpt of Patrick's session from SaaStr University: Spring Semester conference. Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/-hybaFIV964 Transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-429-with-profitwell-founder-ceo-patrick-campbell-the-current-state-of-saas-companies-subscriptions-and-retention-in-2021/   If your startup doesn't have a SOC 2, you can't close major customers, it's that simple. Vanta integrates with the tools you already use, from cloud providers to task trackers, to automate the complex, time-consuming and expensive process of preparing for a SOC 2 audit, so you can focus less on compliance and more on growing your business. Learn more and unlock a $1,000 off coupon at Vanta at vanta.com/saastr.

In today's SaaStr insider episode, SaaStr SVP and GM, Amelia Ibarra sits down with Naomi Rozenfeld, VP of Revenue @ Wix Answers. Together they discuss how to execute a winning self-service strategy, including when to launch, cross-functional implications, and how to find the right balance between self-service and customer support. Video + blog post: https://www.saastr.com/how-to-execute-a-winning-self-service-strategy-with-wix-answers/

Internships have sparked millions of successful careers, and they can be a valuable talent pool from which companies can eventually hire full-time employees. But it's critical to build your internship program the right way. Farhan Thawar, the VP of Engineering at Shopify, has dedicated years to perfecting his internship program and shares his insider tips for launching a successful initiative of your own.   Video + blog post: https://www.saastr.com/how-to-build-a-great-intern-program-from-scratch-with-shopify/

In today's SaaStr insider episode, Harry Stebbings sits down with Ryan Bonnici, Chief Marketing Officer at Whereby to chat about how to market at scale. Together, they cover how to hire marketers at scale and how to use marketing to set your brand above the rest. Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/how-to-market-at-mass-scale-with-whereby/

Atlassian has always done things a bit differently.  With a relatively small sales team and a huge investment in R&D since inception, Atlassian is proof that you can build a decacorn from anywhere. Listen in to the 5 Interesting learnings we can take away from Atlassian at $2B in ARR. Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/5-interesting-learnings-from-atlassian-at-2b-in-arr/

Each year, Point 9 Capital surveys founders and investors to explore what it takes to raise capital for SaaS companies. In this episode, Christoph Janz, a Founding Partner at Point 9 Capital, gives his data-backed insight into what investors are looking for in the year ahead.  Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/what-it-takes-to-really-raise-capital-in-2021/

When you're ready to take your enterprise marketing to the next level, you may run into some common pitfalls that hinder optimal performance. In this episode, Menaka Shroff, the Director of Global Marketing at Google, shares her observations of the misunderstandings she has seen during her career and how to avoid them. Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/7-common-enterprise-marketing-mistakes/

After a newly minted $1.1B valuation, Kyle Porter, CEO of SalesLoft, sits down with SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin to talk about the twists and turns along the way to building SalesLoft into the Unicorn it is today. From completely pivoting the product early on, to becoming an essential software tool for inside sales reps -- learn how SalesLoft landed some of the Cloud giants like Shopify, Google, and Slack as its customers, and what it takes to build a Unicorn company in today's changing market.  Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/salesloft-unicorn-valuation-story/

One of the easiest ways to consistently grow revenue is to make your customers happier. They buy more and churn less when you do. Here are 11 actionable steps and tips that always work in SaaS companies to drive NPS and happiness up from SaaStr CEO & Founder Jason Lemkin.  Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/how-do-you-build-strong-relationships-with-customers/

Product-led growth is a disruptive go-to-market strategy adopted by the most successful companies in the subscription business, including Slack, Dropbox, Twilio, and Shopify. Drawing on his personal experience building innovative SaaS products, Mickey Alon, the creator of Gainsight PX, and Ciara Peter, VP Product at Gainsight, will cover the principles of Product-led growth strategy, how to build a product growth team, and how product teams can apply this strategy as part of their 2021 roadmap.   Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/mastering-the-art-and-science-of-product-led-growth-with-gainsight/

At his core, Jeff Lawson is a software developer first, and a CEO second. He knows both sides of the executive & engineering equation intimately. He gets what goes on in a developer's brain and the detailed process of building software, but he understands that businesses are motivated to move quickly. And in turn, developers need to adapt. An all-time SaaStr fan-favorite, Jeff recently chatted with SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin to discuss his thoughts on collaborating, managing, and working with developers. Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/how-to-collaborate-manage-and-work-with-developers-featuring-jeff-lawson-twilio/

Reducing churn in SaaS, along with increasing new ARR is the backbone to growing your business. In this guide, Andrea Webb, the SVP of Customer Success & Retention at Solarwinds, and Tim Willey, the SVP of Commercial Strategy & Operations at ForgeRock, share their tips for understanding and combating churn.    Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/10-rules-for-defining-churn-with-forgerock-and-solarwinds/

In this episode, Sahir Azam, Chief Product Officer at MongoDB, and Javier Molina, SVP at MongoDB, share their journey to increasing company revenue through their cohesive sales and product relationship. When sales and product work together, amazing things happen.   Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/how-sales-and-product-really-should-work-together-with-javier-molina-vp-corporate-sales-americas-mongodb-and-sahir-azam-chief-product-officer-mongodb/

As your company grows, so does the focus on enterprise deals. Learn from Zendesk senior management about how to balance your needs and organization's focus on enterprise wins to reach $1B in revenue without ever forgetting the importance of catering to your original customer base and extending those learnings into new market segments.   Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/the-secret-sauce-to-scaling-to-1b-with-zendesk/

Customer churn is the bane of online businesses, and data can help you understand the causes of churn and take action to reduce it. In this podcast, you'll discover powerful customer metrics that help your entire organization.  Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/fighting-churn-with-data-in-saas/ Sponsors: GuideCX is a client onboarding and project management platform that helps you invite, guide, and engage internal and customer teams in a transparent way that delivers value faster. (Pause) You can start a free fourteen-day GuideCX trial today or take a virtual tour at GuideCX.com. SaaSMQL helps high-ticket SaaS startups generate opportunities and recurring revenue from target accounts. Their Account-Based Marketing approach has proven to be effective at engaging decision-makers from Fortune one thousand companies. SaaSMQL's clients include Intellimize, Side, Travelbank, Alphonso, Alloy.ai, and many more. Book your intro call at SaaSMQL.com/SaaStr.

To help revenue and sales leaders navigate and identify ways to leverage cloud marketplaces, join Sapphire Ventures, Snowflake, Sumo Logic, and Crowdstrike to understand: How to successfully sell enterprise software through the major cloud marketplaces, what investments and alignment you need at your company need to be successful transacting on cloud marketplaces, and how to cultivate and enable a successful co-sell relationship with cloud marketplaces.   Panel: Colleen Kapase, VP of WW Partner & Alliances, Snowflake Jessica Alexander, Senior Director Cloud Technology & OEM Partnerships, Crowdstrike Jabari Norton, VP WW Partner and Alliances, Sumo Logic Rico Mallozzi, Sr. Director of GTM Ops, Sapphire Ventures   This episode is an excerpt from a session at SaaStr Scale. You can view the full video here: https://youtu.be/k4KEth7sNzw Transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-414-how-to-leverage-the-cloud-giants-to-scale-to-100-million-arr-and-beyond/ Visit Dell.com/SaaStr for exclusive savings on Dell products and more information about the Dell for entrepreneurs program. Everything from Dell financial services to Dell rewards, Dell for Entrepreneurs wants to help your business run smarter through technology. Bandwidth makes it easy to add enterprise-grade voice calling, text messaging, and emergency calling to your platform all backed by the power of a fully owned and operated tier-one carrier network that gives you direct to carrier pricing with better quality, control, and insights that other API providers can't. See why the biggest brands in the world rely on bandwidth and sign up for a free trial at bandwidth.com/SaaStr.

Join four-time Founder and CEO Auren Hoffman as he breaks down how businesses can become the right model for explosive growth, emulate their strategy, and join the path to Unicorn potential in eight simple, hand-made steps. This episode is an excerpt of Auren's session at SaaStr Scale. You can view the full video here: https://youtu.be/d6tnt2a12ZY Transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-413-with-safegraph-ceo-auren-hoffman-how-to-build-a-unicorn-in-8-simple-steps/ If you don't have a SOC 2 report, you aren't going to be able to sell to major customers. Secureframe helps startups get and maintain SOC 2 compliance in as little as two weeks. Join companies like Stream, Hasura, Benepass, and unlock more sales with Secureframe. SaaStr listeners get 10% off at secureframe.com/SaaStr.

2020 has been a wild ride, but Sales teams are still expected to deliver. Hear from 3 companies on how they delivered in a year riddled with challenges, and what those battle scars have taught them as they plan to turbocharge their sales in 2021. Walk away from this episode with the tactics and tips you and your Sales team need for the upcoming year. Pablo Dominguez, Operating Partner, Insight Partners Ellen Kindley, Chief Transformation Officer, Keyfactor Brooke Treseder, SVP, Revenue Operations, Checkout.com Gordana Vuckovic, EVP Global Sales & Partnerships, Contentstack   Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/the-secrets-to-turbo-charging-sales-in-2021/

Tamar Yehoshua is the Chief Product Officer @ Slack, the company providing a place where people get work done, together. Prior to their direct listing in June 2019, Slack raised over $1.3Bn from the likes of Accel, Thrive, Softbank, Kleiner, IVP, T Rowe, GV, and a16z to name a few. As for Tamar, previously, Tamar was a Vice President at Google, holding product and engineering leadership roles on Google's most important products, including Search, Identity, and Privacy. Prior to that, she was the Vice President of Advertising Technologies at Amazon's A9. If that was not enough Tamar is also on the board of 2 public companies in the form of Yext and ServiceNow.  In Today's Episode We Discuss: How Tamar made her way from Google and Amazon into the world of bottoms up SaaS with one of the leading companies of our generation, Slack? What were Tamar's biggest takeaways from her time with Amazon and Google? How did Jeff Bezos' approach to "the customer" impact Tamar's operating mindset? How does Tamar analyse customer responses to product changes? How important a role does the press play in customer's responses?  How does Tamar think about effective product design today? How does Tamar structure the customer development process? What questions does she ask? What is she looking for? Where do many people go wrong with customer discovery? What channels can teams put in place to have this real-time dialogue with their customers?         How would Tamar describe her management philosophy today? What have been some of Tamar's biggest lessons on giving effective feedback? How should it be structured? When should it be given? To what extent does Tamar agree with "radical candour"? Where do many go wrong in giving their feedback? Tamar's 60 Second SaaStr: The most challenging element of Tamar's role with Slack? What would Tamar most like to change about the SaaS industry? What moment in Tamar's life has served as an inflection point and changed the way she thinks?  Read the full transcript on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-411-with-slack-chief-product-officer-tamar-yehoshua/   If you would like to find out more about the show and the guests presented, you can follow us on Twitter here: Jason Lemkin Harry Stebbings SaaStr

In today's SaaStr insider episode SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin catches up with Todd McKinnon, CEO and co-founder of Okta. Together they discuss what it takes to build, maintain and grow a high-performance organization. Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/10-learnings-from-talking-with-todd-mckinnon-ceo-of-okta/

As one of the early champions of "low-code", Howie Liu shares the lessons he's learned building and scaling a company in an entirely new category. He'll discuss how Airtable focuses on solving customers' increasingly complex needs, all with products that are easily adoptable. Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/lessons-in-scaling-a-low-code-platform-with-airtable/

SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin catches up with Therese Tucker, Founder, and CEO at BlackLine about her SaaS journey, going long and surviving black swan events. Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/going-long-the-20-year-journey-of-being-a-ceo-founder-with-blackline/

Trends are fleeting and hard to pin down. Or are they? Learn how you can leverage the science of trends and better understand market behavior.  This episode is an excerpt of Allen's session at SaaStr @ Home 2020. You can view the full video here: https://youtu.be/v1c08Ztdrss Podcast transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-407-with-the-creative-curve-author-allen-gannett-the-secrets-of-market-timing-and-how-to-develop-the-right-idea-at-the-right-time/ Visit dell.com/saastr for exclusive savings on Dell products and more information about the Dell for entrepreneurs program. Everything from Dell financial services to Dell rewards, Dell for Entrepreneurs wants to help your business run smarter through technology. Bandwidth makes it easy to add enterprise-grade voice calling, text messaging and emergency calling to your platform, all backed by the power of a fully owned and operated, tier-one carrier network that gives you direct to carrier pricing with better quality, control, and insights that other API providers can't. See why the biggest brands in the world rely on Bandwidth and sign up for a free trial at bandwidth.com/saastr.

Kate Taylor is Head of Customer Experience at Notion, one of the fastest-growing startups of the last 5 years with over $68M in funding from some of the best in the business including Index, Daniel Gross, Elad Gil, Lachy Groom, Josh Kopelman and Aydin Senkut to name a few. As for Kate, prior to making the move to Notion just last month, she spent an incredible 8 years at Dropbox including holding roles such as Head of Sales Development, North America and Director of Global SMB Revenue and Operations. Before Notion, Kate spent 2 years at Salesforce in the corporate sales and enterprise business units.   In Today's Episode We Discuss: How Kate made her way into the world of SaaS with Salesforce, how that led to her 8 year tenure at Dropbox before joining the breakout, Notion? Why does Kate not believe that in startups you can "do it all"? How to discover the problems people care about? How to think through prioritisation of problems at the early stage? Where do many people make mistakes here? How does Kate approach delegation at scale? When is the right time to start? How can founders let go and entrust others to do the role they have been doing? How can leaders build trust with the people they work with? How can leaders empower employees with act with conviction and invest in them?         What is the role of sales in a product-led growth organisation? How can sales and product work effectively well together? Where do many mistakes happen in sales and product? How can product and marketing also collaborate productively? What can one do to shorten the feedback cycles as much as possible? Kate's 60 Second SaaStr: Most challenging element of Kate's role with Notion? What would Kate like to change about the world of SaaS? What does Kate know now that she wishes she had known from the beginning?  Read the full transcript on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-406-with-notion-head-of-customer-experience-kate-taylor/   If you would like to find out more about the show and the guests presented, you can follow us on Twitter here: Jason Lemkin Harry Stebbings SaaStr

In today's SaaStr insider episode SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin catches up with Bernadette Nixon CEO at Algolia and together they share 6 learnings on scaling to $100M ARR and what it really takes selling to customers small, medium and large. Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/6-learnings-from-algolia-on-the-way-to-100000000-arr/

The benefits of managing upwards and downwards are frequent management topics. However, managing sideways and inward are also important skills for a successful leader. Learn new ways to build strong teams by managing in all directions from Arquay Harris at Slack. This episode is an excerpt of Arquay's session at SaaStr @ Home 2020. You can view the full video here: https://youtu.be/q40RWMgZgIo Podcast transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-404-with-slack-sr-director-engineering-arquay-harris-the-secrets-to-managing-in-all-directions/ Visit dell.com/saastr for exclusive savings on Dell products and more information about the Dell for Entrepreneurs program. Everything from Dell financial services to Dell rewards, Dell for Entrepreneurs wants to help your business run smarter through technology. Bandwidth makes it easy to add enterprise-grade voice calling, text messaging and emergency calling to your platform, all backed by the power of a fully owned and operated Tier 1 carrier network that gives you direct-to-carrier pricing with better quality, control, and insights that other API providers can't. See why the biggest brands in the world rely on Bandwidth and sign up for a free trial at bandwidth.com/saastr.

Sam Taylor is the VP of Sales and Success @ Loom, the startup that helps you get your message across by making it easy to record instantly shareable videos. To date, they have raised over $73M from some of the best in the business including Sequoia, Kleiner Perkins, General Catalyst and Point Nine to name a few. As for Sam, prior to Loom, Sam spent over 4 years at Salesforce following their acquisition of Quip, a startup Salesforce acquired for $750M where Sam was also the 1st sales leader. Before Quip, Sam spent an incredible 3 years at Dropbox where he was the first enterprise sales rep in the entire company.   In Today's Episode We Discuss: How Sam made his way into the world of SaaS with Dropbox and how that led to his leading the sales and success team today @ Loom? What was Sam's biggest lesson from scaling the sales team at Dropbox? How did his 4 years at Salesforce change his operating mentality? Thinking of Dropbox, how does Sam justify the role of sales in a world of product-led growth? How do product and sales work together most efficiently? What can one do to structure that relationship?        Does Sam agree that the founder is the one who has to create the sales playbook? When is the right time to hire the first sales rep? Should you hire 2 at a time? What does one look for in their first sales hire? What measurements should be used to determine their success? How does this change when selling to SMBs vs enterprise?       How does Sam think about the relationship between sales and marketing? Are marketing becoming the new sales team with their content being used more and more in the sales funnel? How should the success of marketing be measured? Does it have to be tied to a number related to revenue? Sam's 60 Second SaaStr: Biggest challenge of Sam's role with Loom today? What would Sam most like to change in the world of SaaS? What is Sam's biggest weakness as a sales leader?  Read the full transcript on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-403-with-loom-vp-of-sales-sam-taylor/   If you would like to find out more about the show and the guests presented, you can follow us on Twitter here: Jason Lemkin Harry Stebbings SaaStr

Marten Mickos, CEO of HackerOne, explains their innovative approach of packaging customer value derived from a variety of activities into an annually recurring subscription offering that delivers outstanding value to customers while simplifying the buying process and the customer journey.  This episode is an excerpt of Mårten's session at SaaStr @ Home 2020. You can view the full video here: https://youtu.be/GAw4vKbMevk Full transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-402-with-hackerone-ceo-marten-mickos-customers-want-value-simplicity-the-must-haves-to-deliver/ Want to see why Adobe, Salesforce, and Marketo use Outgrow? Try building quizzes, ROI calculators, and assessments on Outgrow. Find out how you can build these tools with Outgrow's powerful builder, learn more at outgrow.co/saas. If you don't have a SOC 2 report, you aren't going to be able to sell to major customers. Secureframe helps startups get and maintain software compliance in as little as two weeks. Join companies like Stream, Hasura, Benepass, and unlock more sales with Secureframe. SaaStr listeners get 10% off at secureframe.com/saastr.

In this session, you will learn how to make the Freemium model work while also incorporating the traditional sales-driven strategy. Olof Mathe will share how the two strategies can blend together and specific lessons he has learned from his experience. Full video: https://youtu.be/9dIaJpuBCU4 Transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-401-with-mixmax-ceo-olof-mathe-the-secrets-to-doing-freemium-and-sales-driven-sales-at-the-same-time/   Bandwidth makes it easy to add enterprise-grade voice calling, text messaging, and emergency calling to your platform, all backed by the power of a fully owned and operated tier-one carrier network that gives you direct-to-carrier pricing with better quality control and insights that other API providers can't. See why the biggest brands in the world rely on Bandwidth, and sign up for a free trial at bandwidth.com/SaaStr. Dell for Entrepreneurs is here to help your business scale faster through technology. Reach out to startups@dell.com for a free IT consultation. From laptops, desktops to servers and cloud, Dell Technologies is there for you.

In today's SaaStr insider episode SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin catches up with Ben Hindman, Co-Founder & CEO at Splash to talk about the future of digital events. This interview was part of Splash's Boom, a video series about the innovation explosion in events and the tech stack. Podcast transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-400-with-splash-ceo-ben-hindman-and-saastr-ceo-jason-lemkin-the-future-of-digital-events/

Building the world's largest and most trusted software developer and technologist community and going from 0 to 120 million users happened rapidly for Stack Overflow. Hear four steps from its CEO, Prashanth Chandrasekar, on how your product-led startup can grow its community and its revenue. Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/four-steps-to-scaling-to-250m-from-stack-overflow/

Rob Gonzalez is the Co-Founder & CMO @ Salsify, empowering brand manufacturers to deliver the product experiences consumers demand at every point in their buying journey. To date, Salsify has raised over $250M in funding from the likes of Venrock, Underscore, Warburg Pincus, Matrix Partners & Greenspring to name a few. As for Rob, prior to founding Salsify, he was the first-ever product manager at Cambridge Semantics and before that was a Senior Product Manager @ Endeca helping grow the company to it's $Bn exit.   In Today's Episode We Discuss: How Rob made his way into the world of SaaS as a product manager and how that led to his founding Salsify over 8 years ago? How does Rob think about the bundled vs unbundled thesis within SaaS? When is it right for SaaS companies to turn down potential customers? How can they do that the right way? What is the right way to think about customer segmentation? How should startups decide which customer segment to focus on?       How should startups think about implementing partnerships? When is the right time? What is the right way to onboard them? How can they be trained in implementation efficiently? What does great change management look like to Rob? What does Rob believe are the biggest misconceptions around change management?        How does Rob think through pricing today in a way that encourages land and expand? What can you do to make the land as frictionless as possible? What does it take to expand effectively? How does Rob think about usage vs seat-based pricing in SaaS? How should sales and marketing work together on pricing? Rob's 60 Second SaaStr: Most challenging element of Rob's role with Salsify? What would Rob most like to change in the world of SaaS today? What does Rob know now that he wishes he had known at the beginning?  Read the full transcript on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-398-with-salsify-co-founder-cmo-rob-gonzalez/ If you would like to find out more about the show and the guests presented, you can follow us on Twitter here: Jason Lemkin Harry Stebbings SaaStr Rob Gonzalez

In today's SaaStr insider episode SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin catches up with Michael Pryor, the Co-Founder of Trello to talk about going upmarket, and how things have changed in the last decade as Trello crosses 50M+ users.  Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/going-upmarket-and-how-things-have-changed-in-a-decade-at-trello-with-founder-michael-pryor/

As digital business and collaboration models have been permanently accelerated by the events of 2020, our panel of SaaS experts discuss who's buying in the Enterprise, and how to drive conversions across multiple business functions. Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/buying-patterns-in-the-enterprise/

Andy MacMillan is the CEO @ UserTesting, the company that provides real-time feedback, from real customers, wherever you work. To date, they have raised over $200M in funding from the likes of Accel, Greenspring, Openview and Insight to name a few. As for Andy, prior to UserTesting, he was the Chairman and CEO @ Act On Software and before that held several positions at Salesforce, including COO - Products Group. Before Salesforce Andy spent close to 5 years at Oracle as VP Product Management.   In Today's Episode We Discuss: How did Andy make his way into the world of SaaS? How did he come to be CEO at the market leader, UserTesting? Why does Andy think the seat-based pricing model in SaaS will die? What are the downsides of it? Why is volume-based pricing optimal? How does one instil volume based pricing without disincentivizing usage? How does Andy think about discounting? How does Andy view the importance of offering trials?        What does it take to scale a sales team successfully? How can one determine a closer in the interview process? Should one hire sales reps 2x2? How does Andy think about hiring sales reps from adjacent companies and industries? How does Andy think about minimizing and optimising sales ramp times? How does Andy think about payback period?       How does Andy structure the pipeline meetings? Who is invited? How are the meetings structured? How does Andy advise on the right segmentation of pipe? How does Andy evaluate the closability of the pipe? Where do many people go wrong in pipeline meetings? What have been his biggest lessons on running them successfully? Andy's 60 Second SaaStr: The hardest element of Andy's role with UserTesting? What Andy would most like to change about the world of SaaS? The hardest role to hire for today and why?  Read the full transcript on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-395-with-usertesting-ceo-andy-macmillan/ If you would like to find out more about the show and the guests presented, you can follow us on Twitter here: Jason Lemkin Harry Stebbings SaaStr Andy MacMillan

Where is Venture Capital today? And how do you hack it? SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin, sits down with Sunil Dhaliwal, General Partner at Amplify Partners to discuss. Full video: https://youtu.be/8w6K7slhLX4 Podcast transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-394-with-sunil-dhaliwal-and-jason-lemkin/

The journey for a company to move upmarket can be daunting and varies widely depending on the internal and external factors that inspire a shift in go-to-market strategy. Join these incredible sales leaders are they share their experiences in the evolution from SMB to Enterprise. Kelly Del Curto, Senior Director of Sales at Lever Tammy Aguillon, Area Vice President, Commercial Sales at DocuSign Kate Jensen, Head of Platform Sales at Stripe Lauren Schwartz, Vice President of Enterprise Sales at Fivetran Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/how-to-sell-upmarket-in-saas/

In today's SaaStr insider episode SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin shares 10 Simple Steps To Help Any Sales Exec Close More. Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/10-simple-tips-to-help-any-account-executive-close-more/

Learn how Flodesk bootstrapped to $5M in ARR by focusing on customer-driven growth: from kickstarting growth by empowering new customers to share, to creating product viral loops that amplify and optimize these customer-led funnels. Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/how-to-bootstrap-to-5m-arr-in-less-than-a-year/

Randy Rayess is the Co-Founder @ Outgrow, a growth marketing platform that enables marketers to build interactive content/tools to increase customer engagement and boost demand generation. Prior to founding Outgrow, Randy co-founded VenturePact, an invite-only marketplace that connects companies with trusted software development firms. Before VenturePact Randy held roles at Ampush and then on the investor side at SilverLake. If that was not enough, Randy is also an investor having invested in the likes of SmartyPal, Nooch, Alie and AirCare Labs to name a few.   In Today's Episode We Discuss: How Randy made his way from the world of PE with SilverLake to changing the game of digital marketing with Outgrow? What does interactive content mean? What are the most common forms? When should one start to use interactive content What resources and team does one need to engage with an interactive content strategy? Where do many people make mistakes with using interactive content?      How should one think about idea generation for interactive content? How does one know what interactive content works best? How should we test it's effectiveness? How should interactive content be promoted? Where should it be placed? How many text inputs is it optimal to request for?      How does it convert more leads? How does Randy think about using interactive content to maximise sales rep efficiency? How should customer success engage with interactive content? What can be done to make the sales and customer success teamwork so well together?     Randy's 60 Second SaaStr: The hardest element of Randy's role with Outgrow today? Hardest role to hire for today? Why? What would Randy most like to change about the world of SaaS?   Read the full transcript on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-390-with-outgrow-co-founder-randy-rayess/ If you would like to find out more about the show and the guests presented, you can follow us on Twitter here: Jason Lemkin Harry Stebbings SaaStr Randy Rayess

Mikael Cho, CEO of Unsplash shares his lessons learned from starting Unsplash as a side project and growing it to a market leader, and disrupting an industry of giants like Shutterstock, Getty, and Adobe Stock with a free business model. Full video: https://youtu.be/t3nmvxlybJM Podcast transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-389-with-unsplash-ceo-mikael-cho-and-morning-brew-business-editor-kinsey-grant-how-to-really-disrupt-the-big-guys-with-free/

Ryan Carlson is the CMO @ Okta, the leading independent provider of identity for the enterprise. Prior to their incredibly successful IPO in April of 2017, they raised funding from some of the best in the business including Sequoia, a16z, Greylock, Khosla and Floodgate to name a few. As for Ryan, he has spent an incredible 9 years at Okta in numerous different roles starting with running the product marketing team before moving to run the marketing team, leading to his promotion to CMO close to 5 years ago now. Before Okta, Ryan was the Co-Founder and CEO @ Sproost, a bootstrapped online expert recommendation system.    In Today's Episode We Discuss: How Ryan made his way into the world of enterprise SaaS? Why was joining Okta the most challenging interview process he has experienced? How did it impact how he assesses candidates today? How does Ryan distinguish between the company story vs the product story? When do they align and when do they separate? How should your strategy change as they move apart? How does the structure of your marketing team need to change with the evolution?      What should the first marketing hire look like? What experience should they have? Why does Ryan believe you should hire two in marketing to start? How do you want them to work together? How does Ryan ensure cross-function working seamlessly from the very beginning with marketing?      How does Ryan think about measuring success when it comes to product marketing? How does Ryan think about marketing attribution today? How should we think through SAL vs closed revenue as indicator of marketing success? Where does Ryan believe many go wrong with regards to marketing funnels?     Ryan's 60 Second SaaStr: What does Ryan know now that he wishes he had known at the beginning? What makes Frederic Kerrest the special leader he is? What is the most challenging element of Ryan's role with Okta?   Read the full transcript on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-388-with-okta-cmo-ryan-carlson/ If you would like to find out more about the show and the guests presented, you can follow us on Twitter here: Jason Lemkin Harry Stebbings SaaStr Ryan Carlson

In this CEO to CEO catch up, Nick Mehta and Jason Lemkin discuss how to do product extensions, how to sell a second product, and where product development overall is heading.  Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/saas-customers-have-never-been-happier-a-discussion-with-nick-mehta-ceo-of-gainsight/

How do you compete in a tough marketplace with thousands of other competitors? Join Adam Blitzer as he shares insights from launching a company in an already crowded marketing automation space and zig-zagged the way to market leadership. Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/how-to-win-with-1000-players-in-your-market/

Paul Rosania is the Founder & CEO @ Balsa, the company that recognises that builders move the world forward and so they are building the best second screen for builders, integrating tools you already use like Jira, GitHub, and Figma. Coming out of stealth today with their seed round being led by Andrew Chen @ a16z and joined by former CPO @ Slack, April Underwood, Chapter One's Jeff Morris Jr and then of course, 20VC Fund. Prior to founding Balsa, Paul was Senior Director of Product @ Slack and before Slack was a Group Product Manager @ Twitter where he was responsible for the home timeline, including timeline ranking.  In Today's Episode We Discuss: How Paul made his way into the world of startups with Twitter and Slack and how that led to his founding SaaS company, Balsa? Paul was central in the decision-making around changing the Twitter timeline from chronological to ranked, how did he think about that decision? How does Paul approach such large product decisions today? What were his biggest operating takeaways from seeing the internal mechanics of Twitter & Slack?      What does really effective product marketing mean to Paul? How does Paul think about driving really effective change management? When engaging with bottoms up sales models, where does Paul identify the tipping points of going from bottoms up to top down?      Why does Paul believe that the builders are the new pro athletes? How will the structure of orgs change around them? How will the support they receive change? How will their training change? How will their comp change? How does on do this and not discourage other functions in the org?     Paul's 60 Second SaaStr: What does Paul believe is the hardest role to hire for today? What would Paul most like to change about the world of SaaS today? What do the next 5 years hold for Paul and for Balsa?   Read the full transcript on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-385-with-balsa-founder-ceo-paul-rosania/ If you would like to find out more about the show and the guests presented, you can follow us on Twitter here: Jason Lemkin Harry Stebbings SaaStr Paul Rosania

We caught up with one of the SaaStr community's favorite speakers, Dharmesh Shah CTO and co-founder of Hubspot on lessons learnings launching a second product.  Hubspot recently expanded its Sales products and the learnings were top of mind. Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/how-when-and-why-to-launch-a-second-product-a-deep-dive-with-dharmesh-shah-cto-hubspot/

Nick Caldwell has built and grown product and engineering organizations at PowerBI (0 to 300 engineers), Reddit (500M MAU) and Looker ($2.7B sale to Google). Nick will share 5 big lessons he's learned along the way that you can use as you build your company's product and engineering functions from its earliest days to its largest successes. Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/growing-product-and-engineering-orgs-from-zero-to-ipo-with-twitter-and-redpoint-ventures/

In today's SaaStr Insider, SaaStr SVP & GM, Amelia Ibarra, sits down with Alon Alroy, Co-Founder & CMO at Bizzabo on What's Next For the Future of B2B Events.  Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/whats-next-for-b2b-saas-events-2021/

There are a lot of problems with calculating churn rates. Moreover, public companies don't generally release churn rates. Learn what they are and how to calculate them correctly. Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/churn-is-dead/

Ryan Sandler is the Co-Founder and CEO @ Truework, the company that gives employees control over employment, income and other identity data. To date, Ryan has raised over $44M with Truework from the likes of Sequoia, Khosla, Menlo and from the founders of companies such as Plaid, Seatgeek, Mino Games and Checkr. Prior to founding Truework, Ryan spent 3 years as a Senior Product Manager @ LinkedIn.  In Today's Episode We Discuss: How Ryan made his way from LinkedIn Product Manager to founding Sequoia backed Truework and changing the world of identity data? Why does Ryan believe it is such an advantage to sell into mid-market? Where do most people go wrong here? How can startups show credibility to mid-market when they are so small? How can founders use case studies and references to build social credibility early on?      What have Ryan's lessons been when it comes to pricing? How does Ryan think about and approach discounting? How does Ryan feel about pilot plans? What elements can founders negotiate on to get the best pricing?     Why does Ryan believe SEO is the best-kept secret in SaaS? How has Ryan structured his content and marketing team as a result? How can one automate as much of the content creation process as possible? How long should one expect in terms of lead times to see returns on the SEO strategy?     Ryan's 60 Second SaaStr: Hardest element of Ryan's role with Truework? What would Ryan most like to change about the world of SaaS? What does Ryan know now that he wishes he had known at the beginning?  Read the full transcript on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-380-with-truework-co-founder-and-ceo-ryan-sandler/ If you would like to find out more about the show and the guests presented, you can follow us on Twitter here: Jason Lemkin Harry Stebbings SaaStr Ryan Sandler

From how many reps to hire, to compensation models, here are the top 10 mistakes founders make when hiring their first sales teams and how to avoid them.  Full video: https://youtu.be/SrHKclELBEg Podcast transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-379-with-saastr-ceo-and-founder-jason-lemkin-the-top-10-mistakes-founders-make-when-hiring-their-first-sales-team/   Sponsor message: Are you looking to better educate your audience on the value you deliver? Build products or service recommendation tools, create assessments to identify areas they can improve, and build savings calculators? Find out how you can build these same tools for your business at outgrow.co/saas.

Investment can create more problems than it solves and founders may trick themselves into thinking they have product-market fit when they don't. Michael Seibel, CEO @ Y Combinator explores the top risks founders should be aware of after funding and his best tips to avoid them. Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/5-things-that-kill-startups-with-y-combinator/

Dave McJannet is the CEO @ Hashicorp, one of the fastest-growing enterprise companies of our time providing consistent workflows to provision, secure, connect and run any infrastructure for any application. To date, the company has raised $349M in funding from some of the best in the business including Bessemer, Redpoint, True Ventures, IVP, Mayfield, TCV and GGV to name a few. As for David, prior to Hashicorp, he held some incredible roles including VP Marketing at Github and Hortonworks, Senior Director of Product Marketing @ VMWare and then also spent over 5 years at Microsoft.  Read the full transcript on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-377-with-hashicorp-ceo-dave-mcjannet/ If you would like to find out more about the show and the guests presented, you can follow us on Twitter here: Jason Lemkin Harry Stebbings SaaStr

In part two, ZoomInfo founder and CEO Henry Schuck shares how he built a business from scratch and grew it into one of the most successful IPOs of the 21st century—and what it was really like...the good, the bad, and most of all, the ugly. He reflects on where he went wrong, what he would do differently, and how to avoid making the same mistakes he did. This episode is an excerpt from Jason and Henry's session at SaaStr Annual @ Home. Full video: https://youtu.be/WKODWISCL7A Transcript of this podcast: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-376-with-zoominfo-ceo-henry-schuck-10-mistakes-the-ceo-of-zoominfo-made-on-his-journey-to-ipo-part-2/ Part 1 of this interview can be found in episode 374.

GitHub's COO, Erica Brescia, shares her experiences and lessons learned from her former life on the front lines of being a co-founder of her own company, and how those lessons apply to her current position overseeing operations for GitHub.  Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/5-leadership-lessons-everyone-needs-right-now-from-github-coo-erica-brescia/

ZoomInfo founder and CEO Henry Schuck shares how he built a business from scratch and grew it into one of the most successful IPOs of the 21st century—and what it was really like...the good, the bad, and most of all, the ugly. He reflects on where he went wrong, what he would do differently, and how to avoid making the same mistakes he did. This episode is an excerpt from Jason and Henry's session at SaaStr Annual @ Home.  Full video: https://youtu.be/WKODWISCL7A Podcast transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcasts-for-the-week-with-byron-deeter-elliott-robinson-henry-schuck-and-jason-lemkin/

Bessemer's 5th Annual State of the Cloud Report returns for a definitive look at the cloud industry today. Byron Deeter and Elliott Robinson, partners at Bessemer Venture Partners, offer macro trends in the public and private cloud markets, strategic advice to cloud founders, and insights into why entrepreneurs should feel auspicious about the future. This episode is an excerpt from a session at SaaStr Annual @ Home.  Full video: https://youtu.be/WrGhD0qaIow Podcast transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcasts-for-the-week-with-byron-deeter-elliott-robinson-henry-schuck-and-jason-lemkin/

Latane Conant is the Chief Marketing Officer at 6Sense, the company that allows you to achieve predictable revenue growth by identifying accounts looking for your solution, prioritise efforts and then engage the right way. To date, the company has raised $120M in financing from Battery Ventures, Insight, Venrock, Costanoa, Bain Capital and Salesforce Ventures to name a few. As for Latane, before 6Sense she was CMO and sales leader at Appirio where she drove 5X more effective field marketing programs and an increase in inbound leads by 300%. If that was not enough, Latane is also on the Advisory Boards of both Mediafly and Atrium.   In Today's Episode We Discuss: How did Latane make her way into the world of SaaS and come to be the rockstar CMO and ABM thought leader she is today with 6Sense? What does the preparation process look like pre-sales kick off week? What is involved? Who is involved? What needs to be ready? How does Latane feel about putting comp plans as part of the week?      How important is a theme to having an engaging week of content? What can teams do to bring their themes to life? How does Latane advise others when it comes to keeping the content fresh and exciting?   What is the right way to end the week? What are the right follow up steps to take? Where do many people go wrong here?     Latane's 60 Second SaaStr: Hardest element of Latane's role today with 6Sense? What would Latane most like to change about the world of SaaS? What does Latane believe that most around her disbelieve?  Read the full transcript on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-372-with-6sense-cmo-latane-conant/ If you would like to find out more about the show and the guests presented, you can follow us on Twitter here: Jason Lemkin Harry Stebbings SaaStr Latane Conant

It's no secret that businesses today are struggling with an unpredictable economy. In this session, Mailchimp Co-founder and CEO Ben Chestnut will share the story of Mailchimp's founding amidst—and despite—the dot-com bubble burst, and how the company navigated a number of inflection points in the first 10 years of its founding.  This episode is an excerpt from Jason and Ben's session at SaaStr Annual @ Home. Full video: https://youtu.be/LfLZzakn2r0 Podcast transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcasts-for-the-week-with-jennifer-tejada-ben-chestnut-and-jason-lemkin/

As organizations race to achieve relevance and a competitive edge in the digital era, automation is fueling the fight. Join PagerDuty's CEO, Jennifer Tejada, as she discusses the need for agility and innovation and how automation is aiding adaptability and allowing enterprises to surge ahead. This episode is an excerpt from a session at SaaStr Summit: Enterprise.  Full video: https://youtu.be/7mHQotsErWc Podcast transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcasts-for-the-week-with-jennifer-tejada-ben-chestnut-and-jason-lemkin/

In today's SaaStr Insider episode, SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin and the Co-founder and CEO of HireSweet, Robin Choy, share their experiences building and scaling their companies. Today's SaaStr insider originally aired on A-Players, a new podcast that teaches you how to hire, retain, and train top performers for your team! You can listen to A-Players on Anchor.fm, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Read the full transcript on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcasts-for-the-week-with-scott-belsky-robin-choy-and-jason-lemkin/

Success in the Enterprise means ensuring consumerization is a part of your strategy. Scott Belsky, CPO, EVP of Creative Cloud at Adobe will explore key tactics to focus on the user experience. This episode is an excerpt from a session at SaaStr Summit: Enterprise. Full video: https://youtu.be/FPMKXanghWM Podcast transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcasts-for-the-week-with-scott-belsky-robin-choy-and-jason-lemkin/

Hilary Headlee is Head of Global Sales Operations and Enablement @ Zoom. Prior to joining Zoom, Hilary was VP of Global Sales Operations and Productivity @ MindBody and before that enjoyed similar roles with Alteryx, Invoca and Lynda.com. At Lynda.com, Hilary grew the support teams from 6 to 60 people and supported more than 60 net new reps in just 3 years. If that was not enough, Hilary is also a Limited Partner in Stage 2 Capital, the venture firm focused purely on go-to-market.   In Today's Episode We Discuss: How did Hilary make her way into the world of SaaS and come to be the sales leader she is today with the global communications leader, Zoom? When thinking about sales ops vs revenue ops, what are the 4 key points to consider for founders? How does lead management and onboarding alter the question of sales ops vs revenue ops? Where does Hilary see operational debt the most? How does she advise founders on removing it?     Given the broad scope of sales ops and engagement, is it not just rebalancing culture, comms and change? As a business scales does there not come a time where it unbundles and scales out of sales vs revenue ops? How do the roles change with time and scale? Where do the breakpoints occur?  Why does Hilary believe documentation is so important today? What is the toolset Hilary uses for documentation? How does Hilary train her team around the right strategy to document their processes? Where do many go wrong here? Where can you pick up small wins?    Hilary's 60 Second SaaStr: What is the hardest element of Hilary's role today with Zoom? What would Hilary most like to change in the world of SaaS today?  What does Hilary believe that most around him disbelieve?  Read the full transcript on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-367-with-zoom-head-of-global-sales-operations-and-enablement-hilary-headlee/ If you would like to find out more about the show and the guests presented, you can follow us on Twitter here: Jason Lemkin Harry Stebbings SaaStr

The buzz that accompanies digital transformation trends is infinite. Cut through the noise with Aaron Levie, CEO of Box and Jason Lemkin, CEO & Co-founder of SaaStr as they share insights on what will make a lasting impact and what may fail to materialize in the future of work. This episode is an excerpt from Jason and Aaron's session at SaaStr Summit: Enterprise. Full video: https://youtu.be/vBQR7G6YHFQ Podcast transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcasts-for-the-week-with-justin-bedecarre-jen-nguyen-jason-lemkin-and-aaron-levie/

Centralized HQs with all the perks and amenities "under one roof" have traditionally been used as recruiting tools to attract and retain top talent. In this episode, Justin and Jen discuss what the Office of the Future will be like.  This episode is an excerpt from a session at SaaStr Summit: Enterprise.  Full video: https://youtu.be/dT04zc22ZH4 Podcast transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcasts-for-the-week-with-justin-bedecarre-jen-nguyen-jason-lemkin-and-aaron-levie/

Kyle Parrish is the Head of Sales @ Figma, the company that helps teams create, test and ship better designs from start to finish. To date the company has raised over $132M in financing from some of the best in the business including Sequoia, a16z, Index, Greylock and Kleiner Perkins to name a few. As for Kyle, prior to Figma he spent over 5 years at Dropbox achieving some incredible milestones including launching and scaling the Austin, Texas office from 3 to 80 people and being responsible for growing Dropbox's leading partner ecosystem. Before Figma, Kyle spent close to 3 years as an Account Executive at ADP.   In Today's Episode We Discuss: How Kyle made his way into the world of SaaS and sales and came to be Head of Sales at one of the fastest-growing companies in Figma? Kyle was in charge of creating the Austin, Texas sales team @ Dropbox, what were some of his biggest lessons when it comes to moving sales outside of HQ? What worked? What did not work? At what stage does culture and process really start to break?     Why is it so hard moving from 0-1 in sales? How does Kyle advise founders when it comes to making your first sales hire? Does Kyle agree that it has to be the founder who develops the sales playbook? How does one create sales targets that are both ambitious but also achievable? What is the balance?  What does it take to create a performance led sales culture? Where do many people go wrong here? How is the best way for sales and product to work together? What can one do to proactively make those discussions with sales and product both frequent and productive?    Kyle's 60 Second SaaStr: What is the hardest element of Kyle's role today with Figma? What would Kyle most like to change in the world of SaaS today?  What does Kyle believe that most around him disbelieve?  Read the full transcript on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-364-with-figma-head-of-sales-kyle-parrish/ If you would like to find out more about the show and the guests presented, you can follow us on Twitter here: Jason Lemkin Harry Stebbings SaaStr Kyle Parrish The future of work is here and digital automation is now essential for today's workforce. Tools have improved, but companies are STILL using outdated and manual processes to conduct business. Enter Pipefy. Pipefy is a workflow management software that makes business processes such as purchasing, onboarding, and recruiting—hassle-free, so requesters, processors and managers are more efficient. Pipefy seamlessly integrates with other tools in your toolchain to ensure a completely automated experience with a low to no code implementation. Dispersed or remote team members? NO PROBLEM! Pipefy can automate your requests from anywhere. Scroll over to pipefy.com/saastr to try it out and get 10% off your first 3 months. Empower your teams everywhere with Pipefy.

Small, Medium, or Enterprise, SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin sits down with Shopify Plus GM, Loren Padelford, to discuss how to keep your customers happy at all stages. This episode is an excerpt from Jason and Loren's session at SaaStr Summit: Enterprise. Full video: https://youtu.be/kQPjPiVbcqk Podcast transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcasts-for-the-week-with-bernadette-nixon-jay-snyder-nick-mehta-loren-padelford-and-jason-lemkin/

Customers' expectations are higher than ever with more access to information and options. This dynamic trio of SaaS experts share how to stay customer-centric and set yourself apart in today's rapidly changing environment. This episode is an excerpt from a session at SaaStr Summit: Enterprise.  Full video: https://youtu.be/DNMId8gYj80 Podcast transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcasts-for-the-week-with-bernadette-nixon-jay-snyder-nick-mehta-loren-padelford-and-jason-lemkin/

Lara Caimi is the Chief Customer and Partner Officer @ ServiceNow, the company that allows you the power to make work, work better. Prior to their IPO, ServiceNow raised funding from some of the best in the business including Sequoia Capital and Greylock. As for Lara, she joined ServiceNow in 2017 and spent 3 years as Chief Strategy Officer before assuming her current role just this month. Before ServiceNow Lara spent an incredible 17 years at Bain & Co across a variety of different projects and roles.  In Today's Episode We Discuss: How Lara made her way into the world of ServiceNow and SaaS having spent an incredible 17 years at Bain & Co? What does the role of Chief Strategy Officer really entail? How did the role change in Lara's 3 years in the position? What is the optimal relationship between the Chief Strategy Officer and the CEO? How does Lara advise founders on when to hire their Chief Customer Officer?   How does Lara see the 4 phases of startup growth? What are the most challenging elements within each? How does one instil process and discipline without losing agility and speed? How does one set targets that are a stretch but also not a stretch too far? What is the right balance?  How does Lara think about what great change management looks like today? How does that change in a COVID world? How does Lara approach the right way to address enterprise customer communications? Why has that been made easier in COVID times?   Lara's 60 Second SaaStr: What would Lara most like to change in the world of SaaS today? What is the hardest element of Lara's role with ServiceNow today? The biggest surprise for Lara internally since the start of COVID?  Read the full transcript on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-361-with-servicenow-chief-customer-and-partner-officer-lara-caimi/ If you would like to find out more about the show and the guests presented, you can follow us on Twitter here: Jason Lemkin Harry Stebbings SaaStr The future of work is here and digital automation is now essential for today's workforce. Tools have improved, but companies are STILL using outdated and manual processes to conduct business. Enter Pipefy. Pipefy is a workflow management software that makes business processes such as purchasing, onboarding, and recruiting—hassle-free, so requesters, processors and managers are more efficient. Pipefy seamlessly integrates with other tools in your toolchain to ensure a completely automated experience with a low to no code implementation. Dispersed or remote team members? NO PROBLEM! Pipefy can automate your requests from anywhere. Scroll over to pipefy.com/saastr to try it out and get 10% off your first 3 months. Empower your teams everywhere with Pipefy.

Digital transformation marks a radical rethinking of how companies use tech, people, and operations to fundamentally change their business performance. Coupa CEO, Rob Bernshteyn, and SaaStr CEO, Jason Lemkin, will discuss how the Cloud has changed in 2020. This episode is an excerpt from Jason and Rob's session at SaaStr Summit: Enterprise. Full video: https://youtu.be/t9sSY6owgTo Podcast transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcasts-for-the-week-with-matt-garratt-trisha-price-david-schmaier-rob-bernshteyn-and-jason-lemkin/

From strategies in recruitment and team building to sales tactics, these leaders from Salesforce, nCino, and Vlocity, will discuss the top tips for moving beyond horizontal SaaS and building a billion-dollar SaaS company. Matt Garratt, SVP, Managing Partner, Salesforce Ventures Trisha Price, Chief Product Officer, nCino David Schmaier, CEO & Founder, Vlocity This episode is an excerpt from a session at SaaStr Summit: Enterprise. Full video: https://youtu.be/ZxmCVOTW1lQ Podcast transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcasts-for-the-week-with-matt-garratt-trisha-price-david-schmaier-rob-bernshteyn-and-jason-lemkin/

Chen Amit is the Founder & CEO @ Tipalti, the only global payable automation platform that scales with you and now remitting $5Bn annually across 3M suppliers. To date, Chen has raised over $146M with Tipalti from the likes of Oren Zeev, Dan Rose, Mike Chalfen and then Greenspring, Truebridge and 01 Advisors to name a few. Previously, Chen was CEO of Atrica, acquired by Nokia-Siemens. He also was co-founder and CEO of Verix. At ECI Telecom, Chen founded its ADSL business unit and led it from inception to $100 million in annual sales.   In Today's Episode We Discuss: How Chen made his way into the world of SaaS and came to found the leader in account payables with Tipalti? Why does Chen believe so much of his success is derived from saying no to customers? How does Chen determine which customer feedback to ingest vs to reject? If rejected, how can startups do this in a polite and respectful way? How can startups give the appearance of a large company to enterprises?    Given the infinite supply of capital, how does Chen think about unit economics? How does Chen think the right way to calculate LTV is? Where do many go wrong? What can we learn from Amazon when it comes to LTV? How does Chen advise founders to think about annual dollar churn?  How does Chen think about optimising pricing models today? How can SaaS companies have variable pricing mechanisms without disincentivizing usage? How does Chen think about aligning revenue scale to your customers? How can this be done? What are the benefits?   Chen's 60 Second SaaStr: What is the hardest element of Chen's role today with Tipalti? What would Chen most like to change in the world of SaaS today?  What does Chen believe that most around him disbelieve?  Read the full transcript on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-358-with-tipalti-founder-ceo-chen-amit/ If you would like to find out more about the show and the guests presented, you can follow us on Twitter here: Jason Lemkin Harry Stebbings SaaStr The future of work is here and digital automation is now essential for today's workforce. Tools have improved, but companies are STILL using outdated and manual processes to conduct business. Enter Pipefy. Pipefy is a workflow management software that makes business processes such as purchasing, onboarding, and recruiting—hassle-free, so requesters, processors and managers are more efficient. Pipefy seamlessly integrates with other tools in your toolchain to ensure a completely automated experience with a low to no code implementation. Dispersed or remote team members? NO PROBLEM! Pipefy can automate your requests from anywhere. Scroll over to pipefy.com/saastr to try it out and get 10% off your first 3 months. Empower your teams everywhere with Pipefy.

Therese Tucker breaks through the dogma behind what it takes to build a successful tech company. With stories based on the founding of BlackLine — to the company's successful IPO – you'll learn the most common myths behind success and why they may be holding you back. This episode is an excerpt from Therese's session at SaaStr Annual 2018.  Full video: https://youtu.be/fKptGJZcfFk Podcast transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-357-with-blackline-ceo-founder-therese-tucker-busting-the-myths-about-startup-success/

Pete Kazanjy is the Co-Founder @ Atrium, the startup providing proactive, always-on insights for sales operations, managers, and leaders. Stop asking questions. Start getting answers. Alongside Atrium, Pete is also the Founder of Modern Sales Pros, a community of 15,000 focused on sales operations and sales management. Pete is also the author of Founding Sales, the canonical writing on early-stage startup sales. Prior to founding Atrium, Pete founded TalentBin, culminating in their exit to Monster Worldwide in February 2014. Finally, before TalentBin, Pete founded Honestly.com building the world's first professional reputation clearinghouse and raising funding from CRV and First Round in the process.   In Today's Episode We Discuss: How Pete made his way into the world of SaaS and how he came to be one of the leading figures on sales operations and management that he is today? Why do founders have to sell the product themselves at the start? When is the right time to hire their first sales reps? What profiles should founders look for in these first reps? What are the most common mistakes founders make when hiring their first reps? How should they structure their comp plans?    How do the best onboard their sales reps? What can be done to minimise ramp time of new reps? How is the documentation used most effectively? How can sales calls be used for new rep onboarding? How does Pete think about optimising payback period on a per rep basis?  What are the leading indicators that a sales rep is successful? What are the core metrics founders should measure to determine the effectiveness of their reps and sales teams? How does this differ between SMB and enterprise? What are the challenges with enterprise given the long sales cycles?  Pete's 60 Second SaaStr: Hardest element of Pete's role today with Atrium? What would Pete most like to change in the world of SaaS? What sales leader does Pete most respect and why? Read the full transcript on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-356-with-atrium-co-founder-pete-kazanjy/ If you would like to find out more about the show and the guests presented, you can follow us on Twitter here: Jason Lemkin Harry Stebbings SaaStr Pete Kazanjy

Despite the global pandemic, seed investing remains hyperactive amongst VCs. Satya Patel of Homebrew shares his expert advice on how to raise seed capital in 2020.  This episode is an excerpt from Satya's session at SaaStr Summit: The New New in Venture.  Full video: https://youtu.be/xXNLUKzcESg Podcast transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-355-with-homebrew-partner-satya-patel-the-ppp-you-really-need-for-raising-capital-during-a-pandemic/

Whether you've just raised your first round or are in hypergrowth mode, here are the 10 things SaaStr CEO and Founder, Jason Lemkin, wishes his board and investors had told him.  Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/10-things-wish-board-vcs-told/

Keith Rabois (Paypal, Linkedin, Square) and SaaStr Founder Jason Lemkin talk about the landscape of SaaS & Cloud fundraising and valuation in 2020.  This episode is an excerpt from Keith and Jason's session at SaaStr Summit: The New New in Venture. Full video: https://youtu.be/KxTZfx_QpjY Podcast transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcasts-for-the-week-with-keith-rabois-and-jason-lemkin/

Decacorns ($10B+ valuation) are everywhere in SaaS, despite the downturn.  SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin discusses what the new landscape of SaaS means for you in 2020.  Read the full transcript on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcasts-for-the-week-with-chris-oneill-and-jason-lemkin/

Chris O'Neill (Google, Evernote) shares his lessons from previous downturns and how to chart a new course for growth in today's changing market. This episode is an excerpt from Chris's session at SaaStr Summit: The New New in Venture.   Full video: https://youtu.be/ZYdcMpAFQas Podcast transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcasts-for-the-week-with-chris-oneill-and-jason-lemkin/

Neha Sampat is the Founder and CEO @ Contentstack, a modern content management system bringing business and tech teams together to deliver personalised, omnichannel experiences. Atypical in our world, but Neha scaled the business to well over $1M in ARR before raising funding. Now Neha has raised over $31M from the likes of Insight Partners and Illuminate. Prior to Contentstack, Neha was the Founder and CEO @ Built.io and before that spent 10 years as the Founder and CEO @ Raw Engineering, building a leading digital transformation consultancy.  In Today's Episode We Discuss: How did Neha make her way into the world of SaaS and content management systems having previously built a digital transformation agency? How the heck did Neha scaled Contentstack to over $1M in ARR without raising capital, whilst being based in the Bay? What were the signals that made Neha realise she had a scalable software business? What did Neha look for in her first seed round investors? How did that profile change when she went out to raise the Series A?   How has being a sommelier helped Neha break the glass ceiling of business? What are some lessons Neha has learned in terms of build true and genuine relationships with customers beyond the transaction? What are the counter-intuitive strategies Neha has found works when it comes to motivating remote teams? Why did Neha decide to build out so much of the tech team well outside of the Bay in a town outside of Mumbai? Does Neha believe the future of tech is in the valley or decentralised?   Neha's 60 Second SaaStr: Neha's biggest strength and biggest weakness as a leader? What does Neha believe that many around her do not? The biggest obstacle to the success Neha has achieved?   Read the full transcript on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-350-with-contentstack-founder-ceo-neha-sampat/   If you would like to find out more about the show and the guests presented, you can follow us on Twitter here: Jason Lemkin Harry Stebbings SaaStr Neha Sampat

Startups can get messy. Especially in growth. David Sacks (Yammer, PayPal) shares how to navigate from 50-500 employees. This episode is an excerpt from David's session at SaaStr Summit: The New New in Venture.  Full video: https://youtu.be/G0sMviH3G24 Podcast transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-349-with-craft-ventures-general-partner-david-sacks-how-to-turn-your-saas-startup-into-an-army/

Kurt Muehmel is the Chief Customer Officer @ Dataiku, the platform democratizing access to data and enabling enterprises to build their own path to AI in a human-centric way. To date, the company has raised over $146M in funding from some of the best in the business including ICONIQ, Firstmark, Battery Ventures and CapitalG to name a few. As for Kurt, he joined the company over 5 years ago and has risen from AE to VP EMEA to VP Sales Engineering to today as Chief Customer Officer. Before Dataiku, Kurt spent 5 years at Deloitte as a Manager advising primarily European public authorities on sustainable development policies.  In Today's Episode We Discuss: How Kurt made his way into the world of enterprise SaaS with Dataiku having started his career at Deloitte in Paris? What does it take to go from 0-1 in implementing both AI and data science disciplines in 20th-century companies? Where do many go wrong with their first steps? How can one assist them in the right way? How does Kurt feel about services revenue? At what stage or ratio does it become too much?  How does Kurt approach the challenge of change management? What does great change management look like? Where do so many go wrong? How can content be used to efficiently scale change management practices? How does one need to engage different teams for effective change management?  How does Kurt think about the right pricing mechanism for the customer today? How does one find a mechanism that does not disincentivize the customer with usage? How does Kurt feel about discounting? To what extent is Kurt and Dataiku willing to engage with pilots and POCs? Where do many go wrong here?  Kurt's 60 Second SaaStr: Biggest challenge of Kurt's role with Dataiku today? What does Kurt know now that he wishes he had known when he entered the world of SaaS? Who does Kurt look up to in the world of customer experience? Why? Read the full transcript on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-348-with-dataiku-chief-customer-officer-kurt-muehmel/   If you would like to find out more about the show and the guests presented, you can follow us on Twitter here: Jason Lemkin Harry Stebbings SaaStr Kurt Muehmel

Ready to hire your first VP Sales?  But haven't done it before? SaaStr CEO, Jason Lemkin shares his interview checklist.  Video and blog post: https://www.saastr.com/10-great-questions-to-ask-a-vp-sales-during-an-interview-2/

Aileen Lee is a U.S. seed investor. A venture capital investor, she is the founder of Cowboy Ventures. Lee coined the often-used Silicon Valley term unicorn in a TechCrunch article "Welcome To The Unicorn Club: Learning from Billion-Dollar Startups." In this episode of the SaaStr podcast, Aileen and SaaStr Founder Jason Lemkin take a deep dive on how Aileen finds deals, her tips for a winning pitch, and the state of VC in 2020.  This episode is an excerpt from Aileen and Jason's session at SaaStr Summit: The New New in Venture. Full video: https://youtu.be/J5bhChbqcLU Podcast transcript: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcasts-for-the-week-with-aileen-lee-and-jason-lemkin/

Julie Herendeen is the CMO @ PagerDuty, the real-time operations platform ensuring less downtime and fewer outages, meaning happier customers and more productive teams. Prior to their IPO in 2019 PagerDuty raised funding from some of the best in the business including Accel, a16z, Baseline, Bessemer and Harrison Metal to name a few. As for Julie, prior to PagerDuty she was Vice President of Global Marketing @ Dropbox. Before Dropbox Julie was CMO @ Lookout and before Lookout, Julie enjoyed VP roles at both Yahoo and Shutterfly. If that was not enough, alongside her role at PagerDuty today Julie is also an angel with Broadway Angels and a Board Member @ Hubspot.   In Today's Episode We Discuss: How Julie made her way from the world of consumer into the world of enterprise and came to be CMO @ PagerDuty today? What were some of Julie's biggest lessons from her time as VP Global Marketing at Dropbox? Does Julie believe that marketing should be held accountable to a number tied directly to revenue? How does Julie believe sales and marketing should work in unison? How can sales be involved in pipeline generation meetings? Should AEs make themselves responsible for sourcing new leads also? What does the ideal handoff look like?  How does Julie see the best marketing and product teams working together? What can marketing do to collect the most valuable data to inform product decisions? In what forum should they be relayed to product teams? How should product and marketing leaders interact most efficiently?  How does Julie think about the relationship of customer success and marketing? Does Julie agree that with the increasing amount of marketing content used post-sale, marketing is doing much of the work of CS? Where does Julie see many going wrong when investing heavily into thought leadership and content marketing? Julie's 60 Second SaaStr: Which marketing leader does Julie most respect and why? What would Julie most like to change about the world of SaaS today? What is the optimal relationship between the CEO and the CMO? Read the full transcript on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-345-with-pagerduty-cmo-julie-herendeen/   If you would like to find out more about the show and the guests presented, you can follow us on Twitter here: Jason Lemkin Harry Stebbings SaaStr Julie Herendeen

Given that so many VC pitches are over Zoom now, we thought it would be worth sharing the things it's easy to get wrong when pitching investors. Pitching VCs is like anything.  You'll get better at it over time.  Later, you'll even get great at it.  Once you know how it works, it's not even that hard to knock it out of the park. But until then, so many founders make unforced errors.   Rookie errors.  Here are 16 that you can easily avoid / fix right now today. Read the full transcript on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-344-with-saastr-founder-jason-lemkin/

On today's episode, Christoph shares his five tips for fundraising during a pandemic.  Have a clear COVID-19 assessment  Start with an extra-long "long list" Disqualify ruthlessly Have a killer deck  Build trust remotely  Christoph has invested in more than 20 SaaS startups and lives and breathes SaaS, everything from "A as in AI-enhanced B2B software" to "Z as in Zendesk". Christoph co-founded Point Nine Capital in 2011. Before that, he co-founded two Internet startups (DealPilot.com in 1997 and Pageflakes in 2005). In 2008 he became an angel investor and discovered Zendesk, Clio, FreeAgent – and his love for SaaS. You can find the podcast transcript on our blog: https://www.saastr.com/saastr-podcast-343-with-point-nine-capital-managing-partner-christoph-janz/ This episode is an excerpt from Christoph's session at SaaStr Summit: The New New in Venture. You can see the full video here: https://youtu.be/2VGglwbl_Gs