Expert insights. Personalized for you.
HubSpot raised 5 rounds of private funding, followed by an IPO. Not a single one of our pitches made any mention of an "exit strategy" There is a very simple reason for this: We never really had one. — dharmesh (@dharmesh) March 23, 2021. MORE
Battery Ventures recently put out its Software 2021 report with a ton of interesting learnings across the leaders in SaaS and Cloud. A few top takeaways: #1. Battery Ventures’ data says while VC investment $$$ are on fire — they aren’t going into more startups. MORE
Question @jasonlk @saastr to @ericsyuan @zoom_us why the #ads and billboards & the effect of brand on #sales cycle? link] pic.twitter.com/1CuQoc2rcf. — Harry Stebbings (@HarryStebbings) January 26, 2017. MORE
There can be nothing more frustrating in the middle-early days than when sales closes some great deal for say $125,000 a year … but you “knew” they could have gotten $200,000 if they just held the line on discounting. MORE
The biggest mistake folks make when they go to hire a VP of Sales is hiring a top AE that's never really built a team. Being the top rep at a SaaS company, as an IC, is a great and even necessary start. But it does not remotely prepare you to be a VP of Sales on its own. MORE
Q: How often do “VC Horror Stories” happen? . Here’s the thing. It doesn’t really happen as often anymore. At least — not the classic stories we’ve heard in the past. Not with larger, more successful funds at least. Now, I don’t mean that literally. MORE
Thank you @jasonlk for giving me the @saastr stage +4 yrs ago to share both my story & build @pagerduty 's brand … the Sunny Delight, solution to problem fit talk. We were <$50m ARR, & the audience was full of potential, now much larger @Saas customers! startups [link]. MORE
Zoom even at $100m ARR still felt like it was in a crowded market. So that’s not really an excuse pic.twitter.com/rUyeUzMKC6. — Jason BeKind Lemkin (@jasonlk) December 22, 2020. MORE
Q: What SaaS companies do you most admire? It’s best not to play favorites in SaaS. There are so many incredible SaaS companies these days. But I’ll make a short list of my some of my Most Admired — and why : Canva. MORE
We’ve hit some of these points before, but what are the Top 10 things I’d tell myself to do better, if I could go back in time? My top list: Slow down big decisions — when you aren’t sure. MORE
We all screw a lot of things up. But I think the biggest, #1, mistake successful first-time entrepreneurs in SaaS make time and time again these days is they micromanage too long. I see this again and again, and in SaaS, it’s a real lost opportunity. MORE
Your API. If you are a B2D company, it’s your product itself, your API. But for most B2B companies, your API, your partner programs, and the like are extensions. Not your core product, but an important layer for improving customer experience. MORE
The other day, a sales leader working asked me how I got to be “so good at sales.” ” I’m not. You might think so that after almost 3,000 answers on Quora, 300 blog posts, and 35,000 tweets. But I’m pretty bad at it. MORE
My time as an investor is really the first time I’ve ever worked with CEOs who weren’t formally (or at least, informally) trained as managers. My bosses all came up through the ranks. I went from Director to VP to Founder to CEO. MORE
A few years back, a very wise VC asked me what I thought about a small but scrappy competitor in the space of my last company, Adobe Sign / EchoSign. I told him I didn’t know the company that well, but from what I’d seen, some things might seem appealing. MORE
“I don’t want to meet [That VC]. I don’t need money now and it’s distracting.” ” — most founders, post Seed round. …… There’s a superpower some founders have. MORE
When you go to raise venture capital, if you are in the fortunate group of start-ups with access to venture capital, you’ll either have options (more than one VC wants to fund you), or you won’t. MORE
Salesforce’s biggest source of new revenue isn’t CRM or even support. It’s partners and platform. And it has been since 2017 or so! But that took time. MORE
Recently, I met with a great SaaS founder doing about $1.5m in ARR. She was telling me about her VP of Marketing who, in the Bay Area, she was paying $95,000. I was a bit skeptical. Because that’s rather low for a true VP out here in the Bay Area (see typical VP Marketing comp packages here ). MORE
Strong salespeople fail all the time in new roles. Good reps, that could otherwise do well, and have in the past. And it feels like it’s happening more often these days, when in tech at least, frictional unemployment approaches 0%. Why do good reps fail at a new role? MORE
We’ve done a lot of fun sessions together with Smartsheet over the years at SaaStr but haven’t taken a deep dive into its business. It’s an interesting one, with a very broad base of SMBs and a slow-and-steady path to going upmarket. MORE
Q: What is your top advice for a first time young entrepreneur? My top advice, in order: Take your time to find a great co-founder. Some of us can do it without a co-founder. If that’s you, ignore this point. But if you need one, take your time and don’t settle. MORE
Ah the VP of Sales. The toughest hire. Such a high failure rate. I want to help. So this is the third in our series. The first post is What a Great VP of Sales Actually Does. So you expect the right things, and hire your rockstar at the right time to do the right things. MORE
If I had 1 mentor, just 1, Who said: If you are at $10m ARR, Growing 100%, With 150% net revenue retention, With 80% viral and free lead acquisiton, And 50+ NPS, Then, You have already build a unicorn-in-waiting. If i'd had just 1. Find yours. MORE
In SaaS, #1 most common misfire, with a bullet, is the VP/head of sales. In fact, there’s a VC saying that I used to really hate. MORE
We did a deep dive on Google Cloud’s incredible numbers the other day here but there was one point in particular it’s worth doing a deep dive on. MORE
Really, there’s nothing I’ve done in my life that is harder than being a founder CEO. Nothing. It’s 100x harder than being a VP. Even if the actual work is easier. It’s 100x harder than being a VC. MORE
One privilege I get as part of mentoring and investing in a few dozen startups is a chance to work with first-time managers. The reality is, most start-ups are better off with a Stretch VP than a Never Did It But Has a Great LinkedIn VP. More on that here. MORE
Apologies to all those to whom this is already well known. But, I know many of you have never hired a head of marketing before. MORE
Q: Can the majority of a SaaS company’s revenues come from existing customers? Yes, especially once you are at scale. In fact, as you get bigger, it gets pretty common with bigger deals and in the enterprise. Let’s take some examples: #1. MORE
Q: What’s the biggest sales mistake you’ve ever made? I think the biggest sales mistake I’ve made at the CEO level is not being patient enough. As odd as that sounds. And I’ve made it at least thrice. #1. MORE
SaaStr
APRIL 10, 2021
Your API. If you are a B2D company, it’s your product itself, your API. But for most B2B companies, your API, your partner programs, and the like are extensions. Not your core product, but an important layer for improving customer experience.
SaaStr
APRIL 12, 2021
The biggest mistake folks make when they go to hire a VP of Sales is hiring a top AE that's never really built a team. Being the top rep at a SaaS company, as an IC, is a great and even necessary start. But it does not remotely prepare you to be a VP of Sales on its own.
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SaaStr
MARCH 30, 2021
“I don’t want to meet [That VC]. I don’t need money now and it’s distracting.” ” — most founders, post Seed round. …… There’s a superpower some founders have.
SaaStr
APRIL 2, 2021
We’ve hit some of these points before, but what are the Top 10 things I’d tell myself to do better, if I could go back in time? My top list: Slow down big decisions — when you aren’t sure.
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According to the 2020 Dresner Embedded Business Intelligence Market Study, embedded business intelligence is crucial for application success. This report explores the current state of BI and why application teams are increasingly choosing an embedded solution.
SaaStr
MARCH 20, 2021
Strong salespeople fail all the time in new roles. Good reps, that could otherwise do well, and have in the past. And it feels like it’s happening more often these days, when in tech at least, frictional unemployment approaches 0%. Why do good reps fail at a new role?
SaaStr
MARCH 19, 2021
Recently, I met with a great SaaS founder doing about $1.5m in ARR. She was telling me about her VP of Marketing who, in the Bay Area, she was paying $95,000. I was a bit skeptical. Because that’s rather low for a true VP out here in the Bay Area (see typical VP Marketing comp packages here ).
SaaStr
MARCH 31, 2021
UiPath is one of the most amazing not-really-an-overnight success stories in Cloud, SaaS and software.
SaaStr
MARCH 5, 2021
When you go to raise venture capital, if you are in the fortunate group of start-ups with access to venture capital, you’ll either have options (more than one VC wants to fund you), or you won’t.
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It’s no secret that general ledgers aren’t optimized for SaaS companies. Your QuickBooks or Xero Chart of Accounts is no different. The following Excel template is a sample Chart of Accounts that you can download and customize to fit your business needs.
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SaaStr
MARCH 27, 2021
There can be nothing more frustrating in the middle-early days than when sales closes some great deal for say $125,000 a year … but you “knew” they could have gotten $200,000 if they just held the line on discounting.
SaaStr
APRIL 5, 2021
A few years back, a very wise VC asked me what I thought about a small but scrappy competitor in the space of my last company, Adobe Sign / EchoSign. I told him I didn’t know the company that well, but from what I’d seen, some things might seem appealing.
SaaStr
APRIL 13, 2021
Thank you @jasonlk for giving me the @saastr stage +4 yrs ago to share both my story & build @pagerduty 's brand … the Sunny Delight, solution to problem fit talk. We were <$50m ARR, & the audience was full of potential, now much larger @Saas customers! startups [link].
SaaStr
MARCH 6, 2021
One privilege I get as part of mentoring and investing in a few dozen startups is a chance to work with first-time managers. The reality is, most start-ups are better off with a Stretch VP than a Never Did It But Has a Great LinkedIn VP. More on that here.
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Whether you're starting a new data initiative or benchmarking a current effort, this guide breaks down how to develop a coherent data strategy, avoid common pitfalls, and work with data consultants to improve business visibility and drive growth.
SaaStr
APRIL 11, 2021
Q: What is your top advice for a first time young entrepreneur? My top advice, in order: Take your time to find a great co-founder. Some of us can do it without a co-founder. If that’s you, ignore this point. But if you need one, take your time and don’t settle.
SaaStr
MARCH 3, 2021
Zoom even at $100m ARR still felt like it was in a crowded market. So that’s not really an excuse pic.twitter.com/rUyeUzMKC6. — Jason BeKind Lemkin (@jasonlk) December 22, 2020.
SaaStr
FEBRUARY 25, 2021
Ah the VP of Sales. The toughest hire. Such a high failure rate. I want to help. So this is the third in our series. The first post is What a Great VP of Sales Actually Does. So you expect the right things, and hire your rockstar at the right time to do the right things.
SaaStr
MARCH 25, 2021
The other day, a sales leader working asked me how I got to be “so good at sales.” ” I’m not. You might think so that after almost 3,000 answers on Quora, 300 blog posts, and 35,000 tweets. But I’m pretty bad at it.
Advertisement
Just as the tech industry revolves around innovation, so does technical recruiting. To advance their career by attracting top candidates in a competitive landscape, modern recruiters must commit to actively adapting and advancing their hiring strategies. This step-by-step guide is designed to provide technical recruiters with tips and tricks to achieve tangible results that accelerate their recruiting efforts—and career.
SaaStr
FEBRUARY 22, 2021
If I had 1 mentor, just 1, Who said: If you are at $10m ARR, Growing 100%, With 150% net revenue retention, With 80% viral and free lead acquisiton, And 50+ NPS, Then, You have already build a unicorn-in-waiting. If i'd had just 1. Find yours.
SaaStr
APRIL 12, 2021
Q: What is the highest % equity that a departed / non-working co-founder can own that VCs are comfortable with? Single digits.
SaaStr
FEBRUARY 22, 2021
We did a deep dive on Google Cloud’s incredible numbers the other day here but there was one point in particular it’s worth doing a deep dive on.
SaaStr
MARCH 23, 2021
My time as an investor is really the first time I’ve ever worked with CEOs who weren’t formally (or at least, informally) trained as managers. My bosses all came up through the ranks. I went from Director to VP to Founder to CEO.
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As a company that has onboarded thousands of clients, users, and projects over the past decade, Aysling has learned a handful of tips to streamline processes. With its award-winning support, they wanted to share their successful onboarding tips with all.
SaaStr
APRIL 1, 2021
Really, there’s nothing I’ve done in my life that is harder than being a founder CEO. Nothing. It’s 100x harder than being a VP. Even if the actual work is easier. It’s 100x harder than being a VC.
SaaStr
APRIL 13, 2021
Q: How often do “VC Horror Stories” happen? . Here’s the thing. It doesn’t really happen as often anymore. At least — not the classic stories we’ve heard in the past. Not with larger, more successful funds at least. Now, I don’t mean that literally.
SaaStr
MARCH 24, 2021
We all screw a lot of things up. But I think the biggest, #1, mistake successful first-time entrepreneurs in SaaS make time and time again these days is they micromanage too long. I see this again and again, and in SaaS, it’s a real lost opportunity.
SaaStr
MARCH 26, 2021
HubSpot raised 5 rounds of private funding, followed by an IPO. Not a single one of our pitches made any mention of an "exit strategy" There is a very simple reason for this: We never really had one. — dharmesh (@dharmesh) March 23, 2021.
Advertiser: Infinicept
Software companies are increasingly looking to move up in the payments food chain and play a bigger role. This whitepaper discusses where you'll fit in the chain, your cut of the revenue, and the benefits of becoming a payment facilitator.
SaaStr
FEBRUARY 11, 2021
In SaaS, #1 most common misfire, with a bullet, is the VP/head of sales. In fact, there’s a VC saying that I used to really hate.
SaaStr
APRIL 13, 2021
Q: What SaaS companies do you most admire? It’s best not to play favorites in SaaS. There are so many incredible SaaS companies these days. But I’ll make a short list of my some of my Most Admired — and why : Canva.
SaaStr
MARCH 29, 2021
Salesforce’s biggest source of new revenue isn’t CRM or even support. It’s partners and platform. And it has been since 2017 or so! But that took time.
SaaStr
MARCH 4, 2021
Apologies to all those to whom this is already well known. But, I know many of you have never hired a head of marketing before.
Advertiser: Data Robot
How are organizations using machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to derive business value? Renowned author and professor Tom Davenport explains the rise of automated machine learning, its benefits, and success stories from businesses that are already using it.
SaaStr
MARCH 19, 2021
We’ve done a lot of fun sessions together with Smartsheet over the years at SaaStr but haven’t taken a deep dive into its business. It’s an interesting one, with a very broad base of SMBs and a slow-and-steady path to going upmarket.
SaaStr
FEBRUARY 10, 2021
Question @jasonlk @saastr to @ericsyuan @zoom_us why the #ads and billboards & the effect of brand on #sales cycle? link] pic.twitter.com/1CuQoc2rcf. — Harry Stebbings (@HarryStebbings) January 26, 2017.
SaaStr
MARCH 23, 2021
Battery Ventures recently put out its Software 2021 report with a ton of interesting learnings across the leaders in SaaS and Cloud. A few top takeaways: #1. Battery Ventures’ data says while VC investment $$$ are on fire — they aren’t going into more startups.
SaaStr
APRIL 11, 2021
Q: What’s the biggest sales mistake you’ve ever made? I think the biggest sales mistake I’ve made at the CEO level is not being patient enough. As odd as that sounds. And I’ve made it at least thrice. #1.
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Download this whitepaper to learn what contextual analytics is, how BI platforms like Yellowfin revolutionize the way users discover insights from their data with native contextual analytics, and how it adds value to your software solution by elevating the user experience.
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