Tom Tunguz

AUGUST 14, 2022

The company’s leadership should calculate sales efficiency on the combined OTE (on-target earnings) to quota ratio of these teams. Most startups operate between 0.15-0.25. Top startups will record 200-300% NDR as PLG becomes a dominant go-to-market strategy. A land AE with a $300k OTE might have a $600k quota.

Startup 282

Startup Construction Sales Compensation 282

SaaStr

APRIL 6, 2024

Dear SaaStr: What Will Venture Capitalists Do if Our Startup is a Loss? Bill said] ‘most startups do fail, so the odds were that Fanbase would fail , not succeed. Especially, if you’ve only raise one VC round or so. appeared first on SaaStr.

Startup 214

Startup Investment Leadership 214

SaaStr

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

Dear SaaStr: What is The Biggest Difference Between Running a 10 Person Startup and a 100 Person Startup? VP of Nothing image from here ) A related post here: What Your First 100 Hires Will Look Like The post Dear SaaStr: What is The Biggest Difference Between Running a 10 Person Startup and a 100 Person Startup?

Sales Hiring 257

Sales Hiring Startup Scale Scaling 257

SaaStr

OCTOBER 2, 2023

Dear SaaStr: What Happens if One Founder Wants to Quit When the Startup Has Just Raised VC Funding? options: Find a replacement “founder” While this isn’t literally possible, by that I meant someone who can operate at a very senior role and carry the founder-level emotional and leadership role. Basically, you have 2.5

Startup 216

Startup Banking Leadership Engineering 216

Intercom, Inc.

OCTOBER 26, 2020

Our Chairman and Co-founder, Eoghan McCabe , sat down for a chat with Harry Stebbings on the Twenty Minute VC podcast to discuss his startup journey and the lessons he learned while building Intercom. What distinguishes good leadership from bad? So it’s scary, but it’s so rewarding.”. It’s not enduring.”.

Leadership 211

Leadership Scale SMB Innovation 211

SaaStr

MARCH 5, 2022

The life of a startup is not a smooth ride. Everything your business encounters is not of equal importance, and it’s the role of leadership to choose the right path — even if that sometimes means focusing on fewer and more impactful things. Know when to diversify leadership.

Startup 234

Startup Leadership Innovation Scaling 234

SaaStr

JANUARY 26, 2024

Dear SaaStr: What Was Your Biggest Early Days Mistake In Your Startups? But I’d have to say in both my startups, the biggest mistake was not taking the time in the beginning to get the founding team right. I survived this in both of my startups. Boy it’s tough to pick just one mistake. This is tough. You want to go, go, go.

Startup 201

Startup Leadership 201

SaaStr

APRIL 8, 2024

Dear SaaStr: Why Do VC Backed Startups Seem To Almost Always Be Running Out of Money? Better too few great ones than too many not quite great ones: (image from here ) The post Dear SaaStr: Why Do VC Backed Startups Seem To Almost Always Be Running Out of Money? And so the money goes far, far faster than anticipated.

Sales Hiring 181

Sales Hiring Scale Startup Venture Capital 181

SaaStr

FEBRUARY 10, 2024

Dear SaaStr: How Big of a Return Are VCs Looking For in a Startup? jasonlk) June 17, 2023 The post Dear SaaStr: How Big of a Return Are VCs Looking For in a Startup? For Angel, Pre-Seed: At least 50x, with a possible chance of mode. The loss rate in general is so high here, the winners have to do 50x. appeared first on SaaStr.

Venture Capital 219

Venture Capital Startup Investment Leadership 219

Tom Tunguz

MARCH 19, 2020

Speaking with startups, I’ve collected a list of disciplines that are going to become very important in the next period. If a meaningful fraction of customers no longer pay the balance of their annual contract on the renewal date, then your startup’s cash flows will worsen. Sixth, leadership.

Startup 200

Startup SaaS Payments Payment Services Payment Methods 200

SaaStr

SEPTEMBER 29, 2023

This showcases a narrow segment of a niche market, and it’s missing a lot of startups. Any startup in any reasonable category likely has dozens of competitors, and Altman believes the best strategy to compete in 2023 and beyond is multi-product. Startups are no longer fringe. How can a startup compete with a big company?

Scale 214

Scale Scaling Startup Sales Hiring 214

SaaStr

SEPTEMBER 29, 2023

Dear SaaStr: Is It Ridiculous To Call Yourself the CEO When Your Startup is Tiny? I used to look at tiny little startups and wince when a founder went around talking about himself as “CEO”. note: an updated SaaStr Classic answer) The post Dear SaaStr: Is It Ridiculous To Call Yourself the CEO When Your Startup is Tiny?

Startup 270

Startup Innovation Customer Success Retention 270

Kellblog

JULY 17, 2022

In general, I think branding is a potential marketing rathole for startups, particularly early-stage ones. Some startups put the cart in front of the horse. In this post, I’ll use a six-point branding framework and share my thoughts on how each element applies (or doesn’t) to startups. For startups, fewer is better.

Branding 132

Branding Startup Software Sales Recruiting 132

TechEmpower SaaS

AUGUST 21, 2023

The explanation from software leadership is often unsatisfying or unclear. Outgrowing your stack: Your tech stack was just right for your startup. Process and Team Review It’s easy for development teams, especially startup teams, to cut process corners in the name of shipping features. Will they resent scrutiny from the outside?

Technical Review 390

Technical Review Software Review Development Team Review Systems Review 390

SaaStr

OCTOBER 16, 2023

Dear SaaStr: Why Do Many Startup CEOs Quit After Their Companies Are Acquired? I left my first startup after 20 days, post-acquisition. Acquirers should recognize this and turn the CEOs into 50%-time consultants and “non-executive chairpeople” of their startups, until the help isn’t needed anymore. That can be tough.

Startup 221

Startup Consulting Acquisition Retention 221

SaaStr

JULY 15, 2023

Dear SaaStr: Who Should Approve Startup CEO Expenses ? In a startup, the reality is a CEO can probably do almost anything they want — up to a point. More here: Founders: Get Your Comp Package Approved By Your Board of Directors The post Dear SaaStr: Who Should Approve Startup CEO Expenses? Transparency builds trust.

Startup 172

Startup Finance Compensation Leadership 172

Intercom, Inc.

AUGUST 15, 2018

He had to quickly determine which team members displayed a potential for leadership and teach them the fundamentals of management so they could make new hires and scale – without ruining the culture. I hosted Nick on the podcast, where we discussed the differences between management and leadership, fostering diversity in tech, and more.

Leadership 141

Leadership Engineering Part-Time VPE CTO Coach 141

SaaStr

SEPTEMBER 27, 2023

Dear SaaStr: What Are The Biggest Problems You Face as a Startup Founder? Later, once you have a brand, you’ll be competing with Hot Startups nipping at your heals for top VPs. Some of us can go the distance as solo founders, and others of us can find a great co-founder, or perhaps a COO … later. This challenge never ends.

Sales Recruiting 238

Sales Recruiting Sales Hiring Startup Scale 238

SaaStr

JANUARY 1, 2024

Dear SaaStr: Why Would I Start a Startup if I Only Have a 5% Chance of Succeeding? s The post Dear SaaStr: Why Would I Start a Startup if I Only Have a 5% Chance of Succeeding? Don’t do it. With both my start-ups (maybe three, if you count SaaStr and SaaStr Fund) … I was 100% sure we’d succeed. And I was 99% wrong once I got into it.

Startup 200

Startup Revenue SaaS Marketing 200

SaaStr

JULY 16, 2023

Dear SaaStr: Do Late Stage Startups Prefer to Get Acquired or Go Public? And a ways back we had an amazing deep dive on this, right after SAP bought Qualtrics for $8 Billion just before the IPO: (note: an updated SaaStr Classic answer) The post Dear SaaStr: Do Late Stage Startups Prefer to Get Acquired or Go Public? It really varies.

Startup 213

Startup Acquisition Pricing SaaS 213

SaaStr

OCTOBER 13, 2022

Dear SaaStr: What Are The Benefits of Having Your Own Startup? This is a subtle but huge benefit of having your own startup. Yes, startups take their toll on you. The post Dear SaaStr: What Are The Benefits of Having Your Own Startup? Few things are harder than being a CEO, once you have something. Some meta-thoughts.

Startup 226

Startup Innovation Education Engagement 226

SaaStr

DECEMBER 10, 2023

As Chief Evangelist, Udi oversees Gong’s market leadership through new product launches and thought leadership. Passionate about startups and brands during the day, whisky, music, and social activism at night, Udi is also an author, speaker, mentor, angel investor, board director, and advisor based in San Francisco.

Leadership 290

Leadership B2B Branding Revenue 290

SaaStr

OCTOBER 6, 2023

If you’re a seed-stage startup, Michael shares the best ways for you to present your company to startup investors. They could talk about how they were starving startup founders who couldn’t pay their rent. If this is week two of your startup, you probably don’t have any traction. Let’s go back to Airbnb. Don’t include it.

Payment Methods 205

Payment Methods Startup Payment Solutions Sales Hiring 205

SaaStr

NOVEMBER 24, 2023

Dear SaaStr: How Hard is it For a Startup founder/CEO to Settle Into a non-CEO Role After an Acquisition? The post Dear SaaStr: How Hard is it For a Startup founder/CEO to Settle Into a non-CEO Role After an Acquisition? It is tough for most of us. We get that the bureaucracy and frictional taxes are going to go up. And roll with it.

Acquisition 220

Acquisition Startup Engagement Leadership 220

SaaStr

AUGUST 26, 2021

You need startup folks to succeed at a startup. Many startup folks have no idea how to work at scale. It’s a reminder the same is true of SaaS startups. Folks that know startups, and what it takes to put those initial points on the board. This is really the only way most startup folks can really scale.

Sales Hiring 285

Sales Hiring Scale Startup Scaling 285

SaaStr

JANUARY 16, 2023

To convert an idea into a successful venture, startups need to be equipped to scale. Hiring a reliable team is an all-encompassing issue where startups dive in head-first but fail to optimize it for success. . Hiring a reliable team is an all-encompassing issue where startups dive in head-first but fail to optimize it for success. .

Scale 186

Scale CTO Hire Cloud Scaling 186

Intercom, Inc.

NOVEMBER 9, 2021

. “You grow into the big, bloated company once you stop being a startup” This talk I gave at Web Summit 2021 is about pushing back against that. Here, I dive into how to remain a startup, what to look out for as you scale, and how to grow up without growing old. The key takeaway?

Startup 257

Startup Scaling Innovation Marketing 257

Sales Hacker

AUGUST 11, 2023

Ang shares her 5 P’s of Sales Leadership: Professionalism Preparation Process Performance Play More on these below. Sara So, Ang, I’m curious what drew you to Sales Leadership originally? If I had to pick a moment, it was in the early 2000s when I joined a startup specializing in enhancing online visibility for small businesses.

Scale 63

Scale Leadership Sales Hiring Sales 63

SaaStr

JUNE 6, 2023

Dear SaaStr: How Much Vacation is Normal for an Early Stage Startup CEO? vacation image from here ) The post Dear SaaStr: How Much Vacation is Normal for an Early Stage Startup CEO? I’ve gotten worse at this. I think many of us have. appeared first on SaaStr.

Startup 182

Startup Management Business Leadership 182

SaaStr

JULY 12, 2023

Dear SaaStr: What’s Your Recommendation for Vacations for a Founder CEO of a Tech Startup? A deeper dive and related post here : The post Dear SaaStr: What’s Your Recommendation for Vacations for a Founder CEO of a Tech Startup? Always take them. And I mean — normal, full vacations. By that, I mean, a full week.

Startup 193

Startup Customer Support Management Leadership 193

SaaStr

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

Dear SaaStr: Why Do So Many Startups Burn Through So Much Cash? The post Dear SaaStr: Why Do So Many Startups Burn Through So Much Cash? Competition. For most software / internet companies, the gross margins approach 80%. That means for every $10 you bring in, you get to keep at least $8 for payroll, etc. after paying off expenses.

Startup 224

Startup Branding Revenue Pricing 224

OpenView Labs

DECEMBER 15, 2021

An entrepreneur with more than twenty years of startup experience, Godard has seen his share of struggle and failure. And even when he achieved business success, he still battled the anxiety, fear, and depression that is par for the course in the startup arena. . What is Conscious Leadership? Starting with Self Awareness.

Leadership 73

Leadership Entrepreneurship Consulting Engagement 73

Tom Tunguz

DECEMBER 9, 2020

Linda’s professional journey has taken her across businesses of all sizes — from startups in hypergrowth mode to mature, multi-hundred million-dollar businesses. It was there that she felt inspired about the impact she could have on a startup, and from there she became a founding member at Tapjoy, and then, Nextbit.

Startup 246

Startup Management Systems Review Leadership 246

Kellblog

NOVEMBER 18, 2021

Is your leadership team world-class? Does your board think you have the right leadership team? Heck, does your leadership team think you have the right leadership team? new ARR), OKRs , or hiring goals — either in terms of number or quality (particularly when staffing their own leadership team).

Leadership 114

Leadership Underperforming Technical Team Sales Hiring Scale 114

SaaStr

DECEMBER 23, 2021

Q: Dear SaaStr: How Can I Develop Confidence as a Startup CEO? The post Dear SaaStr: How Can I Develop Confidence as a Startup CEO? We’ve all been there in the early days — and even beyond. You can have 1000% conviction in your start-up but still not be 100% confident in yourself as a CEO yet. It’s OK. It’s natural.

Underperforming Technical Team 264

Underperforming Technical Team Development Startup Leadership 264

SaaStr

DECEMBER 17, 2023

It allows us to deliver reminders, call summaries, suggested next steps, custom prompts and easy to follow workflows directly to our market facing teams and leadership. Momentum powers a ton of automations between SalesForce, Gong and Slack for us.

Scale 228

Scale AI Leadership Innovation 228

SaaStr

JUNE 28, 2023

As a founder of two different compound startups, each valued at above a billion dollars, he’s probably the best person in the world to share this alternative perspective. the compound startup. Conrad’s Compound Startup Playbook key takeaways are: The integration of the product.

Startup 199

Startup Software Sales Hiring Pricing 199