Dear SaaStr: Does a Big Exit Make You Happy? Well here in the SF Bay Area … we live in a strange place. Folks I know with “infinite” money sort of fall into 3 buckets: Category 1: Still Building Stuff. For Whatever Reason. In their DNA. This is...
So I hope you had a great December, added a great VP or two this year, won some bigger deals, and in general — you’re feeling good. And that you’ve even got a decent financial plan for next year already put in place. Even better! I hope so. After...
Dear SaaStr: What Are The Top 10 Things to Know Before Starting a SaaS Company? We’ve discussed most before individually, but let me throw ’em together: It may well take 24 months to get to true product-market fit and Initial Traction. If you budget any less,...
Dear SaaStr: Should I Call Myself a Owner, Founder, or CEO? CEO. Although, perhaps say it in a neutral tone, with no bravado. I always thought the title was a bit silly when running tiny start-ups. But I missed an important point: Customers, Prospects, Recruits and...
Even though Legal and Sales can have different interests, creating a positive working relationship is possible. In an enlightening SaaStr Annual session, G2 General Counsel Eunice Buhler and VP of Enterprise Sales Colin Danaher share how they have found ways to forge a collaborative, respectful, and productive relationship between the revenue and legal teams.
How is AI going to impact the software and SaaS landscape of the next couple of years and also the next 5-10 years?
Kristina Shen, General Partner at a16z, shares some insights into the present and future of generative AI at this week’s Workshop Wednesday, held every Wednesday at 10 a.m. PST.
Dear SaaStr: What Were the Biggest Mistakes You Made as a Founder-CEO? I’ve made so many, it’s hard to boil it down to two. But let’s focus on the earliest days, in Year 1. The biggest two mistakes I made as a founder-CEO in Year 1, I not only...
Dear SaaStr: What Are The Things Startups Just Have to Get Right? Let’s break it down. Let’s talk about what you don’t have to get right: Rockstar Founders? Not required. Yes, to build the next Slack, the next Amazon, the next Tesla, whatever, perhaps you need one of...
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...
Dear SaaStr: How Do You Know If Your Startup Idea Already Exists? Well, of course it already exists. You really think you’re the only person on the entire planet that has tried to do this? It’s the Fermi Paradox of Start-ups. Of course they have. But...
Dear SaaStr: What Are The Biggest Challenges For a Non-Technical Founder? Adding enough value the first year. If you can’t build it, can you: Sell it? That’s worth it. If you can bring in all the first customers, that’s a magical skill. Design it? Head of Product is...
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. In the...
As the world becomes increasingly digital, cybersecurity becomes increasingly critical. After serving as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the New York Stock Exchange for twenty years, Jerry Perullo of Adversarial Risk Management has learned how to...
In SaaS, I think one of the biggest traps you can get yourself into as a founder is doing Low ROI things for one minute longer than you have to. Of course, this is true in all start-ups. But quickly, in SaaS, it becomes worse. Why? Because they are more functional...
Dear SaaStr: What Are Some Common Misconceptions About Venture Capitalists? My learnings, from sort of the inside: That they are (mostly) successful. Most VC partners don’t return 1x in cash what they invest. It’s hard! Most VCs you will meet are not...