SaaStock’s Post

🚀 Exciting News From DisruptX! 🚀 Thrilled to announce that our Accelerator Program kicked off last week and will run until April 1st! 📆✨ Our startups are diving into a comprehensive 65-hour journey, blending theoretical and practical training in vital areas such as business development, financial modelling, marketing strategy, team development, leadership skills, and sustainability in the workplace. 🌐💼 What makes our program exceptional? Each startup is paired with 1-1 mentorship sessions featuring insights from our diverse pool of DisruptX Mentors and Coaches. Currently, we're fostering the growth of three dynamic startups: 🌐 Riple: An all-in-one news app that curates trusted global news, facilitating conversations on the hottest topics in one unified platform. 🌿 Vikalp.io: Specializing in AI-Smartbins equipped with cutting-edge sensors, Vikalp.io is addressing urgent environmental challenges, with innovative solutions. 💼 The Accountancy Franchise: Transforming the accounting industry, this innovative franchise empowers individuals to start and run their own accountancy practices, with 40+ franchisees already benefiting from their support. This week, our focus shifts to business development. Our startups will delve into strategies for maximizing their models, covering objectives like branding, marketing expansions, new user acquisition, and heightened awareness. 📈🚀 Don't miss out on being a part of DisruptX's thriving ecosystem! Join us to tap into these incredible opportunities and witness the transformative journey of our startups. 🌟 #DisruptX #acceleratorprogram #startupjourney #innovationhub

The need to cannibalize your revenue in SaaS comes in waves. We've entered the new wave, where AI forces the cannibalisation. It will create a revenue trough, which will shorten runway, and force RIFs. Revenue pivots are a critical piece of the startup journey, but boy they take courage, vision, outstanding execution and excellent communication skills. Revenue troughs that are too deep are existential threats for startups Shallow revenue troughs are best, however the more shallow the trough The greater the chance the pivot has not been fully committed to. All the while founders have to maintain enough runway to keep running the business. But how do they raise capital to have the runway required When they are reporting slowing growth? It's a wild conundrum that we speak about with founders very frequently. I've personally led these pivots in 3 of my previous companies And we routinely explore these revenue pivots with our clients If you're a SaaS CEO/founder, this will keep you up at night. And I know almost every founder that's not AI native, faces this issue. For a deeper dive on how to navigate this existential conundrum Sign up to our newsletter, it's FREE Or drop me a DM and let's find time to talk it through. #sales #saas #startups #GTMdebt #venturecapital

Hey LinkedIn community! 👋 As someone navigating the dynamic landscapes of AI and SaaS, I recently had an insightful conversation with Nikhil Srivatsa, the CEO at Caarya. Nikhil has been a mentor since 2017, a pivotal year when I reached out to him while I was building something from college. His guidance has been instrumental in shaping my entrepreneurial journey. Today, I want to share some key takeaways from our recent discussion on the significance of setting up robust business processes. Process-Led Growth vs. Non-Process-Led Hustle: 1️⃣ Myth: Early-stage startups don't need business processes. 💡 Reality: While the hustle is crucial in the early days, having well-defined processes is equally vital. Establishing a foundation of streamlined operations early on can pave the way for sustainable growth. 2️⃣ Myth: Processes stifle innovation and agility. 💡 Reality: The right processes enhance efficiency, allowing your team to focus on innovation without getting bogged down by operational chaos. It's about finding the right balance between structure and adaptability. 3️⃣ Myth: Processes are one-size-fits-all. 💡 Reality: Tailor your processes to your startup's unique needs. A customized approach ensures that your operations align with your goals and industry dynamics. 4️⃣ Myth: Growth should precede processes. 💡 Reality: Process-led growth is a catalyst for sustainable scaling. Implementing effective processes early fosters a culture of accountability and sets the stage for seamless expansion. 5️⃣ Myth: Processes are only for large enterprises. 💡 Reality: Scalable processes are essential for startups aiming for long-term success. Start small, but think big in terms of scalability to accommodate future growth. 🚀 As I continue to lead Vertocity and embark on a new venture in the Bay Area, I'm convinced that understanding the nuances of process-led growth is pivotal. If you're passionate about building processes using data and insights, I'm currently working on something cool in this space. Follow me to stay updated on this exciting venture and join me in revolutionizing how businesses leverage data for growth and efficiency. Let's shape the future together! 🚀 Let's keep the conversation going! What are your thoughts on the role of processes in startup success? Share your experiences and insights below. Together, we can foster an environment of learning, growth, and innovation! 🚀 #StartupInsights #ProcessLedGrowth #Innovation

🚀 New Interview Alert: From Bootstrapping to #YCombinator Triumph 🚀 🔍 Discover the Journey: Embark on an inspiring journey with Matt Williamson, the visionary behind Vizzly (YC S22). From its bootstrapped beginnings to securing a coveted spot in Y Combinator, Vizzly's path is a testament to the power of data-driven #SaaS solutions and entrepreneurial grit. Gain exclusive insights from Matt Williamson on the intense application process, the daily grind at Y Combinator, and the unanticipated challenges and triumphs of being part of such a prestigious accelerator. Learn from Matt's advice on considering accelerators for your #startup. Understand the importance of aligning your vision with the right type of investment and the criticality of demonstrating a solid business model and purpose in your application. 🔗 Read the full story via the link! https://lnkd.in/dGV_SgHc 👉 Stay tuned for more insights and stories that fuel the entrepreneurial spirit! #bootstrapping

Do you want to explore the best practices about scaling operations across borders and regions? Join our event! 🌟 Emerging Founders is a place where innovation meets expertise, taking your business from local to global! 🚀 Learn best practices from the experts. Grow and network with other successful founders who have scaled their businesses globally. Explore the best practices and challenges encountered when scaling operations across borders and regions. 📈 This is your last chance to secure your spot!

I always thought startups were the perfect fit for Notion—until I discovered how transformative it can be for VCs. Helping organizations like Kauffman Fellows, who are shaping the future of venture capital, is incredibly rewarding. We built a comprehensive dashboard for fellows using Notion and Airtable (yes, there are cases when you can use both 😉), highlighting actionable resources for fellows over their two-year fellowship. There are 3 main reasons Notion is transformative for VCs and Startup Accelerators: 📁 Consolidate Resources: Notion brings all your resources together in one place, making it easy to access and manage important information. 📞 Track Interactions: Use Notion as a CRM to track interactions with both LPs and founders. ✅ Prioritize Action Items: Notion helps prioritize tasks related to tracking startup growth, coordinating funds, and developing programs for portfolio companies. Crafting the right digital workspace can supercharge teams and maximize focus. Love this job. 🖤 #VentureCapital #VC #StartupAccelerators #NotionHQ #Airtable #WorkSmarter #FutureOfWork #KauffmanFellows #FellowshipProgram

Writing great stories is hard. Crafting great DeepTech stories as an early-stage founder is harder. How do you tell a story when there is no absolute data to support it? It is easier to paint a picture when there are precedents - especially for VCs. But therein lies the magic of storytelling of a DeepTech founder. It is in unraveling the magic of the DeepTech itself and presenting it simply with the impact it can have globally. DeepTech founders who are adept at this can offset the severe lack of precedents and numbers with hardcore vision selling / story telling. But careful! Vision selling can only get you so far as you aspire to raise larger and larger rounds to bring your tech to commercialization. That is where cut-throat development of tech and product makes a difference. That will be the Northstar metric to track in terms of progress and perhaps future fundraise. It is important to continuously think of the business aspect and the use case for the technology along the way. Often times there is resistance from industry and academia to the adoption of new tech. Moreso, when you are among the 3-4 startups in the world developing something impactful. Possibly one of the hardest parts of building DeepTech venture - the lobbying that goes behind commercializing the tech. A few LoIs along the way can certainly help! Blume Ventures #deeptech #venturecapital #startups

🚀 *Unveiling the Brilliance of Magnus Hambleton!* Recently I had an insightful conversation on the latest episode of "Network Like a Pro" with Magnus Hambleton, a true inspiration in the tech and venture capital space. 🎙️ Here's a sneak peek into our discussion: 🔍 *Exploring the Tech Landscape:* Magnus, an early founder of an incubator in Australia, has navigated the tech realm like he is born for it. From leading data and product teams at Natural Cycles° to teaching himself machine learning and building neural networks while working there, his journey is nothing short of inspiring. 💡 *Insights from byFounders:* Venture capital pioneers! Magnus shares insights from his time at ByFounders, a VC firm making waves since 2017. A community-driven VC with a portfolio containing 65 unicorn founders and early operators, with a portfolio of 50+ companies, they are committed leveraging through knowledge and investments. 🌐 *Diving into the Portfolio:* Get a glimpse of the future with companies like QA.tech, Supernormal, Jellatech, Spoke.ai and Francis. From AI-driven quality assurance to rethinking financial strategies for startups, Magnus sheds light on the next-gen startups reshaping industries. 🚀 *Building Billion-Dollar Businesses:* Given that he has been around tech and start up world for a while, Magnus shares his tip on scaling a startup into a billion-dollar enterprise. 🤖 *AGI and Tech Titans:* In a riveting discussion, Magnus delves into the race towards AGI, sharing perspectives on where tech giants like OpenAI, Google, Microsoft , and Apple stand. Ready to be inspired? 🔥 Listen to the full episode https://lnkd.in/dvxkamYp If you are not on Spotify you can check episode here https://lnkd.in/dxfzkcdw 🎙Would you like to be next guest? Say hi! #TechInnovation #VentureInsights #TechLeadership #StartupInsights #VentureCapital #FutureTech #InnovationTalks #NetworkingPro #AIRevolution #FounderStories #PodcastHighlight #VCWisdom #BillionDollarTips #AGIExploration #DigitalTransformation #EntrepreneurialJourney #TechInnovators #LinkedInNetworking #PodcastEpisode #CareerInsights #NextGenStartups #IndustryDisruption #LeadershipTalks

From Domenic Perri's introduction to this week's Vertex Angles newsletter (you can subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/gsS3_WPh): "As you may expect, startups and their leaders tend to focus very much on speed: Building a product, achieving product-market fit, ramping up sales and marketing, and bringing on as many customers as they can, as quickly as they can. Generally speaking, this is as it should be, given that a startup’s greatest business advantage is its agility. All of that said, I’ve increasingly come to believe that this kind of velocity isn’t enough. In my capacity leading Vertex’s platform, I get to coach startups through the business development process from their earliest days. And what I see is that those startups that really take off are the ones that take the time to make plenty of friends and partners in their respective markets. It’s a delicate balance. The Microsofts, Amazon Web Services’, and Salesforces of the world generally only take notice of the hottest and most innovative startups. Yet, getting their attention, and making sure your company and product is up to their bar for quality can be a distraction. But the payoff is worth the headaches, in my experience. Building a relationship with those major tech companies can open a lot of doors for a budding startup, from brand-building exercises like speaking at their customer events or appearing on their in-house podcasts, all the way up to formal product partnerships, reselling, or co-marketing opportunities. It’s important to remember that this kind of relationship-building can be a long game – a simple coffee meeting today can lead to an impactful partnership next year. We’ve even seen those partnerships turn into acquisitions down the line. In terms of actually making an impression on a would-be partner, it falls on founders to think beyond their own product and market. Consider instead what I’d call the “better together” story, showing how your team-up would result in a better product experience, happier customers, competitive differentiation, and more revenue for both parties. All of that takes time and focus, which are the two most valuable currencies in the world to any founder. But, to put a really fine point on it: If you don’t put in the work and build those relationships and partnerships, your competition absolutely will." #startups #startupadvice #partnerships #venturecapital You can read more and subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/gUMEgCsM

📢 Big News! Exciting updates are coming your way in the next few days and weeks! As you may already know, for the past 8+ years, I've been providing solo consulting services, giving my utmost dedication to every opportunity. I am truly grateful for the trust and support I've received. 🙏🏽 But now, I couldn't be more thrilled to announce the launch of a new venture, Mind the Gap Services, in collaboration with Helena Fowler, CSPO, sharing the same vision and passion. With our combined expertise, we aim to bridge the gaps that hinder the growth and expansion of SaaS startups. Our services revolve around three core pillars: 💡 Working with early-stage SaaS startups, offering fractional C-level strategic support to pinpoint gaps and accelerate their journey to success. 🚀 Providing small companies, facing critical inflection points, access to C-level skills and marketing services that were previously out of reach due to cost constraints. 💪🏽 Empowering women-led small businesses by providing resources and support for their business advancement without immediate financial burden. Stay tuned, as we will be sharing more about these pillars in the coming weeks. For now, we invite you to visit our LinkedIn Business Page, Mind the Gap Services, to learn more about our exciting new venture. #marketing #womenled #fractionalcmo #cofounder #startup