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Eight Lessons from 20 years in
B2B SaaS Leadership
John Thompson
john@briggsassociates.co.uk
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jrethompson/
SaaS Markets: Why I think Unsexy is the new Sexy
HugeNiche
Coolness
Market Size
Sexy
Unsexy
My
Start-
up A
My
Start-
up B
SaaS Start-up A: Super Niche Procurement Platform
Over half a trillion $USD of Projects Supported Globally
No credible direct competitors 18 years later
c 4x Exit for investors
c 35% EBITDA margin at exit
Happy founders, happy team, happy customers, happy cashflow
SaaS Markets: Why I think Unsexy is the new Sexy
HugeNiche
Coolness
Market Size
Sexy
Unsexy
My
Start-
up A
My
Start-
up B
SaaS Start-up B – the high stakes unicorn hunt
Focus until others can’t or won’t try and kill you
HugeNiche
Coolness
Market Size
Sexy
Unsexy
My
Founder
Sweet
Spot
Typical VC
Sweet
Spot
Plenty of alternate funding options
in the founder sweet spot – it is also
Private Equity and Angel sweet spot
SaaS Metrics are great but look backwards
● So how do we predict and design SaaS Sales Growth vs just measure it?
● My Framework for SaaSy Sales:
● Revenue Success = GTM Execution x (Perceived Value/Friction)
● Perceived Value = ROI Value x Personal Emotional Value
● Friction = Competitive Options x Effort(On-boarding + To Use) x Price
SaaS People: Resilience and Culture
● SaaS performance is really all about
people, but our people metrics are
often very limited and $ oriented
● Culture, resilience and wellbeing are
really hard to get right and absolutely
worthy of investment and measurement
● Care authentically
● Lead consistently
● Hire ambitiously
● Fire courageously
Summary – My journey in 8 SaaSy Lessons
SaaS Markets
1. Unsexy is the new Sexy
2. Medium sized is awesome
3. VC is not the only option
4. Focus more than feels comfortable
SaaS Metrics
5. SaaS Metrics are important, as are old fashioned business metrics
6. Focus on the 7 things that unlock growth
SaaS People
7. It is all about people not technology
8. You can’t over invest in culture, alignment and wellbeing

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SaaStock 2019 - john thompson

  • 1. Eight Lessons from 20 years in B2B SaaS Leadership John Thompson john@briggsassociates.co.uk LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jrethompson/
  • 2. SaaS Markets: Why I think Unsexy is the new Sexy HugeNiche Coolness Market Size Sexy Unsexy My Start- up A My Start- up B
  • 3. SaaS Start-up A: Super Niche Procurement Platform Over half a trillion $USD of Projects Supported Globally No credible direct competitors 18 years later c 4x Exit for investors c 35% EBITDA margin at exit Happy founders, happy team, happy customers, happy cashflow
  • 4. SaaS Markets: Why I think Unsexy is the new Sexy HugeNiche Coolness Market Size Sexy Unsexy My Start- up A My Start- up B
  • 5. SaaS Start-up B – the high stakes unicorn hunt
  • 6. Focus until others can’t or won’t try and kill you HugeNiche Coolness Market Size Sexy Unsexy My Founder Sweet Spot Typical VC Sweet Spot Plenty of alternate funding options in the founder sweet spot – it is also Private Equity and Angel sweet spot
  • 7. SaaS Metrics are great but look backwards ● So how do we predict and design SaaS Sales Growth vs just measure it? ● My Framework for SaaSy Sales: ● Revenue Success = GTM Execution x (Perceived Value/Friction) ● Perceived Value = ROI Value x Personal Emotional Value ● Friction = Competitive Options x Effort(On-boarding + To Use) x Price
  • 8. SaaS People: Resilience and Culture ● SaaS performance is really all about people, but our people metrics are often very limited and $ oriented ● Culture, resilience and wellbeing are really hard to get right and absolutely worthy of investment and measurement ● Care authentically ● Lead consistently ● Hire ambitiously ● Fire courageously
  • 9. Summary – My journey in 8 SaaSy Lessons SaaS Markets 1. Unsexy is the new Sexy 2. Medium sized is awesome 3. VC is not the only option 4. Focus more than feels comfortable SaaS Metrics 5. SaaS Metrics are important, as are old fashioned business metrics 6. Focus on the 7 things that unlock growth SaaS People 7. It is all about people not technology 8. You can’t over invest in culture, alignment and wellbeing