The SaaS Club Newsletter

Hey Reader

Here's a quick round up of what's been going on at SaaS Club:

 In this week's newsletter:

• 📈 A Founder's Unconventional Growth Strategy

• 🎯 Focusing on One Market for 8-Figure Success
  

• 💡 Ignoring Naysayers to Find Product-Market Fit
  

• 📊 What SMBs Really Want from SaaS Companies
  

• 🏆 How to Build Your SaaS’s Unfair Advantage

• 📚 My Book of the Week About Timeless Wisdom

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🎧 Podcast

I took a short break from the podcast so there's no new episode this week.

So I dug through the podcast archive and hand-picked 3 episodes which I think are great stories and may give you a bit of inspiration.

Growing a SaaS From Zero to First Million ARR in 7.5 Months

Jeremy King hit his first million in ARR in just seven and a half months. How did he do it? By getting creative and going the extra mile. 

He went into a couple of retail stores at Waterloo train station in London and asked the managers what data they wished they had about their customers that would help them sell more products.

He then spent two weeks interviewing 200 people that walked through the train station and collected data which he analyzed and shared his findings with the store managers.

He also did something quite smart when it came to raising money.

He got potential customers so excited about his idea that several of them called investors on his behalf and asked them to invest in the company so they could buy the product!

If you're looking for unconventional and creative strategies to grow your SaaS, this episode is an absolute goldmine.

Building an 8-Figure SaaS by Focusing on One Market

Dave MacLeod has grown ThoughtExchange into a powerhouse driving around $30 million in ARR, serving enterprise customers. 

But there was a time when no one was interested in buying the product.

Dave and his co-founder built the product first and then tried to find people who had a problem. It wasn't a smartest way to build a SaaS business. So it was hardly surprising that they struggled to find customers.

Eventually, they did find a customer in an unlikely place. It turned out that a school superintendent had exactly the problem their product could solve.

And at that point, the founders made a very smart decision – although they didn't fully realize it at the time. They decided to go all-in and focus on school districts. For almost 5 years they focused on that one market.

If you're struggling to find your target market, Dave's story is a must listen.

The Importance of Founder Persistence and Resilient Mindset

Advait Shinde and his two co-founders built a Chrome extension to help K-12 schools in the US with web filtering.

But it seemed that no one was interested in their solution and their outreach emails didn't get much of a response either. They were almost ready to give up on their idea. 

Luckily, one of the co-founders wasn't ready to give up just yet and kept contacting people despite the lack of interest and rejections. Thanks to his persistence they found some early users which helped to start collecting valuable feedback from their target market.

When they tried to raise money, they were rejected by investors. They were told that they were too young and inexperienced. And investors warned them that the K-12 market didn't have money and that focusing on Chromebooks was completely the wrong strategy.

Fortunately, the founders didn't listen to that 'advice'.

When I interviewed Advait a few years ago, his startup GoGuardian was being used by 18 million students, the company had grown to 300 people and was generating north of $50 million in ARR. 

If you believe in your product vision but keep coming across naysayers telling you it’s a terrible idea, this episode will give you a nice boost.

🌟 Duda Webinar on July 25th

What SMBs Really Want From Their SaaS Providers

Get an exclusive first look at research that taps into the minds of 300 SMB owners, exploring what they expect from their software providers. They’ll deep dive into findings like:

• Why SMBs buy more from existing vendors

• Why SMBs switch vendors (and how to keep them)

• Why integration matters to SMBs

• The value of tailored vertical-specific solutions

• The importance of a strong digital presence to an SMB’s business

🗓️  July 25th

⏰  10 AM PT / 6 PM BST

🌏  Online - Join from anywhere!

Join industry experts from Localogy, CCC (Nasdaq: CCCS), and Duda as they provide first-hand strategies for increasing product adoption, driving stickiness, and growing your SaaS revenue.

Save Your Spot + Get the Report

🤔 How to Build an Unfair Advantage for Your SaaS

Are you struggling to differentiate your SaaS startup?

Are you finding it hard to attract customers?

Most startups talk about product benefits and features. 
But they don't explain what makes *them* unique. 

This leads to:

- Slower growth
- Difficulty attracting customers
- Getting lost in a crowd with competitors

Your unfair advantage is your startup story.

Telling your story can set you apart. 

Here's how to do it. 

1. Start with why. 

Why did you start your startup? What problem are you trying to solve?

This is the heart of your story.

2. Share your journey. 

Talk about the challenges you've faced and how you overcame them. This makes you relatable and authentic.

3. Showcase your team. 

Your team is a vital part of your story. Share about their expertise and why they believe in your startup.

4. Highlight your successes. 

Don't be shy to share your achievements. This builds credibility and trust with your audience.

5. Be transparent. 

Share your failures and how you've learned from them. This shows resilience and commitment to growth.

6. Engage with your audience. 

Invite your audience to be part of your story. Ask for their feedback and incorporate it into your narrative.

7. Keep it simple. 

Avoid jargon and keep your story easy to understand. This makes your story more accessible and engaging.

Remember, your story isn't just about what you do, but also why you do it.

Start telling your story today. 

It's your differentiator. 

It's how you win dream customers.

Let me know your thoughts here.

 📗 Book of the Week

This week's book recommendation is from Omer:

Manuscript Found in Accra by Paulo Coelho

"This book is packed with timeless wisdom on dealing with tough times, embracing the unknown, and finding strength in community. For startup founders, it’s a great reminder to stay resilient, keep your vision clear, and enjoy the journey more than the destination."  - Omer

🌟 Help Spread the Word

Enjoyed this week's newsletter? Please do me a favor and forward this email to someone who would benefit from it as much as you did. 

Sharing is caring, and it helps us grow! ❤️

😍 Let's Get Social

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Have a great week!

- Omer

Interested in sponsoring The SaaS Podcast or this newsletter?

P.S. Whenever you're ready, here are 3 ways I can help you:

1. Join SaaS Club Plus: Get early access to our new community for early-stage SaaS founders. Join the waitlist now!

2. Apply for SaaS Club Launch: Designed to accelerate your journey to $10K MRR for new and early-stage founders.

3. Apply for SaaS Club Mastermind: Scale from six to seven figures with our focused mastermind group.