Ilian Daviaud’s Post

B2B SaaS founders achieving all-time high revenue at GrowSaaS. Honestly, the best part of this business is working with cracked founders who are filled with ambition. It's hard not to be inspired and motivated by everyone. There's a real mixed bag: - Second-time founders with several years of experience - First-time founders who've never worked a job - Startups that have raised millions, startups that have raised zero - Machine learning PhD, trained rocket scientist, and people who didn't even go to college (me) - Startups trying to get their first customer, others going through a potentially life-changing M&A process All building high-growth, sustainable businesses based on a methodology that works today when the SaaS industry is unforgiving. Not an old, inefficient methodology that worked when it was a seller's market, and you could brute force your way to product-market fit with free capital. If you're planning a big 2025, shoot me a DM and I can provide more info about what's involved and share proof that it works.

Too many early-stage SaaS founders are making these mistakes 👇 ❌ Neglecting Prospects Too often, startups focus entirely on product development, sidestepping potential clients. Instead, startups should prioritize B2B lead generation, which can be a game changer. ❌ Ignoring Feedback A good startup learns from failures. A bad startup ignores them. But a legendary startup anticipates them, actively seeking feedback to prevent potential pitfalls. ❌ Overlooking the Power of Networking Until you’ve secured your DREAM 100 clients, don't rest. "Your network is your net worth" - Porter Gale. ❌ Following the Crowd Traditional wisdom says "if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it." But that’s only valid if you don't neglect to: - Innovate relentlessly - Stay true to your unique value proposition Then, traditional wisdom can be a powerful tool. What's the biggest career lesson you've learned in the SaaS industry? 

Companies that put the cart (tools) before the horse (strategy) are in for a world of (hurt). The tech industry is notorious for this. Here you’ve got 1000s of founders who, despite being absolutely brilliant at their craft, don’t have a lot of experience project managing and building complex business strategies. Meanwhile, they’re all building and selling tools that “solve” the industry’s most pressing problems. Since the founders believe in their own pie-in-the-sky claims, they’re also more likely to believe in what other tech founders pitch them. The result? The dreaded frankenstack. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve stepped in for a startup using three different tools, all of which do roughly the same thing but were pitched with a slightly different angle.  Why? Because nobody hit the “pause” button and simply asked, “What are we actually trying to solve here?” Instead of asking, “What’s the better outbound sales software, Salesloft or Outreach?” you should take a timeout, figure out the goal you’re working towards and define the actual strategy needed to get there. Without this, you’re going to end up with a redundant tool stack.  I get it: it’s easy to start with the shiny tools; to put the cart before the horse. But first, you have to eat your vegetables. Strategy, people, tools — in that order. Anything less, and you’re in for a world of hurt. #b2b #saas #gtm #operations #revops #startups

Startup Founders: Are You Making This Metrics Mistake? Many founders get caught up in the building frenzy and forget to track key metrics like Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR), Churn Rate, etc. It's easy to get lost in user growth and miss the bigger picture: are they converting into revenue? This is very important most especially given the current funding drought. Think of your startup as a machine. Every part plays a role. Ignoring metrics is like letting a faulty cog grind on - it could seize the whole system. Solution: Track these core metrics from day 1 in a simple spreadsheet. This gives you a clear view of your progress and avoids scrambling for numbers when pitching to investors or potential partners. You never know when that elevator pitch opportunity is going to show up. Pro Tip: Not all metrics are created equal! For example; • Social media platforms prioritize Daily Active Users (DAU) to build a user base before monetizing. • SaaS companies, on the other hand, should track MRR closely to understand their revenue stream. You need to understand your particular startup's needs and business model so that you can track the right metrics. #StartupMetrics #BusinessGrowth #Founders

Some excerpts from a piece that resonates with my GTM role over the last decade, albeit in a more conservative SA startup eco-system.   "This is the phase where you lay the foundation for long-term growth. Yet, the skills required at this stage are vastly different from those needed later."   "However, when executed correctly, this phase is critical for building a valuable, thriving company."   "More than just advising, a go-to-market specialist works closely with teams to run growth experiments, gather insights, and implement strategic changes. Prioritizing the right initiatives—whether it's gathering more customer insights or improving onboarding—is critical to unlocking growth." #GoToMarket #b2b #sales #founders https://lnkd.in/d8aAnyyf

𝗜𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁’𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀—𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹? Too many founders fear the first scenario. My take? The second scenario is actually the silent killer for growth. When prospects don't understand what you do and who you do it for, you're dead in the water before you even start. While both risks are significant, having no idea what your product does can stall your growth entirely. Here are 5 steps to minimize that risk: ✅ Make your homepage value prop crystal clear in 10 seconds or less ✅ Develop laser-focused product messaging that speaks directly to a specific use case, rather than generalized pains and benefits ✅ Create comparison content that demonstrates your unique differentiation ✅ Use your customers' language, not internal jargon ✅ Prioritize use case storytelling over feature dumps 🔑 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: Most founders dramatically overestimate how well their target market understands their solution. Your job isn't just building great software — it's making that software's value blindingly obvious. 𝗜𝗻 𝗕2𝗕 𝗦𝗮𝗮𝗦, 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆. 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲. 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲. What's your take on this strategic dilemma that keeps founders up at night? Let me know how in the comments below 👇 And then check out more content on how to position your startup to grow in a crowded market on the MarketBuildr blog at: https://bit.ly/3AllG4o #B2BSaaS #ProductMarketing #Startups ------------------------ I'm Steve Offsey. I'm a 3X CMO and growth driver for more than a dozen companies with 6 exits. I founded MarketBuildr to help B2B startup founders, CEOs, CMOs and CROs like you accelerate growth. For more tips and insights on B2B startup marketing follow me on LinkedIn. ⬆ Then click 'Visit My Website' under my name to head over to my website and 'subscribe' for more awesome content delivered straight to your inbox! ⬆

🚨 NEWS 🚨 One of the biggest pull factors for joining Roei Samuel and Connectd is a joint belief of utilising those around you, building networks and a bank of advisors to make yourself successful, whether personally, professionally or for your startup 🧠 INTRODUCING Connectd: For Startups 🎉 We’ve analysed 1000s of start-ups, and the 2 behaviours that we see most strongly correlated with successful outcomes are: 1) Strong investor relations - leading to great relationships and accountability on core metric development 2) Access to experts that fill the blind spots that you have as a small team. This brand new product allows founders to make these behaviours - the 2 most linked with success - totally seamless. 🔢 Automated data reporting tools that lets you build dashboards within MINUTES and save you up to 16 hours - the only OS you’ll ever need for early stage growth 💼 Access to over 3,000 C-suite executives, board advisors and non-executive directors as well as 1,200+ investors on our platform 🚀 🎁 Free benefits such as $5,000 AWS credits, $15,000 worth of waived fees in Stripe and a 30% discount with Hubspot 📈 Produce your financial forecasts and models much easier with our built-in framework that has over 53 metrics If you’re serious about taking your business to the next level, you don’t want to miss out on this. Check out the carousel below for more info and hit the link to get started - https://lnkd.in/euhm4Vez #Startups #Founders #ConnectdForStartups

How Can B2C Startups Successfully Connect with Users for Feedback? Answers: https://lnkd.in/gcrdrpr8 #B2CStartups #UserEngagement #FeedbackChallenge Hey everyone! 👋 I've been diving deep into my B2C startup journey, and I'm hitting a bit of a wall when it comes to connecting with users for valuable feedback and discussions. It's definitely challenging! I've tried reaching out to folks on Reddit and sending DMs, but typically, after answering one question, they go silent. 😅 It got me thinking: why is it so tough to find users willing to engage? Here are a few reasons I’ve come up with: Time Constraints ⏰: People today are busier than ever, and taking time out of their day for a stranger's request can feel daunting. Lack of Incentive 🎁: Many might not see the value in responding if there's no clear benefit for them. Overwhelming Requests 📥: Users might get bombarded with messages, making them more selective about who they engage with. These challenges can impact our efforts, leaving us short on insights that could shape our products. So, I've been pondering some solutions that might help me (and maybe you too!): Offer Something in Return 🎉: May...

Why startups should prioritize developer relations as early as possible: The magic moment that elevates startups into household names is often not traditional product marketing but the “aha moment” when developers realize how great your product is. They pass it along to their team, management adopts it, spreads the word across the industry, and the virtuous cycle blossoms. Why are developers specifically the ones who kick off this process? Because they tell it like it is and are hard to please. Imagine the toughest movie critic you know saying “you HAVE to watch this movie.” DevRel is not as costly and time-consuming as you think. Unlike mass marketing campaigns, it’s best to target highly engaged niche groups and early adopters and work with them a la focus groups. DevRel is how you create a community. When developers are involved in product development and problem-solving, they are more likely to advocate for you help you improve your product. There’s a lot to worry about when building a business. But it’s simpler than you might assume to prioritize developer relations, even for nontechnical founders. How? Check out our head of developer community Jarod Reyes‎’ blog in our comments and read his guidance on how to unlock the “aha” moment that could take your developer experience to the next level. #devrel #startups