SaaS for startups

1. SaaS for Startups
Natwar Maheshwari
Founder – Around.io
@natwar86

2. Intro
• Education, worked before
• Entrepreneur (1 failed startup before this)
• Saved up for 2 years before quitting job
• Bootstrapped and cash flow focused (baniya)• Bootstrapped and cash flow focused (baniya)
• Social media marketing automation product
• Niche, SMB’s and more
• Highly competitive market

3. Product Intro
• Does one thing very well which people pay for
• Everything else is an add-on
• Behaviour focused
• Used by more than 600 small business in 50+• Used by more than 600 small business in 50+
countries

4. How Around.io?
• Was working with online sellers for something
else
• Saw how they do repetitive things
(opportunity)(opportunity)
• Created an MVP, put a PayPal button
• That’s it

5. Team
• Small, incremental & focused
• Customer support/community
• What not to do
– Hire for wrong reasons– Hire for wrong reasons
– Keep people for wrong reasons

6. Why SAAS?
• No better business model
• Keeps you on your toes
• Sheer fun

7. Why SAAS from India?
• Low cost
• Experiment quickly
• Low touch, self serve
• Even high touch, sales model works• Even high touch, sales model works
• Gotta have a product that’s right

8. Sales and Marketing
• Know who you are (or want to be)
– Sales focused org
– Marketing focused org
• Community
• SEO
• Social Media
• WOM

9. Support
• One of the most important things in early
stages
– At times you fail miserably at this
• No one but founder needs to be in charge• No one but founder needs to be in charge
• Support learning's should come into product
design

10. Pitfalls
• Charge early, charge more
• Marketing, being part of the product
• Nothing that you read will give you same
results, because every customer segment isresults, because every customer segment is
different
• Context of your solution for your customers
matters (a lot)

11. Lesson’s Learned
• Talk to your customers, talk often
• Ask why, and other uncomfortable questions
• Don’t talk, listen
• Don’t be a cost differentiator• Don’t be a cost differentiator
• Be ready to say NO
• Build a community

12. Questions?
Stay in touch
@natwar86