SaaStr 157: MuleSoft Founder, Ross Mason on How Unbundling to A SaaS Platform Alters Revenue, Org Structure and Product Roadmap, Why Moving To Silicon Valley Was Fundamental For Mulesoft &Why Startups Can No Longer Own The Entire Customer Lifecycle

Ross Mason is the Founder & VP of Product Strategy @ MuleSoft, one of the world's leading software platforms making it easy to connect the world's applications, data and devices. Following over $250m in VC funding from the likes of Lightspeed, Salesforce Ventures, Sapphire Ventures and NEA, MuleSoft then went public in March 2017, popping as much as 45% on it's first day of trading. As for Ross, prior to MuleSoft, he was CEO of SymphonySoft, an EU-based company providing services and support for large-scale integration projects. Previously, Ross was Lead Architect for RaboBank and played a key role in developing one of the first large-scale ESB implementations in 2002.

In Today's Episode You Will Learn:

• How Ross made his way into the world of SaaS with the founding of MuleSoft?
• Why did Ross decide to move full time to the West Coast having started the company in Europe? What were the biggest challenges about the move to the US? What advice would Ross give to prospective entrepreneurs, looking to make the move? Where does Europe exceed the US and vice versa?
• What does it really mean to be a SaaS platform? What 3 elements of a company benefit when a product unbundles into a SaaS platform? How does unbundling change the process for building products and services? How does unbundling change the ability to drive new revenue streams? How does unbundling change core operational elements of the business?
• What does Ross mean when he says we are shifting from verticals into value chains? Does Ross believe it is even possible to own the entire customer lifecycle today, from start to finish?

60 Second SaaStr

1. What does Ross know now which he wishes he had known at the beginning?
2. How did it feel the day MuleSoft went public?
3. What advice does Ross commonly hear being given that he most disagrees with?

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Jason Lemkin

Harry Stebbings

SaaStr

Ross Mason