Ep. 182 - What Most SaaS Founders Get Wrong About Go-to-Market

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Guest: Prasanth Chilukuri, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Soul Street Ventures 

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The biggest threat to early-stage SaaS growth isn’t competition. It’s founder distraction, unfocused GTM motions, and chasing quick wins instead of building a real business.

In this episode, Prasanth Chilukuri, co-founder and managing partner of Soul Street Ventures, joins host Ken Lempit to reveal why most early-stage SaaS companies struggle long before product issues surface — and how disciplined strategy, a tight ICP, and hands-on founder coaching unlock meaningful, scalable traction.

Drawing on his experience both as a SaaS founder (Tekmetric) and investor, Prasanth explains why “scale with soul” isn’t just a mantra, but a framework for building durable companies that don’t rely on hype, vanity channels, or coast-driven valuation games.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Why misaligned ICPs and GTM distractions quietly stall early-stage SaaS
• How to test, retest, and refine GTM motions using real customer behavior
• Why AI discoverability is reshaping marketing efficiency (and what to do about it)
• How venture style differs across regions — and why it matters for founders
• Why founder coachability, discipline, and mindset are the strongest predictors of growth
• How unique SaaS data assets create new value (and why most companies underuse them)

If you’re a B2B SaaS founder, CRO, or CMO navigating early-stage go-to-market, evaluating AI’s impact on your product, or preparing for institutional capital, this episode offers a practical, grounded playbook for building a company that truly lasts.

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