Episode 682 | The Pros and Cons of Large vs. Small Startup Events

11 snips

Oct 10, 2023

In this conversation, Alex Theuma, founder of SaaStock, shares insights from his journey of bootstrapping a successful conference for SaaS founders. He discusses the vibrant pros and cons of large versus small startup events, emphasizing how each caters to different networking needs. Alex reflects on the challenges of establishing credibility and the importance of a positive attendee experience. He also spins entertaining tales from past events, revealing the unpredictable yet rewarding nature of live gatherings.

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ANECDOTE

Bootstrapping SaaStock

Alex Theuma bootstrapped SaaStock by initially leveraging a blog, podcast, and local meetups to gain credibility.
Early sponsorships from ChartMogul and ProfitWell provided crucial funding for the first event.

ADVICE

Early Sponsorships

Secure sponsorships early on to subsidize event costs and make tickets more affordable.
Leverage existing platforms, such as blogs and podcasts, to build credibility and authority.

ANECDOTE

First SaaStock Experience

Despite losing money on the first SaaStock, positive attendee feedback motivated Alex to continue.
He secured repeat sponsorships within 30 days, ensuring financial stability for the next event.

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In episode 682, Rob Walling interviews Alex Theuma, the founder of SaaStock, a conference for SaaS founders. They discuss the challenges of bootstrapping an event and the pros and cons of large startup events versus small startup events. Alex also shares his experience of building credibility and authority in the industry, the importance of maintaining a positive attendee experience, and ensuring financial sustainability.

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Topics we cover:

2:44 – How Alex bootstrapped SaaStock in the early stages
4:32 – Laying the groundwork and building credibility
6:59 – Figuring out sponsor subsidies
8:53 – Reflecting on the first event, growing afterwards
12:59 – Event sizing and event types
19:44 – Setting up event programming
23:00 – Swapping crazy event stories

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If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

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