Episode 622 | Making Hard Product Decisions & Growth vs. Profitability with Derrick Reimer
Sep 13, 2022
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Derrick Reimer, founder of SavvyCal, shares his insights on the tricky balance between profitability and growth. He discusses the rationale behind specific product feature decisions and the challenge of deciding what not to build. The conversation touches on the importance of customer feedback and maintaining a clear product vision despite diverse market demands. Derrick also reflects on the complexities of engaging in public debates on Twitter and offers a glimpse into the latest developments in subscription models.
Derrick Reimer emphasizes the importance of understanding user needs in product development by balancing feature requests with the core mission of SavvyCal.
The discussion underlines the financial tightrope for entrepreneurs between maintaining profitability and pursuing growth in a bootstrapped SaaS environment.
A systematic approach to logging feature requests allows for better alignment with customer trends and prevents unnecessary complexity in the product.
Deep dives
Feature Development and Customer Demand
Derek Reimer recently launched a scheduling feature that requires approval for new bookings before they appear on a user's calendar. This decision was driven by strong customer demand among power users who experience scheduling challenges due to high demand for their time. By integrating this simple toggle feature, SavvyCal not only addresses a significant pain point for its users but also aligns with its branding as a scheduling tool. The move is anticipated to attract the right kind of users who appreciate features that safeguard their time, demonstrating the importance of understanding user needs in feature development.
Making Informed Product Decisions
Product decision-making can be challenging, particularly regarding which features to build and which to forego. Derek shared insights into a feature that he ultimately decided not to develop: SMS notifications for scheduling reminders. Despite being a common feature in other scheduling tools, he found little personal need for it and believed many of his business-oriented customers didn't require SMS alerts either. This reflects the importance of aligning product offerings with the core user base and ensuring that development decisions enhance rather than complicate the product.
Balancing Profitability and Growth
The discussion highlighted the tension between maintaining profitability and pursuing growth, especially for bootstrapped SaaS businesses like SavvyCal. Derek emphasized the need to pay himself a reasonable salary to reduce personal financial stress while also reinvesting profits to fuel growth. He is cautious about over-extending resources and prefers to stay close to break-even, allowing him to strategically deploy funds where they can yield significant returns. This balance is essential in helping founders navigate their financial paths and make informed choices about their businesses.
Customer Development and Long-Term Vision
An essential aspect of product management is conducting customer development to explore potential feature requests and ensure they match the product's long-term vision. Derek discussed his strategy of logging feature requests to better understand emerging trends rather than relying solely on memories. This systematic approach allows him to analyze the requests and ensure any new features align with SavvyCal's core mission while remaining mindful of the overall user base. Such practices promote thoughtful decision-making that guards against unnecessary complexity and maintains user experience quality.
Navigating Funding and Investment Decisions
In light of potential fundraising opportunities, Derek expressed the need for clarity in the funding landscape, especially amid misconceptions about valuation offers. He shared insights regarding investment proposals that may be below market value, which could harm a company's cap table. The conversation reinforced the importance of understanding the potential long-term effects of accepting investment terms that may seem appealing short-term but could limit future growth and options. This scenario illustrates the need for entrepreneurs to approach funding decisions carefully and equip themselves with knowledge to safeguard their ventures.
In episode 622, join Rob Walling and fan favorite Derrick Reimer, the founder of SavvyCal, as they discuss topics like balancing profitability versus growth and deciding which features to build and not. They chat about some specific features that Derek has decided to build, those he has not decided to build, and the thought process behind them.
Topics we cover:
4:02 - Making product decisions
9:22 - Deciding on what features you are not going to build
19:12 - When to reply to debates on Twitter
27:42 - Twitter’s newsletter feature
31:40 - Derrick’s perspective on balancing profitability vs reinvesting in the business
43:10 - Is Rob scratching his maker itch by being an investor in companies through TinySeed, or is he missing building SaaS businesses?
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.