Grow Your B2B SaaS S5E12 - The path to a successful $100M+ SaaS exit with Ryan Allis
Are you a SaaS founder dreaming of scaling your company from $1 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) to a $100 million exit? Well, you're not alone! In this episode of the Grow Your B2B SaaS Podcast, host Joran Hofman talks with Ryan Allis, the CEO and founder of SaasRise, to explore how to achieve just that. Ryan has a proven track record, having built iContact from zero to $50 million in ARR and selling it for $169 million. Now, through SaasRise, Ryan helps other SaaS founders build their businesses with expert guidance, coaching, and digital ad agency services. If you’re looking to take your B2B SaaS business to the next level, this episode is packed with valuable insights to guide you on your journey.
Key Timestamps
(0:52) - Guest Introduction
(1:29) - Should SaaS Founders Aim for an Exit?
(2:38) - How to Achieve Nine-Figure Exits
(2:41) - Bootstrapping vs. VC Funding
(3:32) - The Importance of Bootstrapping
(4:19) - Building Revenue Before Seeking Investment
(4:39) - Mistakes SaaS Companies Make
(5:01) - Effective Ways to Grow a SaaS Business
(5:35) - Importance of Outbound Marketing
(6:22) - Importance of Community for SaaS Founders
(7:24) - Specific Forums for SaaS Growth
(7:53) - Introduction to the SaaS Growth System
(8:51) - Unit Economics and Customer Value
(9:29) - Critical Metrics for SaaS Founders
(10:24) - Calculating Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)
(11:07) - Determining Target Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
(11:49) - Importance of Paid Customer Acquisition
(12:19) - Outbound Reach and Advertising
(12:42) - Acquiring Customers Below Target CAC
(13:09) - Outbound Marketing Strategies
(14:18) - Educating the Market Proactively
(14:33) - Creating a Comprehensive Lead List
(15:54) - Utilizing Lead Lists for Marketing
(16:21) - Creating Matched Audiences for Ads
(16:52) - Email Sequences and Brand Omnipresence
(17:34) - Transitioning to Warm Email Lists
(19:54) - Importance of a Comprehensive Lead List
(22:47) - Importance of Market Education
(23:28) - Efficient Sales and Marketing Spend
(24:12) - Providing Value in Content
(24:23) - Creating Content and Distribution
(25:09) - Building a SaaS Content Machine
(25:39) - Importance of Founder-Led Content Creation
(26:07) - Distribution Formats for Content
(26:34) - Calculating Content Impressions
(27:12) - Content Impressions and Growth
(27:37) - Measuring Content Impressions
(29:26) - Recap of the Content Strategy
(30:17) - Content Creation Process
(31:21) - Scaling and Building a Team
(32:55) - Key Team Members for Scaling
(33:33) - Building a System That Operates Without You
(35:36) - Preparing for an Exit
(35:47) - Steps for Scaling and Exiting
(36:12) - Raising Capital and Timing
(37:13) - Risks of Raising Capital Too Soon
(38:00) - Building Revenue and Systems Before Raising Capital
(38:46) - Guidelines for Series A and B Funding
(39:59) - The Path to a Successful SaaS Exit
(40:15) - Preparing for an Exit
(41:12) - Working with M&A Advisors
(42:10) - Professional Investment Banks for Exits
(43:08) - Maximizing Exit Value with Investment Banks
(43:39) - Benefits of Working with Investment Banks
(44:24) - Final Advice for SaaS Founders
(44:49) - Starting Out and Growing Initial Revenue
(47:14) - Contact Information for Ryan Allis