#369 – How Marne Martin turns "boring" expense software into competitive gold

A story about choosing overlooked markets—and winning by design.

For SaaS founders who feel stuck chasing trendy markets—and anyone wondering if there's more money in solving unglamorous problems than building the next shiny thing.

Most SaaS companies chase crowded markets because they seem exciting.

They fail because they're fighting for scraps in oversaturated categories.

Marne Martin, CEO of Emburse, took a different path.

After 30 years in software, she chose the "unsexy" expense management space when everyone else was chasing AI startups and flashy consumer apps.

At Emburse, she’s helping finance teams to elevate their work by applying the focus and discipline of elite athletes to modernize spend in their organizations.

And this inspired me to invite Marne to my podcast. We explore how treating your company like an elite athlete creates sustainable competitive advantage. Marne shares insights about choosing markets others avoid, building profitable unit economics in private equity environments, and applying AI where it actually drives revenue. You'll discover her simple filter that eliminated wasted innovation.

We also zoom in on two of the 10 traits that define remarkable software companies: – They master the art of curiosity – They offer something valuable and desirable

Marne's story is proof that traction often starts by doing what most others avoid.

Here's one of Marne's quotes that captures her investment philosophy:

"There are a lot of cool things that I wouldn't be willing to pay for, right? So you have to make sure you're not just doing things because you're cool or you're curious, but because there's a market for that."

By listening to this episode, you'll learn:

• Why choosing "boring" markets eliminates competition
• What elite athlete principles mean for SaaS companies
• When AI investments actually drive profitable growth
• Why unit economics matter more than cool features

For more information about the guest from this week:

Guest: Marne Martin, CEO of Emburse

Website: https://www.emburse.com/