ICP Truth Bombs - Aditya Tulsian, Chargebee | Founder's Deep Dive E22 | SaaSBoomi Podcast

Welcome to another episode of Deep Dive! Suresh, our host, and Aditya Tulsian, our guest, delve into the critical role of ICPs and how organizations deal with acquisition journeys.

Aditya is a seasoned entrepreneur who founded Numberz, which was acquired by Chargebee, prior to which he held a very important role at Intuit. After an MBA at ISB Hyderabad, launching QuickBooks in India was the experience that revealed a universal truth to him: businesses worry about cash flow, not accounting. In 2016, inspired by these insights, Aditya co-founded Numberz, initially for Indian small businesses, later expanding globally. The company recently got acquired by Chargebee, uniting visionary forces.

In the world of startups, understanding the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is like holding the compass that guides the business. The success, failure, or struggles of any company can be traced back to the clarity or confusion they have about the ICP. Aditya and Suresh nail down what it takes to find your perfect ICP, and the struggles and pressures of navigating an acquisition conversation with both the buyer and the team.

Key Takeaways: 

00:00 - Meet Aditya Tulsian!

07:00 - Finding the perfect ICP - Problem first or person first? 

08:13 - Mr. Cook’s billionaire’s business blueprint 

09:15 - When Suresh narrowly missed meeting Mr. Cook 

11:13 - Nuances of B2B and B2C with ICP 

15:15 - Narrowing down customer segments to ICP 

17:54 - Your ICP is actually a combination of 3 people 

19:09 - How BYJU’S missed the ICP 

21:50 - Tally vs Intuit 

22:37 - Numberz’s journey with ICP 

27:42 - The buyer, user and influencer of Numberz 

30:20 - Repercussions of a vague ICP 

32:00 - The fundamental difference between Box and Dropbox 

33:46 - Product team’s role in finding the ICP 

35:00 - The impact of the right ICP on marketing 

38:53 - A leader’s job in the organization 

39:45 - Critical points to keep in mind during an acquisition 

44:16 - Handling uncertainties like a pro during acquisitions 

48:44 - Managing your team’s concerns around an acquisition 

52:45 - Closing thoughts

Key Mentions

01:37 -  Numberz

01:40 - ChargeBee

03:18 - Intuit

03:47 - QuickBooks

10:36 - KissFlow

12:52 - Facebook

19:10 - BYJU’S

21:50 - Tally

32:01 - Box

32:03 - Dropbox

41:43 - Freshworks