The Startup CEO Show

Seeking valuable insights on startup success and leadership strategies for CEOs?🚀 SUBSCRIBE TO MARK MACLEOD'S NEWSLETTER: https://markmacleod.me/newsletter/--------------How many times a day do you think "This meeting could have been an e-mail"?Fellow is the only AI Meeting Assistant that transcribes, summarizes, and centralizes your meeting workflow by connecting to your calendar and existing productivity tools.Go to https://fellow.app/ and discover the best way to enhance productivity today!-----------In this episode of The Startup CEO Show, host Mark MacLeod sits down with David Hauser to discuss optimizing routines, building processes, and achieving startup success. David, a multi-time founder, angel investor, and author, delves into crucial topics such as the importance of morning routines, building a high-performing team, integrating values into company culture, and sending regular updates as a predictor of entrepreneurial success. Learn how to apply discipline and data-driven marketing across various industries, as well as insights into bootstrapping versus raising venture capital.----------Since 1999, I have sat at the right-hand side of the leaders of high growth technology companies as either a CFO, VC or deal maker. I served as CFO for software companies including Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) and Freshbooks. As a CFO I experienced outright failures, wildly profitable exits, and everything in between.I was a General Partner in Real Ventures, Canada's largest and most active seed stage fund. My investments there include the fund's largest cash on cash and highest IRR returns to date. Most recently, I founded SurePath Capital Partners the leading investment bank for SMB SaaS companies where we did hundreds of millions in financing and exit transactions.Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themarkmacleod/Connect on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/markmacleod_Contact Mark: https://markmacleod.me/

Seeking valuable insights on startup success and leadership strategies for CEOs?🚀 SUBSCRIBE TO MARK MACLEOD'S NEWSLETTER: https://markmacleod.me/newsletter/-----------------------------------------------How often do you think about improving your company's culture and efficiency?Fellow is the only AI Meeting Assistant that transcribes, summarizes, and centralizes your meeting workflow by connecting to your calendar and existing productivity tools.Go to https://fellow.app/ and discover the best way to enhance productivity today!----------------------------------------------In this episode of The Startup CEO Show, host Mark MacLeod sits down with Cameron Wenaus, the co-founder and CEO of Retreat Guru, to discuss building trust within a company, embracing emotional sharing, and integrating mindfulness into business practices.Cameron dives into the importance of personal check-ins in leadership meetings, the impact of feeling safe in a work environment, and shares various resources and methods for beginning mindfulness meditation. The conversation also explores the challenges of managing resource limitations, the value of mission-aligned stakeholders, and how spiritual growth intersects with running a startup.-----------------------Since 1999, I have sat at the right-hand side of the leaders of high growth technology companies as either a CFO, VC or deal maker. I served as CFO for software companies including Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) and Freshbooks. As a CFO I experienced outright failures, wildly profitable exits, and everything in between.I was a General Partner in Real Ventures, Canada's largest and most active seed stage fund. My investments there include the fund's largest cash on cash and highest IRR returns to date. Most recently, I founded SurePath Capital Partners the leading investment bank for SMB SaaS companies where we did hundreds of millions in financing and exit transactions.Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themarkmacleod/Connect on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/markmacleod_Contact Mark: https://markmacleod.me/

🚀 SUBSCRIBE TO MARK MACLEOD'S NEWSLETTER: https://markmacleod.me/newsletter/-----------------------------------------------How many times a day do you think "This meeting could have been an e-mail"?Fellow is the only AI Meeting Assistant that transcribes, summarizes, and centralizes your meeting workflow by connecting to your calendar and existing productivity tools.Go to https://fellow.app/ and discover the best way to enhance productivity today!----------------------------------------------In this episode of The Startup CEO Show, host Mark MacLeod sits down with Mark Faggiano, former co-founder and CEO of Taxjar, to discuss the journey from startup to successful acquisition and his current dedication to the Cure Alzheimer's fund. Mark Faggiano shares insights on navigating the e-commerce tax compliance landscape, fostering strong co-founder relationships, and making customer-centric decisions that drive growth. He also delves into the importance of profitability, independent control, and effective remote work strategies. Additionally, Faggiano talks about his commitment to Alzheimer’s research and ways to mitigate the risk of the disease through lifestyle choices.----------------------------------------------Connect with Mark Faggiano: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markfaggiano/Since 1999, I have sat at the right-hand side of the leaders of high growth technology companies as either a CFO, VC or deal maker. I served as CFO for software companies including Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) and Freshbooks. As a CFO I experienced outright failures, wildly profitable exits, and everything in between.I was a General Partner in Real Ventures, Canada's largest and most active seed stage fund. My investments there include the fund's largest cash on cash and highest IRR returns to date. Most recently, I founded SurePath Capital Partners the leading investment bank for SMB SaaS companies where we did hundreds of millions in financing and exit transactions.Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themarkmacleod/Connect on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/markmacleod_Contact Mark: https://markmacleod.me/

Seeking valuable insights on startup success and leadership strategies for CEOs?🚀 SUBSCRIBE TO MARK MACLEOD'S NEWSLETTER: https://markmacleod.me/newsletter/-----------------------------------------------How many times a day do you think "This meeting could have been an e-mail"?Fellow is the only AI Meeting Assistant that transcribes, summarizes, and centralizes your meeting workflow by connecting to your calendar and existing productivity tools.Go to https://fellow.app/ and discover the best way to enhance productivity today!----------------------------------------------In this special episode of The Startup CEO Show, host Mark MacLeod shares his extensive experience with venture-backed startup CEOs and discusses strategies to help CEOs lead their companies effectively without burning out. Mark dives into the importance of prioritizing health, fitness, mindset, and human connections, introducing frameworks such as the "CEO perpetual growth loop" and the "five factors of health" from Ben Bergeron. He also emphasizes the significance of living with intention and creating boundaries to ensure long-lasting leadership and satisfaction in life.Since 1999, I have sat at the right-hand side of the leaders of high growth technology companies as either a CFO, VC or deal maker. I served as CFO for software companies including Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) and Freshbooks. As a CFO I experienced outright failures, wildly profitable exits, and everything in between.I was a General Partner in Real Ventures, Canada's largest and most active seed stage fund. My investments there include the fund's largest cash on cash and highest IRR returns to date. Most recently, I founded SurePath Capital Partners the leading investment bank for SMB SaaS companies where we did hundreds of millions in financing and exit transactions.Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themarkmacleod/Connect on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/markmacleod_Contact Mark: https://markmacleod.me/

Seeking valuable insights on startup success and leadership strategies for CEOs?🚀 SUBSCRIBE TO MARK MACLEOD'S NEWSLETTER: https://markmacleod.me/newsletter/-----------------------------------------------How many times a day do you think "This meeting could have been an e-mail"?Fellow is the only AI Meeting Assistant that transcribes, summarizes, and centralizes your meeting workflow by connecting to your calendar and existing productivity tools.Go to https://fellow.app/ and discover the best way to enhance productivity today!----------------------------------------------In this episode of The Startup CEO Show, host Mark MacLeod sits down with Scot Chisholm to discuss the multifaceted journey of growing a startup and driving market penetration. Scot, the CEO and co-founder of Classy, delves deep into topics like forming strategic partnerships with heavyweights like Salesforce, navigating the complexities of fundraising from individuals to institutional investors, and the challenges associated with scaling from SMB to an enterprise-level organization. Scot also reflects on the evolution of Classy and its eventual acquisition by GoFundMe, sharing key insights that all startup CEOs can learn from.Learn More at https://scotchisholm.com/Since 1999, I have sat at the right-hand side of the leaders of high growth technology companies as either a CFO, VC or deal maker. I served as CFO for software companies including Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) and Freshbooks. As a CFO I experienced outright failures, wildly profitable exits, and everything in between.I was a General Partner in Real Ventures, Canada's largest and most active seed stage fund. My investments there include the fund's largest cash on cash and highest IRR returns to date. Most recently, I founded SurePath Capital Partners the leading investment bank for SMB SaaS companies where we did hundreds of millions in financing and exit transactions.Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themarkmacleod/Connect on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/markmacleod_Contact Mark: https://markmacleod.me/

Seeking valuable insights on startup success and leadership strategies for CEOs?🚀 SUBSCRIBE TO MARK MACLEOD'S NEWSLETTER: https://markmacleod.me/newsletter/-----------------------------------------------How many times a day do you think "This meeting could have been an e-mail"?Fellow is the only AI Meeting Assistant that transcribes, summarizes, and centralizes your meeting workflow by connecting to your calendar and existing productivity tools.Go to https://fellow.app/ and discover the best way to enhance productivity today!----------------------------------------------In this episode of The Startup CEO Show, host Mark MacLeod sits down with Andrew Gazdecki, to discuss the intricacies of startup acquisitions and building market value. Andrew, the CEO of acquire.com, delves into crucial topics such as building trust with buyers, preparing your business for sale, and the importance of being diligence ready. Learn how to streamline the acquisition process with data rooms, templates, and financial recasting. Andrew also shares his experiences and insights on bootstrapping SaaS businesses, navigating private equity markets, and leveraging strong brand narratives for maximum impact.-----------------------------------------------Since 1999, I have sat at the right-hand side of the leaders of high growth technology companies as either a CFO, VC or deal maker. I served as CFO for software companies including Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) and Freshbooks. As a CFO I experienced outright failures, wildly profitable exits, and everything in between.I was a General Partner in Real Ventures, Canada's largest and most active seed stage fund. My investments there include the fund's largest cash on cash and highest IRR returns to date. Most recently, I founded SurePath Capital Partners the leading investment bank for SMB SaaS companies where we did hundreds of millions in financing and exit transactions.Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themarkmacleod/Connect on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/markmacleod_Contact Mark: https://markmacleod.me/

Seeking valuable insights on startup success and leadership strategies for CEOs?🚀 SUBSCRIBE TO MARK MACLEOD'S NEWSLETTER: https://markmacleod.me/newsletter/-----------------------------------------------How many times a day do you think "This meeting could have been an e-mail"?Fellow is the only AI Meeting Assistant that transcribes, summarizes, and centralizes your meeting workflow by connecting to your calendar and existing productivity tools.Go to https://fellow.app/ and discover the best way to enhance productivity today!----------------------------------------------In this episode of The Startup CEO Show, host Mark MacLeod sits down with Katherine Regnier, founder and CEO of Coconut Software, for an insightful discussion on growing a business while staying true to your values. Discover Katherine's thoughts on raising funds, focusing the company's direction, and prioritizing customer perspectives while navigating sales cycles in the financial sector. Tune in to understand how flexible work policies impact productivity and employee satisfaction, and gain wisdom on transitioning from founder to CEO.--------------------------------------------Since 1999, I have sat at the right-hand side of the leaders of high growth technology companies as either a CFO, VC or deal maker. I served as CFO for software companies including Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) and Freshbooks. As a CFO I experienced outright failures, wildly profitable exits, and everything in between.I was a General Partner in Real Ventures, Canada's largest and most active seed stage fund. My investments there include the fund's largest cash on cash and highest IRR returns to date. Most recently, I founded SurePath Capital Partners the leading investment bank for SMB SaaS companies where we did hundreds of millions in financing and exit transactions.Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themarkmacleod/Connect on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/markmacleod_Contact Mark: https://markmacleod.me/

Seeking valuable insights on startup success and leadership strategies for CEOs?🚀 SUBSCRIBE TO MARK MACLEOD'S NEWSLETTER: https://markmacleod.me/newsletter/-----------------------------------------------How many times a day do you think "This meeting could have been an e-mail"?Fellow is the only AI Meeting Assistant that transcribes, summarizes, and centralizes your meeting workflow by connecting to your calendar and existing productivity tools.Go to https://fellow.app/ and discover the best way to enhance productivity today!----------------------------------------------In this episode of The Startup CEO Show, host Mark MacLeod sits down with Jason Fried, co-founder and CEO of 37signals, for an enriching conversation on startup leadership and maintaining a successful business partnership. Jason shares valuable insights on keeping business costs lean, the inefficiencies of large teams, and the necessity of balancing intuition with business decisions. Learn how Jason's unique approach to day-to-day operations and his "joy of missing out" mindset has contributed to 37signals' sustained success. Discover his thoughts on remaining independent, the pitfalls of excessive venture capital, and the importance of genuine personal branding. -------------------------Key highlights:02:20 The Power of Respect and Admiration in Business Partnerships06:50 Why Large Teams in Software Companies Can Be Inefficient12:15 The Importance of Keeping Costs Low and Avoiding Early Venture Capital18:00 Balancing Fights with Positive Outcomes in Startup Success24:45 Jason’s Approach to Vision: Focus on Present and Immediate Future30:15 Embracing the 'Joy of Missing Out' (Jomo) 35:50 Allowing Space for Creativity and Reflection41:35 The Importance of Consistent Practice and Personal Satisfaction47:20 Seeking Advice and Peer Groups for CEOs53:40 The Value of Balancing Profit with Reinvestment59:30 Finding Enjoyment and Energy in Work Processes--------------------------------Since 1999, I have sat at the right-hand side of the leaders of high growth technology companies as either a CFO, VC or deal maker. I served as CFO for software companies including Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) and Freshbooks. As a CFO I experienced outright failures, wildly profitable exits, and everything in between.I was a General Partner in Real Ventures, Canada's largest and most active seed stage fund. My investments there include the fund's largest cash on cash and highest IRR returns to date. Most recently, I founded SurePath Capital Partners the leading investment bank for SMB SaaS companies where we did hundreds of millions in financing and exit transactions.Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themarkmacleod/Connect on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/markmacleod_Contact Mark: https://markmacleod.me/

Seeking valuable insights on startup success and leadership strategies for CEOs?🚀 SUBSCRIBE TO MARK MACLEOD'S NEWSLETTER: https://markmacleod.me/newsletter/-----------------------------------------------How many times a day do you think "This meeting could have been an e-mail"?Fellow is the only AI Meeting Assistant that transcribes, summarizes, and centralizes your meeting workflow by connecting to your calendar and existing productivity tools.Go to https://fellow.app/ and discover the best way to enhance productivity today!----------------------------------------------In this episode of The Startup CEO Show, host Mark MacLeod engages in a deep discussion with Greg Smith, co-founder and CEO of Thinkific. Learn from Greg's experience as he navigated the transition from a securities lawyer to becoming the leader of a cutting-edge SaaS platform.Greg provides key takeaways on establishing a single source of truth, building a content engine, and the strategic value of acquiring profitable customer annuities. He also shares insights on the evolution of Thinkific, its roadmap, and future visions involving augmented reality and AI.-------------------------Key highlights:03:45 Establishing a Single Source of Truth08:10 Building a Strong Content Engine from the Start12:50 Strategic Value of Profitable Customer Annuities18:30 Importance of Capital Efficiency in SaaS Businesses24:20 Transitioning from Roadmap Control to Outcome Achievement30:40 Impact of AI and Augmented Reality on Content Sharing36:15 Combining Career Content with Community Platforms42:00 Benefits of a Seamless Payments Platform on Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)49:30 Balancing High-Level Management with Deep Dive Projects-----------------------Since 1999, I have sat at the right-hand side of the leaders of high growth technology companies as either a CFO, VC or deal maker. I served as CFO for software companies including Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) and Freshbooks. As a CFO I experienced outright failures, wildly profitable exits, and everything in between.I was a General Partner in Real Ventures, Canada's largest and most active seed stage fund. My investments there include the fund's largest cash on cash and highest IRR returns to date. Most recently, I founded SurePath Capital Partners the leading investment bank for SMB SaaS companies where we did hundreds of millions in financing and exit transactions.Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themarkmacleod/Connect on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/markmacleod_Contact Mark: https://markmacleod.me/

Seeking valuable insights on startup success and leadership strategies for CEOs?🚀 SUBSCRIBE TO MARK MACLEOD'S NEWSLETTER: https://markmacleod.me/newsletter/-----------------------------------------------How many times a day do you think "This meeting could have been an e-mail"? Fellow is the only AI Meeting Assistant that transcribes, summarizes, and centralizes your meeting workflow by connecting to your calendar and existing productivity tools. Go to https://fellow.app/ and discover the best way to enhance productivity today! ----------------------------------------------In this episode of The Startup CEO Show, host Mark MacLeod engages in a thought-provoking dialogue with Nick Francis, co-founder and CEO of Help Scout. Dive into Nick's pioneering journey of building a 100% remote company, leveraging intentional decision-making, and setting new standards for customer support excellence.Nick shares his vision on the transformational impact of AI in customer service, the importance of company culture and values, and his personal commitments to both team and customer experiences. Learn how Help Scout navigated the challenging tech landscape while staying profitable and integrating first principles in their growth strategy.-------------------------Key highlights:04:15 Founding Help Scout08:30 Embracing and Excelling in a 100% Remote Work Environment12:45 The Transformational Potential of AI in Customer Support18:20 Aligning Fundraising Strategies with Core Values and Integrity24:10 Whole Company Support and Onboarding Processes30:50 The Importance of Self-Service Documentation in Customer Support37:30 Achieving B Corp Status and Its Impact on Business42:15 Stewardship of Capital and Long-term Thinking in Fundraising48:40 Balancing Work-Life Harmony and Sustainable Leadership-----------------------Since 1999, I have sat at the right-hand side of the leaders of high growth technology companies as either a CFO, VC or deal maker. I served as CFO for software companies including Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) and Freshbooks. As a CFO I experienced outright failures, wildly profitable exits, and everything in between.I was a General Partner in Real Ventures, Canada's largest and most active seed stage fund. My investments there include the fund's largest cash on cash and highest IRR returns to date. Most recently, I founded SurePath Capital Partners the leading investment bank for SMB SaaS companies where we did hundreds of millions in financing and exit transactions.Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themarkmacleod/Connect on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/markmacleod_Contact Mark: https://markmacleod.me/