The SaaS CFO

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In this episode, we are excited to feature Sean Trevaskis and Enver Sorkun, the co-founders of Growdash, a company specializing in analytics and business intelligence solutions for restaurants.   Host Ben dives into an in-depth conversation with Sean and Enver to learn about their backgrounds, the products and services Growdash offers, their ideal customer profile, geographic focus, team size, fundraising journey, key metrics, and plans for the future.   Join us as we explore the inspiring journey of Growdash and gain valuable insights into the world of SaaS startups in this engaging and informative episode.  Show Notes:  03:12 Grow Dash is a platform for restaurant analytics and business intelligence, helping restaurants use advertising tools to develop growth strategies. They collect data, generate insights, and provide recommendations to optimize marketing campaigns.  09:17 The company initially bootstrapped its product, then focused on building traction. They balanced product development and sales hiring to manage cash effectively. Also, the company found ways to scale talent by managing tech internally and outsourcing where possible.  11:53 Advanced cold calling with tools like rocket reach and CRM to generate outbound and inbound opportunities.  13:52 Discovered product market fit through Excel tool, achieved high advertising return, now expanding product roadmap.  18:03 Persistence pays off in building relationships and sales.  21:33 Preparing for seed round, launching in Saudi Arabia, finalizing next year's strategy, targeting Europe and Southeast Asia for expansion.  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/growdash-closes-750-000-in-pre-seed-round  Sean’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-trevaskis/  Enver’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emsorkun/?originalSubdomain=ae  Growdash’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growdash/  To know more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray  

In this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast, our host Ben invites Farokh Shahabi, co-founder and CEO of Formaloo, to share his entrepreneurial journey and insights into the world of SaaS and no-code application development.   Farokh discusses his background as a serial entrepreneur and the inception of Formaloo as his third startup, offering a no-code collaboration platform for businesses to create applications without the need for coding. He provides an in-depth look at the product and services offered, the company's rapid growth, its deliberate product-led growth strategy, and the recent fundraising milestone.   Farokh also shares valuable advice for first-time founders and talks about the future of Formaloo. Join the conversation as Farokh Shahabi provides valuable insights for both startup enthusiasts and seasoned professionals in the SaaS industry.  Highlights:  00:00 Over 25,000 businesses use our engagement solutions, popular in US and expanding globally.  03:44 Flexibility is essential for unique business solutions, as off-the-shelf platforms often limit customization.  08:51 Promoted transparent publishing for feedback from developers. Created community around Novo developers using different tools for web development. Generated word of mouth for Formaloo.  11:58 Focused on becoming stable, achieved positive cash flow, now aiming to grow with capital raise.  14:34 VC lessons: don't raise in summer, show a proven track record, focus on traction, be adaptable to market fluctuations.  17:34 Critical KPIs: MRI and active business usage on platform. Impactfulness on customer's business. Tracking employee interaction and platform usage.  19:48 Formaloop implementing new features for easier application creation, incorporating AI and automation for faster business growth.  22:46 Lesson 3: work with great VCs, avoid bad ones. Money is important, but bad VCs can doom a startup.  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/formaloo-raises-2-million-in-seed-round  Farokh Shahabi’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farokhshahabi/  Formaloo’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/formaloohq/  To know more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast, our host Ben welcomes Chris Priebe, the founder of Zelt. Chris shares his background, starting as an investment banker and later becoming a partner at a venture firm. He then delves into the products and services offered by Zelt, focusing on providing companies with a platform for managing HR, IT, and financial operations.  Ben and Chris discuss the champion of Zelt's product within companies, the various features and use cases, including onboarding and offboarding employees, and the industries Zelt is targeting. They also touch on Zelt's recent seed round and how the company is landing prospects.  Chris details Zelt's go-to-market strategy and talks about what's coming up next for the company. He offers the audience the opportunity to learn more about Zelt and reach out for any further inquiries. Whether you're interested in the future of HR and finance operations or looking for insights into SaaS product development and fundraising, this episode provides valuable perspectives from Chris Priebe.  Show Notes:  00:00 Switched from physics to investment banking, then private equity, and venture capital. Started Zelt in 2021.  03:47 Secure onboarding with comprehensive information capture for payroll and hardware procurement.  08:13 London-based company serves fintech startups but expanding to tech companies and unexpected sectors like healthcare.  10:46 Initial customers validated product, reassured investors.  14:55 Discussion on various metrics to gauge efficiency and profitability, focusing on revenue per FTE and a new metric called the rose metric.  17:24 Active in multiple channels for lead generation, no magic sauce yet, focus on understanding and solving problems.  19:56 Request for email regarding pitch deck, fundraising.  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/zelt-raises-3-5-million-in-seed-round  Chris Priebe’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris365/  Zelt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zelthq/  To know more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast. In this episode, our host Ben sits down with Brittany Harris, CEO and co-founder of Qualis Flow, a B2B software platform aiming to transform the engineering and construction industry through real-time data capture and analytics.   Brittany discusses her journey from civil engineer to first-time founder, the challenges and opportunities in the construction industry, and the exciting developments at Qualis Flow. From hitting the 1 million ARR mark to raising a 7.2 million euro Series A investment, Brittany shares important insights and lessons learned on scaling a SaaS business in the construction industry.  Tune in to hear Brittany's inspirational story and learn more about the innovative work happening at Qualus Flow.  Show Notes:  00:00 Accidentally entered startup competition, success despite competition.  03:28 QFlow automates tracking materials, waste, and data capture for construction industry to promote sustainability and efficiency.  09:12 Challenging construction market with big international players and potential clients in tier two and SMEs.  11:05 Organizations benefit from cost savings, risk reduction, compliance, sustainability reporting, supply chain management, and procurement through the use of accurate data.  14:27 Preparation and strict timelines for fundraising round.  17:25 Focus on UK growth, then move to US exploration next year. Hiring and building capacity.  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/qflow-raises-7-2-million-in-series-a  Qualis-Flow's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/qualis-flow/  Britanny Harris’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanydharris/?originalSubdomain=uk  To know more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast. In this episode, our host Ben speaks with Blake Hall, founder and CEO of ID.me. Blake shares his inspiring story of transitioning from military service to founding a company that is streamlining digital identity verification and access.   He discusses the evolution of ID.me's products and services, the impact of their digital wallet, and the vision for the future of digital identity. From military verification to healthcare access, this episode unveils the revolutionary potential of digital identity and the strategic insights behind scaling a successful SaaS company.   Tune in for a deep dive into the world of digital identity and the remarkable journey of ID.me.  Show Notes:  00:00 Combat experience led to desire for positive impact. Started company based on need for simplifying online security amidst digitization and data breaches.  04:56 Received grant for privacy tech, worked with major brands for minimal info disclosure, expanded to students, teachers, first responders, nurses, influencers. Aimed to be "PayPal for identity," commerce initiative in 2012.  06:54 Military ID used for digital access to government services and private sector offers, enhancing privacy and legal identity verification.  12:56 Having a clear plan, identifying critical assumptions, and being adaptable are vital for a young company's success.  15:57 Pivotal conversation led to PayPal for identity opportunity, successful launch with 48,000 users.  19:22 Sales efficiency is crucial to cover costs and focus on the right customers.  21:05 The business uses sales-led approach with a unique PLG component and 110+ million American users.  24:51 Person on LinkedIn, Twitter, ID Me. Mention of CMO.   Links:SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/id-me-raises-132-million-in-series-d  ID.me’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/id.me/  Blake Hall’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hallblake/  To know more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast. In this episode, our host Ben sits down with Taylor Lowe, the co-founder and CEO of Metal. Taylor discusses his background in the SaaS industry, including his journey from working in sales to founding Metal with his co-founders.   He delves into the products and services Metal offers, their target industries, and their approach to developing and refining their product offering. Taylor also shares insights into their go-to-market strategy, pricing model, and recent seed funding round.   As they wrap up, he gives a glimpse into what's coming up for Metal and even reveals the interesting story behind the company's name. Stay tuned for an insightful conversation with a SaaS industry leader.  Show Notes:  00:00 Founders with experience in sales and engineering developed enterprise SaaS, inspired by previous work in software and infrastructure.  03:41 Engineers rely on layers of abstraction for easier work with raw materials, like embeddings in vector databases. This powers applications like chat TPT.  08:58 Focus on product, new way of building software and data representation, hands-on customer approach.  09:57 Inbound interest drives learning and product improvement.  13:16 Capital is important, but experience and customer focus are crucial. Choose investors carefully.  16:13 Three people like metal, started a company called "pretty metal."  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/metal-raises-2-5-million-in-funding  Taylor Lowe’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorlowe11/  Get Metal’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/getmetal/  Get Metal’s Website: https://getmetal.io/  To know more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast. In this episode, our host Ben sits down with Matt Hicks, VP of Sales and part of the founding team at Vertice, a tech-enabled service provider.   Matt shares his extensive experience in startups and his current role in helping finance and technology leaders deploy capital more efficiently in the realm of technology solutions. They discuss Vertice's specialized services in cloud and SaaS optimization, as well as the company's journey from its founding to its current position as a leader in the market.   Matt also provides insights into the company's go-to-market strategy, its recent capital raise, and the exciting future of the industry. Tune in to gain valuable insights and learn more about the evolving landscape of technology spend optimization.  Show Notes:  00:00 Developers creating new services in the cloud can lead to increased costs. FinOps integrates finance and technology to manage and understand cloud expenses. Vertice's CCO product supports cloud cost optimization for finance teams.  06:13 Amazon introduced AWS in 2006-2007. Tech market faces scrutiny on cost due to job losses. CFOs focus on controlling cloud and SaaS spending. Intermediaries are key in mature markets for efficiency.  07:23 SaaS and cloud industry selling through intermediaries, Vertiz focuses on buyer's interests, SaaS and cloud industry maturing, potential for increased regulations.  11:12 Market focus on efficiency, third-party visibility and cost reduction as AI navigates challenges.  13:57 Target ICP: larger companies, shift to enterprise customers, series B+ companies, growing enterprise customer base.  19:14 Successful startup with MVP, fundraising based on founder's track record, exceeding targets and generating significant revenue. Plans for significant growth in 2024.  22:35 Company offers SaaS procurement and cloud cost optimization services. They aim to help customers deploy capital efficiently by using data to make useful recommendations.  24:00 Underutilization of SaaS and cloud services leads to significant waste.  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/vertice-raises-26-million-in-series-a  Matt Hick’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthicks85/  Vertice One’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/verticeone/  To know more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In this episode, we dive into the world of Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) with Taimur Abdaal, the founder and CEO of Causal.   Taimur shares his background in mathematics and programming, and how that led him to start Causal, a number crunching tool that simplifies financial modeling and planning. He talks about the journey of building Causal, from its early days to raising funding and scaling the business. Taimur also discusses the company's approach to go-to-market strategy, product development, and the key metrics they focus on.   If you're interested in the intersection of tech, finance, and entrepreneurship, this episode is a must-listen. Stay tuned to gain valuable insights into the world of SaaS and FPA!  Show Notes:  00:00 Data scientist at Nested worked on automating financial models, prompted the idea for a better number-crunching tool. Spreadsheets have not evolved much in 40 years.  04:38 Felt right to quit job, started project, gained interest.  07:11 Product focuses on easy initial use, scalable complexity, self-serve flow, and product-led growth strategy. 25% revenue from self-serve, majority from higher touch motion.  10:43 Early investors were found through connections, securing $1 million.  14:32 Access to networks and warm introductions important for fundraising. Pre-seed and seed stages focus on market size, team strength, and initial traction. Series A requires high growth rate.  17:29 Next focus is out-of-the-box reporting, easily linked with CRM.  Links:    SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/casual-secures-15-million-in-series-a  Taimur Abdaal’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taimurabdaal/  Causal’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/causalhq/  To know more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast. In this episode, we dive deep into the world of SaaS spend management with Sven Lackinger, co-founder and CEO of Sastrify. Sven shares his journey from founding a company in the parking technology market, which was later acquired, to launching Sastrify, a company focused on managing the lifecycle of SaaS within organizations.   He discusses the products and services offered by Sastrify and provides insights into their pricing model and customer base. Sven also shares valuable lessons learned from his extensive fundraising experience, as Sastrify secured rounds of investment ranging from seed to Series B.   Join us as Sven gives us a glimpse into the future plans for Sastrify and shares his valuable insights for other founders in the SaaS industry.  Show Notes:  00:00 Sastrify co-founder Max's overspending on SaaS licenses led to creating a company managing SaaS lifecycle and costs.  03:38 SaaS companies increasing usage-based pricing due to analytics and AI impact.  09:02 Sales growth fueled by intangible ROI, centralized SaaS stack reduces spend waste, works with finance teams and procurement over 500 FTEs.  11:27 Received early funding, formed partnership, strong growth, successful B round fundraising.  13:05 Expanding products, global markets, innovation, finance focus.  16:33 Focus on mid-market customers, aiming to grow into higher-end market.  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories  Aug 2021 https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/sastrify-raises-7-million-in-seed-round  Jan 2022 https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/sastrify-raises-15-million-in-series-a  May 2023 https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/sastrify-raises-32-million-in-series-b  Sven Lackinger’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/svenlackinger/  Sastrify’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sastrify/  To know more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In today's episode, we have a special guest, Ben York, the CEO of Genetica. Ben shares his fascinating background, starting in finance and later transitioning into the world of SaaS and investment.   Genetica, founded in late 2020, is at the forefront of modernizing the cannabis and CBD retail experience through their AI platform. Ben delves into the products and services offered by Genetica, such as Flora Match, which analyzes data points and individual biochemistry to provide personalized recommendations, and Flora OS, which optimizes operations for retailers.   He also discusses the challenges and opportunities in the cannabis tech industry, including regulatory hurdles and the potential for consolidation. Stay tuned to learn more about the exciting developments in the cannabis tech space with Ben York on The SaaS CFO Podcast.  Show Notes: [00:02:11] Genetica modernizes cannabis retail with AI.  [00:04:06] Industry tests products, provides certificates, reduces liability.  [00:07:32] Challenges in raising capital, consolidation and mergers.  [00:12:05] Targeting retailers with advisors and partners.  [00:13:32] Twitter advertising bypasses restrictions to gain visibility.  [00:16:57] Always take conversations, even seemingly random ones.  [00:21:11] Ahead of schedule, product predicts employee's resignation.  Links: SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/genetica-raises-500-000-seed-round Ben York’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-ben-york/ Genetica’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/getgenetica/ Genetica’s Website: https://www.getgenetica.com/  To know more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray