Practical Founders Podcast

Chris Brisson, CEO and co-founder of Salesmsg, shares his transformative journey from shutting down his first company to launching a successful SMS platform. He emphasizes the shift from one-way to conversational texting, enhancing customer engagement. Chris discusses the importance of reinvesting profits for growth without outside funding, navigating business transitions, and driving innovation. He delves into sustainable strategies for thriving in the SaaS industry, highlighting the benefits of SMS communication and strong partnerships, all while maintaining control and fostering a robust team dynamic.

In this engaging conversation, Tracy Larson, President and CEO of WeSuite, shares her journey from security systems to a successful software company. She discusses managing growth post-acquisition, focusing on stability for staff and clients. Tracy highlights the importance of mentorship for women founders and the necessity of establishing personal advisory boards. She delves into the challenges of software customization, the emotional shifts after a sale, and the transformative nature of entrepreneurship. Plus, she reflects on the empowering role of AI in sales and leadership.

Henry Valentino, founder and CEO of EConnect, shares insights from his journey in creating facial recognition software for casinos. He discusses the innovative shift from traditional security to AI-driven solutions driven by the pandemic's challenges. Valentino emphasizes the importance of knowing your financials as a CEO, the intricacies of navigating funding in the tech space, and the critical need for compliance in an evolving privacy landscape. With nearly $10 million in revenue, he highlights how tech can enhance both safety and customer experiences in the casino industry.

Josh Turley, CEO of RTA Fleet Management, took the reins of his family's small software business and transformed it into a SaaS powerhouse. He discusses the challenges of modernizing an old system, including shifting from COBOL to a cloud-based model and navigating the complexities of growth equity investment. Turley shares insights on strategic leadership, the importance of company values in hiring, and the fun culture he fosters, like Hawaiian shirt Fridays. His journey emphasizes balancing innovation with legacy while achieving remarkable growth in the fleet management software industry.

Sameer Narkar is the founder and CEO of Konnect Insights, a global SaaS company based in Mumbai that provides an omnichannel customer experience platform to consumer brands in 100 countries. Sameer created Konnect Insights in 2015 to help customer service teams respond to customers who mention their brands on social media. The product and company have expanded from a slow start working through marketing agencies in India to now distributing through ISV partners in all major global regions. The Konnect Insights product includes social listening, ticketing, reputation monitoring, and social media analytics. They have grown to 140 employees, hundreds of customers, and $7 million ARR--without any outside funding. In this episode, Sameer talks about: Selling through agency and ISV partners to grow efficiently Competing with large, well-funded software companies How he thinks about how AI can help them compete Why he hasn’t sold the company or raised outside funding Quote from Sameer Narkar, founder and CEO of Konnect Insights “When you start a software company, you have all odds against you. You don't have enough money. There's no reason why customers would trust you against the established products. There is a 99% chance that you'll fail. “But if you're really passionate about what you're building, then don't look too far ahead. Try to achieve your smaller goals or get from zero to one. So just build something and get some early customers. We figured out a way for agencies to be interested in selling our solution to bring it to market. “Then meet directly with your end customers. It's very easy for tech founders to sit in the office and build a product the way they think. That doesn’t work. Many founders think that if they take a half-baked product, they won't get another chance. But that's not the case. You need to build relationships to help you improve and grow..” Links Sameer Narkar on LinkedIn Konnect Insights on LinkedIn Konnect Insights website The Practical Founders Podcast Tune into the Practical Founders Podcast for weekly in-depth interviews with founders who have built valuable software companies without big funding. Subscribe to the Practical Founders Podcast using your favorite podcast app or view on our YouTube channel. Get the weekly Practical Founders newsletter and podcast updates at practicalfounders.com.

Chris Erler, co-founder and former COO of ComX, shares his journey in transforming lead generation for traditional German businesses. He emphasizes the challenges of bootstrapping in a conservative market while growing his company to $20 million in revenue. Chris discusses innovative strategies that blend technology with human insight, adapting U.S. tactics to European markets. He also explores the impact of AI on marketing, stresses the importance of customer value, and reflects on the lessons learned during their acquisition and rapid growth.

Aaron Steffey, co-founder and co-CEO of Propeller, a transformative platform for issuing surety bonds, shares his journey from insurance agent to tech entrepreneur. He discusses how the pandemic accelerated a shift in the traditional, paper-heavy surety bond market to a more digital approach. With innovative strategies, Propeller achieved rapid growth, raising $7 million in funding and ultimately selling to Arch Capital. Aaron emphasizes the importance of endurance in entrepreneurship, reflecting on challenges faced and the thrill of revolutionizing a $7 billion industry.

Roy van den Broek, founder and CEO of Rentman—software that streamlines logistics for the event industry—shares his journey from building a rental business to launching a successful SaaS platform. He discusses adapting to COVID-19, the significance of multilingual support, and the challenges of navigating equity funding while retaining control. Roy emphasizes the importance of product development driven by real-world needs and effective resource management to ensure smooth operations in large-scale events.

Gopal Krishnamurthy, founder and CEO of Lumel, shares insights about his enterprise performance management startup that supports modern data platforms. He discusses the shift from traditional BI services to innovative product development, emphasizing patient execution and the challenges faced in a competitive landscape. Gopal reveals how bootstrapped funding has driven Lumel's growth to over $12M in annual revenue, while also highlighting the potential of no-code data applications to disrupt the industry. The conversation explores technology cycles and the impact of AI on the future of enterprise software.

Phil Stern, Operating Principal at Mainsail Partners, specializes in growth equity for bootstrapped vertical SaaS companies. He shares insights on hiring the first head of sales to transition from founder-led to scalable sales. Phil highlights the importance of operational support and establishing trusting relationships with founders. He discusses the need for effective customer profiling and the transformative role of AI in SaaS. The conversation emphasizes how targeted investments can accelerate growth while ensuring product-market fit and a focus on key performance indicators.