When you Escape Velocity, the perfect exit is just around the corner. Learn how to scale, grow and exit with Dan Martell and some of the top SaaS Founders in the business.
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I was working crazy hours, growth had flatlined, and I couldn’t figure out how to scale.
It’s only because of today’s guest, Taki Moore, that I decided to stay the course.
He showed me a completely DIFFERENT way to build companies. Since then I’ve coached 2000+ founders and grown my YouTube followers to over 100K.
None of that would've been possible without Taki. He’s been THAT important to my career.
So in today’s episode, I unpack the lessons Taki taught me that transformed my coaching business. We also delve into his personal journey to becoming the ‘Million Dollar Coach’ and the challenges he overcame along the way.
So whether you’re a coach, SaaS founder, or business owner, you won’t want to miss this special episode.
Although Marvin has moved on from 500 Startups, the company still flourishes with an ever-expanding portfolio.
They are proudly considered the most active early-stage investment fund in the world, with over 5000+ entrepreneurs from 75+ countries on their portfolio.
In our interview, Marvin reveals:
Perfecting Onboarding & Activation with Aaron Krall @ SaaS Growth Hacks - Escape Velocity Show #42
Thursday, December 3, 2020 • Duration 54:01
Your website is polished. Facebook ads retargeting, Google ads pushing your domain to the top of the results page.
Traffic trickles through… starting with a sign-up for a free trial. All your PPC ad spend is balancing on a knife’s edge.
In the past, I’ve hired Aaron to educate my SaaS Academy clients. He seriously knows his stuff!
So it’s a pleasure to invite him to be a guest on the Escape Velocity podcast and hear what he has to say about onboarding trials that maximize conversions.
Not only is Aaron a highly sought-after conversion expert...
But he also started the biggest SaaS-only Facebook group, now with over 21,000 members. In this interview, we talk about:
Investing In SaaS Enabled Marketplaces with Christoph @ PointNine.com - Escape Velocity Show #41
Thursday, November 19, 2020 • Duration 45:42
Back in 2012, when I raised $1.6M in funding for Clarity.fm, I insisted on squeezing more out of my investors.
When I put together the final cap table, I made it clear that I also wanted introductions with other investors and businesses on their portfolio.
They told me, “Dan, you’re asking a lot here…”
But I put my foot down.
I knew you couldn’t put a price on leveraging contacts and networking. Every minute I’ve spent growing my network has paid dividends tenfold.
Since then I’ve realized that investors aren’t just a source of capital…
My latest Escape Velocity podcast guest, Christoph Janz, is the co-founder of Point Nine Capital, a very successful venture capital firm with over $75M of investments.
Christoph loves investing in SaaS. If you want to attract rockstar funding, then check out this eye-opening interview.
In this episode, you’re going to learn about:
- Why investors have to hustle too
- How Point Nine Capital was the first to invest in Zendesk
- How to think critically about your pricing model
- Creating a built-in SaaS referral system - What investors are looking for Point Nine Capital has invested in big names in tech, such as Typeform, Algolia, Contentful, Geckboard, Delivery Hero, Revolut and more. Christoph was even one the first investors of Zendesk back when it was a team of 4 people making only $7K MRR (). His story of cold-emailing Zendesk with an offer is… just crazy. You’ve got to hear it!
The Right Way to Build an Outbound Sales Team with Aaron @ PredictableRevenue.com - Escape Velocity Show #40
Thursday, November 5, 2020 • Duration 50:16
If you want consistent, predictable revenue for your SaaS then there’s one thing you’re going to need to build:
Don’t roll your eyes yet… Let me set the record straight.
In 2008, when I moved to silicon valley, sales teams were considered evil.
Tech companies pursued the unicorn: A product that would “sell itself”. (Yes, I’m using sarcastic air quotes).
The likes of Facebook and Instagram fed false hope that you could build a platform with non-existent revenue, burn through rounds of funding and monetize it later for billions.
The idea of hiring people to sell for you (aka: a sales team) wasn’t cool.
Times have changed.
People have woken up from the myth and discovered - surprise, surprise - that you have to work damn hard to make a buck!
Aaron trains sales teams and tech companies on outbound prospecting.
He knows the inner workings of a high-performing sales team, and he knows that they ARE necessary. “Build it and they will come” doesn’t cut it.
I gave him the microphone on the latest episode of the Escape Velocity podcast and asked him to dispel sales myths and talk through every stage of building a sales team that grows with your SaaS. Whether you love the idea of a sales team or you still feel like it’s evil, this is a great episode where you will learn: - Why even introverted founders MUST work sales - Why good sales teams don’t just sell - How to minimize translation in a sales message - How to handle lead nurturing - Working teams for a common goal - How buyers need help from sales teams - Working up from phase zero (non-existent sales teams) - The scary side of success The dream of a unicorn tech company still exists today. But as a SaaS coach, it’s my job to help founders grow their business and increase zeroes on their balance sheet. Which means I help you through the hard truth: You need to sell. and let Aaron Ross, a master of sales strategy, convince you why it’s what you need to do.
Business Networking Success with Alex Theuma @ SaaStock - Escape Velocity Show #39
Thursday, October 22, 2020 • Duration 50:05
Here’s a word that either makes you cringe… or sigh with relief:
You might have heard me say it before: Investors don’t want to meet you… they want to be introduced to you.
That means you’ve got to get out there and network.
And the easiest and best way to do that… is at conferences made for SaaS founders.
So, for this week’s episode of Escape Velocity Show, I’ve interviewed Alex Theuma, the founder of SaaStock, easily one of my favorite SaaS Conferences in the world.
(In fact, Alex quotes me on his website… and I’m not getting paid to say that!)
In this podcast episode, Alex and I chat all about:
- How SaaStock has grown in record time
- High-profile founders that have talked at past events
- The process for starting a networking event
- The audience-first model of marketing (true for all business types!)
- Why SaaStock is a great place for startups - The afterparties I love conferences. I regularly attend them, I’m often speaking at them, and I’ve made some . Starting a business shouldn’t be a lonely venture, and that’s why my SaaS Academy includes . If you find networking difficult, Conferences are like shooting fish in a barrel: It’s impossible to make valuable connections and learn something new. This episode was a pleasure to record. Alex is one of those guys that’s super easy to talk to and , you’ll get his vibe and see why SaaStock is worth checking out.
The Big Bet: Going From Paid to Freemium with Michael Litt, Co-Founder & CEO @ Vidyard.com - Escape Velocity Show #38
Thursday, October 8, 2020 • Duration 50:55
CEOs have it tough.
It’s not enough to grow your company into healthy profit margins and then coast along “because it’s working”.
I know it’s tempting to kick back and pour the martinis, but comfort is a dangerous position to be in.
They’ll stay on the bow on the ship, in the storm, telescope in hand, watching the changes in the waves and looking out for even the slightest hint of an iceberg in the distance.
Today I want to introduce you to a great CEO and one of my good buddies, Michael Litt.
Michael isn’t just the CEO and co-founder of Vidyard, a video hosting platform for businesses… He’s also the co-founder of Garage Capital, a VC firm with over $40M invested in 80+ businesses.
Vidyard did almost the opposite, creating a freemium model with a $0 pricing tier and partnering with brands like Adobe, Marketo and Hubspot.
As a CEO, steering the ship into a freemium model is… scary.
If it goes wrong, your customers downgrade and you’ve just donated your profit margins.
So sitting down with Michael, I wanted to unpack exactly how and why he did this. I’ve got to say… it was executed brilliantly. I’ve known Michael now for nearly 10 years. Being good buds means as soon as I hit record, we got straight to the good stuff chatting about: - How Vidyard scaled rapidly as a startup - The value of TIME in a commoditized landscape - The freemium “land-and-expand” model - When to go freemium - Getting 2500 PQLs on launch day - Building a culture that attracts talent - Firing staff if they aren’t a cultural fit - The difference in being a founder vs a CEO
Don’t Chase The Wrong Revenue with Christian Owens @ Paddle.com - Escape Velocity Show #37
Thursday, September 24, 2020 • Duration 57:03
In 2011, the billionaire co-founder of PayPal, Peter Thiel, started giving $100k to young entrepreneurs under 22.
…but only if they would drop out of college.
$100k paid to 20 applicants per year without taking any equity at all.
There was nothing in it for him. So why did he do it?
Thiel believed talented young minds were choosing college instead of building valuable businesses, so he began paying entrepreneurs not to go.
It was super controversial.
Whether the idea offends you or not, one thing is clear: The Thiel Fellowship attracts talent.
Christian is the founder and CEO of Paddle, an all-in-one SaaS commerce platform that is making massive waves in the tech industry.
Before we praise the Thiel fellowship for supporting Christian, let me clarify something:
Christian started his first business at 14 years old and grew it to $4M ARR by 17 years old before ever applying for the fellowship.
Then he started Paddle when he was 18 (now grown to $14M+ ARR)…
And has been named in Forbes top 30 under 30.
Needless to say, Christian is intelligent beyond his years and shares his impressive story and perspective on business in this episode.
Christian has been so deeply entrenched in the software world since he was a teenager that he speaks with long-lived wisdom.
In this interview we chat about:
- How he got accepted into the Thiel Fellowship - Paddle’s unique pricing structure - How they have a nearly 0% churn rate - Front-loading infrastructure for backend profit - Pivoting from apps and games to SaaS - Right revenue vs Wrong revenue - Why it’s cheaper than ever to start a SaaS - How to know when to expand focus - Why moving to - Supporting $2k MRR up to $100M+ ARR pricing models Paddle is quite a non-traditional and forward-thinking tech company. They have huge insights into what is and is not working in the SaaS world since they have a direct view of the revenue streams of many companies. Christian even considers Paddle as a to the tech companies that they work with, often making strategic suggestions so it’s a win-win for everyone. This is a fresh take on innovative tech business strategy. You’re going to love this episode… lots of value! -- + Instagram (behind the scenes): + Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): + Twitter (what I'm reading):
The Future of Sales Is No Quota with Jacco @ WinningByDesign.com - Escape Velocity Show #36
Thursday, September 10, 2020 • Duration 43:35
Take everything you think you know about sales teams…
And get ready to throw it out the window.
I mean it.
Sales, as a concept, is still dragging a lot of dead weight from old-school sales gurus chanting “ABC – Always Be Closing!”
The SaaS business model is being polluted by these old ideas that just don’t work.
Jacco is the founder and co-CEO of Winning By Design, who provide forward-thinking sales training for tech businesses.
I’ve read his books on SaaS sales strategies and loved them so much… I bought extra copies so I could give them to some of my clients to read.
Yeah, I’m an evangelist.
So when I had the chance to interview him for the Escape Velocity Show, I knew I was in for a hell of a ride.
Jacco, loaded up on Red Bull, drops bombshells of epic sales knowledge like effortless poetry.
He blew my mind multiple times in this episode which is why I’m telling you… you’ve got to check out this interview!
This is more than just two SaaS-obsessed guys chatting about business: It’s packed with sales lessons. Tune into this episode and you’ll learn:
- How anyone can use good sales techniques - Rational impact vs emotional impact - The secret to selling B2B: help them pitch their boss - Arming your internal buyer - Why B.A.N.T. is outdated and killing SaaS sales - How to change a customer’s priority with IMPACT - Don’t compete for commissions – Collaborate! - How SaaS sales success is measured in backend revenue - Why “the horse” doesn’t have the problem Jacco can drink 14 cans of Red Bull in 4 hours (I’m not even kidding). …But that’s not why I’m impressed. I’m impressed because here is a guy that truly GETS what looks like, has distilled it into digestible strategies, and is just ridiculously generous with all his priceless knowledge. Get your headphones and notepad ready because this is the kind of interview you’ll be thinking about for weeks. Ready? -- + Instagram (behind the scenes): + Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): + Twitter (what I'm reading):
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Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. (Get the free 3 videos to grow your business here.) He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter@danmartellfor tweets that are actually awesome.
Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. (Get the free 3 videos to grow your business here.) He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter@danmartellfor tweets that are actually awesome.
) He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter
) He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter
) He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter
The more you can hear from great leaders, the more I believe you’ll embody that discipline and become a great leader yourself.
As Jim Rohn said: “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with”.
So get your headphones, tune in and spend some time hanging out with us.
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Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. (Get the free 3 videos to grow your business here.) He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter@danmartellfor tweets that are actually awesome.
Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale.He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.
Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale.He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.
