Enno Krey

The SaaS industry is still growing. But much more slowly. Last month I shared an Aleph statistic. Over the last 3 years we have invested in 17 companies. Only 1 out 17 was a classic horizontal SaaS company. SaaS was the single best business model of the last cycle (2008-2021), but the category has since entered a maturity stage (see graph below). This new report from the wonderful software team at Avenir clearly illustrates it. Growth rates for the combined SaaS industry are quickly declining as we are entering the later stages of maturity. In other words, there’s already an established software company in most sectors - and there’s very little room for entirely new software categories. At Aleph we still believe there’s an opportunity to build successful SaaS companies, but new entrants would have to carve out market share in existing industries and displace existing vendors. Vertical software is one area where lesser competition makes it more attractive, but entrepreneurs in crowded horizontal markets would have to work harder than ever before. Another key takeaway from the report - there are only 72 publicly traded companies (with market cap > $5Bn) with a combined market cap of $5.8Tr. However, 56% of this value is attributed to Microsoft alone, followed by a very long tail of lesser performing companies. Moreover, only 2 of the largest 11 companies were funded after the year 2000 (ServiceNow, CrowdStrike). If you are building or investing in SaaS, you should definitely read the full report by Jared Sleeper, Hannah Bao and David Prilutsky (link in the first comment).

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What if you can do 3500 Google Searches at once? 🤩  Modern prospecting at scale with Clay!    Here’s what’s happening:  I am attending Bits & Pretzels 2024 together with #BreakingGrounds. Super exciting!    Lots of people I want to meet and want to set up a bunch of meetings before I even get to Munich.    The problem: I got a list of names and companies, but no contact info.    3500 attendees and not a single usable lead.    Here’s where Clay is SUPER useful.    Using the “Find and Enrich Person from Google” I get an army of robots that found over 90% of the LinkedIn accounts of the leads in less than 20 minutes!    Now all that’s left is to craft a quick intro sequence and load them into HeyGen.    Basically in less than 2 hours, I’ve guaranteed myself an epic conference in Munich!

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🙃 💸 Flink raised $1.5B... and is now valued at less than $1B Let's move beyond the snarky comments of how such a feat is possible. The German quick-commerce startup just raised an additional $150M. And that's actually quite interesting: 1️⃣ If valuation has been slashed (from a peak at $5B) to below $1B, it is a first sign of maturity. 2️⃣ There is a focus on profitability: the startup has broken even in its two main markets: Germany and The Netherlands. It wants to use the money to further strengthen its position there. Done are the days when startups were only focusing on growth and expansion. 3️⃣ That's the last European pure player operating in Europe (JOKR now only operates in Latin America). It is also among the last players operating at scale in developed economies. So, what it does and how successfully it can grow will be key to the future of quick-commerce. 📈 I am quite confident in the future of quick-commerce. It answers a consumer need, but it needs to be operated with care, notably in developed economies, due to high labour costs. 👉 : https://lnkd.in/gmpcNhNP #startup #commerce #grocery #delivery #foodtech

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Before selling a service, you need to sell the strategy. At ProductLed, we make three key sales before a client ever pays us. Sale 1: Are you convinced PLG is right for your business? If you don’t fully believe that Product-Led Growth (PLG) is the right approach, nothing else matters. So, we start by helping clients understand whether PLG makes sense for their business. Sale 2: Are you bought into our specific approach to PLG? This is where the Product-Led Playbook comes in. We wrote it to 1) Clearly outline our process and 2) Help others see if our approach aligns with their needs. If a client doesn’t buy into our method, they won’t value our services as much. Sale 3: What’s the fastest way to implement PLG? Now that they’re convinced PLG is the right strategy and our approach is the best way to execute it, the only question is speed. Do they want to implement it themselves using the Playbook, or do they want a ProductLed Implementer to help them move faster? It’s only at this final stage that we close the deal. I wanted to share this because it's WAY too common for SaaS companies to skip the second part. Last week, we were working with a founder who was struggling to identify the biggest friction point preventing users from signing up. But even before users sign up, your homepage or website copy needs to clearly communicate why your approach is the best way to solve their problem. It doesn't have to be through endless comparisons with competitors, but by educating them on: • What's the most effective way to solve [specific problem]? • Why your approach is better than the outdated methods? • Why your product stands out in the current market? You can look at examples of "Why [Company]?" pages for inspiration. Remember: When you sell the approach first, the rest becomes easier.

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ChartMogul's latest report on the state of the SaaS industry just dropped! 🔥 Our Snr. Mgr of Insights Sofia Faustino totally crushed it this time!! 👏👏 The report includes Revenue Retention trends and benchmarks from analyzing over 2,500 SaaS businesses 🏙️ Link to the full report over on Sofia's post...and please like/share her post 🙏🙏🙏

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No big launch, no massive ad spend—just millions of users. How? By surprise. Command AI (fka CommandBar) is one of my favorite startup stories. They went from 0 to 25 million end users - within months 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🚀 ... all without a traditional go-to-market strategy. My 5 key learnings👇 1. Focus on solving one real problem - Their product started by solving one clear pain point for a single customer. - That focus led to a solution that resonated with millions. - It’s easy to get distracted, but simplicity wins. 2. Build for your customers, not just the market - CommandAI didn’t have a master plan to reach millions. - Instead, they got close to our users, listened, and adapted quickly. - When you build alongside your customers, growth follows. 3. Let word-of-mouth do the heavy lifting - CommandAI didn’t invest in big marketing campaigns. - But their users became advocates, spreading the word organically. - If your product truly solves a problem, people will share it. 4. Sometimes, speed beats perfection - CommandAI didn’t wait for the product to be perfect before launching. - By moving fast, they learned and iterated faster than competitors. - Progress over perfection is key, especially in the early stages. 5. Embrace the unexpected - The explosive growth was never part of the plan. - By staying agile, they rode the wave instead of fighting it. - You can’t predict everything—be ready to pivot. Want to know more about how they stumbled into success? Check it out on YouTube: 👉 www. youtube. com @enzoavigo (remove spaces) Special thanks to Command AI & James Evans for sharing his journey!

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AppAdvice Campaign Recap: 🚀 📥 9.2k+ downloads in less than 48 hours. ⭐ Hundreds of ratings and reviews. 📧 Dozens of feedback emails. Next Steps: Time to generate some revenue 💸. The AppAdvice free lifetime offer is over—new BF paywall activated. 🎉 Black Friday Deal enabled: Lifetime access is 75% off for a limited time! 📈 Expanding visibility: listing the app in multiple directories to drive traffic. 💰 Already earning some bucks from the new offer. #ios #buildinpublic

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The most 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙙 👀 part of a 𝗴𝗼-𝘁𝗼-𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 and how to 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝗶𝘁 🔧 (𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 + 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲) 👇 Many of the go-to-market frameworks I’ve seen gloss over this key step or miss it entirely: 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗽𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆. Why it's important: 95% of our purchase decisions take place unconsciously + emotionally (Harvard study) - despite this, we sell almost exclusively to the rational side. If you want to market and sell most effectively, you need to be able to appeal to both rational 🧠 and emotional ❤️ minds. That's what knowing your buyer's psychology does for you. Specifically, you need to understand: → 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘆 → 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 → 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 I like to break it down into 𝟴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: 1. Jobs to be done 2. Decide to search triggers 3. Decide to purchase triggers 4. Pre-solution objections 5. Post-solution objections 6. Alternatives 7. Emotional Fears 8. Their most trusted channels 👉 In the video below, 𝗜’𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝟴 so you can make your 𝗚𝗧𝗠 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝟭𝟬𝘅 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲. ___ Btw, I'm using a 𝗚𝗧𝗠 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 I shared recently. 👉 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲? I distilled 𝟭𝟯+ 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 of my go-to-market experience as a CMO/VP/Head of Product into it. Simply: 1. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 with me     ❗don't miss this step, I can't send you the post without :) ❗ 2. 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 this post 3. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 "GTM" below And I'll share it with you :) Plus all my future training videos on it. ___ So why am I doing this? → Help better define what a GTM strategy consists of → Help others get a head start building theirs → Get your feedback to make the template better :) So, what are you waiting for? 😎 __ ✍️ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 with me, 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 the post and 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 "𝗚𝗧𝗠" to get the template. ♻️ 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 if you found valuable (thank you 😍) #B2B #B2BMarketing #B2BMarketingStrategy #GoToMarket #Marketing #SaaS #Enterprise #BrandAwareness #DemandGen #LeadGen #Sales #Data #ROI

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We get a lot of people asking us: What services do we actually offer? Cold email. We send 1000s of high-quality emails on your behalf to consistently generate high-quality leads for you. Together, Felix and I bring: ✅ 15+ years in B2B outbound sales ✅ 10+ years active in the B2B sales community  ✅ 4+ years of monitoring & using the latest sales-tech. So when it comes to creating a solid sales email... We combine the copywriting AND technical expertise to ensure your emails not only grab attention, but also get delivered, opened and acted upon. The right message to the right prospects. StackOptimise ⚙️

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Cold email mistakes you need to avoid: 🚫 Mistakes: - Making the email about you. Not them. - Same cadence for every ICP. - Sending video emails blindly. - Not optimizing for mobile. - Disregarding deliverability. - Not reviewing your copy. - Too many attachments. - Too many CTAs. ✅ Solutions: - Focus on their problems 1st. Then the solution. - A/B test. Optimize subject lines & content. - Ask permission to send a video email. - Write & read your final draft on mobile. - Use Maildoso for multiple inboxes.(boost opens) - Have a teammate proofread your cadence. - Not attachments. Plain text only. - One soft CTA only. Make these changes to boost your replies. Start more conversations. Land more meetings. ➡️ What mistakes did you realize you were making? Like, follow, and comment below 👇

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#Germany's Funded Startups Directory. You can view the list of startups funded in #Germany whenever you need it. Access the directory here https://lnkd.in/dc9emGbb #startup #startups #vc #venturecapital #investmentbanking #privateequity #managementconsulting #b2b #founders #entrepreneurs

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The paradigm shift happening in outbound. This correlation held true for more than a decade but not anymore. More SDRs ≠ More Revenue. For over a decade, the formula was simple: Want to grow revenue? Hire more SDRs. But that era is over. 1️⃣ Outbound is getting more and more complex 2️⃣ Tools are changing 3️⃣ Most companies struggle to land in the primary Result? Companies throwing money at hiring are seeing diminishing returns. In your opinion, what's the best way forward? Learn how to navigate that shift with our ColdIQ Coaching Program ⬇ https://lnkd.in/dBi4T_8j

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The backlash against AiSDRs was inevitable. Why? A fundamental mismatch in expectations. Scaling outbound sales for enterprise software is magical. Everyone wants it. But the volume of cold outreach has always been one of the lowest impact levers in the sales process. For startups, a great company story, a clear ICP, good messaging, and solid product-market fit have always been necessary precursors to scaling outbound. Without these, you can't move from founder selling to a GTM machine. Even with these nailed, most startups fumble the basics of product marketing and sales ops strategy. If your outbound motion isn’t converting despite all the fancy tools, chances are: ❌ You lack proof of ROI that grabs your buyer's attention ❌ Your outreach isn't tied to compelling events in your buyer’s journey ❌ Your gtm motion isn’t aligned to how your buyers evaluate The fix? Go deep with your happiest customers—the maniacal power users who love your product. Your early customer discovery wasn't enough. *Rediscover* what made them buy, how your product has changed their life, and the measurable impact it’s had on their business. Without that clarity, you are just scaling AI spam.

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The two main reasons I see PLG SaaS Startups reaching a plateau before they hit $10M ARR: 1️⃣ Mathematical limits of the PLG model If you are serving SMBs with a pure Product-Led Growth (PLG) strategy, it is almost impossible to reach Net Revenue Retention of 100%+. Therefore, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain the same growth rates as you scale. Inbound cannot be scaled indefinitely, and your churn inhibits further growth. Companies that achieve outsize performance are able to successfully switch to a hybrid motion, combining PLG elements with a more traditional enterprise sales model - also called "Product-Led Sales". 2️⃣ Founders fail to build an organization They were able to built a great product and reached product-market fit, but surpassing a certain ARR mark typically requires a shift in focus. From pure product development to building a robust organization. This usually includes expanding the team, establishing processes, introducing strategic planning, cultivating company culture, and often, diluting founder's control and vision for the company. Not every founder is able or interested in making any of those shifts. And I think that's totally fine :-) PS: If you would like to read more on 1️⃣ and 2️⃣, you will find links to relevant saas.wtf articles below.

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The most exciting part of your outbound... the beloved research step... What do you need to find to connect with your prospects? It depends on your ICP and niche. I like to start with LinkedIn profiles. Your job is to find 1-2 topics to connect with them on. Like: ⤵ - What school did they go to? - Do they have mutual connections? - Their About Me - Achievements - Recommendations - Tenure - Posts From there, finding relevant news about their company is vital. Look at items like: ⤵ - Intent Data (use tools like 6sense, ZoomInfo, Common Room, RollWorks, a division of NextRoll, and Demandbase) - 10K Report (tip, use Control F on your computer to find keywords, or copy/paste into chat GPT with the relevant prompt) - Technologies - Hiring data - Corporate News (I use Google news, and scoops from Google Gemini) - Data relevant to your industry/niche (on how you impact them) Use this data for Account / Personal research so you can now... 1. Start a convo 2. Build trust 3. Develop a relevant relationship 4. And book that meeting baby! Now I have you here, what are some specific details you look for while prospecting?

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10-point checklist to know if LinkedIn ads are the right channel for your SaaS. 👇 LinkedIn ads are a great channel, but not for every SaaS company. Together with Christoph Schachner we worked on a LinkedIn Ad Guide for SaaS startups. Here are 10 things you need to consider: ✅ You have product-market fit using LinkedIn ads as a research channel is very expensive if you have not nailed your target audience, core offer, price point, or value proposition yet ✅ Your target audience is active on LinkedIn active is important since just because you can target them, does not mean they actively use the network - and thus see your ads ✅ ACV > $8.000 LinkedIn ads can be quite expensive and sales cycles quite long, so it is important that your pricing can support this investment ✅ A decent website/ landing page that already converts ✅ Budget of $3.000 over 3 months CPCs are high and exposing your audience to different messages and impacting the buyer journey takes time ✅ Other performing marketing channels SEA, SEO, Email, Affiliates, Organic Social and you use LinkedIn ads as part of your overall marketing strategy - not as the sole driver ✅ LinkedIn company page is well set up posts, information, 1.000+ followers ✅ You have a CRM Once you have established that you fit the minimum requirements, you can check if you fulfill the bonus points which improves the chance of success for your campaigns. Bonus points: ✅ One or more people at your company are already actively posting on LinkedIn ✅ You have a highly visual product 👉 If you are interested in a step-by-step guide on how to run LinkedIn ads for your early-stage SaaS startup, sign up to my newsletter and get the full guide delivered to your inbox on Sunday.

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Don’t fall for the personalization hype train in 2024. Do this instead if you want to actually see results with your outbound. Clay is taking the sales tech space by storm. Data enrichment tools are completely changing the way companies run outbound. And because of it, personalization has never been more trendy. It’s honestly getting to the point where it’s a little out of control in my opinion. I’ve seen people give restaurant recommendations after finding the location of the prospect. Sending riddles to the CMO and the answers of those riddles to the head of sales. We’re talking about some extremely complicated workflows. And in reality, this level of personalization is just leading people to lose focus on what outbound is really about. Because at the core, you have a solution to a problem that these business owners are facing. And if you’re not relevant or not solving a problem. It won't matter how personalized your emails are. Because you’re not giving prospects an actual reason to care. So moral of the story ... Start focusing back on what actually moves the needle. And I guarantee you that it will never involve recommending an Italian restaurant in Brooklyn. Relevance > Personalization. Every. single. time. Learn how to add relevance to your outreach with our ColdIQ Coaching Program ⬇ https://lnkd.in/dBi4T_8j

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