Nipun Garg’s Post

The power of playing for the long term as a bootstrapped company ⚡️ This week's SaaS Revolution Show episode sees guest Aytekin Tank, founder & CEO Jotform, share how he bootstrapped a unicorn SaaS with teams of no more than six people. Ayetekin covers: 🦄 The one thing he did pre-Jotform that meant he had a much smoother ride in becoming an entrepreneur 🦄 Why he’s a big believer of free products, and how that goodwill leads to paying customers 🦄 How being a company of small cross functional teams has kept a positive company culture 🦄 The makeup of each team and how they cultivate innovation, productivity, and creativity 🦄 The building blocks of success, where technical skills meet business skills and more! Check it out: https://buff.ly/3WVtlQ9 #SaaS #bootstrapped #growth #startup #founder #CEO #innovation #companyculture #bootstrap Alexander Theuma Steve Hartert Ertuğrul Emre Ertekin Elliott Sprecher Yaren Büyükdere Beril Veziroğlu

So enjoyed my conversation with Madhav Bhandari at Storylane earlier this week for the Strategy Supercharged Community by Digital BIAS podcast about early stage start-up #marketingstrategy. Things that resonated: 💥Throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. Experiment with various tactics, track meticulously, and be ready to pivot fast. 💥Lots of #startups think they have to be everywhere all the time. Don't. Imagine yourself as an investment manager of a diverse stock portfolio. Assess your CEO's risk appetite alongside which marketing channels are giving you the best ROI, double down and prune the rest. 💥Personal fave: Across Madhav's 12-year tenure in marketing, content has remained the stalwart core of every successful strategy. 💙 💥 #SaaS start-ups are awash in a sea of sameness. Your differentiation matters, so start focusing more effort here. Check it out! Link in comments.

🚀 Exciting New Episode Alert - Justin Edwards brings the heat! 🚀 Thrilled to share our latest episode featuring Justin Edwards, SVP of Revenue at Mercato Partners - a true guru in guiding early-stage tech companies to success! 🚀 https://lnkd.in/gv3Kp2yM 🎙 Episode Highlights: 🔍 The Big Challenge: Discover the #1 challenge facing startups today - the decline in growth rate. Justin breaks down the why and how. 💡 Customer Success Unveiled: Dive into strategies to regain control! Learn how to deliver value to existing customers, expand revenue opportunities, and ace the fundamentals. 🤝 Crucial Alignment: Find out why organizational alignment is a game-changer for supporting customer success. Justin spills the beans on what it takes. 💰 Strategic Insights: Uncover the power of preventing discounting, focusing on value delivery, and the art of selective customer acquisition. Justin shares the keys to success! 🤝 Relationship Building: Breaking down unnecessary barriers is a must for strong relationships. Justin spills the secrets to build lasting connections. 🔄 Back to Basics: Revisit communication fundamentals and value delivery. Discover why mastering the basics is non-negotiable for success in any field. 🏗️ Organizational Magic: Learn how organizational design and efficiency play pivotal roles in supporting customer success efforts. Get insights from the expert himself! 👂 Listening Matters: Justin emphasizes the importance of customer feedback. Understand how listening to customers shapes a better customer experience. 🚀 Key Takeaway: Master the fundamentals, align your organization, and embrace strategic thinking to conquer the startup growth challenge! 🎧 Tune in now: https://lnkd.in/gv3Kp2yM #SaaS #TechStartups #CustomerSuccess #GrowthStrategies #PodcastEpisode #StartupSuccess #LeadershipInsights #SaaSTherapy Can't wait for you to soak in these valuable insights! 🚀 Let's grow together! 🌱

💡 Founders, this one’s for you. We all need help sometimes, and that’s perfectly okay. This is something I wish I’d embraced earlier on in my journey. Being a founder—especially in SaaS—is tough. Your company needs greatness in sales, product, engineering, fundraising, recruiting, team management…the list goes on. But, truth be told, I’ve yet to meet a founder who’s naturally great at all of it. I’m certainly not, and, honestly, I doubt I’m even “great” at any of them. Early on, I struggled to accept this. Instead of reaching out for help or bringing in people who excelled in areas where I didn’t, I tried to shoulder it all myself—and paid the price for it. If you’re in the same boat, trust me: finding the right support is probably the single most important thing you can do for your company and your sanity. I had the incredible opportunity to join Robert Plank on the Marketer of the Day podcast, where we unpacked this, along with the world of SaaS startups and the vital role storytelling plays in capturing interest and driving investment. Check out the full episode here: Marketer of the Day - SaaS Startup with Jonah Midanik https://lnkd.in/gy2EVpss and enjoy our deep dive into effective strategies, valuable lessons, and inspiring insights.

I called out Gaetano Nino DiNardi but he's still friends with me (I think) I asked him "do you do any marketing?" at first he said "no" but then... just watch the clip and then head over to 𝐄𝐩. 𝟏𝟗𝟕 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 Modern Startup Marketing 𝐩𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 we cover: - Gaetano's past life as a music producer and songwriter - I ask Gaetano about his thoughts on the MaaS Method - We define lead gen vs. demand gen and pitfalls with lead gen strategies - Advice for early stage startups that are prioritizing SEO as part of their content strategy - the number one thing early stage startups should prioritize for SEO to work - AMA: Gaetano asks me his burning question this guy is good ✌️&❤️ #startups #marketing #founders

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫-𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞’𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐫-𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐨-𝐭𝐨-𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 (𝐆𝐓𝐌) 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬. We hosted 𝟑𝟗 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬 on 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬, 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 through our series 𝐗𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐬.   We took a deep dive into these topics, honing in on 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 and 𝐢𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 to deliver actionable insights. After two months of hard work, we compiled the battle-tested strategies shared by 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐁𝟐𝐁 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐬 into a comprehensive 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊. "𝗨𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆-𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀"  These are voices you recognize—leaders from BuzzFeed, ClickUp, and HockeyStack—who revealed battle-tested strategies that propelled their startups to multibillion-dollar valuations. 𝗪𝗵𝗼’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿? You’re Marketing Specialist - Good. You’re a GTM Strategist - Even Better. You’re a VP Markeitng - Fantastic. You’re a Tech Startup CEO - Excellent! If I missed you, pardon me, I’m just excited to share these insights with you. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤? Here are the 𝟖 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 we’ve crafted: - New Cutting-edge GTM Strategies & Plays for Startups - Brand Building for Long-term ROI - Building Your Dream GTM Team - Creative Strategy Development - Content Creation for Early-Stage Startups - Effective Content Distribution Strategies - The Untapped Potential of Entertainment/Comedy in B2B Marketing - Constructing Your GTM KPIs But we didn’t stop there! This playbook also includes 𝟓 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 from 𝐁𝐮𝐳𝐳𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝, 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐔𝐩, 𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐲, 𝐉𝐈𝐑𝐀 other notable startups, along with actionable frameworks to support your marketing endeavors. Register now for your 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 of this playbook and set your startup marketing plan for the year 2025. (link's in the comment) Connect with me to uncover all the insights and strategies we've gathered. #Marketing #GTM #Startups #DemandGeneration #InboundMarketing #B2B #CaseStudies #Entrepreneurship #Buzzfeed #ClickUp #MarketingStrategy #StartupGrowth #ContentMarketing

You know the laughing track that plays during "funny" moments in many TV shows? The audience laughter you hear in the background of sitcoms like Friends? It's annoying right? It's stupid and obvious.. So, why is it so common? Why do tv producers insist on using it? Because it works! Studies show that canned laughter causes audiences to laugh longer and more often than without it. It works because of a psychological concept called "social proof". People copy the actions of others in choosing how to behave in a given situation. It's the same reason that you don't put out an empty tip jar. You always add a few coins to it at the start. This gives customers "social proof" that they too should leave a tip. What does this mean for startup founders? It means that case studies, testimonials and reviews are your best friend. You need to give potential customers proof that other people like them have used your product and gotten value from it. Case studies are particularly powerful here. Especially for SaaS products. Unlike reviews, where volume matters, you can build a case study with your first customer. In fact, this should be the main focus of most new SaaS startups. Get to 5 or 10 high quality cases studies. And watch your growth take off from there. #saas #productmarketfit

"The one thing that I see, and I'm investing in and mentoring many startups... is that the leader will get too involved. Many of them think that they know marketing much better than their marketing leader." - Didi Azaria, CEO of Workiz. This powerful insight from Didi Azaria highlights a common pitfall for startup founders and executives. Instead of micromanaging marketing efforts, leaders should focus on setting clear KPIs and trusting their marketing teams to execute creatively. Key takeaways for marketers and entrepreneurs: - Focus on ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) and pipeline generation as primary marketing KPIs. - Evolve your KPIs as your company grows, moving from simple lead generation to targeting specific customer segments. - Balance short-term goals with long-term vision by providing results quickly, even for longer sales cycles. - Build your brand by dominating a small, specific segment before expanding. - Hire marketing leaders who fit your company's stage and market, and give them autonomy to execute their strategies. These insights come from the podcast "Founders' Marketing Compass," hosted by Etgar Shpivak. The show explores how to build healthy, lasting relationships between startup founders and their marketing teams. Azaria also shares a surprising lesson: "Product doesn't matter at all. It's all about how you sell, wrap, and execute it towards your goal." This provocative statement emphasizes the critical role of marketing and execution in a startup's success. Azaria offers this advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: "Focus, focus, focus. Do not try to sell to everybody all around the world in every ICP and every business size. You need to say more nos than yes." This approach helps startups find their niche and dominate it before expanding. Learn more from successful founders and marketers on the "Founders' Marketing Compass" podcast: Substack (+ Subscribe for new episodes) https://lnkd.in/d3N3NRcN YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eMjBeVQ4 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dQwh_qgE

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗡𝗼-𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗮𝗦 𝘁𝗼 𝟳-𝗙𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀: How we went from 10 customers to 3K+ businesses ↓ Bootstrapping is a completely different ballgame. I have to say it’s not for everyone or every business. For two and a half years, I didn’t pay myself anything. When we needed to grow our customer base, we also needed a big capital infusion. So what we did was offer a 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹. This gave us enough capital infusion for the next 12 months. And it gave us the best first customers: → They gave tons of constant feedback. → They told us which features to prioritize. → They shared what they would pay more for. Of course, this also means: → You lose the chance to monetize or upsell. → You need to act fast on relevant feedback. → You get all sorts of varying perspectives. But it worked for us. Today, we’re still fully bootstrapped. And thousands of customers like Le Creuset & AT&T. I also talked about how we maximized the impact of this deal. It wasn't recurring revenue so we needed to direct the focus on MRR. This involved my own marketing effort setting up campaigns on Google. Check out my full interview with Omer Khan at The SaaS Podcast: https://lnkd.in/dZfc2NZn #startups #marketing #digitalmarketing #artificialintelligence

Some great insights from Tim Hillison on scaling your startup!