North Starr’s Post

What's up with founder-led sales? Seems like it's the next big thing for companies on a sustainable growth path after PLG. We talked with Mikael Dia from Funnelytics about their journey to bringing the product to life, adopting a VC mindset, and then having to go back to a more mindful approach to business. It's a great story of resilience and the challenges of operating in a competitive space. Mikael shared a few great tips on navigating this solo, too. So, if you're a solo founder, this episode is definitely for you! Links are in the comments 👇🏻

Most SaaS companies look for the easy “build it and they will come” solution. They think their business is their software. It’s not. Especially not in the early days. It’s too easy these days to build a software… but what makes your company different is you, the founder. It’s your vision, your approach, and your connection to the problem you are solving. Founder-led sales is the key to getting your SaaS off the ground. It’s how I started with Funnelytics and you can see it everywhere with founders like Adam Robinson who scaled to $20m ARR through a founder-led sales approach. Founders - it’s time for you to tell your story and share your journey. It’s the best way to launch and differentiate yourself from all the other tools.

Building a billion-dollar business = Huge ambition. Achieving sustainable growth = Success. We've all got ambition. But how many have the roadmap? Melvyn Lubega does. Co-founder of Go1, he took the business from Y Combinator to unicorn-level, with a $2B+ valuation. He shares his journey with you on The Founder Files through a candid conversation on: 🟠 Building a top-tier sales team. 🟠 Turning competitors into strategic partners. 🟠 Balancing product-driven growth with aggressive sales strategies. And he did it all with a mindset grounded in gratitude and strategic thinking. How? Find out in this episode: linktr.ee/thefounderfiles

Coming to Tech Salescraft next week… James will be joined by Shane Cough, SaaS Revenue Leader. In this episode, Shane shares his inspiring journey of scaling a startup from its nascent stages to achieving $10 million in growth and navigating through a successful acquisition. The conversation highlights the critical importance of a product's market fit, the synergy between belief in the product and leadership, and the profound impact of assembling a team fueled by curiosity, intellect, and adaptability. Shane emphasises the value of disciplined focus, the integration of sales and marketing into a cohesive revenue team, and the thoughtful approach to hiring that prioritises intellectual curiosity and a consultative mindset over mere sales prowess. You can also revisit our previous episodes of Tech Salescraft here 👇 https://lnkd.in/eguy2-Sh #TechSalescraft #TechSalesPodcast #TechSalescraftPodcast

You know what fascinates me more than anything? It's the art of business transformation! For years, I've been that person who gets lost in case studies of successful businesses, listening to podcasts and dissecting strategies like a scientist in a lab.  Not just studying the obvious wins, but digging deeper - searching for those brilliant, often overlooked moves that turn industries upside down. This obsession has led me through years of strategy and consulting work, during which time I've had the privilege of impacting a few businesses on their success journeys. Through it all, I have realised that the brands that leave the most impact are the ones who don't follow the playbook, the usual way of doing things - the true disruptors. And that's exactly why I created "The Disruptor's Circle" It's my little space where I'm unpacking everything I've learned from years of studying business giants and working with ambitious founders all to equip the next generation of industry giants and founders. Now, this isn't your typical "join my newsletter" pitch, Instead, I'm inviting you to check out our first publication. Think of it as a test drive – if you see yourself in those pages, if you feel that spark of recognition when reading, then maybe, just maybe, you've found your tribe. Ready to peek behind the curtain? Check it out here - https://lnkd.in/d9fTh_GA P.S. Drop your thoughts in the comments – I'll be hanging out there! And who knows? Maybe I'll see you inside The Disruptor's Circle! ❤️

How you can scale revenue while downsizing his team In my conversation with Jon Cooper, CEO of Hyperlynx Media, I learned a powerful lesson about scaling a business: it’s not about working harder or growing bigger—it’s about working smarter. Here are Jon’s key insights: ▶️ Focus on value creation: Build something so valuable that others naturally seek it out, like partnerships or backlinks. ▶️ Simplify to amplify: Doubling prices and scaling down his team allowed Jon to achieve more with less. ▶️ Attract opportunities, don’t chase them: By creating high-value content, Jon’s team brought in backlinks from sources like The New York Times and even a White House press release. Scaling doesn’t always mean expansion. Sometimes, it’s about refining what you do best and letting the results speak for themselves. Find full episode 👇 https://lnkd.in/erChWGsk #ScalingSmart #LessonsLearned #FundsAndFounders #JonCooper #HyperlynxMedia #StartupTips

In this Grow, Scale, Master episode, Kon Stathopoulos and Josh Phegan expand upon building platform scale for growth 📈. They look at systems, methodologies, and approaches as a way of doing business, platforms that allow for levelling up to the next stage, going all in on a systems mindset that also reduces decision fatigue, and allowing others to be exceptional 🌟. They talk about building, using, and rebuilding a platform for each task. Josh describes his team's JPOS and the power of documentation, Kon ponders the invest, optimise and simplify theme, and they note that people want easy and done-for-you solutions, and are prepared to pay for that. 🎧 Listen now - https://brnw.ch/21wLJll

🚨 🚨 🚨  ---- Episode 1 of The Tension is Live!! ---- 🚨 🚨 🚨 If you care about the future of the financial planning business, you care about next-generation advisors. Jamie Hopkins, founder of FinServ Foundation has been one of the leaders most invested in coaching, mentoring, and community-building amongst students considering a career as an advisor. He made for the perfect first guest on The Tension as we unpacked the challenges facing our industry regarding developing next-generation advisors. We talk about: ·     How we can attract more high-character, high-intellect students to the career. ·     The commitment required to play an “infinite game” vs. predictable, short-term success.  ·     Wise expectations to set for yourself and your team when onboarding next-gen talent. Thanks Jamie and Travis for the great conversation! Links to the episode in the comments. 

🎧 New Episode Teaser: Scaling with People! Virtual meetings, emotional intelligence, and startup challenges—Gwenevere Crary and Jennifer Gardner leave no stone unturned in this insightful conversation! 🚀 From managing distractions during virtual calls to fostering emotional intelligence, they explore strategies every leader can use to balance productivity and client demands. Plus, Jennifer shares how her Power Lab sessions equip founders to handle stress and elevate communication in high-pressure environments. 📅 Don’t miss the full episode, dropping this Wednesday! #ScalingWithPeople #LeadershipStrategies #EmotionalIntelligence #StartupChallenges #GuideToHR

"Organizations move at the speed of trust." In our latest conversation with Sunil Nagaraj, Founding Partner of Ubiquity Ventures, we discussed how without trust, you're basically trying to swim with one hand tied behind your back. And why do we lean into PR so much? If your story hits home with your audience right off the bat, by the time you're in your first pitch meeting, you're not starting from zero. They're already buying what you're selling, at least a quarter of the way in. That's the power of trust for you. And it's the same magic inside your team. When you're on the lookout for new talent, if they've already heard about the awesome culture you've built, how people are all-in on the mission, and they see you as the captain, day one, first meeting, or that initial one-on-one, they're not just showing up; they're already part of the journey. That's the kind of trust that builds the kind of organizations where everyone's raring to go, full steam ahead. Listen to the full episode: https://cutt.ly/Iw9uAt3z