How I hit $15m ARR using 4 new growth playbooks

Summary

In this transcript from a live event, Nathan Ladka shares his journey from a struggling startup to a thriving SaaS company. He discusses tactics for competing with well-funded giants, including aggressive cost-cutting, converting sales commissions to stock, and leveraging customer feedback. Ladka emphasizes the importance of focusing on revenue-generating marketing strategies, such as comparison guides and conversational ads on LinkedIn. His insights offer a practical roadmap for B2B software founders seeking sustainable growth and effective fundraising.

Takeaways

• 🗓️ The event discussed in the transcript took place on March 28th and 29th, with a follow-up event planned for September 5th and 6th in New York City.
• 💡 Nathan Ladka, the speaker, is a serial entrepreneur who has launched and sold a software company, written a best-selling book, and is currently involved in investing in B2B software founders.
• 🚀 Nathan emphasizes the importance of non-dilutive funding and encourages founders to sign up at founderpath.com for potential capital without giving up equity.
• 📈 The speaker discusses the challenges of competing with a well-funded giant in the market and shares his company's journey from near bankruptcy to financial stability.
• ✂️ In a critical financial situation, Nathan took aggressive measures including cutting expenses, negotiating with the sales team, and focusing on revenue-generating marketing campaigns.
• 🔄 He implemented strategies to regain lost customers and introduced a mini-version of the product to retain them and generate additional revenue.
• 📊 Nathan highlights the significance of focusing on board-level KPIs such as revenue, CAC, and pipeline, rather than vanity metrics like leads and impressions.
• 💼 He shares a success story of growing from 2 million to 12 million in ARR using specific playbooks that have been tested and proven to produce results.
• 🛑 One of the tactics mentioned is the use of comparison guides from review sites to intercept deals at the last minute and position the company as a strong contender.
• 💬 Conversational ads on LinkedIn are presented as a quick way to generate pipeline by offering something of value in exchange for a demo call.
• 🔄 The 'Clos Loss' campaign is a tactic of revisiting lost deals and using the reason for the initial loss as a point of personalization to re-engage potential customers.
• 📱 B2C social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, and TikTok are suggested as underutilized channels for B2B marketing with potential for high returns.

Q & A

When was the live event at SAS open.com mentioned in the script?

The live event at SAS open.com was recorded on March 28th and 29th.

What is the next SAS open event scheduled for?

The next SAS open event is scheduled for September 5th and 6th in New York City.

Who is Nathan ladka and what is his background?

Nathan ladka is a software engineer turned marketer who launched and sold his first software company in 2015, wrote a Wall Street Journal bestseller, and created founderpath.com, where he has invested in over 400 software founders.

What is the primary focus of the company Nathan ladka founded?

The primary focus of the company Nathan ladka founded is to provide non-dilutive deals with B2B software founders, ensuring they don't have to give up equity.

How did Nathan ladka's company manage to survive during the period of financial struggle?

During the financial struggle, Nathan ladka's company survived by cutting expenses, converting sales commissions into stocks, launching a mini version of the product for retention, and focusing on marketing campaigns that directly generated revenue.

What is the significance of comparison guides in the script?

Comparison guides are significant as they allow the company to parachute into deals in the last minute and potentially steal them away by providing an objective comparison of features, which can be sorted to highlight the company's strengths.

What is the purpose of convo ads as mentioned in the script?

Convo ads are used to generate pipeline quickly by offering something of value in exchange for the prospect's time for a demo, allowing the company to have a direct sales conversation with potential customers.

What is the concept behind the 'Clos loss campaign' mentioned in the script?

The 'Clos loss campaign' involves going back to companies or buyers where deals were previously lost, using the reason for the loss as a personalized message to re-engage and potentially revive the opportunity.

Why is B2C social considered a valuable channel for B2B marketing according to the script?

B2C social is considered valuable for B2B marketing because it allows targeting of the same people using the same email or PII on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, and TikTok, where they are less accustomed to B2B ads, potentially gaining their attention.

How does the script suggest using buyer intent signals to gain a competitive advantage?

The script suggests using buyer intent signals to identify companies that are in the midst of making a purchase decision, allowing the company to target them with comparison guides and other marketing materials to influence their decision.

What is the importance of experimenting with different marketing channels as highlighted in the script?

Experimenting with different marketing channels is important because it allows marketers to break the status quo, reach potential customers where they are, and discover new opportunities that competitors may be overlooking.