Philipp Wassibauer

Sifted just released their list of the most promising SaaS startups in Europe. https://lnkd.in/erxJRGzi If you are looking to leave your corporate job for a startup but aren’t sure where to get started, do this. 1. Look at sifted lift of promising startups and pick 10 that really interest you. 2. Based on your skill set, use linked look up the lead of the department you think you would be interested in. For example, if you want to get into sales then look up the VP of sales. 3. Send them a DM on why you want to work for the company and what impact you could have in your first 100 days working there. Don’t send your CV until asked for it. 4. Follow up diligently every few days. If after the third try, no one has got back to you, move to the next 10 on the list. It sounds simple, and it is. Recruitment is the hardest thing for growth stage startups, and no one enjoyed paying 25% recruiter fees. Good luck

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You don’t need to raise VC to build a business with big impact, *even in a market that has heavily VC-funded players*. Case in point: Excalidraw is an open source alternative to Miro. Excalidraw is bootstrapped and revenue-funded, Miro is VC-funded ($476M raised). Miro just added a comparison page to Excalidraw - meaning that they saw enough demand for people searching for Miro vs Excalidraw that they added this page.

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So far, I am not impressed with the early drafts of the post-open source license. It can put your business for 1% of revenue - which most major businesses try to avoid. And it doesn't even touch yet how they will split that 1% between contributors - which is not a problem we know how to solve fairly. Oh, and you cannot use it in your software products, SaaS, or shrink-wrapped - as that would put your customers into the same "give us 1% of your revenue" category. https://lnkd.in/gXvjAeYX

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To all debating whether no-code should be used in build products with fundraising in mind: Investors often have a mandate to invest when there's a strong technical value prop or moat, which is why they're hesitant about no-code foundations. It's not about scale, compliance, IP, or security—modern no-code tools excel in these areas today. The real issue is the absence of deep tech roots that makes them wary. However, more open-minded investors or those focused on non-technical value props, moats, or other verticals usually have no problem with this approach. Better yet, they appreciate it for showing resourcefulness and avoiding overcomplication.

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For non-technical founders venturing into software development, the challenge isn’t just about having a groundbreaking idea—it’s also about successfully executing it. Traditionally, this meant needing a technical co-founder or a costly fractional CTO. However, AI is changing the landscape, making it possible to bridge the technical knowledge gap more efficiently and affordably. AI can help with technical planning so you can generate a comprehensive technical blueprint that details the essential aspects of your software project. These include everything from defining solution capabilities to selecting the appropriate technology stack. This means even without deep technical expertise, you can make informed decisions early on. A few areas AI can help.... 1. User Workflow Mapping: AI helps ensure that the software design aligns with user behaviors and expectations. 2. Solution Architecture Planning: Build a solid foundation for your application with architectures suited to your business needs. 3. Data & Systems Security Design: Prioritize security from the start, with AI suggesting the best practices and necessary protocols. 4. Domain Modeling: AI can assist in visualizing and planning the database and system architecture according to the business logic. 5. Team Capabilities Inventory: Evaluate your current team’s skills and identify gaps that AI suggests filling through hiring or training. 6. Technology Stack Selection: AI can recommend technologies based on latest trends, compatibility with your requirements, and overall project scalability. AI is democratizing access to technical leadership for non-technical founders, helping them navigate the complexities of software development without the traditional barriers. By leveraging advanced AI tools, founders can ensure that their innovative visions are effectively translated into reality, minimizing risks and maximizing outcomes. #BuildSomethingToday #AI #Startups

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65% of our new ARR last month came inbound. Our secret? We do one thing every early-stage startup should (but lots don't): Consistently publish social content. In March, we decided that we were going to go all-in on posting on LinkedIn + Twitter daily. A lot of Founders neglect it because they feel they don't have the time, or because they can't tie it to revenue effectively enough. We're 3 months in and it's clear that it is the easiest way to punch above your weight (especially in a competitive market like ours). Not to mention, it's been a huge money-maker for us. We're driving both top-of-funnel awareness and bottom-of-funnel conversions. When I was at the PLGTM conference earlier this year, I had multiple people come up to me and mention that they'd heard about me from my LinkedIn or Twitter posts. Opening a conversation with some familiarity to myself and Unify is insanely powerful. TLDR: Make social a core part of your GTM motion. Done right, you'll drive both top-of-funnel awareness and bottom-of-funnel conversions. ...unless you're in the outbound/GTM space. In that case, social is a complete waste of time and doesn't drive any results 😀 Check out Unify here: https://lnkd.in/gn_--FeC PS - as Reed called out in this tweet, a warning that you will 100% get roasted by your friends for being cringe 😁

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remote teams need to prioritize deep work. luckily, it's easy to make this happen: be anti-meeting. at PostHog, we’re anti-meeting by default. we have two meeting-free days a week and, when we do have meetings, they’re short, focused, and we take and share written notes where possible. we also only invite people who absolutely need to be there. we optimize for productivity, not presence. and when you absolutely have to have a meeting, make the most of them. make an agenda, and encourage everyone to participate in note-taking. successful remote teams keep meetings to an absolute minimum.

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Product showcases are great for generating initial interest, but the real value lies deeper. Code walkthroughs offer a technical immersion, showcasing the "how" behind your SaaS product. 👉Transparency Builds Trust: ✅Go beyond features: Walkthroughs reveal code structure, algorithms, and design choices. ✅Demonstrate quality: Can assess code quality, efficiency, and maintainability. 👉Functional Benefits: ✅Enhanced security: Proactive identification of potential vulnerabilities. ✅Improved performance: Bottleneck detection and optimization for smoother user experience. ✅Scalability evaluation: Understanding how the code is architected for future growth. 👉Collaboration through Code Analysis: ✅Faster debugging: Team-based code analysis leads to quicker problem-solving. ✅Code reuse: Identifying reusable components and patterns saves development time. ✅Standardization: Promotes consistent coding practices for a cleaner, more maintainable codebase. 👉Advantage: In today's competitive market, attracting top clients is crucial. Code walkthroughs demonstrate your commitment to: ✅Secure and Scalable Products: High-quality, well-architected code. ✅Transparency and Collaboration: Openness to developer feedback and knowledge sharing. By incorporating code walkthroughs into your SaaS development strategy, you build trust, foster collaboration, and attract the best of the market to your team. #saas #codewalkthrough #transparency #collaboration

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A big thing I disliked about embedded wallet (and WaaS) pricing when I was looking at solutions from the customer point-of-view was the set of hidden costs and general misalignment with our core business success metrics. 1. "Monthly Active Users" are rarely an accurate representation of the user base segment that does contribute meaningfully to revenue growth for the app or platform. Few users activate, an even fewer users drive businesses forward (80-20 Rule). 2. Hidden costs: the bill gets pretty $$$ when you start layering AML & sanctions screening on deposits & withdrawals to comply with US regulations, acceptable SLAs & support, white labeling, custom auth methods, RPC node provider, spam users creation, etc.. Time to change this broken model! 📖⤵️ https://lnkd.in/ew83TxRh

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It's coming home. SaaStock's coming home. To Dublin this October. 14-16th. And we're opening our doors to 4500 SaaS Founders, Execs and 600 Investors for the biggest gathering of SaaS decision makers in Europe. It will be the place to have meaningful conversations to take you and your SaaS to the next level. To get hundreds of leads to help with your Q4/Q1 goals. To meet with Investors to help with your next funding round. It's only been 12 months of hurt by October, since the last SaaStock. Don't score an own goal or get sent off by your company for missing out. Book your ticket or space to exhibit today. #saastockeurope #saastock2024 #saasconference #b2b #meetings #connectandthrive

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Benjamin & Giovanni riffing on Schematic's roadmap over sandwiches. One of our most requested features is what we're currently calling components. Imagine a full suite of best-in-class product monetization experiences for your end user (e.g. pricing tables, paywalls, limits, free trial, promotions, etc.) #pricing #packaging #b2bsaas

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Why you need to start fiscal year planning NOW (...even if you're a small startup) Most early-stage startups think fiscal year planning is only for big, established companies. But the truth is, you NEED to start the process ASAP...no matter how small you are. Here's why: ✅ Capture critical data early - You need historical data on key metrics like average sales price and lead-to-account conversion rates. The sooner you start tracking, the better. ✅ Align on core assumptions - Fiscal planning forces you to define and agree on key assumptions with leadership. This keeps everyone rowing in the same direction. ✅ Adapt to real-world results - Initial assumptions are fine! The key is having a process to modify them as you gather real data. Planning lets you course-correct to stay on track. ✅ Build a strong foundation - Even if your first plan is rough, starting the process sets you up for success. You'll be amazed at how quickly your planning will improve. The longer you wait, the harder it gets to catch up. So don't delay - put a stake in the ground and get started today. Your future self (and investors) will thank you! If you need help kickstarting your fiscal year planning process, let's chat. I've helped countless startups go from "winging it" to winning with data-driven plans.

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New 4149 update just dropped to help with the summer heat! tldr; your 4149 AI teammates are even smarter and more helpful with the proactive tasks they take on to support your team! Highlights include: + Improved momentum engine + Agenda view showing all the proactive tasks for the week. + Notion DB support so your 4149 teammate can check your task tracker, funnels, etc + More awesome blueprints + Tons of bug fixes You can see the full update here: https://lnkd.in/eG9XhVFr #ai #startups #product

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I don't understand why my colleagues keep telling me that startup companies are our target market for bare-metal or VPS servers. The funded startup should not care about the burn rate, and it should go as hard as possible to get to the sky - via public clouds regardless of its costs. If the Founder is trying to save its costs, he will be fired. It's like trying to save fuel during the take-off phase. If the startup can't take off, it should stop. The bare metal infrastructure is suitable for established companies living on their profits and looking to improve their EBITDA and save costs or some private efforts for proof of concept deployment.

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Learn how to fine-tune your product to meet market demands with strategic customer conversations and data-driven feedback mechanisms 👇 ➡ 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗲: Brian Long, CEO & Co-Founder at Attentive 🔌 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿: Nick Moran, General Partner at New Stack Ventures and Nate Pierotti, Principal at New Stack Ventures ✏ “The Playbook to Finding Product-Market Fit, When Founders Should Begin to Scale, and Lessons from Building Attentive” ⭐ 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀: 💬 "I think that what we got right were two things. One, I think that we talked to a tremendous amount of customers, before we started building things. So we learned to hear their problems, hear their issues, and then start building and assaulting those, you know, rather than kind of just jumping right into build-build-build, so that saved us a lot of time." ⭐ 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸, 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗯𝗶𝗮𝘀: 💬 "I think you're also looking at things like NPS, you know… because if that number starts dropping, it's often because you're no longer solving the problem." ⭐ 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆: 💬 "I think that we've taken an even longer term focus. We know what can be big. And we know it's dangerous to start getting an ego to think you can do things because it's always very hard. You've always got to think towards taking a longer term view, having a thesis around that view, and then understand how the pieces can come together for success." ───── 👉 Follow me, Alexander Small, for tactics and strategies for building startups from industry-leading Founders, Operators and Investors

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A complicated checkout isn't just annoying. It's a conversion killer. 12 more signs of a broken checkout process ⤵️ — Abandoned carts pile up — Checkout takes too long — Too many fields to fill — Limited payment options — Unexpected costs appear — No guest checkout option — Poor mobile experience — Error messages are unclear — Security concerns aren’t addressed — No progress indicator — Confusing navigation — Lack of customer support A high-converting checkout looks like this ⤵️ — Simple and intuitive — Checkout is quick — Minimal fields required — Multiple payment options — Transparent costs — Guest checkout available — Mobile-friendly design — Clear error messages — Security is emphasized — Progress indicator present — Easy navigation — Support readily available If you see more in the broken list than the high-converting one, it's time for a change. E-commerce leaders: ✅ Simplify your checkout process. ✅ Ensure a seamless mobile experience. ✅ Offer multiple payment options. Your customers deserve it. And your sales depend on it. ♻️ Repost to help your network. P.S. Ready to supercharge your e-commerce sales with a high-converting checkout process? Comment with 'I need' to get a free store checkout audit report. #shopify #ecommerce #checkout #shopifyplus #sudiptamondal

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Klarna exiting the checkout business is surprising news. I’m so used to using the Klarna checkout process, and actually like it better than credit cards, because it’s so much easier, plus doesn’t lock up my card’s credit on stuff I may not end up buying at all. But more than that it’s the fact that I can wait for the order to be delivered before paying for it. Going to miss it when its gone. Interesting to note that they’re going to focus more on partnerships instead 🤔 #payments

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