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Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

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spparikh

This document discusses best practices for bootstrapping a SaaS startup to 100 customers including starting small with a focused product, getting early feedback from free users, having a slim team, charging early, using word-of-mouth online marketing, and letting others promote the product through an affiliate program. It also provides tips for optimizing the user experience, metrics, funnel management, hiring, customer stories, saying no to extra features, developer quality, and managed hosting.

BusinessTechnology
Related topics:
Software as a Service • Web Application
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Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices Sahil Parikh Founder, DeskAway Author, The SaaS Edge Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
What type of business to build? product recurring revenue self-service Scalable global teams, smbs can run from anywhere = SAAS Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
First 6 months = 0 customers Mistakes… #1 offline strategies to build online biz #2 Indian customers = hand holding, presentations, demos, negotiat ions Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
Bootstrapping to 100 (pre social media era) Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
Bootstrapping to 100 Free Accounts Proto Event Blog Comments (GAlerts, Feedrinse) Forums (LinkedIn) Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
(cont) Bootstrapping to 100 Viral Loop ** Blog Reviews ** Writing – get people on your side We hit 100 customers in Sept 2008 Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
How we acquire customers today 23% Direct (Social Media) 32% Search 45% Referring Sites (Blogs etc.) “Make it easy for people to find you” Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
Recommendation Age Participate on social networks via keywords. Listen & respond. Save keywords via twitter search. Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
People still search for… “best project management tool” “alternative to basecamp” “free project collaboration app” “review of project management apps” Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
SaaS Best Practices Stuff I learnt over the years… Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
1. Start Small keep it simple and focused more features != success Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
2: Early Feedback 100 free accounts Fix bugs, pitch and vision Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
3: Slim Team wear multiple hats dev, design, marketing, support Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
4: User Interface sleek, crisp, sexy people like it if it feels good Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
5: Charge Early break-even/ profitable learn why people don’t pay Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
6: WOM Online reduce CAC social media, SEO, email, blogs build an email list early-on Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
7: Let others work for you build an affiliate program 1 to many is better than 1 to 1 Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
8: Metrics Matter beauty of a web business traffic to site, signups, conversions, churn, ren ewals, advance segments. Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
9: Manage the funnel Do you have a leaky bucket? Forentrepreneurs.com has great content on this subject Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
10: Hire your English teacher blog writing, help faqs, online community management, customer service and outreach Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
11: Who loves you? Testimonials, stories, videos comfort visitors with success Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
12: Say no to features “It comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don’t get on the wrong track or try to do too much” - Steve Jobs Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
13: Don’t make everyone happy “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.” - Bill Cosby Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
14: Developers Do not hire web developers from the service era. Hire real programmers, hackers who love to build shit. Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
15: Managed Hosting Get managed hosting. Let the experts take care of your infrastructure. Focus on the software & user exp. Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
the good stuff… BVP SaaS Page http://www.bvp.com/saas/ Thank you! Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai

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Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

  • 1. Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices Sahil Parikh Founder, DeskAway Author, The SaaS Edge Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 2. What type of business to build? product recurring revenue self-service Scalable global teams, smbs can run from anywhere = SAAS Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 3. First 6 months = 0 customers Mistakes… #1 offline strategies to build online biz #2 Indian customers = hand holding, presentations, demos, negotiat ions Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 4. Bootstrapping to 100 (pre social media era) Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 5. Bootstrapping to 100 Free Accounts Proto Event Blog Comments (GAlerts, Feedrinse) Forums (LinkedIn) Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 6. (cont) Bootstrapping to 100 Viral Loop ** Blog Reviews ** Writing – get people on your side We hit 100 customers in Sept 2008 Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 7. How we acquire customers today 23% Direct (Social Media) 32% Search 45% Referring Sites (Blogs etc.) “Make it easy for people to find you” Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 8. Recommendation Age Participate on social networks via keywords. Listen & respond. Save keywords via twitter search. Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 9. People still search for… “best project management tool” “alternative to basecamp” “free project collaboration app” “review of project management apps” Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 10. SaaS Best Practices Stuff I learnt over the years… Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 11. 1. Start Small keep it simple and focused more features != success Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 12. 2: Early Feedback 100 free accounts Fix bugs, pitch and vision Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 13. 3: Slim Team wear multiple hats dev, design, marketing, support Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 14. 4: User Interface sleek, crisp, sexy people like it if it feels good Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 15. 5: Charge Early break-even/ profitable learn why people don’t pay Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 16. 6: WOM Online reduce CAC social media, SEO, email, blogs build an email list early-on Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 17. 7: Let others work for you build an affiliate program 1 to many is better than 1 to 1 Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 18. 8: Metrics Matter beauty of a web business traffic to site, signups, conversions, churn, ren ewals, advance segments. Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 19. 9: Manage the funnel Do you have a leaky bucket? Forentrepreneurs.com has great content on this subject Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 20. 10: Hire your English teacher blog writing, help faqs, online community management, customer service and outreach Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 21. 11: Who loves you? Testimonials, stories, videos comfort visitors with success Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 22. 12: Say no to features “It comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don’t get on the wrong track or try to do too much” - Steve Jobs Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 23. 13: Don’t make everyone happy “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.” - Bill Cosby Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 24. 14: Developers Do not hire web developers from the service era. Hire real programmers, hackers who love to build shit. Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 25. 15: Managed Hosting Get managed hosting. Let the experts take care of your infrastructure. Focus on the software & user exp. Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai
  • 26. the good stuff… BVP SaaS Page http://www.bvp.com/saas/ Thank you! Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiESiG /Mumbai