bootstrapping to 100 customers + saas best practices

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Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices Sahil Parikh Founder, DeskAway Author, The SaaS Edge

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Page 1: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

Bootstrapping to 100+

SaaS Best Practices

Sahil ParikhFounder, DeskAway

Author, The SaaS Edge

Page 2: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

What type of business to build?product

recurring revenueself-service

Scalableglobal teams, smbs

can run from anywhere= SAAS

Page 3: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

First 6 months = 0 customersMistakes…

#1 offline strategies to build online biz

#2 Indian customers = hand holding, presentations, demos, negotiations

Page 4: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

Bootstrapping to 100(pre social media era)

Page 5: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

Bootstrapping to 100Free Accounts

Proto Event

Blog Comments (GAlerts, Feedrinse)

Forums (LinkedIn)

Page 6: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

(cont) Bootstrapping to 100Viral Loop

** Blog Reviews **

Writing – get people on your side

We hit 100 customers in Sept 2008

Page 7: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

How we acquire customers today23% Direct (Social Media)

32% Search

45% Referring Sites (Blogs etc.)

“Make it easy for people to find you”

Page 8: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

Recommendation AgeParticipate on social networks via

keywords. Listen & respond.

Save keywords via twitter search.

Page 9: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

People still search for…“best project management tool”

“alternative to basecamp”

“free project collaboration app”

“review of project management apps”

Page 10: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

SaaS Best PracticesStuff I learnt over the years…

Page 11: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

1. Start Smallkeep it simple and focused more features != success

Page 12: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

2: Early Feedback100 free accounts

Fix bugs, pitch and vision

Page 13: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

3: Slim Teamwear multiple hats

dev, design, marketing, support

Page 14: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

4: User Interfacesleek, crisp, sexy

people like it if it feels good

Page 15: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

5: Charge Earlybreak-even/ profitable

learn why people don’t pay

Page 16: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

6: WOM Onlinereduce CAC

social media, SEO, email, blogsbuild an email list early-on

Page 17: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

7: Let others work for youbuild an affiliate program

1 to many is better than 1 to 1

Page 18: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

8: Metrics Matterbeauty of a web business

traffic to site, signups, conversions, churn, renewals,

advance segments.

Page 19: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

9: Manage the funnelDo you have a leaky bucket?

Forentrepreneurs.com has great content on this subject

Page 20: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

10: Hire your English teacher  blog writing, help faqs, online

community management, customer service and outreach

Page 21: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

11: Who loves you?

Testimonials, stories, videoscomfort visitors with success

Page 22: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / 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

Page 23: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / 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

Page 24: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

14: DevelopersDo not hire web developers from

the service era. Hire real programmers, hackers who love

to build shit.

Page 25: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

15: Managed HostingGet managed hosting. Let the

experts take care of your infrastructure. Focus on the

software & user exp.

Page 26: Bootstrapping to 100 Customers + SaaS Best Practices

Bootstrapping to 100 + SaaS Best Practices / @sahilparikh / TiE SiG / Mumbai

the good stuff…

BVP SaaS Pagehttp://www.bvp.com/saas/

Thank you!