Surviving the SaaS startup rollercoaster with Kat Kennedy, General Partner @ Kickstart Fund

Todd and Casey are joined by Kat Kennedy, a General Partner at Kickstart Fund to discuss growth, challenges, and opportunities in the SaaS industry. Kat reminds listeners of the importance of staying committed to a vision and surrounding yourself with the right people. Kat Kennedy discusses the different stages of a startup and the types of people needed at each stage. She emphasizes the importance of understanding and embracing the different phases of a startup's evolution. Takeaways The SaaS industry is still in its infancy, which leads to a high level of employee turnover as people search for the next big opportunity. The key to success in the SaaS world is staying committed to a vision and believing in the potential of what you're building. Surrounding yourself with the right people, both in terms of skills and mindset, is crucial for navigating the ups and downs of startup life. Taking care of your mental and emotional well-being is essential for making sound decisions and staying motivated during challenging times. Each stage of company growth in the SaaS industry presents unique challenges and requires different strategies and skill sets. Different stages of a startup require different types of people. From zero to one, adventurers who love the jungle are needed. From one to five, pattern recognition and hypothesis testing are important. From five to ten, the focus shifts to process and preparing for growth. From ten million to fifty million, the company scales up and requires people who are good at process. Beyond fifty million, the company becomes more like a standard business. Content 00:00 Introduction and Guest Bio 11:12 Kat's Journey at DeGreed 26:08 Process and Growth: From Five to Ten Resources ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with Casey⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with Todd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit the show page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get to know BrainStorm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Credits Show direction: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Debra Wilson⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Show design: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kensie Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Show manager: ⁠Angela Allred