Product Stories

Monetize the users who said no at your paywall: https://www.encorekit.com?ref=saas (paid promotion) --- In this episode, Michael Gants explains how to turn paywall rejections into revenue using a completely different approach to SaaS monetization. Instead of discounts, he shows how to use brand-funded trials and better timing to convert SaaS users who already said no. This conversation breaks down: How to increase SaaS conversion rates without discounts How to monetize freemium users effectively Why most SaaS onboarding flows fail The best time to convert SaaS customers inside your funnel How to use SaaS pricing strategies that actually work How to improve retention and reduce churn How B2B SaaS can use the same playbook If you're building or scaling a SaaS, the strategies Michael shares in this episode will help you generate more revenue. Chapters (00:00:00) - Why 99.95 of Your Freemium Users Won't Pay(00:01:39) - The Secret to Convincing a User to Pay(00:03:08) - Peter Thiel on Why Paywall Deserves a Promotion(00:04:24) - The Biggest Uncovering Opportunity Within Apps(00:08:53) - How To Offer a Pro- or Trial Offer to a Dropped(00:11:37) - How Auto-Conversion Works(00:16:15) - How to Sell a Breakup Bundle(00:19:48) - Free to Pro: Where Should Companies Put Their Software?(00:21:03) - Microsoft on B2B Sales Partners(00:22:35) - Is SaaS Good for B2B or Consumer?(00:24:17) - How to Win Over a Canceling Customer?(00:25:54) - How Sales Apps Work With Businesses(00:27:52) - What's the First Experiment to Get People to the Paywall?(00:30:43) - The A B Test of Onboarding(00:33:40) - 3 Takeaways From Building a Profitable SaaS

Turn your idea into a launched, profitable MVP in 2-6 months: https://www.saasmastery.com/?video=67MX3_N4LfoOr prefer a one-off advisory call? Here's my calendar: https://www.saasmastery.com/call?video=67MX3_N4Lfo--- Most founders struggle to get their first 100 customers for their SaaS, not because their product is bad, but because their GTM is.Today, I sit down with Margo, who has been helping B2B SaaS founders with marketing and customer acquisition for the last 8 years.If you're in the process of building a SaaS, then this video will give you a working Go-To-Market strategy that works in 2025 and beyond.Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 0:48 - 3 big mistakes to avoid 3:22 - How to get the first 10 customers 4:45 - 5-step Go-to-market strategy (First 100 customers) 11:36 - Scaling beyond the first 100 customers 13:26 - Ending-------------------- Resources: Enhance decision-making in software development and product management with the right leadership - https://saasmastery.com/call ▸▸ SaaS Mastery website - https://www.saasmastery.com/ Get in touch with us, and let's talk about your project! https://saasmastery.com/call #SaaS #MVP #SaaSMastery Chapters (00:00:00) - How to Find Your First 100 Customers(00:00:42) - 3 Mistakes SaaS Startups Make to Get Their First(00:03:22) - How do we get our first 10 customers?(00:04:54) - How to Find and Convert Early Adopters: My Core Go(00:07:19) - 3 Creative Outreach Strategies for Early Adopters(00:10:10) - 4 Steps to Your Landing Page(00:11:22) - 5 Steps to Scaling Beyond The First 100 Customers(00:13:26) - How to Win Your First 100 SaaS Customers Fast

If you need my help building your SaaS - whether it’s a complete roadmap or instant developer access, just go to this link: https://saasmastery.com/?video=e_mKQEtT1xIOr prefer a one-off advisory call? Here's my calendar: https://www.saasmastery.com/call?video=e_mKQEtT1xIWorkbook from this video: https://pages.saasmastery.com/service-to-saas-blueprint?video=e_mKQEtT1xI----Generic SaaS ideas are crowdedThe real opportunity is building software around problems you already understand.In this video, I share a complete framework for turning a service business into a million-dollar SaaS.You’ll learn:0:00 - Intro 0:25 - Service to opportunity 4:59 - How to extract SaaS ideas from your agency or service business 12:36 - Validating SaaS idea 16:34 - Building a SaaS prototype 21:17 - Pre-selling a SaaS product to early adopters 22:11 - Building an MVP that’s ready for real users 23:37 - How to choose the right developers for your SaaS 26:42 - Getting the first 100 SaaS customers with a simple Go-To-Market Strategy 33:37 EndingThis guide is made for service business owners, consultants, agency owners and operators who want to transform their expertise into a scalable SaaS business. Chapters (00:00:00) - Service-to-SaaS(00:01:01) - How to Build a Service-based SaaS(00:01:47) - Why we're building a SaaS business instead of a Service(00:03:09) - Why Service Businesses Can Build a Successful SaaS(00:04:59) - How to Find a Profitable SaaS Idea(00:06:25) - The 3 Most Important SaaS Patterns(00:08:38) - How to Go From B2B Sales to Strategic Sales(00:10:27) - How To Build a SaaS Startup(00:12:36) - How to Validate Your Idea ((00:14:42) - How To Validate Your SaaS Idea(00:16:28) - How to Build a Prototypal in 3 Steps(00:19:25) - How to Build a Million-Dollar Startup From Day 1(00:23:33) - How to get your MVP built and scale.(00:24:34) - Finding the Right Developers for Your SaaS(00:26:50) - How to Scale Your Startup to 100 Customers in 5 Steps(00:29:00) - How to Build a Winning Messaging Campaign in 2 Steps(00:29:36) - 3 Creative Ways To Reach Out To Early Adopters(00:32:32) - How to Build a Million-Dollar SaaS from Start

Launch your MVP in 2-6 months: https://www.saasmastery.com/call The lean startup dogma says build an MVP fast, iterate, find product-market fit. But that advice is outdated and costly for non-technical founders in 2025. This video exposes why 90% of MVPs fail or stall, how iteration costs kill bootstrapped SaaS during the "Long Slow Ramp of Death," and what to do instead: the Minimum Viable Offer framework with a working prototype to pre-sell and validate before the full build. Real examples from Slack, Airbnb, and Atlassian, plus the roadmap that turns raw SaaS ideas into launched products in 2-6 months Chapters (00:00:00) - Why 90% of MVPs Fail(00:01:49) - Why Most MVPs Fail and Why They're Not Worth It(00:07:10) - Non-Technical Software Founders: What They Need to Know(00:08:41) - The broken MVP model

Non‑technical CEOs don’t fail for lack of code, they fail for lack of control. This video breakdown how to manage a tech team, from grooming a backlog that kills developer idle time to separating Product Lead vs Tech Lead so every sprint ships value on schedule. If hiring is stalled or junior devs are slowing everything down, this playbook also covers force‑multiplier hiring, quarterly fractional CTO audits, and a simple system to maximize engineering velocity and hit MVP timelines. Chapters (00:00:00) - How to Manage a Dev Team on Time(00:02:33) - Hiring a Junior Developer is Stupid(00:04:39) - 3 Mistakes All Tech Companies Make(00:07:21) - 3 Tips for Non-Technical Founders(00:11:51) - The 5 Biggest

Building a SaaS as a non-technical founder? You’re probably one decision away from burning months of time, thousands of dollars, or a painful chunk of equity. In this episode, we break down the most common non-technical founder SaaS mistakes we see over and over again—from choosing the wrong tech lead to building in silence, over-engineering too early, and falling in love with software instead of the business. If you want to avoid the traps that quietly kill most SaaS startups before they ever get traction, this is a must-listen. Chapters (00:00:00) - 5 Mistakes All Non-Technical Startups Make(00:00:52) - 7 Startup Mistakes You're Making(00:03:57) - The Tech Lead Nightmare(00:05:12) - The 2 Biggest Mistakes Startup Founders Make(00:06:56) - 3 Mistakes of Over Engineering and Under Engineering(00:09:41) - 3 Reasons Why You're Building Something Nobody Will Want(00:11:31) - 3 Mistakes All Startups Make(00:13:46) - 5 Most Common Mistakes First-Time SaaS Founders Make

Most non-technical founders burn cash on development teams or give away half their company. I’ve helped dozens avoid this trap using a completely different approach. In this video, I breakdown the 5-step framework that gets you paying customers before you write a single line of code. From problem validation to hiring developers - this is the exact playbook that works.

Video Description In this episode, we dive deep into the transformative impact of AI on the world of software development, exploring the current state and future prospects as of 2025. We’ll discuss how AI is reshaping the roles of developers at all levels—from senior engineers who can leverage AI to boost their productivity, to junior […]

Video In this video, Victor discusses when and how to leverage cultural diversity in software development teams, sharing real insights from managing teams across Pakistan, Latin America, and other global regions. Learn about: 1. The right timing to introduce cultural diversity in your team. 2. How to avoid common pitfalls in cross-cultural team […]

Video In today’s video, Victor talks about a common consideration by SaaS Founder, which is – Should I give equity to my software house? This video takes a look a the two primary considerations that you should take a look at when deciding whether or not to give equity to […]

Video In today’s video, Victor talks about how software houses or software agencies work. What do they excel at when you should choose a software house to develop your software, and what do they struggle with? Having worked with software houses for years, this video takes an objective view to […]

Today’s video is from this year’s SaaS Academy Intensive in Chicago, which took place in October 2024. Victor and Miguel hosted a lunch-and-learn session about the hidden strategies for leading and hiring your first one to five developers. Miguel breaks down what developers look for when considering working for a company, how […]

Video In today’s video, Victor discusses a common problem faced by most founders and even managers: how to delegate effectively and start delegating responsibility in your company, allowing you to focus on the areas that matter most in your business.  Here are other videos you might like!   Do Small […]

Video In today’s video, Victor answers one of the most burning questions in every SAAS Founder’s mind right now: Will AI kill my business? What impact will it have on our business model, and how can we adapt? Victor also looks at the latest trends and trajectory and which SAAS […]

Video In today’s video, Victor talks about the things you need to pay attention to, clarify, and align when hiring remotely in order to succeed with remote hiring, hire the right people and of course have a smooth onboarding process. This will also allow your new hires to understand how […]

Video In today’s video, Victor answers one of the most common questions about how to prepare for an acquisition and what buyers and investors look for in terms of tech due diligence. How can you prepare your business so that you get the best possible valuation, don’t leave money on […]

In this episode, Miguel answerers one of the most common questions we receive from our clients which is - If we have a small development team, do we still need a product roadmap? The short answer to this is yes. Every time, regardless of the size needs a product roadmap. It will just be tailored to meet the capacity of the team

Learn how to really protect your startup idea from being stolen.

Video In today’s video, episode 3 of a four-part series, we sat down with Omeed Tabiei to discuss hiring and working with remote software developers and everything you need to know about contracts and jurisdiction. Omeed is the Managing Partner at Optimist Legal, a law firm focusing solely on SaaS businesses. The firm helps founders […]

Video In today’s video, which is episode 2 of a 4 part series, we sat down with Omeed Tabiei to talk about equity distribution and everything you as a founder need to know about setting up your business in a way that allows you to distribute equity to your employees easily and appropriately. Omeed is […]

Video In today’s video, we sat down with Omeed Tabiei, the Managing Partner at Optimist Legal, a law firm specializing on SaaS, helping founders set up their business, handle all things legal even up to the point of exiting and selling your business. In this first episode, which is part of a 4 part series, […]

Video In today’s video, part of a multi-part series, Miguel talks about Fractional advisors and what these seasoned professionals bring. In this first episode, we’ll talk about the Fractional CTO. We’ll define who they are, the roles and responsibilities of a Fractional Chief Technology Officer, and how you can maximize […]

Video In today’s video, part of a multi-part series, Miguel talks about product management, what it entails today, and how you can start to coach your product manager to become successful. If you’ve recently hired a new product manager or promoted one, this episode will show you how to get […]

Video In this video, which is the final episode of a multi-part series, Saravana Kumar, the founder and CEO of Kovai talks about how the $20m ARR SaaS uses artificial intelligence within their products to scale, as well as the key metrics businesses should be tracking and how founders can continue to upskill and grow […]

Video In this video, Victor talks about the steps you need to take in the rare case that a software house or software agency decides to hold you hostage. This can happen due to a dispute over payments where the software agency or software house can lock you out of your […]

Video In today’s video, Victor talks about a common problem that most remote teams face which is how to effectively communicate as a remote team and have effective stand-up meetings. Victor has been helping saas businesses to build, launch, and scale with the help of remote development teams for over […]

Video In today’s video, Victor talks about a common question he often gets from SaaS founders and that is where should you hire developers abroad, especially in Eastern Europe. Victor was in Warsaw, the capital of Poland and he talks about Warsaw and the opportunities and options you have as a […]

Video In the second episode of this multi-part series, Miguel answers the question – Who’s job is it to build or develop the product roadmap?

In today's episode, we talk about the 7 most common software development mistakes we've seen from the last 10 years and how to avoid them.

Video In this video, Miguel breaks down exactly what a product roadmap is and the signs of a failing or ineffective product roadmap Here are other episodes you might like Effective techniques to prioritize your product roadmap Solving common dev problems by doing SCRUM […]

Video In part 3 of our multi-part series, Saravana Kumar, the founder and CEO of Kovai talks about how the company maintains innovation, especially in today’s AI era, giving you some insights on how to position your SaaS for growth today. He also talks about how a multi-product saas company sells its products to different […]

In this video, Saravana Kumar, the CEO and Founder of Kovai.co, takes us through the importance of customer feedback in building and scaling a multi-product SaaS, the feedback loop that guides their roadmap as well as the productivity metrics and how they measure team performance at Kovai to drive saas growth! We also talk about […]

Video Summary Is it better to bootstrap your startup or seek funding? Let’s hear from Saravana Kumar, who was able to scale his bootstrapped business to $10 million ARR. This is the first part of a series of videos from our conversation with Saravna Kumar, the CEO and Founder of Kovai.co a multi-product SaaS Company. […]

Video In this video, Victor breaks down what the software developer recruiting process looks like, what companies do differently, and how you can start recruiting in-house using these processes and tips. Victor also talks about the use of AI in the recruiting process, how to use it as well as how […]

Video In today’s video, Victor talks about the factors that make a job attractive to a software engineer, giving you insight into how to attract top engineering and product talent without competing on salary. Another video you might like Everything you need to know about the developer recruitment process

Video Today, we’ll be sharing a trick and showing you how to optimize your SaaS team with fractional leadership and avoid or rather save on the outrage fees that you’d normally pay to hire a CTO or CPO full-time which, especially in the United States can range anywhere between $200,000 – $500,000 a year with […]

Video Are you making it difficult for your developers to work and collaborate with you? Most of the time when clients come to us, they are normally looking to improve the productivity of their development teams. Sometimes what’s missing is the right mix of seniority within their teams, other times, they just need the missing […]

Video In today’s video, we’ll take a look at the two pillars of SaaS security, and how to go about implementing them to secure your business. Failure to do so could mean the end of your business. You’d be surprised how SaaS companies may fail even to consider password updates once they stop cooperating with […]

Video Has your MVP started to show some cracks? Have you started to have issues like poor estimates, communication breakdowns, and a chaotic development process? Today, we’ll be talking about how to move your MVP to the next stage of growth. At the beginning, an MVP is very capable of handling even a couple hundred […]

Video In today’s video, we look in-depth at what makes software development expensive and unpredictable. Have you ever found yourself marveling at the price disparity between software projects, wondering why some bear the price tag of a hypercar while others resemble the cost of a used Volkswagen? Well, here’s why!

Video We’ve been privileged to work with some amazing software engineers and dev teams and today we’d like to share the 6 characteristics that make up the very best high-performing dev teams. What are they? – Small size team – High seniority makeup – Similar language and culture – Dedicated full-timers- Versatility of Full Stack […]

Video At its core, HIPAA revolves around two main rules – The Privacy Rule and The Security Rule. We already looked at what HIPAA is and the penalties involved. In this second episode, David we’ll break down everything about the two fundamental rules of HIPAA that you need to know! The HIPAA Privacy Rule provides […]

Video Today, we’ll be learning all about HIPAA compliance and the consequences of breaching the regulations, with our very own David Lee! He has more than 5 years in the Health and IT space and was the CPO at Point Health which was acquired by its sister […]

Video How can you efficiently and effectively migrate your traditional desktop software to a modern app or a saas? Software as a service (SaaS) offers a compelling opportunity to businesses or individuals looking to migrate or port their old software to a modern application. This transformative shift modernizes applications and introduces numerous benefits, from simplified […]

Video How can you align your tech and product team to one goal? Have you been sensing a lack of clarity in your product development process? Today, we’ll be sharing one of the simplest ways to align your tech and product teams to a single goal – The 1-page product roadmap Learn how you can […]

Video In today’s video, we talk about how to collect customer feedback in order to give you the best possible insights into how your customers are interacting with your product. We talk about the two bases of user feedback collection – Qualitative and quantitative methods, and how you can leverage them to help steer your […]

Video What are API integrations and how can they help you expand and enhance your product offerings? Today, Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) serve as the backbone of software interaction and integration, enabling businesses to expand their services and enhance customer experience. For founders of software businesses looking to expand and enhance their offerings, understanding the […]

Video Crawling websites is the process of gathering data from unstructured web sources that are not primarily made to be read by machines. Basically what Google does when it’s trying to index sites but at a much smaller scale. The crawling robot uses a browser framework to act like a user and reads data This […]

Video Preparing to switch your development team? In today’s video, I break down the 4 crucial things you need to know to have a smooth transition if and when you decide to change your development team. Switching development teams can be quite tedious especially when you are not prepared or you are in the middle […]

Video Are you concerned about your SaaS idea getting stolen by software developers? Bottom line? It’s not easy for a software developer, or engineering team to steal your code and launch your SaaS Idea as their own. In today’s video, I explain why that is, and also talk about the very rare occasion where a […]