SAAS Operators

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, we’re joined by Eli Weiss for a conversation about competition, focus, and culture in SAAS. We start with Judge.me, Yotpo, and Eli’s perspective on why competitors make you better, even when you want them to lose. From Olipop vs. Poppy to Shein and Temu, the group unpacks how competitors expand categories, legitimize markets, and drive product innovat...

In this episode of The SAAS Operators Podcast, we sat down with Jacob Posel to talk about his journey navigating the earliest stage of building a SAAS business and how he is thinking about AI, distribution and product-market fit. Jacob shares why chasing the “biggest opportunity” is not enough without obsession. How his background in marketing and advertising gives him an edge. He explains why ste...

In this episode of the SaaS Operators Podcast, we sat down with Jason Lemkin who explains how AI and Shopify have completely reshaped the landscape, eliminating lifestyle businesses and forcing founders to adapt or get steamrolled. He describes how defensibility in B2B SaaS is eroding, success in the Shopify ecosystem, and why hitting $10M ARR no longer guarantees a path to $100M.Jason Lemkin shar...

In this episode of the SaaS Operators Podcast, we’re joined by Dan Pantelo, founder of Marpipe, for a deep dive into SaaS growth strategy, pricing, and go-to-market plays. We kick off with Judge.me’s $12M ARR business, debating whether it’s a massive success or still untapped potential, and explore why moving upmarket is often easier than defending the bottom. Rishabh shares how a $500/month SMB v...

In this episode of The SaaS Operators Podcast, we dive into the tradeoffs of venture capital, bootstrapping, and the gray area in between. Josh Perk, Founder & CEO of Vector, joins the crew to talk about building a YC-backed company and why his $130K AWS bill makes bootstrapping impossible. The conversation covers how Vector is taking on giants like 6sense and Demandbase with contact-based mar...

In this episode of The SaaS Operators, we dive into Prime Day data, shifting consumer behavior, and what it signals about the broader slowdown in e-commerce. Jeremiah breaks down why Prime Day underperformed and why Amazon is no longer the discovery engine it once was. We explore how DTC brands are getting squeezed and why the winners are pulling further ahead. Rishabh raises tough questions aroun...

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, Sean Frank, The CEO of Ridge and one of the hosts of the Operators podcast joins us for a frank conversation state of ecommerce on Shopify, Amazon and how SAAS is adapting. From pricing, to surviving market conditions, we talk about the tradeoffs between usage, seat-based and flat-rate pricing. Sean shares why Ridge is scaling through new product cate...

In this episode of the SaaS Operators Podcast, we sat down with Niels Klement, CMO at  Perspective.co , to talk about how they bootstrapped their way to $10M ARR almost all in Germany, primarily through paid ads. Niels breaks down how webinar funnels let them acquire customers profitably on the front end, why they collect annual revenue up front, and how they’ve avoided raising capital by staying...

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, we sat down with Amit RG, the founder of RichPanel, to unpack how he built a profitable, efficient SaaS business serving e-commerce brands. Amit shares why he turned down Y Combinator and a Series A after raising and the choice to stay lean. We talk about why advertising hasn't worked for Richpanel, and how their $2K Automation Success Kit drives...

In this episode of the SaaS Operators Podcast, we sat down with Stephen Hakami, the founder of Wiza, to talk about his journey bootstrapping Wiza to $10M+ ARR and what happens when you hit an inflection point. Stephen shares why he's now considering raising capital after years of profitable growth, and has shifted from a profit-first mindset to a platform play that focuses on enterprise value....

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, we talk about product launches, market expansion and building a system for reliable growth. Zach shares what he learnt from Foreplay’s latest product launch for Lens, including lessons around pricing, bundling and execution. The boys explores the difference between adding new customers vs. deepening value for existing ones, and why stacking launches c...

In this episode of the SaaS Operators podcast, we unpack how FERMAT raised a $45 million. Rishabh breaks down why they went raised more than they initially planned to, how market pull forced their hand, and the exact process he used to close the round in just 10 days. We also get into ad efficiency, pricing psychology, why most brands under-segment their websites, and how generative AI is already...

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, we get into the realities of trust in business. What it means to break it, rebuild it, and keep moving. The boys open with stories of personal betrayal and reconciliation, then shift into platform tradeoffs, debating whether Shopify’s distribution is worth the cost. We talk about customer behavior across different ecosystems, how to think about pricin...

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, the boys are joined by Cory Gill, founder of Alia. After a brief discussion on the pursuit of money and happiness and the stigma around being successful financially, they dive into the impact of fees on developer ecosystems. They talk about the long-term effects of market pressures and how to navigate cost pressures and efficiencies. The episode ends...

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast the hosts talk about the launch of Meta’s new AI App and how AI is changing the future of shopping and consumer behavior. They discuss the value of SAAS and its perception challenges, focusing on the evolution of software and customer expectations. They have a brief conversation about the impact of incumbents on Startups and end with a discussion on ma...

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast Danilo Vicioso, the founder of Mainstreet, joins the hosts and things get deep. They talk about systems, have a debate on raising vs bootstrapping and tell the stories behind how they named their companies. Zach tries to convince the boys that all legal disputes should be dealt with in a mud pit and the episode ends with a discussion on why subscriptio...

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, Jeremiah is back with that “3 kid hair” and the hosts talk about the importance of buying your time back to maximize your effectiveness. They dive deep into how AI is changing SAAS and Jeremiah gives insights on how Shopify surpassed WooCommerce as the preferred website builder that leaves Rishabh speechless (almost). The episode ends with an update o...

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, Jeremiah is still out and the hosts dive into why daily routines are so popular right now. They talk about the bad advice some of their VC friends are giving and the episode ends with a discussion about growth vs profitability.

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, Jeremiah is off having a baby and in the meantime, the hosts discuss what's new at Fermat and Foreplay, their daily routines and how software is immune to tariffs.

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, the hosts discuss OpenAI ad generation. They dive deep into solving problems vs following demand trends, highlighting the difference between tools and solutions. The episode ends with a brief discussion on the role of AI in SAAS PMF.

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, the hosts discuss the pros and cons of Bootstrapping vs VC Funding. They dive deep into the difference of lifestyle businesses vs the expectations of a VC. The conversation highlights their personal goals and entrepreneurial aspirations as well as the differences of a CEO and an entrepreneur and the psychology behind entrepreneurship. The episode ends...