Episodes
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Monetize the users who said no at your paywall: https://www.encorekit.com?ref=saas (paid promotion)
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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 discountsHow to monetize freemium users effectivelyWhy most SaaS onboarding flows failThe best time to convert SaaS customers inside your funnelHow to use SaaS pricing strategies that actually workHow to improve retention and reduce churnHow B2B SaaS can use the same playbookIf 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_N4Lfo
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
Or prefer a one-off advisory call? Here's my calendar: https://www.saasmastery.com/call?video=67MX3_N4Lfo
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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
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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 -
Missing episodes?
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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_mKQEtT1xI
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
Or prefer a one-off advisory call? Here's my calendar:
https://www.saasmastery.com/call?video=e_mKQEtT1xI
Workbook from this video:
https://pages.saasmastery.com/service-to-saas-blueprint?video=e_mKQEtT1xI
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Generic SaaS ideas are crowded
The 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 Ending
This guide is made for service business owners, consultants, agency owners and operators who want to transform their expertise into a scalable SaaS business. -
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.
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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
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Learn how to really protect your startup idea from being stolen.
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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 […]
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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 […]
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