The StartUp to ScaleUp Game Plan

Latest Episodes:

Stravito: building a winning enterprise Saas business Aug 03, 2022

Show notes

Thor Olof Philogène is the Co-Founder & CEO at Stravito who've sold their AI-driven saas research & insights platform directly to blue chips like Mcdonalds, Electrolux & Pepsi Lipton.

We explored:

Applying the Eric Ries concept of “validated learnings” when launching a SaaS business
How a small European venture can sell enterprise SaaS directly to blue chips like McDonalds
Why focus is your best friend - and how to retain that focus as your business grows
The advantages of front-load your hiring
How to build an effective autonomous culture

For more Stravito insights check out https://www.stravito.com/ and for advice on hiring exceptional leaders for B2B Saas scale-ups head over to https://alpinasearch.com/

How to go as fast as possible without the wheels coming off! Jul 27, 2022

Show notes

Alex Mifsud is the CEO & Founder at embedded finance disruptor Weavr – who recently raised a $40m Series A led by Tiger Global. Other investors include QED, Anthemis, LocalGlobe, Mubadala Capital and Seedcamp.

Alex walked me through his:

journey from academia to tech entrepreneurship
learnings - including "how to go as fast as possible without the wheels coming off"!
product philosophy: "put yourself in the shoes of customers and start designing the solution you would love to have if you were them"
views on hiring & diversity: “the danger of cloning versus the danger of lone wolves”
perspectives on the challenges of being a tech entrepreneur: “if it were a very straight line it would be a really boring job”!

For more insights into Weavr check out https://www.weavr.io/ and for guidance on hiring leaders for B2B SaaS scale-ups head over to https://alpinasearch.com/

DeepStream – the saas startup helping companies handle supply chain disruption Jul 12, 2022

Show notes

Jack Macfarlane is the CEO at DeepStream Technologies.

DeepStream's SaaS solution delivers a seamless, visible & automated procurement experience to clients like Maersk and BritishVolt.

DeepStream was originally backed by TechStars and angel investors - before raising a Series A, led by Beringea, in 2021

Jack discussed:

Switching from investment banking to become a tech entrepreneur
Ensuring your employees develop a shared winning mentality & contribute to the company's vision
Navigating the path from your startup dream to the reality of scaling your business
Diversity – building an eclectic mix of people from the outset
Why Procurement is changing from a cost centre to a profit-generation centre

For more insights into DeepStream check out https://www.deep.stream/ and for advice on recruiting leaders for your SaaS scale-up head over to https://alpinasearch.com/

Buddy: SaaS startup helping hospitals to improve the patient experience Jul 04, 2022

Show notes

Jussi Maatta is CEO & Founder at the Finnish health tech disruptor, Buddy Healthcare.

Buddy's platform helps healthcare providers reduce their huge waiting lists & enhance the patient experience.

We explored:

implementing agile processes right the way across your organisation
how a company's name can encapsulate the company's culture and ethos
the pandemic's impact on the demand for virtual care solutions and better patient experiences
how Russia's invasion impacted the team's Ukrainian developers
staying fit & healthy to cope with the stresses & strains of leading a SaaS startup
hiring a dynamic team of diverse individuals to help shape & deliver the company's vision

For more insights into Buddy Healthcare check out https://www.buddyhealthcare.com/en/

And for guidance on hiring leadership talent for B2B saas scale-ups, head over to https://alpinasearch.com/

Sastrify: how to hyperscale & have a lot of fun at the same time! Jun 18, 2022

Show notes

Sven Lackinger is the co-founder & CEO at Sastrify - a rapidly scaling SaaS venture who’ve raised $23m dollars from major VCs like HV Capital and FirstMark for their SaaS procurement solution.

We explored:

Why 4 co-founders is too many - you're better off with 2 co-founders who then hire “experts” for the other c-suite roles
The benefits of hiring world class talent anywhere in the world & how to build a completely remote team & culture
Why Sastrify has launched so many virtual cultural initiatives like Friday Checkouts – where people thank a colleague for something they’ve done and share their weekend plans - and global online chess tournaments to build friendships across timezones and countries
How Sastrify are creating a new product category to enable large enterprises to procure and operate their software

N.B. This episode was recorded in early March 2022 - shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine
For more insights into Sastrify check out https://www.sastrify.com/ & for advice on hiring leaders to scale your B2B SaaS venture head over to https://alpinasearch.com/

Transforming customer engagement & loyalty Apr 04, 2022

Show notes

Sampo Parkkinen is the CEO & founder at Revieve whose SaaS platform uses AI, AR & computer-vision to help brands and retailers like Number 7, Superdrug & JC Penney personalise the customer experience and build long term customer relationships.
We explored:

Why scaling yourself - as a leader - is the hardest thing to do as an entrepreneur
“The Power Focus” – learning not to chase every opportunity and not to try to put out every fire
How & when to transition your SaaS business from focusing on SMBs to winning large enterprise clients
Why e-commerce is moving from transaction driven to relationship driven - shaking up the entire consumer brand experience

For more insights into Revieve check out https://www.revieve.com/ & for guidance on recruiting leaders talent for B2B SaaS scale-ups head over to https://alpinasearch.com/

How to develop a utopian culture in a rapidly scaling SaaS venture? Mar 22, 2022

Show notes

Jonas Thordal is the Co-founder & CEO at Weld – funded by VCs like Frontline Ventures & Cherry Ventures
Weld aims to build the world's most customer-centric data company - empowering customers to unlock the full potential of their data.

We explored:

Building a utopian culture – how to eliminate politics, tedious decision process & hierarchies
Why one of your earliest hires should be a People Ops person to prioritise your cultural values
Recognising that, even if you've a great product, people are what will make or break your company
Developing a company-wide mindset of getting product out there, failing fast, learning & iterating
Minimising stress & burnout in a fast-paced startup - including the benefits of meditation to help each individual achieve focus, prioritisation & clarity of purpose

For more insights into Weld, head over to https://weld.app/

And for advice on recruiting exceptional leadership for B2B SaaS ventures, head over to https://alpinasearch.com/

Can algorithms remove bias & improve quality in recruitment? Mar 11, 2022

Show notes

Malcolm Burenstam Linder is the Founder & CEO at Series A funded Alva Labs whose digital hiring platform helps organisations improve the quality & diversity of the talent they recruit.

We explored:

why combining data-driven AI & machine learning with psychometrics helps companies improve the quality and diversity of the talent they hire
as we struggle with a global pandemic & a horrific European war, should companies behave like elite sports teams & provide their employees with personal coaches & therapists?
the challenges of transitioning from being a hands-on but chaotic entrepreneur - who tries to wear every hat - to a confident business leader who delegates to a highly effective leadership team

For more insights into Alva Labs check out https://www.alvalabs.io/ & for advice on recruiting world class leaders for B2B SaaS scale-ups head over to https://alpinasearch.com/

Nethone - Polish scale-up disrupting the global enterprise cybersecurity market Mar 09, 2022

Show notes

Hubert Rachwalski is the CEOat Nethone who in 2021 were named Poland’s fastest-growing company in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50

Nethone provides machine learning-based fraud prevention solutions to online retailers and financial institutions

We explored:

the arms race that pushes software innovators like Nethone to continue to develop advanced technologies and AI to keep pace with the criminals
the importance of educating banks & merchants on the risks they face from fraud
how a European SaaS startup can sell to international enterprise clients from Day 1
how Nethone has successfully hired strong senior talent remotely but faces increased competition in their home market, due to the pandemic, from overseas employers

For more insights into Nethone head over to https://nethone.com/ and for advice on recruiting stellar leaders for B2B Saas ventures head over to https://alpinasearch.com/

Please note, this interview was recorded over 2 weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine - hence we did not discuss the implications of the invasion during the podcast

Investing in start-ups helps you learn how to launch & lead your own business! Feb 28, 2022

Show notes

Simon Bird is the CEO & co-founder at RevLifter who combine AI, hyper-personalization, data, algorithms, and cutting-edge UX and design to enable retailers to personalise their online offers.

Revlifter raised their Series A from Gresham House Ventures & Maven Capital Partners - they’ve rapidly scaled to $10m ARR and sold to online businesses of all shapes & sizes including blue chips like New Balance, Harvey Nichols, Staples and AT&T.

Simon discussed:

How he formulated a successful SaaS business concept on the back of a napkin in a London café!
Learning the good, the bad and the ugly of startup leadership by investing in start-ups before you launch your own business
Lessons for European Saas businesses looking to replicate their success & their culture in The States
“If you’re gonna hire people, they should really be telling you what to do rather than the other way round”
The dangers of being too hands-on as a CEO in terms of your mental & physical health – learning how to let go!

For more Revlifter insights head over to https://www.revlifter.com/ and for guidance on recruiting exceptional B2B SaaS startup & scale-up leaders check out https://alpinasearch.com/