Claim OwnershipSaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
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Join us as we interview CEOs and GTM leaders of fast-growing SaaS and AI firms to reveal what they are doing that’s working, and lessons learned from things that didn’t work as planned. These deep conversations dive into the dynamic world of SaaS B2B marketing, go-to-market strategies, and the SaaS business model. Content focuses on the pragmatic as well as strategic, providing a well-rounded diet for those running SaaS firms today. Hosted by Ken Lempit, Austin Lawrence Group’s president and chief business builder, who brings over 30 years of experience and expertise in helping software companies grow and their founders achieve their visions. Full video and shorts on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@SaaSBackwardsPodcast
189 Episodes
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Send a text Guest: David Gabriel, VP of Marketing at Rhumbix -- AI-Enabled Go-to-Market Strategy, Agentic Marketing, and SaaS Margin Expansion In this episode of SaaS Backwards, Ken Lempit sits down with David Gabriel, VP of Marketing at Rhumbix, to explore what go-to-market looks like in the AI agent era. Instead of adding headcount, David rebuilt his SaaS marketing function around AI agents — creating a system where product marketing, outbound sales development, content creation...
Send a text How SaaS CEOs Should Navigate AI-Native, AI-Augmented, and Bolt-On AI Strategies to Protect Revenue and Reduce Churn Guest: Ken Lempit, President & Chief Strategist at Austin Lawrence Group -- AI is not just another feature cycle — it’s an inflection point for SaaS. In this episode of SaaS Backwards, Ken Lempit steps into the guest seat to break down what AI really means for SaaS companies, especially mid-market and enterprise software vendors trying to pro...
Send a text Why SaaS companies stall at $10M, how execution breaks down, and what founders must change to scale -- Guest: Mark Abbott, Founder & CEO at Ninety Most SaaS companies don’t hit a wall because demand dries up — they hit it because execution doesn’t keep pace with growth. In this episode of SaaS Backwards, Mark Abbott, Founder and CEO of ninety.io, explains why SaaS companies predictably stall as they grow and how founders underestimate the leadership and op...
Send a text Guest: Lara Shackelford, SVP of Growth Marketing at iCapital -- Most SaaS companies are investing heavily in AI, yet many struggle to see meaningful ROI. In this episode of SaaS Backwards, Lara Shackelford—SVP of Growth Marketing, MarTech, and CRM at iCapital—breaks down why AI initiatives fail without the right systems, governance, and change management. Lara explains how AI-powered revenue systems should be designed across the full customer lifecycle, from demand gen...
Send a text Guest: Kevin Jacobson, CEO at Foxen -- Most SaaS companies try to scale by adding headcount and channels. Foxen scaled by tightening fundamentals. In this episode, Kevin Jacobson, CEO of Foxen, joins host Ken Lempit to explain how an overlooked market — multifamily housing — became a durable SaaS growth opportunity through operational discipline and relationship-driven GTM. Kevin breaks down why traditional industries lag in SaaS adoption, why consistency matters more ...
Send a text Guest: Dave Boyce, Executive Chairman & EVP of Product at Winning by Design -- Most SaaS companies are still built to sell. Today’s buyers want to activate, experience value, and decide on their own. In this episode, Dave Boyce, Executive Chairman and EVP of Product at Winning by Design, joins host Ken Lempit to explain why SaaS GTM is shifting from lead handoffs to self-service activation, AI-driven automation, and system-based growth. Dave shares why PLG isn’t a...
Send a text Guest: David Karandish, Founder & CEO of Capacity -- Most SaaS companies don’t fail because the technology is bad. They fail because they build point solutions, chase the wrong markets, and struggle to turn AI into real, scalable value. In this episode, David Karandish, Founder & CEO of Capacity, joins host Ken Lempit to share how his team scaled past 20,000 customers and toward $100M+ in revenue by evolving from an AI point solution into a full SaaS platform...
Send a text Guest: Prasanth Chilukuri, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Soul Street Ventures -- The biggest threat to early-stage SaaS growth isn’t competition. It’s founder distraction, unfocused GTM motions, and chasing quick wins instead of building a real business. In this episode, Prasanth Chilukuri, co-founder and managing partner of Soul Street Ventures, joins host Ken Lempit to reveal why most early-stage SaaS companies struggle long before product issues surface — and...
Send a text Guest: Mark Walker, CEO at Nue.io -- SaaS pricing isn’t breaking because of AI — it’s breaking because most revenue systems were never built for the speed and complexity of today’s models. In this episode, Mark Walker, CEO of Nue.io, joins host Ken Lempit to unpack why modern SaaS and AI companies are abandoning legacy CPQ and billing stacks for a flexible, unified revenue infrastructure built for rapid change. Key highlights: Why legacy CPQ + billing can’t support mod...
Send a text Guest: Brent Adamson, Co-Author of The Framemaking Sale & Co-Founder of A to B Insight SaaS sales teams obsess over beating competitors—but the real battle isn’t across the table. It’s in the buyer’s mind. In this episode, Brent Adamson—co-author of The Challenger Sale and The Challenger Customer and Co-Founder of A to B Insight—joins host Ken Lempit to reveal why most SaaS deals are lost to no decision at all, and how his new book, The Framemaking Sale, helps buyers buil...
Send a text Guest: Melanie Nabar, Vice President at Volition Capital -- SaaS founders often see only two funding paths—venture or private equity—but there’s a smarter middle lane that keeps control where it belongs: with the founder. In this episode, Melanie Nabar, Vice President on the Software Team at Volition Capital, joins host Ken Lempit to unpack how growth equity works, when it’s the right fit, and the scale-up mistakes that stall promising SaaS companies. Key insights from...
Send a text Guest: Rob Belcher, Managing Director at SaaS Capital -- SaaS founders often think equity is the only path to growth—but giving up ownership isn’t the only option. In this episode, Rob Belcher, Managing Director at SaaS Capital, joins host Ken Lempit to break down how growth debt works, what investors really look for in valuations, and how B2B SaaS leaders can finance smart without losing control. Key insights from this episode: Why growth debt can fund SaaS expansion ...
Send a text Guest: Braydan Young, Co-Founder and CEO at SlashExperts -- Buyers don’t want another “book a demo” button—they want proof from people like them. In this episode, Braydan Young, Co-Founder and CEO of SlashExperts (and previously co-founder of Sendoso), joins host Ken Lempit to share how buyer-led growth is reshaping SaaS sales and why the old way of running references at the end of the deal cycle is broken. Key insights from this episode: Why moving customer references...
Send a text Guest: Courtney Hiller, Founder of All Points Agency -- You wouldn’t hire one person to build your product, sell it, and run support. So why are B2B SaaS companies still expecting one marketer to manage a million-dollar media budget? In this episode, Courtney Hiller, founder of All Points Agency, joins host Ken Lempit to break down how to build a modern media engine that actually performs—and why yesterday’s paid strategy won’t cut it in 2025. Key insights from this episode:...
Send a text Guest: Hikari Senju, Founder & CEO at Omneky -- AI isn’t just generating ad copy—it’s reshaping the entire performance marketing playbook for B2B SaaS. In this episode, Hikari Senju, founder and CEO of Omneky, shares how the platform evolved from an enterprise solution to a self-serve powerhouse—and why smart creative strategy matters more than big budgets. Key insights from this episode: Why brute-force creative testing consistently outperforms guesswo...
Send a text Guest: Adir Ben-Yehuda, CEO at Autonomy AI -- The go-to-market playbook for AI SaaS is being rewritten in real-time, and those who cling to old models risk being left behind. In this episode, Adir Ben-Yehuda, founder and CEO of Autonomy AI, joins host Ken Lempit to share how his team went from zero to 70 customers in months by ditching outdated frameworks and building a brand buyers can trust. We unpack: ✅ Why “Crossing the Chasm” no longer applies in the age of ChatG...
Send a text Guest: Ray Meiring, Co-Founder & CEO at QorusDocs -- Scaling a SaaS business from consultancy roots to enterprise success requires more than just great tech—it takes ruthless focus, smart go-to-market choices, and a deep understanding of your buyer. In this episode, Ray Meiring, co-founder and CEO of QorusDocs, joins host Ken Lempit to share the lessons learned on his journey from South Africa to the U.S. market and how QorusDocs carved out a winning niche in ...
Send a text Guest: Sammy Greenwall, Founder of Henry.ai -- What if your go-to-market motion could skip past theory and build from real-world pain? That’s exactly how Sammy Greenwall, founder of Henry.ai, approaches commercial real estate—and why his vertical AI startup is scaling without traditional sales or marketing. Sammy’s background as a CRE professional-turned-founder gave him not only insight, but language, trust, and distribution advantages. In this episode, he share...
Send a text Guests: Ken Rapp (Co-Founder & CEO) and Emily Lagasse (VP of Marketing) of Bluestream -- What if the key to SaaS growth isn’t more leads, but fewer customer drop-offs post-purchase? In this episode of SaaS Backwards, we sit down with Ken Rapp (Co-founder & CEO) and Emily Lagasse (VP of Marketing) of Blustream, the platform pioneering post-sale engagement, to explore how product ownership experiences are unlocking revenue, retention, and lifetime value. Accordin...
Send a text Guest: Casey Woo, CEO & Founder of Operators Guild & FOG Ventures -- What happens when startups are built not by armies of specialists, but by lean teams of senior generalists paired with AI agents? In this episode of SaaS Backwards, we sit down with Casey Woo—CEO and Founder of FOG Ventures and the Operators Guild—to explore how AI is transforming the fundamental structure of companies. According to Woo, the org chart of the future isn’t just flatter and...
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