SaaS District

Stuart Faught is the Founder and CEO of MiniHorse, where he helps first-time founders transition from corporate life to software business ownership through Ready-to-Scale™ SaaS business opportunities. A strong believer in the potential of vertical SaaS, Stuart focuses on helping entrepreneurs acquire and grow software businesses as long-term assets.Stuart has built and sold more than 20 SaaS businesses, gaining extensive firsthand experience across the full journey of building, operating, and exiting software companies. He is also the Co-Founder of Covington, a Revenue Intelligence platform for oral surgery groups. Based just north of Los Angeles, Stuart lives with his wife and four children and continues to connect with entrepreneurs interested in acquiring and growing SaaS businesses.In this episode we cover:00:00 - Intro01:29 - What Makes a Small SaaS Attractive to Buyers07:32 - Why Small SaaS Is a Great Path for First Time Founders09:57 - Why Vertical SaaS Wins13:45 - Growing SaaS From $0 to $500K ARR19:56 - Why Stuart Built MiniHorse24:00 - Profile of a Successful Franchise Founder26:24 - Stuart's Favorite Activity To Get Into a Flow State27:38 - Stuart's Piece Of Advice For His Younger Self29:02 - Stuart's Biggest Challenges at MiniHorse29:44 - Instrumental Resources For Stuart's Success31:26 - What Does Success Mean for Stuart Today33:12 - Get In Touch With StuartGet In Touch With Stuart:Stuart's LinkedInMiniHorse WebsiteMentions:John RichardsAndrew GazdeckiBooks:Goals! How to Get Everything You Want by Brian TracyTag Us & Follow:FacebookLinkedInInstagramMore About Akeel:TwitterLinkedInMore SaaS Podcast EpisodesSaaS ConsultantsHow To Value Your SaaS Company

Keith Gillispie is the founder of REI Automated, a platform that helps real estate investors build businesses powered by systems instead of constant chaos.He has helped hundreds of investors close more deals, generate millions in equity, and create true operational freedom through automation, using a practical, no-nonsense approach grounded in real-world experience.In this episode we cover:00:00 - Intro06:37 - Keith's Early Investing Lessons15:58 - Why Most New Investors Fail21:57 - When Chaos Starts Killing Momentum24:54 - How to Find the First Deal29:00 - The Mindset Traps Holding Investors Back38:14 - Keith's Favorite Activity To Get Into a Flow State40:32 - Keith's Piece Of Advice For His Younger Self42:42 - Keith's Biggest Challenges at REI Automated45:19 - Instrumental Resources For Keith's Success47:50 - What Does Success Mean for Keith Today49:50 - Get In Touch With KeithGet In Touch With KeithREI Automated WebsiteKeith Gillespie on FacebookBooks:Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert KiyosakiSeven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen CoveyTag Us & Follow:FacebookLinkedInInstagramMore About Akeel:TwitterLinkedInMore SaaS Podcast EpisodesSaaS ConsultantsHow To Value Your SaaS Company

Leo Poitevin is the founder of Astrak, a SEO agency that helps ambitious companies build sustainable organic growth through SEO strategy, content production, and link-building. Working with businesses in competitive industries such as eCommerce, high-intent services, and complex SEO niches, he focuses on creating long-term visibility that translates into measurable business results.Before launching Astrak, Leo led SEO initiatives for international companies and helped brands improve their search visibility and organic performance. Leo also shares practical insights on SEO and link-building through his YouTube channel, where he helps marketers and founders better understand what drives sustainable search growth.In this episode we cover:00:00 - Intro02:01 - From SEO Expert to Agency Founder05:00 - The Rise of AI Visibility and GEO10:12 - Why AI Recommends Some Brands Over Others17:50 - Adapting SaaS Growth for the AI Era23:44 - Building Trust and Authority in an AI-First Internet33:52 - Growing Organically Without Paid Ads37:07 - Leo's Favorite Activity To Get Into a Flow State37:30 - Leo's Piece Of Advice For His Younger Self38:09 - Leo's Biggest Challenges at Astrak39:08 - Instrumental Resources For Leo's Success39:57 - What Does Success Mean for Leo Today40:55 - Get In Touch With LeoGet In Touch With Leo:Leo LinkedInAstrak WebsiteMentions:Alex HormoziMy First Million PodcastBooks:How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale CarnegieTag Us & Follow:FacebookLinkedInInstagramMore About Akeel:TwitterLinkedInMore SaaS Podcast EpisodesSaaS ConsultantsHow To Value Your SaaS Company

Krzysztof Szymko is the founder of Enterploy, a recruitment and talent partner that helps SaaS companies across the United States and Europe build and scale teams in Poland. Leveraging more than a decade of recruitment experience in the SaaS sector, Enterploy connects growing businesses with top talent across Tech, Engineering, Marketing, and Operations, helping companies access the expertise they need to scale efficiently.With a background in technical recruiting and over 12 years of experience in SaaS, Krzysztof has built Development, Sales, Marketing, and Operations teams from the ground up, along with the HR and recruitment processes required to support rapid growth. He works closely with founders and C-level executives to develop people and hiring strategies that align directly with business goals, ensuring every hiring decision contributes to long-term company success.In this episode we cover:00:00 - Intro01:42 - Building a Startup From the Ground Floor09:17 - The First Hires That Shaped Ziflow16:48 - Building at Startup Speed Without Breaking the Team23:03 - The Hiring Mistakes That Come With Hypergrowth27:21 - What Founders Get Wrong About Hiring in Poland32:24 - The Hiring Advice Krzysztof Wishes He Had Earlier35:07 - Krzysztof's Favorite Activity To Get Into a Flow State35:32 - Krzysztof's Piece Of Advice For His Younger Self37:13 - Krzysztof's Biggest Challenges at Enterploy38:09 - Instrumental Resources For Krzysztof's Success39:31 - What Does Success Mean for Krzysztof Today40:36 - Get In Touch With KrzysztofGet In Touch With Krzysztof:Krzysztof's EmailKrzysztof's LinkedInEnterploy WebsiteMentions:Agnieszka SzydłowskaMat AtkinsonAnthony WelgemoedAlex HormoziBooks:The 80/20 Principle by Richard KochTag Us & Follow:FacebookLinkedInInstagramMore About Akeel:TwitterLinkedInMore SaaS Podcast EpisodesSaaS ConsultantsHow To Value Your SaaS Company

Julio Martínez is the Co-Founder and CEO of Abacum, an AI-native FP&A platform built to help finance teams drive efficient growth and deliver real business impact. With Abacum, he focuses on turning finance into a strategic function by giving teams real-time visibility into their KPIs, automating reporting, and enabling better forecasting, planning, and decision-making across the organization.Before founding Abacum, Julio spent over two decades across finance and technology, beginning his career in investment banking in New York, São Paulo, Zurich, and London. He later transitioned into tech, where he launched multiple fintech products and deepened his focus on building solutions for modern finance teams. Originally from Spain and now based in New York, Julio brings a global perspective and a practical, operator-driven mindset to helping companies scale with greater clarity and control.In this episode we cover:00:00 - Intro01:52 - From Investment Banking to SaaS Finance05:36 - Why Abacum Was Built10:07 - Turning Finance Into a Growth Driver13:38 - AI Trends in the Office of the CFO18:16 - How AI Is Changing Forecasting and Planning23:20 - The Biggest Financial Planning Mistakes in SaaS27:32 - Building a Strategic Finance Function32:57 - Julio's Favorite Activity To Get Into a Flow State33:29 - Julio's Piece Of Advice For His Younger Self35:20 - Julio's Biggest Challenges at Abacum36:22 - Instrumental Resources For Julio's Success40:04 - What Does Success Mean for Julio Today41:42 - Get In Touch With JulioGet In Touch With Julio:Julio's LinkedInAbacum WebsiteBooks:Meditations by Marcus AureliusAmp It Up by Frank SlootmanThe Score Takes Care of Itself by Bill WalshTag Us & Follow:FacebookLinkedInInstagramMore About Akeel:TwitterLinkedInMore SaaS Podcast EpisodesSaaS ConsultantsHow To Value Your SaaS Company