The SaaS CFO

In this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast, Ben Murray sits down with Yagiz Abik, CEO and co-founder of 5U AI. Yagiz shares his journey from building businesses in Turkey to immersing himself in Munich's startup scene, ultimately founding 5U AI—a company delivering digital employees to automate repetitive tasks for logistics companies.   The conversation explores the challenges of selling AI-driven solutions to a traditionally tech-resistant industry, how 5U AI is carving out its niche with mid-market logistics firms in Europe, and the strategies Yagiz used to raise $3.2 million in pre-seed funding within just two weeks. Yagiz dives into the evolving financial metrics for AI-native SaaS, lessons from rapid growth, and what it's like to build a team and product from scratch.   Whether you're a SaaS founder, investor, or curious about the impact of AI in legacy industries, this episode is packed with actionable insights and candid stories from the trenches.  Show Notes:  00:00 Pivoting to New Opportunities  04:45 AI adoption in logistics industry  10:02 Challenges of Raising Pre-Seed Capital  13:32 Charging per task done  15:50 Optimizing with open source models  19:48 Reaching out via LinkedIn  20:49 Wrapping up and looking ahead  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/5u-ai-raises-3-2m-pre-seed/  Yagiz Abik's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abik/  5U AI's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/5u-ai/  5U AI's Website: https://5u.ai/  To learn more about Ben check out the links below:  Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe  Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page  SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/  Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout  Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray 

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In this episode, Ben sits down with Dori Yona, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Simple Closure. Dori Yona shares lessons from building three companies, taking us on Simple Closure’s journey to becoming the go-to platform for automating and simplifying the process of shutting down businesses. With millions of US companies dissolving each year, Simple Closure is changing the landscape by offering tech-driven solutions that save founders time, money, and the hassle of compliance headaches. From monetizing overlooked assets to fundraising insights and AI-powered operations, this conversation is packed with valuable takeaways for SaaS founders, CFOs, and startup leaders navigating growth and closure alike.  Show Notes:  00:00 Business closures and market stability  05:44 Vision and launch of Asset Hub  09:30 Creating FOMO in Fundraising  11:22 Partner-driven revenue strategy  15:29 Understanding the recurring market  16:48 Tracking customer impact metrics  Links:  Dori Yona's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dori-yona-b8369877/  Simple Closure's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/simpleclosure/  Simple Closure's Website: https://simpleclosure.com/  To learn more about Ben check out the links below:  Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe  Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page  SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/  Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout  Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray   

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast. In this episode, Ben welcomes Ramsey Al-Ramahi, founder and CEO of RevReply, who shares his journey from scaling a lead gen agency to creating an AI-powered SaaS platform for sales conversion.  Ben and Ramsey Al-Ramahi discuss the transition from services to software, the unique challenges of building a platform, and how RevReply found traction with B2B sales teams. They also cover the experience of fundraising, joining the Berkeley Skydeck accelerator, and raising a $1 million seed round.  Ramsey Al-Ramahi opens up about the metrics that guide his business and the ongoing challenges—and opportunities—of leveraging AI in sales. Tune in for actionable insights and an inside look at building a SaaS company in today’s fast-changing landscape.  Show Notes:  00:00 Refining sales techniques with experience  05:06 Evaluating Meeting Productivity Issues  07:11 Target customers: high-volume or complex workflows  12:30 Scaling up and resource allocation  14:27 Managing overwhelming inbound demand  19:07 Focusing on customer retention  22:00 Weighing AI vs. human costs  23:31 Offering free pipeline advice  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/revreply-raises-1m-seed/  Ramsey Al-Ramahi's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramseyalramahi/  RevReply's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/revreply/  RevReply's Website: https://www.revreply.com/  To learn more about Ben check out the links below:  Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe  Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page  SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/  Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout  Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray 

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In this episode, Ben Murray sits down with Mahdi Abdulzarak and Kim Van Lavieren, the co-founders of Dawnguard—an innovative SaaS platform aiming to transform how large enterprises design, secure, and manage their cloud infrastructure.   Mahdi Abdulzarak, CEO, brings decades of cybersecurity leadership, while CTO Kim Van Lavieren draws on deep technical expertise from organizations like Amazon and the military. Together, they share the Dawnguard founding story, insights on fundraising as experienced founders, building with design partners, and how AI-driven solutions are changing the game in cloud security.   From go-to-market strategies to engineering harnesses and pricing AI-powered products, this conversation delivers a behind-the-scenes look at launching and scaling a SaaS startup in a rapidly evolving industry.  Show Notes:  00:00 Improving IT system design process  05:26 Starting a company from a deck  08:46 Advice for working with VCs  09:56 Finding the right co-founder  16:17 Determining sustainable pricing strategy  17:08 Shifting AI pricing models  22:05 Using AI tools effectively  23:43 CEO and CTO priorities 2026  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/dawnguard-raises-3-4m-pre-seed/  Mahdi Abdulzarak's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahdiabdulrazak/  Kim van Lavieren's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-v-0645931b4/?locale=en  Dawnguard's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dawnguard/  Dawnguard's Website: https://dawnguard.ai/  To learn more about Ben check out the links below:  Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe  Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page  SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/  Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout  Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray   

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast. In this episode, Ben sits down with TJ Clark, co-founder and CEO of Librari, an AI-powered contract management solution. Drawing on his journey from Iowa native and recovering lawyer to serial entrepreneur with a major exit under his belt, TJ Clark shares how the chaos of managing business contracts inspired him to build Librari.   He explains how their AI extracts actionable insights from scattered contracts across various platforms, making compliance and renewals a breeze—especially for CFOs and controllers. The conversation covers the company’s go-to-market approach, fundraising lessons, key SaaS metrics, and the future of AI-powered back office efficiencies.   If you're interested in how technology can streamline contract management—and want a peek inside the founder-led growth playbook—this episode is for you.  Show Notes:  00:00 Solving disorganized contract issues  05:48 Flexible pricing and wide client range  09:45 Securing initial funding  13:05 Providing procurement expertise  14:28 Integrating contract data with systems  18:46 Finding key contacts for networking  21:56 Discussing AI in modern business  23:56 Using AI agents safely  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/librari-raises-1-75m-pre-seed/  TJ Clark's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjclark/  Librari's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thelibrari/  Librari's Website: https://www.thelibrari.com/  To learn more about Ben check out the links below:  Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe  Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page  SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/  Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout  Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray