DiscoverFounding JourneyLuke Sophinos: From Thiel Fellow to $27M Vertical SaaS Startup
Luke Sophinos: From Thiel Fellow to $27M Vertical SaaS Startup

Luke Sophinos: From Thiel Fellow to $27M Vertical SaaS Startup

Update: 2025-01-02
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This is how Luke got a $100,000 investment to drop out of college and turned it into a $27 million startup. He breaks down how to identify and build your own vertical SaaS business too.

📚 1,800 Pitch Decks (Free) → deck-database.carrd.co


Follow Luke’s journey:
🐦 X → x.com/lukesophinos
💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/lukesophinos
🚀 Startup → coursekey.com

📝 Newsletter → newsletter.lukesophinos.com
📔 Vertical SaaS Bible → verticalsaasbible.com


Follow us:
🔔 Subscribe → youtube.com/@foundingjourney?sub_confirmation=1
📝 Newsletter → join.foundingjourney.com
📈 Founder Membership → upgrade.foundingjourney.com
💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/michael-houck

In this conversation we discuss:

Founder Mode

(00:00 ) — Intro 
(01:18 ) — Luke's first business

(03:32 ) — Joining a VC firm in college

(06:33 ) — Becoming a Thiel Fellow

(11:26 ) — Dropping out of college & going all in

(15:33 ) — Why traditional education is broken

(18:04 ) — Why founders should target boring industries

(19:53 ) — Building trust

(21:04 ) — When to pivot


Vertical SaaS

(22:46 ) — Differences between vertical & horizontal SaaS

(23:53 ) — Why vertical SaaS has better opportunities going forward

(26:53 ) — What makes for a venture-scale vertical SaaS product

(32:38 ) — Why vertical SaaS is criticized for not being venture scale

(34:30 ) — AI's impact on vertical software

(37:37 ) — Why Luke is sharing the vertical SaaS playbook

(39:00 ) — The vertical SaaS bible

(39:53 ) — Where to start building vertical SaaS businesses

(41:53 ) — Raising venture funding & debt financing


Rapid Fire

(44:50 ) — Who is one investor you’d recommend?

(45:08 ) — One thing you'd change about startups?

(45:38 ) — Advice for first-time founders?

(46:00 ) — Something you believe that most disagree with?

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Luke Sophinos: From Thiel Fellow to $27M Vertical SaaS Startup

Luke Sophinos: From Thiel Fellow to $27M Vertical SaaS Startup

Michael Houck