Get Funded, Stay Funded
26 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 4 years ago - ★★★★★ - 63 ratingsThis show is for entrepreneurs who want to learn the in's and out's of raising capital in today's marketplace. Learn from exclusive conversations with some of the top executives, leaders, and minds who have been successful and their real stories in front of investors. Hear from our team who has experience working with over 100+ VC's and 600+ B2B SaaS business on their road to raising over 9 billion in capital including the right metrics that matter. Welcome to Get Funded, Stay Funded with Derrick Thomas.
We hope that this podcast helps you on your own journey , whether now or in the future, to becoming the next Unicorn.
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Episodes
How to Raise Capital and Prepare for Investor Meetings from Home with Lisa Calhoun, Founder, Valor Ventures
May 12, 2020 13:00 - 26 minutes - 24.8 MBLisa Calhoun, successful founder turned Venture Capitalist (VC), shares her insight on the current VC landscape and how to best prepare for investor meetings to continue fueling your business with cash. What you’ll learn: What investors expect in the next few months How VC firms are supporting founders during crisis How to ensure VC firms align with your values and goals
How to Close Your Books and Work Through an Audit from Home with Ben Murray "The SaaS CFO" & CFO of Cartegraph
May 07, 2020 17:00 - 28 minutes - 26.4 MBOn this episode we sit down with Ben Murray, "The SaaS CFO" & CFO of Cartegraph as we kick off a 7 part series on How to Scale and Grow Your Financial Operations. Here is the link to view Ben's checklist on Closing Your Books. https://www.thesaascfo.com/saasoptics/
Top 5 FinTech Solutions You Have to Have in 2020 to Scale
February 25, 2020 18:00 - 8 minutes - 8.13 MBOn this episode we look at a few solutions a growing B2B SaaS company must have and how we here at SaaSOptics can manage all of our FinOps with 1 full-time team member for 90 employees and almost 700 customers. For questions or comments reach out to me here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derrickmthomas/
Clarus R+D on Key Tax Advantages to Get Up to $250K Back for Your Business
February 14, 2020 19:00 - 28 minutes - 26 MBOn this episode we speak with Jeff Haskett, President of Clarus R+D, on the Path Act, key tax advantages you can be getting to help you stay funded and extend your capital. Having raised multiple rounds of funding themselves, Jeff has helped hundreds of SaaS businesses get back money they deserve. For more information on Clarus R+D: https://clarusrd.com/saasoptics/
Clarus R+D on Key Tax Advantages to Get Up to $75K Back for Your Business
February 14, 2020 19:00 - 28 minutes - 26 MBOn this episode we speak with Jeff Haskett, President of Clarus R+D, on the Path Act, key tax advantages you can be getting to help you stay funded and extend you capital. Having raised multiple rounds of funding themselves, Jeff has helped hundreds of SaaS businesses get back money they deserve. For more information on Clarus R+D: https://clarusrd.com/saasoptics/
3 Strategies that Led to an Acquisition for Co-founder of Scribe Software of 7x ARR
February 06, 2020 14:00 - 31 minutes - 29.3 MBIn this episode, we speak with Peter Chase, co-founder and EVP of Scribe Software that was acquired by TIBCO for 7x SaaS arr, had 160% net retention and a 3% churn rate. Now the founder of AccelARRate, he is helping B2B SaaS companies achieve similar results. Peter breaks down what made them successful, lessons learned from the acquisition, and 3 strategies you should be implementing to fuel your growth. Visit AccelARRate: https://www.accelarrate.com/
Lessonly VP of Finance & Operations, Brian Montminy on the Things They Don't Tell You About in a Capital Raise
January 25, 2020 19:00 - 24 minutes - 22.3 MBOn this episode we talk to VP of Finance & Operations Brian Montminy about what Lessonly has been up to, the 3 rounds of funding they have raised, how Lessonly's executive team prepared for each round of funding, the things the rest of the company doesn't hear about, the nuances that you should be aware of, what 2020 holds for Lessonly and 2 takeaways.
Lessonly VP of Finance & Operations, Brian Montminy on the Why More Capital Isn't Always the Best for Your Business
January 25, 2020 19:00 - 24 minutes - 22.3 MBOn this episode we talk to VP of Finance & Operations Brian Montminy about what Lessonly has been up to, the 3 rounds of funding they have raised, how Lessonly's executive team prepared for each round of funding, the things the rest of the company doesn't hear about, the nuances that you should be aware of, what 2020 holds for Lessonly and 2 takeaways.
Metrics That Matter: ARR/MRR. What's the difference and who cares?
December 30, 2019 21:00 - 12 minutes - 11.8 MBOn this episode we cover: Differences between ARR/MRR. What goes into the calculation? How do you set it up? When do you use one vs the other? What are pain points of each? What your investor is looking for?
How first time Founder and CEO, Peter Ord raised $2M capital for Beynd
December 13, 2019 21:00 - 18 minutes - 17.3 MBOn this episode we chat with Peter Ord, forder VP of Sales at Dealer Socket and Founder & CEO of Beynd. 1. Being a first time founder, how Ord learned to navigate the waters of raising capital? Where to look who to turn to? Did he have mentors that helped him along the way? 2. How many investors did he need to speak with before choosing the right one? 3. What signs in their business told Beynd was ready for a seed round? 4. What is in store next for Beynd? 5. Anything Peter would do differ...
Founder of CompuServe & CEO of FMX Jeff Wilkins shares the good, bad and ugly of an IPO
December 05, 2019 23:00 - 21 minutes - 20.2 MBWhat We Cover on This Episode: How CompuServe paved the way for software and B2B SaaS 30 years later. What it was like for Wilkins to take 2 companies public? What would he do differently if you had to go back and do it again? Why he decided to become the CEO of FMX? Why FMX decided to go with SaaS Capital for a line of credit vs an equity round? Next steps for FMX.
The One Thing You're Probably Doing That Could Hurt Your Business In the Long Run
November 22, 2019 22:00 - 10 minutes - 9.25 MBOn this episode we cover: Why using recognized revenue isnt enough? What other metrics you should be looking at? Why waiting to make the change could be a costly mistake in your valuation? What story are you seeing in your business? How to make the change now before its too late?
The One Thing You're Probably Doing That Could Hurt Your Valuation In the Long Run
November 22, 2019 22:00 - 10 minutes - 9.25 MBOn this episode we cover: Why using recognized revenue isnt enough? What other metrics you should be looking at? Why waiting to make the change could be a costly mistake in your valuation? What story are you seeing in your business? How to make the change now before its too late?
3 Things to Consider That Led to a 12M Series B with CEO Tim McCormick
November 18, 2019 17:00 - 19 minutes - 18.2 MBOn this episode, we sit down with Tim McCormick, CEO of SaaSOptics. Tim has 30+ years in the software business - leading sales and marketing teams. He has been apart of 2 successful exits - 1 with Internet Security Systems (ISS) in 2006 sold to IBM for $1.3B (lead global marketing) and the other was JouleX in 2013, sold to Cisco for $107M (lead sales & marketing). He joined SaaSOptics as 8th employee in 2016 as CEO, led our Seed, Series A, and Series B rounds. What we cover: The three thing...
3 Things to Consider That Led to a $12M Series B with CEO Tim McCormick
November 18, 2019 17:00 - 19 minutes - 18.2 MBOn this episode, we sit down with Tim McCormick, CEO of SaaSOptics. Tim has 30+ years in the software business - leading sales and marketing teams. He has been apart of 2 successful exits - 1 with Internet Security Systems (ISS) in 2006 sold to IBM for $1.3B (lead global marketing) and the other was JouleX in 2013, sold to Cisco for $107M (lead sales & marketing). He joined SaaSOptics as 8th employee in 2016 as CEO, led our Seed, Series A, and Series B rounds. What we cover: The three thing...
Metrics That Matter: CAC/CLV Ratio
November 11, 2019 18:00 - 9 minutes - 8.57 MBWhat we cover in this episode: What is CAC and CLV? What divisions of the business care about it? What makes up the calculation? Why are they important for the entirety of a SaaS business to look at? What is an optimal ratio you should be achieving? What ratio will scare investors away?
When A Seed Round Makes Sense for Your Business with CEO & Co-founder of Chilipiper, Nicolas Vanderberghe
November 06, 2019 20:00 - 25 minutes - 23 MBNicolas Vanderberghe is Co-founder and CEO of Chilipiper, who closed a $3M seed round earlier this year, a graduate and guest lecturer for Stanford University, Founder of 3 other companies that become acquired prior to Chilipiper, and also the current co-founder and CEO of Gipysbot. On this episode we cover: How and why Chilipiper is working 100% remote, the culture they are building, and a new competition they are hosting. We also discuss the signs he looks for in knowing when to raise a s...
Churn Profiles: Segmenting Your Customer Base the Right Way with CCO and Co-Founder of SaaSOptics, Clayton Whitefield
November 06, 2019 20:00 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MBClayton Whitefield is the Chief Customer Officer and Co-Founder of SaaSOptics. Having served more than 800 customers over 10 years in business, SaaSOptics is an affordable, cloud based Subscription Management software for B2B SaaS businesses. Prior to SaaSOptics, Clayton was the VP of Product Development at MarketingCentral and has an MBA from Emory University. What we will cover: How Clayton decided to segment the SaaSOptics customer base by different profiles? Why you should care about ch...
Capital Raising Timeline...How to know you are ready for each round of funding with Clayton Whitfield
November 06, 2019 20:00 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MBWhat we cover in this episode: How to understand the lifecycle of a startup and the benchmarks to be aware of when raising each round of funding? What should your ARR be when you start seeking out a seed round vs. series A? The difference between $0-$500K vs a business that is $10M+ in ARR and when your mindset should be to go get funding vs. making sure you stay funded. Clayton Whitfield is the Chief Customer Officer and Co-Founder of SaaSOptics. Having served more than 800 customers over ...
Getting Into the Mind of an Investor & Red Flags They Look for In Your Pitch with Chad Hooker, VP of Fulcrum Equity Partners
November 06, 2019 20:00 - 15 minutes - 14.3 MBChad Hooker is the VP of Fulcrum Equity Partners. Prior to FEP, Chad was a VP of strategy and development and has spent time as an investment banking analyst. What we cover in this episode: The current landscape of capital raising. Chad's thoughts on where the market is headed. What he looks for in an entrepreneurs pitch, key things to think through before your make your pitch, red flags that will scare investors, how many companies pitch Fulcrum annually compared to how many they invest in...
Capital Raising Timeline...How to know you are ready for each round of funding with Clayton Whitefield
November 06, 2019 20:00 - 19 minutes - 17.5 MBWhat we cover in this episode: How to understand the lifecycle of a startup and the benchmarks to be aware of when raising each round of funding? What should your ARR be when you start seeking out a seed round vs. series A? The difference between $0-$500K vs a business that is $10M+ in ARR and when your mindset should be to go get funding vs. making sure you stay funded. Clayton Whitefield is the Chief Customer Officer and Co-Founder of SaaSOptics. Having served more than 800 customers over...
Metrics That Matter: Renewal Rates
November 06, 2019 20:00 - 7 minutes - 7.18 MBThomas Bass, SaaSOptics head of Customer Success Managers, joins us to talk about the metrics that matter for your SaaS business. As he has launched CSM programs at other startups and currently launching the CSM program at SaaSOptics, he dialogues with hundreds of customers annually helping them understand these important metrics. What we will cover in this episode: What if you dont have a CSM program? What counts as a renewal? Non standard renewals. What if a client cancels and comes back?...
Churn Profiles: Segmenting Your Customer Base the Right Way with CCO and Co-Founder of SaaSOptics, Clayton Whitfield
November 06, 2019 20:00 - 17 minutes - 15.6 MBClayton Whitfield is the Chief Customer Officer and Co-Founder of SaaSOptics. Having served more than 800 customers over 10 years in business, SaaSOptics is an affordable, cloud based Subscription Management software for B2B SaaS businesses. Prior to SaaSOptics, Clayton was the VP of Product Development at MarketingCentral and has an MBA from Emory University. What we will cover: How Clayton decided to segment the SaaSOptics customer base by different profiles? Why you should care about chu...
When A Seed Round Makes Sense for Your Business with CEO & Co-founder of Chili Piper, Nicolas Vandenberghe
November 06, 2019 20:00 - 23 minutes - 21.8 MBNicolas Vandenberghe began his career selling newspapers in the streets of Paris in high school, studied Maths at Ecole Polytechnique and then received his MBA from Stanford GSB. He started and sold 3 tech companies with up to 65 employees and $11M in revenues, and also ran sales for a $2B telecom firm negotiating billion-dollar deals with companies like Google. Most recently in 2016, he co-founded his 4 th startup and presently is the CEO of the SaaS firm Chili Piper – a pioneer in Buyer Ena...
When A Seed Round Makes Sense for Your Business with CEO & Co-founder of Chilipiper, Nicolas Vandenberghe
November 06, 2019 20:00 - 23 minutes - 21.8 MBNicolas Vandenberghe began his career selling newspapers in the streets of Paris in high school, studied Maths at Ecole Polytechnique and then received his MBA from Stanford GSB. He started and sold 3 tech companies with up to 65 employees and $11M in revenues, and also ran sales for a $2B telecom firm negotiating billion-dollar deals with companies like Google. Most recently in 2016, he co-founded his 4 th startup and presently is the CEO of the SaaS firm Chili Piper – a pioneer in Buyer Ena...
Welcome to Get Funded, Stay Funded
October 28, 2019 18:00 - 1 minute - 1.54 MBWe are finally launching something we have been wanting to do for a long time. With a mix of conversations, inside content and SaaS metrics. We are going to dive deep on topics such as how to think like an investor, churn profiles, MRR vs. ARR, how to know you're ready to raise a seed round, CAC/CLV ratio, what it takes to raise a series B and much more. Plus we will be answering any questions you have with some bonus content along the way. We hope you enjoy on your journey to get funded an...