Lessons on how to build a profitable, bootstrapped SaaS startup, by Glenn Rogers, the CEO and co-founder of Float. Presented as part of SaaS Startups on January 18, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. www.float.com www.meetup.com/SaaS-Startups

1. SAAS FINANCES
HOW NOT TO GO BROKE
GLENN ROGERS, CEO @ FLOAT.COM

3. FOUNDED
TEAM MEMBERS
REVENUE
ARPA
2012
12
$1.5M+
$90 MRR

5. HOCKEY STICK
$
Time

6. HOCKEY STICK
$
Time

7. THE PROCESS
TechCrunch of
initiation
Wearing off of
Novelty
Trough of
Sorrow
Crash of ineptitude
Wiggles of
false hope
The Promised
Land
Acquisition of
liquidity
Upside of
buyer

8. THE PROCESS
TechCrunch of
initiation
Wearing off of
Novelty
Trough of
Sorrow
Crash of ineptitude
Wiggles of
false hope
The Promised
Land
Acquisition of
liquidity
Upside of
buyer

9. LONG RAMP OF REALITY
2013 TODAY
$0
$1.5M ARR

10. baremetrics.com/open-startups

12. FOCUS ON ACTIONABLE DATA
BE CAPITAL EFFICIENT
BE PATIENT
1.
2.
3.

13. FOCUS ON ACTIONABLE DATA1.

15. 2013 TODAY
$0
$1.5M ARR
METRICS THAT MATTER HERE
DON’T MATTER HERE

16. EARLY STAGE: CASH + MRR GROWTH

17. CHARTMOGUL
RECURLY
BRAINTREE
HUBSPOTINTERCOM
LINKS
intercom.com
chartmogul.com
recurly.com
hubspot.com
braintreepayments.com

18. CUSTOMER FEEDBACK
PRODUCT ITERATION
RELIABILITY
IGNORE CAC, LTV, CHURN
NO MARKETING
AVOID PRICE CHANGES
MRR GROWTH=

21. FREE CASH
TEAM SALARY
HOSTING & SUBSCRIPTIONS
RENT
YOUR SALARY

22. BE CAPITAL EFFICIENT2.

24. GARTNER
COMPANY
VERIZON
COMPANY
$120M IN
FUNDING

25. $10
CLICK
10%
TRIAL
10%
PAID
$1,000
INVESTMENT
$50
MRR
12
MONTHS
$600
RETURN
=
X X =
X
1 CUSTOMER

26. QUALITY > QUANTITY

27. Top of funnel

29. SEM
RANKED #1
SEO

31. BE PATIENT3.

32. “Hawking a SaaS version of a client/server software has been played
out, and many buyers will be approached by a collection of
competitors with seemingly indistinguishable offerings.”
- Tomasz Tunguz

35. 0
32500
65000
97500
130000
MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN

37. 0
25
50
75
100
DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
ARPA

39. FOCUS ON ACTIONABLE DATA
BE CAPITAL EFFICIENT
BE PATIENT
1.
2.
3.

41. THANKS
@GLENNFLOAT
GLENN@FLOAT.COM