SaaStr Workshop Wednesdays: From Operator to Founder: What I’m Learning as a 1st Time Founder after 20+ Years of Operating Speaker: Jeffrey Yoshimura, Former CMO at Synk

1. From Operator to Founder
Jeff Yoshimura
Co-Founder, Stealth Company
ex-Snyk, Elastic, Zuora, Salesforce

2. Jeff Yoshimura
● Currently, co-founder of a stealth company;
20+ years as an operator and builder
● CMO @ Snyk (2.5 years), helped grow Snyk from
a $2.2 to $7.4 billion valuation, formalized
developer security category
● Helped grow Elastic (5+ years) from $20M to
$500M+ revenues; IPO in 2018
● Founding team member at Zuora (5+ years),
creator of Subscription Economy
● Joined Salesforce (~5 years) in 2003 as one of
the first enterprise professional services
leaders, later incubated the AppExchange
Co-Founder, ‘Stealth’ Company
Former Snyk, Elastic, Zuora, Salesforce

3. Genesis
● January 3, 2024
● LinkedIn Post
● > 25K impressions
● > 500 reactions
● > 145 comments

4. 1. Capital
Operator Founder
● More is required
● Scale -> Hypergrowth
● Less is better
● Limit dilution -> Be scrappy

5. 2. Product
Operator Founder
● The How
● Launch playbook
● Scale your GTM
● Acquire customers
● Make customers successful
● The Why
● What problem do you solve?
● Who really cares?
● What do you do build?
● Find early betas

6. 3. Culture
Operator Founder
● You embrace it
● You live it
● You define it
● You own it

7. 4. Hiring
Operator Founder
● Next 10 …
● Need to have for function
● First 10 …
● Must have’s for the company

8. 5. Operating
Operator Founder
● Get Work
● Operating DNA
● Top Down
● Find Work
● Founder DNA
● Bottom Up

9. if you are thinking about becoming a Founder:
● Right Timing
● Right Pain
● Right Market
● Right Team
● Right Network

10. and don’t forget to have fun …

11. but whether you are an
operator or founder . . .

12. From Operator to Founder
Jeff Yoshimura
Co-Founder, Stealth Company
ex-Snyk, Elastic, Zuora, Salesforce