A Look Inside One of the World's Fastest Growing SaaS Companies
Leveling Up with Eric SiuLeveling Up with Eric Siu
A Look Inside One of the World's Fastest Growing SaaS CompaniesA Look Inside One of the World's Fastest Growing SaaS Companies
more
Currently Playing
Hey everyone! Today, I share the mic with Ismael Wrixen, group CEO of FE International, the market leader in the sale of SaaS, e-commerce, and content businesses. Ismael is a returning onto the show to fill us in on recent developments at FE.
Tune in to hear Ismael talk figure jumps in revenue and deals, why the firm prefers using a cash on success pricing strategy over retainers and the quantity ratios and strategy differences between FE’s handing of deals in E-commerce, SaaS, and content spaces respectively.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
[01:06] Updates at FE: SaaS magazine, and figure jumps in revenue and deals.
[02:53] The service FE offers: to complete business acquisitions in the SaaS space.
[05:23] Why FE doesn’t use retainers but rather charges clients upon deal success.
[06:43] Ratios between, and values of, E-commerce, SaaS, and content deals at FE.
[08:09] Multiples in the SaaS space for FE: 6 x STE forward-looking at the bottom end.
[10:40] Which SaaS deals do better for FE: B2B and B2SMB.
[12:50] Details about deal structure and revenue on E-commerce deals FE handles.
[14:38] How FE uses the LTV SaaS fund to get outsider investors into the SaaS space.
[16:43] Investor cheque size and reasons to do with M&A that LTV SaaS is a unique fund.
[18:21] IRR returns fund investors can expect: ones in the 150-300% range.
[19:55] Thought leadership strategies at FE: SaaS Magazine, conferences, and more.
[22:51] Why Ismael loves The Goal and also recommends Traction.
[23:57] Moving from EoS into a framework that is more stable in the long term.
[24:27] Books to read regarding scalability: Traction, Scaling Up, The 3HAG WAY.
[25:05] A recent beneficial software decision at FE: integrating into Microsoft Office.
[26:44] Admiration for Elon Musk’s vision to achieve unreasonable/unbelievable things.
Why It's Important to Incorporate Love in Everything You Do
Leveling Up with Eric SiuLeveling Up with Eric Siu
Why It's Important to Incorporate Love in Everything You DoWhy It's Important to Incorporate Love in Everything You Do
more
Currently Playing
Hey everyone! Today, I share the mic with Kamal Ravikant, a VC, author, mountain climber, and has served in the army!We are lucky enough to have him on the show to share some of his wisdom about the startup game and beyond.
Tune in to hear Kamal’s fascinating life story, why he decided early on in his career that he preferred starting companies rather than joining someone else’s vision and how his desire for a better kind of investor led him to the role of VC.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
[01:05] Kamal’s back story and history in the start up game over the last three decades!
[02:02] The inspiration behind Kamal’s latest book, Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It.
[05:29] The hopelessness of endeavors if you do not love yourself first.
[06:25] Creating a strong foundation through proper mindset and self-care.
[08:09] The most important feedback that Kamal has received about the book.
[09:40] The events that led up to the difficult period in Kamal’s life that informed the book.
[11:02] Kamal’s vision for a better kind of investor; one that works from experience.
[14:35] The path to small-fund investing and Kamal’s tips for those starting out.
[17:45] Getting going with deal flow and finding the right deals to move on.
[18:58] Kamal’s recent near-death experience and his reflections on mortality.
How to Plan Strategic Growth For Your CompanyHow to Plan Strategic Growth For Your Company
more
Currently Playing
Hey everyone!Today, I share the mic with Jay Baer, someone who has been in digital marketing since it was invented.Having been there since the start, his insights and expertise that come with 26 years of experience are unrivaled. He has not only started five multi-million-dollar companies from scratch, but is also the host of four podcasts and the author of several best-selling books.
Tune in to hear his company’s strategic approach to company growth, why being scared is a sign you are doing things right and the importance of clear goals.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
[01:25] Jay Baer’s background story and how he came to be a digital marketing pioneer.
[04:03] Insights into the different facets of Convince and Convert and how they make money.
[06:14] Learn why Jay purposefully halted Convince and Convert’s growth a few years ago.
[09:07] Sharing bite-sized pieces of information will not sabotage your business.
[09:50] Top tips that Jay has learned having started five companies.
[13:10] Discover why Jay no longer invests in the Seed round and waits for Series A.
[15:30] Jay’s motivation for switching from inbound to account-based marketing.
[17:20] The size and responsibilities of Jay’s sales team.
[19:47] Jay explains why he is writing a new book and what it’s all about.
[21:01] Find out how Jay tests to see whether or not his book content will work.
[21:54] Jay’s advice on how to become a renowned, well-paid speaker.
[24:01] More on Jay’s must-read book and a tool that has added value to his life.
What Co-Founder of MarketMuse Has Learned From Working in the Content World for 20+ Years
What Co-Founder of MarketMuse Has Learned From Working in the Content World for 20+ YearsWhat Co-Founder of MarketMuse Has Learned From Working in the Content World for 20+ Years
more
Currently Playing
Hey everyone! Today, I share the mic with Jeff Coyle, co-founder and Chief Product Officer at MarketMuse, the industry-leading technology and methodology for content planning and evaluation via semantic relevance.
Tune in to hear what Jeff has learned from working in the content world for 20+ years, how MarketMuse set up their determined their price points plus what two books recommends reading.Tune in for for an interesting and exciting conversation!
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
[01:04] The background of MarketMuse and how it focuses on content strategy.
[04:22] Jeff shares some case studies of companies before and after using MarketMuse.
[07:25] MarketMuse dashboard rolling out in the future for customers- answering the WHY.
[09:45] The MarketMuse business model and how price points are determined.
[11:20] MarketMuse Pro as an entree to self-service.
[13:58] Being able to justify your investment and match your value before getting started.
[14:40] Insights into how much investment you will need to win for any concept.
[16:25] Changing the game with MarketMuse Pro and increasing numbers.
[17:48] Channels which has led to growth within the business.
[20:18] Jeff shares with us his two must-read books and favorite tools.
[21:28] Marc Benioff as one of the influential people Jeff follows.
How Supermetrics Transformed From a One Man Show to a Multi-Million Dollar Company
How Supermetrics Transformed From a One Man Show to a Multi-Million Dollar CompanyHow Supermetrics Transformed From a One Man Show to a Multi-Million Dollar Company
more
Currently Playing
Hey everyone! Today, I share the mic with Mikael Thuneberg, CEO of Supermetrics, the number one reporting automation tool for PPC, SEO, social, and web analytics.
Tune in to hear about the rapid growth of the company, how the business has stayed relevant and innovative in such a competitive market plus how Mikael found the right product market fit.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
[01:01] The basic concept behind Supermetrics and how it gathers marketing data.
[02:20] How integration differentiates Supermetrics from other marketing data tools and Supermetrics competitors.
[03:11] The price points of the Google Sheet version versus the data sheet version.
[04:05] Rapid growth and a few updated numbers since the start of the business in 2010.
[04:49] How having a strong focus on making a great product has led to growth of the company.
[06:06] Mikael talks about product market fit, how long it took and what it took to get there.
[07:02] How the business got started once Mikael found the right product market fit.
[08:48] Staying ahead of the curve and innovative in a competitive market.
[10:27] Having a hardcore product and engineering focus as a company.
[11:32] Mikael shares two of his favorite products on the market in addition to Supermetrics.
[12:38] The top tool and business book according to Mikael.
How to Mix Creativity With Critical ThoughtHow to Mix Creativity With Critical Thought
more
Currently Playing
We are very excited to have Chase Jarvis joining us today, the founder and CEO of CreativeLive. The company’s goal is to take a fresh approach to education and help leaders, visionaries, and professionals to access the wealth of information and skills required to flourish in an ever-changing environment.
Tune in to hear how their aiming to translate complex philosophical ideas into soft skills that are accessible for people’s personal and professional lives, to learn the tons of misconceptions around creativity and why it should not be viewed as oppositional to rationality and critical thought plus to hear more about his first “word book” Creative Calling.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
[01:12] Chase’s passion for helping others discover the things they’re supposed to be doing.
[02:34] Using his philosophy experience daily and how schooling invariably impacts your work.
[03:32] The synergy that happens when we combine creativity with critical thought.
[04:11] Emotional intelligence, public speaking, and other soft skills built into CreativeLive.
[04:45] Their aim of helping people understand philosophical ideas in a modern context.
[05:48] CreativeLive as the focal point where more than 10 million students learn.
[06:34] Making money by selling individual classes and their monthly subscription service.
[08:35] Why they have been more successful than many other similar online platforms.
[10:01] The importance of knowing who you are in the formula for success and fulfillment.
[11:37] The problem of overemphasizing rational thought while undervaluing intuition.
[12:50] Consistently providing quality as the best tactic for growth.
[14:11] Community as a misunderstood concept and the four-part IDEA concepts in his book.
[16:44] Why he decided to make his first-ever “book of words” and what it teaches.
[19:05] The three fundamental principles upon which Creative Calling is built.
[22:49] The wealth of good information out there and its accessibly in various forms.
[23:30] Mindfulness and meditation apps and the power of such practices.
[26:01] Using social media as a means of distributing ideas and not to passively consume.
[27:01] The influential people Chase follows and the exciting new wave of entrepreneurs.
The Multi-Channel Strategy That Will Skyrocket This Year
The Multi-Channel Strategy That Will Skyrocket This YearThe Multi-Channel Strategy That Will Skyrocket This Year
more
Currently Playing
Hey everyone! Today, I share the mic with Michael Yan, Co-Founder and CEO of the popular messenger app ManyChat. This is his second time being a guest on Leveling Up! Check out the first episode with him here!
Tune in to hear why Mikael and his team has witnessed incredible growth over a few years, some practical examples of how ManyChat can be successfully incorporated in a funnel plus hear him share some of the growth tactics that they are currently implementing with great success.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
[00:22] ManyChat’s explosive growth, what their platform offers and the number of customers.
[00:58] When the company was founded and how messaging apps have infiltrated the market.
[01:55] The biggest opportunity in marketing in the last ten years.
[02:27] A few updated numbers, including 800,000 pages connected in over 170 countries.
[03:37] How the platform has changed and how they want to further develop ManyChat.
[05:44] Mikael’s journey as CEO, growing as a leader, and where he gets support from.
[08:21] How using templates is an effective means for companies to adopt chat faster.
[09:12] Examples of where ManyChat has been successfully incorporated in the funnel.
[11:05] How a multi-channel strategy is likely to become popular in 2020.
[12:46] A practical example of how an e-commerce company might use multi-channel.
[14:23] Thoughts on driving customers from SMS to messenger versus SMS to website directly.
[15:53] Current strategies for growth, including focusing more on influencers and relationships.
[16:40] The number of years it took them to get to product-market fit.
[18:08] The top tool and business book according to Mikael.
Hey everyone! Today, we are joined by Marvin Liao who is a partner at 500 Startups, a micro venture capital firm with a network of startup programs located in Silicon Valley.
Tune in to hear how Marvin worked at Yahoo and helped them scale, how his businesses stand out above their competitors plus listen in to hear him give you a list of his most successful investments to date – including being the first person to invest in ManyChat!
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
[01:19] A career overview: from Yahoo to doing angel investing and joining 500 Startups.
[02:09] Becoming the scaling guy and being a part of Yahoo’s exponential growth.
[02:42] Living through and recovering from a downturn and what it reveals about a business.
[04:23] The business model of 500 Startups and how they make money.
[05:58] The value of the funds they manage and the number of companies they’re invested in.
[06:39] VCs being about investing in outliers for outlier outcomes.
[07:02] What sets Marvin apart as an investor and why 500 Startups recruited him.
[08:50] Examples of scrappy yet effective tactics from a growth perspective.
[10:40] Being a different kind of investor and the benefit of not being an insider in Silicon Valley.
[11:25] A few of Marvin’s most successful investments, including Eaze, Shippo and ManyChat.
[12:28] Investment trends and why you should pay attention to low code and no-code tools.
[14:48] How Marvin gets his deals and the effort involved in filtering through the deal flow.
[16:07] What his typical day looks like, including a meditation and exercise routine.
[18:28] An estimation of what his returns of investing in over 400 companies have been.
[19:32] Marvin’s recommendations of the best business books.
[20:25] Advice for growing as an investor: gaining experience, finding mentors and reading.
[21:17] Developing your own thesis of the world and why reading sci-fi is helpful for a VC.
[23:09] Evernote: An old-school app that is still one of the best around.
[23:58] Why he follows Rahul Vohra from Superhuman and his side VC fund.
[25:09] How side hustles are on the rise and why it’s an interesting development.
How to Organically Gain 10K Followers Per Week on Instagram
How to Organically Gain 10K Followers Per Week on InstagramHow to Organically Gain 10K Followers Per Week on Instagram
more
Currently Playing
Hey, everyone! Today, I share the mic with Chris Do, Founder of The Futur and Blind! Chris is a graphic designer, business educator and online entrepreneur, who has so much to share about building an audience, creating engagement and reaching your goals!
Tune in to hear Chris talk about how he was able to organically grow his Instagram account exponentially, how setting overly ambitious goals can have unexpectedly great results and how he plans on helping a billion people achieve their business dreams without compromising their ideals or creative passions!
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
[00:28] Chris’ mission to help a billion to achieve their dreams.
[00:45] Chris’ background, training in graphic design and his companies, Blind and The Futur.
[02:13] Transitioning from a service business into a content business for passive income.
[03:45] Selling lots of little things and aiming for better profit margins.
[04:10] What Chris and The Futur do and their pricing model for courses and e-books.
[05:40] The ambitious goal that Chris took on for growing his Instagram following!
[08:41] Using the features of any given platform to your best advantage.
[10:12] Timeframes for posting, Chris’ Instagram schedule and philosophy around replying.
[11:40] Chris’ thoughts on pricing and undervaluing services to the marketplace.
[13:20] How to get started with content creation, education, and teaching while you learn.
[14:35] The channels beside Instagram the Chris and The Futur are using.
[16:03] Chris’ leadership style and how he motivates his team.
[16:28] The challenges of posting for a company instead of in a personal capacity.
[18:00] Some of the awards that Chris has received and the strange story of his Emmy.
[19:07] Big, scary goals and what the pursuit of these goals does to you as a person.
[21:50] Getting away from feeling slimy and gross while making money.
[23:36] Some statistics from Blind and their revenue going into the birth of The Futur.
[25:03] Group coaching, conferences, and The Futur Podcast.
[26:02] Chris’ favorite books about design, branding, and business!
[27:08] Why Chris currently loves keynote and what he uses it for.
[28:06] Chris’ love for video gear and handbags and how good marketing works for him.
[28:35] Content creation and how Chris is adjusting Gary Vaynerchuk’s model.
[33:28] The team for content at The Futur and how they split the labor.
[34:55] Chris’ schedule and how he structures his days currently.
[36:44] Advice from the present-day Chris’ to his younger self!
How to Turn Your Passion into a BusinessHow to Turn Your Passion into a Business
more
Currently Playing
Hey everyone! Today, I share the mic with Munjal Shah, Founder and CEO of Health IQ! What started as a simple quiz for interested parties has pivoted and turned into a fully-fledged health insurance aid, rewarding those willing to go the extra mile to take care of themselves.
Tune in to hear Munjal share his own incredible health journey and how that led him to the starting the company, why he likes to focus on customer money over investor money plus how his company found their product-market fit.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
[00:40] Some background to Munjal, his health and his history as an entrepreneur.
[03:41] The business model at Health IQ and how they make money.
[05:04] Fundraising and why Munjal values customers’ money more than investors’.
[05:56] A few of the important numbers from Health IQ and their growth rate.
[08:12] Finding product market fit and the curve to where the company is now.
[09:47] Pivoting and Munjal’s experiences redirecting companies.
[11:44] Munjal’s diverse CV and what he recommends for this kind of success.
[14:02] Why Munjal emphasizes the role of product- market fit for growth.
[15:15] The necessary paradigm shift towards a more health-centric philosophy.
[17:32] Measures that Munjal has taken to improve his health and the centrality of diet.
[21:52] Munjal’s backyard agricultural practices!
[24:21] A business book recommendation from Munjal.
