How To Measure Sales Team Success, Test New Pricing, and Build Culture From Day 1

I got the chance recently to speak on the renowned SaaStr podcast. Host Harry Stebbings and I addressed my biggest learnings from my time at Box and with five cohorts of SaaS startups.

On the SaaStr Podcast Harry asked a number of interesting questions, like:

• How did Michael make his way into the world of SaaS and then start Forum Ventures in SF?
• How can founders know when is the right time to ship product? Does Michael agree with Reid Hoffman, ‘if you are not embarrassed by your V1, it is too late’? How should startups look to establish a pricing mechanism at such an early stage?
• What are Mike’s thoughts on freemium? Before Mike has said founders can charge more than they think. Why does he think this and how can founders know when they have reached their price ceiling?
• Do founders need to sell their own product? How should founders approach the sales learning process? What questions should they be asking?
• How important is it for a startup to have an ideal customer profile? Should founders be looking for influential customers early or just getting as many dollars in as possible? How impactful can big brands and companies be as customers to early stage companies?

You can listen to the podcast here
Can’t recommend Harry (and his site, The 20 Minute VC) enough! I had a fantastic time talking with him and look forward to working with SaaStr in the future.