The Remarkable SaaS Podcast

A story about saying no until you're the only option.This episode is for founders who believe a horizontal product means a horizontal go-to-market.A product for everyone still needs a market of one.Dima Gutzeit, founder and CEO of LeapXpert, watched bankers in Hong Kong do their real work on WhatsApp in 2017, then spent two years building before selling anything. He wrote a large part of that first product himself.He built something that fits any industry. Then he turned down almost every industry that asked. Today he sets the terms, not only the price.And this inspired me to invite Dima to my podcast. We explore why he said no to marketing applications, CPaaS, and the contact centre business, and how that gave him the upper hand in the one category he kept in focus. You'll discover what he can ask of a customer today that he couldn't ask for in the early years.We also zoom in on two of the 10 traits that define remarkable software companies:Acknowledge you cannot please everyoneAim to be different, not just betterBoth are chapters in The Remarkable Effect.Remarkable companies decide who they are not for before the market decides for them.Here's one of Dima's quotes that captures how he thinks about what focus buys you:"In today's market, the only way to win is not the product. Anybody can create a product; it's velocity"By listening to this episode, you'll learn:Why a horizontal product and a horizontal go-to-market are separate decisionsWhat saying no protects when the market starts pulling you sidewaysWhen the bigger customer gives you more room instead of lessHow years of focus turn into the speed you need laterFor more information about the guest from this week:Guest: Dima Gutzeit, founder and CEO, LeapXpertWebsite: leapxpert.com

A story about what he kept, and what he cut. For SaaS founders whose growth has stalled and who can't tell whether the problem is the company or the plan.Most new CEOs tear down what they inherit.Martin Payne, CEO of TextUs, took a different path. He replaced the founder CEO in April 2020. Growth had flatlined, cash was burning, and he laid off a third of the company in his first year.The business is now at $20M. He'll tell you most of what got it there was already in the building.And this inspired me to invite Martin to my podcast. We explore why a stalled company has more going for it than anyone inside can see. Martin shares what he found in his first months, the hardest call he had to make, and a culture his employees wrote. You'll discover the one thing he did twice, six years apart, for the same reason.We also zoom in on two of the 10 traits that define remarkable software companies:Master the art of curiosity Offer something valuable AND desirableMartin's story proves that remarkable companies read the signs others stopped noticing.Here's one of Martin's quotes that captures how he sized up what he inherited:"I came into the company thinking this is not a turnaround situation. This is a fine-tune, refine situation. And so I just went in with the mindset of there's goodness here. Now let me understand more specifically where the goodness is. Let me understand where specifically things need to be removed or changed."By listening to this episode, you'll learn:Why a stalled company rarely needs the rebuild everyone assumesWhat intellectual honesty looks like when you inherit someone else's companyWhen retention tells you more about growth than new revenue doesHow to make culture stickFor more information about the guest from this week: Guest: Martin Payne, CEO of TextUs Website: textus.com Nice surprise this week: Feedspot ranked The Remarkable SaaS Podcast 17th in their Top 70 Tech Startup Podcasts. Thanks for listening — that's the only reason it's there.

A story about building market leadership by saying no to obvious growth—on purpose. This episode is for SaaS founders chasing international expansion—and questioning if dominating locally first makes more sense.Most SaaS companies chase international markets early. Get traction locally, then expand globally fast.Jim Whatmore, CEO of Joblogic, walked away from that playbook. He spent three years attending HVAC shows in the US, picked up customers, then stopped. He saved his marketing budget for UK and Ireland only. He turned down international revenue to dominate his home market first.From 11 people and £500K revenue in 2013 to 500 people today. Ten-year grind to £9M, then quadrupled in two years through four strategic acquisitions. Vista Equity Partners betting £100M+ on the execution.And this inspired me to invite Jim to my podcast. We explore how geographic restraint and strategic patience create market dominance. Jim shares his thinking about why he walked away from US customers, how staying trade-agnostic opened entire markets, and why he spent four years completely rebuilding his cloud platform while competitors kept betting on their old stack. And you'll discover why he bought competitors instead of trying to outbuild them.We also zoom in on three of the 10 traits that define remarkable software companies:Acknowledge you cannot please everyone – UK and Ireland only, walking away from US revenueFocus on the essence – Field engineer workflows are similar regardless of tradeMaster creating momentum – Quadrupled revenue in two years after a decade of patient buildingJim's story is proof that dominating your home market beats chasing global reach too early.Here's one of Jim's quotes that captures why geographic focus matters:"Our tagline for job logic is growing job logic, for us, it's personal, and it's personal because of the tenure of a lot of my team have been with us for a long time, and a lot of our customers have been with us for a long time. And there's a lot of value in that, that we're present and that we're on the ground, and that we know our customers, and that's more difficult to achieve in a different geo without a bulletproof strategy."By listening to this episode, you'll learn:Why walking away from international revenue accelerates home market dominanceWhen staying trade-agnostic beats vertical specialization in field serviceWhy acquiring competitors with legacy tech accelerates customer base growthWhat patience actually looks like when rebuilding platforms under competitive pressureGuest InfoFor more information about the guest from this week:Guest: Jim Whatmore, CEO at Joblogic Website: joblogic.com