SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success
Join us as we interview CEOs and GTM leaders of fast-growing SaaS and AI firms to reveal what they are doing that’s working, and lessons learned from things that didn’t work as planned. These deep conversations dive into the dynamic world of SaaS B2B marketing, go-to-market strategies, and the SaaS business model. Content focuses on the pragmatic as well as strategic, providing a well-rounded diet for those running SaaS firms today. Hosted by Ken Lempit, Austin Lawrence Group’s president and chief business builder, who brings over 30 years of experience and expertise in helping software companies grow and their founders achieve their visions. Full video and shorts on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@SaaSBackwardsPodcast
Episodes
197 episodes
Ep. 197 - The SaaS Retention Problem Starts Before the Customer Signs
Guest: Jason Roberts, Fractional Client Operations Executive at Scale CxO -- In this episode, we explore why SaaS retention problems often begin long before renewal—inside the sales, onboarding,...
Ep. 196 - The SaaS Opportunity Hidden Inside Services
Guest: Dillon Okner, Founding Partner of The Oak Group / SiteRise -- In this episode, we look at how a services business can become the proving ground for a SaaS opportunity.Dillon Okner, founding ...
Ep. 195 - Why Code No Longer Drives SaaS Value in the AI Era
Guest: Tim Schumacher, Co-Founder of saas.group -- In the AI era, code alone no longer drives SaaS value the way it once did.In this episode of SaaS Backwards, we sit down with Tim Schumac...
Ep. 194 - The SaaS AI Trap: Fast Answers, Bad Decisions
Guest: KG Charles-Harris, Founder & CEO of Quarrio -- The SaaS AI trap is believing fast answers are good enough when the real advantage comes from trustworthy, decision-grade intelligence....
Ep. 193 - SaaS AI Readiness: Why Most GTM Teams Aren’t Ready for Agents
Guest: Cliff Simon, CEO & Founder of Polaris Ops -- AI may be everywhere in SaaS right now, but most go-to-market teams still are not ready to operationalize it.In this episode of SaaS Back...
Ep. 192 - Why SaaS Growth Now Starts After the Sale
Guest: You Mon Tsang, Co-Founder & CEO of ChurnZero -- In this episode of SaaS Backwards, Ken Lempit talks with ChurnZero co-founder and CEO You Mon Tsang...
Ep. 191 - The Next SaaS Wave: Don’t Sell the Tool, Own the Outcome
Guest: Sai Dhanak, CEO & Co-Founder of Deduction -- AI is changing SaaS, but this episode argues the bigger opportunity may be owning the service outcome, not just selling the software.In this ...
Ep. 190 - The SaaS Founder Bottleneck: Why Founder-Led Sales Stops Scaling
How to turn founder instincts into a repeatable pipeline engine. Guest: Javier Lozano, Fractional CMO & GTM Leader -- Founder-led sales is often the fastest way to get an e...
Ep. 189 - SaaS in the AI Agent Era: Org Chart For Your Agents
Guest: David Gabriel, VP of Marketing at Rhumbix -- AI-Enabled Go-to-Market Strategy, Agentic Marketing, and SaaS Margin ExpansionIn this episode of SaaS Backwards, Ken Lempit sits do...
Ep. 188 - SaaS in the Age of AI: Augment, Bolt On, or Become Obsolete
How SaaS CEOs Should Navigate AI-Native, AI-Augmented, and Bolt-On AI Strategies to Protect Revenue and Reduce Churn Guest: Ken Lempit, President & Chief Strategist at Austin Lawrence Group -- ...
Ep. 187 - Your SaaS Isn’t Broken—Your Execution Is
Why SaaS companies stall at $10M, how execution breaks down, and what founders must change to scale -- Guest: Mark Abbott, Founder & CEO at Ninety Most SaaS companies don’t hit a w...
Ep. 186 - What SaaS Leaders Get Wrong About AI
Guest: Lara Shackelford, SVP of Growth Marketing at iCapital -- Most SaaS companies are investing heavily in AI, yet many struggle to see meaningful ROI. In this episode of SaaS Backwards, Lara Shackelfor...
Ep. 185 - This SaaS Didn’t Scale With Hype — It Scaled With Systems
Guest: Kevin Jacobson, CEO at Foxen -- Most SaaS companies try to scale by adding headcount and channels. Foxen scaled by tightening fundamentals.In this episode, Kevin Jacobson, CEO of Foxen, joins host Ke...
Ep. 184 - Why Traditional SaaS GTM Collapses in a Self-Service World
Guest: Dave Boyce, Executive Chairman & EVP of Product at Winning by Design -- Most SaaS companies are still built to sell. Today’s buyers want to activate, experience value, and decide on their own.
Ep. 183 - What $100M SaaS Companies Do Differently
Guest: David Karandish, Founder & CEO of Capacity -- Most SaaS companies don’t fail because the technology is bad. They fail because they build point solutions, chase the wrong markets, and struggle to turn ...
Ep. 182 - What Most SaaS Founders Get Wrong About Go-to-Market
Guest: Prasanth Chilukuri, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Soul Street Ventures -- The biggest threat to early-stage SaaS growth isn’t competition. It’s founder distraction, unfocused GTM motions, and ...
Ep. 181 - How Fast-Growing SaaS Companies Are Modernizing Their Revenue Stack
Guest: Mark Walker, CEO at Nue.io -- SaaS pricing isn’t breaking because of AI — it’s breaking because most revenue systems were never built for the speed and complexity of today’s models.In this episode, M...
Ep. 180 - Your SaaS Buyer Doesn’t Need Convincing—They Need Confidence
Guest: Brent Adamson, Co-Author of The Framemaking Sale & Co-Founder of A to B InsightSaaS sales teams obsess over beating competitors—but the real battle isn’t across the table. It’s in the buyer’s mind...
Ep. 179 - The Smart SaaS Funding Path No One Talks About
Guest: Melanie Nabar, Vice President at Volition Capital -- SaaS founders often see only two funding paths—venture or private equity—but there’s a smarter middle lane that keeps control where it belongs: wi...
Ep. 178 - Why SaaS Founders Give Up Too Much Too Soon
Guest: Rob Belcher, Managing Director at SaaS Capital -- SaaS founders often think equity is the only path to growth—but giving up ownership isn’t the only option.In this episode, Rob Belcher, Managi...
Ep. 177 - Why “Book a Demo” Is Killing SaaS Growth
Guest: Braydan Young, Co-Founder and CEO at SlashExperts -- Buyers don’t want another “book a demo” button—they want proof from people like them.In this episode, Braydan Young, Co-Founder and CEO of ...
Ep. 176 - Your $1M+ Media Budget Deserves Better
Guest: Courtney Hiller, Founder of All Points Agency -- You wouldn’t hire one person to build your product, sell it, and run support. So why are B2B SaaS companies still expecting one marketer to manage a million-dollar media...
Ep. 175 - Beyond Copy: How AI Powers the Next Generation of SaaS Growth
Guest: Hikari Senju, Founder & CEO at Omneky -- AI isn’t just generating ad copy—it’s reshaping the entire performance marketing playbook for B2B SaaS. In this episode, Hikari Senju, founder and CEO of
Ep. 174 - How This AI SaaS Landed 70 Customers—Fast
Guest: Adir Ben-Yehuda, CEO at Autonomy AI -- The go-to-market playbook for AI SaaS is being rewritten in real-time, and those who cling to old models risk being left behind. In this episode, Adir Ben-Yehuda, foun...