94. Steve Benson's Guide to Bootstrapping for SaaS Startups

The Dirt

Steve Benson's leadership journey is a masterclass in resilience, grit, and innovative growth strategies. As the Founder and CEO of Badger Maps, an app for B2B field sales, he has mastered focusing on the ideal customer profile and harnessing the power of offshore talent.

Join Jim and Steve as they discuss Steve’s bootstrapping journey all the way to up to 5.4 million ARR.

3 Key Takeaways

• Establish a Dedicated Support Team Separate from Sales: For years, Steve’s sales team handled all customer calls, which was effective for sales inquiries but less so for support issues. To enhance efficiency and focus, we have now segregated these functions. While the sales and support teams maintain communication for cohesive operations, this separate allows the sales team to focus exclusively on sales activities, ensuring a more targeted and effective approach.
• Leveraging Offshore Software Development Talent is Table Stakes for Bootstrapping a Company: In the US, exceptional software engineering talent commands a premium price, justifiably for those prioritizing domestic sourcing. However, for startups operating without significant external funding or capital, exploring offshore software development partnerships can be a strategic move. Countries like India, Poland, and Brazil offer a wealth of skilled professionals, providing a diverse array of options for cost-effective and quality development solutions.
• When Searching For a Loan, Compare Like-For-Like: Some companies offer revenue-based loans. Others offer discount rate loans. And of course there are APR loans. When you’re shopping around, convert every offer to APR so you can compare apples to apples.

Resources

Steve Benson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenbenson/

Badger Maps: https://www.badgermapping.com/

Badger Sales University: https://salesuniversity.badgermapping.com/ (Use the following code for first month free, 2nd month 80% off: STEVE80)

Steves Outside Sales Talk Podcast: https://www.outsidesalestalk.com

Steve on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevebensonsf/

Steve on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/SteveBenson

About Our Guest

Steve Benson is CEO and founder of Badger Maps, the #1 app in the App Store for outside and field salespeople. Steve is also CEO of Badger Sales University. After receiving his MBA from Stanford, Steve joined Google, where he became Google Enterprise's Top Sales Executive globally in 2009.

In 2012 Steve founded Badger Maps for outside and field salespeople to upgrade existing CRMs with mapping, routing, and scheduling. He also hosts the Outside Sales Talk, a podcast specifically for outside salespeople, and is the President of the Sales Hall of Fame.

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