The SaaSiest Podcast

Daniel Nackovski & Thomas Sjöberg
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Entrepreneurship

Do you want to know what the secret sauce is of the most successful SaaS companies? This show follows founders and leaders of the most prominent European SaaS companies on their way to global success. Learn from their GoTo-Market strategies, how they scale, build winning teams and great products. If you are a SaaS founder or leader looking for tips and tricks from the best in class founders and companies then this is a show for you. Direct, informal and to-the-point discussions with a great level of hands-on advice for the listeners. The show is brought to you by two experienced SaaS professionals, Daniel Nackovski, and Thomas Sjöberg, founders of SaaSiest !

  1. 3h ago

    216. Kristel Moedt, CPO & Co-Founder, People masterminds - Do you still have the right team for the AI era?

    AI is changing the rules of what makes a high-performing team. Skills that were incredibly valuable just a year ago might no longer be enough, while people who embrace AI are suddenly able to deliver results that previously required entire teams. So how do you know if you have the right people to take your company into the next chapter? In this episode of the SaaSiest Podcast, we sit down with Kristel Moedt, Co-founder of People Masterminds, who works with fast-growing scaleups on organizational design, leadership, culture, and performance. We discuss why some companies are moving much faster with AI than others, how leaders should rethink the skills and capabilities they need, and why AI transformation is as much a people and leadership challenge as it is a technology challenge. Some of the topics we cover: How do you assess whether your current team has what it takes for the AI era? Why are some organizations adapting to AI much faster than others? Is mindset and willingness to learn becoming more important than experience? How do you help people whose previously valuable skills are becoming less relevant? Should AI be used to build leaner organizations or to unlock entirely new capabilities? How do you identify and hire people who are genuinely ahead when it comes to AI? What should CEOs and executive teams do today to accelerate their AI transformation? Kristel also shares practical advice on how to get started, why leaders need to lead by example, and how to build an organization where people continuously learn, adapt, and grow. A must-listen for CEOs, founders, and executives who want to make sure their teams are ready for what's next.

  2. Sep 24

    215. Didi Gurfinkel, Co-founder & CEO of Datarails - Old ARR vs. New ARR: The SaaS Reinvention Playbook

    In this episode of the SaaSiest Podcast, we sit down with Didi Gurfinkel, Co-founder & CEO of Datarails, to talk about what it takes to make a radical strategic shift while your company is still growing fast. DataRails was already a high-growth SaaS company when Didi and his team became convinced that AI was fundamentally changing their market. Instead of protecting what was already working, they made a bold call: the traditional FP&A software category was dying, and DataRails needed to evolve from a point solution into the foundation for the Office of the CFO. We dig into what happened next,  the strategic bet, the internal resistance, the impact on sales, and why Didi believes SaaS leaders need to start separating their “old ARR” from the “new ARR” that will drive their companies in the AI era. We discuss: Why DataRails declared its own software category “dead” The difference between “old ARR” and “new ARR” Why successful SaaS companies may need to reinvent themselves before growth slows How DataRails moved from an FP&A product to a broader finance platform Why AI is making the application layer increasingly commoditized What becomes the moat when building software gets dramatically easier How to get 400 employees behind a major strategic repositioning Why sales teams can become one of the biggest sources of resistance to change How far ahead of the market a SaaS company should position itself Why small changes may not be enough in the AI transition Didi also shares one of the strongest analogies we've heard for navigating the current AI shift: when the flood is coming, don't keep moving from balcony to balcony. Find the hill. A great conversation for SaaS CEOs, founders and executives asking themselves a difficult question: Is the business that got us here also the business that will take us forward?

  3. Jun 9

    214. Daniel Thulfaut, Head of Product at saas.group - Why AI Is Killing Traditional Product Management

    In this episode, we sit down with Daniel Thulfaut, Head of Product at saas.group, one of Europe's most active SaaS acquirers. With 24 companies in the portfolio and more than €100M in ARR, Daniel has a unique perspective on how product organizations are evolving in the age of AI. We discuss why many product managers have spent the last decade acting as backlog managers rather than true product leaders, and why AI is now forcing a return to the fundamentals of product management: customer understanding, strategic thinking, prioritization, and decision-making. We also explore why "good enough" products are becoming easier than ever to build, why that raises the bar for SaaS companies, and what legacy SaaS businesses must do to stay competitive against a new generation of AI-native startups. Topics we cover include: • Why the traditional product manager role is changing rapidly • The difference between backlog management and real product leadership • Why AI makes customer discovery more important, not less • Why legacy SaaS companies struggle to realize the promised 10x AI productivity gains • The rise of the "product engineer" and what it means for teams • How feature flags, experimentation, and faster feedback loops change product development • Why shipping more features is not the same as creating more value • What CEOs and CPOs should do right now to prepare their product organizations for the future • Why understanding customer problems remains the most valuable skill in product management One of the most interesting takeaways from the conversation is that AI is not replacing product thinking. If anything, it's making it more valuable. When building becomes easier, deciding what to build becomes the real competitive advantage. If you're a founder, CEO, CPO, product leader, or anyone trying to navigate the future of SaaS, this episode is packed with practical insights and plenty of food for thought.

  4. Jun 4

    213. Artti Aurasmaa, CEO of Staria - Why the CFO Is Becoming the Most Strategic Role in SaaS

    In this episode we sit down with Artti Aurasmaa, CEO of Staria, to discuss how the CFO role is evolving from financial reporting to strategic leadership. Artti has spent more than 25 years helping companies scale internationally and today leads Staria, a €60M+ business serving growth companies across 50 countries. In this conversation, he shares why the future CFO must become a business partner, data steward, and forecasting expert rather than simply the person closing the books. We discuss why forecasting accuracy may be the most important KPI for a modern CFO, how AI is changing finance teams, why strong data foundations matter more than the latest AI tools, and what separates companies that scale successfully from those that struggle. You will also hear Artti's perspective on international expansion, the increasing complexity of global business, and why the best CFOs are moving from the back office to the front row. Topics covered: Why the CFO role is becoming increasingly strategic The shift from historical reporting to future forecasting Why forecasting accuracy is a critical KPI How AI is changing the finance function Building the data foundation before deploying AI The future structure of finance teams International expansion and global compliance Why CFOs need stronger technical and data capabilities The rise of the "rockstar CFO" What growth companies need to scale successfully Whether you're a CFO, founder, CEO, finance leader, or SaaS operator, this episode offers a practical look at how the finance function is changing and what it takes to stay ahead.

  5. May 28

    212. George Storm, CRO at N.rich - Why your SaaS Forecasting Is Broken & Inaccurate

    In this episode, we’re joined by George Storm, CRO at N.rich, for a conversation about why traditional B2B SaaS forecasting is no longer good enough in today’s market. George shares how N.rich, the European ABM platform, helps sales-led companies influence complex buying committees, warm up priority accounts, and progress accounts before sales ever reaches out.  We spoke with George about why forecasting can’t be treated as a static quarterly exercise anymore, why revenue leaders need to account for macro signals like layoffs, budget freezes, acquisitions, interest rates, and market turbulence, and how to move from fixed-number forecasting to ranges, probabilities, and continuous forecast loops. He explains why CROs should think in “regimes” like calm, turbulent, and stormy markets, and how that changes the way you model win rates, sales cycles, ACV, and pipeline coverage. Here are some of the key questions we address: Why is traditional SaaS forecasting broken? Why should forecasts be modeled as ranges instead of fixed numbers? How do macro signals like layoffs, acquisitions, and budget freezes impact pipeline confidence? Why can historical win rates be misleading in today’s market? What does it mean to forecast in calm, turbulent, or stormy weather? How can CROs build a continuous forecasting loop instead of relying on quarterly updates? What should revenue leaders monitor weekly to avoid surprise misses? 🎧 Tune in to hear how George thinks CROs can build more realistic, adaptive forecasting models in a market where hope is definitely not a strategy.

  6. Apr 17

    211. Massimo Arrigoni, CEO of Beefree - The SaaS Apocalypse? Massimo Arrigoni Says No

    In this episode, we’re joined by Massimo Arrigoni, CEO of Beefree, the content creation platform behind thousands of SaaS products and one of the companies with a uniquely broad view of what’s actually happening across the software landscape. With customers embedding Beefree into products across industries, Massimo sees the SaaS market from the inside out. And his take is clear: SaaS is not dead. But parts of the model are being challenged, valuations are being reset, and AI is forcing every company to rethink where real value lives. This is a conversation about what is actually changing, what is not, and why the future likely belongs to companies that understand the difference. We spoke with Massimo about why people often mix up SaaS valuations, SaaS delivery, and SaaS business models when they talk about “the death of SaaS.” He explains why software sold to non-technical businesses is far less vulnerable than some people think, why “just build it yourself” is often a misleading argument, and why the real opportunity with AI is not replacing humans, but giving them back a better version of their jobs. Here are some of the key questions we address: Is SaaS actually dying, or are we just seeing a market correction? Why are people confusing valuation resets with a broken business model? What parts of SaaS are most exposed to change, and which parts remain highly defensible? Why is “companies will just build it themselves” often the wrong assumption? What do you learn about the future of software when your product is embedded in thousands of SaaS applications? How are SaaS companies actually approaching AI right now: innovating, reacting, or just sprinkling it on? What kinds of products and use cases are most likely to stay sticky in an AI-first world? Why should leaders think of AI as something that may take your job and give you back a better one? What happens to entry-level jobs, and what should the next generation prepare for? 🎧 Tune in to hear Massimo’s thoughtful and grounded take on the future of software: SaaS isn’t disappearing, but the rules are changing fast. The winners will be the companies that understand where the real headaches still are, where humans still matter, and where AI can genuinely create leverage instead of just noise.

  7. Apr 1

    210. Jens Levin, Founder & CEO of Sitoo - No Overnight Success: 22 Years of Focus, Teamwork, and Playing the Long Game

    In this episode, we’re joined by Jens Levin, Founder & CEO of Sitoo, the retail SaaS platform powering in-store experiences for leading brands across the world. Today, Sitoo has 20M Euro in ARR, 40%+ growth, 300+ retailers, and deployments across 40+ countries. But this is not a story about overnight success. Jens shares the reality behind building a company over 22 years, including 10 years of work before finding the real breakthrough. It’s a conversation about longevity, resilience, and why SaaS is not a sprint, but a long-distance team sport where focus and trust increase your chances of success. We spoke with Jens about what changed when Sitoo found its “Holy Grail,” why saying no became more important than saying yes, and how the company evolved from founder-led hustle into a scalable global SaaS business.  Here are some of the key questions we address: Why did it take 10 years for Sitoo to find true product-market fit? What changed when the company went all-in on one product and one focus area? Why does saying yes to everything keep you local, while focus helps you scale globally? How do you build a strong partner ecosystem without becoming a competitor? What happens when you scale from 3 people to 135+ employees? Why do so many SaaS companies hit a major shift around 80–100 employees? How do you move from founder-driven heroics to a scalable operating model? How do you keep motivation, culture, and momentum alive over two decades of building? 🎧 Tune in to hear Jens’ honest take on what it really takes to build something lasting: there is no overnight success, only years of iteration, the right people around you, and the discipline to stay focused long enough for the flywheel to start turning.

  8. Mar 26

    209. Elena Verna, Growth at Lovable - How to Grow When Everyone Can Copy Your Product

    In this episode, we’re joined by Elena Verna, growth expert and currently leading growth at Lovable, one of the fastest-growing companies in tech. Elena shares why the old growth playbooks are breaking down, what growth means in an AI-native world, and why companies can no longer rely on features alone as their competitive advantage. We talk about how growth has shifted from pure funnel optimization to trust, speed, and human connection. Elena breaks down the difference between growth loops and funnels, why Lovable products need to feel alive and constantly evolving, and what companies in crowded categories must do if they want to stay relevant when software is easier than ever to copy or rebuild. Here are some of the key questions we address: What does growth actually mean in an AI-native company like Lovable? Why are traditional growth playbooks becoming less effective in today’s market? Why can features no longer be your only competitive advantage? How should companies think about retention, expansion, and resurrecting users in this new environment? What can B2B SaaS companies in crowded categories do to become more lovable and trusted? Why does speed to market matter more than perfection right now? How do you build teams that can operate in a world where AI changes customer expectations every month? What does Elena look for when hiring people into a fast-moving AI company? 🎧 Tune in to hear Elena’s take on modern growth, why trust and humanity matter more than ever, and how companies can rethink distribution, retention, and defensibility in a world where software is no longer hard to build.

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About

Do you want to know what the secret sauce is of the most successful SaaS companies? This show follows founders and leaders of the most prominent European SaaS companies on their way to global success. Learn from their GoTo-Market strategies, how they scale, build winning teams and great products. If you are a SaaS founder or leader looking for tips and tricks from the best in class founders and companies then this is a show for you. Direct, informal and to-the-point discussions with a great level of hands-on advice for the listeners. The show is brought to you by two experienced SaaS professionals, Daniel Nackovski, and Thomas Sjöberg, founders of SaaSiest !

Information

  • Creator
    Daniel Nackovski & Thomas Sjöberg
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    215
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2020 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The SaaSiest Podcast

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