Is your product actually a SaaS?

In this episode, Rob Walling tackles listener questions about what really qualifies as SaaS (and where he disagrees with ChatGPT), how to serve both solopreneurs and enterprise customers with a dual funnel strategy, layering a B2B offering on top of a B2C product, pricing a mission-driven app without gatekeeping access, and the impact of healthcare costs on startup runway.

Want to get your question answered? Drop it here.

Your payroll tool doesn't talk to your bank. Your bank doesn't talk to your bookkeeper. And you're the one stuck in the middle playing admin instead of building your company.

Every is the back office platform built for startups. Incorporation, banking, international and domestic payroll, bookkeeping, and tax prep, one login, one platform. You get a dedicated Slack channel with actual humans, up to $3 million in FDIC insurance, corporate cards, and automated accounting.

Setup takes under 30 minutes. Most founders are fully transitioned within a week.

Check them out at every.io.

And if you're at MicroConf in Portland, make sure to swing by and chat with the team.

• (3:09) – What qualifies as a SaaS business?
• (5:15) – Why Netflix and Spotify are not SaaS
• (8:11) – Where Rob disagrees with ChatGPT on SaaS
• (12:21) – Serving solopreneurs and enterprise simultaneously
• (15:13) – The power of the dual funnel strategy
• (17:02) – Navigating the enterprise sales process
• (22:20) – Layering B2B features onto a B2C product
• (28:52) – Pricing a mission-driven job search app
• (35:57) – Healthcare costs and startup runway in the US

• MicroConf Masterminds – Applications close April 17th
• MicroConf’s Masterminds Guide
• Newscatcher
• HelpSpot
• TinySeed
• Rob Walling (@robwalling) | X

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you'd like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We'd love to hear from you!

Subscribe & Review: iTunes |Spotify

Listen to Episode 828

What would it mean for you to leave 60 or 70% of your company's value on the table when you sell?

In this episode, Rob sits down with Einar Vollset, co-founder of TinySeed and founder of Discretion Capital, to talk about his new book, The Definitive Guide to M&A for B2B SaaS between $2 and $20 million ARR. They dig into why private equity now dominates the buyer landscape, why growth and churn are the top two valuation drivers, and how the myth that "startups are bought, not sold" could cost you millions.

Einar also explains the danger of running your business past its peak growth rate before selling, why ARR multiples matter more than profit, and how the right M&A advisor can add 30 to 300% to an initial offer.

This episode is brought to you by Mercury

Mercury is the banking solution I use across all of my businesses, from my personal single-member LLC to MicroConf and TinySeed.

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Mercury is a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., Members FDIC.

Everyone's talking about AI in marketing. But AI without strategy just means generating more bad marketing, faster.

The founders who win aren't the ones using the most tools, they're the ones with a real system behind their growth. Positioning, persuasion, conversion. That's what moves the needle.

That's what Conversion Factory does. They're a SaaS marketing and design agency that has worked with over 100 startups, including several TinySeed companies.

Book a call at https://conversionfactory.co/ and mention this podcast for $1,000 off your first month. And if you're at MicroConf US in Portland, grab Corey Haines in the hallway track to see how they can help you.

• (3:34) – Why Einar wrote an M&A guide for SaaS founders
• (5:26) – How founders leave value on the table when selling
• (8:22) – How private equity moved down market
• (11:24) – Choosing the right broker or banker
• (12:55) – Platform acquisitions vs. tuck-ins explained
• (19:24) – Why "startups are bought, not sold" is wrong
• (25:48) – Growth and churn as top valuation drivers
• (30:02) – Why ARR multiples matter more than profit
• (34:34) – The danger of running past peak growth

• The Definitive Guide to M&A for B2B SaaS between $2–20M ARR
• Discretion Capital
• MicroConf US (Portland) - April 12-14, 2026
• MicroConf Mastermind Matching
• MicroConf Mastermind Playbook
• TinySeed
• Exit Strategy...

How do you find someone who thinks like an owner, not just a task-doer?

In this episode, Rob digs into a batch of listener questions about task level, project level, and owner level thinkers. He covers how to identify them, what they cost, where to find them, and why building a team of exceptional people creates a virtuous cycle that lifts everyone up.

• (4:13) – Defining task, project, and owner level thinkers
• (7:32) – Are owner level thinkers born or built?
• (10:16) – Compensation ranges for owner level thinkers
• (11:53) – W2 vs. contractor for senior hires
• (15:53) – Do you actually need owner level thinkers?
• (17:36) – Where to find project and owner level thinkers
• (20:16) – How long to integrate them into your company
• (24:40) – How to identify them in job interviews
• (29:38) – Why you won't always get hires right

• Rob Walling's Essays
• Rob Walling’s Newsletter
• Rob Walling YouTube
• The SaaS Playbook
• Remote First Recruiting
• MicroConf
• TinySeed
• SaaS Institute
• Discretion Capital

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you'd like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We'd love to hear from you!

Subscribe & Review: iTunes |Spotify