EPISODE SUMMARY
Any software founder who has ever tried to penetrate a market typically finds themselves feeling nervous. After all, there are already many established players in the field. To combat this, some go so far as to create elaborate sales methods or feature-loaded products. Nowadays, to truly stand out, simplicity is the name of the game. All you have to do is to turn your SaaS into a solution so easy to use, that it’s the obvious solution.
Snapfix CEO and Founder Paul McCarthy gives us a quick peek at how his software entered the project management market, focusing on buildings. He provides multiple snippets of simple techniques with Host and B2B SaaS Sales Coach Matt Wolach that you can implement, from designing your software to maintaining it. Watch and see your software become the image of success!
PODCAST-AT-A-GLANCE
Podcast: SaaS-Story in the Making
Episode: Episode No. 243, “How to Get Your Market to Switch to Your Product – with Paul McCarthy”
Host: Matt Wolach, a B2B SaaS sales coach, Entrepreneur, and Investor
Guest: Paul McCarthy, CEO, and Founder at Snapfix
TOP TIPS FROM THIS EPISODE
Get Customer Feedback ASAP
As soon as you finish the design of your software, get it in your customer’s hands. Even if you think you’ve built the best product, the actual customer experience could still be a completely different picture. Tweaking your product through customer feedback is an excellent way to ensure that your SaaS aligns with your niche.
Like in the product designing stage, take your time testing your products. Stretch it out if you like how McCarthy did with Snapfix. This stage should help you simplify your product down to the 1% of features that customers are using. By the end of this stage, you will have an effect you are sure your target market wants.
Tell Your Mission on Events
There are a multitude of reasons why hosting and attending events is a must for sales. However, one of the best reasons is having the opportunity to speak at events. After all, standing in front of an audience is an excellent way to establish yourself as an authority figure and demonstrate your knowledge through the content of your speech.
McCarthy also explains that getting on stage allows you to shed a better light on your mission. What are you trying to achieve precisely through your product? Remember that this means discussing something other than your product but focusing on its purpose. Remember that being an event speaker also means discussing where the industry is headed. Share your passion, connect it to the problem then show how it is the way to the future.
Make the Products Emotionally Relevant
Apart from making a valuable SaaS product that people want, it’s essential to make sure that your product is designed to be emotionally appealing. Yes, your product is already desired from the get-go, but as they say, “You got to keep the fire burning.” If your SaaS is already designed this way, it becomes easier for your sales team to get the prospects emotional.
How this looked like for Snapfix is leveraging the existing emotional attachment people already have for apps like Instagram, Snapchat, Tiktok, and Whatsapp. The design is ingenious, but it’s also already familiar– taking photos. Switching colors from red to green also stimulates dopamine in the users, giving them a sense of progress while also being fun.
Eliminate the Bottom 10%
While it may seem downright scary for a software founder to ‘cut’ your products, Snapfix intentionally removes the bottom 10% of its features every year. McCarthy explains that they followed Steve Jobs’s approach of ruthlessly eliminating everything that the product wasn’t. This is similar to Michaelangelo’s approach of chiseling away the extra material that turns his sculpture into a masterpiece.
This tactic helps align the software to its niche while preventing technical debt. Matt and McCarthy elaborate that technical debt is the wasted resources, from cash to manpower, consumed for barely used features. Note that this doesn’t mean that the product is only getting smaller as customers provide feedback asking for specific features they want.
Find the Right Co-Founder
For McCarthy, finding a co-founder that’s his match made in heaven propelled his company forward. While he can be counted as very lucky, the right co-founder is the person that understands what you are trying to build without you having to explain. They will also point out things you have yet to think of yourself.
While not everyone has to have a co-founder, it does make your life easier as you get a player number two to help you realize your vision. It also makes it easier to work as you will cooperate with an individual you genuinely respect. Ideally, your co-founder will be able to fill your gaps, but what’s truly important, according to McCarthy, is making sure that you and your co-founder stick tight together.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
The Design Sets the Difficulty
Always be bold and let the company take its time in the design stage. If you rush this stage and release a premature product, the development and testing will take longer, while the marketing and sales will be more complex. Everything will likely fall into place if you get the design right from the get-go. Remember that taking your time is not synonymous with overcomplicating the product.
Usability Over Features
One of the most noticeable trends in software nowadays is a cluttered product. You will see an abundance of features that nobody uses or asks for, which only adds to the company’s expense. A minimalistic approach emphasizing usability through simplicity will help your product stand out. Never be afraid of saying no to set yourself apart from your competitors who default to yes.
TOP QUOTES
Paul McCarthy
[9:35] “When you speak at events… you’re not selling your product. You’re talking about where the industry is going.”
[10:18] “The ability for you to be able to use photos to report things in a collaborative way is a key part of the smart building future.”
Matt Wolach
[7:53] “I think events are a key piece of the puzzle when it comes to go-to-market strategy.”
[19:59] “Early days– sometimes you spend a little more time than you will in the future. And a lot of times, we overthink scale early. But you can get there once you figure out exactly who your customer is and how best to take care of them best.”
LEARN MORE
To learn more about Paul McCarthy and Snapfix, visit https://snapfix.com/.
You can also find Paul McCarthy on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulmccarthyireland/.
For more about how host Matt Wolach helps software companies achieve maximum growth, visit https://mattwolach.com/
