#49 Navigating the M&A Process, with Lowell Ricklefs (Founder, Traction Advising)

In this insightful episode, we sit down with Maurits Stuyver, the founder of Vondel Venture Development.Maurits has spent over a decade guiding tech companies to master international expansion and commercial acceleration. He brings his extensive experience working with diverse businesses, from B2B marketplaces to SaaS companies and technical software solutions.In our conversation, we delve into:- The nuances of sales management, from the role of qualitative and quantitative coaching to strategic forecasting.-Advice on building a replicable sales model.- Hiring and building a successful Sales team.- Insights on international expansion in the software industry.- The significance of setting success metrics in Sales and the importance of localization.Tune in!Leaders of Growth is brought to you by Knight Capital.

In today's episode, we embark on the journey of scaling a startup to an international company with Bas Smeulders, the Co-Founder and CFO of SendCloud. Bas shares invaluable insights from his decade-long experience transforming a garage-based startup into a thriving startup.In our conversation, we explore:• Scaling Challenges of SendCloud and Hiring Strategies,• The beginnings of SendCloud and how the founders started out in a garage selling smartphone accessories.• Mastering market dynamics, securing funds, and synergizing,• Achieving a balance between having a flexible culture and building strong processes,• The challenges of growing too quickly or too slowly.• Pivoting to a subscription model,• Diversifying customer segments and distribution channel• And more!

In today's episode, we delve into the world of scaling a business from a service to a product model with Pieterjan Bouten, the Co-founder and chairman of Showpad.PJ shares insights from his entrepreneurial journey, starting from his initial consulting career to co-founding two companies - Netlog and In The Pocket, and ultimately crossing the challenging line to a product business with Showpad.In our conversation, we explore:• The journey of Showpad through various stages of growth - from bootstrapping to international expansion, hyper-scaling, and maturation.• The strategic diversification of distribution channels, navigating from PLG motion to direct and outbound sales.• PJ's personal journey as a founder of Showpad, transitioning from the role of CEO to Chairman, and the self-discovery and growth that came with it.• The importance of trusting one's intuition and surrounding oneself with the right people.Let's dive in!Leaders of Growth is brought to you by Knight Capital.

In this episode of "Leaders of Growth", we engage in an in-depth conversation with Sahin Boydas, the entrepreneur behind RemoteTeam, which was acquired by Gusto, a $10 billion company that focuses on providing payroll, benefits, and human resources management solutions for small businesses.In this conversation, we cover:Sahin’s entrepreneurial journey: From Turkey to AustinUnlocking growth with Fidle: A transformative tool for businessesInside Gusto's acquisition of RemoteTeam: Lessons from the trenches.How to prepare for an integrationBalancing career growth and personal satisfaction in remote teamsEmbracing the shift to remote work.Tune in to gather invaluable insights and strategies for navigating the ever-evolving B2B software landscape.

Our latest episode features Marcin Majewski, Founder and Managing Director of Aventis Advisors, an M&A advisory firm focusing on technology and growth companies, who shares his insights and experiences from the front lines of technology mergers and acquisitions. Recently, Aventis Advisors launched comprehensive research on valuation trends and multiples in the Public and M&A market for SaaS companies.In this episode, we dive deep into Marcin's research and discuss:• How does the current market environment impact tech M&A valuations, and what should investors consider?• The differences between public and private multiples.• Why are SaaS businesses valued higher than on-premise software businesses, and how have their premiums changed recently?• How the "small company discount" market valuation trends.• Valuation Drivers: How does business size affect valuations, and what factors contribute to higher valuations for larger companies?• Valuations from private deals vs. those from public markets.• Revenue multiples vs. EBITDA multiples.• How should founders approach understanding their company valuation.Like the episode? Subscribe and don’t miss out on the next one!

In today's episode, we dive into strategy, execution, and performance management for scaling your business with Asia Orangio, the CEO and founder of DemandMaven, where she helps early-stage startups and technology companies define their go-to-market strategy and grow with a data-driven approach. Asia was previously a Board Member at Moz.Today we discuss:• Scaling a Company Across Series A to C and common challenges.• Choosing the right KPIs . How focusing on the wrong KPIs can hinder growth.• Aligning Strategy, Execution, and Performance• Sales-led Growth vs. Product-led Growth• Value of customer research in driving growth• OKR, Wigs, and JTBD framework• Understanding Acquisition Channels for GrowthLike the episode? Subscribe and don’t miss out on the next one!

In this episode, we had an insightful conversation with Barbara Gago, founder and CEO of Pando and former CMO of Miro.We discussed:• The significance of aligning marketing and sales teams and experimenting with different channels.• Why you should tie marketing compensation to revenue results.• How to approach employee progression for retaining talent.Join us for an inspiring episode that delves into Barbara's founding journey.Like the episode? Subscribe and don’t miss out on the next one!

In this episode of Leaders of Growth, Arthur Nobel from Knight Capital interviews Scott Stouffer, CEO and co-founder of Scale Matters. Scott shares valuable insights on optimizing go-to-market for early and growth-stage B2B companies.Scott and Arthur discuss several topics, including:· The common inefficiencies in sales and marketing efforts of early and growth-stage companies.· A data-driven approach for determining the number of salespeople needed to achieve revenue goals.· Go-to-market management.· GTM maturity and how to leverage data according to your stage.· Go-to-market tech infrastructureLike the episode?Subscribe and don't miss out on the next one!This podcast is brought to you by Knight Capital.

In this episode, Arthur delves into Category Creation with his guest, Joe Sawyer, the Chief Marketing Officer of Mirakl, a renowned enterprise marketplace SaaS platform that has become one of the most valuable private software companies in Europe.Listen out for:Importance of balancing vision and execution.When should companies start with category creation?How to compete against category creators.Elements of category creation.Challenges of category creation.Whether category creation is the right strategy for businesses.Like the episode? Subscribe and don't miss out on the next one!

In this episode, Arthur speaks with Lowell Ricklefs, the Founder and Managing Partner of Traction Advising, a B2B SaaS-focused M&A firm. The conversation delves into the topic of Acquisitions, touching upon the following points:- Scaling challenges- How to prepare your company for an acquisition- The rationales behind acquiring a company- Differences between Private Equity funds and Strategics- A step-by-step understanding of the acquisition process- Working with an advisor vs. selling the company on your own- And more!Like the episode? Subscribe, and don't miss out on the next one!This podcast is brought to you by Knight Capital.