From Attorney to SaaS Founder: The Journey With Inhouse AI

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! This episode features Agastya Samat, co-founder and CEO of Zeya Health, who shares his unique journey from leaving corporate law to launching a SaaS company focused on AI-powered solutions for outpatient clinics in Asia. Ben Murray and Agastya Samat dive into how Zeya is tackling the technical challenge of delivering customized patient engagement tools at scale, and how founder-led sales, strategic partnerships, and early revenue have fueled their rapid growth.  The conversation covers key lessons from participating in the Antler startup residency program and sheds light on choosing the right pricing model, experimenting with product-market fit, and identifying the operational metrics that drive success.  Agastya Samat also discusses building and scaling an engineering team, leveraging AI in both product development and business operations, and Zeya’s ambitions for international expansion. If you’re interested in SaaS, digital health, or startup growth, this episode is packed with practical advice and fresh perspective.  Show Notes:  00:00 Bringing AI to healthcare in Asia  03:35 Building outpatient clinic solutions  08:01 Changes in residency program approach  10:25 Experiences in the Antler program  16:45 Finding the right North Star metric  18:57 Using new models for marketing  20:50 Where to learn about Zeah Health  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/zeya-health-raises-575k-pre-seed  Agastya Samat’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agastya-samat/  Zeya Health’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zeya-health/  Zeya Health’s Website: https://zeya.health/  To learn more about Ben check out the links below:  Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe  Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page  SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/  Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout  Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray 

In this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast, host Ben Murray welcomes Ryan Wenger, CEO and founder of In House, to discuss his fascinating journey from practicing law to building and selling a SaaS travel startup, and now, creating an AI-driven legal tech company. Ryan Wenger reveals how his experiences shaped In House’s mission to make legal services affordable and accessible for small businesses.  Ryan Wenger shares candid lessons about pivoting business models, the challenges of fundraising in today's SaaS landscape, and what it takes to reach product-market fit. He explains how In House leverages both AI and a network of legal experts to deliver smarter, safer legal solutions for SMBs and what operational metrics are driving their impressive growth.  If you’re a founder, entrepreneur, or interested in how SaaS and AI are reshaping traditional industries, you’ll find this episode packed with practical insights. Tune in for a front-row view of the evolving world of SaaS, AI innovation, and startup growth strategies!  Show Notes:  00:00 Starting a travel discovery app  05:29 Realizing the need for accessible legal help  06:53 Challenges with DIY legal solutions  10:28 Improving document requests with AI  16:03 Navigating VC fundraising challenges  18:04 Finding success in GPT Marketplace  21:00 Understanding users' legal needs  24:34 Using in-house AI  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/inhouse-raises-5-million-in-seed-round  Ryan Wenger’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-wenger-2122a0a/  Inhouse’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inhouseai/  Inhouse’s Website: https://www.inhouse.ai/  To learn more about Ben check out the links below:  Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe  Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page  SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/  Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout  Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray 

Join Ben Murray on The SaaS CFO Podcast as he interviews George Nichkov, CEO and founder of TaxNova. Hear how George Nichkov’s journey from consulting and tech inspired him to solve R&D tax credit challenges for SaaS companies.  George Nichkov shares how TaxNova uses AI to automate finance operations—streamlining tax claims, connecting with tools like JIRA and GitHub, and simplifying compliance across global markets. Say goodbye to spreadsheets and manual processes.  If you're a SaaS founder or finance leader curious about leveraging global tax credits and AI-powered FinOps, this episode is full of insights you won't want to miss.  Show Notes:  00:00 Considering a career change  03:50 Translating projects for accounting  07:24 Easy data integration for companies  12:14 Choosing venture capital for growth  14:04 Building early brand trust  16:57 Discussing data-driven tiered pricing  22:49 Building Pack Snow from scratch  26:05 Integrating JIRA with global offices  26:53 Promoting TaxNova resources online  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/taxnova-raises-1-million-in-funding  George Nichkov’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nichkov/  Taxnova’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/taxnova-ai/  Taxnova’s Website: https://taxnova.ai/  To learn more about Ben check out the links below:  Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe  Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page  SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/  Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout  Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray 

Kristen Beck, CEO and co-founder of Elly, shares her career path from being Trello’s first revenue hire through leadership roles at Atlassian, Shogun, and Typeform, and explains why she returned to startups to build an AI-native recruiting platform.   Elly focuses on capturing and learning from unstructured conversational data across hiring—from kickoff through interviews and debriefs—to help teams make better decisions, reduce time spent, and reveal patterns in successful hires. Beck outlines Elly’s two main customer segments: high-volume employers (including manufacturing and home healthcare) and fast-growing startups, and describes how AI enables insights beyond basic efficiency gains.   She discusses Elly’s founding timeline, seed fundraising to $8M (Atomic incubation and Sorenson-led round), PLG-led growth via word of mouth, a free ATS with paid AI features using subscription-plus-usage pricing, and key metrics like K-factor and module adoption, with Elly headquartered in New York and a 10-person team. Show Notes: 00:00 Welcome and Intro   00:08 Kristen Beck Career Path   02:07 What Ellie Does   03:01 Why Build Ellie   04:44 Ideal Customer Profiles   06:08 How AI Changes Recruiting   08:57 Founding Story and MVP   09:41 Seed Round and Investors   10:35 Why Raise vs Bootstrap   11:49 Fundraising Lessons in Crowded Markets   14:20 Go To Market and PLG   18:42 Pricing and Usage Model  20:39 Key Metrics and Virality   22:19 Team and 2026 Priorities   23:56 AI Makes Distribution Matter   25:31 Where to Learn More  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/elly-raises-8-million-in-funding  Kristen Habacht’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-habacht-80288780/  Elly’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ellyai/  Elly’s Website: https://www.elly.ai/  To learn more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe  Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page  SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/  Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout  Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray 

Welcome back to The SaaS CFO Podcast. In this episode, Ben Murray sits down with Ruth Bosse, founder and CEO of Ark Climate, a Munich-based SaaS company transforming how cities tackle climate action. With a background in politics, mathematics, computer science, and significant experience at McKinsey, Ruth Bosse brings a unique perspective to the intersection of technology, climate, and government.  We'll hear about the inspiration for Ark Climate, how the company rapidly built traction in the German market, the challenges and opportunities of selling SaaS to government entities, and their approach to fundraising and growth. Ruth Bosse also shares key lessons learned from launching a govtech startup, the importance of realistic sales forecasting, and her vision to expand Ark Climate into a broader government operating platform. Whether you’re a SaaS founder, govtech enthusiast, or simply interested in the evolving world of climate solutions, this conversation is packed with candid insights on metrics, go-to-market strategies, and scaling impact-driven technology.  Show Notes:  00:00 Starting a climate-focused company  06:29 Internal and external climate tools  08:04 Bootstrapping and pre-seed funding  12:02 Starting with cold calling  14:16 Why we stopped doing fairs  18:56 Expanding beyond climate tools  20:38 Closing remarks and future goals  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/ark-climate-raises-2-1m-pre-seed  Ruth Bosse’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthbosse/  Ark Climate’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ark-climate-technologies/?originalSubdomain=de  Ark Climate’s Website: https://www.ark-climate.de/en/homepage  To learn more about Ben check out the links below:  Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe  Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page  SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/  Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout  Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray 

Welcome back to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In this episode, host Ben Murray sits down with Hiren Hasmukh, founder of Teqtivity, an IT asset management platform serving organizations from startups to global enterprises.   Hiren Hasmukh shares his journey from web and graphic design through custom software builds to leading a bootstrapped, profitable SaaS company with a global reach. Tune in as they discuss Teqtivity’s product evolution, the deliberate decision to avoid fundraising, lean operations, go-to-market strategies, and what it takes to retain big-name customers—all while maintaining a laser focus on customer support and product excellence.   If you’re interested in SaaS growth, profitability, and scaling without external capital, this conversation is packed with insights you won't want to miss.  Show Notes:  00:00 Career path to Techtivity  03:20 Origin of the smart locker idea  08:40 Driving growth through word of mouth  11:35 Focusing on retention and value  14:50 Staying flexible with marketing  Links:  Hiren Hasmukh’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hiren-teq/  Teqtivity’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/teqtivity/  Teqtivity’s Website: https://www.teqtivity.com/  To learn more about Ben check out the links below:  Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe  Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page  SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/  Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout  Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray 

Welcome back to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In today's episode, Ben Murray sits down with Yogi Goel, co-founder and CEO of Maxima AI, to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the accounting function for scaling SaaS companies. With two decades of experience in finance—from auditing at Ernst & Young to leading through multiple SaaS IPOs—Yogi Goel brings deep operational insights into the struggle for accurate, timely, and efficient financial closes.  We’ll dig into the founding story of Maxima AI, the challenges of automating record-to-report processes, and the future of agentic platforms that seamlessly integrate into established ERPs like NetSuite, Dynamics, and Oracle. Yogi Goel also reveals Maxima’s journey through fundraising, their rapid growth, and his perspective on SaaS financial metrics in the era of AI.  Whether you’re a SaaS CFO, controller, or founder curious about leveraging AI to ease regulatory pressure, reduce errors, and eliminate late nights for your accounting team, this episode is packed with practical insights and candid advice from the front lines of fintech innovation.  Show Notes:  00:00 Identifying accounting challenges at scale  04:52 When Maxima is the right fit  08:10 Streamlining accounting processes  11:30 Improving product accuracy and scalability  13:29 Why investors believed in us  19:33 Building awareness for AI finance  23:03 Focusing on customer satisfaction  24:35 Focusing on weekly active users  27:56 Where to learn about Maxima  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/maxima-raises-41-million-in-funding  Yogi Goel’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yogi-goel/  Maxima’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/maximaai/  Maxima’s Website: https://www.maxima.ai/  To learn more about Ben check out the links below:  Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe  Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page  SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/  Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout  Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray 

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In today’s episode, we sit down with Dana Rochman, CEO and co-founder of Legato, an innovative company building an AI-powered app creation layer for SaaS platforms. With deep roots in product management and technology leadership, Dana shares how Legato is on a mission to empower non-technical business users — like CFOs — to build custom tools, dashboards, and workflows directly inside their existing B2B applications, eliminating the need for lengthy and costly customizations.  We explore Legato’s journey from inception in 2025, their $7 million seed round, and the importance of clear narrative and validation in fundraising. Dana also opens up about go-to-market strategies, pricing models in the age of AI, and how the platform aims to help SaaS vendors win the AI race by unlocking new revenue streams. Tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at how Legato is bringing the power of app creation to the hands of business users everywhere.  Show Notes:   00:00 Building AI tools for non-engineers  03:44 Customizable tools and workflows explained  09:14 Starting fundraising with strong validation  10:51 Why investors believed in us  14:47 Vendors monetizing dashboards and customizations  17:19 Maintaining and improving the app  20:06 Closing remarks and AI vision  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/legato-raises-7-million-seed-round  Dana Rochman’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danarochman/  Legato AI’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/legato-ai/  Legato AI’s Website: https://www.legato.ai/  To learn more about Ben check out the links below:  Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe  Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page  SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/  Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout  Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray 

Join host Ben as he sits down with Alex Novozhenov, CEO and co-founder of Nodu, on this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast. Alex Novozhenov shares his journey as a serial entrepreneur, from building and selling companies in the gaming and fintech space, to launching Nodu—a startup transforming cross-border payments for SaaS and fintech companies.  Discover how Nodu leverages stablecoin technology to enable faster, seamless money transfers across borders, eliminating traditional banking barriers. Alex Novozhenov breaks down what stablecoins are, Nodu’s API-driven approach, and why global commerce needs new solutions for moving money.  Whether you’re a SaaS CFO, founder, or fintech enthusiast, this episode is packed with insights on startup fundraising, adoption of cutting-edge financial tools, and the shift from bootstrapping to venture-backed growth. Tune in for a fresh perspective on the future of payments and entrepreneurship!  Show Notes:  00:00 "API-Driven Fintech & Stablecoins"  03:51 "Stablecoin Payments for Businesses"  09:28 "Funding Goals for Founders"  10:31 "Bootstrapping vs. Funded Startups"  15:10 "Hybrid Teams, Global Offices"  16:58 2026 Goals and Revenue Check  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/nodu-raises-1-45-million-pre-seed-funding  Alex Novozhenov’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/novozhenov/  Nodu’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nodufi/  Nodu’s Website: https://nodu.fi/  To learn more about Ben check out the links below:  Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe  Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page  SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/  Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout  Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray 

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In this episode, host Ben Murray sits down with Matthieu Hafemeister, co-founder and CEO of Concourse. Matthieu shares his journey from growing up in Paris to launching a fast-scaling AI startup in New York, drawing on his experiences in venture capital at Andreessen Horowitz and operational roles at Jeeves. Together, they dive deep into how Concourse leverages agentic AI to revolutionize finance teams—from automating workflows across complex data sources to increasing team capacity and strategic output.  Listeners will get a behind-the-scenes look at Concourse’s rapid growth, its recent $12 million Series A raise, and the evolving landscape of AI for enterprise finance. Matthieu also offers insights on the challenges of founder-led sales, best practices for scaling go-to-market, and why staying lean is a key part of their strategy. Whether you’re a SaaS founder, finance leader, or simply curious about the future of agentic AI, this conversation is packed with practical lessons and fresh perspectives. Don’t miss it!  Show Notes:  00:00 "Startup Growth and Complexity Insights"  06:03 Data Integration for Workflow Efficiency  07:36 AI Adoption Accelerates Across Industries  10:59 "AI Automating Workflows, Not Tools"  13:40 "AI Startup's Breakout Journey"  19:47 Evolving Pricing with Token Model  23:26 "AI Impact on Margins"  25:53 Streamlining Finance Team Workflows  27:31 "Custom AI for Enterprise Success"  30:41 "Proof of Concepts Drive Success"  34:38 "Concourse.ai: AI Insights Hub"  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/concourse-raises-12-million-in-series-a  Matthieu Hafemeister’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthafemeister/  Concourse’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/concourseai/  Concourse’s Website: https://www.concourse.co/  To learn more about Ben check out the links below:  Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe  Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page  SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/  Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout  Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray