Grow Your B2B SaaS

Every episode of season seven asked the same question: what advice would you give a SaaS founder who is just starting out and aiming to go from zero to 10K MRR? This summary brings together the most practical and battle-tested suggestions from dozens of founders, operators, and go-to-market leaders. The focus is squarely on what works early on—how to find your first customers, validate demand, price correctly, and build momentum without burning too much cash. Across the conversations, certain patterns emerged repeatedly, alongside a few conflicting insights that provide nuance. The episodes cover founder-led growth, go-to-market motion, pricing tactics, product-market fit, and building early traction, all directly from people who have done it. If your goal is 10K MRR for a B2B SaaS, this is the guidance they shared. And once you get there, the next episode in the series digs into the leap from 10K MRR to 10 million ARR. For now, here is the zero-to-10K playbook, as told by the guests.

In this episode of the Grow Your B2B SaaS podcast, host Joran welcomes back Jacco van der Kooij, founder of Winning by Design, to unpack how AI-native SaaS companies are changing the rules of growth, pricing, and go-to-market in 2026. The conversation covers why real-time user-level data is becoming the defining competitive advantage, the pitfalls and promise of usage-based pricing for AI products, the existential challenge of inference costs for freemium models, and the enduring importance of subscriptions with smart hybrid elements. It also dives into how AI will replace the majority of sales tasks, the 30 percent of human expertise that remains essential, and why advocacy and community-driven growth loops will shape pipeline generation. From early-stage foundations to scaling to $10 million ARR, Jacco breaks down what founders need to get right now to thrive in the years ahead.Key Timecodes(0:00) - B2B SaaS podcast intro, AI native SaaS, pricing, GTM strategy 2026(1:01) - Jacco van der Kooij intro, Winning by Design(1:14) - 2026 success factors: real-time data, PLG, cohort analytics(2:31) - AI native buyer journey, user-led growth, usage patterns(3:48) - SaaS pricing: usage-based vs subscription, outcome-based pricing(4:23) - AI inference costs, freemium risk, monetization challenges(5:05) - Freemium in AI tools, limits, value gating(5:23) - Consumption-based pricing vs subscription, hybrid pricing(6:12) - Hybrid pricing example, membership + per-resolution fees(7:03) - Efficient growth, GTM efficiency, LTV:CAC, retention, outcomes(8:36) - AI for customer insights, demand gen, lookalike users(9:36) - Ad: B2B SaaS affiliate referral platform, AI-powered recruitment(9:47) - AI and jobs: replace vs enable, workforce impact(11:19) - GTM with AI: 70% sales tasks automated, CRM, scheduling, summaries(12:56) - Trust, human expertise, advocacy, risk mitigation(13:59) - Rebuilding GTM 2026: automation, expert touchpoints, events(15:00) - Growth loop: usage patterns, word of mouth, advocacy pipeline(16:26) - Community-led growth: user conferences, LinkedIn sharing, Clay example(17:02) - SDR strategy: activate users, customer success advocacy(17:11) - Early-stage advice: real-time data system, analytics(17:25) - Data stack recommendation: Snowflake, realtime data lake(17:32) - Scaling to $10M ARR: team alignment, closed-loop GTM(18:04) - Shared system understanding: recurring revenue, training(19:01) - Growth Institute by Winning by Design: courses, community, case studies(19:39) - Where to find: winningbydesign.com, Growth Institute(19:45) - Closing thoughts, optimism, AI era(19:54) - Outro: like, subscribe, sponsor, guest/topic requests(20:17) - Reditus mention, B2B SaaS affiliate program

How will SaaS Companies scale in 2026? The next era of SaaS growth won’t be won by adding more reps, more tools, or more noise. In this episode, go-to-market operator Koen Stam (Personio) breaks down why 2026 will mark a decisive shift from people-heavy scaling to process-first, data-driven, efficiency-led growth—and what founders must do now to stay ahead.Koen oversees international revenue operations across Benelux, DACH, the Nordics, Spain, and beyond, and he brings a rare operator’s lens to the future of GTM. He unpacks how founder-led, sales-led, and hybrid motions will evolve; why RevOps is about to become one of the most strategic functions in SaaS; and why fixing the data layer is the non-negotiable prerequisite to making AI actually work.You’ll learn why the biggest upside in 2026 will come from retention, expansion, and word of mouth, how to design motions that scale with simplicity and discipline, and what it really takes to build from 0 to 10K MRR and to 10M ARR with one product, one audience, and one crystal-clear process.A must-listen for founders, operators, and GTM leaders building for the next wave of SaaS.Key Timecodes(0:00) - Intro: B2B SaaS go-to-market 2026, RevOps, AI, retention, expansion(1:13) - Guest intro: Koen Stam, Personio, international RevOps, HR tech(2:04) - 2026 GTM strategy: process-first, data-driven, efficiency-led growth(2:47) - GTM motions: founder-led vs sales-led vs hybrid, authenticity, efficiency(4:02) - Efficiency in SaaS: bow tie model, customer journey mapping, root causes(5:35) - RevOps priority: data layer, metrics, RevOps to CRO(6:38) - AI in GTM: fix data foundations, process over people(7:26) - Retention & expansion: word-of-mouth, NRR, customer-led growth(9:20) - Sponsor: Reditus affiliate and referral platform for B2B SaaS(10:14) - Word-of-mouth playbook: product value, customer success, community events(12:06) - Build GTM from scratch: founder-led content, AI amplification, simplify(13:59) - Referrals & partners: partner ecosystem, trust, incentives, win-win(15:26) - Zero to 10K MRR: one offer, one ICP, focus, execution(16:54) - Scale to 10M ARR: one product, one market, process-first, data model(17:37) - Connect with Koen: LinkedIn, Substack, AI learnings(17:55) - Audience building: LinkedIn vs Substack, creator-led growth(18:27) - Outro: subscribe, sponsor, Reditus, Grow Your B2B SaaS podcast

How SaaS GTM Will Change in 2026? In this episode of the Grow Your B2B SaaS podcast, host Joran welcomes Glenn Miseroy, co-founder and CEO of Expandii, a cloud-based LinkedIn automation solution. Over the past six years, Expandii has grown to a team of 45 and scaled to 10 million ARR. The conversation digs into how go-to-market motions will evolve by 2026, why employee-led thought leadership will become central to growth, how AI will reshape ideation and timing, and why signal-based, intent-driven approaches must replace traditional lead lists. Glenn also shares how he would rebuild a go-to-market motion from scratch, how to operationalize signals across channels, and what founders should prioritize at different revenue stages—from zero to 10K MRR with founder-led growth to scaling toward 10 million ARR with clear ICP and aligned storytelling.Key Timecodes(0:00) - B2B SaaS Podcast Intro: GTM 2026, intent signals, LinkedIn thought leadership, AI(1:14) - Guest Intro: Glenn Miseroy, Expandi CEO, LinkedIn automation, 10M ARR(1:49) - 2026 GTM Vision: employee-led thought leadership, hybrid PLG + SLG(2:57) - AI for Thought Leadership: ideation, personalization, timing(3:34) - Defining Intent Signals: website visitors, LinkedIn profile views, post engagement, followers(4:13) - Signal-to-Intent: timing outreach with high-intent signals(5:10) - Full-Funnel GTM: thought leadership reach to multichannel outreach(5:42) - Rebuilding GTM 2026: team-led LinkedIn thought leadership strategy(6:49) - Phase 2: capture engagement signals, route to sales, no more lead lists(7:58) - Company-Level Intent + ABM: multi-contact warming, signal-based outreach(9:15) - Enabling Employee Advocacy: content ops, Scripe, AI content calendar(10:35) - Overcoming Posting Fear: ICP-first mindset on LinkedIn(12:00) - Sponsor: Reditus affiliate referral platform for B2B SaaS(12:57) - AI and Headcount: efficiency, enablement, process optimization(13:44) - 2026 Growth Loop: thought leadership pipeline, AI personalization, timing triggers(14:50) - Trigger-Based Outreach: new Head of Sales timing on LinkedIn(15:14) - 0–10K MRR: founder-led growth on LinkedIn, capture intent signals(16:39) - Scaling to 10M ARR: clear ICP, aligned messaging, storytelling(17:58) - Messaging Framework: problem-led narrative vs “10X meetings”(18:59) - Connect with Glenn: LinkedIn, Expandi website(19:11) - Outro CTA: subscribe, sponsor, Reditus info

How can you effectively prepare your SaaS for an exit? And what should you know about the valuation drivers, buyer types, and metrics that matter most? In a live episode of the Grow Your B2B SaaS podcast recorded at SaaS Summit Benelux, host Joran sat down with René de Jong to unpack what it takes for SaaS companies to scale and prepare for a successful exit in 2026. René helps entrepreneurs—specifically SaaS founders—design effective exit strategies and navigate the full process of selling their businesses to third parties. Across the conversation, he offered clear and pragmatic insights on what separates the SaaS businesses that grow and sell well from those that struggle, how buyers evaluate companies in the current market, and why topics like the rule of 40, net revenue retention, AI-driven scalability, and deal structure matter now more than ever. From early-stage focus at 0 to 10K MRR to strategies for moving toward 10 million ARR, René shared guidance grounded in what he sees every day in the market.This episode turns the full discussion into a clear, actionable narrative that stays true to the original conversation and is easier to follow and revisit.Key Timestamps(0:00) - SaaS Summit Benelux intro, B2B SaaS scaling 2026, Rule of 40, NRR, ARR multiples, Earnouts, Strategic buyers, 0-10K MRR, 10M ARR(0:50) - Guest intro, SaaS M&A advisor, SaaS exit strategy, SaaS acquisition process(1:14) - Scaling your SaaS for 2026(1:20) - What separates SaaS winners in 2026(1:26) - Rule of 40, Efficient growth, ARR multiple valuation(2:18) - Go-to-market strategy, New business team, Net Revenue Retention (NRR), Expense efficiency(3:05) - NRR benchmarks, Churn, Customer concentration, Market standards(4:01) - Efficient growth vs spend, AI scalability, Revenue per employee(5:06) - AI native SaaS costs, VC vs mature SaaS valuation, EBITDA vs ARR(6:38) - VC backing for AI native startups(6:48) - Freemium model 2026, Valuation cycles, EBITDA focus, AI hype, ARR multiples(8:05) - Sponsor: B2B SaaS affiliate marketing, Reditus(8:49) - SaaS valuation benchmarks, ARR multiples range(9:01) - 3.5x ARR cash at close, Earnout, Reinvest, Deal structure(10:34) - Venture capital vs Private equity(10:43) - Strategic buyers, One plus one equals three, Synergy valuation(11:22) - Build list of strategic acquirers, Exit planning(11:29) - Headline valuations vs reality, Purchase price, Earnouts, Deal terms(11:51) - Earnout as bonus, Cash at closing, Burnout risk(13:05) - 2026 growth loop, AI in land and expand, Product-led growth, AI agents(14:10) - 0–10K MRR advice, Founder mindset, Learn fast, Mentors, SaaS community(15:35) - Smart capital, Operator investors, Non-dilutive help(16:06) - 10K MRR to 10M ARR, Focus, Buy-and-build strategy, Autonomous growth, 3–5 year plan(17:43) - Contact info, LinkedIn, anno9082.nl(18:03) - Outro, Subscribe, Sponsor the show, Reditus call-to-action