Community-led SaaS is replacing Product-led SaaS
Remotification will continue to accelerate this trend
[ a thread ] 🌎🤝🚀
Remotification will continue to accelerate this trend
[ a thread ] 🌎🤝🚀
Community-led SaaS: We're evolving from 'product-led SaaS'. This was defined by software tailored to the end business user rather than organizations directly.
The focus was on the user - providing a great UI/UX - using the feedback they provided to optimize product iteration.
The focus was on the user - providing a great UI/UX - using the feedback they provided to optimize product iteration.
The difference between it and previous models was pace.
Products became trojan horses that expanded rapidly inside organizations who typically never saw it happening. This virality led to rapid growth.
The CAC was incredibly low meaning massive margins.
Products became trojan horses that expanded rapidly inside organizations who typically never saw it happening. This virality led to rapid growth.
The CAC was incredibly low meaning massive margins.
The problem? They relied on users to become the community.
Evangelical support isn't a nice to have, it's a pre-requisite. This isn't a problem initially but it is eventually. That support often fades and momentum peters out.
Evangelical support isn't a nice to have, it's a pre-requisite. This isn't a problem initially but it is eventually. That support often fades and momentum peters out.
The creators of many of these products know better than anyone why this is a problem.
Their products are not anti-fragile. They were the shiny thing that everyone wants for a minute but relevance is often fleeting.
Their products are not anti-fragile. They were the shiny thing that everyone wants for a minute but relevance is often fleeting.
Community-led SaaS can resemble product-led SaaS but is fundamentally different. Community is purposefully organized around a deeper alignment.
Product-led SaaS is driven by features. Community-led SaaS organizes and progresses around the collective.
Product-led SaaS is driven by features. Community-led SaaS organizes and progresses around the collective.
This has the potential to disrupt venture capital.
As costs come down, money is less important while community is exponentially more so.
Product-community fit is more important than the market. This is often achieved pre-product.
As costs come down, money is less important while community is exponentially more so.
Product-community fit is more important than the market. This is often achieved pre-product.
Venture Collectives: Community-led SaaS enables a decentralized and more remote model. The creators are the most ardent supporters.
'It is what it is' achieved much of the above. Though there was no product, they showed the potential for community-led SaaS as a model.
'It is what it is' achieved much of the above. Though there was no product, they showed the potential for community-led SaaS as a model.
A group of the most talented people in the world self-organized for a short period of time and achieved something meaningful.
This will emerge as a mechanism of creation.
This will emerge as a mechanism of creation.
The Collective is the users and the community of support. It's decentralized corp-dev run across innumerable organizations.
The users are the owners.
The evangelicals are the creators.
The flywheel is that they use these things themselves.
The users are the owners.
The evangelicals are the creators.
The flywheel is that they use these things themselves.
The problems they collectively identify while working at the cutting edge of emerging trends are unique insights seen by nobody.
Their solutions solve problems for millions/billions of people who haven't even experienced them yet.
Their solutions solve problems for millions/billions of people who haven't even experienced them yet.
The periphery is occupied by few who don't have to see around corners because they are already at the apex.
More than ever, founders and larger groups of angels are funding the innovation where they have experience problems themselves.
'Party rounds' was coined negatively but the reality is that the party is a community.
'Party rounds' was coined negatively but the reality is that the party is a community.
They are community-led SaaS products being driven by venture collectives. These collectives contribute far more than capital to the 'party'.
Their helpfulness is as customers, users, salespeople, recruiters. Success is dictated not by the money they invest but the time.
Their helpfulness is as customers, users, salespeople, recruiters. Success is dictated not by the money they invest but the time.
The size and scope of these collectives will grow.
I believe some of the world's biggest problems will be solved in this manner across the next decade.
Would you participate in a venture collective?
I believe some of the world's biggest problems will be solved in this manner across the next decade.
Would you participate in a venture collective?
