In this special holiday edition of SaaS Fuel, Jeff Mains delivers a powerhouse “Best of 2025” episode. After a year of learning from 104 founder, operator, and investor conversations, Jeff Mains distills the top 10 lessons that moved SaaS companies from the $5M plateau to scaling past $50M. He reveals actionable frameworks, from cash flow management to 10x thinking, and gifts listeners a bundle of premium resources for each lesson—available for free until January 15. If you want a crash course on SaaS growth with practical, battle-tested playbooks, grab these notes and get ready to take action.

00:00 "Top 10 SaaS Growth Lessons"

06:10 "Onboarding Framework: Activation to Advocacy"

07:34 "Boosting SaaS Net Revenue Retention"

10:42 "Transparent Resource Allocation Matters"

16:07 "Winning Demos: Connection Over Features"

16:54 "AI-Driven Sales Transformation"

21:45 "People Strategy for Scaling Success"

24:52 "Product-Led Growth Revolution"

26:35 "PLG Strategies for Growth"

32:53 "Master Storytelling for Greater Success"

35:40 "10x Growth Strategy Insights"

36:49 "10x Growth Frameworks & Tools"

40:20 "Taskology: Productivity Made Simple"

“Cash is a fact; profit is an opinion.” — Jeff Mains, echoing Dan DeGolier

“Great onboarding isn’t just about retention—it’s your highest-leverage revenue optimization.” — Jeff Mains

“Your engineers aren’t slow—they just lack a coherent prioritization framework.” — Jeff Mains, paraphrasing Thanos Diaconcas

“Demos don’t win on features. They win on human connection and business acumen.” — Jeff Mains

“AI’s highest value? Making your best people even better.” — Jeff Mains

“People don’t buy products—they buy transformations.” — Jeff Mains, drawing from David Ebner

Be Brutally Honest About Your Metrics

Track cash (not just sales or profit) to survive and scale responsibly.

Obsession Over Onboarding

Make activation your primary revenue engine—not just an afterthought.

Radical Transparency with Prioritization

Use visible, accountable buckets to guide resource allocation and eliminate blame games.

Invest in People Before the Pain

Proactively upgrade your leadership and plan succession—don’t just react when you outgrow your team.

Focus on Stories, Not Specs

Your narrative is your edge. People buy transformation, not just tools.

Chase Multipliers, Not Percentages

Plan for 10x, not just 10%—and rethink everything needed for real step-change growth.

Dan DeGolier

dan@ascentcfo.com

ascentcfo.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/degolier/

Dan's Full Episode:

https://championleadership.com/episode-257-dan-degolier-cash-flow-essentials-strategies-for-sustainable-growth/

Srikrishnan Ganesan

sri@rocketlane.com

https://www.rocketlane.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/srikrishnang

Sri's Full Episode:

In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains welcomes back Jason Friedman—entrepreneur, author, and customer experience expert. Jason shares his journey from theater and rock-and-roll roadie to building billion-dollar brands, and reveals how the principles of stagecraft and storytelling can transform SaaS businesses.

The conversation dives deep into the “Kinetic Customer Formula,” the importance of designing intentional customer journeys, and why focusing on relationships and retention is the key to sustainable SaaS growth. Jason also discusses his upcoming book, “Addicted to Strangers,” and offers actionable advice for founders looking to create raving fans and reduce churn.

[0:45] – The power of stagecraft: How Jason’s theater background shaped his approach to customer experience.

[5:20] – Choreographing the audience’s journey is as important in business as it is in theater.

[13:20] – The “Kinetic Customer Formula”: Attitudes + Behaviors, multiplied by Momentum Boosters, minus Friction = Radical Results.

[22:00] – Retention over acquisition: Why focusing on existing customers yields a “quadratic return.”

[27:30] – The danger of being “addicted to strangers” and neglecting your current audience.

[32:00] – The importance of mapping not just the customer journey, but also employee and partner journeys.

[36:00] – Storytelling is embedded in every step of the customer experience, not just a surface-level tactic.

[41:00] – Churn is a silent killer: For every customer who complains, 21 remain silent.

[48:00] – Community and relationships are the future of SaaS in an AI-driven world.

“People don’t move in steps—they move in stories. If you want to move people, help them create the stories that move them in the direction you want.” — Jason Friedman

“Everything you do is for the audience. In business, everything is for the customer—but we often focus more on business needs than customer needs.” — Jason Friedman

“There’s a quadratic return on making the people who already bought from us happy. They become the best marketing.” — Jason Friedman

“If you increase the return on audience success, the return on ad spend goes up. It can’t not.” — Jason Friedman

“A raving fan can become a raving lunatic in an instant. There’s a thin line between love and hate.” — Jason Friedman

Design with Intention: Map out the customer journey as meticulously as a director plans a show. Start with the end in mind and reverse-engineer the experience.

Empathy is Key: Get into character—understand your customer’s mindset, motivations, and obstacles.

Retention to Acquisition: Focus on delighting and retaining current customers rather than constantly chasing new ones.

Measure What Matters: Don’t just look at churn percentages—track the actual number of customers lost and understand why.

jason@cxformula.com

www.radicalinc.com

www.cxformula.com

https://media.jasonfriedman.me

Jason Friedman’s Upcoming Book: Addicted to Strangers – Get a free ebook copy when it launches

LinkedIn: Jason Friedman

In this insightful episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains welcomes Jimi Gibson, VP of Brand Communication at Thrive Internet Marketing Agency—and a former professional magician! Together, they unpack the art (and science) of connecting with B2B SaaS customers through authentic storytelling, brand strategy, and personal visibility. Jimi Gibson shares his powerful Five Finger Framework for brand building, why founders should put a face to their company, and actionable strategies to create lasting emotional ties and customer loyalty—even in an AI-driven, content-saturated world.

If you’re a SaaS founder tired of beige, forgettable marketing and want your brand to stand out for something meaningful, this conversation is a treasure trove of tactical wisdom and inspiration.

00:00 "Feature Ops & AI Strategies"

05:07 Magic, Marketing, and Connection

08:05 "The Stump Test Mystery"

12:13 SaaS Exits, Branding, and AI

16:49 "Magic, Frameworks, and Authenticity"

19:26 "Commitment Drives Long-Term Success"

22:07 "Name Your Villain Strategically"

24:52 Thumbs Up: Measuring Impact

28:16 Customer-Centric Solutions Matter Most

31:34 Building Long-Term Customer Relationships

36:44 Identifying Competitor Weaknesses Strategically

39:20 "Defining Your Target Market"

41:00 Maximizing AB Testing Value

46:01 AI Lacks Human Connection

47:50 "Building Authority Through Personal Branding"

51:47 Essential Brand Stories Framework

"Marketing, like magic, is about capturing attention and delivering the wow—the call to action." — Jimi Gibson

"Founders, your audience is not 'everybody.' It's one person. Speak directly to them." — Jimi Gibson

"A faceless brand is forgettable. People buy from people, not just companies." — Jeff Mains

"Declare your villain. If you don't stand for something—or against something—your brand stands for nothing." — Jimi Gibson

"The clearer you can be, the more likely your message will resonate with someone who needs your solution." — Jimi Gibson

"You can't out-robot the robots. Your experience, empathy, and story are your ultimate differentiators." — Jimi Gibson

Connect Authentically, Not Generically:

Strong SaaS leaders craft messaging as if speaking to one person—even in a large market.

Show Your Face:

Humanizing your brand increases trust and long-term retention. Don’t hide behind anonymity.

Stand for (and Against) Something:

Declaring a clear brand "villain" or enemy sets your tribe apart and ignites loyalty.

Long-Term Relationships > Short-Term Transactions:

Protect your customer “family,” listen deeply, and own up to mistakes for lasting affinity.

Measure the Impact You Leave:

Track not just revenue, but employee growth, industry disruption, customer transformation, and your unique “thumbprint.”

Be Visible in the AI Era:

Customer stories, bylined articles, and video increase your odds of being cited and found as the authority, not just another generic provider.

jimi@Thriveagency.com

https://thriveagency.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimi-gibson/