In this episode, James is joined by Jason Hoult, founder and CEO of Anvil App Works (now part of Tractor Zoom), as he shares his journey into the Salesforce ecosystem and how he came up with the idea for Anvil App Works.

Takeaways

• The importance of starting a business in a niche that you already know well and leveraging industry clouds.
• The challenges and strategies of acquiring the first customers, including targeting the right market and building confidence with AEs
• The considerations and benefits of being an OEM partner, such as providing support and training to customers.
• Focus on building features that have a significant impact and to think about scalability and software development principles from the beginning.

About Anvil App Works (Acquired by Tractor Zoom)

Anvil App Works is now part of Tractor Zoom. Anvil App Works is a respected Salesforce OEM partner with CRM solutions built specifically for equipment dealerships of all brands.

Want to join the podcast?

If you are a Salesforce ISV founder with an interesting story to tell, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email to podcast@unaric.com and we'll be in touch.

In this episode, James is joined by Jessica Jeffries, co-founder of Chorum, as shares her journey into the world of Salesforce, the challenges and opportunities for the customer success function, and her experience of being an ISV founder.

Chorum’s easy-to-use Salesforce integration enables Customer Success teams to view key data, prioritize daily workflows and act decisively to reduce churn.

During the episode, Jessica discusses the pain points that led to the creation of Chorum and the challenges of customer onboarding and adoption. Jessica also reflects on the Australian ecosystem, the struggles of being a founder, and the need for authentic conversations in the Salesforce community.

Takeaways

• The challenges of customer success and the need for technology to empower this part of the business.
• Embedded change management into customer onboarding to increase adoption
• The struggle of being an ISV founder and the expectations around collaboration and investment.
• How to success in the extroverted world of Salesforce events and conferences
• The importance of authentic conversations and the need for relatable content in the Salesforce community.

About Chorum

Chorum enables Customer Success Managers to achieve their customer satisfaction and revenue goals by making data-driven decisions, prioritizing key tasks and acting based on evidence.

Want to join the podcast?

If you are a Salesforce ISV founder with an interesting story to tell, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email to podcast@unaric.com and we'll be in touch.

In this episode, James is joined by Mahesh Baxi, Co-Founder & CEO at Provus.

Throughout the episode, Mahesh shares his journey in the Salesforce ecosystem and his previous 30 years experience in the world of quote-to-cash.

Mahesh talks to the challenges of the quote-to-cash domain and the evolution of the Salesforce platform. James and Mahesh cover Provus automating services coding processes and the benefits of a data-driven configuration approach. Mahesh also shares effective marketing strategies, including participating in events like Dreamforce and establishing thought leadership through content generation.

Takeaways

• Understand the quote-to-cash domain and the challenges it presents in order to develop effective solutions.
• Consider the evolution of the Salesforce platform and its features when deciding to build an app on force.com.
• Prioritize adoption and user personas when designing and architecting a product.
• Establish credibility and position yourself as a knowledgeable authority in your domain to win large customers.
• Templatize and use a data-driven approach to onboarding to reduce service overhead and improve customer success.
• Participate in events and establish thought leadership through content generation to generate buzz and attract customers.
• Build relationships with Salesforce AEs and SEs to gain traction in the Salesforce ecosystem.
• Be aware of the challenges and competition in the ISV ecosystem within Salesforce and develop a go-to-market strategy accordingly.

About Provus

Provus help organizations to optimize their quoting process with a purpose-built platform for enterprise services organizations.

Want to join the podcast?

If you are a Salesforce ISV founder with an interesting story to tell, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email to podcast@unaric.com and we'll be in touch.

In this episode of the Scale to Sale podcast, James Gasteen interviews Jon Jessup, CEO and founder of 1440. They discuss Jon's journey into the Salesforce ecosystem, the challenges of customer acquisition, effective marketing strategies, and the future of the Salesforce ecosystem. Jon shares insights on building a successful SAS software company, the importance of being strategic in decision-making, and the potential of the Salesforce Data Cloud. He also highlights the advantage of being in the retail e-commerce industry and the need for strong go-to-market strategies.

Takeaways

• Building a SAS software company is challenging, and it requires being strategic in decision-making.
• Focus on a strong go-to-market strategy and identify the key features that customers are willing to pay for.
• The Salesforce Data Cloud presents a huge opportunity for ISVs, but it also requires understanding the market and customer needs.
• Being in the retail e-commerce industry provides an advantage in the Salesforce ecosystem due to the availability of data.
• Consider the global aspects of Salesforce and explore opportunities outside the US market.
• Translation and AI technologies can help businesses go global with Salesforce.

Chapters

00:00
Introduction and Background

02:57
Building a Successful SAS Software Company

09:09
Strategic Decision-Making and Go-to-Market Strategies

25:18
Advantage of the Retail E-commerce Industry in the Salesforce Ecosystem

29:29
Exploring Global Opportunities with Salesforce

30:01
Translation and AI Technologies for Global Expansion

1440.io helps businesses to unify conversations across the customer journey. Businesses can build experiences once and deploy them on many channels with the only Salesforce Native tool to streamline customer engagement across the entire journey.

Learn more at https://www.1440.io/

If you are a Salesforce ISV founder with an interesting story to tell, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email to podcast@unaric.com and we'll be in touch.

In this episode, Taylor Lint, Founder & CEO of Swantide, discusses her journey into the Salesforce ecosystem and the story behind Swantide. Swantide helps automate the setup and implementation of Salesforce. Organizations can connect Swantide AI to their Salesforce org and automate changes, debug issues, and ask questions. Think of Swantide as instant access to a 10x Salesforce admin.

During this conversation, James and Taylor cover a range of topics. The key takeaways:

• Taylor provides an overview of Swantide. The company automates the setup and implementation of Salesforce, typically for SMBs, and provides tools for SIs and admins to manage Salesforce more efficiently.
• Their main focus is on solving the UI/UX and education challenges faced by organizations new to Salesforce.
• They offer industry-specific solutions and are building relationships within the Salesforce community.
• Referrals have been a successful acquisition channel for Swantide, and they are now exploring partnerships with SIs and ISVs.
• Taylor shares advice from her entrepreneurial journey so far - celebrate the wins and quickly move past setbacks in the rollercoaster journey of building a business.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Background of Swantide
• 01:21 Automating Salesforce Setup and Implementation for SMBs
• 08:48 Partnerships with SIs and ISVs
• 22:07 The Future of Salesforce Apps and the ISV Marketplace
• 23:16 Advice for Entrepreneurs

To learn more about how Swantide offers founders, sales, marketing and operations a new way to design, build and manage their GTM systems, visit www.swantide.com.

If you are a Salesforce ISV founder with an interesting story to tell, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email to podcast@unaric.com and we'll be in touch.

In this episode, James is joined by Lorenzo Frattini, founder and CEO of Clayton, who shares his journey into the Salesforce world and how he identified the need for his company. Clayton helps companies reduce risk and improve agility in Salesforce implementation programs. Clayton finds flawed code, written by humans or generative AI, twice as accurately as any code scanner.

Takeaways

• Clayton helps companies reduce risk and improve agility in Salesforce implementation programs.
• Marketing strategies that have worked well for Clayton include content creation and engaging with the audience.
• The primary buyer persona for Clayton is the enterprise buyer in charge of Salesforce, but SIs also value the technology.
• Customer success is a key focus for Clayton, and they prioritize building a strong relationship with their customers.
• The future of the Salesforce ISV app ecosystem is expected to be more crowded, but there are opportunities for disruptors to stand out.
• Advice for founders includes focusing on the right problem, building the right team, and getting the technology foundations right.

Chapters

00:00
Introduction and Background

04:55
Acquiring the First Customers

09:52
Buyer Persona and Customer Success

14:30
Challenges of Bootstrapping

25:06
The Future of Salesforce and Advice for Founders

If you are a Salesforce ISV founder with an interesting story to tell, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email to podcast@unaric.com and we'll be in touch.

In this episode, Mark Robinson, founder of Kimble Applications, shares his journey in the Salesforce ecosystem. He discusses the need for a new system to manage professional services firms and how the Salesforce platform provided a solution. Mark highlights the challenges of adapting Salesforce CRM for the professional services market and the importance of building a brand outside of Salesforce. He emphasizes the need to qualify leads better and avoid excessive discounting. Mark also shares his experience navigating the challenges of COVID-19 and offers advice for entrepreneurs.

During the conversation, James and Mark discuss:

- How Mark got started in the Salesforce ecosystem from a consulting background.

- Strategies for acquiring the first few customers and building relationships.

- Navigating the challenges of transitioning from a services business to a software business.

- Insights on marketing and collaborating with Salesforce as the brand evolved.

- Overcoming unexpected hurdles, including the impact of COVID-19.

- Key advice on qualifying leads and avoiding excessive discounting for long-term success.

Chapters

00:00
Introduction and Background

00:30
Identifying the Need for a New System

03:23
Acquiring the First Customers

05:16
Building on the Salesforce Platform

06:34
Challenges of Adapting Salesforce CRM for Professional Services

08:29
Transitioning from Services to Software

10:41
Acquiring Customers and Overcoming Implementation Challenges

11:27
Marketing and Go-to-Market Strategy

13:08
Selling with Salesforce as the Brand Grows

15:47
Collaboration with the Channel and System Integrators

18:43
Success Turning Customers into Partners

19:41
Unexpected Hurdles and Lessons Learned

20:50
Navigating the Challenges of COVID-19

24:56
Advice: Qualify Better and Avoid Discounting

If you are a Salesforce ISV founder with an interesting story to tell, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email to podcast@unaric.com and we'll be in touch.

In this episode, James is joined by Chris Federspiel, CEO and Founder of Blackthorn.io. Chris shares his journey in the Salesforce ecosystem and the challenges he faced as a bootstrapped startup. He discusses the focus on events and payments, the process of killing unsuccessful products, and the importance of finding product-market fit. Chris also talks about creating accountability without a board, effective marketing strategies, and the role of system integrators in their business. He shares insights on release management, customer support, and the future of the Salesforce AppExchange. His advice for startup founders is to persevere through the challenges and stay focused on their goals.

Chapters

00:00
Introduction and Origin Story

01:19
Focus on Events and Payments

04:22
Challenges of Bootstrapping

06:22
Creating Accountability without a Board

09:41
Marketing Strategies and Targeting SIs

11:27
Finding Product-Market Fit

14:16
Training and Enablement for SIs

16:07
Unexpected Hurdles and Lessons Learned

23:14
The Future of the Salesforce AppExchange

27:26
Advice for Startup Founders

If you are a Salesforce ISV founder with an interesting story to tell, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email to podcast@unaric.com and we'll be in touch.