The inaugural SaaStock 2016 took place in Dublin, Ireland on September 21–22, 2016. It brought together over 60 speakers, and 700 delegates from 30+ countries, who all shared a common passion for B2B/ Software as a Service (SaaS).
The following represent some of the key lessons from the event:
One only need to take a walk around We Work Moorgate or The Office Group in Riding House Street in London to get a glimpse into the world of modern business. These buildings house hundreds of businesses operating in co-working facilities (The Times recently claimed there were over 800 of these co-working offices in London alone). For many of these tenants, their ‘offices’ simply consist of a smart phone, laptop (typically a MacBook Pro) and a headset. And their ‘window on their world’ is usually via an internet connection and a small collection of familiar desktop icons e.g. Spotify, Dropbox, Firefox and Skype.
Decisions regarding pricing are of crucial importance for SaaS businesses. The first decision point usually relates to whether you are contemplating a Freemium offering or choosing to charge from the off. The pro’s and con’s of launching with a Freemium offering are well documented but regardless this decision warrants some thought.
While the phrase ‘traction’ has typically been associated with tyres, friction and slippery driving conditions, its use is increasingly common in entrepreneurship and Venture Capital circles. This article explores what it means and why it is an important concept for entrepreneurs to be familiar with.
It hasn’t been a bad year for Kenny Jacobs, Chief Marketing Officer of Europe’s largest airline Ryanair. After joining at the start of 2014, he has presided over sweeping changes transitioning the company to a softer ‘New Ryanair’. And if the results to date are anything to go by, the changes have had the desired effect. Over 82 million passengers will have flown with Ryanair in 2014, and it is predicted that this figure will rise to 110 million over the next 5 years. The share price (which had been languishing around €6 after a profit warning in 2013) has reached the dizzy heights of a record €10 at the start of 2015 (up 58% yoy). And judging by advance bookings and load factors nudging 90% ‘Europe’s favourite airline’ is going from strength to strength.