Shiv Narayanan interviews Daniel Pianko, Managing Director at Achieve Partners and host of the Better Money Better World podcast. Daniel and Shiv discuss how Achieve Partners is using talent development to maximize portfolio company growth, unlock revenue potential, and make positive change for employees and their communities. Learn how Achieve Partners' alternative approach is helping set them apart from other firms and connect them with passionate investors and founders.

Ep.1: Daniel Pianko, Achieve Partners | How to Stand Out with Talent Development

Shiv Narayanan interviews Bryce Youngren, Managing Partner at Polaris Growth Fund.

Bryce and Shiv discuss how Polaris Growth Fund creates value in smaller businesses, and why this area of the market is under-leveraged. Learn about the tried-and-tested process that has helped them generate impressive returns, including a founder-friendly approach and strategic acceleration teams.

Ep.2: Bryce Youngren, Polaris Growth Fund | How to Deliver Big Returns on Small Companies

Shiv Narayanan interviews Mike Devine, CMO at Fortra.

Mike and Shiv discuss how the Fortra marketing function has adapted and scaled to suit the company’s changing needs and consistently drive growth.

Learn how they integrated teams, built centres of expertise and maintained open communication with investors.

Ep.3: Mike Devine, Fortra | How Marketing Needs to Evolve for a High-Growth Company

Shiv Narayanan interviews Zane Tarence, Partner and Managing Director at Founders Advisors Technology Practice.

Zane and Shiv discuss what investors look for in potential acquisitions and how founders can make their businesses more appealing for investment. Get an insider’s perspective on the finance options available to growing businesses, what many founders get wrong, and the factors that make a company investment-grade.

Ep.4: Zane Tarence, Founders Advisors | What Makes a Business Investment-Grade

Shiv Narayanan interviews AJ Gandhi, CGO at Marlin Equity Partners.

AJ and Shiv discuss how Marlin Equity Partners’ team of operating professionals create value in their portcos with a hands-on approach to revenue growth.

Learn about the sales and marketing structures that are the foundation to scaling but are often underdeveloped, and hear how Marlin Equity Partners leverage upselling, demand generation and pricing changes for sustainable growth.

Ep.6: AJ Gandhi of Marlin Equity Partners on 6 Needle Movers for Organic Growth

Shiv Narayanan interviews Vinny Prajka, Partner at JMI Equity.

Vinny and Shiv discuss how portfolio companies can increase efficiency and grow sustainably with a more focused approach to sales.

Hear how JMI use customer segmentation to target sales efforts, reduce churn and increase average sales price. Learn how to implement this approach in your portfolio companies, including restructuring the sales org structure, updating product marketing and hiring the right team.

Ep.7: Vinny Prajka, JMI Equity | How to Use ICPs and Segmentation as a Foundation for Scale

Shiv Narayanan interviews George Rossolatos, CEO and Managing Partner of Canadian Business Growth Fund.

George and Shiv discuss how CBGF’s investment philosophy and evergreen fund are a rewarding alternative to companies choosing rapid growth at all costs.

Learn how longer holding periods can be the basis of sustained, profitable growth and better returns for both founders and investors. Plus, hear how founders should be evaluating potential investors to build the right partnership.

Ep.8: George Rossolatos, CBGF | How to Build Sustainable Growth with a Long Term Investment Approach

Shiv Narayanan interviews Matt Gallagher, Portfolio CRO at Hg Capital.

Matt and Shiv discuss how the Hg portfolio team prioritize revenue growth strategies that will move the needle most in the first months after an investment.

Learn about the importance of due diligence as a foundation for scale and the metrics you should review to assess performance and potential, plus common areas of inefficiency in portfolio companies and how to address them.

Ep.9: Matt Gallagher, Hg Capital | How to Increase Efficiency with Data and Strategy

Shiv Narayanan interviews Allen Duan, General Partner at B Capital Group.

Allen and Shiv discuss how B Capital Group’s role as minority investors influences their approach to value creation and how they leverage the experience of advisors and partners.

Learn how you can guide companies towards growth through team and organization, capital advisory, strategy and operations, BD and ecosystem development, and community knowledge sharing.

Ep.10: Allen Duan, B Capital Group | 5 Pillars of Value Creation for Minority Investors

Episode 4 of the How To SaaS podcast with Shiv Narayanan features Joey Coleman on onboarding users in the first 100 days of their journey and turning initial experience into an advantage to increase retention and referrals


04: How To Onboard Users In The First 100 Days® with Joey Coleman, Founder of Design Symphony

On episode 29 of the How To SaaS podcast, Shiv interviews Dave Gray, the former CEO of Daxko and current CEO of the Biso Collective. Dave and Shiv discuss how Daxko deployed a growth by acquisitions strategy to scale its business and the importance of focus in growing companies. Dave also shares the vision for his new initiative, Biso Collective, and how he plans on deploying a buy-and-hold strategy to give founders of mission-critical software companies a third alternative to a liquidity event outside of a strategic or financial buyer.

How To SaaS

29: How to grow through acquisitions, focus and culture with Dave Gray

Have you ever wondered about what other SaaS companies are doing to grow their business? What channels are they experimenting with? Where are they finding traction?

Welcome to How To SaaS — the go-to podcast for growing your cloud software company. Hosted by growth strategist Shiv Narayanan, Founder of How To SaaS and the CMO of Wild Apricot — the #1 membership software for small associations and nonprofits.

Each week will bring you interviews with founders, CEOs and growth leaders who have successfully implemented a growth strategy to help you take your cloud software company to the next level.