Building global SaaS companies: When and Where to Scale
The SaaS Revolution Show is a weekly podcast that brings insights and tactics from leading SaaS entrepreneurs and operators across the world. Hosted by Alex Theuma, the show is brought to you by SaaStock. You can subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Overcast. As part of the Episode 100, we will be recording a live podcast with David Cancel of Drift during SaaStock New York. Join us on June 20th to be part of that.
What does it take to build global SaaS companies? With 13 years of experience in the VC world and having invested in some of the greatest SaaS companies out there, Alex Ferrara is one to say.
Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, based out in New York City, Alex has worked with companies such as Shopify, Wix and Pipedrive. Bessemer itself has been investing in companies in over a 100 years and has over 100 SaaS investments to date.
When Alex first joined Bessemer he thought he would stay only a couple of years in the VC world and hop over to the entrepreneur side of things shortly. That never happened.
Throughout the experience Alex has seen what constitutes a global company and how it makes decisions about the when and where of scaling. That has given him an uncanny view of what makes companies successful when they cross borders, oceans and continents in any direction.
One thing he has noticed is the lure of European companies for the East coast. Whether it’s for the better time difference or the more European feel, that shift is making it a fascinating place for growing SaaS, because of the amalgamation of different cultures and points of view.
Listen on to hear:
- What are the features of truly global companies
- The trouble with moving to the US too late
- When does it make sense for US companies to open offices overseas
SaaStock will be crossing the ocean for the first time on June 20th with an event in Alex Ferrara’s native New York. Beyond hosting a panel on building a New York State of mind with Ben Hindman, CEO, Splash, Tomer Tagrin, CEO Yotpo, Alexis Le Quoc, CTO, Datadog, we will also host David Skok, managing Partner, Matrix Partners, Seth Besmertnik, CEO of Conductor and Howard Lerman, CEO, at Yext amongst others. Join them and the 400 SaaS leaders that we are gathering.
