In this episode of the SaaS Revolution Show, Alex Theuma sits down with Marcus Ryu - Co-founder of Guidewire and now a Partner at Battery Ventures - for an honest conversation about the highs, lows, and hard lessons of building and backing SaaS companies.

Marcus shares how he went from pursuing a career in academia to leading a billion-dollar business, what it felt like to face years of rejection, and why he believes true founders don’t chase easy wins — they lean into hard problems. He also talks candidly about the realities of being a CEO, the shift into venture capital, and whether AI is truly as transformative as it’s hyped to be. 

 

 

Check out the other ways SaaStock is helping SaaS founders move their

business forward: 

🇮🇪 SaaStock Europe: 14-15 October 2025 | Dublin, Ireland

Book you tickets: https://saastock-europe.com/tickets/

🇺🇸 SaaStock USA 2025: April 2026 | Austin, Texas

Join the waitlist: https://saastock-usa.com/

🤝 SaaStock Founder Membership: A private members group of B2B SaaS

founders between $100K - $10M ARR who are committed to growth and

helping others (https://www.saastock.com/founder-membership/)

🌎 SaaStock Local: Monthly meet-ups in cities all around the world,

bringing together SaaS enthusiasts and experts to discuss the most

pressing topics in SaaS (https://local.saastock.com/home)