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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 [email protected] and we'll be in touch.

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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 [email protected] and we'll be in touch.

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Luca Benini, co-founder and COO of Native Video,  joins James Gasteen to share his journey in the Salesforce space and the development of their video solutions. The conversation covers topics such as the challenges of bootstrapping, marketing strategies, pricing models, and the future of the Salesforce ecosystem. Luca emphasizes the importance of focus and specialization in industry and use case-specific solutions. He also highlights the role of AI and data in driving the success of CRM and operations. The episode concludes with Luca's advice for founders to prioritize focus and target specific markets.

Takeaways

• Focus and specialization are crucial for success in the Salesforce ecosystem.
• Marketing strategies such as the AppExchange, events, and partnerships play a significant role in lead generation.
• Pricing models should be flexible and consider factors like usage and seat allocation.
• Hiring the right people is essential, and junior hires may require more time and resources for training and support.
• The future of the Salesforce ecosystem will involve increased specialization, industry-specific solutions, and the integration of AI and data.

Native Video recently launched Alfred, the only meeting assistant native to Salesforce. Simply invite Alfred to video meetings and get automatic transcriptions, summaries, next-step tasks and draft follow-up emails, all saved against the relevant Leads, Contacts, Opportunities and more! Record voice notes after other client interactions and Alfred handles the admin. Alfred includes Enterprise-ready features such as Sentiment Analysis, Notifications, Manager Playlists, dynamic Recording Hints, and much more! Alfred increases the quality and frequency of updates, readying your Org for GPT.

Check out more at https://www.nativevideo.co/solutions/alfred 

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 [email protected] and we'll be in touch.

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In this episode, James is joined by JP Leggett, Founder and CEO at Squivr, one of the leading relationship management and account planning tools on the Salesforce platform.

During the episode, JP shares his story of launching Squivr in a pandemic year through to scaling to over 120 customers to date.  JP speaks of the value of referrals, building a robust partner network and the importance of deep-diving into verticals to achieve maximum impact. JP highlights how B2B marketing has transitioned from technical marketing to storytelling and how brand-building has been key to their success.

James and JP also touch on bootstrapping your start-up, including advice on taking funding and being realistic with timelines to avoid the fundraising treadmill. 

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 [email protected] and we'll be in touch.

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In this bumper length episode, James is joined by Ian Gotts, CEO & Co-founder of Elements.cloud.  Throughout the conversation, Ian shares invaluable insights into his journey of building a successful Salesforce ISV; from the importance of staying focused and avoiding diversions to the evolving landscape of the Salesforce ecosystem. James and Ian also explore the transformative impact of AI on the Salesforce ecosystem and how it is reshaping roles and processes. 

Discover the keys to success, including the significance of picking a niche, staying agile, and the game-changing potential of AI integration. 

Episode highlights include:

• Importance of staying focused and avoiding diversions in the early stages of building a Salesforce ISV
• The role of events like Dreamforce in gaining grassroots feedback and understanding real requirements.
• Leveraging content marketing, industry-specific niches, and speaking engagements for effective Salesforce community marketing.
• The evolution of roles in the Salesforce ecosystem with the introduction of AI, from integrated AI solutions to AI co-pilots.

Throughout the conversation, Ian mentions a number of resources which we've listed below:

IMPACT - Selling Innovative Apps to Corporates

https://elements.cloud/whitepapers-ebooks/impact-the-technology-executives-guide-to-selling-b2b-disruptive-and-innovative-solutions/

GPT - New Roles

[Short] https://elements.cloud/blog/renew-your-approach-for-2024-with-staying-relevant-in-a-post-gpt-world/

[Deeper dive] https://elements.cloud/blog/gpt-requires-salesforce-skills/

Moving to Silicon Valley

[Blog] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/silicon-valley-brits-perspective-why-you-need-here-what-ian-gotts/

[Book] https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Relocating-Silicon-Valley-Questions/dp/1907453261

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 [email protected] and we'll be in touch.

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In today's episode, James welcomes Dieter Härle from Mirage Computer Systems, a recent addition to the Unaric portfolio. Mirage specializes in providing advanced Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) solutions tailored specifically for Salesforce. During the episode, Dieter shares insights into Mirage's two decade journey within the Salesforce ecosystem, including how he established strong relationships with Salesforce consulting partners to drive  over 50% of their revenue.

🚀 Key Highlights:

• Mirage's initiation outside the Salesforce ecosystem, starting with a generic CTI application.
• The inception of Mirage's Salesforce integration in 2004, pre-dating the AppExchange era.
• Challenges faced and strategic decisions made during the evolution of Mirage's CTI products.
• The pivotal role of Salesforce consulting partners in driving over 50% of Mirage's revenue.
• Marketing strategies, including working with Salesforce account executives, system engineers, and AppExchange listings.

💡 Lessons Learned:

• The importance of belief in both the product and oneself during entrepreneurial highs and lows.
• The challenge of predicting market demands for future product development.
• The significance of building relationships early with consulting partners and developers.
• Dieter's advice on securing investors who provide value beyond financial support.

🔮 Envisioning the Future:

• Navigating Salesforce's rapid changes and adopting new technologies at the right time.
• Preparing for the impact of AI on Salesforce apps and staying agile in response to market shifts.

Tune in to gain practical strategies, firsthand experiences, and actionable advice from Dieter's journey within the Salesforce ecosystem.

You can discover more about Mirage's flagship CTI Data Connector on the AppExchange: https://appexchange.salesforce.com/appxListingDetail?listingId=a0N30000004g5sgEAA 

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 [email protected] and we'll be in touch.

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In today's episode, James Gasteen sits down with David VanHeukelom, a 2x Salesforce ISV founder (Vana Workforce & Klient - both acquired), serial entrepreneur and advisor to a number of ISVs across the ecosystem.

David shares his journey into the Salesforce ecosystem, emphasizing the importance of focus in the early stages of an ISV. From tackling challenges in product development to building a strategic go-to-market approach, David provides valuable lessons for ISV founders.

The conversation explores David's experiences in acquiring the first customers, the dynamics of building enterprise software in the Salesforce space, and the significance of partnerships with key players like Sage and Systems Integrators. Dave's advice for ISVs echoes the need for a laser-focused approach to go-to-market, honing in on specific industries, regions, and customer profiles.

Discover the intricacies of channel partnerships, the role of sales and marketing in ISV success, and the lessons learned from navigating time zone challenges. With a wealth of experience and hindsight, David reflects on what he would have done differently, offering valuable insights for current and aspiring ISV founders in the competitive landscape of the Salesforce ecosystem.

Tune in to gain practical strategies, firsthand experiences, and actionable advice from David's journey in scaling ISVs within the Salesforce ecosystem.

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 [email protected] and we'll be in touch.

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In today's episode, James Gasteen sits down with Gordon Derk, Founder and President of Accountability Solutions who recently joined the Unaric fold.

James and Gordon discuss how Gordon first arrived in the Salesforce space, the power of the AppExchange, building relationships with Salesforce Solution Engineers and why ISVs should be aligning to Salesforce industry-centric value propositions.

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 [email protected] and we'll be in touch.

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In today's episode, James Gasteen sits down with his fellow Unaric Co-Founder, Neil Crawford.

James and Neil discuss Neil's journey into the Salesforce ecosystem, building a product in collaboration with your customers, the challenges of building a horizontal product and, in the early days, why it's important to prioritise existing relationships over chasing new opportunities.

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 [email protected] and we'll be in touch.