Building a successful SaaS company requires deep market understanding, relentless focus, and the willingness to sacrifice traditional work-life balance in pursuit of sustainable growth. 

In this episode of SaaS That App: Building B2B Web Applications, Aaron Marchbanks is joined by Steve Benson, Founder and CEO of Badger Maps, to navigate his journey bootstrapping a successful B2B mapping solution for field sales teams.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to validate product ideas by securing customer commitments before building features
• Why focusing on early-stage hires is crucial for long-term success in bootstrapped companies
• Why global talent acquisition is essential for competing with tech giants
• The framework for deciding when to spin off features into separate products versus keeping them integrated
• How to build resilient technology solutions when dependent on third-party platforms like Google Maps
  
  

Steve Benson is the Founder and CEO of Badger Maps, a pioneering platform that helps outside sales teams optimize their routes and increase productivity. With a vast background in sales leadership at companies like Google, IBM, and HP, Steve has spent over a decade developing software solutions that address real-world challenges faced by field sales professionals. Under his leadership, Badger Maps has grown to 92 employees and expanded its offerings to include Badger Sales University and Grid Squid.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here.


Highlights:

• [00:00] Introduction
• [01:32] From Sales to SaaS
• [02:55] Where the Idea for Badger Maps Came From
• [06:06] MVP to Must-Have
• [08:35] Lassoing Ideas from Users
• [13:33] Building on Google’s Backbone
• [15:39] The Hardest Part of Staying Relevant
• [21:11] The Global Talent Advantage
• [27:26] When to Spin Out a Product vs. Build Features
• [38:02] Brutally Honest Advice for Founders
  
  

Episode Resources:

• Steve Benson on LinkedIn
• Badger Maps Website
• Badger Sales University Website
• Outside Sales Talk Podcast
• Sales Hall of Fame Website
• Grid Squid Website
• Aaron Marchbanks on LinkedIn
• Justin Edwards on LinkedIn
• Delta Systems Website

We’d love your feedback. Please take a moment to fill out our audience questionnaire:

https://forms.gle/DN8hWFDcE9jwvNKo6

Your input helps us shape future episodes and continue bringing you practical, real-world insights into building B2B web applications.