Alexander Estner

I help early-stage SaaS founders build & execute their Go-to-market foundation to grow from €0 to €1 million ARR 🚀

3 WAYS I CAN HELP YOU 👇
1️⃣ GTM Advisory - Work 1-on-1 with me in bi-weekly GTM sprints
2️⃣ GTM Audit - Get a 360° assessment of your current GTM status quo + custom action plan
3️⃣ GTM Content - Bi-weekly newsletter +  Daily LinkedIn posts + Free GTM Library

P.S. You will find the links to all 3 in the featured section.

Among other things, I help you with:
👉 Creating your early/ideal customer profile (ICP)
👉 Working on positioning, messaging & value proposition 
👉 Choosing the right pricing for your business (pricing model, value metric & packaging)
👉 Implementing the right sales strategy (sales-led vs. product-led)
👉 Mastering 2-3 growth channels to continuously generate new deals/trials
👉 Setting up the right tech stack in sales, marketing & customer success
👉 Building your commercial teams.

Send me a DM on LinkedIn or book a free 15-minute intro call to learn more about my offering.

Startup Consultant for B2B SaaS

As a freelance startup consultant, I help early-stage B2B SaaS Startups quickly grow their business with a powerful Growth Strategy 🚀


I work on both, strategic and operational, levels and help you with the following topics.

► For Founders (Launch to Seed Stage):
- Clarify, validate and stress test your business idea
- Win first paying customers and kickstart growth for your SaaS
- Develop and implement a powerful B2B SaaS Growth strategy
- Find product-market fit and close your first funding (business angels & seed)

► For Startups (Seed to Series A Stage):
- Accelerate your growth to 5M€+ ARR
- Review or implement a powerful B2B SaaS growth strategy
- Optimization of direct & indirect growth channels
- Create a growth team mentality, track the right KPIs, and set OKRs

► For more information:
- check out my website (www.alexestner.com)
- subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter for founders & early-stage startups (https://startupbusinesstips.substack.com/)

► Interested?
- Send me a DM on Linkedin

GTM is overwhelming, but this checklist will change how you think about it.

This checklist is your roadmap from €0 to €1M ARR.

90% founders start with tactics, skip the foundations. Then wonder why nothing sticks.

But GTM isn't just "getting customers". It's a systematic approach with 10 interconnected foundations.

1️⃣ Ideal Customer Profile
2️⃣ Positioning
3️⃣ Value Proposition & Messaging
4️⃣ GTM Collaterals
5️⃣ Pricing
6️⃣ Sales Motion
7️⃣ Channels
8️⃣ Forecasting & Planning
9️⃣ Internal Operating Systems
🔟 CRM & Tracking

Use this checklist to see what's lacking in your GTM Foundations right now, and start working on it to scale from 0-1mil ARR. 

PS: A few months ago I did my GTM Foundations series, go check it out at MRR Unlocked if you need help with your foundations. 

Link in the comments.

alex-estner

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li_at

Talks about #saas, #b2bsales, #saassales, #saasgrowth, and #saasmarketing

'Hands-on’ GTM Advisor | Helping SaaS & AI founders build and execute their GTM foundation to grow from €0 to €1 million ARR with less trial and error👇

If you're stuck and don't know what kind of content to create, 

Use this hack to get content ideas immediately..

It's simple - create content based on the stages of awareness 

𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 → 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁

In this case, multiple competitors already exist for your product. Also, your ICP knows the category. They're comparing solutions.

Focus on creating content like:

-> Comparison pages (You vs. Competitor X)
-> Alternative pages (Best alternative to X)
-> Why you're superior for specific segments
-> Head-to-head feature breakdowns

You're not explaining the problem. You're helping them decide the best solution.

𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 → 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁

Your category is rising but not yet standard. Your ICP is evaluating different approaches.

Focus on creating content like:

-> Why your category beats alternatives 
-> Category education ("What is X and why it matters")
-> ROI comparisons across approaches
-> Case studies showing category wins

You're not proving you're best. You're proving your category is the future.

𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 → 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁

You're building something new. Your biggest goal is to make the audience problem-aware.

Focus your content on:

-> Customer outcomes and pain points
-> Use case education ("Why doing X manually is costing you")
-> "New way vs. old way" breakdowns
-> Problem amplification before solution

You're educating the audience about the problem they are facing and how it is impacting them. 

Match your content to where your market actually is.

What stage is your market in?

P.S. Want to deep dive into content marketing. Check out the guide I've created with Matteo Tittarelli ⚡️ on mrrunlocked

B2B positioning, websites, launches & content | Duolingo streak keeper 🇯🇵

Let’s hear it from the founders who have successfully scaled their company from €0 to the 1€ million ARR and beyond.

In the latest mrrunlocked.com newsletter, 
I've asked 6 founders to share

❌ What went wrong and
✅ what worked

I asked each founder to share:

1️⃣ The painful mistake(s) they made in the 0-1 stage (that others should not make)

2️⃣ The best tips/things that worked for them.

You will learn from the insights of 6 amazing founders.

👉 Stefan Bader Co-Founder of Cello (Referral Software for SaaS)

👉 Andreas Michel Co-Founder of Ayunis / Locaboo (Software for municipalities)

👉 Hanno Lippitsch Co-Founder of Eversports (Software for sports venues)

👉 Simo Lemhandez Co-Founder of folk (The next gen of CRM)

👉 Adam Cleland Founder of asora (Software for modern family offices)

👉 Brice Maurln Founder of LGM For Sales & GTM (Software for Multi-Channel Outbound)

👇 What's your mistake or tip you wanna share?

P.S. The link to the full guide with all the insights is in the comments below.

graphical user interface, application, Teams

If you're a first-time founder, GTM is tough. 

To help you, I have compiled 9 of my TOP Infographics that are most important for your GTM when you're going from 0 to mil ARR⬇️

1) GTM Myths 

-> You need to unlearn what you're doing wrong, before you even get started in the right direction!

2) 360-degree GTM audit

-> Use it to understand the current state of your GTM - to identify your starting point. 

3) 3 stages till 1 mil ARR

-> 0 to 1 mil ARR is not one, but three stages. Understand each stage to know what to expect in your GTM journey. 

4) GTM Foundations for SaaS

-> This is like a beginner's overview of everything that makes up GTM. Refresh your GTM concepts.

5) GTM Foundations Checklist 

-> This is where things start getting real. Keep this checklist in hand to track everything you need, to build your GTM Foundations.

6) Your ICP changes over time 

-> ICP is one of the most misunderstood concepts in GTM. Understand the nuances related to your ICP thoroughly. 

7) The Power of Niching Down

-> If you don't niche down right now, you won't be able to scale tomorrow.

8) How to find your ICP

-> Once you know that it is important to have 1 ICP, use these 3 steps to actually find your ICP.

9) 6 phases of founder-led sales 

-> Through this entire journey of 0 to 1mil ARR, know that you (the founder) have to be involved in sales. Learn it through the 6 stages of founder-led sales. 

Hopefully, these 9 will give you a headstart in your GTM. 

---
You can access all of these Infographics for free on https://lnkd.in/eKJXxGzE

I've asked 20+ experts on their best GTM advice for 0->1€ M ARR

We cover positioning, ICP, messaging, content, pricing, CRM/KPIs.

You will hear the best tips from experts, including

Anthony Pierri 
Jon Itkin 
Andrej Persolja 
Talya Heller G. 💡 
Matteo Tittarelli ⚡️ 
Toni Hopponen 
Douwe Wester 🟢 👉  
Björn W. Schäfer 
Ashley Herbert Popa 
Sara Stella Lattanzio
Romana Kuts  
Krzysztof Szyszkiewicz 
Rob Litterst 
Arnaud Belinga 🧊🔨 
Dirk Sahlmer 

And the best tips from founders, including
Andreas Michel 
Stefan Bader 
Adam Cleland 
Hanno Lippitsch 
Simo Lemhandez 
Brice Maurln 

The episode goes lives this sunday. 

👇 So sign up on mrrunlocked.com to get all tips in your inbox + a free gift: 50 top GTM infographics for free.

If you're struggling to find your ICP or 

don't know how to really go about it, 

Here's my 5-step process to find your actual ICP:

Step 1: Define "Winning Indicators"

Higher product engagement, better commercial health. strategic alignment. lower churn, higher NPS

Step 2: Collect Customer Data

Gather persona data, firmographics, product usage data. 

Step 3: First-Pass Segmentation

Start with obvious filters: industry, company size, geography.

Step 4: Deep-Dive Segmentation

Look for hidden patterns:

How different verticals use your product, who are the actual users vs. decision makers, and what are their main challenges 

Step 5: Pattern Recognition

Analyze segments against winning indicators using Excel/Sheets.

Your data doesn't lie. Your assumptions might.

Use the data you already have from your early customers to identify your ideal customers. 

Check out the whole process below 

If you want to understnad this in detail, check out our episode from MRR unlocked, link in the comments.

Most GTM playbooks are written for VC-backed startups.
So I asked Zdenko Zvada about underrated GTM tactics for bootstrapped founders

He's sharing the insights from 300+ conversations with bootstrapped founders.

My personal opinion: 
Most VC-backed startups should do the same - especially social listening, outreach to negative reviews, and staying longer in founder selling mode are key too.

When I work with founders, we mostly do this too.

But I'm curious: What other tactics work for you?

P.S. On Sunday, we're launching a full episode on mrrunlocked about GTM tactics for bootstrapped founders.

Bootstrapped GTM Tactics

I've asked 16 experts to share their best tip for 0-1€ million ARR

So let's hear what they recommend founders👇

 🎯 Positioning & Messaging

Anthony Pierri 
Nobody will care about your outcomes if they don’t know what product category you fit into. Choose one clear category or use case as your anchor and you’re already 80% ahead.

Jon Itkin 
Assess your market’s maturity before positioning. Early markets reward bold vision, mature ones need precision. Match strategy to reality, not someone else’s playbook.

Andrej Persolja 
Stay close to power users through a private channel like Slack. Their feedback shapes your roadmap, messaging, and what to double down on.

Talya Heller G. 💡  
Test your sales story before scaling; story-market fit comes first. Test with first 3–5 customers, pick a villain, frame the struggle, paint the payoff. Rewrite if it doesn’t close.

Matteo Tittarelli ⚡️  ️ 
Build a Messaging & Positioning Library early. It becomes the context engine for every campaign and asset.

Toni Hopponen 
Design your homepage like a traffic controller: green light for best-fit users, stop sign for others.

💬 ICP (Ideal Customer Profile)

Douwe Wester 🟢 👉  
Start with early customers and watch what they *do*, not what they *say*. Cluster high-signal users, define ICP from results, and update quarterly.

Björn W. Schäfer 
Treat ICP as an ongoing discipline. Segment by ROI, validate with data, and build an anti-ICP list.

Ashley Popa 
Niche down. Broad targeting kills traction. Focus on customers who upgrade and stay, then expand using the bowling-pin approach.

Alexander Estner (me)
Focus on your GTM foundation before scaling: know who benefits most, clarify how you’re different, and master turning pipeline into predictable, repeatable revenue.

✍️ Content Marketing

Sara Lattanzio 
Shape one sharp narrative tied to audience pain. Build in public, pick channels intentionally, and stay consistent. Distribution matters more than production.

 Romana Kuts 
Interview customers. Five calls beat fifty brainstorms. Start with one pain point, turn it into five angles and ten content pieces, reuse relentlessly, and track revenue impact.

💰 Pricing

Krzysztof Szyszkiewicz 
Treat pricing as a process. Set its purpose, differentiate by value metrics, and review quarterly.

Rob Litterst 
Keep pricing simple early. Validation > Perfection. Start with value-hacking to learn what people will pay, then move to growth- and profit-hacking.

📊 CRM & Tracking

Arnaud Belinga 
Before €50–100k ARR, just sell. After micro-PMF, pick a simple CRM tied to your channels and follow up relentlessly.

Dirk Sahlmer 
Track 3–5 metrics that drive better decisions. Focus on leading indicators like activation and CAC payback.

Bonus tip by Rob Kaminski 
1 product, 1 avatar, 1 channel, 1 tactic, for 1 year gives early founders the focus they need.

--
Want to deep dive into each tip? Check out the latest mrrunlocked episode. Link is in the comments.

Here's a list of partners, agencies, and consultants whom I’d highly recommend to every early-stage SaaS founder.

Over the past few years, I’ve built relationships with these amazing service providers.

If you’re a SaaS founder and need help with:

✅ Content & SEO
✅ Recruiting
✅ Paid Marketing (Google, LinkedIn)
✅ Design
✅ Sales
✅ Pricing

I’ll connect you with the right people.

You don't need to do a cold outreach, I'll help you with warm intros to vetted experts.

Content & SEO
--> Talk to Romana Kuts  and Ugljesa D. 

Website & Design
--> Talk to Florian Goertzen Tarik Yayla Tobias Giesen or Maximilian Fleitmann

Recruiting
--> Talk to Elvin Kingma Jan Mark Lingthaler Miguel Marques Dominic Blank 

Sales
--> Talk to Manuel Hartmann (post 1€ million) and Julius Dany (for SDR/cold calling)

LinkedIn & Google Ads
--> Talk to Christoph Schachner and Agata Krzysztofik 

Pricing Consulting (post 1€ million ARR)
--> Talk to Rob Litterst and Krzysztof Szyszkiewicz 

GTM advisory (post 1€ million ARR)
--> Talk to Björn W. Schäfer Daniel Zsolt Rényi  and Matteo Tittarelli ⚡️ 

Check the link in the comments to see the entire list of partners.

Btw, who am I missing on the list?

Over the last 12 months, I've created 50+ infographics on SaaS GTM.

The beauty of them is that they visually communicate the core concept.

Here are my top 10 on go-to-market for SaaS/AI founders 👇

Top GTM Infografics

To optimize your SEO, use these high-intent keywords ⬇️

1. Pain Point/Problem Keyword
Example: “How to export contacts from LinkedIn” 

2. Pricing & Cost Keywords
Example: “Affordable CRM for solopreneurs”

3. Comparison Keywords
Example: “Notion vs. Asana” | “Best alternatives for HubSpot”

4. Competitor-Specific Keywords
Example: “HubSpot CRM vs. Salesforce”

5. Feature-Specific Keywords
Example: “CRM with VOIP calling”

6. Integration Keywords
Example: “Best payroll software that integrates with QuickBooks”

7. Product Category + Audience Keywords
Example: “Project Management software for law firms”

8. Benefit-Driven Keywords
Example: “How much time can I save with a virtual assistant?”

9. Educational Keywords
Example: “How to create a high-converting SaaS homepage”

10. Location-Based Keywords
Example: “Best invoicing software for German freelancers”

11. Template-Based Keywords
Example: “Best LinkedIn post templates for SaaS founders”

These money keywords focus on users who are already very much aware and ‘in the market’ and will help you make the most of your SEO investment.

For your content to work, 

you need 3 types of content to be in sync

TOFU → To get attention
MOFU → To build trust
BOFU → To convert

Most founders live in TOFU, which helps you get likes, but not so many conversions. 

Let's how each layer works:

1️⃣ TOFU (Top of Funnel) → Awareness content

-> This isn't about your product. It's about topics your audience actually cares about.

-> This builds your audience, helps you get reach, and generate engagement. 

Eg - The 5 biggest productivity myths that are slowing your team down”

2️⃣ MOFU (Middle of Funnel) → Consideration content

-> This is where you go deep. Real frameworks. Actual insights.

-> Content only you could write. Battle-tested stuff.

-> This is where trust happens. Your ICP thinks: "This person actually knows their shit."

Eg - How to reduce project delays by 30%, a step-by-step breakdown”

3️⃣ BOFU (Bottom of Funnel) → Conversion content

-> Show proof. Share results. Remove objections.

-> Social proof. Real outcomes. Clear next step.

Eg - “What happens when you ditch spreadsheets and manage projects the smart way”

Here's the ideal mix:
20% TOFU – Reach plays that pull in new eyes
60% MOFU – Deep, educational, ICP-focused
20% BOFU – Case studies, results, CTAs

Ivan Peric and I have created this framework to help you build your founder brand on LinkedIn. Use it the next time you're creating your content strategy.

Content Strategist & Founder @contentmotion.io | Ich baue eine Content-Agentur für B2B Tech

I’ve been calling myself a solopreneur for over 4 years now.

So I was super excited when Stephanie Sgura asked me to be part of her solopreneurship movement.

In May 2026: Solopreneur Revolution - Live on Tour

The first Summit, that's 100% focused on Solopreneurship:
- Business, Marketing, Sales, AI...

(it's for the German-speaking community)

And I'm part of it 🎉

The best part:

You get early access to the secret pre-sale (4.-7. 12.)

🔹 lowest ticket prices ever

🔹 early Access to all Workshops (limited to 30 seats)

📍 I will be in Vienna myself. 

What you can expect from the summit:

→ Content & Insights for solopreneurs

→ Transformational workshops of successful solopreneurs

→ Networking with peers

→ Roasting Area to get feedback on your business

→ Limited to 200 tickets per event (Vienna & Berlin)

Who's interested in joining and meeting in Vienna?

🎟️ Comment or just send me a DM and I will send you the link to the secret pre-sale.

How to create a GTM slide for your pitch deck

Investors can smell fluff from a mile away; you can't woo them with fancy GTM channels. They need real proof of 

✅ What has worked in the past 
✅ How do you plan to scale it 

Include these 2 sections in your GTM slide to make it foolproof 

1️⃣ Current scenario

- Show how you've built a repeatable growth engine 
- Mention how you've been acquiring customers today

2️⃣ Plan to scale 

- Chart out your exact plan to scale the engine you've built currently 
- Show how you'll acquire the next set of customers

Basically, reassure investors that 

✅ You've got the blueprint to utilize the funding 
✅ You're ready for growth

---
Majd Alaily has written an entire guest post about how to make the best pitch deck (11 slides) for your startup. This is only 1 slide of the deck. Check out the whole episode at MRR Unlocked. Link in the comments.

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3 massively underrated GTM tactics for bootstrapped founders⬇️

1. Mine negative reviews for leads

Every 1-star review tells you who is unhappy and if they'd pay to fix.

-> Search G2/Capterra/Reddit for competitors
-> Filter for 1-2 star reviews
-> Build a lead list from reviewer names
-> Reach out: "Saw you struggled with X. We built Y to solve it. Want a demo?"

2. Go where micro-communities live

Your first 100 customers won't come from ads. They'll come from Reddit, Slack groups, Discord.

-> Join 3-5 communities your ICP hangs in
-> Help for a week, share free resources
-> Mention your product when it fits
-> DM engaged members with trial invites

3. Get listed in directories

Capterra, G2, Product Hunt, AppSumo, get in front of buyers with intent. You can even build your own. They rank on Google, attract your ICP, and drive traffic to your product.

—
If you want to learn how to execute each of these tactics, check out the latest episode of MRR Unlocked where Zdenko Zvada talks about these in detail. Link in the comments.

11 slides of a winning pitch deck👇

If you're struggling to get funded, you can start by redoing your pitch deck

Here are the 11 most important slides of a pitch deck - 

(in the right order)

1️⃣ Problem 
2️⃣ Solution
3️⃣ Unique Value 
4️⃣ Traction
5️⃣ Competition
6️⃣ Market
7️⃣ Revenue Model
8️⃣ Ambition
9️⃣ Team 
🔟 GTM
1️⃣1️⃣ Ask

If you're skipping any of these slides, you're not giving investors all the information they need to make a decision. 

Check out the carousel below to see the summary of each slide. 

---
Majd Alaily has written an entire episode on "Why pitches fail" for MRR Unlocked. Check the link in the comments to see the full episode.

This week, I've worked with a founder on case studies for their SaaS.

I took some notes on the key points 👇

We all know that social proof is key.

But to get the most out of social proof, I recommend to apply these 5 core principles.

1️⃣ Follow a structure

👉 Your case study should follow a clear structure.

I like this one:
✅ The Customer’s Story – who they are & what they do.
✅ The Challenge – what problem they faced before using your SaaS.
✅ The Solution – how your product helped solve that problem.
✅ The Results – quantifiable impact (metrics, revenue growth, time saved, etc.).
✅ Quote & Image – a strong testimonial (quote + image)
✅ Call-to-Action – Clear next steps for readers.

2️⃣ Customer Interview questions

You get a good case study if you ask the right questions.

- What challenges did you face before working with X?
- Why did you decide to search for a solution?
- Have you tried other solutions before X?
- What was your experience with X?
- What has changed since you implemented X?
- Would you recommend X to others? If yes, why, and to whom?

3️⃣ Each case study = 1 angle

Before you write the case study, think about the 'narrative'.

Do you want to write about the impact of your solution.

Or how easy the onboarding is?

Or how company type X benefis from it. 

Over time you're building a library of different case study types.

This makes them super powerful.

👉 Example:
- A new prospect has concerns on migration --> Share them a case study on how easy the migration was.
- A prospect is unsure if your product is a good fit, as they fear they are too small --> Share how another client (same size) benefits from using it

4️⃣ Create multiple assets

👉 Turn your customer interview in multiple assets.

This can be a video case study, written case study, quotes, snippets...

5️⃣ Distribute your assets

Don't make the mistake to create nice case studies and then forget about using them.

Few tactics: 
👉 Dedicated case study page
👉 Wall of love
👉 Featured Section of your Linkedin
👉 Linkedin posts
👉 Sharing in your outbound messages
👉 Part of your demo follow-up email

How do you think about case studies?

P.S. Want to deep dive into case studies? Together with Romana Kuts I wrote a full guide on mrrunlocked

Founder @ SaaStorm + B2B SaaS SEO, LLMO & Content Advisor + Certified Content Engineer (@ AirOps’25)

5 recommendations to better organize your pricing page menu 👇

1️⃣ Keep Plan Names Simple
Don’t overthink naming.
Clarity beats creativity. 

Start with what people expect to see:
Free, Basic, Starter, Standard, Pro, Premium, Plus, Teams, Business, Enterprise.

2️⃣ Show the Monthly Cost
Display the monthly cost right below the plan name (even for annual billing). 

Tie it clearly to your pricing metric so users immediately understand how cost scales.

3️⃣ Include the Billing Period
Always indicate how billing works. 

A toggle above the pricing grid (monthly ↔ yearly) is the standard and most intuitive approach.

4️⃣ Highlight Key Features and Usage Limits
After naming and pricing, call out the core features and usage thresholds for each plan. 

Keep it concise — aim for about five items max. Focus on what truly drives pricing or differentiates plans.

5️⃣ Add Clear CTAs
Every plan needs a specific next step.

For free or PLG plans: “Get Started.”

For sales-led motions: “Request a Demo” or “Contact Sales.”
Different plans can have unique CTAs depending on your GTM model.

These are the essentials. If you can convey all key details across these elements, you don’t need anything extra. Keep it focused and simple.

How to create thought leadership content for your startup?

Here are 7 questions you need to ask yourself -

Great thought leadership content educates, challenges assumptions, and provides actionable insights.

This means writing only about topics where you truly have expertise. 

The best content and sweet spot lies in the intersection of 
✅ Your expertise and 
✅ What your audience needs to know.

7 questions you need to ask yourself - 

1️⃣ In which area or topic do potential customers need to perceive you as an expert?

2️⃣ What industry-specific knowledge can you provide?

3️⃣ What core concepts must potential customers understand before your solution "clicks" for them? 

4️⃣ What widespread beliefs in your industry do you strongly disagree with?

5️⃣ What would make selling your product easier if more people understood these concepts?

6️⃣ What trends (e.g., regulations, technological developments, market pressures) could negatively impact your customers if they don’t adapt?

7️⃣ What recurring questions do you frequently get asked?

Once you answer these questions, you will find your pillars and create relevant content for your ICP

I recently asked Andreas Michel to share the most painful mistakes and best tips he learned growing Ayunis / Locaboo from 0-1€ million ARR 👇

Let's hear his advice.

1) Mistakes
❌ Trying to move too slowly because of “public sector logic.”

We thought we had to play by their rules - long procurement cycles, formal sales, endless pilots. But in reality, the public sector moves faster when you give it something concrete and usable. Bureaucracy slows down thinking, not buying in general.

❌ Underestimating how early structure accelerates growth

We believed we could stay fully “startup-scrappy” longer - but scaling even a small public-sector SaaS requires clear roles, predictable ops, and professional processes much earlier than expected.

2) Hacks / Tips
✅ Brand trust > features

In the public sector, credibility and design beat long feature lists.

✅ Laser-focus on one real problem

We didn’t try to “digitize municipalities.” We just helped them manage facilities - one very painful process. From there, expansion became natural.

✅ Turn complexity into narrative

We didn’t just sell SaaS - we sold the story of modern administration. That’s how we have been transforming from one niche (sport facilities) to a platform (Ayunis).

✅ Hire seniors early

We hired people who could build structure and lead teams - even before we really “needed” them. It allowed us to grow faster later without breaking internally.

✅ Stay lean and bootstrapped

Scarcity forced focus. Every euro had to move ARR.

---
I asked 5 other founders to share their mistakes and tips too. You find all of this in my latest mrrunlocked newsletter. Link is in the comments.

taplio

Alexander Estner's Linkedin Analytics