Alexander Estner

Alex Estner

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.

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

Founder | GTM advisor for B2B SaaS startups

MRR Unlocked 🚀

MRR Unlocked is a bi-weekly newsletter for early-stage B2B SaaS founders and leaders.
Get bi-weekly actionable SaaS GTM strategies and tactics to grow your B2B SaaS business from €0 to €1 million ARR 🚀.
Read by 4500+ SaaS founders, leaders & VCs.

Author & Content Creator

LumiDB

GTM Advisor

Uncovered — Competitive Intelligence

Innkeepr

asora

eleni.finance

cobby • PIM in Excel

Locaboo

Chief Revenue Officer (Fractional)

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

If you're selling to everyone, you're selling to noone. 

Most SaaS founders fail because they try to sell to everyone.

But the math is simple.. 

10% of a €100M niche = €10M
1% of a €1B market = €10M

Same revenue. But completely different difficulty level.

When you niche down, everything clicks:

✅ Your marketing message becomes crystal clear
✅ Your sales team becomes highly efficient
✅ Your product roadmap gets laser-focused
✅ Your customer success becomes predictable
✅ Your referrals start flowing naturally

Infact, something similar happened at Ayunis / Locaboo

They had closed 100 customers, but still struggled because they were serving multiple use-cases. 

Once we drilled down into one specific segment with clear criteria (industry, company size, use case), everything accelerated.

Your ICP today brings you to your next milestone.

But to get there, dominate your niche.

'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👇

I've been talking about GTM Foundations a lot on LinkedIn.

But how do you really know if your GTM foundation is strong enough?

Because without it, you won’t get from €0 → €1M ARR.

Here are a few things you need in place for a strong GTM Foundation. 

You need to know

1️⃣ ICP

 - Who benefits the most from your product

2️⃣ Positioning

- Where do you fit in the market landscape 

3️⃣ Usecase

- What problem does your product solve 

4️⃣ Product category

 - How to explain what your product is 

5️⃣ Unique differentiation

- How is your product different from (in)direct competition 

6️⃣ Messaging

- What story and words can attract and convince your ICP 

7️⃣ GTM assets

- How can you translate all that into customer facing assets like Website, Case Study, Sales Deck...

8️⃣ Sales Motion

- What channels and tactics work to get a qualified pipeline in a repeatable way

9️⃣ Sales process

- What is needed to turn the pipeline into revenue and retain customers 

👇 Check out this GTM checklist to see the exact items you need to execute.

PS: If you want a co-pilot who builds the foundation with you? Send me a DM.

alex-estner

JSESSIONID

li_at

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

Most founders struggle to get to PMF. 

Knowing what's needed is half the battle. 

It's a simple formula. 

Problem-solution fit + Go-to-market fit = Product Market Fit

You need to 

✅ Validate the problem
✅ Validate your solution to it
✅ Identify the best channels to get the solution to your ICP

Here's a checklist of things you need to have in place to go from 0 to 1 mil ARR. To PMF.

You need to work on 

1️⃣ Ideal Customer Profile
2️⃣ Positioning
3️⃣ Value Proposition & Messaging
4️⃣ GTM Collaterals
5️⃣ Pricing
6️⃣ Sales Motion
7️⃣ CRM & Tracking
8️⃣ Forecasting & Planning
9️⃣ Internal Operating Systems
🔟 Channels
 
Check out the visual below to see what exactly you need to tick off within each of these components 👇 

P.S. In my 1-on-1 GTM advisory, we work exactly on these elements to build a strong GTM foundation for your SaaS.

No alternative text description for this image

Last week, I discussed a new sales compensation plan with a SaaS founder.

The team is 3 AEs. Currently, there is no formal quota system in place.

I took some notes to prepare for the session 👇

A good compensation plans start with 3 things:

1) On target earnings (OTE) - e.g. 150k€ per year
2) A split of base salary vs. variable bonus - e.g. 60/40
3) Quota to OTE ratio - e.g. a 4x

So let's make this practical.

You want your AE to earn 150k on target.
With a 60/40 split and a 4x ratio, you will end up with:

90k€ base salary
60k€ bonus

4x 150k€ = 600k€ Quota

Your AE needs to close 600k€ in revenue for a 100% quota attainment.

With a 20k€ ACV, this means roughly 30 won deals per year.

To make the model fair and attractive, I would recommend:

--> Quarterly Quota (e.g. 150k€ per quarter)
--> with quarterly payouts
--> lower threshold (e.g. 30% or less, 0% commission)
--> Uncapped (meaning if they close more, there is no maximum)
--> Accelerator to incentivize overperformance (e.g. 15% instead of 10%)

Don't forget to acknowledge the ramp-up phase of new hires.
A practical tip: Give them between 50-100% of quota attainment during onboarding.

Curious, what do you see in the market right now? Dominic Blank Machiel Kunst Alexander Dosse

Most founders think 0-1 mil ARR is one stage.

Wrong.

The journey from €0 to €1M ARR has 3 distinct stages.

Here's the real roadmap:

Stage 1: Hustle Mode 

You're landing your first 10-100 customers by running tests, experimenting, and figuring out what works. 

Key milestone: Problem-Solution Fit

Stage 2: Focus Mode 

Here, you scale beyond your early customers to get to your ideal customers. The goal is to focus on 1 ICP, 1 use case, 1-2 channels.

Key milestone: GTM Fit

If you've crossed these two stages, you've hit Product-Market Fit.

Stage 3: Expansion Mode (€1M+)

Here, you can choose your expansion path to go beyond 1mil ARR

- Vertical: Same ICP, new use cases
- Horizontal: Same use case, new ICPs
- Double down: Scale what's working

Key milestone: Scale

The formula:
Problem-Solution Fit + GTM Fit = Product-Market Fit

A lot of founders skip Stage 2 and in the process, never get to stage 3. 

They go from hustle mode straight to "let's scale everything."

Understand these stages and map where you are currently. That's the best way to scale from 0-1mill ARR. 

If you want to know more about how to build these stages, check the link in the comments

Your first 10 / 100 customers are unfortunately not your ICP.

They are your ECPs (Early Customer Profile).

Here's why..

These are customers you landed when you're in hustle mode. 
You're practically throwing everything at the wall, hoping something sticks.

They aren't customers you achieve through a repeatable process. 

Usually your early customers are heterogen.

Different company types
Different personas
Different usecases

You can't grow serving all of them.

You need to niche down.

Eventually, you need to pause hustle mode and get to your ICP.

How do you do this? Check out the 3-step process below.

P.S. Daniel Zsolt Rényi and I wrote a top-performing guide on mrrunlocked.com on this.

Most SaaS founders skip the fundamentals and wonder why they're stuck in the 0-1mil ARR stage.

 I've worked with 25+ early-stage founders. The ones who hit €1M ARR fastest have these 7 foundations in place - 

 1. ICP (Ideal Customer Profile)

Know your perfect customers, the ones who really benefit from your product. You can't sell to everyone. 

 2. Positioning

Know your category and why your product stands out in that category.

3. Messaging

Turn your positioning into customer-facing words that actually resonate.
This becomes the foundation for all your sales & marketing.

4. GTM Channels
The bridge between messaging and your ICP.
Pick 1-2 channels. Master them before adding more.

5. Pricing
What is the right value metric for your product? 
Keep it iterative. Perfect pricing comes later.

6. Sales Motion
How you serve clients: Product-led vs. Sales-led vs. hybrid.
Choose one dominant motion early. Don't do both in parallel.

7. Buyer Journey
Map how prospects move from awareness to customer onboarding.
Each stage needs intentional design.

If there's one golden rule I want you to know, it's that GTM Foundations come before tactics. 

Have these in place and watch your startup grow. 

Which foundation is your biggest challenge right now? 

If you want to know more about GTM Foundation, check the link in the comments

Lead magnets are evolving from traditional whitepapers and e-books.

Here's a list of different formats you can use to create high-quality lead magnets for your SaaS 

𝟭. 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀, 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 & 𝗘-𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀
Instant utility. Copy-paste and go.

- Email templates (lemlist)
- Sales coaching guides (Grain)
- Website optimization e-books (Webflow)
- 40 SaaS product video examples (magier)

𝟮. 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 & 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀
Higher commitment = higher intent leads.

- Video selling masterclass (Vidyard)
- Video creation course (Tella)

𝟯. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 & 𝗪𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘀
Live interaction builds stronger relationships.

- Sculpt Conference (Clay)
- SaaS Happy Hour (Paddle)

𝟰. 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀
Quantify the problem. Make the pain tangible.

- Webinar ROI calculator (Livestorm)
- Equity dilution calculator (Cake Equity)

𝟱. 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀
Quick wins. Solve one micro-problem fast.

- LinkedIn headline generator (taplio)
- Webcam test (Livestorm)
- AI conversation rank checker (Octolens)

𝟲. 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 & 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵
Original data = credibility + shareability.

- State of Meetings (Calendly)
- SaaS Pricing Report (Valueships)
- GTM Benchmarks (ChartMogul)

All these companies have amazing lead magnets you can take inspiration from. 

Keep in mind, though, different formats solve different problems at different buyer stages. 

Match format to your ICP's most urgent need.

Check out how to create and distribute your lead magnets - co-authored by content marketing experts Ugljesa Djuric & Genevieve Michaels : https://lnkd.in/ePHrCjDE

---
P.S. Want my best lead magnet? Get 50+ free GTM assets on https://lnkd.in/exxgARTi

Great first day at Bits & Pretzels today
Side note: Your booth at events is almost a small GTM strategy, why? 👇 

Being a solopreneur means being alone at home most of the time.
2 reason why I decided to join more in-person events again.

1)As a remote solopreneur meeting people in person is always special. I do like my home office set up and working with founders across europe, but ofc it sometimes feel “lonely”

2) New inspirations
After every event I have a full list of notes with new ideas and great insights.

Was great catching up with familiar faces, friends, ex-collegues, partners, existing and potential new customers. Kevin Merken Lukas Koppitz Björn W. Schäfer Manuel Hartmann Daniel Gamber and many more.

Tomorrow is the second day. Who's also there and up for a coffee?

P.S. Congrats to Parabella Analytics for a great roll up! Your booth is a 'short GTM strategy' - you need to explain your product in a few words. What is your product, who's your ICP, short and clear messaging. What's your CTA?

I've checked a lot of roll-ups - and a lot leave me back with questions on what they actually do.

Bits & Pretzels

Entrepreneur, Co-Founder & CRO @Back Officer

CEO and co-founder at smartvillage. Wir schaffen Raum für echte Begegnungen.

Helping B2B SaaS & AI Founders 2-3× Revenue in 12 Months | GTM Operator | Author of Funky Flywheels🕺 | Scaled Urban Sports Club B2B to €20M+ ARR

Helping DACH B2B software firms to scale sales quickly, efficiently & without 6-figure mistakes with done-for-you pipeline generation, fractional sales & HubSpot services.

Co-Founder & CEO of Cambrion | Ship Enterprise-Grade Document Automation in Days

Parabella Analytics

One clear GTM motion beats five half-baked experiments.

Signs you are chasing too many ICPs at once:

-> Forecasts look inflated because every deal looks “possible”
-> Reps spend more time rewriting messaging than actually selling
-> Marketing runs broad campaigns that generate interest but no intent
-> Product shifts priorities every quarter to please too many personas

On the surface, it looks like activity. In reality, it is a stall-out.

Durable teams make the hard choice: one ICP, one motion, one playbook.

That does not mean you ignore optionality forever. It means you prove one motion works end to end before adding the next.

Think of it like this, 

Your (single) ICP today brings you to your next milestone.
Once you hit the next milestone, you can revisit your ICP.

What does one clear motion look like?

-> ICP definition that explains why your best customers buy and expand
-> Messaging sharp enough for every rep to run without guesswork
-> Playbooks that cover the entire buyer journey from first touch to renewal
-> Metrics that show repeatability instead of experiments

One motion creates clarity.
Five half-baked experiments create chaos.

Which one are you running?

PS: How cool is this visual? Credit goes to Douwe Wester 🟢 👉 for inspiring this post and creating this visual!

I had 2 great days Bits & Pretzels.

Here are my top 2 learnings 👇 

1. Meeting people IRL is great

Being solopreneur means being alone most of the time in my home office.
Events are a great way to 'get out'. Came back energized.

2. Booth are like homepages

I've probably read all 100+ startup booths.
Besides the fact that every company is now 'ai-powered' and building the next 'AI agents for X' 

Most companies can't explain in 2-3 sentences what they do.

I read their roll ups and short description. And in 50%+ I was not sure what they do.

Fun fact: It's the same with most homepages.

And this is not a copy problem. It's a foundamental GTM problem.

Unclear positioning. Unclear ICP. Unclear messaging.

Special thanks to Ayunis / Locaboo team for this nice gift. After successfully working with them for 2+ years, I got a special present from day - Bits and pretzel ticket. 🥳 

Now I'm really looking forward catching up with lots of interesting SaaS founders that I met.

It was great meeting all of you in person again Kevin Merken Lukas Koppitz Manuel Hartmann Jonathan M. Gregory Moritz Weiss Florian Herschke Tobias Giesen 

P.S. Next time doing selfies with everyone would be good :)

Ayunis / Locaboo

I help scaling companies evolve past growth constraints: embedding with leadership teams to upgrade strategy, structure & execution

Head of Customer Success @ Ayunis & Locaboo 🏘️ | Ex-Founder | SaaS | Startups

„You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.“

Co-Founder Growably | B2B SaaS websites that convert visitors into customers 💯 | Webflow Premium Partner Agency 🤝🏼

We are already halfway through H2 2025, but you can still apply some of the tactics in Q4👇

1️⃣ Customer Success Story campaign 

-> Drop case studies into outbound, newsletters, and re-activation plays. 

-> They build trust and help prospects picture themselves in the success story.

2️⃣ Clickable logo carousel 

-> Make each homepage logo link to a case study. 

-> You turn static social proof into a conversion asset.

3️⃣ Co-marketing with integration partners 

-> Host webinars, blog posts, or landing pages together. 

-> It’s the fastest way to borrow credibility and reach new audiences.

4️⃣ Customer referral program 

-> Ask for referrals in every CS and sales call. 

-> Warm intros consistently outperform cold outbound.

5️⃣ Partner referral program 

-> Incentivize consultants, agencies, or creators to refer you. 

6️⃣ Public template library 

-> Publish plug-and-play templates tied to your product. 

-> These rank in Google, drive sign-ups, and reduce activation friction.

7️⃣ “Upgrade to yearly” banner

-> Add an in-product prompt for annual plans. 

-> Show the cost savings in signing up for an annual plan

8️⃣ Competitor hub 

-> Build one page with “X vs Y”, alternatives, and best-of lists. 

-> If buyers are comparing, it's better they read it on your site.

9️⃣ BOFU keyword social listening

-> Monitor buying-intent phrases on Reddit & LinkedIn. 

-> Jump in with value-added comments when needed.

🔟 Warm outreach to visitors & engagers 

-> Track who hits your site or engages on LinkedIn. 

-> Reaching out while intent is fresh massively increases reply rates.

What's one tactic you're doubling down on?

How to make your next lead magnet from scratch👇🏻

Lead magnets are the best way to provide value to your ICP without even selling your product. The goal is to build trust at scale. 

If you've never created a lead magnet or want to learn how to create better ones, Genevieve Michaels, who works with Atlassian, and Ugljesa Djuric, who runs ContentMonk, have shared their expertise on creating high-value lead magnets. 

You can check out the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/ePHrCjDE 

Here's how you can do it in 7 steps: 

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟬: Know Your ICP

Define who you're creating for. No "everyone."

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: Pick Your Goal

Awareness → Inspirational content
Consideration → Educational content like guides, templates
Decision → Calculators, case studies

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: Find Topics

Mine these for insights:

Sales calls (recurring questions)
Support tickets (confusion points)
Lost deals (why competitors won)
Customer interviews (buying blockers)

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯: Choose Format

Match format to topic: video, PDF, Notion page, webinar, etc.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟰: Start Small

❌ "Ultimate Guide"
✅ "3 Email Templates"
Test a one-pager first. Build from there.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟱: Distribute Hard

Go where your ICP lives.
Spend equal time creating + distributing.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟲: Get Feedback Fast

Ask: "Was this immediately useful?"
Iterate based on patterns.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟳: Repurpose Everything

One lead magnet = one month of content.
Turn guides into webinars, templates into videos, case studies into LinkedIn posts.

Remember, the goal is to provide value-first content to your ICP. 

Don't overcomplicate it. 

P.S. Want my best lead magnet? Get 50+ free GTM assets on https://lnkd.in/exxgARTi

You're making high-value lead magnets, but no one is seeing them. Why?

Your distribution is totally off. Here are 7 tactics for better distribution👇

𝟭. 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲-𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵

Don't pitch. Send the resource first. Use the framework:
"Saw your post about [challenge]. We created a [resource] that helped [similar company] solve this. Worth a look?"

𝟮. 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗧𝗔/𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲

Add two CTAs:
Primary: Book a demo
Secondary: Download resource
Or use a top banner to promote your lead magnet.

𝟯. '𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄' 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀

Share a snippet/visual of your lead magnet
End with: "Want [X]? Comment '[keyword]' below

𝟰. 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗴 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀

Embed the lead magnets into blog posts of similar relevant topics. 

𝟱. 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Target influencers like newsletter writers, LinkedIn creators, podcast hosts, and have them share your lead magnet.

𝟲. 𝗪𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘀

Turn your lead magnet into live content.
Walk through the insights during the webinar and offer full resources as a follow-up.

𝟳. 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗱𝘀

If your content performs well organically, amplify with LinkedIn ads.

Distribution matters just as much as creation. Test these tactics and double down on what works. 

---
I've teamed up with Ugljesa D. and Genevieve Michaels to launch the ultimate lead magnet guide on mrrunlocked.com - comes with a step-by-step guide and real lead magnet examples.

Helping B2B brands get attention, trust, and sales with full-funnel content strategies | I love timeless marketing principles | SEO | AEO | Content | AI Automation | Father & Husband | Padel & darts addict

Customer-focused B2B storytelling | Atlassian, Adobe, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, HubSpot, Ramp, Shopify, Trello

I don't think enough founders are doing "comment below" LinkedIn posts.

And it's costing them lots of leads. You might think they are overdone..

But the truth is, they still work and are a great indicator of intent from your ICP. 

Here's how you can use them to get leads - 

✅ Choose a topic relevant to your ICP
✅ Create a solid resource to educate the ICP on that topic
✅ Create a LinkedIn post teasing the resource 
✅ Ask people to comment for the full version
✅ Share with whoever comments via DM
✅ Follow up with additional value, not sales pitches

It's one of the smoothest conversation starters plus, 
a great way to add value to your ICP without even selling your product. 

Founders who I think do a great job at these - 

Emir Atli 
Niels Klement 
Austin Hughes 
Eric Lay
Arnaud Belinga 🧊🔨 

If you are an early-stage founder who wants to create awareness about your product and get in front of your ICP, lead magnet posts are the fastest way to do so.

--
I've teamed up with Ugljesa D. and Genevieve Michaels to launch the ultimate lead magnet guide on mrrunlocked.com - check it out for step-by-step guide and real lead magnet examples.

10 fundraising errors that kill deals before they start 👇

❌ Mistake #1: Pitching too early
Lack of proof points = Lack of credibility

✅ Wait until you have real proof points

 ❌ Mistake #2: Too many iterations
Pivoting during fundraising screams "we don't know what we're doing"

✅ Lock in your narrative before going to market

❌ Mistake #3: Founding team changes during the process
Team changes = instant red flag

✅ Resolve team issues before raising

❌ Mistake #4: Overpromising projections
If you don't follow through, it kills your credibility.

✅ Be realistic with forecasts

❌ Mistake #5: Running a messy process
Dragging it out for 12+ months means lost momentum

✅ Set clear timelines and stick to them

❌ Mistake #6: Raising without a plan
Fundraising just for runway isn't enough.

✅ Have crystal-clear use of funds

❌ Mistake #7: Not understanding investor expectations

✅ Research fund size, check sizes, and returner expectations

❌ Mistake #8: Spray and pray outreach
Generic emails show a lack of preparation

✅ Personalize every single outreach

❌ Mistake #9: Starting too late
Less time forces you to take desperate decisions

✅ Start 6-9 months before you need capital

❌ Mistake #10: Fluff-heavy pitch decks
Jargon doesn't impress investors

✅ Focus on the crucial information only

The founders who avoid these mistakes raise faster, on better terms and from the right investors.

Want to know how to get your first investment in 2025/6? 

On Sunday Julius Göllner and Marc Penkala - some of the most active angels and early-stage VCs in Europe - joined me on mrrunlocked.com and droped a new guide.

The guide breaks down:

👉 5 first funding options
👉 What investors want to see from founders
👉 How to find the right investors
👉 Pitch decks, data rooms and update emails
👉 How investors can support you

And comes with additional resources like pitch deck templates, investor lists and VC questions from experts like Majd Alaily Chris Tottman Burak Buyukdemir Arnas Bräutigam 

Check the link in the comments.

Ecosystem Builder, Passionate Entrepreneur, Software Investor

General Partner @ āltitude | SME Tech Investor

3x Founder | ex-Google | Design Thinking | Let's Launch, Grow, Fundraise For Your Startup Together.

Partner at Notion Capital

Founder of Startup Istanbul

Pre/Seed Business Angel Intros | Co-Founder

Rob Litterst and I are working on the Ultimate SaaS Pricing Page guide 👇 

Your pricing page is one of the most important pages on your website. 

For many visitors,
✅ It's where interest converts to action, or 
❌ Where confusion sends them to a competitor.

We’ll break down exactly how to create a great SaaS Pricing Page

1️⃣ What are the different sections of a pricing page
2️⃣ How can you optimize each section
3️⃣ Examples you can steal from

Each section include common mistakes to avoid, examples from companies doing it well, and optional sections to consider.

The goal isn't to create the flashiest pricing page.

The best pricing pages aren't the most creative – they're the clearest.

Want to get access? 

Comment ‘pricing’ and we will send you the guide.

P.S. We will publish the guide very soon on mrrunlocked.com

Together with Julius Göllner and Marc Penkala I break down everything about startup fundraising in the latest episode of MRR Unlocked.

Adam Robinson has spoken a lot about venture capital vs bootstrapping. But those aren't your only options. 

If you decide to fundraise, you have 5 distinct funding paths to choose from 

Each serves different stages and goals. It's what I call the funding journey.

1️⃣ Family & Friends (<€250k)
→ Best for: Pre-revenue, idea-stage
→ Reality: Quick cash from trusted networks

2️⃣ Angels & Syndicates (€10k-€250k)
→ Best for: Early traction, need smart money
→ Pro tip: Target angels who've built in your space

3️⃣ Accelerators (€100k-€250k for 6-10% equity)
→ Best for: First-time founders needing guidance
→ Bonus: Access to investor networks
Examples: Y Combinator or Techstars 

4️⃣ Venture Capital (€100k-€1M+)
→ Best for: Large TAM, high-growth potential
→ Warning: Requires 100x return potential

5️⃣ Non-dilutive Grants (€0 equity)
→ Best for: Deep-tech, R&D heavy startups
→ Downside: Paperwork hell

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to fundraising.

Choose what makes the most sense for you, based on your stage, funding requirements, and business requirements (network, guidance, etc.)

Let us know your thoughts 👇

CEO @ Retention.com & RB2B | Person-Level Website Visitor Identity | Push LinkedIn Profiles to Slack in Real-Time, 100% Free!

Y Combinator

Techstars

A few things that I realized recently...

1. 'AI agents for X'

Everyone is 'ai-powered' or the 'new agent for X'.
And adding 'ai-powered' to your messaging doesn't replace the hard positioning work you need to do.

Explain in easy words:
--> what your product does
--> for who it's most valuable
--> What benefits they have from using it

2. Go from 0 to scalable

Don't try to go from nothing to finding the 'scalable' growth channels.
Why not start to go from 0 to 1 client.

Then from 1 to 10
Then from 10 to 100.

Still the most effective ways are 'hard work' here.

I mean:
- ask your network for intros
- reach out manually to high fit ICPs
- write hand-written high value content
- do high quality BOFU content
- Ask for referrals from your first customers

You get the point. 

3. Adding a lot of features

Because shipping new features get easier, founders tend to build a lot.

I believe it's still best to do 1 usecase very good. Focus on this one usecase.

Only build the best 'features' for this 1 usecase.

Don't dilute to early. Even if you can 'easily' build all of this.

Because market 'all these features' is hard.

What have you seen the last months?

Don’t treat your first investors only as ‘money giver’.

4 ways how investors can support you👇

1️⃣ Warm Intros

Most Investors have a great network. Leverage this:

--> Intros to other investors (future rounds)
--> Intros to potential hires, advisors, or agencies
--> Intros to potential (early) customers

2️⃣ Fundraising support

They can be your sounding board for:

--> Deck reviews
--> Financial plan review
--> Intros to new VCs
--> Halo and Cheerleading (Signal)

3️⃣ Credibility & Signaling

Think about the following:

--> Add their name/logo on your deck
--> Add them to your website (about us page) for social proof

--> Ask them to add you to their website and/or promote on their social accounts

4️⃣ Tactical help

Most VCs have already backed other successful companies.

They know your challenges.

Don’t hesitate to ask for their help, e.g.:

However, don’t forget that you are most likely not their only investment.

So be specific when you ask for their help.

“Do you know a good designer who can help us with our new website?”

“Who can help us build our GTM foundation?”

“We hire 1 new full-stack engineer and 1 senior account executive. Do you know a good fit?”

“Can you introduce us to a few companies that might be a good ICP fit. We thought about X and Y - I saw you worked for them in the past.”

„I am preparing our Seed Pitch Deck and heard that the TAM, SAM, SOM logic is outdated at Investors. What’s your take?“

„Who should be my first sales hire?“

👇 What's your experience with investors?

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We turned Julius Göllner Marc Penkala years of angel and VC experience into an actionable mrrunlocked.com guide on how to get your first Investment in 2025.

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