Ep. 162 - What Most SaaS Teams Get Wrong About Growth

SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

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29d ago 33:59

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Guest: Sjoerd Handgraaf, Chief Marketing Officer at Sharetribe

The most overlooked growth lever in SaaS? Positioning.
In this episode, Sharetribe CMO Sjoerd Handgraaf reveals how redefining product positioning transformed their trajectory—and why many SaaS companies are still getting it wrong.

Handgraaf takes us inside Sharetribe’s journey from chasing big logos to doubling down on their true customer: non-technical marketplace founders. Along the way, he shares hard-won insights about product-market fit, AI disruption, and why going “back to basics” in marketing may be more transformational than the next tech trend.

📌 Key Takeaways:

The Power of Saying No
Why Sharetribe walks away from enterprise deals—and how that clarity unlocked faster product development, happier customers, and less internal chaos.
Product-Market Fit is a Moving Target
What feels like “fit” today can vanish tomorrow. Sjoerd explains why it's not a one-time milestone, but a constant process of adaptation.
The AI Threat is Real—but Misunderstood
Low-code and AI-assisted development may lower technical barriers, but they don’t replace the need for reliability, support, and fit-for-purpose tools.
Content Marketing That Converts
Sharetribe’s global growth is powered by giving first—through books, podcasts, and resources that attract high-intent buyers before they’re even in-market.
Global from Day One
How to build a self-serve SaaS product that scales globally—even from a startup hub like Finland.

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Chapters

1. Introduction to SaaS Backwards Podcast (00:00:00)

2. Meet Sjoerd Handgraaf and Sharetribe (00:00:17)

3. The Journey of Sharetribe (00:00:56)

4. Importance of Positioning in Business (00:02:34)

5. Transformational Repositioning at Sharetribe (00:02:56)

6. Challenges and Evolution of Sharetribe (00:03:13)

7. Building a Marketplace with Sharetribe (00:04:12)

8. Lessons Learned and Customer Success (00:07:10)

9. Impact of AI on SaaS and Marketplaces (00:14:50)

10. Global Expansion from Finland (00:24:26)

11. Conclusion and Contact Information (00:31:38)

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