Club E Recap: Growing a SaaS Business

John Tedesco speaking at the Club E "Growing a SaaS Business" panel.

In a recent event at the Minneapolis Club, Club E hosted a lively and insightful panel on Growing a SaaS Business, featuring four leaders who have built, scaled, and invested in successful software companies. The conversation, moderated by Rick Brimacomb, offered practical playbooks for entrepreneurs at every stage of their SaaS journey.

Meet the Panelists

• Scott Burns – Investor, entrepreneur, and General Partner at Mairs & Power Ventures, formerly founder of GovDelivery and Structural.

• Raza Hasan – CEO of TypeHero, founder of TimeSolv, and advocate of niche strategy and his “Play to Win” philosophy.

• John Tedesco – SaaS founder, advisor, and board member, with operating experience at Sport Ngin, Leadpages, Drip, and When I Work.

• Mike Scoville – Sales leader at AkoyaGo, with a career dedicated to SaaS sales growth and scaling revenue teams.

The panel wasted no time diving into the realities of growing a SaaS company. From the earliest days of finding product-market fit to the challenges of scaling teams and raising capital, each speaker shared lessons learned from both successes and setbacks. What made the discussion especially valuable was the mix of perspectives: Scott brought the investor’s lens, Raza shared the contrarian founder’s playbook, John offered the operator’s view on scaling and retention, and Mike grounded the conversation in the practical realities of sales execution.

Together, they painted a clear picture of what it takes to win in SaaS today: focus on a niche, stay close to your customers, measure what matters, and never lose sight of the value you deliver.

Key Takeaways

1. Find a Niche and Get Rich

SaaS companies win by going narrow. Raza Hasan shared how focusing TimeSolv exclusively on small law firms drove sustainable growth and a successful exit. As he put it, “Find a niche and get rich.”

2. Founders Must Sell

Early customers want access to the founder. Staying close to sales builds trust, provides rapid feedback, and helps validate product-market fit.

3. Scaling Requires Product-Market Fit

John Tedesco emphasized churn as “the cancer of SaaS.” Without strong retention and revenue concentration in the right customer segment, scaling efforts will stall.

4. Investors Push for Bold Moves

Scott Burns explained that investors often encourage founders to take bigger bets, whether raising capital, investing in sales, or hiring key leaders. His advice: “Think more about the value you’re providing the customer than the features you’re building.”

5. Growth Hacks That Work

From selling an idea with a one-page brochure to hiring industry insiders and building partnerships, the panelists offered practical tactics for driving revenue and retention.

6. Pricing is a Strategic Lever

Panelists agreed: price to reflect value, not just features. Higher pricing often signals quality and creates room for flexibility. Pricing strategy belongs with the CEO.

Why It Matters

This panel embodied what Club E delivers: practical insights, candid stories, and actionable strategies from leaders who’ve been in the trenches. Catch the full Club E panel on the Brimacomb YouTube channel.