As your SaaS startup grows, you'll find people eager to share advice. Some of it will be insightful, while some may be misleading or irrelevant to your specific situation. People naturally want to help solve problems, and experienced entrepreneurs and investors will often feel compelled to share their perspectives.
But here’s the key takeaway: advice is just that—a perspective, not a roadmap. You are the only one who fully understands your business, your challenges, and your vision. Even well-intended advice can be completely wrong for your unique journey.
The best way to treat advice? As a data point. Consider it thoughtfully, weigh it against your own knowledge, and never follow it blindly. The most successful founders know how to gather insights without letting outside opinions steer them off course.
The Role of Advisors in a SaaS Startup
Building a company is a team effort. You don’t have to go at it alone, and great advisors can help you make better decisions.
Advisors are not full-time employees. They don’t replace a strong leadership team. Instead, they are experienced professionals who provide guidance in specific areas where you need expertise. Some examples of valuable advisors for a SaaS startup include:
- Security Experts: If your platform handles sensitive data, a security advisor can help you avoid costly breaches.
- Sales Leaders: An experienced SaaS sales executive can offer insights on pricing strategies, outbound sales, and scaling revenue.
- Startup CEOs: Founders who have successfully built and exited a SaaS business can offer invaluable guidance on growth, fundraising, and leadership.
Important: If someone insists on being paid for advice, they are a consultant, not an advisor. That’s a different relationship and should be treated as such.
How to Find the Right Advisors
Finding the right advisors takes effort. You don’t want to limit yourself to people you already know. Instead, actively seek out those who:
- Have deep expertise in the areas where you need help
- Challenge your thinking and provide diverse perspectives
- Have the time and willingness to engage with your business
- Are aligned with your vision and want to see you succeed
Here’s where to find them:
- Networking Events & Conferences: SaaS-focused events like SaaStr and TechCrunch Disrupt are great places to meet experienced professionals.
- Cold Outreach: A well-crafted email to an industry leader explaining your startup’s mission and the specific area where you need guidance can go a long way.
- Referrals: Ask fellow founders, investors, or team members if they know someone who would be a great fit.
- LinkedIn & Twitter: Many experts share insights on these platforms. Engage with their content, and if there’s a good fit, reach out.
Remember, this is a two-way street. Just as you would with an executive hire, assess whether the advisor is a good cultural and strategic fit for your business.
How to Use Advice the Right Way
Once you’ve gathered insights from advisors, the real challenge begins: deciding what to do with that information.
The tricky part? Even the best advisors may give conflicting advice. One expert may say, “Scale your sales team aggressively,” while another warns, “Keep it lean and focus on organic growth.”
Here’s why this happens:
- Context Matters: No one knows your business like you do. Advisors are working with limited information, which can lead to suggestions that aren’t a perfect fit.
- Personal Experience Shapes Perspective: Someone who thrived in a different era or market may offer advice that worked for them—but not necessarily for you.
So how do you process all of this?
- Gather multiple opinions: Don’t rely on one person’s perspective. Cross-check advice with different experts.
- Ask why: Dig deeper. If an advisor suggests a strategy, ask them what led them to that conclusion.
- Synthesize, don’t blindly follow: Use advice as input in your decision-making, but trust your instincts and data.
No one will ever have a better understanding of your business than you do. That means you’re the one who ultimately has to make the call.
When to Ignore Advice
Not all advice is useful. Some of it will be flat-out wrong for your situation. So how do you filter out the bad?
🚩 Red Flag #1: “You should pivot completely.”
If an advisor suggests a dramatic change in your business model, be cautious. Big moves come with big risks, and advice is easy to give but hard to execute.
🚩 Red Flag #2: “This worked for me, so it will work for you.”
Every startup is different. Just because an approach succeeded for someone else doesn’t mean it’s right for your SaaS company.
🚩 Red Flag #3: Overconfidence without questions.
Great advisors ask questions before giving advice. If someone is giving blanket recommendations without understanding your context, take their words with a grain of salt.
If you decide not to follow an advisor’s recommendation, communicate it thoughtfully. Thank them for their insights, explain your reasoning, and let them know you value their perspective. Most good advisors will respect that you are making the best decision for your business.
The Key to Success: Confidence in Your Own Decisions
Having advisors is incredibly valuable, but at the end of the day, you are the one responsible for your company’s success.
Surround yourself with smart people. Seek diverse perspectives. Ask questions. But trust yourself to make the final call.
If building a successful SaaS business were as simple as following advice, everyone would be doing it. The real challenge is sorting through insights, making tough decisions, and executing relentlessly.
So go ahead—listen, learn, and lead. That’s what great founders do.
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