Lessons from real Double Sprint audit case studies: part #3

Here comes a set of early-stage SaaS startups that are about to launch into the market. Few of them already had paying customers even before the official launch. But they still appreciated conclusions we came to during the Double Sprint audit ??

Case Study #9

This SaaS startup tapped into every step of the Double Sprint method. Founders already have a tech solution and a list of additional features. But, according to what I’ve heard and seen during the audit there are a few critical areas that need the most attention.

Critical areas:

?? The value proposition should be wrapped up in a simple and catchy marketing message.

?? Customer acquisition costs are unknown, and no marketing experiments done yet.

?? Expected average customer lifetime value is not estimated.

?? Pre-sell is not done. The whole investment is backed only by mutually expressed interest but without any commitment.

Next steps:

?? I‘d like to dig deeper into the customer loyalty and retention metrics. The platform is not launched yet so there is no data. But I‘d look for industry benchmarks to have an impression of what to expect.

?? We came to a new and quite interesting value proposition during the Double Sprint audit. I would test it with all target segments to see if it resonates.

?? I would do at least 5-10 additional interviews with B2B prospects and try to understand how much value these features would bring them.

?? Pre-sell could be done quite actively right now and even without a significant marketing budget.

Case Study #10

From the Double Sprint method viewpoint, founders have done a great job in tech development. The platform is functioning fully and is already delivering the service. There are a few paying customers and one retailer.

The founders would like to sell the company. They are aiming for at least a 3 million EUR valuation. Which, seems too high based on what we’ve discussed during the Double Sprint Audit.

Critical areas:

?? Still competing on price. Shallow margin.

?? Only one retailer. Hard luck trying to find additional.

Next steps:

?? Focus on discovery interviews – to identify the exact target segment that can benefit most from this technology and is ready, willing, and able to pay for this service.

?? Check the main competitors and who are their customers.

?? The pricing and revenue model might require some tweaks based on who the ideal customer is.

Useful tip:

?? It should not be hard to find retailers or affiliate partners. The challenge is to make them work efficiently.

??Only 5-7% of partners (affiliates/resellers) of SaaS companies bring 80-90% of sales.

Therefore, SaaS founders might need to create additional marketing material for partners and even run some lead-generation experiments.

Case Study #11

During the call, we discussed only non-confidential information about this startup. Some questions were left untouched. Therefore, I had to evaluate some of the Double Sprint steps by making a guess at some level.

Critical areas:

?? Pricing and sales process are lagging behind the development.

?? Very extensive list of features desired by customers. Very long "wishlist" without any commitment to pay for it.

?? Consequently the estimated development costs are fluctuating significantly.

Next steps:

?? Prepare marketing material for B2B sales meetings

?? Get at least a couple of pre-sales in the private sector as soon as possible.

?? Validate the future list for further development (don't build anything that customers aren't willing to pay for).

Useful tip:

??Don't hurry to give a promise that you will build any feature that potential customers are asking for. Build the "wish list" but don't PAY for implementing it until you have a solid commitment from customers.

Case Study #12

With this SaaS founder, we had more of a pleasant chat than the Double Sprint audit. Why? Because they already have paying customers, retailers, and even a marketing team ready to launch lead-generation campaigns and support retailers. We uncovered only a minor concern: while targeting multiple segments the marketing message lacks specificity. It's not catchy enough because it's too general.

Useful tip:

??Don't try to be perfect for everybody. While targeting too many different market segments, our marketing becomes too general. Instead, if we aim for different target segments we should consider two or even three different messages. And in such cases, we should run separate marketing campaigns focusing on the interests and concerns of our early adopters.

Yes, I noticed this tip sounds a bit nerdy?? During the call I managed to express myself in a more human language??

What would the Double Sprint audit indicate in your SaaS?

How about meeting on Zoom call to discuss your situation?

Schedule it here: https://doublesprintmethod.com/audit