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Episode

Episode 828 | Am I Building a SaaS?, Serving Both B2C and B2B, Pricing, and More Listener Questions (Rob Solo)

Podcast
Startups For the Rest of Us
Published
Apr 14, 2026
Duration seconds
2488
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processed
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https://www.startupsfortherestofus.com/episodes/episode-828-am-i-building-a-saas-serving-both-b2c-and-b2b-pricing-and-more-listener-questions-rob-solo
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Summary

Rob Walling defines the boundaries of SaaS and explores how to scale from solopreneurs to enterprise clients. The episode provides a framework for managing dual-funnel strategies and navigating the complexities of B2B feature expansion.

Topics

  • SaaS
  • B2B Strategy
  • B2C Marketing
  • Enterprise Sales
  • Product Pricing
  • Bootstrapping
  • Startup Growth
  • MicroConf

Highlights

  • Main idea: A true SaaS is defined by subscription software providing the primary value, distinguishing it from service-heavy models
  • Practical takeaway: Use a specific 'Enterprise' pricing tier to prevent mid-market customers from demanding expensive, high-touch sales processes
  • Strategy: Implement a dual-funnel approach to capture both low-touch solopreneurs and high-value enterprise clients simultaneously
  • Failure mode: Avoid letting 'market pull' for B2B features distract you from your core product roadmap unless it aligns with your growth goals
  • Economic reality: High US healthcare costs act as a significant barrier to scaling bootstrapped teams beyond the initial product-market fit stage

Chapters

  1. 4:10 Defining the SaaS Boundary: Rob provides a one-sentence definition of SaaS and discusses the criteria for subscription software.
  2. 10:20 Software vs. Service Value: An analysis of where the value lies in a product and why some subscription models don't qualify as SaaS.
  3. 16:30 The Dual Funnel Strategy: How to effectively serve both solopreneurs and enterprise customers without getting bogged down in mid-market complexity.
  4. 22:40 Layering B2B Features: Navigating requests for B2B functionality and managing the transition from B2C to B2B offerings.
  5. 28:50 Pricing Mission-Driven Apps: Strategies for pricing tools like job search apps while maintaining accessibility for users with limited means.
  6. 35:10 Healthcare and Startup Scaling: The impact of US healthcare costs on the ability to hire and grow bootstrapped companies.