The SaaS Operator Podcast

On this episode of The SaaS Operator Podcast, we host Joao Aguiam, founder of Veertly and Padely.


We discuss how Joao built and sold his startup, Veertly, to Swisscom. He walks us through how startups are sold. Everything from finding the right price to the roles investors play.


Joao talks about his journey from Portugal to starting Veertly in the US. He also explains how they capitalized on the virtual events boom during the pandemic. 


We then learn about Joao’s recent shift to building in public and what’s next for him. 


Tune in to learn more about:
~ Taking advantage of industry booms: How Veertly did it.
~ A serial founder’s guide to managing different startups and products
~ How startups are sold and the details of the Veertly-Swisscom exit
~ Joao’s shift to building in public

Timestamps:
  • (00:00) - Intro
  • (00:15) - Joao's background and journey from Portugal to the US
  • (01:24) - How Joao got into tech and startups
  • (02:18) - How Veertly was founded
  • (03:09) - What Veertly does
  • (04:07) - How Joao took advantage of the virtual platform bubble during the pandemic
  • (06:49) - Solving Veertly's marketing and positioning problem
  • (09:50) - Making the gamble to launch a new product - Gomada
  • (11:46) - Managing the startup team across different products
  • (15:26) - How the startup acquisition process works
  • (17:51) - Why Swisscom bought Veertly
  • (18:36) - How to determine the price for an acquisition
  • (19:45) - The role of investors in negotiation
  • (20:44) - What's next for Joao
  • (23:06) - Joao’s shift to building in public
  • (25:03) - Where to find Joao online


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Follow Joao:
On LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joaoaguiam
On Twitter: https://x.com/joaoaguiam

Mentioned In The Episode
https://veertly.com/ - Flexible platform for your online events
https://gomada.co/ - Employee Engagement Software
ReactSquad.io - React.js Agency for Startups

Nikolas Chapoupis
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/nikolas_chap
On LinkedIn: https://de.linkedin.com/in/nikolas-chapoupis

EarlyNode
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Creators & Guests

Host
Nikolas Chapoupis
Founder of EarlyNode & ReactSquad.io (React Agency for SaaS Startups)

What is The SaaS Operator Podcast?

Get real stories about the birth and growth of SaaS Startups with our Host Nikolas Chapoupis (CEO @EarlyNode). Each episode gets into the trenches alongside those who were *actually* there when it happened. To reveal the full story of what's working in SaaS right now, from hiring to fundraising, marketing, and product strategy.

Brought to you by EarlyNode.com