The SaaS Operator Podcast

In this episode of The SaaS Operator Podcast, we dive deep with Julio Martinez, the founder of Abacum, an innovative platform changing the game for finance teams in mid-market companies. Julio discusses the launch during the unpredictability of COVID-19 and takes us through the highs and lows of building Abacum from the ground up.

Tune in to learn more about:
~ The challenges of launching Abacum amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
~ The pivotal role of user research in shaping Abacum's product-market fit.
~ Julio's approach to building a robust sales and marketing strategy.

Timestamps:
  • (00:00) - Intro.
  • (00:28) - Identifying the Problem and Market Opportunity.
  • (02:43) - The founding story of Abacum and how it got off the ground.
  • (05:20) - Acquiring the first customers through networks.
  • (06:41) - Funding journey of Abacum from angel investment to VC rounds.
  • (08:47) - Impact and advice from Y Combinator.
  • (13:07) - The team size and structure post-series A.
  • (13:53) - Organizational structure and the split among different teams.
  • (15:41) - Go-to-market strategy for Abacum.
  • (16:32) - The structure and cooperation between the marketing and sales teams.
  • (18:45) - Challenges and "war stories" from the early days.
  • (21:01) - Learning from hiring mistakes and refining the hiring process.
  • (23:48) - Importance of founder's gut feeling in the hiring process.
  • (25:05) - Vision for Abacum in the next five years.
  • (26:34) - Where to find Julio Martinez and Abacum online.


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Follow Julio:
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejuliomartinez/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JULIOMARTINEZG


Mentioned In The Episode
Abacum - Financial Operations Automation Tool for Businesses.
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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On Twitter: https://twitter.com/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