ICP Truth Bombs - Aditya Tulsian, Chargebee | Founder's Deep Dive E22 | SaaSBoomi Podcast

Welcome to another episode of Deep Dive! Suresh, our host, and
Aditya Tulsian, our guest, delve into the critical role of ICPs
and how organizations deal with acquisition journeys.


Aditya is a seasoned entrepreneur who founded Numberz, which was
acquired by Chargebee, prior to which he held a very important
role at Intuit. After an MBA at ISB Hyderabad, launching
QuickBooks in India was the experience that revealed a universal
truth to him: businesses worry about cash flow, not accounting.
In 2016, inspired by these insights, Aditya co-founded Numberz,
initially for Indian small businesses, later expanding globally.
The company recently got acquired by Chargebee, uniting visionary
forces.


In the world of startups, understanding the Ideal Customer
Profile (ICP) is like holding the compass that guides the
business. The success, failure, or struggles of any company can
be traced back to the clarity or confusion they have about the
ICP. Aditya and Suresh nail down what it takes to find your
perfect ICP, and the struggles and pressures of navigating an
acquisition conversation with both the buyer and the team.


Key Takeaways: 


00:00 - Meet Aditya Tulsian!


07:00 - Finding the perfect ICP - Problem first or person
first? 


08:13 - Mr. Cook’s billionaire’s business blueprint 


09:15 - When Suresh narrowly missed meeting Mr. Cook 


11:13 - Nuances of B2B and B2C with ICP 


15:15 - Narrowing down customer segments to ICP 


17:54 - Your ICP is actually a combination of 3 people 


19:09 - How BYJU’S missed the ICP 


21:50 - Tally vs Intuit 


22:37 - Numberz’s journey with ICP 


27:42 - The buyer, user and influencer of Numberz 


30:20 - Repercussions of a vague ICP 


32:00 - The fundamental difference between Box and Dropbox 


33:46 - Product team’s role in finding the ICP 


35:00 - The impact of the right ICP on marketing 


38:53 - A leader’s job in the organization 


39:45 - Critical points to keep in mind during an
acquisition 


44:16 - Handling uncertainties like a pro during
acquisitions 


48:44 - Managing your team’s concerns around an acquisition 


52:45 - Closing thoughts


Key Mentions


01:37 -  Numberz


01:40 - ChargeBee


03:18 - Intuit


03:47 - QuickBooks


10:36 - KissFlow


12:52 - Facebook


19:10 - BYJU’S


21:50 - Tally


32:01 - Box


32:03 - Dropbox


41:43 - Freshworks