Breaking Through Growth Plateaus: The SaaS Turnaround Playbook - EP 101 | Stefan Zanetti

In this episode, I talk with Stefan Zanetti, a serial
entrepreneur and pivot expert, about detecting and managing
fundamental change in companies that have reached a growth
plateau.




What to expect:


Stefan's 25-year journey as an entrepreneur, including how he
navigated companies through pivots after they'd already achieved
product-market fit

A practical framework for assessing when your business needs
minor adjustments versus a fundamental change in business model

Why the AI revolution is forcing many B2B SaaS companies to
consider pivoting to managed service providers

The importance of systematically exploring alternative paths,
even when your business is growing

How to avoid founder blind spots when your current business
model starts showing warning signs






My highlights:


Stefan's "wake up in the middle of the night" test: If you
can't see how your business survives the next 12 months, it's
time to pivot

His E3 model for balancing resources: Exploit what works,
Experiment with promising ideas, and Explore future possibilities

The revelation that 90% of VC-backed startups don't meet
their initial plans, and why the best time to discuss pivoting is
right after funding

How his Pivot Framework, based on Osterwalder's Business
Model Canvas, maps 49 different pivot patterns from studying 300+
companies






About my guest: 


Stefan Zanetti is a veteran entrepreneur with 25 years of
experience in founding and scaling multiple companies. After
stepping back from his operational roles 18 months ago (though he
remains board president of his last venture), he focuses on
helping founders systematically approach pivots. Drawing from his
own hard-earned lessons, including one company that lost 75% of
its revenue, Stefan has developed a comprehensive framework for
detecting when a fundamental business model change is needed and
executing it successfully.





Who should listen to this episode:


Founders of SaaS companies experiencing slowing growth or
market saturation

CEOs assessing whether their current challenges demand
tactical fixes or fundamental pivots

Leadership teams evaluating the impact of AI on their
business model viability

Investors seeking frameworks to help portfolio companies
navigate existential challenges






The success formula? 


Don't wait until you hit the wall – create systems to evaluate
the fundamentals of your business model regularly, involve
outside perspectives to overcome blind spots, and be willing to
make tough choices when adjusting sales and marketing strategies
isn't enough to resolve your growth challenges.


Song by StockTune


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