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Matt Verlaque
COO @ SaaS Academy | Helping software founders grow from their first dollar to their next $10M
Matt Verlaque is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at SaaS Academy by Dan Martell, a position he has held since March 2022.1 He is an experienced entrepreneur and business leader with a background in the software-as-a-service (SaaS) industry.
Career Highlights
SaaS Experience:: Prior to his current role, Matt was the co-founder and CEO of UpLaunch, a CRM and marketing automation platform for the microgym industry. UpLaunch was acquired by Daxko in January 2020.1
Leadership Roles:: After the acquisition, Matt held positions at Daxko as Director of Product for UpLaunch and later as Executive Director of Marketing for SMB.1
Entrepreneurship:: Matt has also been involved in other ventures, including:
- Co-founder of High Speed Ventures (May 2021 - June 2023)
- Founder and CEO of Run Your Gym (February 2013 - June 2017)1
Expertise and Interests
Matt's professional interests include:
- Scorecards and data-driven business growth
- Effective leadership principles
- Fostering empathy in high-achieving professionals
- Personal productivity strategies1
Background
Interestingly, Matt has a background as a firefighter. He mentions being a fireman turned SaaS founder and has been part of the Swiftwater Rescue Team since 2015.1
Current Focus
At SaaS Academy, Matt helps software founders grow their businesses from their first dollar to their next $10 million.1 He is also active in sharing his knowledge and experiences through various channels:
- He writes a free newsletter
- Hosts the SaaS Academy Podcast
- Creates content on LinkedIn, sharing insights on business growth, leadership, and entrepreneurship123
Matt Verlaque's diverse background in entrepreneurship, SaaS, and firefighting has shaped his approach to business leadership and growth strategies in the software industry.
Highlights
Wanted to give a big shout to Ben McRedmond and the team at Equals for publishing their Guide to SaaS Metrics.
Why do I like this one better than others?
Cause it's simple, but not basic.
The metrics are easy to understand. The explanations aren't excessively complicated, but they also don't skip over the important parts.
It's not "explain it to me like I'm a five year old", because five year olds don't give a shit about SaaS Metrics.
It's more like "explain it to me like I'm busy".
It's super well-done.
Link in comments - no opt ins or marketing stuff, I just wanted to share it because it's great.
✌️ MV
Three major mindset shifts from the last 8 years in business:
1️⃣ Run towards the numbers
I used to hate measuring things. Did the absolute minimum - was revenue going up, were we making sales, were customers staying, did we have cash in the bank...great, back to building (if this sounds familiar, keep reading)
Over time, I realized that measuring these was like putting my business in a time machine - I was always fighting yesterday's battle, and had no idea what was actually happening at the current moment - because they're all lagging indicators.
So often, I'll put together a list of data that tells a story and the people around me will step back and say, "oh no we can't measure that much stuff, it's to complicated, how do we know what's important, etc etc etc"
I'm sure driving a car felt complicated the first time too, but now it's easy 🤣
My point? Data tells a story. From activities to leading indicators to output metrics, everything is a linked chain of events.
Run towards the numbers. Learn how they work. It's a skill. And everything changed in my world once I built it.
2️⃣ Teaching has a shelf life
I love coaching team members. I love teaching them. I love helping them understand the business.
But there's a point of diminishing returns if you want to go fast.
Sooner or later, they've gotta GET IT. They need to be able to build in your vision, make the decisions you would have made if you were there, and ship work that impresses you.
It can't be a "coaching problem" forever.
Sometimes, it's an aptitude problem. A desire problem. A skills problem. A belief problem.
But it's a problem. Don't tolerate C+ results for too long if you want an A+ team.
Do everything you can...teach your ass off...lead, coach, mentor, and support.
But if they don't get it...they won't get it. And they might be an incredible team member on a different team, for a different leader, or in a different company.
Don't stand in the way.
3️⃣ Financials aren't a report card
But I see SoManyFounders™️ treat them that way. Look at the numbers at the end of the month, decide "how they did", and then keep doing the same shit again.
Finance should be used to drive strategic decisions.
Everything is a bet. Everything is an investment. Everything has an opportunity cost.
And if your financials aren't integrated with non-financial performance data, that's a big ole problem.
Those are my three - what did I miss?
