The Cadence: How to Operate a SaaS Startup
Summary
- The "Cadence" is an operating philosophy for SaaS startups, particularly useful when scaling from 50 to 500 employees, to manage organizational chaos. - It synchronizes the four major functions: Sales, Finance, Product, and Marketing, by aligning them on distinct quarterly cycles. - The "Sales-Finance System" operates on a calendar focused on quarterly sales plans, quotas, pipeline inspections, and fiscal year closings, with board meetings aligned to this cycle. - The "Product-Marketing System" operates on a separate calendar focused on quarterly product roadmap reviews, MVP scoping, and major product launch events. - By offsetting these two systems, the company establishes a single operating cadence with distinct themes for each month of the quarter: Month One (Plan), Month Two (Launch), and Month Three (Close). - This structured approach aims to replace erratic releases and targets with concrete milestones, leading to improved company performance and culture.