This episode explores the journey of Egidijus Pilypas, co-founder of Exacaster, a SaaS company specializing in helping subscription-based businesses, particularly telecom companies, increase revenue by leveraging customer data and machine learning. Against the backdrop of Egidijus's failed attempt at algorithmic trading, he pivoted to applying his expertise in machine learning to predict customer churn, initially bootstrapping the company with a small team. More significantly, the early success of acquiring clients globally through conferences masked a critical challenge: the overwhelming demand for custom features from enterprise clients, which hampered sales and marketing efforts for nearly a decade. For instance, an 18-month period of outbound sales yielded zero results, leading to a shift towards account-based marketing focused on building trust with their ideal customer profile – customer value managers. This pivot involved creating a community around these often-overlooked individuals through a podcast and other resources, establishing Exacaster as a trusted authority in the niche. Ultimately, Exacaster achieved over $7 million in ARR and a global presence, demonstrating the power of community building and a deep understanding of customer needs in driving SaaS growth.
