John Erck

Why settle for a product that’s just ‘viable’ when you can build something people *love*? I recently stumbled upon an article about SLC (Simple, Lovable, Complete) software process and found it enlightening. **1. Simple ✨** - Core features only—no bloat. - A clear, focused user experience. **2. Lovable 💝** - Polished interfaces. - Features people genuinely *adore* and rave about. **3. Complete 🎯** - Fully functional from day one. - No half-baked solutions here. It’s time to ditch the MVP mindset. Instead, let’s build products that delight and inspire. Ready to create something your users will fall in love with? Let’s connect! 👇 P.S. here is the article to learn some more about it - https://lnkd.in/gUZicivt #ProductDevelopment #Innovation #SLC

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If you're into business / digital transformation or the delivery of projects, this book is for you. Laura Barnard, is insightful and her experience shines through on every page. Usually in purple! My copy sits on my bedside table. Really! https://lnkd.in/evNz_GhD

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If you don’t think Shopify will crush Salesforce Commerce Cloud. You. Are. Wrong. And you've been living under a rock While Shopify squashed Magento + Woo. I started off my career building Magento connections + migrating Woo brands to Shopify. The reason Shopify won then… + the reason they’ve leveled up so much + the reason they’re going to win again Shopify always relied on partners to build out key missing pieces for them. Back in the day, if you were a mom n’pop, you’d go Woo.  If you were Mid-Market, you’d go to Magento. Stage 1: Shopify undercut + out-built Woo.  - Theme store - Easy to install apps that didn’t need devs. - Simple Code (Liquid) for devs to easily onramp. Brands started to scale on Shopify. Stage 2: They entered upper SMB + mid-market. And no one took them seriously. But Shop always ran the same playbook. Magento who? Now, we've entered Stage 3: The SFCC phase. Shop is winning the bottom of the Ent market. They’re building JUST enough to attack SFCC’s customer base. While relying on “the rebels” to fill in the gaps. Everyone discounts the importance of Shopify’s sales + GTM function. Shopify will win because they will inspire the vendor ecosystem to sell Shopify. They’ll crush SFCC just like Magento & Woo Because Shopify’s vendors move the needle. #shopify

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I've seen various websites pop up claiming to offer the prices that other users pay for enterprise SaaS software. https://www.vendr.com is a new one that's making the rounds. The price an enterprise pays for high AOV SaaS, like a commerce platform, is next to impossible to reverse engineer. Enterprise SaaS pricing depends on some combination of: - How much do you use the product? A retailer selling $25k watches and $2 pencils may have the same GMV at the end of the year but dramatically different product usage patterns. We have internal gross margin targets and try to peg our pricing to that - How successful do we think you'll be? We as a vendor don't want failed implementations out there. They're expensive for us to fix and cause reputational damage. If we think you're going to ignore our guidance, we may charge you a premium. We want to partner with our customers: https://lnkd.in/guFDHQtC - Will you do referencing for us? If we as a vendor can have you do a mainstage keynote or speak to other prospects on our behalf, that's worth a lot to us - What's the cross-sell and up-sell potential? Can we make you so successful that you'll end up using us for other use cases, geos, etc? - Can we kneecap a competitor? Starving a specific competitor in a geo or for a specific use case is valuable for us on occasion - Do you help us as a vendor enter a new geo? Having a flagship customer in a new country or geo is valuable - Can you help us as a vendor enter a new vertical? Having a flagship customer in healthcare, or government, for example is worth a discount - Do you have a reputation for not paying bills? The CFO of a certain midwestern retailer was famous for having a sign on his office door titled "25 reasons not to pay a vendor invoice." No thanks - Are you at risk of bankruptcy, PE takeover, or some other big event that could impact your strategy and/or your ability to pay? For smaller ticket SaaS, like an Office or Slack subscription, different rules apply. But for something as consequential as a commerce platform - the above considerations can definitely impact the price you pay.

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When assessing new saas/apps, I go straight to the pricing page. Not because I am looking for the price, but because that is where you find the most succinct description of what the software does and how to fits your needs.

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Our Micro SaaS portfolio company just hit ARR / FTE productivity rivaling $50M SaaS firms. Here are 4 lessons we learned along the way: Focus on operating leverage, not just revenue growth. EBITDA/FTE is an excellent scoreboard. Lean teams move faster and punch harder. Return on effort matters more than chasing scale or deal size. Where have you most recently created operating leverage in your business? #ARR #MicroSaaS #BusinessEfficiency

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The average SaaS growth rate is a statistic that every founder should keep front and center. Did you know that startups can see growth rates between 15% and 45% year-over-year? If you're opting for anything less, you might as well hang up your entrepreneurial hat. The article dives into more than just numbers; it breaks down the critical importance of understanding your company's growth rate, especially when vying for investment. Investors aren't just looking for a good story; they want to see solid numbers proving your potential. If you can't articulate your growth rate, you're running on borrowed time with investors. Additionally, while early-stage companies often ride high on initial momentum, this growth is deceptive. Many will experience a slowdown as they mature. Thus, founders need to set realistic expectations, and it’s crucial to anticipate future growth based on solid financial forecasting. How are you measuring and planning for your company's growth? Let's hear your thoughts. https://lnkd.in/eSrmqagz

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What does your sales conversion rate look like at your accounting firm? 🤔 Too many firm leaders talk about "crushing it" and "doing great" but not enough data to really know how well you're stacking up. This is why I loved having Patrick Dichter come on the Jetpack Workflow "Growing Your Firm" podcast to talk about ACTUAL NUMBERS. Here's his data ... 10 discovery calls ⏩ 4 proposal call ⏩ 2 clients Early on, he realized he had a repeatable process and was able to double revenue within 12 months of acquiring his first firm. In the interview, we talked about his sales process, pricing, how he built more inbound acquisition (all his clients come from inbound) and much more. Take a look at the comments for the full interview 👇 #JetpackWorkflow #GrowingYourFirm #accounting #sales

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One key to scaling a DTC brand profitably is alignment between marketing and finance, but it isn't all about alignment around contribution margin. Yes - I harp on contribution margin a lot because it is important. But I don't want to glaze over another key area that marketing and finance collaboration break down - Using different definitions for the same term. Most specifically - marketing and finance functions needs to get on the same page about how they define MER and ROAS. Yes there are conflicting definitions out in the world. The exact one your company uses isn't "right" or "wrong." Use whatever definition of MER and ROAS you want. But make sure your entire company knows how you define these terms. And definitely make sure your marketing and finance functions define these terms the same way. Or else you can be in for some costly mistakes. -- Find this post helpful? Consider reposting or giving me Jon Blair a follow. Also consider following my DTC-focused Fractional CFO firm Free to Grow CFO

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🚀 PushOwl Pods Episode 7: While Shopify reported an impressive $11.5 billion this BFCM, Arvind, CEO of Swym, believes there’s still room to push that number even higher.... Here's how 👇 In this episode, I’m thrilled to host Arvind Krishnan, an e-commerce veteran whose platform empowers 35,000+ retailers to deliver seamless cross-channel shopping experiences. Together, we discuss 3 actionable strategies for brands to capture the intent of "last-minute" shoppers and turn it into real revenue: 👉 Capturing the right signals to inform decisions 👉 Sending timely, contextual alerts 👉 Leveraging innovative campaigns like direct mail (shoutout to our friends at PostPilot!) If you're looking to extend your BFCM momentum and drive better results, this one's for you. Tune in for actionable insights, share your thoughts in the comments, and follow PushOwl Pods for more expert tips! 🎙️ #PushOwl | #Shopify | #BFCM2024 | #Swym | #Wishlist | #PushOwlPods

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This mattress brand was recently acquired for almost $1 BILLION. What’s their secret? Here is a breakdown of their funnel: 1. First time shoppers personalization • Treat the entire funnel like a landing page  • Tailor every step of the funnel to first time shopper’s needs • Use persistent promotions and messaging 2. Social Proof • Not just reviews • PR + awards • “How many shoppers bought” 3. Urgency • Countdowns • This Week Only 4. Shipping & Returns • Crystal clear • Every step of the funnel - from home page to checkout They run endless personalizations and tests on their funnel (unlike most brands that only focus on testing their marketing campaigns) So how do they personalize and a/b test their funnel? Dynamic Yield I know what you’re thinking… → Takes months to integrate,  → Requires a whole team of developers → Costs a TON of money! If you are on Shopify, there’s a new way Check out this BFCM guide, on how Shopify’s top brands generate tens of millions in incremental profit in minutes and with absolutely no code (DM me and I'll send you a link to the guide) P.S. Now, I know what you’re thinking—this funnel is SO salesy. You’re right; it's a mattress brand, so their primary goal is to convert shoppers when they’re in the market. Building a brand might take a backseat here. While this type of funnel obviously wouldn’t work for a fashion brand, some elements—like social proof and first-time shopper personalization—are still highly relevant for most brands, including apparel Additionally, during BFCM, brands can and should embrace a more sales-driven approach, leveraging tactics like urgency #shopify

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This x10000 I recently bought new bedsheets from a brand I won’t mention. 3 days after I made the purchase, feeling good with my 25% discount on my purchase, I got a text message offer for 50% off. I came away from that experience feeling duped, because had I known that I would have gotten an offer for 50% off, I would have just waited. Will I buy from them again? I don’t know, depends on how good the sheets are. But I definitely won’t be making another purchase from them for at least another 90 days. It’s so important to be thoughtful in how you talk to your customers right after they purchase. If they purchased, they’re probably really excited about that purchase and are happy to engage and learn more (particularly if it’s high AoV like high end apparel, bedding, or a wellness product) It does NOT mean that the 5-7 day period post purchase is a great time to hit them with another discount - they will feel similar to how I did.

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Posting my push on #cartloss from team Blotout Smaller brand but similar result -- close to 2% GMV and CVR significantly better to push the lazy customer to a close. 🚀 34% CVR on exposed vs 28% on control (thats 6% incremental) 🚀 Per (exposed) customer revenue is $49 Vs (control) is $41.25 On an average 120 customers per week, thats $10,000 per week or $365000 for a $20M brand OR 1.9% GMV. Results are consistent. Sign up now - its free for BFCM and Cyber Monday 1. Go to to https://lnkd.in/gSZ7ekJA 2. Go through installation 3. Email [email protected] to TURN on Cart Recovery silently What are you waiting for? https://blotout.io/lead

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"It's table stakes for merchants to be everywhere customers are" - Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify Finally a definition of omnichannel that I agree with -- from the lens of the consumer. Shopify & Target announced a partnership to allow select merchants to offer their products on Target Plus, the retailer's third-party marketplace. Why is this such a huge announcement? 1️⃣ It is a stamp of support by two of the largest commerce players that omnichannel is the future You need to be wherever your customers are. 2️⃣ Target brings the power of discovery to Shopify merchants. While Shopify has incredible enablement tools -- it is in the best interest of the merchants to support discovery channels outside of the extremely expensive Meta. Otherwise Amazon will continue to be the beneficiary of brands seeking discovery for their products. 3️⃣ For Target, this partnership provides their consumers with access to top brands that have cemented their success in the DTC world like True Classic & Caden Lane 4️⃣ DTC should not be thought of as separate to retail. They are both shopping experiences for the consumer that should speak to one another. 5️⃣ It cements the importance of marketplaces for both retailers and brands as key growth channels going forward. --- If you still think omnichannel is just a buzz word, you're wrong. If you still think retail & DTC should be thought of separately, you're so behind. Omnichannel is now and the future of how consumers will shop. Brij is building the solution that will help you connect consumer touch points across every channel you sell through. #shopify #target #omnichannel

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I have been seeing a lot of AI-enabled products with sub $300k in ARR but 75-100x revenue valuation multiples. Obviously there is a lot of promise for many of these tools, but a question I keep wondering about is which line item in a prospective buyer's budget many of these software licenses is going to come from and if revenue growth is going to be a lot slower than valuation because buyers haven't yet adjusted their FP & A process to include allocation for AI tools that don't neatly fit in any historic software category. Tricky question. TIA Ventures

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If your DTC brand is kicking off monthly profit, you absolutely should be strategizing on how to pay a consistent, monthly owner distribution... Even if you don't take one because you decide to keep the capital inside the business to fund growth, the planning exercise of modeling out what would have to be true to pay yourself a monthly distribution is wildly valuable. Although I'll be honest - I think, "I can't afford to pay myself a distribution because we're funding growth" is a cop out. Get creative and see what you can do to squeeze out even a small monthly distribution. You'll be surprised how putting this constraint on your thinking forces you to get creative and find ways to make a monthly distribution possible. PS - if you're struggling to think through owner distribution strategies, a solid DTC CFO from Free to Grow CFO can help.

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Distribution is the key to growing revenue faster than marketing spend in DTC. Want proof of this? Let's take a look at Warby Parker, one of the pioneers of online DTC... Unlike their peers Allbirds, Figs etc...Warby Parker's revenue has steadily increased since IPO. Today 70% of overall revenue comes from retail and this is where distribution is key to unlocking profitability. Yes retail requires higher rents, however, it comes with foot traffic, brand building, speaking to customers and so many more benefits. While gross profit between online and retail is largely like for like, the contribution profit driven by retail stores is significantly higher. Why you might ask? Because most online only brands are spending upwards of 20% of revenue on marketing and often even higher. We also haven't even mentioned yet the cost of shipping and how Australia Post blanket lifts rates every year... A great example of this on our shores in Australia is Temple & Webster. An online only business without the power of retail distribution which spent 62% more this FY on marketing to generate 26% more revenue. This is incredibly ineffiecient... Smart DTC brands have already recognised the benefits to contribution profit and brand building of turning to retail distribution. Examples of smart DTC brands in Australia widening distribution into retail include: Arms Of Eve, LSKD, July, the memo, Proud Poppy Clothing, Oz Hair and Beauty, DISSH, Henne and I believe many more who thrive this BFCM (in profitability not revenue terms) will join them in 2025 with this strategy.

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Shopify stores are the fastest in the world. That’s not just my personal opinion, it’s validated by publicly available data from Google’s Core Web Vitals, the industry standard for measuring web performance. Faster stores convert better, driving more revenue for your business. Improving your site speed by just half a second could increase your conversion rate. The faster your site, the more money you make. See why Shopify sites run fast and convert faster in my blog post: 🔗https://lnkd.in/eZPZArV9

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So many #Startups book office hours with Kevin Maney and I because they are struggling with their #CategoryDesign strategy. 7 times out of 10 they are stuck on a category name. And we tell them to forget the name, focus on their category point of view first. Once you understand the problem you solve, the ramifications of not solving it, and the outcomes of solving it...then the name becomes obvious! Wait for the drop the mic moment! If you're ready for the name...here are some tips:

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