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The only certainty in business is uncertainty! No founder or investor could have predicted events like the Covid-19 pandemic or the war in Ukraine - both of which had profound effects on the economy, and therefore SaaS and the venture capital investment trends. But there are ways that startups can prepare for unforeseen ups and downs. Venture Capital investor Ryan Floyd shares his advice on how SaaS starutps specifically can plan for, adapt to and thrive in times of economic uncertainty.

Some of the things we covered....

0:00 Dealing with uncertain times
1:58 Play the long game
3:22 Lessons from the pandemic
4:50 Don’t make rash decisions
5:21 Risk is relative
10:11 Play offence
11:35 Plan for a turnaround
13.02 Communication is key

Watch the video to get the answers to all these questions - and more.

Make sure to also:

- Follow me on Twitter - https://twitter.com/RyanFloyd - for a lot more content on building SaaS B2B startups, as well as venture capital and entrepreneurship in general
- Subscribe to my blog at https://ryanfloyd.org, where I talk about why I invest in certain companies and broader tech industry issues
- Check out my #AskAVC​​​ podcast based on this channel - https://anchor.fm/ask-a-vc

About Ryan Floyd:

Ryan is a founding Managing Director of Storm Ventures, where he invests in, and works with, early-stage enterprise SaaS startups. His primary focus is applications and cloud infrastructure-related companies. He is always interested in hearing from passionate technology entrepreneurs. Ryan is a skilled writer and commentator on all things SaaS. He's written for Techcrunch, Sifted, Thrive Global and regularly contributes to The UK Newspaper. He's the host of the recently launched #AskAVC​​​ YouTube channel aimed at enterprise entrepreneurs. In each episode, he tackles a different issue relating to building and scaling B2B startups - topics such as pitching to an investor and tackling sales churn.

When he's not working with his portfolio founders, Ryan is active with Code2040, a nonprofit organization that creates pathways to educational, professional, and entrepreneurial success in technology for underrepresented minorities. And occasionally, he finds time for surfing!

Net dollar retention and customer experience are highly critical for the success of your SaaS business. I had a chance to connect recently with Gaby Moran, director of customer experience at Workato (https://www.workato.com/). Before her current role, Gaby spent quite a few years at Medallia (https://www.medallia.com/), customer experience management software with a world-class NPS of 60+.

Our conversation turned out to be a fantastic "customer experience 101" overview, with key terms defined; and many burning questions I get from entrepreneurs all the time - answered.

- How do you collect and use data to inform your customer experience function?
- How to account for possible bias in the customer feedback - both positive and negative?
- How to get started with customer experience as a SaaS startup founder?

Watch the video to get the answers to all these questions - and more.

Make sure to also:
- Follow me on Twitter - https://twitter.com/RyanFloyd - for a lot more content on building SaaS B2B startups, as well as venture capital and entrepreneurship in general
- Subscribe to my blog at https://ryanfloyd.org, where I talk about why I invest in certain companies and broader tech industry issues
- Check out my #AskAVC​​​ podcast based on this channel - https://anchor.fm/ask-a-vc

About Ryan Floyd

Ryan is a founding Managing Director of Storm Ventures, where he invests in, and works with, early-stage enterprise SaaS startups. His primary focus is applications and cloud infrastructure-related companies. He is always interested in hearing from passionate technology entrepreneurs. Ryan is a skilled writer and commentator on all things SaaS. He's written for Techcrunch, Sifted, Thrive Global and regularly contributes to The UK Newspaper. He's the host of the recently launched #AskAVC​​​ YouTube channel aimed at enterprise entrepreneurs. In each episode, he tackles a different issue relating to building and scaling B2B startups - topics such as pitching to an investor and tackling sales churn.

When he's not working with his portfolio founders, Ryan is active with Code2040, a nonprofit organization that creates pathways to educational, professional, and entrepreneurial success in technology for underrepresented minorities. And occasionally, he finds time for surfing!

In this video, I talk about the latest cybersecurity threats you should be aware of as a founder of a small business (what your startup essentially is). Alastair Paterson, Co-founder and CEO of a cybersecurity company Digital Shadows (https://www.digitalshadows.com/), joined me to answer your questions about the dark web and more.

- How has the global pandemic affected the cybersecurity landscape?
- How security threats can impact your success as a startup?
- What are the latest phishing techniques you should be aware of as a founder?

Watch the video to get the answers to all these questions - and make sure you are better equipped to tackle the latest cybersecurity threats your business is facing.

Make sure to also:
- Follow me on Twitter - https://twitter.com/RyanFloyd - for a lot more content on building SaaS B2B startups, as well as venture capital and entrepreneurship in general
- Subscribe to my blog at https://ryanfloyd.org, where I talk about why I invest in certain companies and broader tech industry issues
- Check out my #AskAVC​​​ podcast based on this channel - https://anchor.fm/ask-a-vc

About Ryan Floyd

Ryan is a founding Managing Director of Storm Ventures, where he invests in, and works with, early-stage enterprise SaaS startups. His primary focus is applications and cloud infrastructure-related companies. He is always interested in hearing from passionate technology entrepreneurs. Ryan is a skilled writer and commentator on all things SaaS. He’s written for Techcrunch, Sifted, Thrive Global and is a regular contributor to The UK Newspaper. He’s the host of the recently launched #AskAVC​​​ YouTube channel aimed at enterprise entrepreneurs. In each episode, he tackles a different issue relating to building and scaling B2B startups - topics such as pitching to an investor and tackling sales churn.

When he’s not working with his portfolio founders, Ryan is active with Code2040, a nonprofit organization that creates pathways to educational, professional, and entrepreneurial success in technology for underrepresented minorities. And occasionally, he finds time for surfing!

Net dollar retention (NDR) is critical to your SaaS startup's success. I talked quite a bit about churn in the early days of this channel. Mastering NDR is the next logical step you should consider as you continue to grow your startup. In this video, I am sharing 4 tips that will help you take control of your net dollar retention metric - and take it to the next level:

- What is the difference between gross churn and net dollar retention?
- Can your startup have negative churn?
- What can you learn from Salesforce when it comes to NDR?

Watch the video to get the answers to all these questions - and get the complete list of 4 tips that will surely help you master your net dollar retention.

Make sure to also:
- Follow me on Twitter - https://twitter.com/RyanFloyd - for a lot more content on building SaaS B2B startups, as well as venture capital and entrepreneurship in general
- Subscribe to my blog at https://ryanfloyd.org, where I talk about why I invest in certain companies and broader tech industry issues
- Check out my #AskAVC​​​ podcast based on this channel - https://anchor.fm/ask-a-vc

About Ryan Floyd

Ryan is a founding Managing Director of Storm Ventures, where he invests in, and works with, early-stage enterprise SaaS startups. His primary focus is applications and cloud infrastructure-related companies. He is always interested in hearing from passionate technology entrepreneurs. Ryan is a skilled writer and commentator on all things SaaS. He’s written for Techcrunch, Sifted, Thrive Global and is a regular contributor to The UK Newspaper. He’s the host of the recently launched #AskAVC​​​ YouTube channel aimed at enterprise entrepreneurs. In each episode, he tackles a different issue relating to building and scaling B2B startups - topics such as pitching to an investor and tackling sales churn.

When he’s not working with his portfolio founders, Ryan is active with Code2040, a nonprofit organization that creates pathways to educational, professional, and entrepreneurial success in technology for underrepresented minorities. And occasionally, he finds time for surfing!

In this video, I share with you 8 ways to finance your startup - and that doesn't include venture capital! It might seem odd coming from a VC investor. However, my goal for you as a startup founder is to be aware of all the options that are available to finance your business - along with their respective pros and cons. When you do partner with a VC like myself, you need to be sure that it is, in fact, the best way forward for your startup.

- What might be the reasons NOT to take venture capital?
- How to be more like Sam Walton, Walmart's founder?
- Should you be scared of taking on debt to finance your venture?

Watch the video to get the answers to all these questions - and get the full list of 8 ways you can go about financing your startup!

- Buy "Sam Walton: Made In America" book I recommend in this video on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Sam-Walton-Made-America/dp/0553562835/
- Read Paul Graham's full essay "Do Things That Don't Scale" that I mentioned in the video - http://paulgraham.com/ds.html

Make sure to also:
- Follow me on Twitter - https://twitter.com/RyanFloyd - for a lot more content on building SaaS B2B startups, as well as venture capital and entrepreneurship in general
- Subscribe to my blog at https://ryanfloyd.org, where I talk about why I invest in certain companies and broader tech industry issues
- Check out my #AskAVC​​​ podcast based on this channel - https://anchor.fm/ask-a-vc

About Ryan Floyd

Ryan is a founding Managing Director of Storm Ventures where he invests in, and works with, early stage enterprise SaaS startups. His primary focus is applications and cloud infrastructure related companies. He is always interested in hearing from passionate technology entrepreneurs. Ryan is a skilled writer and commentator on all things SaaS. He’s written for Techcrunch, Sifted, Thrive Global and is a regular contributor to The UK Newspaper. He’s host of the recently launched #AskAVC​​​ YouTube channel aimed at enterprise entrepreneurs. In each episode he tackles a different issue relating to building and scaling B2B startups - topics such as how to pitch to an investor and how to combat sales churn.

When he’s not working with his portfolio founders, Ryan is active with Code2040, a nonprofit organization that creates pathways to educational, professional, and entrepreneurial success in technology for underrepresented minorities. And occasionally he finds time for surfing!

In the latest #AskAVC episode, we talk about understanding and the importance of diversity, inclusion, and equity in startups. I am joined by Aubrey Blanche, Director of Equitable Design at Culture Amp, The Mathpath (Math Nerd + Empath), and a startup investor and advisor. Aubrey is a recognized thought leader when it comes to building more equitable businesses - and our conversation is full of actionable insights that any startup founder can utilize right away.

- Why using the word "diversity" might be counter-effective?
- Why you as a startup founder should care about equity (and no, we are not talking about ownership)?
- How to go about creating an inclusive culture at your company?

In the video, we give answers to these questions - and much more. If you are ready to level up your understanding of diversity, inclusion, and equity, and learn how you can apply it in your business today - tune in!

Make sure to also:
- Follow me on Twitter - https://twitter.com/RyanFloyd - for a lot more content on building SaaS B2B startups, as well as venture capital and entrepreneurship in general
- Subscribe to my blog at https://ryanfloyd.org, where I talk about why I invest in certain companies and broader tech industry issues
- Check out my #AskAVC​​​ podcast based on this channel - https://anchor.fm/ask-a-vc

About Ryan Floyd

Ryan is a founding Managing Director of Storm Ventures where he invests in, and works with, early stage enterprise SaaS startups. His primary focus is applications and cloud infrastructure related companies. He is always interested in hearing from passionate technology entrepreneurs. Ryan is a skilled writer and commentator on all things SaaS. He’s written for Techcrunch, Sifted, Thrive Global and is a regular contributor to The UK Newspaper. He’s host of the recently launched #AskAVC​​​ YouTube channel aimed at enterprise entrepreneurs. In each episode he tackles a different issue relating to building and scaling B2B startups - topics such as how to pitch to an investor and how to combat sales churn.

When he’s not working with his portfolio founders, Ryan is active with Code2040, a nonprofit organization that creates pathways to educational, professional, and entrepreneurial success in technology for underrepresented minorities. And occasionally he finds time for surfing!

In this video, I talk about go to market strategy for startups. A few weeks ago I had a great conversation on the topic with the hosts of the European VC podcast where we discussed some of the patterns I observe among enterprise startups.

- Does it matter which vertical you are selling to?
- How critical the price point of the product is for your success?
- When should you hire a VP of sales for your startup?

In the video, I give answers to these questions - and much more. If you are ready to figure out a go-to-market strategy for your enterprise startup - you are in the right place.

Make sure to also:
- Follow me on Twitter - https://twitter.com/RyanFloyd - for a lot more content on building SaaS B2B startups, as well as venture capital and entrepreneurship in general
- Subscribe to my blog at https://ryanfloyd.org, where I talk about why I invest in certain companies and broader tech industry issues
- Check out my #AskAVC​​​ podcast based on this channel - https://anchor.fm/ask-a-vc

About Ryan Floyd

Ryan is a founding Managing Director of Storm Ventures where he invests in, and works with, early stage enterprise SaaS startups. His primary focus is applications and cloud infrastructure related companies. He is always interested in hearing from passionate technology entrepreneurs. Ryan is a skilled writer and commentator on all things SaaS. He’s written for Techcrunch, Sifted, Thrive Global and is a regular contributor to The UK Newspaper. He’s host of the recently launched #AskAVC​​​ YouTube channel aimed at enterprise entrepreneurs. In each episode he tackles a different issue relating to building and scaling B2B startups - topics such as how to pitch to an investor and how to combat sales churn.

When he’s not working with his portfolio founders, Ryan is active with Code2040, a nonprofit organization that creates pathways to educational, professional, and entrepreneurial success in technology for underrepresented minorities. And occasionally he finds time for surfing!

How to break into VC is a question often asked by a variety of folks passionate about helping build emerging tech businesses. From ex-entrepreneurs to startup advisors - people come to me for my thoughts on what makes a great venture capital investor and how to become one. I recently was interviewed by The European VC podcast (http://theeuropeanvc.com/) on that exact topic and we talked about things like:

- What background do you need to become a VC?
- What is a "shadow" portfolio?
- Do you need to raise a "proof of concept" fund?

Watch the full video to get answers to all these questions - and more.

Make sure to also:
- Follow me on Twitter - https://twitter.com/RyanFloyd - for a lot more content on building SaaS B2B startups, as well as venture capital and entrepreneurship in general
- Subscribe to my blog at https://ryanfloyd.org, where I talk about why I invest in certain companies and broader tech industry issues
- Check out my #AskAVC​​​ podcast based on this channel - https://anchor.fm/ask-a-vc

About Ryan Floyd

Ryan is a founding Managing Director of Storm Ventures where he invests in, and works with, early stage enterprise SaaS startups. His primary focus is applications and cloud infrastructure related companies. He is always interested in hearing from passionate technology entrepreneurs. Ryan is a skilled writer and commentator on all things SaaS. He’s written for Techcrunch, Sifted, Thrive Global and is a regular contributor to The UK Newspaper. He’s host of the recently launched #AskAVC​​​ YouTube channel aimed at enterprise entrepreneurs. In each episode he tackles a different issue relating to building and scaling B2B startups - topics such as how to pitch to an investor and how to combat sales churn.

When he’s not working with his portfolio founders, Ryan is active with Code2040, a nonprofit organization that creates pathways to educational, professional, and entrepreneurial success in technology for underrepresented minorities. And occasionally he finds time for surfing!