Yannick Skop’s Post

What if your next big win is hidden behind what’s holding you back? We’ve all been there: clinging to projects, ideas, or offers that just aren’t working out. But here’s the truth… You Can’t Grow If You Keep Watering Dead Plants 🌱 If it’s not growing, it’s draining your energy. What’s holding you back? ↳ That business strategy you’re hoping will miraculously turn around? ↳ That product idea that almost clicked but isn’t gaining traction? ↳ An offer you keep pushing, but the market doesn’t want? ↳ Or anything Here’s an example from the startup world: Slack. They pivoted from a failed gaming platform to a communication tool, becoming one of the fastest-growing SaaS companies ever. ⚡Slack’s decision to let go of what wasn’t working enabled them to create something groundbreaking. ⏳Stop pouring your time into what isn’t working and start iterating. “There’s a saying: Let go of the things that no longer help you grow and make room for what will.” So, what will you let go of today to make room for growth? ♻️ Repost to share with your network. And follow me (Arsalan Meuva) for more content.

Death rattle or rain delay? I was *this* close to closing a 6-figure deal… …then poof! 🪄 The client disappeared. 👻 Well, more accurately, stopped responding to my emails. Then, a few months later, a Zoom request. Come to find out, Stellar was (is?) their #1 choice, but they had to freeze marketing and regroup. Phew! Just a rain delay. Hey, I work in biotech. I’ve seen some sh*t. I’ve designed websites for $2B “instant small cap” IPOs and, on the flipside, for startups that just withered away. But I’m a creative – I exist to find clever ways to get clients out of a jam or just headed in the right direction. And listen, I’m fine with a prospect taking all the time they need to find the right fit, it’s just when the communication stops, I start to wonder: death rattle or rain delay? Have a great weekend!

In 2012, a LinkedIn message changed Jared's life. Today, he's running a $22 million/year SaaS company. It all started when Dave, a complete stranger at the time, pitched Jared an idea for a SaaS product. Dave had built a basic product and was generating some revenue, but he needed a technical co-founder to take it to the next level. Jared was intrigued but also cautious. It took 3 months of discussions before he agreed to join forces with Dave. They each put in $26,000 of their personal savings to hire developers. But getting traction was a lot harder than they'd hoped. They found themselves: 1. Constantly torn between building a product and acquiring customers. 2. Stuck in endless cycles of build & launch features → fail to get traction. 3. Endlessly debating pricing low (customers ↑) vs. pricing high (revenue ↑). 4. Struggling to prioritize features and how to allocate limited dev resources. And despite seeing some early signs of success, they couldn't shake the nagging feeling that maybe they were kidding themselves: → Would enough people really pay for their product? But they persevered. And bootstrapped. For a decade. Today, Jared Brown's and David Nevogt's company Hubstaff: - Generates $22M in ARR - Serving 16,000 customers - With a team of 100+ people Never underestimate a simple chat. It could be the start of something great. ----- Enjoyed this post? Repost to share with your network. ♻️ Follow me for more insights & stories like this.

Tell me if this sounds familiar. You write a first draft of your homepage. Then, you show it to your co-founder. → You tweak it. They show it to their wife and that one startup friend. → You tweak it. You get user feedback. → You tweak it. Your co-founder re-writes the homepage at 11pm on a random Thursday. → You tweak it. Result? Frankenstein homepage 🧌 Your homepage headline is now way too complicated, trying to be too smart/funny, contains a ton of jargon, and packs too many messages in one. Harsh truth: if visitor can't tell what you do in 5 seconds on your page? You've lost them. 

As a startup ourselves, we've unearthed a secret that all new founders should know. 💡 Here it is: It’s not about simply outperforming your competitors; it's about devoting your undivided attention to your audience and demonstrating genuine care for their needs. Easy? Not quite. You might be pondering: How can I effectively communicate with an audience comprising thousands of individuals?🤔 Well, let's not rush ahead too quickly. You can begin by engaging with your current clients. Ask questions—lots of them. When they walk in or avail themselves of your service, inquire: - What drew you to our product? - Why did you choose us? - What aspects of our last email resonated with you? - Do you like the colours of our store? Why? - What series are you into at the moment? - What is your opinion about the world's current situation? - Would you like coffee or tea? Whatever facilitates a closer connection, don't hesitate to ask. Rather than focusing solely on selling more, strive to understand them deeply. It’s far more valuable. Your clients are the Most Valuable People in the world to you. ❤️ And if they don't currently feel that way, make it your mission to change their perception. This is a good way to begin growing that horn and become a true legend! 👏

As solopreneurs, we grind like crazy, wearing all the hats, pushing the limits, and constantly experimenting with new business models. I've seen firsthand how different approaches work: charging membership fees for communities and Facebook groups with lots of effort to share but with minimum interactions, offering different services, and testing the waters with various revenue streams. It’s a journey that’s as exhausting as it is enlightening. After trying out many different offerings, I’ve finally hit that moment of clarity. I realized what I don’t want to do, and that revelation led to a vision so clear that I was able to articulate it perfectly—for the first time in three years—to a VA company. I spelled out exactly what I wanted, down to the financial goals, and it felt amazing. Even though it meant working from 7 PM until 9:30 PM after a full day, it wasn’t just work—it was exhilarating. This kind of clarity and excitement? That’s insanely liberating. It’s the kind of energy that keeps you going, even when the grind feels relentless. Keep pushing, keep experimenting, and eventually, you’ll find your vision too. Let’s go!

Interesting Potential investors interactions lately... here is one more chapter in the story... We’ve all heard it a thousand times in books and YouTube videos: “Investors invest in people. They want to see that you can execute, that you’re a go-getter, that you know what it takes to build something great.” Sounds inspiring, right? Well, here’s the reality: My co-founder and I have already sold two companies. In just 7 months, our current startup has reached profitability. We’re receiving at least 13 demo requests per day because the market urgently needs email deliverability expertise. We’ve been growing at 60% MoM since launch, with a 148% Net Revenue Retention rate, and our CAC payback time is less than 12 days. And we have sold 2 companies before. But here’s what I’m hearing most often from investors: → Oh, you’re Latino? → How are you implementing AI? → I think Superhuman will kill the email industry in the next 2 years. (I mean, kudos to Rahul Vohra for their strong branding, but we all know that 59% of companies today still use email as their PRIMARY revenue channel for sales, marketing, and collections.) So, maybe we’re talking to the wrong people. Maybe my investor match is still out there 🥰 After all, maybe it’s time to turn the story around. In this Disney princess tale, the early-stage startup is the hardworking prince, out there slaying dragons and building empires. And maybe it’s time for the princess (the right investor) to wake up and recognize the value in the prince’s relentless hustle. We’re not waiting around for a rescue—we’re busy creating our own happily ever after. What’s the craziest thing an investor has ever said to you? Share your stories below!

"If it truly matters, the math will follow." #founders - you have to grasp this. Marc Andreesen explains with any idea he considers that they do some quantitative modelling but it's secondary. The big question is ' Could you view a path by which this idea becomes a big important independent franchise company for a very long time to come?' Is this idea the kernel of something that could become something very important and very large? If that's the case the math falls out of that. What's really important, he says, is importance. Will this product be important, be fundamental, in the life of it's users. Are people going to find it inconceivable to live without this product? If we have THAT we can build the spreadsheet. Without THAT - no deal. What's also really important, and Chris Tottman emphasises this, is build the product first - it's your calling card. Great post, Chris. Simply put, it's the scale potential that matters if you want #investment. #AngelThink

Exceptional cases do exist sir : Snorble people may have never built a startup but have background spent building multiple products and accelerating various industries plus expanding them to exponential heights at other companies. And 2 years later gather to find a moat - we need to break this ‘MO’ of have they built a product as a startup- because 5 years later 2 bucks out they a lot of times do and it turns into something amazing that has the ability to go #niche to #niche to #niche - searching out some folks on that path has become an obsession but you need to get involved and stop looking at spreadsheets of old or new. VC’s are changing now as well. Mike Rizkalla Howard H Thaw Ed Gershowitz Saeed Hareb Al Darmaki James Gold #ai #robotics #datavault #sku #edtech #healthtech #gaming #metaverse #p2e #ttaas #blockchain #nowifi #research #tech #sales #spectors #solidarity #vc #pe #angel /#customer #b2b #b2c #ksa #USA #Qatar #UAE #UK #asia #eu

A harsh truth about your funnel. Any why your conversion rates SUCK. – You need to talk about benefits, not just features – You need to craft compelling, value-driven headings – You need clear and actionable CTAs EVERYWHERE STOP: Talking about what your product does START: Highlighting the intricate problems it solves STOP: Using placeholder headings like "About Us" or "Why Us" START: Writing persuasive crossheads that excite, intrigue and make people want to read that section STOP: Assuming people know what to do next START: Spelling it out—whether it’s booking a call, RSVPing, or replying --- Hey, I'm Connor. We help ambitious startups turn shaky growth into sustainable success. If you’re ready to stop chasing wins and start building something solid, DM me.