DAVID HART
My new book, PRODUCTIZED is out now! Find out more.
Take your business from Agency to successful SaaS
Stop selling your time, start selling your ideas and build a scalable, predictable SaaS revenue.As an Agency Founder you have super-powers when it comes to building SaaS. In fact many successful SaaS founders had a consultancy/agency background. Isn’t it time you joined them?
Hi. I'm David
I help Agency Founders create hugely successful SaaS Businesses by 'Productifying' their ideas and turning them into something that has significant potential to scale. I'm also an author and publish a weekly newsletter.
This is my story....
2004
Along with two co-founders, I started a digital agency, Codegent. Pretty much all of our work was project-based. Once we hit about $1.5m we struggled to scale.
2014
After a few years of launching some successful side projects, we decided we'd had enough of the agency life and vowed that our future would be in product.
2016
We launched our SaaS business, ScreenCloud and sold our agency. ScreenCloud quickly grew and is now at over $20m in ARR.
2022
I stepped away from the day-to-day of running ScreenCloud to focus on helping agencies who want to spin out their own successful products.
1. Advisory
I'm working with a handful of agency founders with varying levels of involvement, to help them pivot and grow their SaaS as a scaleable, predictable revenue-generating machine. Get in touch to find out more.
2. Six Week Program
For Agencies looking to take a decisive step in spinning out their product idea. This 1-1 program is one afternoon a week for six weeks and covers everything you need to find the right product and plan for your business. Find out more.
3. Newsletter
The Productize Newsletter comes out every Saturday and covers the specifics of the journey from agency to launching and scaling a successful SaaS business. Subscribe for free (you can unsubscribe at any time).
4. Book
I've written a book! It's called Productized and is about the transition from Agency to SaaS, drawing on my own and others' experiences. It's currently available on Amazon in paperback and as a Kindle edition.
Why do Agencies create their own products?
Everyone has their own reasons for wanting to switch to a product model, but in my experience there always tends to be a few recurrent themes that I see again and again.
These four certainly resonate with my own decision to make the switch.
Scale
Selling consultancy has a direct correlation to the people you hire to deliver.A product, on the other hand, can scale quickly and has a less linear connection to the size of your team.
Control
When you're a consultancy, the output is largely what the client wants. Even if you think it's a dumb idea.When it's your product business, you're the final arbiter of what good looks like.
Predictability
Project-based consultancy is often subject to peaks and troughs which can make resource planning a nightmare.Products, especially SaaS, tend to have a predictable revenue stream.
Value
Agencies are generally valued as a multiple of EBITDA. SaaS companies are valued as a multiple of Annual Recurring Revenue.SaaS companies are worth 5X and 10X an agency doing the same level of revenue.
What do people say about working with me?
The thing that makes what I do worthwhile is knowing I've made a material difference. Here's an obligatory collection of some of the nice things people have said recently.
"“David has a deeply rooted understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities that come from transitioning a business from a traditional consultancy to a recurring revenue model. He has a knack for simplifying complex concepts and strategies, making them accessible and actionable."
Amanda Nurse Carterwood
"Working with David on understanding how we can build and launch our own SaaS products as an agency has been transformational. I believe the real reason for this is the fact that David has done this himself and has integrated his own experience shares with a coach mindset to achieve the perfect blend."
Ritam Gandhi Studio Graphene
"David’s experience not only in launching his own successful SaaS business, but doing that against the backdrop of managing his agency makes him uniquely qualified to help companies like Pixl8 as we look to build out our IP into sustainable SaaS products."
Alex Skinner Pixl8
"Enjoying the (Productize) newsletter, it’s been added to my Sat morning reading which is now Times, Sun, NY Times, FT and you!"
Mark Maddox VOLUME
Sign up to the weekly Productize Newsletter
Every Saturday morning, come rain or shine, I send out a 5 minute newsletter that shares tips and insights on the subject of spinning out a product and scaling it into something significant.Free to join. Unsubscribe at any time.
My most recent newsletter articles
Want to get in touch?
Whether you want to discuss how I can help you spin out your IP to a scaleable product, or you just want to ask a question, send me a message and I'll get back to you.
2024 © David Hart. All rights reserved.
Video Acknowledgements: Free Stock Videos by Videezy.com
Thanks!
I'll be back in touch very soon.