Bigfoot Capital

Bigfoot Capital's Substack focuses on the interplay between operational practices, venture capital, and SaaS community insights. It explores venture debt, capital provider sentiment, business growth strategies, profitability, and the impact of AI and tech banking. The content aims at SaaS operators and investors, advocating for long-term, efficient, and mindful business approaches.

SaaS Business Strategies Venture Capital and Investing Operational Best Practices Profitability and Business Growth Venture Debt and Financing Capital Provider Sentiment Technology and AI Trends Software Valuation and Market Trends

The hottest Substack posts of Bigfoot Capital

And their main takeaways

2023: The Year of the Bridge | Getting Off The VC Train | My Top 5 Predictions for 2024

98 implied HN points • 20 Dec 23

2023 was the year of careful navigation and unity in business.
Consider getting off the VC train if your business doesn't align with venture funding.
Predictions for 2024 can be light-hearted, but staying productive and adaptive is key.

I'm Sorry Sam [Edit], Some Profitability and Runway Data, Haiku Time!

98 implied HN points • 22 Nov 23

💼 Business Finance Technology Investing Entrepreneurship Capital

The importance of being mindful of the influence our words can have
The significance of pushing for profitability and runway data in business endeavors
The value of haiku as a medium for expressing thoughts and emotions

GPT Wrappers, Damn the TAM, Public Software Valuation Drivers

39 implied HN points • 08 Nov 23

💼 Business Technology Finance Software Valuation Startups

Be mindful of platform risks when building on technologies like OpenAI
Consider starting small and serving a niche market instead of targeting a massive TAM
Public software company valuations are currently being driven by revenue growth over other financial performance metrics

Capital Provider Sentiment Survey Results

78 implied HN points • 02 Aug 23

💼 Business Investment Market Trends Financing

Capital providers are more positive about deploying capital compared to last year
Non-bank lenders are showing high activity and expect more in the next 12 months
Investors emphasize growth, scale, and liquidity while being cautious about overfunded companies

Venture Debt BDCs, Vertical SaaS AI, Crypto

58 implied HN points • 13 Sep 23

💼 Business Finance Technology Crypto AI Venture Capital

Venture debt BDCs in Q2 2023 saw $6.3B borrowing, but lower than previous years' pace
BDCs had $1.335B in available liquidity and $1.167B in unfunded commitments by Q2 end
AI in vertical SaaS may accelerate adoption, with current slow tech adoption rates and potential for enhanced product value

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VC/PE Exit Woes + A Decade of SaaS Data

39 implied HN points • 25 Oct 23

💼 Business Venture Capital Private Equity Liquidity

VC and PE firms facing challenges to exit investments due to lack of primary liquidity
PE deals show increased activity in 2023, with many acquisitions in sub-$25M range and in Seed/Series A stages
SaaS Historical Benchmarks Report reveals expansion revenue growth and challenges for sales reps in hitting quotas

"Premium" SMB SaaS, Founder Lessons, Efficiently Calm

39 implied HN points • 27 Sep 23

💼 Business SaaS Founders Entrepreneurship Management Finance

Finding a premium wedge in SMB software can lead to better economics.
Small teams with high agency can be successful in business.
Efficiency as a cultural trait in businesses can lead to focus and success.

SaaS Growth/Rule of 40 Stats, Unicorns are Normal?, Microsoft & AI

19 implied HN points • 06 Dec 23

💼 Business SaaS Growth Revenue growth Efficiency

SaaS growth can be challenging, with companies still focusing on growth but at slower rates.
Efficiency is crucial when growth is lacking, especially for SaaS companies.
Microsoft has been focusing on AI development and making society better through well-considered optimism.

VC Returns Data - Lacking Alpha | The SaaS Business Model's Promise | Relationships

39 implied HN points • 30 Aug 23

💼 Business Venture Capital SaaS Relationships Investments Capital

VC returns have been declining due to misaligned incentives and overcapitalization
The SaaS business model requires efficient customer acquisition and cash flow
Nurturing relationships as a core product feature is essential for success

Venture Debt BDCs + Intel from a Tech Banker

58 implied HN points • 24 May 23

💰 Finance Venture Capital

5 venture debt BDCs provided $760M in new commitments in Q1
The 5 BDCs had roughly $1.2 billion in available liquidity via cash and credit facilities
Lenders noted market volatility pushes pricing to favor the lender, increasing yields

Introducing the Bigfoot Bi-weekly Roundup

58 implied HN points • 12 Apr 23

💼 Business SaaS Investing Tech industry Market Trends

Advocate for healthy operational practices and a long-term mindset.
Share insights and perspectives from the SaaS community.
Provide informative and action-oriented content for SaaS operators and investors.

Attention Walmart Shoppers...Sam Walton actually started the first SaaS business

39 implied HN points • 19 Jul 23

💼 Business Finance Technology Podcasts Capital B2B

Sam Walton started the first SaaS business.
Aligned capital can be a competitive advantage.
Bootstrapping a business can lead to less dilution and more control.

A simple take on AI, MBAs going back to finance and some Q1 valuation data

39 implied HN points • 06 Jul 23

💼 Business AI Finance Tech Valuation

Zooming out from AI: Operators should focus on tangible ways to utilize new technologies rather than making risky moonshot bets on AI.
Pendulum Swing: MBAs are increasingly choosing finance jobs over tech jobs as the job market fluctuates.
Q1 Valuations: Uncertainty remains about the economy, but valuations have returned to historical trends with high burn rates posing challenges in the venture space.

Debt So Hot Right Now, CRUNCH time, Software Buyer's Remorse

19 implied HN points • 11 Oct 23

💼 Business Finance Software Technology Investment

Debt is now being seen as a new form of equity financing.
Raising Series A funding and beyond is becoming increasingly challenging.
Technology buyers in the B2B sector are experiencing regret and negative attitudes due to poor buying experiences.

Podcast Appearance: "Debt for the SaaS Masses"+ More Capital Provider Data

19 implied HN points • 16 Aug 23

💼 Business Finance Investing Loans

Podcast episode discussing access to capital and unique financing opportunities
Data from a capital sentiment survey showing trends in investment activity for both equity and debt providers
Quick takes on runway management and the importance of efficiency as a cultural trait in organizations

"Low Risk" Software Businesses + SaaS Growth Data & Some New PLG Metrics

19 implied HN points • 21 Jun 23

💼 Business SaaS Venture Capital Metrics

Some software businesses are low-risk and do not fit the traditional startup model.
De-risking a business involves focusing on product risk before market risk.
Efficient access to capital is crucial for founders who do not want to follow the venture capital path.

Capital Provider Sentiment Survey + ABCs on the Venture Debt BDCs

19 implied HN points • 07 Jun 23

💰 Finance Financial Analysis Relationship building

Participate in the Q2 2023 capital provider sentiment survey to share your thoughts.
Some Venture Debt BDCs are doing well, Hercules Capital stands out, with strong financial stability.
Building and nurturing relationships can be considered a valuable and scalable core product in business.

Venture Debt Grabbing the Headlines, Is It Warranted?

19 implied HN points • 26 Apr 23

💰 Finance Acquisitions M&A Investors

Venture debt is making headlines but may not be as widespread as it seems.
Banks are still cautious with venture debt and focus on fresh equity.
Lending now focuses on refinancing debt and replacing equity, not true venture debt.

The Middle Market, the Private Markets and Making the Case for Services Revenue

1 HN point • 10 May 23

💼 Business Finance Investing Entrepreneurship Market Trends Company strategy

Business labels can be limiting and should be flexible as companies evolve.
Carta's Q1 2023 report shows an increase in down rounds, bridge rounds, and micro M&A activity in the private markets.
Professional services revenue can be a profitable differentiator for SaaS companies, despite VC industry views.

Coming soon

0 implied HN points • 09 Apr 23

💼 Business Investing

Bigfoot Capital is coming soon.
Brian Parks is associated with Bigfoot Capital.
The post encourages subscribing to Bigfoot Capital.