The latest articles on DEV Community by Lee (@dutchenglishman). https://dev.to/dutchenglishman https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F1205755%2F641564e8-3c8c-46e8-81e2-f86dbd525512.jpeg https://dev.to/dutchenglishman en Lee Wed, 19 Jun 2024 18:26:20 +0000 https://dev.to/dutchenglishman/the-truth-behind-revenue-churn-iem https://dev.to/dutchenglishman/the-truth-behind-revenue-churn-iem <p>While this is primarly a developer community, I only joined the developer side some time ago. Here is some backstory..</p> <p>As an experienced consultant, project manager and now head of customer success, the OPS side of applications has one big final boss: Churn.</p> <p>There are numerous of calculators out there which show that a too high level revenue churn can kill MRR and potentially a business </p> <h2> How to tackle churn </h2> <p>To be honest, there is never a single best option. Most important is talking to customers. But as Henry Ford once said, if I asked people I would not have made a car, I would have made faster horse.</p> <p>So what is more important than talking to customers? Understanding customers. </p> <p>What is it that drives the value behind your SaaS (or app) and what brings the value to your customers. Or in case of high levels of churn, what are they missing?</p> <p>As head of Customer Success primarily, the success part comes from a single factor: Perceived value - Expected value = Success. If the expected value is greater than the perceived value, there is no success. But if the perceived value exceeds the expected value, your customers experience success.</p> <h2> So how do you know </h2> <p>As mentioned before, if talking to customers doesn't always work, how do you get the most important information: their expected value.</p> <p>Simply through data. </p> <p>If you have customers for your SaaS, you will have customer data in:</p> <ul> <li>Your own application</li> <li>CRM</li> <li>Service Desk</li> <li>Payment processor</li> <li>Insights tool, such as Mixpanel</li> </ul> <p>Combine this data, and you get a proper overview of your customer behaviour. What features are they using, how many requests are created, when is the next renewal.</p> <p>As I've experienced first hand the power of customer data, I needed a quicker way to gather all customer data before a meeting. </p> <p>Since I taught myself how to code, I set out to provide value to other founders. And so, <a href="https://beatchurn.com">beatchurn</a> was born. A tool to combine all customer data, for easy access.</p> saas customer success Lee Thu, 09 Nov 2023 09:53:14 +0000 https://dev.to/dutchenglishman/the-10-benefits-of-using-a-saas-boilerplate-50la https://dev.to/dutchenglishman/the-10-benefits-of-using-a-saas-boilerplate-50la <p>Hi all,</p> <p>Love the community and wanted to give something back. Here are my 10 benefits of using a SaaS Boilerplate.</p> <h2> 1. Time and Cost Savings </h2> <p>SaaS boilerplates often include pre-built templates, components, and features, reducing development time and costs. This can be especially valuable for startups with limited resources. Not only will you be able to complete your MVP earlier, you will also save cost from hiring a skilled developer.</p> <h2> 2. Rapid Development </h2> <p>Boilerplates provide the basis for your SaaS application, allowing you to start development from a higher point than building everything from scratch, which accelerates the development process. Many times, they will come with basic features such as User Management and Subscriptions, which take time to built.</p> <h2> 3. Scalability </h2> <p>Many SaaS boilerplates are designed to be easily scalable, accommodating growth as your user base and feature set expand. As the basis is already there and the code is well documented, you can start developping rather quickly.</p> <h2> 4. Security </h2> <p>SaaS boilerplates often include security best practices, authentication systems, and data encryption, helping to protect your application and user data.</p> <h2> 5. Customization </h2> <p>While boilerplates provide a starting point, they are typically highly customizable. Developers can tailor the codebase to meet specific business requirements and design preferences.</p> <h2> 6. Community Support </h2> <p>Popular boilerplates often have active communities, which can be a valuable resource for troubleshooting issues, finding solutions, and accessing plugins and extensions.</p> <h2> 7. Cross-Platform Compatibility </h2> <p>Many boilerplates are built with cross-platform compatibility in mind, making it easier to deploy your SaaS application on different devices and browsers.</p> <h2> 8. Updates and Maintenance </h2> <p>Boilerplate creators may release updates and patches to address security vulnerabilities and improve functionality, helping you keep your application up to date.</p> <h2> 9. Documentation </h2> <p>Boilerplates often come with comprehensive documentation that can facilitate the onboarding of new team members and make it easier to understand and work with the codebase.</p> <h2> 10. Focus on Core Features </h2> <p>By leveraging a SaaS boilerplate, you can dedicate more time and resources to developing the unique and value-added features of your application, rather than reinventing the wheel with common functionalities.</p> <p>Have you ever considered using a SaaS Boilerplate? Here are some recommendations:</p> <ul> <li>Supastarter</li> <li>Shipfast</li> <li><a href="https://supaboost.dev">Supaboost</a></li> <li>Makerkit</li> </ul> <p>Please let me know your thoughts. Happy to discuss any and all topics related to Boilerplate and SaaS development!</p>