To Be Continuous: Finding Co-Founders, Engineers vs. Artists, Funding Napkin, NPS, Hiring

In today's episode, Edith and Paul discuss the importance of metrics when raising venture capital for a SaaS startup. They also talk about how growth slows down as companies mature, and why it's important to have clear product-market fit before seeking further investment. Additionally, they touch on the use of NPS surveys in gathering customer feedback, and whether or not it's beneficial to send these surveys out to all customers. Lastly, they discuss the pros and cons of hiring quickly versus slowly as a company scales up. The discussion begins with Edith sharing some statistics from a report by SaaStr on metrics for raising a series A round of funding. According to the report, 27% of companies have zero revenue when they raise their series A. Paul argues that while it's possible to raise money without having strong metrics, this is typically only true for founders who already have successful exits under their belts. Edith then brings up an example of a friend who might get a preemptive A with no metrics, which leads to a discussion about the value-add that venture capitalists can bring to startups. They agree that while many VCs may not add much value, the good ones will be able to see potential in companies where others cannot. The conversation then shifts to product-market fit and how important it is for raising further rounds of funding. Edith shares her experience with NPS surveys at Launch Darkly, which have received very positive feedback from customers. Paul expresses some skepticism about the value of sending out NPS surveys to all customers, arguing that they can be seen as a bother and waste people's time. Finally, Edith and Paul discuss the pros and cons of hiring quickly versus slowly as a company scales up. They agree that there is always tension around this issue, but ultimately believe that it depends on the specific needs and goals of each individual company.