87: Francesca Cortesi - From Market fit to IPO

Why is it so difficult for most companies to shift gears after reaching product market fit? Why can’t we just keep doing what made us successful?

Francesca Cortesi shares with me insights on the difficult journey from finding product market fit to getting to an IPO. We particularly explore the details of Hemnet, a Swedish B2B2C SaaS marketplace and how they dealt with this challenge.

takeaways

• Defending existing revenue becomes a priority as companies scale.
• Diluting your value proposition can occur when scaling too quickly.
• Sustainable growth should be prioritized over rapid expansion.
• Post-market fit requires speed within control and structured decision-making.
• Founders must transition from product-centric to organizational leadership roles.

titles

• From Market Fit to IPO: The Hemnet Journey
• Scaling Strategies for Product Leaders
• Navigating Growth Stages in Tech Companies
• The Role of Innovation in Sustaining Growth

Sound Bites

• "It's a matter of taking down your ego."
• "Don't forget about your core product."

Chapters

04:53 The Journey of Hemnet: From Startup to IPO

09:57 Navigating Company Growth Stages

14:57 The Importance of Innovation Post-IPO

20:09 Challenges of Scaling: CFO and CPO Perspectives

23:53 The Challenges of Scaling and Alignment

27:59 Mindset Shifts for Sustainable Growth

30:18 Navigating Post-Market Fit Dynamics

35:22 The Lottery Win: Managing Growth Expectations

39:34 Focus and Structure: Keys to Avoiding Pitfalls

44:27 B2B2C Dynamics: Balancing Customer Needs

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