SaaStr 107: How Hiring Is Just Like Being A VC, Why You Have To Pay Up For Great Talent & Why Multi-Tasking Is Not Always Wrong with Daniel Ruch, Founder & CEO @ Rocketrip

Daniel Ruch is the Founder and CEO @ Rocketrip, the startup that reduces travel spend by rewarding employees to save. They have backing from some incredible investors including the likes of Bessemer Venture Partners, Canaan Partners and Y Combinator. Prior to Rocketrip, Dan was a VP in Europe for Tremor Video and before that he held several director and managerial level positions at TACODA until TACODA’s sale to AOL.

In Today’s Episode You Will Learn:

• How did Dan make his way into the world of SaaS and come to found Rocketrip?
• How important is accountability for the founder and CEO? How do you convey this commitment and responsibility to the team? Are there any downsides?
• At what stage does Dan believe the generalist transitions to the specialist? How has Dan seen his team evolve from stage to stage? What have been the challenges within each stage?
• How does Dan approach hiring strategy? How does he look to determine people/company fit? Dan has said before that he ‘would not hire without a track record’, why is this?  
• How does Dan view internal budgets? What are the fundamentals to cost saving within the business? How does Dan think one can cut cost without lowering morale?

60 Second SaaStr

1. What is Dan’s fave SaaS reading material?
2. What does Dan know now that he wishes he had known at the beginning?
3. Carrot or stick, what does Dan prefer to implement?

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Jason Lemkin

Harry Stebbings

SaaStr

Dan Ruch