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From University Project to Billion-Dollar Exit: SIGNAVIO - Together As One – with Signavio Co-Founder & CEO Gero Decker

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Manage episode 456478726 series 3191600
Content provided by Fabian Tausch. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Fabian Tausch or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://staging.podcastplayer.com/legal.

On March 5th, 2021, SAP acquired Signavio for a billion dollars – this marks one of the largest Tech Exits in the German market to date.

How does a university side project become a billion-dollar acquisition?

In this episode, Gero Decker, co-founder of Signavio, shares the incredible journey of building the company – from its roots as an open-source project to bootstrapping, scaling, and eventually being acquired by SAP for over a billion dollars.

Learn about the pivotal moments, the role of timing, and how a strong team culture propelled Signavio to success, even when the odds were against them.

What you’ll learn:

  • How a university project turned into a profitable company
  • Why customer feedback and bootstrapping were critical in the early days
  • How creative lead generation methods (like the "Hare Krishna Method") made a difference
  • Why team culture and timing played a vital role in success
  • How the billion-dollar SAP acquisition unfolded and the dynamics of negotiation

MORE UNICORN BAKERY:

https://zez.am/unicornbakery

More about Gero Decker:

LinkedIn: https://de.linkedin.com/in/gerodecker

Website: https://www.signavio.com/de/

Where to get the Book: Amazon: https://links.unicornbakery.de/signavio

Spotify Audio Book: https://links.unicornbakery.de/signavio-audio-book

Join our Founder Tactics Newsletter:

Twice a week, you’ll get the tactics of the world’s best founders delivered straight to your inbox.

https://www.tactics.unicornbakery.de/

Marker:

(00:00:00) Why were so many coincidences necessary for Signavio to even be founded?

(00:05:00) How did the Signavio story unfold?

(00:12:10) From open source to profitable company: The milestones

(00:21:22) Equity & founding team: The starting point for Signavio

(00:27:54) Prioritization & team spirit in a small team

(00:31:11) Product & growth in 2010

(00:34:46) Lead generation & the failure of conversion

(00:42:02) First Go-to-market motion at Signavio

(00:46:52) First customers: The challenges with Customer Success

(00:52:42) From bootstrapped to VC case – why now & what changed?

(00:59:13) Fast-growing company: How do you maintain focus?

(01:07:54) The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Signavio

(01:13:04) The Path & Negotiation to the SAP Acquisition

(01:17:14) The Future of SAP Signavio

(01:21:37) The Lesson: Lifting Up Each Other

  continue reading

73 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 456478726 series 3191600
Content provided by Fabian Tausch. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Fabian Tausch or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://staging.podcastplayer.com/legal.

On March 5th, 2021, SAP acquired Signavio for a billion dollars – this marks one of the largest Tech Exits in the German market to date.

How does a university side project become a billion-dollar acquisition?

In this episode, Gero Decker, co-founder of Signavio, shares the incredible journey of building the company – from its roots as an open-source project to bootstrapping, scaling, and eventually being acquired by SAP for over a billion dollars.

Learn about the pivotal moments, the role of timing, and how a strong team culture propelled Signavio to success, even when the odds were against them.

What you’ll learn:

  • How a university project turned into a profitable company
  • Why customer feedback and bootstrapping were critical in the early days
  • How creative lead generation methods (like the "Hare Krishna Method") made a difference
  • Why team culture and timing played a vital role in success
  • How the billion-dollar SAP acquisition unfolded and the dynamics of negotiation

MORE UNICORN BAKERY:

https://zez.am/unicornbakery

More about Gero Decker:

LinkedIn: https://de.linkedin.com/in/gerodecker

Website: https://www.signavio.com/de/

Where to get the Book: Amazon: https://links.unicornbakery.de/signavio

Spotify Audio Book: https://links.unicornbakery.de/signavio-audio-book

Join our Founder Tactics Newsletter:

Twice a week, you’ll get the tactics of the world’s best founders delivered straight to your inbox.

https://www.tactics.unicornbakery.de/

Marker:

(00:00:00) Why were so many coincidences necessary for Signavio to even be founded?

(00:05:00) How did the Signavio story unfold?

(00:12:10) From open source to profitable company: The milestones

(00:21:22) Equity & founding team: The starting point for Signavio

(00:27:54) Prioritization & team spirit in a small team

(00:31:11) Product & growth in 2010

(00:34:46) Lead generation & the failure of conversion

(00:42:02) First Go-to-market motion at Signavio

(00:46:52) First customers: The challenges with Customer Success

(00:52:42) From bootstrapped to VC case – why now & what changed?

(00:59:13) Fast-growing company: How do you maintain focus?

(01:07:54) The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Signavio

(01:13:04) The Path & Negotiation to the SAP Acquisition

(01:17:14) The Future of SAP Signavio

(01:21:37) The Lesson: Lifting Up Each Other

  continue reading

73 episodes

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