It is that time of the year again when a hundred SaaS founders from India descend on San Francisco. Yes, SaaSBoomi Caravan is back with its 3rd edition and SaaS founders in India and the US are prepping for five days of deep but practical learning, and for creating connections and friendships that will last a lifetime.
SaaSBoomi Caravan was created to meet a need that SaaS founders had felt for years. With India SaaS growing and making dents in the US market, it was clear that strengthening the India-US SaaS corridor would be key to creating the next generation of SaaS winners from India.
I have seen firsthand how the two previous editions of Caravan have helped countless SaaS founders. Caravan is all about SaaS founders and enabling them to plant their flag in the US market comfortably, without going through the steep learning curve that the previous generation of Indian SaaS founders had to go through.
It is this goal that has informed every decision and choice that the organizing volunteer team has made when it comes to the Caravan agenda. In fact, Caravan’s uniqueness lies in the fact that it is the only (un)conference dedicated to empowering Indian SaaS founders to build up their presence in the US market.
With two editions of the Caravan behind us, we know what founders find most useful and what they would like more of. We are also cognizant of the fact that Caravan needs to benefit first-time attendees as well as those who have been part of previous editions.
So, founders can be sure that all the beloved parts of Caravan will not be tampered with; in fact, we are doubling down on some of them.
Kickstarting Day #1 with a Base Camp that’s open to all
Unlike last time, we are kickstarting the Caravan with Base Camp. While most of Caravan is crafted for and open only to founders, Base Camp is also open to ecosystem partners, Valley VCs, and corporate leaders.
This year’s Base Camp includes a keynote by John Chambers, one of the most storied tech CEOs in the world and currently CEO at JC2 Ventures and Chairman Emeritus at Cisco. We also have our very own SaaS star Girish Mathrobootham (Freshworks) talking about his incredible journey from Startup CEO to IPO CEO to Chairman.
There is also a panel discussion on ‘Market Trends and the Art of Pitching’, with Dev Khare of Lightspeed, Tejeshwi Sharma of Peak XV, and Rishit Desai of WestBridge Capital that I will moderate. I am especially looking forward to the AI Showcase during Base Camp where select startups will demo their AI-first solutions.
The Base Camp will set the pace for the four following days, and it will also be an opportunity for founders to connect with their peers, and interact with VCs from the Valley and from India and with Valley Corporate leaders. Founders should make the most of this opportunity, as should those who want to connect with Indian SaaS entrepreneurs (learn more about the Base Camp and how you can get your passes here).
Three days entirely dedicated to learning
Days #2 and #3 are full-day sessions that are meant to equip founders for their journey into the US market. The primary focus, as in previous years, is on practical insights – on how India SaaS founders can build or scale GTM motions that work in the US, or craft effective messaging that resonates with the US audience.
We have seen, time and again, what works best is our unique SaaSBoomi practice of founders who have been there and done opening up their playbooks and sharing their hard-won lessons.
Like the last time, we will go deep into the topics that we are focusing on. But a small change this time – we have introduced separate tracks, so we can cover multiple topics, without compromising on topic depth.
We have tracks focused on GTM, AI, Messaging and Positioning, Product, and M&A. We have hand-picked speakers, all experts in their respective fields. Speakers include Mahesh Ram (Head of AI at Zoom), Peter Kim (Head of GTM at WestBridge Capital), pricing strategy expert Ajit Ghuman (Co-founder and CEO of Monetizely), and GTM rockstars, Manish Jindal (Advisor at Dev Rev), and Dini Mehta (Entrepreneur in Residence at Peak XV), and many more (check out the full list of speakers here).
I want to highlight the tracks on GTM, positioning and messaging, and pricing. I have said this before – building products has become relatively easier and it is your go-to-market strategy that will make all the difference. That’s why our deep dive sessions circle around these topics.
Those of you who are wondering about how to position your product for a new market, whether it is a blue ocean one or a red ocean one, or are unsure of how you should arrive at the right pricing, or even on what GTM motion to put in place, rest assured that there are sessions that have been tailored to answer exactly these questions.
Another topic that founders, especially first-timers, are keen to understand better is M&A. Unfortunately, there is very little open conversation about M&As, making the two M&A-focused sessions on Day 3 even more important.
Last year, founders found immense value in the Industry Connect and VC Connect sessions. This year, to make them more impactful, we have re-engineered the VC Connect and Industry Connect event design to include high-impact workshops and sessions to equip founders with powerful insights that can supercharge their US growth and expansion journey.
There’s more to Caravan than just learning
There is so much more in store than learning sessions, workshops, and work. In fact, for me, and many other founders, the greatest gift we have got from SaaSBoomi is lifelong friendships with those who are traversing a path similar to ours.
This is my second time as a founder and I know firsthand how important it is to have those founder-buddies who understand exactly what you are going through even without you having to articulate it. I found this buddy group of mine through SaaSBoomi. I am sure other founders will attest to this.
Most of us have multiple stories of how our founder friends have stepped up when we needed support. I have lost count of the number of times I have called up one of them or sent a message in our group chat when I have felt alone or have needed help.
Founders who have attended the previous editions of Caravan have also shared feedback time and again that it is the unstructured networking and bonding that has led to the serendipitous connections and heartfelt conversations the value of which cannot be calculated. This is why we have set aside every evening of the Caravan for networking and/or informal sessions.
We also know that founders enjoyed the sporting and outdoor activities that were part of previous editions. This time, Day 4 is dedicated to such activities and it is open only to founders.
I don’t want to reveal too much. Last year, we had bonded over beer and biryani. This year you can expect activities around cricket, culture, hiking, wine tasting, good food, and more.
I know it can sound like a lot, and it is. But, when you are in the thick of things at Caravan and as you look around a room full of fellow founders, you will realize how valuable peer learning is, and how important the connections and friendships you make are.
In the days immediately after Caravan, you will find yourself wondering just how you managed without the lessons learned and friendships forged at the event.
So, what are you waiting for? My bags are packed. What about yours?
