You’ve likely caught drift of the buzz surrounding SaaSBoomi Annual ‘24. This is our biggest, most ambitious SaaS conference yet. And we’ve been keeping things under wraps for a while.
With just under a month left, it’s about time we share what’s in store for March 7th & 8th.
#1 How is AI shaping the future of SaaS
Navigating AI in SaaS can feel like sailing through choppy waters. So we are going to take a look at how AI is shaping the future of SaaS and see how we can help founders trying to get on board with AI to scale and sustain.
There is an overwhelming wealth of information out there about AI, but it’s not clear how to exactly weave AI into your own product. We’re making sure to go deep into what it looks like to become an AI-first business.
But that’s not the only challenge we’ll be looking at. The markets haven’t been uniform: some are doing well, yet others are struggling to keep up. In particular, three segments that have been fairing the worst are HR tech, marketing tech, and sales tech. Despite this, a lot of founders in India continue to build within these sectors. In our AI track, we’ll look at how our SaaS ecosystem can navigate these fluctuations and build products that serve evolving needs and continue to create value in a dynamic market.
We’ll also look at newer ways to approach AI. The global markets are flooded with competition from around the world. This means we will probably need to think differently about red ocean global AI markets vs the Indic AI market.
#2 Beyond just ‘building’ AI-first businesses
There’s a lot more to building AI products that founders need to know and get right. From data and privacy concerns to budgeting for ongoing maintenance of AI components, to understanding regulations to implementing effective governance strategies – there are a lot of aspects that need attention in your AI journey. We’ve gathered experts to share their experiences in tackling these challenges.
Finally, no two AI journeys seem alike for businesses. While people seem to be experimenting a lot there’s no playbook for everybody to get from point A to point B in this journey. So, if you’re considering AI product development, we’ve got comprehensive sessions to guide you on the journey from 0 to 1.
#3 Lasting peer-to-peer relationships
At Annual ‘24, it’s not just about the sessions and keynotes—it’s also about the invaluable peer-to-peer connections you’ll make here that go beyond the event.
To facilitate this peer-to-peer bonding, we’re taking it up a notch this time by introducing specific tracks tailored for scale and growth founders, as well as operators. So whether you’re seeking guidance or sharing challenges, you’ll be surrounded by like-minded individuals who can relate to your journey and can provide valuable support.
#4 Connect with experienced coaches
In line with fostering peer connections, we’re introducing ‘Coaches’ at the Annual ‘24.
These are people who have gone through the journey and have honed expertise in specific functional areas like mastering product marketing, navigating CEO challenges, or scaling engineering teams. You’ll have the opportunity to easily identify and connect with them, and maybe even set up one-on-one sessions.
#5 Tear-down sessions
Our past attendees have consistently told us how they’ve found value in the tear-down sessions and how much they’ve benefitted from those. So we are bringing this back. This is a unique hands-on opportunity that allows participants to get constructive and practical feedback on their own products or websites, as well as learn from evaluations of others.
#6 Frameworks & toolkits to take home
We understand the importance of practical takeaways. That’s why we’re making sure to curate tried-and-tested frameworks and toolkits for you to take back to your teams.
#7 CXO Bridge for scaled startups & enterprise SaaS companies
20+ top corporate CXOs from companies like Microsoft, Schneider, Maruti Suzuki, IDFC, and Yes Bank have agreed to bring in their senior VPs for founders to connect with at the Annual ‘24.
The CXO bridge will allow you to meet and have meaningful conversations with CXOs about positioning strategies, industry expectations, and potential partnerships, and explore forthcoming opportunities.
#8 VC Bridge – 2 X more meetings
This time, we’ve also proactively engaged with angel investors, VCs, and micro VCs—those who often write the first cheques.
We’re arranging an opportunity for 50 companies to engage in “blind date” meetings with at least 50 VCs. This is bound to double your chances of making meaningful connections and securing valuable partnerships.
#9 M&A Connect
We will also be doing small focused roundtables with exited founders. You’ll get to hear stories that don’t make it to the press. You’ll also get to ask the questions that you’ve always had about exits and get a rare glimpse into the inner workings of mergers and acquisitions that often remain undisclosed.
#10 Keep an eye out for our marquee speakers
We’re rolling out our entire schedule on the Sched App next week with details around marquee speakers and sessions, but here are a few that have made it to our top sessions.
- Dheeraj Pandey – Co-founder, DevRev
- Dharmesh Shah, CTO, Hubspot
- Rajesh Jain, Founder, Netcore Cloud
- Kirshnakumar Natarajan, ex-CEO Mindtree
- Harish Bahl, Founder, Smile Group
- Sudheer Koneru, Founder, Zenoti
We hope to see you at the Annual ‘24. And from our past experiences, we can guarantee that you will be taking home a lot more than just a swag bag. You will walk away with long-lasting peer connections, fresh perspectives, and a ton of actionable insights that your team will appreciate.
And it’s going to be bigger and better
Last year’s turnout was impressive, and this year, we’re expecting an even larger crowd. With a whopping 9.5 recommendation score from attendees of Annual ’23, it’s clear that the Annual leaves a lasting impression.
Our audience typically comprises a significant percentage of early-stage startup enthusiasts. If you’re in this stage of your journey, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to connect with like-minded individuals and dive deep into specially curated sessions for your growth stage.
If you missed the webinar, no worries! We made sure to upload it just for you. You can watch it here:
This blog post is based on a webinar we held last week with Shruti Kapoor (Head of International Business at Clari), Prasanna Krishnamoorthy (Managing partner at Upekkha), and Ashwin Ramasamy (Co-founder of PipeCandy) about what’s being planned for the Annual ‘24. The webinar was moderated by Nivedha Venkatesh, (Founder in residence at Antler India).
