StarZero All shows Try the podcast clipper →

May 28, 2017 · 21m · top-founders

673: Getting Your First 100 Customers with Salesflare CEO Jeroen Corthout

Nathan Latka · 9m spoken Jeroen Corthout · 8m spoken
0:00 / 0:00

gold bands on the timeline = statements, start to end. Hover to read, click to jump. CC turns on captions

In this episode of "The Top," host Nathan Latka interviews Jeroen Corthout, co-founder and CEO of Salesflare, exploring how the startup built an intelligent, automated CRM for small businesses, secured non-dilutive funding, and acquired its first 100 paying customers with near-zero churn.

How this conversation actually went

Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. Nathan holds 51.5% of the talking time here. How this is scored →

Nathan as informed peer 4.3 Guest teaching 1.5 Guest disagreement 2.8 Nathan pushing back 4.5
05100:0010:0020:002:52–6:19 · Nathan as informed peer 4/10 Founding History and Automated CRM Product Capabilities Latka inquires about the founding story, funding structure, and accelerator grants. Jeroen is forthcoming until Latka asks about the valuation cap on their convertible note, which Jeroen declines to disclose.6:19–9:48 · Nathan as informed peer 7/10 Customer Count Disclosures and Startup Size Dynamics When Jeroen attempts to keep customer numbers secret to avoid looking small, Latka pushes back aggressively, referencing their pre-interview discussion and coaching him on why being small is an asset.9:49–12:25 · Nathan as informed peer 7/10 Differentiating Against HubSpot and Free Market CRMs Latka challenges Jeroen's dismissal of HubSpot's free CRM tier, bringing up market subsidization models like Amazon and Diapers.com to press on distribution advantages.12:30–17:02 · Nathan as informed peer 6/10 Evaluating Customer Churn and SMB Retention Benchmarks Latka cites standard SaaS SMB churn benchmarks (4-8% monthly) and expresses shock when Jeroen claims he does not know lifetime trial numbers, though Jeroen clarifies his two-week conversion tracking.17:03–19:26 · Nathan as informed peer 2/10 The Famous Five Rapid-Fire Founder Questions A standard, friendly Famous Five rapid-fire question segment with no notable friction or pushback.19:28–20:35 · Nathan as informed peer 0/10 Podcast Outro and Listener Review Call to Action A solo host outro featuring review requests and promotional sponsor plugs.2:52–6:19 · Guest teaching 2/10 Founding History and Automated CRM Product Capabilities Latka inquires about the founding story, funding structure, and accelerator grants. Jeroen is forthcoming until Latka asks about the valuation cap on their convertible note, which Jeroen declines to disclose.6:19–9:48 · Guest teaching 1/10 Customer Count Disclosures and Startup Size Dynamics When Jeroen attempts to keep customer numbers secret to avoid looking small, Latka pushes back aggressively, referencing their pre-interview discussion and coaching him on why being small is an asset.9:49–12:25 · Guest teaching 3/10 Differentiating Against HubSpot and Free Market CRMs Latka challenges Jeroen's dismissal of HubSpot's free CRM tier, bringing up market subsidization models like Amazon and Diapers.com to press on distribution advantages.12:30–17:02 · Guest teaching 2/10 Evaluating Customer Churn and SMB Retention Benchmarks Latka cites standard SaaS SMB churn benchmarks (4-8% monthly) and expresses shock when Jeroen claims he does not know lifetime trial numbers, though Jeroen clarifies his two-week conversion tracking.17:03–19:26 · Guest teaching 1/10 The Famous Five Rapid-Fire Founder Questions A standard, friendly Famous Five rapid-fire question segment with no notable friction or pushback.19:28–20:35 · Guest teaching 0/10 Podcast Outro and Listener Review Call to Action A solo host outro featuring review requests and promotional sponsor plugs.2:52–6:19 · Guest disagreement 3/10 Founding History and Automated CRM Product Capabilities Latka inquires about the founding story, funding structure, and accelerator grants. Jeroen is forthcoming until Latka asks about the valuation cap on their convertible note, which Jeroen declines to disclose.6:19–9:48 · Guest disagreement 4/10 Customer Count Disclosures and Startup Size Dynamics When Jeroen attempts to keep customer numbers secret to avoid looking small, Latka pushes back aggressively, referencing their pre-interview discussion and coaching him on why being small is an asset.9:49–12:25 · Guest disagreement 5/10 Differentiating Against HubSpot and Free Market CRMs Latka challenges Jeroen's dismissal of HubSpot's free CRM tier, bringing up market subsidization models like Amazon and Diapers.com to press on distribution advantages.12:30–17:02 · Guest disagreement 4/10 Evaluating Customer Churn and SMB Retention Benchmarks Latka cites standard SaaS SMB churn benchmarks (4-8% monthly) and expresses shock when Jeroen claims he does not know lifetime trial numbers, though Jeroen clarifies his two-week conversion tracking.17:03–19:26 · Guest disagreement 1/10 The Famous Five Rapid-Fire Founder Questions A standard, friendly Famous Five rapid-fire question segment with no notable friction or pushback.19:28–20:35 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Podcast Outro and Listener Review Call to Action A solo host outro featuring review requests and promotional sponsor plugs.2:52–6:19 · Nathan pushing back 4/10 Founding History and Automated CRM Product Capabilities Latka inquires about the founding story, funding structure, and accelerator grants. Jeroen is forthcoming until Latka asks about the valuation cap on their convertible note, which Jeroen declines to disclose.6:19–9:48 · Nathan pushing back 8/10 Customer Count Disclosures and Startup Size Dynamics When Jeroen attempts to keep customer numbers secret to avoid looking small, Latka pushes back aggressively, referencing their pre-interview discussion and coaching him on why being small is an asset.9:49–12:25 · Nathan pushing back 7/10 Differentiating Against HubSpot and Free Market CRMs Latka challenges Jeroen's dismissal of HubSpot's free CRM tier, bringing up market subsidization models like Amazon and Diapers.com to press on distribution advantages.12:30–17:02 · Nathan pushing back 7/10 Evaluating Customer Churn and SMB Retention Benchmarks Latka cites standard SaaS SMB churn benchmarks (4-8% monthly) and expresses shock when Jeroen claims he does not know lifetime trial numbers, though Jeroen clarifies his two-week conversion tracking.17:03–19:26 · Nathan pushing back 1/10 The Famous Five Rapid-Fire Founder Questions A standard, friendly Famous Five rapid-fire question segment with no notable friction or pushback.19:28–20:35 · Nathan pushing back 0/10 Podcast Outro and Listener Review Call to Action A solo host outro featuring review requests and promotional sponsor plugs.

speaking balance: gold is Nathan, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)

0:00 · Nathan 78.3% · guest 21.7%0:00 · Nathan 78.3% · guest 21.7%3:00 · Nathan 15.3% · guest 84.7%3:00 · Nathan 15.3% · guest 84.7%6:00 · Nathan 50.1% · guest 49.9%6:00 · Nathan 50.1% · guest 49.9%9:00 · Nathan 44.3% · guest 55.7%9:00 · Nathan 44.3% · guest 55.7%12:00 · Nathan 41% · guest 59%12:00 · Nathan 41% · guest 59%15:00 · Nathan 35.3% · guest 64.7%15:00 · Nathan 35.3% · guest 64.7%18:00 · Nathan 82.6% · guest 17.4%18:00 · Nathan 82.6% · guest 17.4%21:00 · Nathan 100% · guest 0%21:00 · Nathan 100% · guest 0%
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 6:26 Refusal to disclose customer count

Jeroen explicitly pushes back against disclosing exact customer counts, arguing it damages credibility against larger CRM incumbents.

 Hardest push from Nathan ▶ 6:37 Calling out secrecy on customer metrics

Latka refuses to let Jeroen dodge customer metrics, calling back to their pre-interview agreement and demanding a ballpark figure.

 Biggest teaching moment ▶ 15:44 Clarifying conversion cohort tracking

Jeroen explains to Latka that while aggregate historical trial counts are vanity, he rigorously monitors active two-week sprint conversions between 5% and 10%.

 Nathan holds their own ▶ 10:43 Amazon and Diapers.com distribution analogy

Latka demonstrates strategic industry insight by dismantling Jeroen's claim that free products are inherently inferior, citing Amazon's strategy with Diapers.com.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
ChapterTopicNathan as informed peerGuest teachingGuest disagreementNathan pushing backWhy
Founding History and Automated CRM Product Capabilities 4234 Latka inquires about the founding story, funding structure, and accelerator grants. Jeroen is forthcoming until Latka asks about the valuation cap on their convertible note, which Jeroen declines to disclose.
Customer Count Disclosures and Startup Size Dynamics 7148 When Jeroen attempts to keep customer numbers secret to avoid looking small, Latka pushes back aggressively, referencing their pre-interview discussion and coaching him on why being small is an asset.
Differentiating Against HubSpot and Free Market CRMs 7357 Latka challenges Jeroen's dismissal of HubSpot's free CRM tier, bringing up market subsidization models like Amazon and Diapers.com to press on distribution advantages.
Evaluating Customer Churn and SMB Retention Benchmarks 6247 Latka cites standard SaaS SMB churn benchmarks (4-8% monthly) and expresses shock when Jeroen claims he does not know lifetime trial numbers, though Jeroen clarifies his two-week conversion tracking.
The Famous Five Rapid-Fire Founder Questions 2111 A standard, friendly Famous Five rapid-fire question segment with no notable friction or pushback.
Podcast Outro and Listener Review Call to Action 0000 A solo host outro featuring review requests and promotional sponsor plugs.

Statements from this episode (13)

Disclosure
Salesflare charges $30 to $35 per month per user
“So we sell SalesFlare in a licensing model, which is really, really straightforward. Just 30 a month when you pay annual and 35 a month when you pay monthly.”
Jeroen Corthout May 28, 2017 ▶ 2:32
Disclosure
Salesflare received a $25K equity-free grant and a convertible loan
“So the one was 25 for no equity, nothing, nothing attached in the end. And the other one took a convertible loan.”
Jeroen Corthout May 28, 2017 ▶ 4:37
Disclosure
Salesflare raised $700K primarily through loans, grants, and subsidies
“I think we've raised, if you take in loans and everything, subsidies I think we've raised around let me think. I think 700 K.”
Jeroen Corthout May 28, 2017 ▶ 5:00
Disclosure
Salesflare has raised $250K toward a $350K convertible note round
“We're currently doing another convertible rounds, like a real one with investors. For how much? We've raised 250 K now. And we're going to three 50.”
Jeroen Corthout May 28, 2017 ▶ 5:48
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Salesflare has surpassed 100 paying customers
“We're past the hundreds.”
Jeroen Corthout May 28, 2017 ▶ 6:56
Insight
B2B buyers distrust small startups due to data permanence fears
“People have issues trusting small companies, even if they have great products they're always like probing you, like we, we've been through that, and now it's better but I remember a lot of calls where people are like so how many customers do you have? Because …”
Jeroen Corthout May 28, 2017 ▶ 7:11
Disclosure
Salesflare hit 100 customers with a six-person team
“Ah, so it's three people currently working on building the product, and three people on selling the product, and delivering customer service, and all this kind of stuff.”
Jeroen Corthout May 28, 2017 ▶ 8:29
Assertion Supported
Corthout: HubSpot's free CRM lacks deep mailbox integration and automation
“They don't scrape email signatures. The connection with the mailbox is, is, is much, much less there. We have some more automation.”
Jeroen Corthout May 28, 2017 ▶ 10:04
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Corthout: Salesflare will never compete with HubSpot on distribution
“Of course, HubSpot's distribution channels are huge and we'll, we'll never be able to compete with that.”
Jeroen Corthout May 28, 2017 ▶ 12:16
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Salesflare has lost only three paying customers to date
“Three, I think.”
Jeroen Corthout May 28, 2017 ▶ 12:54
Assertion Supported
Latka: SMB SaaS typically sees 4% to 8% monthly churn
“Usually you're seeing SMB churn anywhere between, you know, four and eight percent monthly.”
Nathan Latka May 28, 2017 ▶ 13:37
Disclosure
Salesflare limits paid advertising to distributing content via Facebook
“No, no, we don't do so much paid advertising. We only do paid advertising to distribute our content better. And that's on Facebook mostly.”
Jeroen Corthout May 28, 2017 ▶ 14:35
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Salesflare converts 5% to 10% of free trials into paying customers
“That very much depends. We're somewhere between five and 10%. It varies week to week.”
Jeroen Corthout May 28, 2017 ▶ 16:12
Made with StarZero

Turn any episode into a week of clips.

This entire site, over 2,600 episodes transcribed, diarized, checked and made playable, runs on the StarZero media pipeline. Drop in your own episode and the podcast clipper finds the moments worth sharing, cuts them, captions them, and reframes them for every feed.

Try the podcast clipper Learn more