Helena is the founder of All Factors, a tool for helping SaaS founders to get a consolidated view of their web analytics all in one place.
To read the full interview with Helena, check out Kicking SaaS: 101 Founders on What it Takes to Launch a Software as a Service.
What is AllFactors?
AllFactors is a web marketing analytics software that solves the frustrations that founders and marketers experience when they use Google Analytics. We built a software tool that automatically configures itself on a website to display actions and user engagement.
We also focus on insight-driven reports instead of vanity metrics. We show granular attribution, conversion paths, and funnels, as well as activation of data through integration with the entire marketing, sales and revenue stack–including Salesforce, Hubspot, Marketo, Stripe, and everything in between.
How did you identify this as a problem?
I've been working on tech products since 2012. I've always had that problem with marketing where I did not have the full view of what actions my users were taking on my website. That made it hard to make data-driven decisions.
This problem came to a head last year when I was experiencing this specific frustration with another business I had built, a product that converted blog posts into podcasts. You could see how many people listened to your embedded audio player, but if only 10-20% ended up converting to listeners and 80-90% read, you didn’t know how much they read or if they read at all. When we tried to figure out how to solve that with existing tools like Google Analytics, configuration took too much time.
When you have a pain point that’s also a pain point for similar customers, that's a pattern. You then have a great opportunity on your hands.
What are the other lessons that you carried over from your previous businesses into AllFactors?
When you start working on a new product, the first step is to do research before you begin building anything. Learn to understand your ideal customer profile, or ICP. Have conversations and take notes. Be relentless about learning the space and the pains, and you’ll start connecting the dots in understanding how to build the best solution.
Do not build for the sake of building. Build for the sake of solving problems.
How are you finding customers?
I join every possible online community for people in my target market. I explore the communities and jump in with a few questions. In this case, I ask, “What are your frustrations with Google Analytics? What do you use right now to get insights out of your marketing so you can improve your business?” This way, I collect feedback and leads. LinkedIn has also been been a great place to find customers.
What’s it been like to be a female founder?
Many women experience frustration around being underestimated when you fundraise and when you pitch to investors. Another thing women often experience is frustration in finding a co-founder. Both of those things can definitely be overcome with hustle, work, and perseverance.
Planning is the number one key for any founder. In fundraising, the more you can execute, the higher your chances are that the investor is going to move faster and invest because it's really about the speed of getting the money. Sometimes they need to see your progress for a few months and then make a decision, That’s fine because we should be building a solid product and company regardless of fundraising.
When a female founder experiences fundraising challenges, it’s usually because she's underestimated. She didn’t come from an Ivy League school. She didn't work at a company like Facebook or Google. She didn’t have a previous exit or some big win. Of course, this applies to all founders. But for female founders, it's extra challenging because there’s still a “Boys Club” mentality.
Female founders can overcome this with solid and relentless startup execution, as well as creating a relevant conversation with investors when fundraising.
What would you say about building a product?
To create your MVP, you don't need sophisticated architecture. You just need good planning. You can validate wireframes before anything is built. In the beginning, the founder and CEO is a glorified product manager. You need to talk to your Ideal Customer Profile and ask them questions around the pain and problem.
Having a lot of empathy for your prospects and customers is key. I really like the framework of Jobs to Be Done where you basically think about what job your product does for your customer.
To read the full interview with Helena, check out Kicking SaaS: 101 Founders on What it Takes to Launch a Software as a Service.