Welcome to another episode of Deep Dive! Suresh, our host, and Aditya Tulsian, our guest, delve into the critical role of ICPs and how organizations deal with acquisition journeys.
Aditya is a seasoned entrepreneur who founded Numberz, which was acquired by Chargebee, prior to which he held a very important role at Intuit. After an MBA at ISB Hyderabad, launching QuickBooks in India was the experience that revealed a universal truth to him: businesses worry about cash flow, not accounting. In 2016, inspired by these insights, Aditya co-founded Numberz, initially for Indian small businesses, later expanding globally. The company recently got acquired by Chargebee, uniting visionary forces.
In the world of startups, understanding the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is like holding the compass that guides the business. The success, failure, or struggles of any company can be traced back to the clarity or confusion they have about the ICP. Aditya and Suresh nail down what it takes to find your perfect ICP, and the struggles and pressures of navigating an acquisition conversation with both the buyer and the team.
Key Takeaways:
00:00 - Meet Aditya Tulsian!
07:00 - Finding the perfect ICP - Problem first or person first?
08:13 - Mr. Cook’s billionaire’s business blueprint
09:15 - When Suresh narrowly missed meeting Mr. Cook
11:13 - Nuances of B2B and B2C with ICP
15:15 - Narrowing down customer segments to ICP
17:54 - Your ICP is actually a combination of 3 people
19:09 - How BYJU’S missed the ICP
21:50 - Tally vs Intuit
22:37 - Numberz’s journey with ICP
27:42 - The buyer, user and influencer of Numberz
30:20 - Repercussions of a vague ICP
32:00 - The fundamental difference between Box and Dropbox
33:46 - Product team’s role in finding the ICP
35:00 - The impact of the right ICP on marketing
38:53 - A leader’s job in the organization
39:45 - Critical points to keep in mind during an acquisition
44:16 - Handling uncertainties like a pro during acquisitions
48:44 - Managing your team’s concerns around an acquisition
52:45 - Closing thoughts
Key Mentions
01:37 - Numberz
01:40 - ChargeBee
03:18 - Intuit
03:47 - QuickBooks
10:36 - KissFlow
12:52 - Facebook
19:10 - BYJU’S
21:50 - Tally
32:01 - Box
32:03 - Dropbox
41:43 - Freshworks