Jack Kavanagh

This is a step-by-step guide to building a Facebook ad in Ads Manager, covering everything from naming the ad and setting partnerships to choosing creative, writing copy, and adding tracking. It explains how to upload assets, test multiple text variations, set URL parameters, and launch an optimized ad.

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, we talk about the different games founders decide to play, and different definitions of success. Why the pursuit of money is the most noble thing you can do, and what happens when the next million doesn't meaningfully improve your life. The boys talk about different incentives, like status and legacy and how art and fashion can be tools for leverage and access outside of politics. They talk about what it means to play the long game, how sacrifice, consistency, and clarity on priorities influence decision making. But it's not without tradeoffs, founders trade friendships, fitness, presence with their family, and sometimes their own wellbeing. Ultimately, time in exchange for an outcome. The idea that everyone has to decide when the next incremental dollar, or representation of value, stops being worth the next incremental hour. The episode closes on conviction, choosing your game, accepting its sacrifices, and playing it hard enough to see compounding rewards over time.

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, we’re joined by Eli Weiss for a conversation about competition, focus, and culture in SAAS. We start with Judge.me, Yotpo, and Eli’s perspective on why competitors make you better, even when you want them to lose. From Olipop vs. Poppy to Shein and Temu, the group unpacks how competitors expand categories, legitimize markets, and drive product innovation. We talk about operating rhythms, how sequencing work accelerates learning, and how transparency in the form of receipts keep people accountable to delivering. Eli brings a hot take on brand, culture, and the differences between running fast-growth DTC brands and building software as a service. The episode closes on leadership lessons, bias to action, hiring fit, and the realities of scaling in a world where features can be copied overnight but brand and culture cannot.

In this episode of The SAAS Operators Podcast, we sat down with Jacob Posel to talk about his journey navigating the earliest stage of building a SAAS business and how he is thinking about AI, distribution and product-market fit. Jacob shares why chasing the “biggest opportunity” is not enough without obsession. How his background in marketing and advertising gives him an edge. He explains why stealth mode matters, how he is thinking about first hires, and why great tech is still the foundation of any surviving SAAS business. We talk about Icon’s controversial move into managed services, whether software as a service companies are destined to become... just service companies, and the reputational risks of overpromising when you only get so many first impressions. From cycle times in SAAS, to the important of momentum, and how AI is changing the way founders meddle directly in product development, this conversation is an exploration of how SAAS businesses starting today in 2025 operate.

In this episode of the SaaS Operators Podcast, we sat down with Jason Lemkin who explains how AI and Shopify have completely reshaped the landscape, eliminating lifestyle businesses and forcing founders to adapt or get steamrolled. He describes how defensibility in B2B SaaS is eroding, success in the Shopify ecosystem, and why hitting $10M ARR no longer guarantees a path to $100M. Jason Lemkin shares his rule for founders and execs. Deploy one new AI tool every month. Speed, brand, and execution matter more than ever. The episode closes with an honest take on raising capital in ecom SAAS, why VCs avoid the category, and what it will take to build a truly fundable business in the age of AI.

In this episode of the SaaS Operators Podcast, we’re joined by Dan Pantelo, founder of Marpipe, for a deep dive into SaaS growth strategy, pricing, and go-to-market plays. We kick off with Judge.me’s $12M ARR business, debating whether it’s a massive success or still untapped potential, and explore why moving upmarket is often easier than defending the bottom. Rishabh shares how a $500/month SMB version of Fermat is scaling quickly through cold calling while email struggles in crowded inboxes. Dan walks us through Marpipe’s new free feed management tool and the upsell strategy behind it, sparking a discussion on “good enough” vs. “better” positioning. We wrap with a breakdown of SaaS pricing myths, the real role of subscriptions, and how events plus consistent social content create the “everywhere” effect.

In this episode of The SaaS Operators Podcast, we dive into the tradeoffs of venture capital, bootstrapping, and the gray area in between. Josh Perk, Founder & CEO of Vector, joins the crew to talk about building a YC-backed company and why his $130K AWS bill makes bootstrapping impossible. The conversation covers how Vector is taking on giants like 6sense and Demandbase with contact-based marketing, why fundraising isn’t just about dilution but also about partner quality, and how capital markets are shifting as funds scramble to deploy earlier. We talk about secondary liquidity, founder motivations, and the real math behind VC outcomes, and when it makes sense to turn down the sure thing. The conversation wraps up on the messy reality of employee equity, acquisitions, and how founders navigate the tension between personal wealth, team outcomes, and long-term vision.

In this episode of The SaaS Operators, we dive into Prime Day data, shifting consumer behavior, and what it signals about the broader slowdown in e-commerce. Jeremiah breaks down why Prime Day underperformed and why Amazon is no longer the discovery engine it once was. We explore how DTC brands are getting squeezed and why the winners are pulling further ahead. Rishabh raises tough questions around pricing strategy, flat-rate ceilings, and whether today’s growth is just pulling forward demand. We talk through SaaS retention, CAC misalignment, and why median order value might be the better metric. Zach shares how one DTC brand rebuilt their business from the ground up post-tariffs and the pricing insights that unlocked their next wave of growth. We also go deep on nostalgia-driven investing, broken brand stories like Harley-Davidson and Kodak, and the case for a PE fund that buys and revives brands built on childhood memories. The episode closes with a debate on flat pricing, competition, NRR tradeoffs, and whether private equity will start using AI agents to turn around bloated service-heavy SaaS companies.

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, Sean Frank, The CEO of Ridge and one of the hosts of the Operators podcast joins us for a frank conversation state of ecommerce on Shopify, Amazon and how SAAS is adapting. From pricing, to surviving market conditions, we talk about the tradeoffs between usage, seat-based and flat-rate pricing. Sean shares why Ridge is scaling through new product categories, not just wallets, and what it really means to have leverage as a $100M+ brand. We talk about ecommerce’s post-COVID contraction, the fading flood of VC money, and why fewer founders are entering the space. And we close with a debate on whether vibe coders will eat the Shopify App Store, how to survive rising CAC, and why niche monopolies might be the most underrated startup strategy.

In this episode of the SaaS Operators Podcast, we sat down with Niels Klement, CMO at Perspective.co, to talk about how they bootstrapped their way to $10M ARR almost all in Germany, primarily through paid ads. Niels breaks down how webinar funnels let them acquire customers profitably on the front end, why they collect annual revenue up front, and how they’ve avoided raising capital by staying cashflow positive. We talk about the economics of annual plans, free trials with credit card upfront. Niels shares why recruiting exploded as a vertical in Germany, why lead gen is their winning use case in the US, and how adapting their messaging has been their unlock as they expand globally. The episode ends with a deep dive into pricing, leverage, CAC payback rules, and what it really takes to build a profitable growth engine without venture money.

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, we sat down with Amit RG, the founder of Richpanel, to unpack how he built a profitable, efficient SaaS business serving e-commerce brands. Amit shares why he turned down Y Combinator and a Series A after raising and the choice to stay lean. We talk about why advertising hasn't worked for Richpanel, and how their $2K Automation Success Kit drives adoption, and why 40% of their customers sign multi-year contracts without being pushed. Amit opened up about the tension between being seen as the “affordable” option and building a premium product, and how brand perception plays into defensibility. The episode ends with a candid discussion on churn, customer success at scale, and whether we’re all thinking too small in the age of AI.

In this episode of the SaaS Operators Podcast, we sat down with Stephen Hakami, the founder of Wiza, to talk about his journey bootstrapping Wiza to $10M+ ARR and what happens when you hit an inflection point. Stephen shares why he's now considering raising capital after years of profitable growth, and has shifted from a profit-first mindset to a platform play that focuses on enterprise value. We dig into the tradeoffs between bootstrapping vs. venture scaling, the importance of retention metrics, and why gross logo retention tells a deeper story. Stephen also opens up about a near-death moment for the company when his sole developer passed away suddenly, leaving the entire product in limbo. The episode ends with a broader look at enterprise value, multi-product strategy, and the real meaning of resilience in SaaS.

This blogshows how to set up a Facebook ad set step by step, choosing conversion goals, attribution windows, audience targeting, placements, and budgets to maximize efficiency and avoid wasted spend.

If you're a marketer or agency, Foreplay turns your scattered ad inspiration into a structured creative system. It lets you save, organize, and analyze the top-performing ads from the fastest-growing brands so you can build your next winning ad based on what actually works.

In this episode of the SaaS Operators podcast, we unpack how FERMAT raised a $45 million. Rishabh breaks down why they went raised more than they initially planned to, how market pull forced their hand, and the exact process he used to close the round in just 10 days. We also get into ad efficiency, pricing psychology, why most brands under-segment their websites, and how generative AI is already building full funnels off a single goal input. The episode wraps with a spicy take on angel investing, risk math, and why you probably shouldn’t change your entire life strategy right after it starts working.

Oren breaks down what a creative strategist does, how to write effective briefs, and the tools and insights needed to create scalable, high-performing content. This blog will teach you how to think, and win, like a content-native creative strategist.

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, we talk about product launches, market expansion and building a system for reliable growth. Zach shares what he learnt from Foreplay’s latest product launch for Lens, including lessons around pricing, bundling and execution. The boys explores the difference between adding new customers vs. deepening value for existing ones, and why stacking launches can backfire. They talk about the power of referrals, how to operationalize them, and the surprising story of a DMT shaman that inspired a one-referral-per-user strategy. The episode ends with a broader conversation about motivating adoption, integrating into workflows, and what it actually takes to compound growth in SAAS.

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, we get into the realities of trust in business. What it means to break it, rebuild it, and keep moving. The boys open with stories of personal betrayal and reconciliation, then shift into platform tradeoffs, debating whether Shopify’s distribution is worth the cost. We talk about customer behavior across different ecosystems, how to think about pricing power, and the rising cost of growth in a tightening market. And the episode wraps with sharp takes on ad arbitrage, interpreting creative through customer eyes, and how one great ad can change a business.

This blog covers how to setup your Facebook ad campaign at the campaign level, including naming conventions, budgeting strategies, audience segmentation, and settings for Advantage+ and custom audiences to ensure optimal ad performance and scalability.

Want a transparent look into your competitors' ad strategy? Spyder’s Creative Tests tab shows exactly which ads they launch, when they launch them, and which ones stay live, so you can start where they stopped testing.

If you're running creative strategy, you can't afford sloppy brand identity. Inside Foreplay's Briefs, you can lock in everything from fonts and tone to taglines and high-res assets so your creators hit the mark every time without endless back and forth.

What if you could see which ads your competitors actually keep running? This is how to spy on top-performing Facebook ads from brands like AG1, revealing their best hooks, CTAs, landing pages, and emotional angles so you can copy what works instead of guessing.

Stop guessing which ad hooks work. We’re diving into Foreplay’s Spyder tool to show you how top brands like DRMTLGY use high-performing hooks that have run for hundreds of days. Learn how to find, filter, and pin the best hooks across competitors so you can test proven winners in your next creative. This is AI-powered creative research without the learning curve.

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, the boys are joined by Cory Gill, founder of Alia. After a brief discussion on the pursuit of money and happiness and the stigma around being successful financially, they dive into the impact of fees on developer ecosystems. They talk about the long-term effects of market pressures and how to navigate cost pressures and efficiencies. The episode ends with a discussion about attribution challenges in customer acquisition and the importance of customer feedback.

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast the hosts talk about the launch of Meta’s new AI App and how AI is changing the future of shopping and consumer behavior. They discuss the value of SAAS and its perception challenges, focusing on the evolution of software and customer expectations. They have a brief conversation about the impact of incumbents on Startups and end with a discussion on market saturation and product innovation where we all find out how much Jack loves butter.

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast Danilo Vicioso, the founder of Mainstreet, joins the hosts and things get deep. They talk about systems, have a debate on raising vs bootstrapping and tell the stories behind how they named their companies. Zach tries to convince the boys that all legal disputes should be dealt with in a mud pit and the episode ends with a discussion on why subscriptions are the best thing since sliced bread.

The Ridge Wallet has mastered the art of Facebook advertising, and their strategy offers valuable insights for any brand looking to improve their ads. Let's dive deep into how they've built their successful ad campaigns and what we can learn from their approach.

In the competitive world of fitness apparel, Alo Yoga stands out with their sophisticated Facebook advertising strategy. Let's break down exactly how they're taking over the digital advertising space and what marketers can learn from their approach.

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, Jeremiah is back with that “3 kid hair” and the hosts talk about the importance of buying your time back to maximize your effectiveness. They dive deep into how AI is changing SAAS and Jeremiah gives insights on how Shopify surpassed WooCommerce as the preferred website builder that leaves Rishabh speechless (almost). The episode ends with an update on what the hosts are doing to help their clients with the tariffs.

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, Jeremiah is still out and the hosts dive into why daily routines are so popular right now. They talk about the bad advice some of their VC friends are giving and the episode ends with a discussion about growth vs profitability.

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, Jeremiah is off having a baby and in the meantime, the hosts discuss what's new at Fermat and Foreplay, their daily routines and how software is immune to tariffs.

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, the hosts discuss OpenAI ad generation. They dive deep into solving problems vs following demand trends, highlighting the difference between tools and solutions. The episode ends with a brief discussion on the role of AI in SAAS PMF.

Let's see how the most successful streetwear brands are using Foreplay to create winning ad campaigns.

In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, the hosts discuss the pros and cons of Bootstrapping vs VC Funding. They dive deep into the difference of lifestyle businesses vs the expectations of a VC. The conversation highlights their personal goals and entrepreneurial aspirations as well as the differences of a CEO and an entrepreneur and the psychology behind entrepreneurship. The episode ends with a brief discussion on product-led vs sales-led strategies.

In the competitive snack food market, making effective ads requires more than just creative intuition - it demands data-driven insights and deep competitor analysis. Let's dive in and see how brands can use Foreplay to build ads that don’t just work, but dominate the competition.

I invited Ben Dyer, the Head of Growth from Webtopia to share how he and his team used a creative marketing strategy to grow an art DTC business.

I invited Toby Waller, an ex-Apple marketer, the founder of multiple eCommerce brands and the one of the co-founders of Brick Social to share how he broke seasonality for one of his brands.

Staying ahead of the competition demands data, insight and efficiency. This is why brands use Foreplay. The world’s largest dataset on ads - nothing says data-driven decisions like Foreplay.

We did a deep dive into Sporty & Rich's advertising playbook to reveal how they've mastered the art of fashion marketing through strategic ad creative execution.

Foreplay.co streamlines ad inspiration for Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok by replacing endless scrolling and disorganized screenshots with a powerful tool for ecommerce marketing agencies to develop winning creative.

There were a lot of memorable ads during this year's Super Bowl. We reviewed some of the standout ads - the one’s that caught our attention.

This is a breakdown of how brands like The Ridge use Foreplay to track their competitors, analyze best-performing ads, and launch ads that work on autopilot.

This is a breakdown of how brands like AG1 use Foreplay to track their competitors, analyze best-performing ads, and launch ads that work on autopilot.

This is a breakdown of how brands like Gymshark use Foreplay to track their competitors, analyze best-performing ads, and launch ads that work on autopilot.