E32: Behind the Scenes at Kno
In this episode of the SaaS Operators Podcast, we sat down with Bar Bruhis, Kno’s General Manager, to look at how actual operators today are stepping in when a founder stops running the day to day but stays in the driver's seat. We talk about how accountability increases when the founder steps back, how and why Bar specifically is pushing execution while Jeremiah maintains the long-term vision. Bar breaks down why innovation slowed at Kno, how shiny-object syndrome sneaks into robust SaaS products, and how being part of a public company portfolio creates a completely different incentive structure than a VC-backed startup. He also explains how Kno is rebuilding velocity by choosing one big bet, NPS, instead of half building ten features at once. We talk about the differences between founders and operators again, why founders can lack confidence in outside CEOs, how incentives shape culture, and how comfort quietly kills urgency. The episode ends with a tactical look at focus, accountability, and the operating shifts needed to turn an robust, reliable and highly valued software for what it is today, into an innovative one without burning out the team.
Most people imagine leadership changes as big dramatic moments. Founder steps down. New leader steps in. Everything shifts overnight.
But real SaaS companies rarely work like that.
In this episode, we talked with Bar Peretz, Kno’s GM, about what actually happens when a founder steps back from the day to day and brings in someone to run the operating system of the company. It was one of the clearest, most honest conversations we have had about how modern SaaS leadership actually works.
The Founder Stays CEO, the GM Runs the Machine
Jeremiah did not “leave” Kno. He did not hand off the company or distance himself. He is still the CEO, still shaping vision, still steering the big picture.
What changed is that Bar now runs the day to day. The output. The speed. The operating cadence.
It is not a handoff story. It is a scaling story.
Jeremiah keeps the long-view and protects focus.
Bar makes sure the work actually gets done.
It is the healthiest version of founder-plus-operator most SaaS companies try to create, but rarely get right.
Why Slowing Down Happens to Every SaaS at Some Point
Bar was candid about something every SaaS leader eventually faces. When your product becomes powerful and flexible, it naturally creates more ideas, more potential features, more ways to extend it.
If you follow all those paths, you spread yourself thin.
Kno is not unique here. This happens to almost everyone between product market fit and the next inflection point.
What matters is how you respond. And this is where Kno is doing something smart.
Rebuilding Focus by Choosing One Big Bet
Instead of pushing ten ideas forward a little bit at a time, Bar and Jeremiah refocused the team on one clear product priority: NPS.
Kno already had most of the building blocks. The product only needed refinement, packaging, and the same depth they put into their post purchase surveys.
This is how great SaaS products evolve. Not from a hundred half-baked features, but from picking one thing and going deep until it becomes the best in its category.
A Portfolio Company With a Healthy Culture
One of the most interesting parts of the conversation was how Kno balances ambition with sustainability. The culture at Kno is not lazy or slow. It is intentional. People work hard, but not in a “grind until collapse” way.
They are profitable. They are durable. They think long term.
That stability is a strength, not a weakness.
When you have a team that sticks around for years, you can build smarter, not louder.
Incentives, Alignment, and the Reality of Motivation
We also got into how different incentive structures shape behavior. Kno is not a VC-backed rocket ship chasing massive equity outcomes. It is a profitable SaaS inside a long-term portfolio, which means people are motivated by clarity, stability, and meaningful work.
This is not worse. It is different. And it allows the team to focus without the chaos of “growth at any cost.”
The Right Mix of Founder Vision and Operator Discipline
What stood out most is how much respect Jeremiah and Bar have for each other’s roles.
Jeremiah does not micromanage.
Bar does not run off and redefine the company.
Instead, they have built a clear rhythm:
- Jeremiah pushes vision and pressure tests plans
- Bar drives execution
- The team focuses on one priority at a time
- Distractions get filtered out
- The product keeps getting stronger
This is the version of SaaS leadership more founders need to see.
Not drama. Not ego. Not burnout.
Just a founder and a GM building a real company in a smart, durable way.
The Takeaway
Kno is not slowing down. They are refocusing.
They are not comfortable. They are intentional.
They are not avoiding innovation. They are concentrating it.
Most companies talk about “hiring operators” or “scaling beyond the founder.”
Kno is actually doing it, and doing it in a healthy way.
This is what real, modern SaaS leadership looks like.
