TC Sessions: SaaS 2021 - Partner Sessions Highlights

TechCrunch Sessions: SaaS 2021 – A Preview of Engaging Sessions

TechCrunch events consistently deliver a valuable combination of keynote presentations and focused breakout sessions, fostering in-depth discussions and ample opportunity for audience questions. TC Sessions: SaaS 2021, taking place on October 27, will be no exception to this standard.

Highlighted Sessions for Attendees

We aim to spotlight the sessions prepared for you. It’s important to remember that TechCrunch’s partners are actively involved, offering insights, education, and responding to questions within their respective fields of expertise.

Important Note: Secure your pass for TC Sessions: SaaS 2021 now by clicking here. Ticket prices will increase at the virtual event entrance.

Below, you’ll find details from our partners, including session times and a complete event agenda.

Partner-Led Sessions

Three Easy Steps to Capture Global Opportunities

Presented by KUDO

As the global economy becomes increasingly interconnected, is your organization adequately prepared for success on an international scale? KUDO co-founder and CEO, Fardad Zabetian, will share his perspectives on capitalizing on worldwide opportunities.

Data Warehouse — The Foundation of the Modern Data Stack

Presented by RudderStack

The modern data stack is undergoing rapid evolution, with new technologies constantly emerging. However, architectures are increasingly being constructed around the central data warehouse. This panel discussion features RudderStack founder and CEO, Soumyadeb Mitra, alongside experts from Snowflake, Heroku, and Tonal, exploring the reasons behind this architectural shift, the driving technologies, and the future of the data stack.

9 Security Tips For Startups

Presented by Vanta

Early-stage startups often face the challenge of balancing essential security measures with the need to rapidly bring their product to market. Maintaining iteration speed is crucial, yet security steps are vital for business growth. Christina Cacioppo, co-founder and CEO of Vanta, will present nine actionable tips for building security into your product from the outset and initiating conversations about security expectations.

Disrupting Product Innovation

Presented by Onshape, a PTC Business

Innovation is a critical business necessity in today’s global landscape. A McKinsey report indicates that 84% of executives consider innovation key to their growth strategies. While companies must innovate at scale to remain competitive, engineers require the appropriate tools to overcome the challenges inherent in the product development process. This session will explore Jon Hirschtick’s entrepreneurial journey and how cloud technology and SaaS models can accelerate product innovation, along with strategies for scaling businesses to multimillion-dollar valuations.

Accelerate your growth using agile market research throughout the product lifecycle

Presented by Momentive.ai

Integrating market research into each phase of your product lifecycle is essential for successful launches and sustained growth in a competitive market. Agile market research software empowers teams to quickly obtain the insights they need, eliminating the costs and specialized expertise often associated with traditional methods. Join Momentive.ai to learn how to conduct your own market research, identify valuable product features, analyze the competitive landscape, and track brand perception over time.

How do High-growth Companies Use Technology to Inform Strategy and Drive Results?

Presented by SAP

Rapidly expanding companies are in a constant state of flux, with high performance and growth leading to evolving business priorities and challenges. Hear from SAP’s hypergrowth customers about how they leverage technology to shape their strategies and achieve tangible business outcomes. SAP Managing Director, Midmarket and Ecosystem, Greg Petraetis, will discuss the journey from innovator to disruptor to category leader and the impact of technology choices on future business productivity.

Optimizing SaaS Productivity — Why SaaS Sprawl Prohibits Growth?

Presented by LeanIX

SaaS now constitutes a significant portion of software installations, often reaching 100% in cloud-native companies. Unmanaged and unoptimized adoption leads to SaaS sprawl, also known as “Shadow IT.” Suboptimal SaaS subscription usage, increased risks, and audit exposures can hinder business scaling. André Christ, LeanIX co-founder and CEO, will illustrate common pitfalls and propose the necessary processes, skills, and capabilities for CEOs, CFOs, and CIOs to effectively manage SaaS.

Things Fall Apart At $10MM ARR: Lessons For Growing Your SaaS Company

Presented by Vista Equity Partners

The strategies that propel a company to $10 million in ARR differ significantly from those required to reach $50 million or $100 million. At the $10 million inflection point, most software companies must adapt their approach and often encounter new, challenging obstacles. The Vista Equity Partners team – a leading enterprise software investor with over $81 billion AUM – has guided numerous founders and companies through this transition. Rene Stewart, co-head of Vista’s growth-stage Endeavor Fund, will discuss common missteps and misconceptions surrounding software company growth and strategies for achieving scalable success beyond $10 million ARR.

Taking Your People from Startup to Scale

Presented by SAP

As your business expands, it’s essential to support the growth of your employees. Traditional team development methods are often insufficient in today’s rapidly changing world. Max Wessel, chief learning officer at SAP, will discuss building a culture and workforce that is flexible, adaptable, and capable of sustaining rapid growth.

Future Forward — How Machine Learning and Human-in-the-Loop Approaches Are Expanding the Capabilities of Automation

Presented by AKASA

The adoption of robotic process automation (RPA) has been widespread across various industries due to digital transformation efforts. However, RPA is a mature technology with inherent limitations. While valuable for automating simple, discrete, and linear tasks, it often falls short of achieving broader automation goals due to the complexity and constant evolution of real-world processes. Varun Ganapathi, co-founder and CTO of AKASA, will discuss how exceptions and outliers can enhance automation and how emerging machine learning platforms, combined with human-in-the-loop approaches, are expanding the scope of automation across industries.

Join the Event

Register for TC Sessions: SaaS 2021 on October 27 and connect with the global SaaS community.

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