How To SaaS
Hosted by How To SaaS
A private equity insider's guide to value creation, where investors detail their playbooks for scaling B2B software companies.
This is a long-form interview show that goes deep on the strategic and operational playbooks of private equity investors. Rather than founder-centric startup stories, conversations focus on the post-investment mechanics of scaling a software company, covering topics like M&A, operational improvements, team building, and exit strategies. The host, a consultant in the space, uses his domain knowledge to guide detailed discussions on the financial and operational levers that drive enterprise value.
“Its tight focus on the private equity perspective on SaaS value creation is unique. The show moves beyond typical growth hacking talk to the level of fund strategy, operational mechanics, and the specific playbooks used by professional investors to scale and exit their portfolio companies.”
Who hosts this show
Shiv Narayanan is the founder and CEO of How To SaaS, a management consulting firm focused on marketing and demand generation for PE-backed companies. In this podcast, he interviews partners and executives from private equity and growth equity firms to deconstruct the mechanics of increasing enterprise value in software businesses. Narayanan is also the author of several books, including "AI Marketing Blueprint" and "Post-Acquisition Marketing".
Credentials & credits
- Founder & CEO, How To SaaS
- Author, "AI Marketing Blueprint"
- Author, "Post-Acquisition Marketing"
- Author, "Exit-Ready Marketing"
- Former CMO, Wild Apricot
- Advisor/Mentor for Y Combinator, Techstars, 500 Startups
Other ventures
- How To SaaS (Management Consulting Firm)
- Private Equity Value Creation Podcast
What kind of podcast
- Country
- Canada
- Region
- north america
When new episodes drop
- 01Why Great Founders Need Strong Convictions AND FlexibilityJun 26, 2026 · 1 min
- 02
- 03Why SaaS Companies Struggle During Due DiligenceJun 25, 2026 · 3 min
- 04The Hidden Deal Risks That Can Destroy Private Equity ReturnsJun 24, 2026 · 57s
- 05
- 06
- 07Marketing with AI Agents: How to Build a 10x Marketing EngineJun 12, 2026 · 48 min
- 08
Notable episodes
- 01Ep. 134: Christian Chauvet, Lee Equity | Vertical PE Investing in Healthcare & Financial Services
Provides a detailed case study of growing a urology platform from $200M to $1.5B in revenue, illustrating the firm's 'People, Process, Systems' playbook in action.
- 02Ep. 133: Michelle Noon, Clearhaven Partners | Partnership-Driven Software Investing in the AI Era
A candid look at what 'true partnership' means in private equity, explaining the strategic trade-offs of a concentrated portfolio and lower leverage.
- 03Ep.135 : Tyler Newton, Catalyst | Growth Investing and Creating Value from Entry to Exit
Clearly defines a 'middle ground' investment thesis between VC and traditional buyouts, focusing on consistent returns over power-law dynamics.
What you'll be asked on this show
Shiv Narayanan opens interviews by establishing the guest's credentials and their firm's thesis. He then uses their answers to drill down with specific, often multi-part questions about strategy, process, and financial outcomes. He frequently summarizes a guest's point to confirm his understanding before building on it with a follow-up question. This technique allows for deep, technical conversations about operational playbooks, value creation levers, and investment criteria, while letting the guest provide long, detailed answers without interruption.
This is a single-host, remote interview show. Episodes often begin with a direct promotion for the host's consulting firm, How To SaaS, or his books. The show's central theme is explicitly framed around the question, "How do we increase the enterprise value of our companies?"
Questions How To SaaS keeps coming back to
12 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when How To SaaS reaches for it.
origin
1- Q.01
“Can you share your background and tell us about your firm?”
This is the standard opening question to establish the guest's credibility and the firm's market position.
money
3- Q.01
“What size companies are you deploying capital into, in terms of revenue or check size?”
He asks this early to frame the context of the firm's investment stage and scale.
- Q.02
“What is your exit strategy, and what return are you aiming for?”
A direct question about the financial goals and end-game for the firm's investments.
- Q.03
“How do you trade off metrics like IRR and ROIC with your firm's specific investment structure?”
A technical question that connects the firm's operational strategy to its financial engineering.
process
6- Q.01
“Beyond size, what are the common characteristics you look for in your portfolio companies?”
This question probes the guest's core investment thesis and what makes a business attractive to them.
- Q.02
“Many firms claim to be 'partners.' What makes your approach different, and why do others fail to deliver?”
A pointed question used to cut through marketing language and get to the firm's true differentiation.
- Q.03
“What does your operational involvement look like after the investment?”
This question opens the door to a detailed discussion of the firm's value creation playbook.
- Q.04
“In which areas are your portfolio companies typically most immature or need the most support?”
This helps identify the common pain points that the guest's firm is built to solve.
- Q.05
“On the organic side, what are the most common untapped growth levers you see?”
He asks this to surface specific, repeatable tactics for growing revenue without acquisitions.
- Q.06
“How do you vet management teams to ensure they'll welcome your hands-on involvement?”
This explores the human and cultural side of the investment partnership.
future
1- Q.01
“How do you assess existential threats like new technology waves, such as AI?”
This question tests the guest's framework for future-proofing their investments.
technique
1- Q.01
“Can you drill down on organic growth? What are the key projects you focus on?”
A follow-up used to get past high-level strategy and into specific value-creation tactics.
Signature segments
- · Host promotion for 'How To SaaS' or his books
- · Opening frame: 'How do we increase the enterprise value of our companies?'
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are almost exclusively founders, managing partners, and operating partners from private equity and growth equity firms that actively invest in B2B software and technology.
- Tyler Newtonon Ep.135 : Tyler Newton, Catalyst | Growth Investing and Creating Value from Entry to Exit
- Christian Chauveton Ep. 134: Christian Chauvet, Lee Equity | Vertical PE Investing in Healthcare & Financial Services
- Michelle Noonon Ep. 133: Michelle Noon, Clearhaven Partners | Partnership-Driven Software Investing in the AI Era
- Eugene Polevoyon Ep. 132: Eugene Polevoy, Blue C Capital | The Independent Sponsor Model and Alignment-First Deals
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast is self-sponsored and serves as a primary content marketing engine for the host's consulting firm, How To SaaS, and his related books. The content is designed to attract and educate his ideal clients: PE investors and the leadership of their portfolio companies.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch How To SaaS
People also ask
- Who is the host of the podcast?
- The host is Shiv Narayanan, the Founder and CEO of the management consulting firm How To SaaS.
- What is the format of the show?
- It is a long-form interview podcast where Shiv Narayanan speaks with a single guest, typically a partner or founder of a private equity firm.
- Is this podcast still active?
- Yes, based on recent episode dates from June 2026, the podcast publishes new episodes weekly.
- Who are the typical guests on the show?
- Guests are primarily investors from private equity and growth equity firms, such as managing partners and operating partners, who specialize in software and technology companies.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on YouTube and major podcast platforms.
- What is the podcast about?
- The podcast focuses on how private equity investors create enterprise value in SaaS companies, covering topics like M&A, operational strategy, and growth levers.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Team - How To SaaShowtosaas.com
- [02]Private Equity Value Creation Podcasthowtosaas.com
- [03]AI Marketing Blueprint by Shiv Narayananscribemedia.com
- [04]Exit-Ready Marketing - How To SaaShowtosaas.com
- [05]Shiv Narayanan | SAAS NORTHsaasnorth.com
- [06]Private Equity Value Creation Podcast - Listen Noteslistennotes.com
- [07]Shiv Narayanan – Author Bio | Audible.caaudible.ca
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