453: StackAI: From MIT PhD to 7-Figure Enterprise AI Platform - with Bernard Aceituno

The SaaS Podcast - SaaS, Startups, Growth Hacking & Entrepreneurship

Bernard Aceituno went from PhD research at MIT to founding StackAI, a no-code AI platform that's now generating 7-figures in ARR with over 100 enterprise customers and $16M raised.

In this episode, Bernard shares how he pivoted from academia to entrepreneurship, why his first product wasn't solving the right problem, and how a perfectly-timed MVP launch on Hacker News created overnight demand. He explains the painful lessons of chasing too many customer segments before finding focus with enterprise IT teams.

You'll learn:

• What signals showed Bernard it was time to pivot from dataset management to workflow automation
• Why chasing too many ICPs nearly derailed the company and how they found focus
• How posting a scrappy MVP on Hacker News created 20 customer meetings in just two days
• Why attempts at reseller channels failed and what Bernard learned from waiting too long to hire sales
• How focusing on enterprise IT unlocked large contracts and steady expansion inside customer accounts

Full show notes → saasclub.io/453

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