Introduction
Software as a Service (SaaS) is a software delivery model where the application is hosted by the provider and accessed via the internet from the user’s local computer or mobile device. The SaaS market has proliferated as technical advances have paved the way for innovative products. Implementing a SaaS startup can be an attractive option as most SaaS systems are priced on a subscription basis, creating a predictable recurring revenue stream. Further, SaaS businesses can be quite scalable as no inventory must be maintained, teams can be lean, and the cost of goods sold (COGS) are low, particularly at scale.
However, running a successful SaaS business involves many complexities. First, given the highly competitive market for most SaaS products, rigorous market research is required to validate a new product’s value proposition and pricing model. Further, as SaaS businesses require skilled team members, including product management, digital marketing, sales, project management, UX design, software development, quality assurance, and customer support and success, a feasible hiring plan and budget must be available. This leads to another critical and often neglected step–using financial forecasting to determine how profitable the business will be (e.g., calculating the break even point and return on investment) and the amount of investment required. Finally, SaaS businesses require ongoing market research and analysis of user behavior and key metrics to remain competitive.
Thus, it is crucial to the success of your SaaS business that you pursue education and mentorship to understand each of these moving pieces. This is particularly true if you have not had previous experience launching a SaaS business.
Why Take SaaS Courses Online?
Taking a SaaS course or even just a SaaS class online can be an excellent option given the flexibility of remote learning. There are a wide range of SaaS courses available online that focus on particular aspects of running a SaaS business or that attempt to convey a general foundation. You can find a course or a SaaS class structure that works for you. For example, a cohort-based online course will provide you with a peer group that can enhance your learning and foster accountability, whereas an on demand course can be more affordable and offer a self-paced structure that can accommodate your other commitments or a dynamic schedule.
Factors to Consider When Choosing SaaS Courses Online
- Course content: Find a course that covers the topics where you require the most development. Consider your own strengths and weaknesses and those of your partners; where do you have a collective knowledge gap?
- Reputation of the course provider: Take the time to research the course provider or instructors. Do they have experience consulting with multiple SaaS founders or launching multiple SaaS businesses themselves? Do they have more experience with B2B or B2C SaaS businesses, or with a particular sector, and does that focus align with your SaaS startup? Are there reviews available for their course or consulting services?
- Duration and intensity of the course: Consider where you are in the process of planning your SaaS business. For example, if you are undecided on whether this is a path you wish to take, a briefer course may help you to make a decision on whether to invest more time and effort in this direction or not. However, if you are already starting to invest substantial resources into your SaaS startup, a course that can offer a deeper dive into the material makes more sense.
- Cost of the course: Similar to the time investment mentioned above, consider how much of a financial investment is appropriate given your situation. Keep in mind that the knowledge you will gain can save you thousands of dollars and potentially your entire business in the long run by helping you to avoid costly mistakes.
- Availability of practical exercises and projects: Some online SaaS courses consist only of educational videos, whereas others involve live instructors who will ask you to apply the knowledge to your own SaaS business and provide feedback and guidance on your work.
Top SaaS Courses Online in 2023
1. SaaS Mastery
- Course overview
- This comprehensive cohort-based course is designed for SaaS leaders and SaaS product managers who wish to validate their SaaS business model, effectively recruit and manage their team, and acquire, engage, and retain their users.
- Key concepts covered
- SaaS validation
- User personal creation and testing
- Pricing strategy
- Distribution methods
- Financial planning & forecast
- Functional and non-functional product requirements
- Design and build budgeting and timeline
- Usability testing
- Hiring and implementing teams
- Business management
- Activating users
- Minimizing user churn
- Support & customer success
- Working with affiliate partners
- SaaS metrics
- Course structure and duration
- This is a cohort-based course, meaning you will complete the 8-week course with a group of other participants. The course content is delivered via weekly lecture, group discussions and Q&A with the instructor, and one-on-one coaching.
- Course prerequisites
- A positive attitude towards learning the content
- Willingness to collaborate with classmates
- Ability to commit a certain number of hours each week to the course, as well as attend synchronous sessions and complete assignments on schedule
- Potential participants will complete a qualification process with the course provider to ensure they are a good fit with the program and cohort
- Course outcomes
- Participants who complete all assignments will have validated, budgeted, and planned their SaaS business
- Course price
- Varies depending on cohort size. Team discounts are available.
- Pros
- Cohort-based format promotes learning from peers and networking, as well as accountability
- Personalized attention from experienced instructors, including feedback on assignments
- In-depth knowledge is gained and directly applied to your SaaS business
- Money back guarantee
- Cons
- Expensive
- Substantial time commitment
2. The SaaS Academy
- Course overview
- This on-demand course offers video lessons and examinations of forecast models, and templates designed to provide an understanding of SaaS metrics, including what they are, why they are important, and how to calculate them.
- Key concepts covered
- The Accounting Foundation
- Cost of ARR
- SaaS Magic Number
- SaaS Quick Ratio
- ARPA/ARPU
- Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC)
- CAC Payback Period
- Net ARR Payback Period
- Customer Lifetime Value
- Retention
- Net Promoter Score ©
- Committed MRR
- Upsell & Renewal Rates
- Cohort Analysis
- Rule of 40
- Operating Leverage
- Key SaaS reports
- How to pull metrics from a “messy” P&L
- Course structure and duration
- The course includes two years of access to video recordings and Excel templates, which can be studied at the learner’s own pace. Students can post questions that will be answered by the course provider. Once a student completes the course, they may schedule a half hour consultation with the course provider.
- Course prerequisites
- No prerequisites are listed by the course provider, but we believe that basic knowledge of Google Sheets/Excel would be helpful
- Course outcomes
- The course is designed to help participants understand and report on their SaaS business’s performance, as well as to improve their business by using data to inform decisions.
- Course price
- $1,395.00 USD
- Pros
- In-depth coverage of a specific topic
- Over 30 Excel templates included
- Hands-on exercises
- Cons
- Expensive, although volume pricing is available for teams
- The course content is specific to SaaS metrics and reporting, so knowledge of other aspects of launching and running a SaaS business must be gained elsewhere
3. UDEMY
- Course overview
- Udemy offers multiple on-demand online SaaS classes regarding a variety of SaaS topics
- Key concepts covered
- The following are examples of a few of the courses Udemy offers regarding SaaS:
- How to Startup Your Own SaaS (Software as a Service) Company
- Essentials of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Business
- SaaS Metrics Fundamentals for Managers, Founders, & Investors
- SaaS Marketing: SaaS Startup Lead Generation Lean Startup
- The following are examples of a few of the courses Udemy offers regarding SaaS:
- Course structure and duration
- Udemy courses offer on-demand video lessons. Depending on the course, downloadable resources, assignments, and articles may also be included.
- Course prerequisites and outcomes
- The prerequisites and outcomes for Udemy’s SaaS courses vary depending on the course and are listed on each course’s description page.
- Course price
- The regular prices of the SaaS courses that we found generally ranged from $19.99 – $84.99, and the current prices were often deeply discounted from there due to a sale.
- Pros
- Affordable
- Range of specific topics available that can be selected based on the learner’s particular needs
- Cons
- Some of the courses serve more as an overview to the topic rather than a deep dive, and some we found to be lacking in organization
4. SaaStr PRO
- Course overview
- SaaStr PRO is a set of 52 lessons and assignments that are released weekly. Designed for early-stage SaaS startup teams, the team is urged to meet weekly to discuss the content and use the assignment to apply their learning to a problem they are facing in their own SaaS business.
- Key concepts covered
- The training covers a wide variety of topics (e.g., sales, hiring) necessary to scale an existing SaaS business.
- Course structure and duration
- Each week for one year, all team members will be given access to a written article, a short video, and a group assignment to be completed as a team during a weekly meeting. The content is designed to be relevant to each member of a cross-functional team.
- Course prerequisites
- Must have an existing SaaS business
- Course outcomes
- The course is designed to provide the SaaS training necessary for a team to scale a SaaS business.
- Course price
- $299-$499 USD per month, depending on team size
- $3,000-$5,000 USD per year if paid annually, depending on team size
- Pros
- Content is broken into small portions so as to be manageable given a SaaS team’s other work duties.
- Includes tickets to networking events and webinars
- Can cancel anytime
- Cons
- The order in which the content is sequenced may not be aligned with the relevance of each topic to the business.
- Will require one year to get through all the content.
5. SaaSy Sales Leadership
- Course overview
- SaaSy Sales Leadership offers role-based cohort-based online courses, such as courses specific to VPs of Sales, Customer Success Managers and Partner Managers.
- Key concepts covered
- The concepts covered vary by role.
- Course structure and duration
- Courses vary in structure and duration. For example, some are offered in 2-hour virtual sessions across several days, while the program for VP of Sales is offered in biweekly sessions over five months. Videos and exercises are also provided prior to the sessions.
- Course prerequisites
- These vary by course; for example, the AE Sales Management course is for people who have been in management for less than two years.
- Course outcomes
- Learning outcomes vary by course.
- Course price
- Prices varied by course, ranging from $750-$1,600. The VP of Sales course did not have a listed price.
- Pros
- Cohort-based format promotes learning from peers and networking, as well as accountability
- Continuing community building opportunities
- Cons
- Must be available for synchronous sessions
- Learning is geared specifically to a given sales leadership role
Conclusion
We have reviewed a wide variety of online SaaS courses which differ greatly in terms of price point, structure, duration, outcomes, and target audience. Some are geared towards specific roles on the SaaS team or specific SaaS-related topics, while others offer individuals and entire teams a broad foundation of knowledge on running a SaaS business. We hope that this guide can assist you in finding a SaaS course online that fits your needs.
