<p>This is how Luke got a $100,000 investment to drop out of college and turned it into a $27 million startup. He breaks down how to identify and build your own vertical SaaS business too.</p><p>📚 1,800 Pitch Decks (Free) → <a href="https://deck-database.carrd.co">deck-database.carrd.co</a></p><p><br>Follow Luke’s journey: <br>🐦 X → <a href="https://x.com/lukesophinos">x.com/lukesophinos</a> <br>💼 LinkedIn → <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukesophinos">linkedin.com/in/lukesophinos</a> <br>🚀 Startup → <a href="https://coursekey.com">coursekey.com</a></p><p>📝 Newsletter → <a href="https://www.newsletter.lukesophinos.com">newsletter.lukesophinos.com</a> <br>📔 Vertical SaaS Bible → <a href="https://verticalsaasbible.com">verticalsaasbible.com</a></p><p><br>Follow us: <br>🔔 Subscribe → <a href="https://youtube.com/@foundingjourney?sub_confirmation=1">youtube.com/@foundingjourney?sub_confirmation=1</a> <br>📝 Newsletter → <a href="https://join.foundingjourney.com">join.foundingjourney.com</a> <br>📈 Founder Membership → <a href="https://upgrade.foundingjourney.com">upgrade.foundingjourney.com</a> <br>💼 LinkedIn → <a href="https://linkedin.com/in/michael-houck">linkedin.com/in/michael-houck</a></p><p>In this conversation we discuss:</p><p>Founder Mode</p><p>(00:00) — Intro <br>(01:18) — Luke's first business</p><p>(03:32) — Joining a VC firm in college</p><p>(06:33) — Becoming a Thiel Fellow</p><p>(11:26) — Dropping out of college &amp; going all in</p><p>(15:33) — Why traditional education is broken</p><p>(18:04) — Why founders should target boring industries</p><p>(19:53) — Building trust</p><p>(21:04) — When to pivot</p><p><br>Vertical SaaS</p><p>(22:46) — Differences between vertical &amp; horizontal SaaS</p><p>(23:53) — Why vertical SaaS has better opportunities going forward</p><p>(26:53) — What makes for a venture-scale vertical SaaS product</p><p>(32:38) — Why vertical SaaS is criticized for not being venture scale</p><p>(34:30) — AI's impact on vertical software</p><p>(37:37) — Why Luke is sharing the vertical SaaS playbook</p><p>(39:00) — The vertical SaaS bible</p><p>(39:53) — Where to start building vertical SaaS businesses</p><p>(41:53) — Raising venture funding &amp; debt financing</p><p><br>Rapid Fire</p><p>(44:50) — Who is one investor you’d recommend?</p><p>(45:08) — One thing you'd change about startups?</p><p>(45:38) — Advice for first-time founders?</p><p>(46:00) — Something you believe that most disagree with?</p>

Founding Journey

Michael Houck

Luke Sophinos: From Thiel Fellow to $27M Vertical SaaS Startup

JAN 2, 202547 MIN
Founding Journey

Luke Sophinos: From Thiel Fellow to $27M Vertical SaaS Startup

JAN 2, 202547 MIN

Description

<p>This is how Luke got a $100,000 investment to drop out of college and turned it into a $27 million startup. He breaks down how to identify and build your own vertical SaaS business too.</p><p>📚 1,800 Pitch Decks (Free) → <a href="https://deck-database.carrd.co">deck-database.carrd.co</a></p><p><br>Follow Luke’s journey: <br>🐦 X → <a href="https://x.com/lukesophinos">x.com/lukesophinos</a> <br>💼 LinkedIn → <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukesophinos">linkedin.com/in/lukesophinos</a> <br>🚀 Startup → <a href="https://coursekey.com">coursekey.com</a></p><p>📝 Newsletter → <a href="https://www.newsletter.lukesophinos.com">newsletter.lukesophinos.com</a> <br>📔 Vertical SaaS Bible → <a href="https://verticalsaasbible.com">verticalsaasbible.com</a></p><p><br>Follow us: <br>🔔 Subscribe → <a href="https://youtube.com/@foundingjourney?sub_confirmation=1">youtube.com/@foundingjourney?sub_confirmation=1</a> <br>📝 Newsletter → <a href="https://join.foundingjourney.com">join.foundingjourney.com</a> <br>📈 Founder Membership → <a href="https://upgrade.foundingjourney.com">upgrade.foundingjourney.com</a> <br>💼 LinkedIn → <a href="https://linkedin.com/in/michael-houck">linkedin.com/in/michael-houck</a></p><p>In this conversation we discuss:</p><p>Founder Mode</p><p>(00:00) — Intro <br>(01:18) — Luke's first business</p><p>(03:32) — Joining a VC firm in college</p><p>(06:33) — Becoming a Thiel Fellow</p><p>(11:26) — Dropping out of college &amp; going all in</p><p>(15:33) — Why traditional education is broken</p><p>(18:04) — Why founders should target boring industries</p><p>(19:53) — Building trust</p><p>(21:04) — When to pivot</p><p><br>Vertical SaaS</p><p>(22:46) — Differences between vertical &amp; horizontal SaaS</p><p>(23:53) — Why vertical SaaS has better opportunities going forward</p><p>(26:53) — What makes for a venture-scale vertical SaaS product</p><p>(32:38) — Why vertical SaaS is criticized for not being venture scale</p><p>(34:30) — AI's impact on vertical software</p><p>(37:37) — Why Luke is sharing the vertical SaaS playbook</p><p>(39:00) — The vertical SaaS bible</p><p>(39:53) — Where to start building vertical SaaS businesses</p><p>(41:53) — Raising venture funding &amp; debt financing</p><p><br>Rapid Fire</p><p>(44:50) — Who is one investor you’d recommend?</p><p>(45:08) — One thing you'd change about startups?</p><p>(45:38) — Advice for first-time founders?</p><p>(46:00) — Something you believe that most disagree with?</p>