Product Awards Series: Sagetap CoFounder on Revolutionizing Software Discovery

In the 8th episode of the Product Awards Series, Ubiety Techologies CPO Nacho Andrade interviews Sagetap Co-Founder Kevin Hughes. Originally inspired by dating apps, the Sagetap team realized the broken state of software discovery and the need for a platform that categorizes and offers technology in a consumable way. Hughes emphasizes the importance of a clear mission, strategy, and product goals, as well as the value of resources like books, frameworks, and design tools such as Figma. Sagetap’s current focus is on cybersecurity dev tools and cloud infrastructure, with plans for expansion. Hughes also shares insights on the company’s hiring process and the passion for creating frictionless connections between participants.

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Show Notes

1. The idea of creating a marketplace for software discovery came from the analogy of dating apps and the features they offer.
2. The realization that software discovery is broken. There is a need for a platform that categorizes and offers technology in a consumable way.
3. The passion for marketplaces as well as the desire to unlock frictionless connections between participants.
4. The importance of having a clear mission, strategy, and also product goals in place for the team to align and make effective decisions.
5. The value of resources such as books, frameworks, and alsdesign tools like Figma in building good products.
6. The combination of product and UX design to effectively communicate ideas and streamline conversations.
7. SageTap’s current focus on cybersecurity dev tools and cloud infrastructure tooling. With plans to expand into other verticals in the future.
8. The opportunity for individuals with experience in enterprise software and a buying role to join SageTap’s mission.
9. The recommendation of Brett Victor’s talk “Inventing on Principle” and the impact of Figma as a product that provides an immediate connection for creators.
10. The passion for Figma and its ability to serve as a versatile tool for creative work.
11. Building a successful product requires it to be 100x better than the competition.
12. Sagetap is on its third iteration, with the marketplace taking time to tweak and understand both sides.
13. The idea for Sagetap was born out of frustration in the sales process. It shouldn’t take a year to close deals with major companies.
14. Software discovery is broken, with an overwhelming amount of noise and startup vendors seeking attention.
15. 80% of net profit is reinvested into sales and marketing, highlighting the importance of go-to-market strategies.
16. Sagetap aims to fix the broken software discovery process by creating a matchmaking platform that puts buyers in control.
17. The platform allows for anonymous meetings between buyers and vendors, with feedback mechanisms in place to improve the pitch and conversion rates.