Title

AWS re:Invent 2022 - Building your SaaS journey on AWS (PEX209)

Summary

Craig Wicks and Merve Soner from AWS Partner Organization and SaaS Factory program co-presented the session.
They discussed the evolution of SaaS, highlighting Concur's journey as an example of early SaaS adoption and success.
The session aimed to provide a market perspective, share insights from experience, and differentiate between good and great SaaS offerings.
The presenters emphasized the importance of leadership alignment, customer retention, and growth strategies in transitioning to SaaS.
They introduced the AWS SaaS Factory program, which assists organizations in building SaaS solutions on AWS.
The session included a role-play between two CPOs of hypothetical companies to illustrate different approaches to SaaS.
They discussed the importance of business planning, customer experience, SaaS operations, and go-to-market strategies.
The presenters highlighted AWS Partner Network resources and benefits, including AWS SaaS Factory, AWS Marketplace, and partner paths.
They concluded with examples of companies that successfully transitioned to SaaS with AWS's help and encouraged attendees to explore AWS resources for SaaS.

The SaaS market continues to grow, with IDC projecting a $700 billion market by 2030 and SaaS surpassing 50% of software revenue.
Technical talent shortage is a significant challenge for SaaS companies, emphasizing the need for retraining and reskilling.
SaaS companies are focusing on cost reduction strategies, even those with sufficient funding, due to the current economic climate.
AWS SaaS Factory has evolved from one-to-one engagements to offering public resources and partnering with system integrators to support SaaS development.
AWS Marketplace is a crucial platform for SaaS providers, offering benefits like shortened sales cycles, alignment with AWS sales teams, and free trials to drive product-led growth.
The session highlighted the importance of aligning SaaS offerings with customer needs, market trends, and leveraging AWS programs for successful SaaS transformation.