Скачать или смотреть Inside Micro PE 01: College Dropout to SaaS Exit | Building a 6 Figure Software Hold Co. at 20

Welcome to the first episode of Inside Micro PE: Small Deals, Big Returns

In this episode, Johann Sathianathen shares his real journey from dropping out of college to be Cisco’s youngest full-time engineer at 18, to building, scaling, and exiting his first SaaS startup at just 20 years old.

Johann’s story captures the essence of a new generation of bootstrapped founders and creators who build lean, profitable software businesses without venture capital. While at Cisco, Johann invested his salary into side projects and agencies, eventually creating Qura.ai, an AI SaaS that automated high-quality social media replies.

Within just 12 months, he grew and successfully sold the company through Acquire.com, achieving his first exit while running multiple ventures under his startup studio, Jars Global.

He now leads a global portfolio of SaaS products from his company Jars Global with teams in India, Nigeria and Egypt helping founders build and automate scalable businesses worldwide. His experience is across building rapid MVPs, automating operations, and managing lean teams has made him a rising name in the SaaS acquisition space.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
How to turn technical expertise into scalable SaaS businesses
Preparing your company for acquisition & working with buyers
Real-world tips for valuations, negotiations & due diligence
Managing multiple startups & avoiding founder burnout
Understanding post-exit reinvestment and global scaling
How Johann achieved his first SaaS exit at age 20 through Acquire.com
The bootstrapping playbook for launching profitable products without funding
How to build lean, automated teams to run multiple SaaS ventures globally
Whether you’re a SaaS founder, indie hacker or operator, this episode dives into real frameworks and mindsets that help businesses grow beyond just product and code.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:13 - Beginnings and Early Startups
03:48 - Life at Cisco and Facing Imposter Syndrome
07:04 - The Breakthrough: Qura.AI
08:45 - Navigating Competition and Deciding to Exit
11:24 - The Exit Experience
15:15 - Lessons on Lean Teams and Enterprise Realities
18:02 - Transitioning to Entrepreneurship
19:03 - Building and Failing Products
21:20 - Buyer Selection and Deal Structure
24:34 - Life After Exit and New Ventures
33:24 - Fundraising, Systems
36:50 - Mindset, Advice and Legacy
43:35 - Jars Global: Vision for Next 5 Years

Explore Johann’s Work: https://www.johann.fyi/
Qura.ai: https://www.qura.ai/ (SaaS Exited)

Connect with Johann Sathianathen:
Twitter/X: https://x.com/johann_sath

Dev Shah (Host)
Pocket Fund (Micro PE Firm): https://www.pocket-fund.com/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/devlikesbizness