How to Scale Your SaaS: Growth Lessons Inspired by Raju the Camel

In 2005, I found myself at the Pushkar Camel Fair in Rajasthan, India. It’s a vibrant, chaotic, and utterly unique gathering of traders, travellers, and, of course, camels.

What began as an amusing bet with a friend back in London turned into an unforgettable experience—and, as I reflect now, an early lesson in understanding markets. Here’s how it unfolded: 

My friend and I decided to buy a camel as a wager. With the help of the son of our Pushkar campsite’s owner, who kindly acted as a translator, we navigated the bustling fair and eventually found a local man willing to sell us a camel (named Raju). 

He kindly trained us to ride Raju and left us to enjoy our new transport; and we thoroughly enjoyed exploring Pushkar by camel-power. Raju pulled a cart and we delighted in giving free lifts to locals around the famous sacred lake in the area. It was a truly magical experience.

At the end of our trip, reality hit: We needed to sell Raju and had no clue how to do it. 

That’s when the challenges began because despite our optimism, no one wanted to buy a camel from two Englishmen at the tail end of the fair. Here’s why:

1. Timing: The fair was winding down. Most traders had finished their transactions, were counting their money and packing up to leave.

2. Trust: Buyers were understandably cautious about dealing with foreigners who might not understand the intricacies of camel trading. And we certainly did not!

3. Product-Camel-Market Fit: Raju was a cart-pulling “taxi” camel, not the type of camel most people needed. We had purchased and were trying to on-sell a niche product without realising it, until way too late.

After a very long, sweaty day of failed negotiations and mounting worry that we’d have to find a way of buying Raju his own boarding pass to England…Our translator was hit with inspiration and offered to ride his motorbike to the next village to find the original seller, who thankfully agreed to buy Raju back from us (for half of what we had paid!)‍

The Parallel to Go-to-Market Strategy

‍At the time, I didn’t think much about the business implications of our camel escapade. Today, as a go-to-market consultant helping B2B technology companies scale globally, the connection is obvious: success hinges on knowing your market. Let me break it down:

1. Understand Market Timing: In Pushkar, we tried to sell a camel when the market was saturated and winding down. Timing is everything. Similarly, when entering a new region or launching a product, you need to assess whether the timing aligns with market demand. Are customers actively looking for solutions like yours? Or are you too early, or perhaps too late, to the party? 

Market timing is also about recognising patterns. In tech, this might mean understanding when industries are undergoing transformation, such as during economic shifts or regulatory changes. Launching too soon can mean educating a market that isn’t ready; launching too late can mean losing out to competitors who got there first. Are you launching with headwinds or tailwinds? It pays to know.

2. Build Trust and Credibility: As two outsiders in a tight-knit trading community, we lacked credibility. In fact we created doubt and worry amongst our prospects. The buyers weren’t confident in us, or indeed Raju. 

In the tech world, establishing trust is equally critical. This means localising your approach, hiring regional experts, and building relationships with key stakeholders. People need to feel confident that you understand their unique needs. Trust isn’t built overnight. It requires sustained effort through authentic engagement. This might mean adapting your messaging to reflect local values, offering clear proof points, or leveraging testimonials from respected voices in the community. Whether it’s a camel trade or a software deployment, trust accelerates transactions.

3. Validate Product-Market Fit: We purchased Raju without considering at all whether a cart-pulling camel was in demand. In business, this is akin to launching a product without confirming that it solves a real problem for your target audience. 

Conduct thorough market research, gather intelligence, engage with potential customers, and ensure your offering aligns with their priorities. Product-market fit is a critical milestone. It’s the point where customers begin to pull your product, rather than you pushing it. But it’s not static; what works in one region or for one audience might not translate elsewhere. That’s why continuous testing and adaptation are essential as you scale.‍

Avoiding the Camel Conundrum

‍The lesson from Raju is clear: before you invest time, money, and energy in a new venture, and/or scale internationally it’s imperative to validate the market. Here are a few tips to guide you:

1. Do Your Homework: Research the competitive landscape, customer preferences, and regional nuances. Understanding your market’s dynamics is the foundation of any successful go-to-market strategy. This includes not only quantitative data but also qualitative insights from customer interviews, focus groups, and field observations. Often, the most valuable insights come from conversations that reveal unspoken pain points or aspirations.

2. Test Before You Scale: Use pilot programs, focus groups, or limited launches to gather feedback and refine your approach before going all-in. Testing allows you to identify potential roadblocks, refine your value proposition, get closer to understanding your Ideal Customer Profile and build momentum without overextending resources.

3. Partner with Locals: Just as our translator bridged the gap for us in Pushkar, local partners can help you navigate unfamiliar markets, build trust, and avoid costly mistakes. In the context of go-to-market strategies, this might mean working with local distributors, hiring in-region sales teams, or collaborating with trusted influencers who can amplify your message and lend credibility; to create a warm and lower risk market-entry for you.

4. Stay Agile: Even with the best planning, unexpected challenges can arise. Be prepared to pivot, just as we did when we sold Raju back to his original owner (it was a negative margin exercise, but taught us a valuable lesson!). Agility is about staying open to feedback, learning quickly from failures, and iterating on your approach to meet changing conditions.

‍Principles for Market-Entry

‍The Pushkar Camel Fair gave me more than a great travel story and a life lesson. It taught me the importance of understanding your market before making a move.Whether you’re buying a camel in Rajasthan or scaling a technology company across borders, the principles are the same: know your audience, validate demand, and build trust.So, next time you’re strategising a market entry or preparing for a product launch, think of Raju the camel. His story is a reminder that success begins with the right preparation, and a deep understanding of your market. After all, knowing your market isn’t just about avoiding mistakes; it’s about creating opportunities that drive meaningful, sustainable growth.

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