Welcome to In Pursuit of Scalability blog!

I have and continue to accumulate many lessons learned while building SaaS, technology, entertainment, and professional services companies. And since knowledge not shared is wasted, this blog is the medium for me to share the best practices, learnings, and advice.
Sincerely,
Apolinaras “Apollo” Sinkevicius

North Star and Hero KPIs of SaaS

While ARR is our "north star" KPI, it is an imperfect measure of progress, success, or company value. ARR does not tell the full story because it only shows quantity and not the quality of the revenue. As an operator, I rely on what I call "hero KPIs" to guide the...

12 Rules of Business I Learned from My Father

It has been almost a decade since I lost my father to cancer, but the lessons I learned watching him run large companies, creating new businesses, and turning around languishing businesses are still fresh in my mind. I credit him for my business ethics, “workaholism”,...

Parallels Between Startups and Restaurants

Since I usually recruit talent for my teams, I often hear from acquaintances how they know someone “just so perfect, so well-rounded, so capable, so lacking of faults” that would be perfect for our startup world. These fantasy referrals often come from 1) those who...

The Hardest Skill To Master – Empathy

Any growing venture is hard. It does not have to be a startup, it could be a lifestyle or a mid-size business. The faster the growth, the more extreme are the swings and tensions. It is way too easy to lose sight of what matters, end up with agenda, and kill your...

Operations Leadership

North Star and Hero KPIs of SaaS

North Star and Hero KPIs of SaaS

While ARR is our "north star" KPI, it is an imperfect measure of progress, success, or company value. ARR does not tell the full story because it only shows quantity and not the quality of the revenue. As an operator, I rely on what I call "hero KPIs" to guide the...

The Future of Knowledge Work and the Post-Pandemic Workplace

The Future of Knowledge Work and the Post-Pandemic Workplace

It has been a year since the Black Swan event of the COVID-19 pandemic started shaking industries to the core. None of us have a crystal ball and can predict the future, but we must develop our thesis and get in action.  Don't let a good crisis go to waste....

Lessons Learned

Leadership Lessons I Learned at My Father’s Funeral

Leadership Lessons I Learned at My Father’s Funeral

While it has been two decades since I lost my father, I still think a lot about the lessons he taught me. He was an incredible role model and shaped my views on being a father, husband, leader, businessman, and decent human. Two days of my life are deeply seared into...

7 Rules for How to Sell to “Darth Vader”

7 Rules for How to Sell to “Darth Vader”

Before an incredible mentor helped me discover my love for the craft of operations, I started my sales career as a talent agent in the entertainment industry. Some of us have it, and some of us do not. Hence I discovered I was much more effective at figuring out how...

Parenting and Startups – Struggles, Biases, Lessons Learned

Parenting and Startups – Struggles, Biases, Lessons Learned

After eight years of parenthood, as I am updating this post, I can say nothing can truly prepare you for being a new parent and entrepreneur. Just the new role of a parent is hard enough, yet many of us are also building companies and careers simultaneously. The...

Talent Management

The Future of Knowledge Work and the Post-Pandemic Workplace

The Future of Knowledge Work and the Post-Pandemic Workplace

It has been a year since the Black Swan event of the COVID-19 pandemic started shaking industries to the core. None of us have a crystal ball and can predict the future, but we must develop our thesis and get in action.  Don't let a good crisis go to waste....

Startup Finance & Legal

North Star and Hero KPIs of SaaS

North Star and Hero KPIs of SaaS

While ARR is our "north star" KPI, it is an imperfect measure of progress, success, or company value. ARR does not tell the full story because it only shows quantity and not the quality of the revenue. As an operator, I rely on what I call "hero KPIs" to guide the...

Scalable SaaS Best Practices: The Legal Agreements Discipline

Scalable SaaS Best Practices: The Legal Agreements Discipline

SaaS is a beautiful business model. Over the last fifteen years, I got to build four companies in the B2B SaaS space. I love the efficiency of the model! Frankly, building companies would be so much more expensive without the cost efficiencies SaaS products bring. ...

Reflections on Raising Money and Fetishes of Those Watching

Reflections on Raising Money and Fetishes of Those Watching

For those of us in startups, opening up Twitter means seeing at least 1 or 2 funding announcements every couple of hours. And the congratulations and retweets roll in, if you are any good, journalists and bloggers need a piece of you too. But the fanfare and...

Coaching 1st-time founders and augmenting seasoned entrepreneurs