The Practical Case for Payments-Driven SaaS Growth, Not Subscriptions

Jay Maharaj is the founder and CEO of TeamLinkt, a youth sports management platform used by more than 3,500 organizations and millions of athletes. From Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Jay built TeamLinkt into a fast growing software company with roughly $4.5 million CAD in revenue and a payments driven business model rather than traditional SaaS fees. In this episode, Jay and Greg discuss why he walked away from the traditional venture capital path, raised $6 million in minority growth equity, and is building the company around efficient growth, customer value, and a clear ideal customer profile. Key Takeaways Aligned incentives - As customer programs grow, TeamLinkt grows, so saving admins time is the growth strategy. VC mismatch - Six months chasing venture capital ended when the one-in-a-hundred exit math stopped adding up. Right capital - Practical growth equity funded leadership hires and discipline, not a land grab; Jay kept board control. Free drives virality - Coaches and parents spread the app club to club, replacing trade show booths they can't afford. ⏱️ Chapters: 0:00 – Payments Driven SaaS Model 1:03 – Intro and Welcome 4:24 – Building TeamLinkt 10:28 – Growing to $4.5M 13:16 – Raising Growth Equity 15:46 – Why VC Didn't Fit 20:19 – Expanding Into New Markets 24:38 – No SaaS Fee Model 28:28 – Finding Early Traction 39:25 – Scaling With Investors 45:34 – Using AI Practically 53:22 – Finding the Right ICP 58:42 – Scaling Without Over Hiring 1:02:20 – Founder Lessons on Capital 🔗 Links Jay Maharaj on LinkedIn:   / jaymaharaj   TeamLinkt on LinkedIn:   / teamlinkt   TeamLinkt website: https://teamlinkt.com/ Growth Street Partners: https://growthstreetpartners.com/ About Practical Founders and Greg Head Practical Founders build valuable software companies without big VC funding. This growing community of practical founders are winning the startup game with successful exits of $20 million to $100 million for founders, if they ever choose to sell. There has never been a better time to be a practical founder. Greg Head is the founder in chief of Practical Founders. He is a 30-year software industry veteran who was part of the startup-to-scale journeys of three different CRM software companies, including one IPO. He is now an active advisor, community builder, and speaker who helps founders of SaaS software startups worldwide. Greg is a paid strategic advisor to 40 early-stage SaaS company CEOs with his Practical Founders Peer Groups and his 1-1 CEO advisory programs. He hosts the weekly Practical Founders Podcast where he interviews successful founders who grew valuable software companies without big funding. Connect with Greg and Practical Founders: Greg Head on LinkedIn   / gregheadaz   Subscribe to Practical Founders on YouTube:    / @practicalfounders   Practical Founders Podcast https://practicalfounders.com/podcast Practical Founders Peer Groups https://practicalfounders.com/peer-gr... Greg’s blog https://practicalfounders.com/articles Get the Practical Founders weekly newsletter https://practicalfounders.com/newsletter