Scheduled for January 2023, this retreat is a coming together of the Upekkha community. We’re going Lord Of the Rings this year in our thinking and theme. Why, you ask? LOTR is not just a great story about characters redefining conviction- LOTR in every aspect has a lesson we can learn from. Lessons that can guide us in our personal and professional lives.
So why LOTR and how is the retreat cementing the Value SaaS seekers?
Make The Hard Choices. Always.
Being a founder and creating a company will lead us to points in our lives when we WILL need to make hard choices. At that moment, remember the hobbits of the shire- the smallest men with the biggest hearts, who faced up to the greatest odds. In order to have control over our outcomes we must actively make hard choices. Or the choices will be made for us. While the Value SaaS path appears tough, remind yourself that diamonds are made only under pressure.
“You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.”― J.R.R. Tolkien
Build Community
The ring would have never reached Mordor on the shoulders of one alone. As a Community we need to strive together, work together, and grow together. Be it a new product or getting through a rough patch, bringing in another perspective will always help.
“For behold! the storm comes, and now all friends should gather together, lest each singly be destroyed.” ― Gandalf
Actions Over Words
As founders we tend to spend a lot of time strategizing and planning and not actually executing. While thinking before acting is great, we’d like to bring your attention to the Ents from LOTR. The mighty trees spent days in conclaves, while Sauraon destroyed their forest. Sometimes, action is needed, dont be carried away by words and discourses only. Value Saas principles guide us every step of the way to build our flywheels, know our customers, talk to our competitors. It’s all about ACTION.
“The wise speak only of what they know.” ― Gandalf
The Wizards are Coming
Suresh Sambandam
Co-founder & CEO, Kissflow Keynote Address: SaaS - A Trillion Dollar Opportunity
Shankar Maruwada
Co-founder & CEO, EkStep Foundation Workshop: B2B SaaS Positioning
Lavanya Gopinath
Director of Operations, Chargebee Session: Redesigning Team and Operations for Next Phase
Amit Sharma
Senior Director, Finance, Whatfix Session: Finance Mistakes to Avoid in Your 1-10 Scaling Journey
Gagandeep Singh Josan
Head of Solutions and Industry Sales, Whatfix Session: Sales Closure Teardown
Opening Keynote by Suresh Sambandham on SaaS A Trillion dollar opportunity
11:45 AM
Tea/Coffee Break
12:00 PM
Scaling your SaaS Business: What got you here won't get you there with Jyothi (Hiveminds)
01:30 PM
Lunch
02:30 PM
Redesigning your team & operations for next phase - Lavanya (Chargebee)
04:30 PM
Headshots and Testimonials + Tea Break
05:00 PM
Effactuation workshop for founders - Prof Saras
07:00 PM
Rest and Refresh
07:30 PM
Saroj at the Bonfire
09:00 PM
Dinner
10:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Founder Summit: After Dark Karaoke
FLYWHEEL
THE WATCHERS
07:30 AM
Breathwork/ Yoga session or Sports
08:30 AM
Breakfast
10:00 AM
Yashwanth (Fyle) - Figuring the high value problem through conversations(prospects, competitors & ecosystem players)
11:30 AM
Tea/Coffee Break
12:00 PM
Closing Keynote
12:45 PM
Awards
01:15 PM
Closing Address
01:35 PM
Lunch
Growth
The Dark Horses
07:30 AM
Breathwork/ Yoga session or Sports
08:30 AM
Breakfast
10:00 AM
Founders in this track can decide and attend flywheel or Scale track session
11:30 AM
Tea/Coffee Break
12:00 PM
Closing Keynote
12:45 PM
Awards
01:15 PM
Closing Address
01:35 PM
Lunch
Scale
The Golden Eagle
07:30 AM
Breathwork/ Yoga session or Sports
08:30 AM
Breakfast
10:00 AM
Finance related Mistakes to avoid in your 1-10 scaling journey" by Amit Sharma Whatfix
11:30 AM
Tea/Coffee Break
12:00 PM
Closing Keynote
12:45 PM
Awards
01:15 PM
Closing Address
01:35 PM
Lunch
We Have Got Things To Do
THE WATCHERS
Flywheel
Day 1: Key Note Address
Knowledge Session - I Workshop - I Knowledge Session - II Workshop - II
Day 2: Yoga Session
Workshop III Alignment Session
The Dark Horses
Growth
Day 1: Key Note Address
Knowledge Session QPR-I QPR-II
The Golden Eagle
Scale
Day 1: Key Note Address
Roundtable
Awards & Recognitions
In the arduous journey of building a global SaaS business, get rewarded by the wizards and elves who aim to make your pursuit easier and more fun. The grit and determination you show deserve a lot of accolades and that's what we will do at Upekkha Annual 2023.
We are looking forward to welcoming you to next year's retreat and really bringing out the warrior from within. And while we wait for January, let Gandalf’s words guide you:
“May your beer be laid under an enchantment of surpassing excellence for seven years!” — Gandalf