Welcome to this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast! Today, Ben Murray sits down with Michael Babineau, co-founder of Turnstile, to unpack the journey from software engineer to successful second-time founder. Michael Babineau shares how his engineering background and the exit of his first company, Second Measure, to Bloomberg helped shape the vision for Turnstile—a next-gen, AI-native quote-to-cash platform designed to handle the complex challenges of sales-led, recurring revenue businesses.

In this candid conversation, Michael Babineau dives into lessons learned from scaling and selling a company, the difficulties of automating revenue processes for custom deals, and why building a truly integrated, flexible system is crucial for SaaS companies looking to grow. You’ll also hear insights into Turnstile’s go-to-market strategy, their unique pricing approach, and what it’s really like to raise capital as a second-time founder.

Whether you’re a SaaS operator, CFO, or founder plotting your next move, this episode is packed with operational tips, market observations, and behind-the-scenes stories that you won’t want to miss!

Show Notes:

00:00 "Founders Ready to Start Again"

03:05 "Turnstile: Unified Revenue Management Platform"

07:12 Turnstile: CRM-ERP Integration Simplified

11:38 "Finding True Revenue Ground Truth"

13:15 "Venture Growth Through Mid-Market"

17:29 "Scalable Growth for Enterprise Success"

22:09 "M&A Process: All-Consuming Commitment"

24:08 Flexible Dealmaking for Company Growth

27:47 "Shifting to Marketing-Led Growth"

31:35 "Self-Serve Enterprise Software Simplified"

33:00 "Driving Growth for B2B Startups"

36:34 "Turnstile AI Discussion"

Links:

Michael Babineau’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbabineau/

Turnstile’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/turnstile-co/

Turnstile’s Website: https://turnstile.ai/

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