PandaDoc's Mikita Mikado on Harnessing Resilience in the SaaS World

Protect the Hustle | A SaaS Podcast

Imagine a towering oak tree, its roots sprawled and deeply anchored in fertile soil while its branches stretch towards the sky. This magnificent tree embodies resilience, as it stands unshaken through the harshest of seasons - whether it be the biting cold of winter or the searing heat of summer. This resilience is its lifeline, and a testament to the principle that having strong roots can help one weather the most tumultuous storms.

Now, let’s pivot this to the B2B SaaS landscape. It's an ecosystem where rapid innovation, cut-throat competition, and incessant disruptions are routine. To thrive here, much like the oak tree, a company must possess deep roots in the form of a solid foundation, a resilient team, and a robust product. And who better epitomizes this spirit than Mikita Mikado? Through personal hardship and real-world challenges with his company, PandaDoc, Mikado has proven himself to be as resilient as the sturdy oak. Stay tuned as today’s episode takes you through Mikita Mikado's inspiring journey, and the strategies that have enabled him to build and sustain a successful venture despite adversities.

High Level Overview:

• Building a resilient SaaS business requires strategic planning: Mikita Mikado emphasizes the importance of setting up a strategy every year, breaking it down into manageable initiatives with their own set of KPIs and goals.
• The resilience of a company is reflected by its leadership: Mikado's personal resilience, developed from hardships faced early in life, has been crucial in steering PandaDoc through challenging times.
• Resilience can be cultivated: While Mikado's resilience was forged through difficult circumstances, he posits that it can be developed through various means and continuous training.
• A successful SaaS business is adaptable and versatile: Like PandaDoc, businesses must be prepared to evolve and adapt to new market conditions, customer demands, and technological advancements.
• Resilience propels growth in the face of adversity: Despite facing numerous challenges, Mikado has grown PandaDoc significantly, demonstrating how resilience is key to business success.

Mikita Mikado's Resilience

Resilience is more than just a buzzword; it is a cornerstone for success. It is the quality that allows us to bounce back from setbacks, adapt to change, and keep going in the face of adversity. It is the thread that weaves itself through every challenge, every failure, and every success story. In the context of a SaaS company, resilience can be the difference between survival and extinction, between thriving and merely surviving.

• Resilience is forged through experience: Mikado's resilience was developed through his experiences of hard, tedious labor as a child. These experiences shaped his perspective and taught him the value of hard work and tenacity.
• Resilience is transferable: The resilience that Mikado developed in his personal life has translated into his professional career. It's enabled him to navigate the myriad of challenges in building and growing a successful SaaS company.
• Resilience is a team effort: Mikado highlights that his co-founder and team members at PandaDoc each have their own stories of resilience, which collectively contributes to the resilience of the company as a whole.
• Resilience is about persistence: Despite facing significant challenges, Mikado’s unwavering commitment to his goals serves as a testament to his resilience. His mantra of persistence continues to drive PandaDoc forward.

Beyond these points, it's vital to understand that resilience is not just about enduring; it's about adapting and learning. It’s about using setbacks as stepping stones, rather than stumbling blocks. It’s about viewing challenges as opportunities for growth, rather than roadblocks. In this light, Mikado’s resilience is an inspiring lesson for all of us, demonstrating that the true test of resilience lies not in the challenges we face, but in how we face them.

Further Learnings

Follow Mikita on LinkedIn and Twitter.