Knowledge informs action. Action shapes identity. Who we are is a reflection of what we consistently learn and do. At Lock 8, we treat learning as a continuous discipline - refining our thinking, evolving our approach, and sharing what we discover along the way.

Blog

Not Everything is a F8*%^&! Framework

As I’ve written previously, I’m not a fan of the term “playbook,” despite it being a metaphor that is used with reverence in many private equity…
5 min read

Don’t Overthink Digital Transformation

“Digital transformation is a foundational change in how an organization delivers value to its customers.” -CIO “Digital transformation is the process of using digital technologies to create…
5 min read

Tips for Supporting First Time CEOs

A prior post made the case in favor of hiring first time CEOs to lead small-scale SaaS businesses; and this piece picks up where that one left…
8 min read

The SaaS CEO Path Should Be Wider

Last week I had the opportunity to speak with three different SaaS execs about their careers. Each had valuable experience within high-growth software businesses. Each…
7 min read

P.S. On the Purpose of Dashboards

I recently wrote that business dashboards are instruments of control. That observation and the related post, while hopefully helpful, made some general assumptions in discussing dashboards. So, this…
4 min read

The Irony of Dashboards

I’ll admit that I love a good dashboard. As an aid to SaaS operators seeking to optimize business performance, dashboards can be invaluable.[1] Stephen Few defined a…
9 min read

10 Tips Toward Messaging Clarity

As he does in his blog with astonishing frequency, David Cummings last week put his finger on a pervasive problem in startups: complexity of messaging. To cap-off a characteristically…
4 min read

SaaStr Build: 5 + 5 Takeaways in 5 Minutes

In September of 2020, I attended SaaStr Annual and wrote about it here. It was my first fully virtual multi-day conference; and there was a real novelty factor…
7 min read