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

Pulling up from the Weeds of Cash Preservation

The number one reason startups die is that they run out of cash. This is well known; and plenty of resources currently offer excellent advice…
8 min read

Rule of Holes (Part 2): More Thoughts on Answering Deceptively Difficult Questions

This blog recently featured a post that invoked the First Rule of Holes (“Stop Digging!”). That piece had been triggered by some business-planning discussions; and it advocated…
1 min read

The Case for Drop Allowance: An Under-Used SaaS Metric

When I joined my first subscription-based software business in 1999, the term Software-as-a-Service wasn’t even a thing. Since then, SaaS has emerged as the dominant…
8 min read

“The first rule of holes: when you’re in one, stop digging!” Thoughts on Answering a Deceptively Tricky Question

The “law of holes” was drilled into my head as a kid; and it is sound advice. The problem, of course, is proactively identifying whether…
1 min read

Setting Cloud Services Strategy: 5 Lessons from 5 Years

In a previous post, I shared observations relating to the process of re-platforming a SaaS solution. I was grateful when a former colleague reached out to…
6 min read

CEO as…Chief Conversation Officer?

The CEO role can be described in countless ways. One definition comes from the Corporate Finance Institute, which states: “The CEO is responsible for the overall success of…
6 min read

Know Your Audience, No Matter the Audience

Strong communications skills are a must-have for any aspiring executive; and leaders in small-scale SaaS businesses need to be comfortable in a range of messaging…
6 min read

5 Observations; 1 Complex Question

One of the benefits of the SaaS delivery model is that it enables an iterative approach to product development. Because of the relative ease with…
7 min read