The volatility caused by COVID-19 and maybe more impactful, the Fed raising interest rates, has forced many SaaS startups to adapt their hypergrowth mindsets. As unicorns stumble and traditional funding dries up, a new breed is emerging - the "Camel."
What is a Camel Company?
Camels are resilient, cautious, committed, and customer-focused. They prefer measured growth and profitability over hockey-stick projections.
Resilient: Camels prepare for uncertainty through strategic planning. They rapidly adapt products and business models to evolving conditions.
Cautious: Camels maintain reserves and don't overextend themselves in good times. Financial prudence ensures stability in downturns.
Committed: Camels focus on fundamentals like positive unit economics from day one. They avoid growth for growth's sake.
Customer-Focused: Camels build products based on genuine customer needs rather than vanity metrics. They favor sustainable growth driven by delighting users.
Why the Camel Mindset Matters
The unicorn formula of blitzscaling, heavy spending, and perpetual fundraising is faltering. High-flyers like WeWork and Brandless crashed back to earth. Many startups are now resetting expectations and embracing resilience.
Camels take a long-term view. They build strong foundations even if that means slower initial growth. With profitability and retained earnings as a buffer, they can weather storms like COVID-19.
Unicorns often pursued scale above all else, leading them into capital-intensive business models reliant on endless VC funding. The pandemic suddenly endangered this approach. Many are now making tough cuts just to survive the next few months.
In contrast, Camels are prepared. Their caution pays dividends in crises while unicorns scramble. Their focus on customers and profit sets them up for faster rebounds.
Post-pandemic markets will continue favoring resilience over recklessness. Startups must balance aggression with pragmatism. The Camel mindset will be tomorrow's competitive advantage.
Building Resilience with Just-In-Time Talent
Adopting the Camel mentality requires organizational agility. On-demand talent solutions can provide this.
As SaaS startups shift strategies, precisely sourced technical and business talent can scale key areas up or down to meet new demands. Manning + Company's networks and recruitment expertise allow staffing of critical roles in days rather than months.
On-demand teams can quickly deliver new capabilities to enable pivots. Common needs we help fill include:
- Data analytics to derive pandemic-related customer insights
- Digital marketing and sales experts to address disrupted pipelines
- Supply chain specialists to identify vulnerabilities and optimize logistics
- Change management leaders to align culture and operations to new realities
With deep roots in recruiting for agile environments, Manning + Company excels at just-in-time talent delivery. We build versatile teams that evolve alongside dynamic business needs.
Camel companies also realize that letting go of hard-won talent can damage long-term competitiveness. Layoffs should be a last resort. Transitional on-demand talent is often a smarter solution.
By providing crucial skills on a temporary basis, we help Camels flex with demand across various business functions. Strategic use of on-demand hiring preserves institutional knowledge while reducing payroll and idle capacity.
Other key benefits of just-in-time talent include:
- Avoiding high fixed costs of full-time hiring during periods of uncertainty
- Filling unexpected leadership and critical skill gaps caused by unexpected departures or leave
- Supporting growth initiatives and new market expansions with targeted support
- Handling seasonal fluctuations and peak demand periods without permanent headcount adds
- Providing specialized expertise for complex projects without sustaining new roles post-completion
The Camel mentality recognizes talent as a scarce resource to nurture, not waste. On-demand hiring through partners like Manning + Company offers smarter ways to deploy key skills.
Driving Revenue While Controlling Costs
In pivoting to resilience, SaaS startups must find ways to generate cash flow without overextending. Revenue delivering services can help immediately.
Our specialized teams provide full lifecycle outbound revenue generation, including:
- Identifying high-potential target accounts using predictive analytics
- Executing multi-touch outbound campaigns across channels
- Qualifying and enriching pipelines with custom research
- Scheduling appointments between prospects and client sales teams
- Producing tailored sales collateral to accelerate deal cycles
This on-demand revenue generation is a force multiplier for sales. Our teams seamlessly extend client capacity and expertise.
Compared to growing dedicated internal teams, on-demand revenue services reduce costs by up to 60% while delivering outcomes faster. There are no training periods to ramp productivity. Experienced reps deploy proven playbooks honed across clients.
In uncertain times, capital preservation matters. Outsourced services generate pipeline and revenue without significant hires or overhead. Camel startups gain sales leverage without unicorns' bloated budgets.
The Road Ahead
Unpredictability is the new reality. SaaS companies must prepare to traverse the unknown. Embracing the Camel mentality will separate resilient startups from flash-in-the-pan unicorns.
Manning + Company excels at delivering the talent and services to help clients execute this transformation. Our solutions provide the agility and cash flow generation to not just survive, but thrive in the next normal.
To learn more about becoming a Camel startup, contact our team today. The future favors the resilient.