Biggest Learnings From Building Optibus to a Global Unicorn with Amos Haggiag

Focus on solving customer pain points rather than watching competitors - if you address real problems, competitor activities matter less

For enterprise/vertical SaaS, work very closely with early customers to build the right product - Optibus spent extensive time learning from customers’ workflows before building solutions

Looking long-term at vision/mission helps navigate short-term challenges - every challenge seems make-or-break initially but becomes smaller in long-term perspective

When expanding internationally, consider whether a distributed or centralized approach makes sense for your market - Optibus tried both before finding the right model

For mission-critical enterprise software, proving reliability and reducing risk is as important as having great features

Organizational changes take significant time (often a year+) to properly implement - be patient and commit fully to strategic shifts

CEO role can be lonely despite having a management team - important to have right people to consult with on different types of decisions

In challenging markets, focus more on efficiency than growth - fundraising dynamics have shifted from growth-at-all-costs

Start with deep understanding of the problem before jumping to solutions - Optibus spent years studying transportation challenges before building product

High-ACV enterprise deals can get you to meaningful revenue with relatively few customers - Optibus reached $1M ARR with just 5 customers paying $100-400K each