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There appears to be no end to the bloodbath! Massive tech layoffs devastated the startup world and giants like IBM, Spotify, PayPal, and Hubspot. Who is to blame for this ugly mess? We agree with Aiyoo Shraddha that AI isn't the sole villain 😈 in this job massacre. More importantly, can we escape the scalding hot pot we find ourselves in?

The current disaster didn't entirely result from the tug-of-war between the two actors- a slowing economy and inflation-led, sliding spending power. The real baddie here is the Herd Mentality, and Fortune agrees with us. Having money 💰 in our pockets makes us feel invincible. Businesses hired over-ambitiously misled by short-term market trends (read post-pandemic boom) and fluffy valuations. With mass hallucination taking a front seat, most forgot what smart, profitable, small businesses are doing 🚀 quietly- debunking the "Go Big" or "Go Home" propaganda.

Meritech Capital studied the changing rules of getting into the 10x ARR Club. Profitable businesses growing frugally, without following the mass hysteria of growth at all costs, are emerging winners 👑.

Despite shaky cash flow, SaaS spending is expected to remain robust. However, unlike before, enterprises and investors are not being frivolous.

Profitable startups holding their ground till the market perks up again are rising from smart investors. 🎯

While startups continue to reel from the curveballs thrown by the 2023 taxation & budget, the Finance Minister has assured an investment-friendly country for “innovative startups.” 💡 But we are awaiting clear action-based policies from the government instead of mere assurances. Meanwhile, the best way to grow with limited resources is to learn the Do More With Less tactics from Prasanna. Read Here 📖

While nothing has put the brakes on mushrooming SaaS startups, the rules of the game have changed. How can startups stand out from the crowd? In his candid discourse with Ashok Gudibandla, Founder-CEO of Automate.io(acquired by Notion.so), Rajan fishes out some pearls for startups.

To win "Think visibility before product" and "Distribution, not tech." Listen Here 🎧