How Deeper Intelligence Shifted a SaaS Leader’s Competitive Strategy

Posted by | Fuld & Company

A leading US SaaS company needed to understand the potential threat of a successful new start-up. From publicly available market intelligence, the threat appeared to be only moderate. However, when Fuld conducted more in-depth research, it became clear that the competitor posed a far more serious challenge—particularly due to the strength of its vision and its success to date in execution. 

Objective 

The company initially engaged Fuld to investigate the pricing strategy of a promising competitor. Market chatter and surface-level intelligence had not raised any immediate red flags. However, as the investigation progressed and Fuld began to uncover more significant strategic and operational insights, the mandate broadened. The new objective was to assess the competitor’s full go-to-market approach and internal capabilities—offering the company a more complete understanding of the threat. 

Solution 

To deliver a detailed and accurate assessment, Fuld deployed a multi-pronged research methodology: 

• Aggregated all available public content shared by or about the target company, including media, video interviews, and industry reports 

• Mapped organizational structure through sources like LinkedIn, analyzing team distribution by geography and function, with particular attention to sales and marketing hires 

• Performed primary research, conducting discreet interviews with former employees to uncover insights unavailable in the public domain 

• Assessed commercial strategy, including the evolution of the pricing model, sales processes, and market segmentation 

Despite the competitor’s private status, Fuld was able to build a surprisingly detailed picture of its operations and momentum. 

Outcome 

 The competitor was far more advanced—and threatening—than originally assumed. Key findings included: 

• A simple, scalable pricing strategy backed by volume discounts and clearly defined approval workflows 

• A tight focus on mid-sized firms at launch, maintained consistently for years before pivoting to upmarket enterprise targets 

• Strategic enterprise partnerships used to build trust with large clients through credible implementation case studies 

• A robust AI-driven platform, surrounded by a growing ecosystem of complementary services, allowing for flexible pilot programs and high-value deployments 

• A disciplined go-to-market execution that outpaced many more established players in agility and clarity 

Fuld delivered a comprehensive intelligence package that included: 

• A full profile of the competitor’s business model, operational strengths, and growth strategy 

• A side-by-side view of how the competitor was addressing the same industry-wide pressures—such as cybersecurity, AI transformation, and customer onboarding—that the client was actively navigating 

• Actionable insights into how the competitor was positioning itself to win loyalty, particularly among enterprise customers 

Impact 

The report significantly altered the company’s perception of the competitor’s threat level. What seemed like amoderate concern was revealed to be a formidable challenge—one requiring an urgent strategic response. 

Senior management described the findings as a wake-up call. The intelligence prompted: 

• A reassessment of competitive positioning and the company’s messaging in key segments 

• A renewed focus on go-to-market discipline, particularly in the enterprise channel 

• Internal conversations about accelerating innovation and AI integration to match the speed of emerging players 

The engagement proved the value of deeper intelligence in surfacing unseen threats—and gave the company a clear-eyed view of what it would take to win. 

Tags: Business Strategy, Competitive Analysis, Competitive Intelligence, Market Research, SaaS