Episode 20: Why Building a SaaS Product Is Harder Than Most Founders Admit

Most founders talk about growth after they succeed.

Very few talk honestly about the years before things work.

The uncertainty.

The burnout.

The failed ideas.

The timing mistakes.

In this episode of Leaders of Growth Podcast, Milan Savov sits down with Damjan Dano, founder of Aqtos and creator of IT.mk, to unpack what it really looks like to spend more than 20 years building inside the tech industry.

From launching one of the first cybersecurity companies in Macedonia, to building one of the region’s most recognized tech media platforms, to transitioning from agency work into SaaS, this episode explores growth from a brutally honest founder perspective.

This is not a “success story” episode.

It is a conversation about timing, positioning, trust, AI noise, product building, and the reality behind scaling technology companies today.

1. Building Before the Market Was Ready

Damjan started building internet security solutions in 2006.

The problem was not the idea.

The problem was timing.

The market was simply too early.

That experience later evolved into IT.mk, which started as a simple community forum and eventually became one of the region’s most influential tech media platforms.

The lesson?

Sometimes being right too early feels exactly the same as being wrong.

2. Why Service Businesses Stop Scaling

After years of running a successful digital consultancy, Damjan realized something important:

Service businesses grow linearly.

More clients usually means more people, more complexity, and more operational pressure.

Even successful agencies eventually hit scaling limitations.

This realization pushed him toward product development and SaaS.

Not because services failed.

But because he wanted to build something scalable, stable, and long-term.

3. The Shift from Agency to SaaS

Building Aqtos was not a sudden decision.

The product originally started as an internal system designed to solve operational challenges inside the company itself.

Over time, market signals became impossible to ignore:

• Clients struggled with disconnected systems
• Productivity challenges increased after remote work
• Companies needed centralized operational visibility

Damjan explains why transitioning from agency work into SaaS required completely different thinking, positioning, and patience.

4. Why Trust Will Matter More Than AI

AI is changing everything.

But according to Damjan, the next competitive advantage will not be features.

It will be trust.

As AI tools become easier to build and easier to copy, companies will need products and partners they can actually rely on.

This changes how SaaS companies think about:

• Product quality
• Reliability
• Positioning
• Long-term customer relationships

In a market full of noise, trust becomes differentiation.

5. Building Global Products from Small Markets

One of the most honest moments in the episode comes when Damjan reflects on building locally for too long.

He explains why founders from smaller markets often underestimate the importance of thinking globally early.

“Being last in the city is better than being first in the village.”

That mindset now shapes how Actos is being built and positioned internationally.

This episode is a reminder that growth rarely happens in a straight line.

Sometimes the biggest advantage comes from:

• surviving long enough
• adapting repeatedly
• learning from bad timing
• and staying consistent when trends change

For founders building products today, this conversation offers a realistic look into what long-term technology building actually requires.