Perspektif BeatRoute Bagian 1: Membangun Platform SaaS Global

At BeatRoute, our journey began with a simple but powerful observation: while enterprise functions like finance and operations had robust software solutions, sales execution in the field remained outdated and inefficient. We saw this firsthand while working closely with large consumer goods companies. That gap became our opportunity.

Today, we’re building a global SaaS platform designed to transform how retail brands execute their Route-to-Market (RTM) strategy. Here’s how we went from identifying the opportunity to building a product with international scale, from right here in India.

Why BeatRoute Was Born

Our roots lie in SAP consulting. Working on enterprise software for CPG companies gave us insight into their workflows. But it was clear that while backend operations were digitized, frontline sales teams were still operating in a manual, disconnected way.

We realized we had a unique advantage: deep domain knowledge, combined with the ability to build productized solutions. That led to the creation of BeatRoute, a platform purpose-built to improve sales effectiveness, territory coverage, and distribution execution.

SaaS from India

We fundamentally believe that 80% of software can and should be SaaS. The challenge isn’t whether SaaS works, but whether you can identify a theme of problems that cuts across segments and geographies.

India, in particular, offers a massive advantage:

• Abundant, high-quality tech talent
• Lower build costs
• Increasing openness among global enterprises to adopt India-built solutions

Our advice to SaaS founders: focus on themes, not just verticals. Processes like territory planning, order taking, and beat optimization are universal. Your product should capture these themes, even if your initial customers come from a narrow segment.

Bootstrapped by Design

Unlike B2C businesses, enterprise SaaS doesn’t require high-burn marketing to scale. Most enterprise customers are not trial-hopping. They’re serious about evaluating and paying for value.

That’s why we raised only one small round of funding early on and have grown primarily through revenues. We’ve never offered free trials just to get a foot in the door. Instead, we focus on:

• Paid pilots that prove value
• Aligning deeply with customer outcomes
• Building sustainable implementation models

If you’re building for enterprises, you can grow meaningfully while staying capital-efficient.

Product Strategy: Build Deep, Not Broad

Early-stage product teams often get distracted by chasing too many customer requests. At BeatRoute, we learned to resist that urge.

Our approach:

1. Pick a focused segment where we can win 5 to 10 customers.
2. Build deep for that segment’s specific workflows.
3. Lay an architectural foundation broad enough to support future verticals.

It’s like building a 2-room house with the blueprint of a mansion. You grow feature by feature, use case by use case, without boxing yourself into narrow solutions.

Going Global: Partners + Lean Presence

Selling enterprise SaaS abroad doesn’t always require setting up large teams in new markets. What’s worked for us is a hybrid model:

• Local partners for face-to-face relationships and cultural context
• A lean internal presence to show commitment and support
• Shared goals and mutual success with partners

In regions like Southeast Asia and Africa, this model has enabled us to scale without overstretching. And because enterprise buyers are often globally mobile, their purchasing behavior is fairly consistent worldwide.

Pikiran Akhir

At BeatRoute, we’re proud to be building a world-class SaaS product from India, one that’s making a measurable difference in how brands drive growth through better sales execution.

We hope our story offers useful insight for other SaaS builders, especially those choosing the enterprise path. Our biggest learning? Stay focused, stay deep, and stay true to the outcomes you’re enabling.

If you’re solving a meaningful problem, the market will find you, no matter where you’re building from.

Note: The insights are taken from our video BeatRoute Perspectives. This is part 1 of a 2 part series. You can read part 2 here.