Interview With Patrick Rafferty, CEO and Co-Founder of UserHub
In this edition of Founder Spotlight, we introduce Patrick Rafferty, the CEO and Co-founder of UserHub. UserHub is a user-based billing platform designed to streamline the account lifecycle for B2B SaaS companies. Rafferty envisions UserHub as a vital tool for SaaS companies looking to enhance their monetization strategies. Join Patrick Rafferty to learn more about Userhub.
What inspired you to create UserHub, and how did your previous experiences influence the development of this platform?
My cofounder and I met at Reonomy, which is where we learned how difficult it was to monetize business software. We compared ourselves to leading products like Figma, GitHub and Slack – and they all had superior in-product buying experiences. Part of the motivation is that we love small business. There are 40,000 SaaS companies, and the vast majority do not have dozens of engineers to devote to billing and user management. So we are trying to level the playing field.
Can you explain how UserHub simplifies user management, subscription management, and billing for B2B SaaS companies?
We describe ourselves as a User-based billing platform. We are a reinvention of Subscription management and User management – two older software categories. By managing users and subscriptions in one place, we can provide startups with a comprehensive set of features to “Land and Expand” their customer base.
What are the key features of UserHub’s embeddable self-serve UIs, APIs, and back-office dashboards that set it apart from other billing platforms?
Startups can add self-service UIs to their app so their end-customers can manage users, billing, and seats in a single location. Many startups begin their pricing journey with the Stripe Customer Portal, which is really designed for flat rate pricing.
How do products like Slack, GitHub, HubSpot, and Figma inspire your approach to precise pricing and packaging models?
We have closely studied all the products you mentioned – and many others. We have an internal library of over 1,000 SaaS checkout flows and admin panels.
Could you share success stories or case studies where UserHub significantly impacted a client’s business growth?
Glimpse Co-Founder Max Fram-Schwartz said: “UserHub allowed us to quickly add team plans and seat management to our product. This saved us a bunch of time and allowed us to focus on what we do best. The Stripe Customer Portal was a great start, but UserHub takes it to the next level.”
Congrats on the funding. Can you share some insights on your funding experience?
This was my first time leading a fundraiser. However, I had a chance to get to know investors at my last startup. Those relationships ended up being important, and made the process easier. If you work at a startup today, and want to start your own company, I would try to join board meetings. Get to know the investors – and not just the partners, but the associates who are coming up behind them.
With regards to recent funding, how has UserHub planned to manage its cap table?
With great care!
