Venture Leader (Pre-seed SaaS Venture in Retail)

About Us

At 1848 Ventures, we're not just building companies—we're shaping the future. As a venture studio focused on B2B SaaS startups powered by data and AI, we're on a mission to transform the SMB market in industries that are the backbone of the economy, such as construction, real estate, hospitality, retail, and restaurants. Our team of venture builders, data scientists, engineers, and designers leverage cutting-edge AI to build products that empower SMB businesses to succeed.

We're not following traditional playbooks; we're creating our own. Join us and help drive innovation in industries where data and AI can make a real impact.

The Opportunity

You'll be the driving force behind this high-potential SaaS business in the retail space from pre-seed to success; build and scale the product, grow a talented team, create the GTM strategy, and own the P&L. All capital to support the venture will come from the parent company, Westfield, allowing you to focus entirely on driving the venture’s success.

This is your chance to make a significant impact by transforming an innovative retail concept into a market-leading solution, with the freedom to experiment, innovate, and execute, steering the venture to profitability.

What You'll Do

Ready to take the reins and lead a pre-seed venture in retail from the ground up? Here’s how you’ll make your mark:

• Set the Vision: Define the strategy, vision, and goals for the pre-seed venture. Your leadership will be crucial in setting ambitious targets, including achieving $20M in ARR by year 10, ensuring the business reaches positive cash flow by year 5, and maintaining sustainable, attractive SaaS economics. You’ll determine the key OKRs and KPIs that will drive product-market fit and long-term success​.
• Lead Market Experimentation: Spearhead ongoing B2B SaaS business model experiments and develop a GTM strategy. You'll ensure the pre-seed venture in retail targets the right customer segments, with a value proposition that truly resonates.

• Accelerate Growth: Develop, execute, and refine customer acquisition strategies to rapidly decrease CAC while increasing customer satisfaction. You'll evolve pricing strategies to maximize market opportunity and ensure alignment between marketing, sales, and product.

• Build & Lead: Assemble a small, high-performing team that you'll coach and develop. You’ll maintain a lean structure, adding expertise as the venture scales, ensuring every team member aligns with the overall strategy. Your leadership will inspire and drive success to achieve great things together.

• Collaborate on Product Strategy: Translate the challenges your customers face into a compelling product vision that resonates and retains. Work closely with the Technical Leader to create and prioritize the product roadmap. Your insights will guide the product to meet and exceed market needs.

Who You Are

You are a visionary leader with a track record of bringing early-stage SaaS ventures from concept to $1M+ ARR. Your leadership is marked by a blend of strategic thinking and hands-on execution. You:

• Have direct experience in the retail space or industry, understanding its unique challenges and opportunities, and can leverage that knowledge to drive successful SaaS solutions tailored to retail customers.

• Have deep experience in B2B SaaS, especially in leading cross-functional teams through growth phases.

• Thrive in startup environments that demand rapid learning and adaptation, whether in familiar or new industries, and understand the challenges that come along with building 0-1 startups.

• Are driven by data, unafraid to experiment, and always looking for the next opportunity to push boundaries and innovate.

• Excel in setting strategic visions and narratives that inspire stakeholders and guide your team to success.

• Build and develop high-performing teams, and lead by example, inspiring those around you to excel driving them toward a winning strategy.

• Bring experience in leading a SaaS company through early traction to achieving significant ARR. You know how to find and define product market fit through iterative GTM strategies.

• Possess the chops to quickly get up to speed in new industries, applying your expertise where it matters most.

• Create and set a strategic vision that comes to life through clear priorities and effective resource allocation. You understand how to balance all aspects of the business to achieve sustained success.

• Bring a balanced approach that considers all aspects of the business—from customer acquisition to product development, whether you’ve been deep in Growth/Revenue or Product Management.

Travel

This role is remote or hybrid, based on your location. While flexibility is key, we also value in-person connections. Whether you're remote or hybrid, travel may be needed for customer discovery, team building, and/or networking.

Compensation & Benefits

We offer a competitive salary, incentive program, pension, and a comprehensive benefits package.