Sunil Dua, SaaS66 Judge, Tells Us What He Wants To See From Entrants

Tell us about yourself

 

I’ve spent the last two decades working at the intersection of strategy, technology, and impact—blending hands-on technical expertise with systems thinking and technology management. My work focuses on helping nonprofits, associations, and high-growth businesses rethink how they use CRM and SaaS platforms, not just as tools, but as core drivers of automation, and scalability.

Over the years, I’ve built a reputation for designing sustainable digital ecosystems that actually get used, grounded in real-world implementation, and smart adoption strategies. Today, I split my time between advising enterprise clients and helping associations modernise their operations through intelligent platform use, with Salesforce often at the centre of that transformation.

 

 

Tell us about your company

 

I lead CRM and AMS consulting and implementation practice for a boutique Salesforce and SaaS consulting firm focused on CRM modernisation and intelligent integration. Our work is heavily grounded in real-world use cases, whether it’s re-architecting platforms that are “technically live but functionally dead,” designing scalable API-driven workflows, or helping associations adopt AI responsibly.

What sets us apart is our refusal to treat CRM or SaaS implementation as a technical project, we treat it as a change initiative. That mindset helps our clients build systems that actually get used, and evolve as business needs shift. We also actively contribute to the broader SaaS ecosystem through product design input, thought leadership, and mentoring teams solving problems that matter.

 

 

What advice do you have for companies entering the SaaS60 2025?

 

Focus on clarity, not cleverness. When you’re solving a problem in SaaS, especially in a crowded market, the sharpness of your problem statement is everything. Don’t fall into the trap of layering AI on top of an unclear value proposition. Also, articulate what doesn’t belong in your product. Feature restraint is often what separates focused, scalable products from bloated, fragile ones.

One more piece of advice: understand not just your user, but your user’s context. Most SaaS tools fail not because of bad features, but because they ignore the messy realities of how people actually work. The more you account for this early—workflow fit, cultural nuance, adjacent systems—the less rework you’ll face post-launch.

 

How do you suggest entrants should stand out from the crowd?

 

Think beyond UI and pitch decks. Show that you’ve thought about implementation. Investors and enterprise buyers are tired of beautiful demos that break in real life. If you can speak convincingly about how your solution fits into the existing toolchain (APIs, data structures, support handoff, etc.), you’ll stand out.

Another tip: if you’re in a horizontal market, go vertical. SaaS founders who deeply understand the workflows, and culture of a specific niche like education, logistics, professional associations, small and medium size businesses, tend to build far more defensible businesses. Broad solutions trying to be all things to all people rarely win.

 

What are you most excited about when it comes to the future of SaaS?

 

I’m excited about what I call the “unbundling of expertise.” In the past, SaaS automated repetitive tasks. Now, it’s starting to support high-cognition work like forecasting, planning, autonomous decision making, proactive analytics through AI, and contextual workflows. This means even small teams can now operate with the kind of insight and coordination that used to require a full stack of consultants.

I’m also optimistic about the rise of API-first, composable platforms that allow organisations to plug in the exact capabilities they need without being locked into rigid SaaS monoliths. This flexibility is essential for organisations that are scaling fast or dealing with complex change environments, like nonprofits or early-stage ventures.

 

Any final thoughts?

 

SaaS is no longer just about building tools but about building momentum for your users. The best products don’t just function well; they help people do meaningful work, faster and with more confidence.

If you’re entering the SaaS60, show us that you understand the system you’re entering not just from a product perspective, but as an operator. We’re not just judging innovation, we’re judging fit, resilience, and your ability to create lasting impact in a noisy, competitive world.