Turning users into influencers. How to run a community-based SaaS | Nicky Szmala @picdrop

Nicky Szmala joined PicDrop as CEO after the acquisition — walking into a company built by photographers, for photographers, with a growth engine already running. What he found was a community-led model that's quietly outperforming the shortcuts everyone else is chasing. In this episode: → How picdrop finds and works with influencers who already use the product → The two-engine growth model driving international expansion → What it actually looks like to lead a team post-acquisition (and why openness is everything) → Why picdrop team bets on events even though it's "100% not scalable" → Nicky's take on AI, photography rights, and community trust in a shifting landscape This one's for founders and operators who want real talk on brand building, community-led growth, and what life looks like inside a SaaS acquirer's portfolio. ----------- Episode's Chapters ----------- 0:06 — Meet Nicky: From Asia to PicDrop CEO 1:23 — Why Anna Was Skeptical About the Acquisition 2:44 — Joining a Company Post-Acquisition: Nicky's Approach 7:03 — Nicky's Background: From Berlin to 16 Years in Asia 14:27 — What Is PicDrop and Who Uses It 25:20 — How saas.group 's Central Teams Supercharge Small Brands 🎙️ Nicky Szmala - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickyszmala/ picdrop - picdrop.com Subscribe to our channel to be the first to see the interviews that we publish - https://www.youtube.com/@saas-group Stay up to date: Twitter: https://twitter.com/SaaS_group LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/14790796