When SaaS founders think about “digital transformation,” the mind often jumps to fast-moving industries like fintech or AI. But for Nicola Dickinson, cofounder and Chief Customer Officer of Sparkrock, the real opportunity lay in a slower-moving, risk-averse market — the nonprofit and public education sector.
Her approach offers a blueprint for SaaS leaders trying to serve markets where technology adoption is essential but resistance is high.
Lesson 1: Don’t Force Buyers Into a Tool Built for Someone Else
Most ERP and workforce management platforms are built for for-profit enterprises, then “adapted” for other industries. That meant nonprofits were often forced to bend their processes to fit the software.
From day one, Sparkrock flipped that approach:
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Product was built specifically for nonprofits, human services, and K–12.
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Core workflows addressed funding accountability, grant reporting, and stakeholder transparency — things a commercial ERP rarely gets right.
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End users weren’t just finance teams — they were community workers, teachers, and field staff.
Positioning takeaway: If you want to win in a niche, stop making your customer adapt to a generic product. Make the product fit them instead.
Lesson 2: Use Deep User Observation, Not Just Interviews
To build Sparkrock’s MVP, Dickinson’s team didn’t just gather requirements — they videotaped “day in the life” user sessions, tracking every click.
Those videos went back to the product team with a challenge: reduce clicks, streamline workflows, and align with best practices.
They even layered in process consulting:
“We didn’t just replicate what they did — we guided them toward better ways of working.”
SaaS growth tip: Deep observation creates both better UX and authority. You’re not just a vendor — you become a source of industry best practice.
Lesson 3: Earn Trust Through “Lighthouse” Customers
Nonprofits are highly peer-influenced and cautious about new tech. To build credibility:
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Sparkrock targeted leaders and early adopters in the sector.
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Delivered successful transformations for them.
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Turned those success stories into proof points for the broader market.
This allowed risk-averse prospects to move forward without feeling like “the first to try.”
Lesson 4: Partnerships Can De-Risk You for Buyers
One of Sparkrock’s smartest early moves was anchoring themselves to Microsoft as a technology partner — not just for product, but for market confidence.
When pitching, Dickinson brought Microsoft into the room:
“It wasn’t just us — it was a partnership backed by a trusted global player.”
For SaaS founders in early stages, the right partner can accelerate trust far faster than solo brand-building.
Lesson 5: The Founder Role Must Evolve
Early on, Dickinson was in every detail — sales, product, customer relationships. But to scale, she had to shift from worker to leader:
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Hiring domain experts who could outperform her in their lane.
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Letting go of “my way” execution and accepting different (sometimes better) approaches.
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Building a leadership culture where disagreement was allowed — but once a decision was made, everyone committed fully.
Scaling truth: If you keep operating like it’s day one, you’ll bottleneck your own company.
Lesson 6: Culture Is a Competitive Advantage
Sparkrock’s culture centers on cooperation, public recognition, and connection to the mission. They use tech internally to:
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Let employees thank each other for contributions.
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Tie recognition directly to strategic objectives.
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Involve employees in defining and evolving the culture.
This keeps team engagement high — even in a competitive tech talent market.
Lesson 7: In Crisis, Protect Customers First
When COVID hit, Sparkrock deprioritized aggressive sales in favor of supporting existing customers:
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Created learning resources for remote operations.
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Shared best practices from top-performing customers.
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Monitored customer challenges daily to inform product pivots.
The payoff? Stronger long-term relationships and retention.
Lesson 8: Strategic Planning Needs Structure
Six years ago, Sparkrock implemented a rigorous annual operating plan (AOP) process:
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Defined 3-year vision and key strategic objectives (KSOs).
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Broke them into quarterly departmental objectives, then individual goals.
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Reviewed monthly and quarterly in structured business reviews.
This created alignment across 75 employees and gave the company a repeatable scaling rhythm.
Lesson 9: Confidence Comes From Wins That Shouldn’t Have Happened
One of Sparkrock’s earliest wins was beating Oracle and others to power the Vancouver Olympics’ administrative systems. They weren’t local, weren’t the biggest name — but they understood the customer’s needs and proved they could deliver.
That “impossible” win became a market credibility accelerator.
Key Takeaways for SaaS & Tech Founders
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Niche products win when they’re built for the buyer, not adapted for them.
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Observe, don’t just interview — the real friction lives in the clicks.
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Lead with lighthouse customers to lower adoption risk for the rest.
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Borrow brand trust from strong partners early on.
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Evolve your role from doing to leading — before you stall growth.
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Make culture intentional and tie it to business objectives.
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In crisis, retention beats acquisition.
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Run your company on a planning rhythm — not reactive sprints.
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Stack your story with improbable wins — they move markets.
Nicola’s advice to her younger founder self:
“There’ll be bad days, but a lot of rewarding ones. Ride out the bad — tomorrow can be great. And you don’t have to do it alone.”