When SaaS companies pursue growth through M&A, the immediate focus often skews toward financials, market share, and integration synergies. But as Jeppe Schytte-Hansen CEO and Co-Founder at Omnidocs made clear on the SaaSiest 2025 stage, culture, not capital, is what ultimately determines the success of any acquisition.
In a candid, framework-rich keynote, Jeppe drew on 20 years of experience scaling companies across Europe and the US to deliver a refreshing dose of operational reality. He urged SaaS leaders to move beyond celebratory deal closings and buzzword-heavy integration plans, and instead focus on earning cultural alignment.
In his words, “Culture eats strategy (and M&As) for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”
Jeppe shares practical frameworks, lessons, and advice for SaaS leaders navigating the messy, high-stakes terrain of post-acquisition integration.
The Problem: Financial Wins, Cultural Fails
M&A is a tempting growth lever, especially for SaaS scale-ups seeking to expand regionally or round out capabilities. But the euphoria of “deal signed” often fades into the chaos of integration.
Jeppe’s message is simple but powerful: you cannot dictate culture. Yet many companies still try.
The result is misalignment, morale drops, attrition, and lost momentum.
“Don’t rely on team-building. Make it real.”
Meet Jeppe
As CEO and Co-Founder of Omnidocs, Jeppe Schytte-Hansen isn’t speaking from theory – he’s speaking from experience.
- 165 employees across 6 offices in 4 countries
- Over 3 million daily users and 1,500 clients
- A proven track record of doubling, scaling, and acquiring
Jeppe has lived what many are just starting to plan. His teams have successfully integrated multiple companies without cultural collapse, and his playbook is built on real-world experience.
The Framework: Tailwinds, Hurdles, and Blockers
To make culture operational, Jeppe introduced the Driver Framework, a method for mapping what fuels or hinders organizational performance.
- Tailwinds are cultural enablers. These values and behaviors boost alignment and execution. Identify them, double down, and use them in your employer brand and customer campaigns.
- Hurdles slow things down. They are friction points, often legacy habits or unclear processes. Acknowledge them and invest in targeted change efforts.
- Blockers stop progress entirely. These are deep-seated issues that demand immediate prioritization and resources.
The key is to apply this framework at both the team level and the organizational level. Integration cannot be one-size-fits-all.
Own the Issues You Acquire
Jeppe was clear: you inherit more than assets in an acquisition. You inherit problems. Pretending otherwise only delays the reckoning.
His advice:
- Map inherited challenges early.
- Assign ownership through an Integration Squad. This cross-functional team must be empowered to handle both operational and cultural dimensions.
- Expect resistance. Change curves bring out different personalities, from skeptics to passengers. Know who they are and manage accordingly.
Integration doesn’t begin with a slide deck. It begins with slowing down, listening, and building trust.
Fertilize the Momentum
Many leaders assume momentum will continue post-acquisition. Jeppe cautions otherwise.
You must actively fertilize it.
This involves:
- Launching the new strategy with intention and clarity.
- Reinforcing a shared purpose from day one.
- Securing early wins that demonstrate alignment.
- Communicating with transparency and consistency.
Without active reinforcement, complexity turns into complicatedness. Friction sets in. Progress slows.
What Happens If You Do It Right?
When you integrate with cultural clarity:
- Performance accelerates without people burning out.
- Synergies are realized in practice, not just on paper.
- Credibility is earned across employees, customers, and investors.
Done well, M&A doesn’t just grow your business. It strengthens your foundation.
But that only happens when leaders go beyond the financials and commit to integration with empathy and operational excellence.
Final Takeaway
Culture is not a slide. It is a system.
Jeppe’s keynote offers a clear call to action. M&A can be bold, but it must also be thoughtful. With the right frameworks and a willingness to listen, SaaS leaders can turn acquisitions into alignment—and growth into something truly sustainable.
Check out Jeppe’s session at SaaSiest 2025 here
