Let me start with a bold statement.
you could build a SaaS company from the ground up, without any outside help.
And the best thing is, you dont need luck or privilege to bootstrap.
Then after some trial-and-error, youll get there.
I had an idea, and I made it a reality.
Scratch that, Im making it a reality.
So heres what Ive learned from my bootstrapping journey.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
Lets set the scene to have some proper context.
There I was, a 20-something coding know-it-all, working for an enterprise-sized CRM system.
Sounds like a sweet gig?
Thats because it was.
I was blessed to travel, doing something I loved, and something I was good at.
I was extremely comfortable but… then I gave it all up.
Why didnt the technology bend to fit existing processes rather than processes bending to fit a CRM?
Six years later and I want to impart what Ive learned since then.
Maybe its different for you, but I quickly realized that I couldnt be everything to everybody.
I had the coding credentials, but Im far, far away from being a marketing expert.
Besides, theres not enough time in the day for me to do everything.
Thats why to borrow some startup jargon our employees are at NetHuntT-shaped.
Now, whats that supposed to mean?
I attempt to solve that by focusing on untethered communication between our teams.
So to sum up, if you tell me I need money; I say no.
You cant set out a business simply upon the strength of finance.
Ive been there, and I think weve all probably been there.
It might not seem like it at that point, but being a small business has its advantages.
For example, its much easier to build better relationships with customers when youre just starting out.
We can avoid awful, transactional communication and speak to them like humans and friends.
We can listen to their feedback, act on it, and close feedback loops quickly.
We can prioritize individual customer success, which is the underlying foundation of business success in the SaaS industry.
Similarly, things are much easier among a small team.
Sorry, but Im going to use the C-word again…communication.
Thats what it all comes down to.
The smaller the team, the clearer the vision is, and the less diluted your final goals become.
At NetHunt, were close, almost like a family.
Everybody knows each other and talks to each other about life when theyre stuck in the elevator together.
Problems get solved because were honest and constructive with each other.
Ditch that megalophobic feeling when you look at Apple, Google, or whoever else.
As a small, relatively underdeveloped business, we hold an advantage ourselves.
Change things up while you still can: pricing, product UI, and branding.
The eye of the storm is your niche.
But being a smaller player, you must choose your battles wisely.
Pick a few marketing and acquisition channels, scaling them as your business grows.
Otherwise, youre everywhere but spread so thinly that youre nowhere.
Every piece of content we put out brings us closer to our niche.
Specifically, we care about SEO and our Google rankings.
Keep an eye on the prevalent trends in your industry; know which marketing and acquisition channels work.
If you attack it early enough, you could settle into that niche before they manage to find it.
What next?
Personally, Im hungrier than ever after six years of building my own company.
Ill continue to iterate my growth strategies, looking for that key growth factor.
Ill never stop looking for that perfect product-market fit, and I know my team wont either.
Business never sleeps; it continuously evolves.
Trends come and go; audience preferences change, and our product must keep moving with the times.
Story byAndrei Petrik
Andrei is a customer relations expert with vast knowledge about business processes.
When he’s not churning out code, he’s out on the water catching some fish!
