In this episode, Niv Oppenhaim shares how the team built an AI-native GTM platform that runs on agentic workflows. He discusses early technical challenges, the bet on rapid LLM progress, and how Swan scaled to 200+ paying customers with just 3 founders. The conversation dives into product moats, team philosophy, future hiring, and what’s next for Swan. About Niv Oppenhaim: Niv Oppenhaim is the Co-Founder and CTO of Swan AI, where he leads the development of AI-driven sales automation tools. He focuses on building intelligent autonomous agents that help sales teams engage high-intent leads efficiently. With a strong engineering background, Niv drives innovation by combining AI technology with personalized workflows to scale Swan’s impact with a small core team. Here is what we cover: Early Tech Challenges: Personalizing outputs (like emails) for diverse orgs was tough pre-advanced LLMs. Strategic Bet: Built product assuming LLMs would rapidly improve in cost, speed, and quality. Core Moat: Swan’s contextual memory system that remembers user/org preferences and applies them intelligently. Brand Trust: Crucial in a saturated, AI-fatigued market. Team Structure: Just the 3 founders, supported by AI agents automating ~85% of support. Agent-First Mindset: Always ask, “Can an agent solve this before hiring or building manually?” Future Hiring: Focus on community/super-user growth, then engineering—seeking high-agency generalists. What’s Next: More integrations, broader agent capabilities, and scaling without bloating the team. Business Culture: Lean, adaptable, AI-native, and tool-friendly. To lower your churn, visit https://churnkey.co -------------------------- About Churnkey -------------------------- Churnkey is the retention automation platform that lowers your churn, boosts your MRR, speeds your growth, and launches your enterprise value to the moon. We help companies stop churn at the point of cancellation, recover failed payments, learn why customers are cancelling, and fix it. We don't just provide data. We take action

In this episode, Geoff Roberts walk us through building a lean SaaS company that bundles essential tools for subscription businesses. Geoff shares the tough early years, their radical equal-pay “choose your own adventure” compensation model, and how they’ve grown without sales or support teams. He explains Outseta’s “growth by elimination” approach, the concept of “life profitability,” and why persistence and lifestyle design matter more than chasing rapid scale. About Geoff Roberts: Geoff Roberts is the co-founder of Outseta, a bootstrapped SaaS platform that unifies the core tools needed to launch and run a subscription business. Known for challenging startup norms, Geoff champions radical transparency, equal-pay compensation, and “life profitability”—building a company that supports both professional success and personal freedom. Here is what we cover: Origin & Struggles: Built to unify SaaS tools; early years saw just ~$1,500 MRR before gradual growth. Startup Lessons: Big scope and tough market, but passion and co-founder trust kept them going. Comp Model: Same base pay for all, scaled by days worked; option to swap salary for equity. No Sales/Support Teams: Engineers handle support; growth is 100% product-led via content and SEO. Growth by Elimination: Focus only on core functions; no investors, budgets, or negotiation. Life Profitability: Business supports personal goals; Geoff works ~40 hours and travels extensively. Founder Advice: Persist in proven markets, embrace competition, and buy yourself time to succeed. To lower your churn, visit https://churnkey.co -------------------------- About Churnkey -------------------------- Churnkey is the retention automation platform that lowers your churn, boosts your MRR, speeds your growth, and launches your enterprise value to the moon. We help companies stop churn at the point of cancellation, recover failed payments, learn why customers are cancelling, and fix it. We don't just provide data. We take action.

In this episode, Meri Williams outlines her journey from teenage hardware hacker in South Africa to leading engineering teams at major companies, government, and startups. Meri shares insights from scaling teams, improving efficiency, navigating neurodiversity, and balancing profitability with growth in today’s macroeconomic climate. They also discuss building engineering cultures rooted in customer obsession, the real-world impact of AI on software development, and thoughtful career advice for sustaining purpose and avoiding burnout. About Meri Williams: Meri Williams is a seasoned technology leader and current CTO at Pleo, with a career spanning corporate giants, government transformation projects, and high-growth startups. From building part of South Africa’s first satellite as a teenager to leading engineering teams at organizations like Monzo, Marks & Spencer, Moo, and Gov.UK, Meri is known for blending technical expertise with a strong focus on people, culture, and customer impact. They are also an advocate for diversity in tech and openly share insights on leadership, efficiency, and navigating neurodiversity in the workplace. Here is what we cover: Career Path & Leadership – From building part of South Africa’s first satellite as a teen to CTO roles at major organizations, with experience in both corporate stability and high-growth environments. Scaling vs. Efficiency – At Pleo, maintained a ~250-person tech team while delivering 300% more work, 40% faster—proving efficiency can rival headcount growth. Neurodiversity & Fit – Autism and ADHD shaped Meri’s preference for structured, scale-up environments over chaotic early-stage startups. Government Tech Lessons – Helped scale Gov.UK from 30 to 300 people; balanced massive responsibility with personal health challenges. Profitability Mindset – In Europe, VCs increasingly push for sustainable, cash-flow-positive growth; U.S. still favors rapid expansion. Engineering Culture – Hiring and promotions based on values like customer focus and collaboration, not just output. Customer Proximity – Engineers attend user research, sales calls, and customer meetings to stay grounded in real-world needs. AI in Development – Offers modest (10–20%) gains; best for prototyping, but risky for legacy code without deep review. Career & Mental Health – Focus on work you can’t stop yourself from doing, watch for burnout, and don’t replace human support with AI tools. Industry Outlook – Tech faces macroeconomic and AI-driven disruption, but long-term prospects remain strong for products that truly serve people. To lower your churn, visit https://churnkey.co -------------------------- About Churnkey -------------------------- Churnkey is the retention automation platform that lowers your churn, boosts your MRR, speeds your growth, and launches your enterprise value to the moon. We help companies stop churn at the point of cancellation, recover failed payments, learn why customers are cancelling, and fix it. We don't just provide data. We take action.

In this episode, Marko Saric shares how the project grew from a solo developer’s side hustle into a profitable SaaS with over 15,000 paying customers all without ads, affiliates, or outside funding. He dives into their open-source journey, content-led marketing strategy, and why they’ve chosen a calm, independent path over hyper-growth. About Marko Saric: Marko Saric is the co-founder of Plausible Analytics, a lightweight, privacy-friendly alternative to Google Analytics. With a background in content marketing and a passion for open-source and ethical tech, Marko has helped scale Plausible into a profitable SaaS business without relying on ads, funding, or aggressive growth tactics. Here is what we cover: Founding Story: Started by Uku; growth stalled until Marko joined via a blog post connection. Bootstrapped Growth: Now over $1M ARR, fully profitable with no investors. Open Source Shift: Transitioned to open source early on; tightened license after clones. Marketing Approach: Entirely content-driven; no paid ads or affiliates. Work Culture: 4-day workweeks, remote-first, and low-stress by design. Competing with Free: Users willingly pay for privacy, simplicity, and trust. Pricing Model: Starts at $9/month; many small customers keep them independent. Final Advice: Stay true to values, build long-term trust, and avoid chasing every growth channel. To lower your churn, visit https://churnkey.co -------------------------- About Churnkey -------------------------- Churnkey is the retention automation platform that lowers your churn, boosts your MRR, speeds your growth, and launches your enterprise value to the moon. We help companies stop churn at the point of cancellation, recover failed payments, learn why customers are cancelling, and fix it. We don't just provide data. We take action.

In this episode, Eli Weiss reflects on his unconventional path from a financially unstable childhood and world travels to becoming a leading voice in CX and SaaS marketing at Yotpo. They explore Eli’s evolution from generalist to CX specialist, the emotional and strategic challenges of job-hopping, and how brand-building, EQ, and personal intuition shape modern careers. The conversation blends life philosophy with tactical advice on marketing, career development, and the tension between art and science in SaaS go-to-market efforts. About Eli Weiss: Eli Weiss is a customer experience and retention expert known for his work with leading DTC brands like Ollipop and Jones Road Beauty. He currently leads brand and marketing strategy at Yotpo, where he combines his CX background with go-to-market leadership. Eli is recognized for his transparent storytelling, strong focus on emotional intelligence, and unique ability to bridge customer insights with brand building in SaaS. Here is what we cover: Early Background: Grew up with financial instability; developed a scrappy, entrepreneurial mindset. Travel & Perspective: Traveled globally using credit card points; shaped worldview and independence. CX Career: Worked across startups like Ollipop and Jones Road Beauty; scaled subscriptions and built retention strategies. Yotpo Transition: Joined Yotpo after a career reset, combining CX, brand, and strategy roles. Marketing Approach: Emphasizes ROI metrics (MQLs, pipeline), but values long-term brand building. Emotional Intelligence: Believes EQ drives career success more than IQ; critical for leadership. Career Philosophy: Trust intuition, take strategic bets, and seek roles that align with strengths. Generalist Insight: Generalists do well in startups, but face challenges in larger corporate structures. Brand Advocacy: Uses CX insights to inform go-to-market, ABM, and product strategy. Final Advice: Stay adaptable, trust your gut, and invest in personal growth in an AI-driven world. To lower your churn, visit https://churnkey.co -------------------------- About Churnkey -------------------------- Churnkey is the retention automation platform that lowers your churn, boosts your MRR, speeds your growth, and launches your enterprise value to the moon. We help companies stop churn at the point of cancellation, recover failed payments, learn why customers are cancelling, and fix it. We don't just provide data. We take action

In this episode, Yan Grinshtein walks us through his journey from design leader to founder, and the problems in product development that led him to build Nsight. Yan shares how a frustrating experience in a fast-paced startup exposed how siloed data and anecdotal decision-making derail product strategy. The conversation dives deep into how Nsight unifies cross-functional data to align company priorities, improve product direction, and prevent missteps caused by isolated feedback or founder instinct. About Yan Grinshtein: Yan Grinshtein is a veteran designer and product leader with over 20 years of experience crafting successful products, leading high-performing teams, and collaborating with global brands like Microsoft, Volkswagen, Taboola, and Sony BMG. After a long career spanning agency, freelance, and startup environments, he’s now on sabbatical from hands-on design to build Nsight—a company focused on helping design and product teams overcome decision-making bottlenecks, align priorities, and access the holistic data they need to do their best work. Here is what we cover: Origin of Nsight: Born from Yan’s experience with chaotic roadmap planning in a hyper-growth startup. Customer Feedback ≠ Solution: Product teams must identify underlying problems, not just build what customers ask for. Unified Data Strategy: Nsight pulls from tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, and support tickets to triangulate real customer needs. Misaligned Roles: Design is too often disconnected from business strategy, treated like a service agency. Trend-Based Prioritization: Product decisions should be driven by overlapping signals from market trends, user research, and internal data. Fast Validation: Use low-fidelity prototypes to validate ideas quickly—don’t waste time building before learning. Avoid Loudest Voice Wins: Relying on visionary instinct without data leads to flawed decisions. Underpromise, Overdeliver: Always pad timelines; product work is unpredictable. Centralized Intelligence: Nsight’s mission is to eliminate data silos and help teams act on actionable, validated intelligence. Industry-Wide Challenge: Billions of hours are wasted searching for information—Nsight aims to fix that. To lower your churn, visit https://churnkey.co -------------------------- About Churnkey -------------------------- Churnkey is the retention automation platform that lowers your churn, boosts your MRR, speeds your growth, and launches your enterprise value to the moon. We help companies stop churn at the point of cancellation, recover failed payments, learn why customers are cancelling, and fix it. We don't just provide data. We take action.

In this episode, Amanda shares how her postpartum struggles and tech background led her to build Riley—a tool designed to reduce the mental load of parenting through personalized, science-backed guidance. The conversation covers product vision, AI trust, marketing strategy, and Amanda’s journey as a solo female founder. About Amanda DeLuca: Amanda DeLuca is a seasoned product leader with over 7 years of experience driving growth, engagement, and AI innovation. Currently the founder and CEO of Riley, an AI-powered parenting assistant, she previously led product teams at Etsy, NerdWallet, and Eventbrite. Amanda is passionate about building user-centric products that create real impact and delight. Her global perspective—shaped by living and working in the U.S., England, and France—is complemented by her academic background in French from Amherst College and NYU Paris. Here is what we cover: Founding Story: Inspired by Amanda’s own postpartum experience and frustration with unreliable parenting advice. Product Vision: Riley delivers real-time, personalized support that’s evidence-based and context-aware. AI Approach: Uses LLMs + human oversight (e.g., pediatricians) to ensure safe, trusted advice. Marketing Strategy: SEO-first with strong performance from Meta, Google, and email; Reddit shows promise in niche parenting communities. Privacy & Trust: Strong stance on user data privacy; Riley doesn’t train models on user data. Design & UX: Exceptional design is a key differentiator—Amanda’s first hire was a top designer. Founder Perspective: As a solo female founder, Amanda draws on her lived experience to build with deep empathy and product-market fit. To lower your churn, visit https://churnkey.co -------------------------- About Churnkey -------------------------- Churnkey is the retention automation platform that lowers your churn, boosts your MRR, speeds your growth, and launches your enterprise value to the moon. We help companies stop churn at the point of cancellation, recover failed payments, learn why customers are cancelling, and fix it. We don't just provide data. We take action.

In this episode, Vinay Patankar unpack the company’s founding story, evolution from a horizontal SaaS product to a compliance-focused automation platform, and the growing role of AI in business workflows. The conversation highlights key learnings from building a product in the process management space, the challenges of product-led growth (PLG), and how AI is best used as a supportive tool rather than a human replacement. About Vinay Patankar: Vinay Patankar is the CEO and founder of Process Street, a leading platform for workflow automation and compliance. With a background in scaling remote teams and a passion for operational efficiency, Vinay built Process Street to streamline recurring work and help businesses automate complex processes. Under his leadership, the company has evolved from a PLG-focused startup to an AI-powered solution serving compliance-heavy industries like HR, IT, and finance. Here is what we cover: Founding & Early Vision Built to solve quality control in remote teams. Started as a broad, PLG-driven workflow tool. PLG Challenges Limited virality and single-user value hindered growth. Complex setup made quick wins difficult. Strategic Pivot Compliance-heavy teams (HR, IT, legal) showed higher retention. Repositioned as an AI-powered compliance automation platform. AI in Business AI works best as a copilot, not a replacement. Helps automate content, support, and code tasks. Tools like Superhuman are redefining inbox and workflow management. Barriers & Adoption Founders often resist automation due to uncertainty. Education and expert guidance ease the transition. Looking Ahead AI voice assistants with LLMs could drive mass adoption. SMB tools are rapidly improving and closing the gap with enterprise tech. To lower your churn, visit https://churnkey.co -------------------------- About Churnkey -------------------------- Churnkey is the retention automation platform that lowers your churn, boosts your MRR, speeds your growth, and launches your enterprise value to the moon. We help companies stop churn at the point of cancellation, recover failed payments, learn why customers are cancelling, and fix it. We don't just provide data. We take action.

In this episode, Cristina Flaschen shares how she turned her deep frustration with software integrations into a scalable B2B SaaS business. She discusses falling in love with the problem, identifying the right customers, and competing with bigger players by staying focused on product quality and authenticity. Cristina also opens up about her journey as a non-technical female founder in a technical space, and how empathy and humility have shaped her leadership. About Cristina Flaschen: Cristina Flaschen is the co-founder and CEO of Pandium, a platform that helps B2B SaaS companies build and manage integrations at scale. With over 15 years of experience in enterprise software, she launched Pandium to give developers a faster, more flexible integration experience. Cristina is known for her empathetic leadership style and advocacy for diversity in tech. Here is what we cover: Pandium’s Origin: Built from Cristina’s own pain managing integrations—focused on simplicity and scale. Problem Obsession: True product-market fit came from constant ideation and passion for solving integration complexity. ICP Discovery: Mid-market SaaS companies (1,000+ customers) were the best fit—not small startups or open-source-focused devs. Revenue-First GTM: Prioritized paying customers early, guiding pricing and product strategy. Integration Complexity: Hard part isn’t APIs—it’s handling third-party systems, data issues, and reliability at scale. Leadership & Gender Dynamics: Cristina shares her experience navigating tech as a non-technical female founder. Empathy & Humility: Emphasizes listening, asking questions, and caring deeply about people as leadership strengths. Customer-Centric Culture: All employees engage with customers, driving better products and insights. Competing with Giants: Wins by leaning into product depth, authenticity, and not mimicking bigger competitors. Content-Led Growth: Grows through high-quality, founder-led content that reflects the brand’s voice. To lower your churn, visit https://churnkey.co -------------------------- About Churnkey -------------------------- Churnkey is the retention automation platform that lowers your churn, boosts your MRR, speeds your growth, and launches your enterprise value to the moon. We help companies stop churn at the point of cancellation, recover failed payments, learn why customers are cancelling, and fix it. We don't just provide data. We take action.

In this episode, Liam Martin breaks down the evolving landscape of AI, marketing, and business strategy. The conversation explores the coming disruption from AI, the decline of traditional marketing channels like SEO, and the rising value of product marketing, community, and brand equity. Liam outlines where he sees the most defensible business strategies forming as AI reshapes the SaaS and tech world. About Liam Martin: Liam Martin is the co-founder and CMO of Time Doctor and Staff.com, popular time tracking platforms used by top brands. He is also a co-organizer of the Running Remote Conference and an advocate for remote work. With expertise in outsourcing and process design, Liam consults on optimizing work operations. His mission is to empower workers to work from anywhere, anytime. Featured in top publications like Forbes and Inc., Liam travels frequently, promoting remote work and flexibility. Here is what we cover: AI’s Impact on Jobs: By 2027, AI could replace up to 50% of jobs. Liam recommends spending 2 hours daily on AI learning and focusing on tasks that require multitasking, where humans still excel. SEO Decline: Traditional SEO is losing effectiveness, with big companies like HubSpot seeing major traffic declines. AI-powered tools are making traditional content generation and search methods less relevant. Role of Product Marketers: Product marketers will thrive as AI tools allow them to build and market products without engineers, enabling smaller teams to scale quickly. AI in Paid Ads: AI is automating ad creation and optimization. While creative direction remains human-driven, ad management will increasingly be AI-driven. Brand Equity: Brand equity will become a major competitive advantage as search and paid ads lose relevance. Acquiring valuable domains or trusted brands can help companies stand out. Community Building: Building a community and creating emotional connections with customers will be crucial for long-term growth and customer loyalty. Upcoming Focus: Liam stresses the importance of attending events like Running Remote to build strong communities and personal connections with customers. To lower your churn, visit https://churnkey.co -------------------------- About Churnkey -------------------------- Churnkey is the retention automation platform that lowers your churn, boosts your MRR, speeds your growth, and launches your enterprise value to the moon. We help companies stop churn at the point of cancellation, recover failed payments, learn why customers are cancelling, and fix it. We don't just provide data. We take action.

In this episode, Akshay Maharaj explore his journey from helping YouTubers like Logan Paul globalize content at 17 to building a streamlined, AI-driven platform for creators and brands. He discuss how brands must now act like creators, the risks of creator partnerships, handling global content adaptation, and why a "business-to-people" (B2P) approach beats traditional B2B/B2C thinking. Akshay also shares insights on balancing custom client needs without slipping into consultancy work. About Akshay Maharaj: Akshay Maharaj is the co-founder and CEO of Aview International, a Toronto-based startup that helps creators and brands expand their global reach through multilingual content. Starting his entrepreneurial journey in high school, Akshay paused to attend Queen’s University before relaunching Aview with a focus on simplicity, scalability, and the evolving creator economy. Under his leadership, Aview has localized content for major creators like Logan Paul. Here is what we cover: Early Entrepreneurship: Started subtitling/dubbing for creators like Logan Paul while still in high school. Pivot and Growth: Took a strategic pause for university, returned post-pandemic with deeper startup, AI, and scaling knowledge. Product Design Philosophy: Simplified a once-overloaded platform to just three core options; constant customer-driven iteration. Workflow with Designers/Developers: Research-first approach, flexible design briefs, custom UI library for faster changes and testing. Creator Economy Trends: Brands must behave like creators to stay relevant — focus on entertainment, education, and authenticity. Corporate vs. Creator Communication: Human, humorous content (e.g., Ryanair) often outperforms polished corporate messaging. Creator Partnerships and Risk: Partnering with creators is impactful but comes with brand safety challenges. Global Content Adaptation: Tailoring content culturally and regionally is key for international success. B2P (Business-to-People) Mindset: Effective marketing is about solving real people’s problems, not rigidly thinking B2B/B2C. Enterprise vs. SMB Dynamics: Enterprises add complexity; staying product-focused avoids the trap of becoming a custom consultancy. Balancing Customization: New features must align with the core mission to ensure long-term scalability. To lower your churn, visit https://churnkey.co -------------------------- About Churnkey -------------------------- Churnkey is the retention automation platform that lowers your churn, boosts your MRR, speeds your growth, and launches your enterprise value to the moon. We help companies stop churn at the point of cancellation, recover failed payments, learn why customers are cancelling, and fix it. We don't just provide data. We take action.

In this episode, Alex Boyd shares his journey from sales and agency work to building a product that helps users grow on LinkedIn. He contrasts the high-stress nature of agency life with the scalability and stability of SaaS, highlighting why LinkedIn was the natural platform for Aware. The conversation explores how he builds features based on both user feedback and vision, LinkedIn’s evolving landscape, and tactical strategies for founders to drive growth through the platform. About Alex Boyd: Alex Boyd is a seasoned B2B marketing expert and the Co-founder of Aware, focused on helping SaaS and tech companies drive growth through content and thought leadership. He specializes in LinkedIn strategy, demand generation, and leveraging personal branding to build pipeline. Known for his clear, tactical advice and deep understanding of how social platforms fuel business growth, Alex regularly advises founders and marketers on how to turn attention into revenue—especially in crowded, competitive markets. Here is what we cover: From Agency to SaaS: Alex sold his multi-phase agency to build Aware — SaaS offers more stability, scale, and long-term value than services. Why LinkedIn?: He built his agency using LinkedIn, so he knew the pain points and what tools were missing for serious users. Feature Development: 50% comes from user feedback (e.g., tagging), 50% from vision (e.g., influencer discovery). Platform Durability: LinkedIn changes slowly (3–4/10 volatility). SEO is riskier; YouTube is more stable. Sustainable Strategy: Long-term wins come from clear messaging, real engagement, and aligning content with your product — not short-term hacks. Lead Gen on LinkedIn: Being active can dramatically impact pipeline. Founders using LinkedIn well often outperform similar peers who don’t. Content That Converts: Clarity and credibility matter more than design. A solid message beats flashy posts. Engagement is Required: Commenting and outbound interaction now drive more growth than just posting. Smart Time Use: With 3 hrs/week — post once, spend the rest engaging in your niche. Top creators spend most of their time interacting. Fit Matters: LinkedIn works best if your audience is active there. Not all industries (e.g., blue-collar) are a good match. To lower your churn, visit https://churnkey.co -------------------------- About Churnkey -------------------------- Churnkey is the retention automation platform that lowers your churn, boosts your MRR, speeds your growth, and launches your enterprise value to the moon. We help companies stop churn at the point of cancellation, recover failed payments, learn why customers are cancelling, and fix it. We don't just provide data. We take action.

In this episode, Vova Feldman dives into his story about scaling a side project into a successful SaaS platform supporting indie software creators. Vova shares how Freemius evolved from an MVP to a WordPress-centric monetization engine, eventually expanding into broader software markets. He discuss how community-building, product strategy, and a focus on small dev teams help Freemius stand out in a competitive landscape dominated by Stripe and Paddle. About Vova Feldman: Vova Feldman is a developer-turned-entrepreneur with a deep background in distributed systems, AI, and startup growth. A Technion graduate and former captain in Israel’s elite intelligence unit, he’s founded multiple tech ventures, including Senexx (acquired by Gartner). Today, he’s the founder and CEO of Freemius, a SaaS platform helping software developers monetize and scale their products. Here is what we cover: Startup Origins: Launched post-exit as a weekend MVP; became a SaaS platform within a year. WordPress Focus: Chosen for rapid growth and low monetization maturity; built a reusable SDK. Monetization Platform: Acts as a Merchant of Record; includes licensing, billing, and user lifecycle tools. Target Market: Built for solo devs and small teams; simplifies monetization so they can focus on building. Community-Led Growth: 1,700+ member Slack group; user input directly shapes product development. Strategic Branding: Builds long-term relationships through content, events, and founder support. Founder Evolution: Vova moved from coding to focus on product, ops, and team-building. Competing with Giants: Offers deeper software-specific tools and agile execution against larger players. Content-Driven Marketing: Scaled without a sales team via educational content and community engagement. To lower your churn, visit https://churnkey.co -------------------------- About Churnkey -------------------------- Churnkey is the retention automation platform that lowers your churn, boosts your MRR, speeds your growth, and launches your enterprise value to the moon. We help companies stop churn at the point of cancellation, recover failed payments, learn why customers are cancelling, and fix it. We don't just provide data. We take action.

In this episode, Keith Perhac deeps dive into marketing attribution and the analytics challenges of growing a bootstrapped SaaS company. Keith shares his journey from CRO agency owner to solo founder and explains how SegMetrics bridges the gap between developer tools and marketer needs, especially when it comes to understanding customer behavior, tracking churn, and optimizing attribution. About Keith Perhac: Keith Perhac is the founder and CEO of SegMetrics, a marketing attribution platform built to bridge the gap between marketing data and SaaS performance metrics. With a background in conversion rate optimization and years of experience running a successful CRO agency, Keith has worked closely with info product creators and SaaS companies to turn traffic into high-value, long-term customers. As a solo founder, he brings a unique blend of technical, design, and marketing expertise, building tools that provide deep, actionable insights into customer behavior and business growth. Here is what we cover: Attribution involves identifying both the source of traffic and post-conversion customer traits. Tracking is increasingly complex due to multi-device behavior and platform data restrictions. Privacy regulations and AI-driven discovery further obscure attribution paths. Avoid relying on averages—focus on segmented analysis and performance outliers. Attribution models should align with specific business questions and objectives. Segmenting conversion rates by traffic source or integration yields actionable insights. Churn and LTV data are essential for refining marketing and product strategies. SegMetrics bridges the gap between marketing attribution and core SaaS metrics. The company transitioned from a free plan to developing a cost-effective GA4 alternative. Founded by Keith Perhac, who assumed full leadership after his co-founder departed. Keith manages product, design, and marketing, drawing from agency experience. Hiring prioritizes developers with strong communication and customer understanding. Cross-functional collaboration is crucial for efficiency in small, bootstrapped teams. To lower your churn, visit https://churnkey.co -------------------------- About Churnkey -------------------------- Churnkey is the retention automation platform that lowers your churn, boosts your MRR, speeds your growth, and launches your enterprise value to the moon. We help companies stop churn at the point of cancellation, recover failed payments, learn why customers are cancelling, and fix it. We don't just provide data. We take action.

In this episode, Matthew shares his transition from software engineer to acquisition entrepreneur, detailing his journey through early entrepreneurial experiments, the challenges of bootstrapping SaaS businesses, and his decision to acquire ImprovMX rather than build from scratch. He discusses the acquisition process, key evaluation criteria, initial fears, and the lessons learned from analyzing hundreds of listings before making his final decision. Matthew also explores business valuation, funding strategies, and his long-term vision for acquiring and scaling multiple SaaS businesses. About Matthew Tse: Matthew Tse is a software engineer turned acquisition entrepreneur. After early experiments in bootstrapped SaaS and a failed cryptocurrency startup, he pivoted to acquiring established businesses. In 2024, he purchased ImprovMX, an email forwarding SaaS, leveraging his technical expertise to scale operations. Matthew focuses on long-term business growth through strategic acquisitions, prioritizing organic growth and operational efficiency. Here is what we cover: Transitioned from software engineering to acquisition entrepreneurship after bootstrapping challenges. Chose acquisition to bypass product-market fit risks and secure an existing revenue stream. Evaluated numerous SaaS listings, prioritizing technical complexity and organic growth. Selected ImprovMX for its strong inbound demand and alignment with his expertise. Focused on stabilizing operations, retaining employees, and enhancing customer experience. Emphasized deep research, strategic patience, and aligning business acquisitions with core competencies. Recognized the valuation challenges of SaaS acquisitions and the competitive advantage of cash offers. Plans to expand through additional acquisitions while reducing direct operational involvement. To lower your churn, visit https://churnkey.co -------------------------- About Churnkey -------------------------- Churnkey is the retention automation platform that lowers your churn, boosts your MRR, speeds your growth, and launches your enterprise value to the moon. We help companies stop churn at the point of cancellation, recover failed payments, learn why customers are cancelling, and fix it. We don't just provide data. We take action.

In this episode, Adrian Marin discusses about his journey from finance to software development and the challenges of building and selling a SaaS product. Adrian shares insights on self-learning, the transition from side project to business, and the role of customer feedback in product development. He shares the unique difficulties of selling to developers, the challenges and advantages of offering downloadable software as SaaS, and the impact of taking investment from TinySeed. The conversation also covers marketing and sales strategies, balancing intuition with data in decision-making, and the shift in mindset required for sustainable growth. About Adrian Marin: Adrian Marin is the founder of Avo, a low-code tool for building internal applications quickly. A self-taught developer with over 14 years of experience, Adrian started his career in finance and accounting before transitioning into software development. His journey began with automating tasks in non-technical roles, eventually leading him to build Avo. Adrian is passionate about making development more accessible, helping teams streamline internal tools, and navigating the challenges of bootstrapping and scaling a SaaS business. Here is what we cover: Adrian’s Journey – Self-taught developer who moved from finance to tech. Building a SaaS – Developers often underestimate marketing and sales. Selling to Developers – Overcoming the “build vs. buy” challenge. Downloadable Software as SaaS – Balancing ownership benefits with subscription pricing. TinySeed Investment – Gaining mentorship and shifting to a business mindset. Marketing & Sales – Prioritizing hot leads and balancing self-serve vs. enterprise sales. Decision-Making – Using both data and intuition for growth. This episode is a must-listen for developers transitioning into SaaS, covering product-market fit, marketing, and the mindset shift needed for long-term success. To lower your churn, visit https://churnkey.co -------------------------- About Churnkey -------------------------- Churnkey is the retention automation platform that lowers your churn, boosts your MRR, speeds your growth, and launches your enterprise value to the moon. We help companies stop churn at the point of cancellation, recover failed payments, learn why customers are cancelling, and fix it. We don't just provide data. We take action.

In this episode, Craig Hewitt discusses about his journey from running a podcast editing service to building a SaaS podcast hosting platform. They cover the challenges of transitioning from services to SaaS, customer retention in podcast hosting, pricing struggles, and scaling a SaaS business in a competitive market. Craig also shares insights into product development, hiring, and future plans for Castos. About Craig Hewitt: Craig Hewitt is the founder and CEO of Castos, a leading podcast hosting and analytics platform. He started his journey in podcasting with PodcastMotor, a productized podcast editing service, before expanding into SaaS by acquiring the Seriously Simple Podcasting WordPress plugin. Under his leadership, Castos has grown into a full-featured hosting platform, serving independent podcasters and brands. Craig also shares insights on entrepreneurship through his Rogue Startups Podcast and Founder Insights newsletter. Here is what we cover: Craig’s Background & Castos' Growth – Started with Podcast Motor, acquired a WordPress plugin, and built Castos into a SaaS platform. Services to SaaS Transition – Services provided cash flow but were hard to scale; Castos still retains a services division (25-33% of revenue). TinySeed & Fundraising – Raised $750K, joined TinySeed, now profitable and self-sufficient. Podcast Hosting & Retention – Differentiates with UX/UI, WordPress integration, and strong support; low churn due to content retention. Challenges of Low-Priced SaaS – $19/month pricing limits growth, CAC vs. LTV constraints, hard to scale paid acquisition. Scaling & Product Development – Focused on UX, partnerships, and premium features; balancing speed vs. maintainability. CEO’s Role in Growth – Shifted focus to sales, marketing, and partnerships; leverages content marketing and SEO. Future of Castos – Expanding monetization options, integrating more content types, and strengthening its brand. To lower your churn, visit https://churnkey.co -------------------------- About Churnkey -------------------------- Churnkey is the retention automation platform that lowers your churn, boosts your MRR, speeds your growth, and launches your enterprise value to the moon. We help companies stop churn at the point of cancellation, recover failed payments, learn why customers are cancelling, and fix it. We don't just provide data. We take action.

In this episode, John Horn discusses how businesses can effectively use Google Ads to amplify reach, validate market demand, and optimize ad spend. They compare Google Ads with other marketing channels, explore investment thresholds, key success metrics, attribution challenges, keyword targeting, bidding strategies, landing page optimization, conversion rate improvements, and hiring a Google Ads expert. About John Horn: John Horn is the Chief Executive Officer of StubGroup, a premier digital advertising agency and Google Partner recognized in the top 1% of all Google Partners worldwide for performance and customer care. Under his leadership, StubGroup has generated over half a billion dollars in revenue for clients across various sectors, including eCommerce, B2B, B2C, and local services. John has educated over 100,000 students through online courses and StubGroup's YouTube channel.Here is what we cover: Google Ads Role: Boosts reach and helps test market demand for new products. Google Ads vs. Other Channels: Provides faster insights than SEO and social media. Investment & Metrics: At least $2,000/month is needed; key metrics include conversion rate, CTR, and search term relevance. Campaign Audits: Fix tracking errors, analyze search terms, and improve landing pages. Keyword & Competitor Strategy: Prioritize high-intent keywords; competitor bidding must follow guidelines. Bidding Strategies: Manual vs. automated (Target CPA, Maximize Conversions, Target ROAS). Landing Page Best Practices: Clear messaging, strong CTAs, fast load speed, and trust signals. Conversion Optimization: Use structured A/B testing and focus on impactful changes. Hiring a Google Ads Expert: Prioritize experience, reporting consistency, and industry knowledge. This episode provides actionable insights for maximizing Google Ads performance and ROI.  

In this episode, join host Jay Nathan (COO of Churnkey), with Aubrey Rhodes, an experienced SaaS engineering leader specializing in monetization and product-led growth. They explore his career journey from MailChimp, Stitch Fix, and Calendly to founding TopView Labs, a consulting firm for SaaS monetization.   About Aubrey Rhodes: Aubrey Rhodes is an experienced SaaS engineering leader with a track record of driving growth at companies like Blue Bottle Coffee, Intuit Mailchimp, Brightwell, Stitch Fix, Calendly, and Workful. While at Calendly, he spearheaded a major billing system transformation, creating essential infrastructure such as entitlements, a unified product catalog, and metering to enable both product-led and sales-driven growth. Now, as the founder of TopView Labs, he helps SaaS businesses build scalable monetization solutions and optimize their payment platforms.   Here is what we cover: Career Highlights: Aubrey's growth from developer to engineering leader. Experience in scaling SaaS companies with a focus on monetization. Founding TopView Labs for consulting on SaaS best practices. Monetization Engineering: Managing billing, subscriptions, and integrations. Addressing challenges like compliance, refunds, and tax calculations. Building scalable, flexible billing systems. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Example: Calendly's migration from Stripe to ChargeBee. Collaboration between product, engineering, finance, and support teams. Using third-party tools to streamline processes. Data Management & SaaS Growth: Evolving data management practices from early ETL processes to cloud services. Building API and monetization teams for scalability. Leveraging data-driven experimentation for product growth. Buy vs. Build Decisions: Using third-party tools for monetization. Balancing technical debt, compliance, and operational efficiency. The conversation highlights the critical role of monetization engineering, data management, and team collaboration in driving SaaS success.

In this episode Nick Fogle and Baird Hall, the founders of Churnkey, tackle the critical issue of customer churn in SaaS businesses. Drawing from their personal experiences as founders of subscription-based platforms, they shed light on the financial, operational, and cultural costs of churn. They also share actionable strategies, tools, and case studies that can help SaaS operators reduce churn, improve retention, and drive growth. Whether you’re battling involuntary payment failures or voluntary cancellations, this episode offers valuable insights into navigating churn challenges effectively.   About Nick Fogle:   Nick is a lawyer turned SaaS Founder and software engineer who works all across the stack. He pioneered the Churnkey prototype to help one of his SaaS companies vanquish churn and reach $140k+ in MRR. When founding Casa with Scott, he co-authored the Wealth Security Protocol and built an industry-leading Bitcoin security application. Ping him on Twitter if you ever want to nerd out about personal finance, investments, or Bitcoin.   About  Baird Hall:   Baird is a 4x SaaS founder based in Charleston, SC. His background is in sales, marketing, and support. He bootstrapped and grew two SaaS companies to over $1M in ARR. When he isn't working on Churnkey's sales and marketing, he is on the water with his wife and daughter. If you want to talk NBA basketball with someone at Churnkey, he is the one. Here is what we cover:   The Pain of Churn Churn stifles SaaS growth, requiring constant customer acquisition. Small reductions (2-3%) significantly boost revenue and valuation. Lessons and Costs Neglecting churn led to stagnant growth for Nick and Baird; reducing churn by 2% increased MRR. High churn inflates acquisition costs, reduces lifetime value, and strains operations. Strategies to Combat Churn Voluntary Churn: Use feedback, personalized cancel flows, targeted offers, and A/B testing. Involuntary Churn: Automate payment recovery with SMS, email, and incentives. Advanced Tactics Apply segmentation, pause offers, and usage-based discounts. Ensure compliance with FTC guidelines for transparent cancellation flows. Case Studies and Trends Companies like Veed reduced churn with tailored retention offers. Transparency, automation, and customer-friendly policies are key to long-term retention.