[36] Adam Robinson: "How we beat the "SaaS slow ramp of death."

The Entrepreneur Next Door 🏡

If you're looking for an authentic and inspiring entrepreneurial success story, this podcast episode with Adam Robinson is a must-listen. Adam's transparent and detailed account of his journey is a gem. He shares strategies, technical insights, and valuable lessons he's learned. His story is a treasure trove of wisdom for anyone considering starting their own business, especially in the competitive Software as a Service (SaaS) industry.

Adam bootstrapped Robly to an eight-figure exit and publicly shares how he plans to grow his new venture, Retention.com, to a one billion dollars valuation by the end of 2023. Retention.com (formerly GetEmails ) grew to fourteen million in two and a half years with just six people and zero funding.

Adam graduates from Rice University and is unsuccessful in getting a position with a major consulting firm. A chance encounter gets Adam a job as a trader on Wall Street, when, in his early twenties, he is able to create a financial nest egg.

What happened next is not your typical "young man makes millions and spends it all on a luxurious lifestyle." Adam saves money and gets a reality check from one of his mentors: "The skills from ten years ago are useless, so go get some skills that will keep you busy and employed ."

Watching his brother start a tech company plants a seed. Adam invests his savings and dives into entrepreneurship to take on email giants like MailChimp and Constant Contact.
Here are a few highlights of Adam's revealing conversation:

• As a trader, what did it feel like when your biggest client lost eight million dollars in one day, and what was the valuable lesson that served Adam later in his career
• How a web crawler opens the door to new opportunities
• Where does Adam get the knowledge of how to be an Internet Entrepreneur?
• The formula of what you need to invest when you're up against market leaders that own 80% of your market
• What is a Competitive Moat, and how Adam's Navy Seal strategy allowed him to take market share from Constant Contact
• Why telemarketing played a critical role in Robly's success: it's not just calling but whom you call and what you do say to grab their attention
• How to grow a small Saas business to scale and overcome "The slow ramp of death" syndrome
• Why Adam claims, "It's easier for me to sell a $20K deal than a $46 monthly subscription?"
• What is a 'subscription decoy' plan, and why were people happier paying more?
• Why differentiation, especially in Saas, was and continues to be, a game-changer
• Adam's strategy: "You pick a lane that MailChimp will never choose or do."
• How Adam and his team invested just $5K on FB ads in the first month, which converted to $10K monthly recurring revenue?
• How and why Adam was able to become a Digital Nomad and the turning point when he decided it was time to exit
• How Adam plans to grow his new company, Retention.com to a $1B valuation by the end of 2023

Follow Adam's journey on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/retentionadam/