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Building a SaaS on Slack: From $8/Mo to Multi-Million ARR | Polly

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Manage episode 520362043 series 61396
Content provided by Omer Khan. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Omer Khan or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

Bilal Aijazi turned a casual Slack polling bot into a serious enterprise platform used by millions. In this episode, early-stage B2B SaaS founders will learn how Polly became a multi-million ARR business on top of Slack.

Bilal breaks down the reality of building a multi-million dollar business on top of a major platform like Slack. You will learn the "Pain Tolerance" metric that validated his idea (80% completion on a 5-step install), how he pivoted from an $8/month fantasy football use case to 5-figure HR contracts, and the survival playbook for when a platform "Sherlocks" your core feature.

In this episode, Bilal also shares the exact mechanics of his 12% "Respondent to Creator" viral loop, why he forced a horizontal product into vertical use cases to reduce churn, and his "Just Don't Die" philosophy for technical founders navigating sales.

This episode is brought to you by:

💖 GearheartBook a call + get the first 20 hours of development free

🚨 NordStellarBook a demo and get 20% off with code blackfriday20

📡 Signal HouseLearn more and get a demo

🔑 Key Lessons

  • 🚀 The "Pain Tolerance" Metric: Why 80% of users endured a nightmare install process (and what it proved).
  • 💰 Pricing Evolution: Moving from $8/month fantasy football leagues to 5-figure Enterprise deals.
  • 💡 Surviving "Sherlocking": How to pivot and thrive when the platform builds your core feature.
  • 🔥 Viral Loops: Leveraging "Respondent to Creator" conversion to drive organic growth.
  • ⚖️ The Platform Paradox: The risks and massive rewards of building on Slack, Teams, and Zoom.

Chapters

  • The "punch in the face" reality of startups
  • Leveraging Product Hunt for viral growth loops
  • Validating demand with a 5-step "nightmare" onboarding
  • From $8/mo fantasy football to enterprise deals
  • Freemium to paid: Converting free users to revenue
  • Surviving "Sherlocking": When Slack copies your feature
  • The mistake of betting on Slack Workflow Builder
  • Horizontal vs. Vertical SaaS strategies
  • Why technical founders must sell (and how to do it)
  • The "Just Don't Die" philosophy

💌 Get weekly 5-minute SaaS insights: https://saasclub.io/email

SaaS Club Programs

Resources

  continue reading

629 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 520362043 series 61396
Content provided by Omer Khan. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Omer Khan or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

Bilal Aijazi turned a casual Slack polling bot into a serious enterprise platform used by millions. In this episode, early-stage B2B SaaS founders will learn how Polly became a multi-million ARR business on top of Slack.

Bilal breaks down the reality of building a multi-million dollar business on top of a major platform like Slack. You will learn the "Pain Tolerance" metric that validated his idea (80% completion on a 5-step install), how he pivoted from an $8/month fantasy football use case to 5-figure HR contracts, and the survival playbook for when a platform "Sherlocks" your core feature.

In this episode, Bilal also shares the exact mechanics of his 12% "Respondent to Creator" viral loop, why he forced a horizontal product into vertical use cases to reduce churn, and his "Just Don't Die" philosophy for technical founders navigating sales.

This episode is brought to you by:

💖 GearheartBook a call + get the first 20 hours of development free

🚨 NordStellarBook a demo and get 20% off with code blackfriday20

📡 Signal HouseLearn more and get a demo

🔑 Key Lessons

  • 🚀 The "Pain Tolerance" Metric: Why 80% of users endured a nightmare install process (and what it proved).
  • 💰 Pricing Evolution: Moving from $8/month fantasy football leagues to 5-figure Enterprise deals.
  • 💡 Surviving "Sherlocking": How to pivot and thrive when the platform builds your core feature.
  • 🔥 Viral Loops: Leveraging "Respondent to Creator" conversion to drive organic growth.
  • ⚖️ The Platform Paradox: The risks and massive rewards of building on Slack, Teams, and Zoom.

Chapters

  • The "punch in the face" reality of startups
  • Leveraging Product Hunt for viral growth loops
  • Validating demand with a 5-step "nightmare" onboarding
  • From $8/mo fantasy football to enterprise deals
  • Freemium to paid: Converting free users to revenue
  • Surviving "Sherlocking": When Slack copies your feature
  • The mistake of betting on Slack Workflow Builder
  • Horizontal vs. Vertical SaaS strategies
  • Why technical founders must sell (and how to do it)
  • The "Just Don't Die" philosophy

💌 Get weekly 5-minute SaaS insights: https://saasclub.io/email

SaaS Club Programs

Resources

  continue reading

629 episodes

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