Indie Board Session

In 2016, Gino Cateriano started Evalart, an online assessment platform for hiring. Initially, it was just a side project for his wife to earn a bit of extra income.The early days were brutal: → First customer: a freelance recruiter → Sales pace: 1 per month (break-even required 2 per day) → After 18 months: finally hitting 1 per day → break-even → By 2019: profitable at $100K ARR → Pandemic tailwinds gave growth an extra pushFast forward: Evalart became a trusted tool for recruiters and HR teams, and Gino sold the business in an international deal he describes as “stressful but worth it.”In this episode of Indie Board Session's The Debrief, Gino and I unpack:- How persistence through slow growth turned a hobby into a real SaaS business- The key role of continuous product improvement in keeping customers engaged- What the acquisition process was really like and what made it stressful- How Noosa Labs is sustaining innovation to keep Evalart growing post-acquisitionFor anyone bootstrapping, this is proof that slow beginnings don’t mean failure and that patience can lead to outcomes you never imagined.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

How do you bootstrap in one of SaaS’s most competitive spaces and still win big?In 2019, Kevin Sahin co-founded ScrapingBee with a bold move: start creating value before you have a product to sell. Kevin started publishing blog posts on Hacker News and Reddit to build an audience from day one.Fast forward: → $5M+ ARR in a hyper-competitive market → Acquired for eight figures by Oxylabs, part of Tesonet, one of Lithuania’s largest tech companiesIn this episode of Indie Board Session, Kevin and I break down the counterintuitive plays that took ScrapingBee from “two guys with a blog” to a high-growth SaaS.We cover: ✅ How building & selling a quick side product created the runway to scale the main business ✅ Why saying no to low-value enterprise deals can unlock much bigger ones ✅ How small plans churned while enterprise customers kept expanding ✅ How content-led growth worked against deep-pocketed competitorsWhether you’re building in public, bootstrapping, or scaling in a crowded market, this episode contains a blueprint that you will want to bookmark.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Want some essential strategies to turn early traction into lasting enterprise growth?The first Indie Board Sessions are writing a clear playbook from scaling small side projects to closing enterprise deals.In this episode, I unpack four timeless takeaways that keep coming up again and again:✅ Start your indie project as a side hustle to avoid burnout.✅ Know your audience early and focus on one winning go-to-market channel.✅ For enterprise, prioritize core needs and must-haves.✅ Price your product higher.If you want to take your indie project from early traction to enterprise adoption, these are the principles that keep working.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

How do you scale a viral, product-led platform without losing its simplicity?Elston Baretto bootstrapped Tiiny Host, a no-code hosting tool used by over a million people, from a simple MVP into a business doing $500K+ ARR, with 60,000+ signups/month.But most users only pay $9–$38/month.In this episode of Indie Board Sessions, Elston Baretto, David Apple (ex-Notion, ex-Typeform), and I unpack the next stage of growth: Turning indie adoption into institutional contracts.We cover: ✅ Why prosumer pricing can cap your growth and how to test appetite for more ✅ The real leverage in enterprise: internal champions and compliance workflows ✅ When to offer enterprise trials and what it reveals about pricing ✅ How SSO and security reviews become gatekeepers, not features ✅ The “20% rule” from Slack that helps secure org-wide buy-in ✅ Why staying horizontal may limit expansion (and how to niche without narrowing)Whether you're moving from PLG to B2B, selling to both individuals and companies, or building your first enterprise motion, this one’s packed with tactical insightsHosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

How do you grow a niche tool into a broader suite without losing what made it work?Eric Pauley bootstrapped Sendtric, a countdown timer for email marketers, ranked it at the top of Google, and attracted Fortune 50 users all without paid marketing. But over time, platform risk and pricing challenges pushed him to sell. That’s where I came in.In this episode of Indie Board Session, Eric and I unpack the full story, from launching a side project to selling it, and how I’ve scaled it since acquisition.About Eric Pauley: He’s not just a founder, he’s also a newly minted PhD and the CEO of DScope Security.We cover:✅ How Sendtric grew to the top of Google ranking without a dollar spent on marketing✅ Why Eric chose to sell: the technical & systemic risk of building on Google’s algorithm✅ Why trust, not price, was the deciding factor in the sale✅ How we de-risked the business, evolving from a countdown timer to a full personalization suite✅ The one simple change to the free tier that unlocked compounding revenueWhether you’re building, selling, or acquiring a SaaS, this one’s full of real insights on product, pricing, and post-sale growth.🔥 Thinking about selling your SaaS? Consider Noosa Labs! Check out our website or drop me a DM on LinkedIn.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What does it take to grow a niche AI-powered SaaS internationally, while building in public, managing multiple projects, and staying focused?In this episode of Indie Board Session, we dive deep with Pauline Clavelloux, who built IACrea, a $10K MRR SaaS that turns real estate photos into furnished, high-impact visuals using AI. She’s also testing a new model by leveraging her audience’s insights called Feedbask.Joining me as guest host is Elisabeth Ling, Product Advisor & NED: Formerly at PayPal and Ebay, Elisabeth brings deep expertise in product-market fit, international strategy, and scaling tech products.Together, we explore:✅ Tools to identify fruitful international markets for your business ✅ How to clearly position your vision and align your GTM✅ Pauline’s playbook to leverage her community and grow her revenue🎧 Whether you're growing a bootstrapped SaaS, scaling internationally, or figuring out how to make your audience part of your roadmap, this episode is for you.🔥 Thinking about selling your SaaS? Consider Noosa Labs! Check out our website or drop me a DM on LinkedIn.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What happens when your SaaS is scaling fast, but your business lives and dies by someone else’s rules?In this episode of Indie Board Session, we share the behind-the-scenes story of WAMessages, a SaaS we grew 5x in just a few months… and then lost overnight.I'm joined by Noosa Labs’ General Manager, Javier André, who was with me from day one of our first acquisition. Together, we rebuilt, redesigned, and scaled a scrappy product into something real—with hundreds of new users every day and paying customers across the globe.But one email from a tech giant changed everything. WAMessages shut down in an instant, reminding us how fragile success can be when you build on top of someone else’s platform.In this episode, we dive into:✅ The emotional rollercoaster of rapid SaaS growth—and sudden failure✅ What it takes to redesign and scale a fragile product✅ How platform risk can destroy a business overnight✅ The hard lessons we learned about compliance and the risks of “the grey zone”✅ Real talk on how indie founders can protect themselvesIf you’re building on APIs, browser extensions, or any third-party ecosystem, don’t miss this cautionary tale. Listen now to learn how to spot risks before it’s too late—and set your SaaS up for long-term resilience.🔥 Thinking about selling your SaaS? Consider Noosa Labs! Check out our website or drop me a DM on LinkedIn.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What drives you once you’ve reached your financial goals? In this episode of Indie Board Session, we dive deep with Dmytro Krasun, who built Screenshot One from scratch to $15K MRR as a solo founder. After achieving financial stability, he found himself asking "what's next?"—a question many successful founders eventually face.Joining me:🔹 Dmytro Krasun (Founder, Screenshot One) 🔹 John Rush (Serial Indie Founder, 24+ Products)In this episode, we unpack:✅ The journey from software engineer to successful indie founder✅ How to find meaning and purpose after hitting your financial targets✅ A counterintuitive growth strategy that feels authentic, not salesy✅ The struggle of feeling like you're "just building two endpoints" when others are "launching rockets"If you've ever questioned the significance of your work or wondered what comes next once you achieve financial stability, this one’s for you!Listen now to discover how to reframe your product's impact, grow your business authentically, and find lasting purpose in your indie journey.🔥 Thinking about selling your SaaS? Consider Noosa Labs! Check out our website or drop me a DM on LinkedIn.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Spot the opportunity: when a market fails to deliver for 30 years, can you build the solution?In this episode of Indie Board Session, we tackle the real challenges of building a bootstrapped SaaS in the enterprise space, navigating cloud marketplaces, and expanding internationally with limited resources.Joining me:Rob McLaughlin (Founder & CEO, Audiences)Patrick Riley (Principal, Cloud Go-to-Market, tackle.io)In this episode, we unpack: ✅ Why 30 years of traditional SaaS has "fundamentally failed" marketers ✅ How to navigate cloud marketplaces as a bootstrapped startup ✅ The strategic approach to US expansion for UK-based foundersRob also shares his founder-to-product journey and how he transformed consulting expertise into a specialized SaaS solution that's helping major advertisers activate first-party data across the entire media ecosystem.🎧 If you're building a cloud-native app, considering marketplace strategies, or navigating privacy concerns, don't miss this one!Listen now to discover why Rob believes consulting is the perfect “training wheels” for software and how it shaped Audiences' success.🔥 Thinking about selling your SaaS? Consider Noosa Labs! Check out our website or drop me a DM on LinkedIn.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What does it really take to grow an indie SaaS in a competitive market? And what hard lessons do founders learn along the way?In this episode of Indie Board Session, we go behind the scenes of DropInBlog, from early challenges to key growth decisions. We break down the real struggles of scaling, pricing, positioning, and standing out in the SaaS world.Joining me: 🔹 Jesse Schoberg – CEO and Co-founder of DropInBlog 🔹 Zsolt Varga – SaaS growth specialistThrough DropInBlog’s journey, we explore: ✅ Tough growth challenges, and how they tackled them ✅ Why pricing and positioning can make or break a product? ✅ How they found (and doubled down on) their competitive advantage? ✅ Lessons learned from building in a crowded spaceIf you're a SaaS founder or thinking about scaling your product, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.🎧 Hit play now to learn from DropInBlog’s experience and level up your own SaaS journey.🔥 Thinking about selling your SaaS? Check out Noosa Labs! Visit our website or DM me on LinkedIn.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Spot the flaw: is it in the strategy itself, or in the approach that most people take? In this episode of Indie Board Session, we discuss the biggest misconceptions about cold outreach, AI’s role in sales, and the messaging mistakes that kill deals.Joining me:Victoria Rudi (B2B SaaS messaging expert)Saurav Gupta (CEO, SalesRobot)In this episode, we unpack:✅ The real reason most cold outreach fails, and how to fix it ✅ The biggest messaging mistake (spoiler: don’t be vague on benefits)✅ Why UX is the hidden advantage in AI-powered sales✅ What startups can learn from the biggest outreach tools on the market✅ How SalesRobot is building a brand in its ultra-competitive spaceVictoria also shares her Empathy Messaging Framework—a simple but powerful approach to crafting messaging that makes your product impossible to ignore.🎧 If you're in sales, marketing, or running a SaaS, you won't want to miss this!Hit play now to sharpen your messaging, rethink your outreach, and stay ahead in an AI-driven world.🔥 Thinking about selling your SaaS? Consider Noosa Labs! Check out our website or drop me a DM on LinkedIn.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

To introduce the show, I had the great pleasure to be interviewed by Andrew Gazdecki, CEO & founder of Acquire.com.What you'll learn:Why I decided to launch Indie Board SessionWhat can you expect in the coming episodesWhat makes this show differentSee you in episode 1 😉Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.