4 Years to $1M ARR—Then Bootstrapped to $18M and an Exit
Description
In this episode, we dive into the full journey of building and scaling TextRequest—a bootstrapped SaaS company that grew to $18M in ARR and was acquired on its 10-year anniversary.
Brian Elrod, CEO and co-founder of TextRequest, shares how he transitioned from the franchising world into tech, what it took to build the MVP, and how he found the right technical co-founder.
He also breaks down how TextRequest found product-market fit by shifting from customer service to revenue-focused messaging, and how they scaled through a “bottom-up” strategy targeting franchisees first.
We also explore Brian’s approach to customer feedback, how he ran daily demos even years into the business, and how building a strong relationship with Twilio turned into a game-changing distribution channel.
What you’ll learn:
• The mindset and milestones behind bootstrapping to $18M ARR
• How TextRequest turned franchisees into their biggest growth engine
• Why staying close to customers can guide your entire roadmap
• The art of the sales demo and listening for product insights
I hope you enjoy the episode!
United States
