Adam Robinson ‪@retentionadam‬ is the CEO of Retention.com, a $22M ARR SaaS company.

Adam discusses his journey from working in finance at Lehman Brothers to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the tech space. He shares insights from bootstrapping his startups to significant annual recurring revenue milestones and emphasizes the importance of learning from experience, building entrepreneurial skills, and the challenges of scaling SaaS businesses.

Adam also talks about his strategic use of LinkedIn for marketing and customer engagement, and the pivotal role of customer validation in early-stage startups. The conversation is rich with practical advice for budding entrepreneurs aiming to navigate the complexities of starting and growing a technology-driven business.

00:00 - Introduction: Meeting Adam Robinson
01:10 - Inspiration from Industry Seniors
02:21 - Origins: From Lehman Brothers to Vimeo's Early Days
04:16 - The Entrepreneurial Shift: Learning and Starting From Scratch
07:10 - Achieving Initial Profitability: Strategy and Execution
08:31 - Scaling Businesses: The Importance of Execution and Building Entrepreneurial Muscles
11:12 - The Slow SaaS Ramp of Death: Insights from Gail Goodman and Challenges in SaaS
13:38 - Rapid Growth in RB2B: Strategy and Execution in 12 Weeks
17:26 - Leveraging LinkedIn and Understanding Market Needs
22:30 - Lessons Learned: Building a Product and Market Fit
26:57 - The Role of Podcasting and Content in Building an Audience
30:34 - Validating Business Ideas Through Real Customer Commitments
34:32 - Identifying and Responding to Market Needs
37:03 - Diversifying and Scaling Up: Strategies for Growth
38:26 - Closing Thoughts: Perseverance in Entrepreneurship