[00:00:00 ] Intro – Andrew sets up the conversation: sales reluctance, AI, and CRM evolution
[00:00:47 ] Steli explains Close's positioning: high-communication CRM for salespeople
[00:01:41 ] Revenue milestone: Close is on track to hit $50M this year
[00:02:36 ] Bootstrapping vs. fundraising: why Close chose profitability over VC
[00:04:01 ] Why staying small and focused is their competitive advantage
[00:04:51 ] Competing with giants: don’t out-fund, out-focus
[00:05:31 ] The power of saying no and maintaining a narrow product scope
[00:06:52 ] Product-led growth: Close doesn’t rely on integrations to win customers
[00:07:48 ] Focusing on deep communication use cases sets Close apart
[00:08:51 ] Why they resist chasing enterprise customers
[00:09:30 ] Andrew compares this strategy to ClickUp’s broader, less focused model
[00:10:10 ] Saying no to tempting opportunities to stay true to the customer
[00:11:35 ] AI as an accelerant for focused companies with strong opinions
[00:13:05 ] Close’s AI vision: sales inbox automation and no lead left behind
[00:14:44 ] Andrew’s “AI wrapper” idea — simple products that succeed by layering AI
[00:16:28 ] The future of software: niche-focused, AI-powered tools
[00:17:23 ] AI changes what it means to “build” a product
[00:18:06 ] Steli warns against the belief that product alone drives success
[00:18:53 ] Sales is often the missing piece in failed startups
[00:20:32 ] Don’t dismiss simple wrappers — execution matters more than ideas
[00:21:18 ] Close monitors product-market fit actively — it’s always shifting
[00:22:24 ] VoicePen example: AI product evolution from wrapper to workflow
[00:23:48 ] Talking to customers weekly keeps Close grounded
[00:24:35 ] Andrew presses on how to extract value from those calls
[00:26:07 ] The real problem: most people aren’t willing to talk to customers
[00:26:52 ] From agency to SaaS: how Close transitioned from services
[00:28:18 ] Steli’s warning: don’t jump too quickly from services to product
[00:30:32 ] Andrew asks for Close's best sales tactics
[00:31:38 ] Speed matters: follow up within minutes, not days
[00:32:57 ] Long-term follow-up wins deals — even 6 years later
[00:34:50 ] Why Close built high-quality, technical customer support
[00:36:00 ] Trust is built through understanding real customer problems
[00:37:01 ] Steli shares the Close.com domain story — persistence paid off
[00:38:33 ] Final thoughts: $50M revenue and still just getting started