Colleen Schnettler, founder of Hello Query, shares her candid journey through the struggles of entrepreneurship. She talks about the tough decision to shut down her SaaS business after grappling with customer acquisition and a co-founder split. Reflecting on her experiences, Colleen reveals valuable lessons learned, including the importance of speed and execution in the startup world. With a new venture on the horizon and early signs of success, she encapsulates resilience in the face of adversity and the evolving nature of a founder's journey.
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Tripled MRR, Still Struggling
Colleen Schnettler tripled her MRR to $540, but each sale was difficult.
She's been working on this business idea for three years, with the current iteration being one year old.
insights INSIGHT
Timing and Traction Concerns
Colleen Schnettler realized timing is crucial for business success and hers might be off.
Despite some interest, traction wasn't enough, making her question its long-term viability.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Co-founder Departure Impact
Colleen's co-founder, a database expert, left, causing her to rebuild the tech from scratch.
His departure and the loss of his expertise were significant setbacks for Hello Query.
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This book provides insights into Bill Walsh's philosophy of leadership, gleaned from his successful career as the head coach and general manager of the San Francisco 49ers. Walsh stresses the importance of creating a strong culture, setting high standards, and thorough preparation. He advocates for leaders to focus on the process rather than the outcome, emphasizing that 'the score takes care of itself' when the right principles are applied. The book also touches on Walsh's personal struggles and the toll of relentless pressure, highlighting the importance of maintaining a balance between work and personal life. It offers practical advice on leadership, applicable not only in sports but also in business and other fields[1][2][4].
Is it time to shut down for good?
In this season finale of TinySeed Tales, Rob Walling sits down with Colleen Schnettler, founder of Hello Query, to reflect on her journey over the past few years.
Colleen candidly shares the challenges she faced while trying to grow her SaaS business, including the difficult decision to shut it down after struggling to find traction. Moving past a painful part in her founder journey, Colleen is excited about her new venture where she’s already seeing early success. Join us for this honest look into the final days of Hello Query and to hear Colleen's resilience in the startup world.
Topics we cover:
(1:07) – Difficulty in finding and onboarding customers
(5:32) – Why didn’t it work?
(9:29) – How did the co-founder split affect the business?
(13:11) – Founder regrets
(18:49) – Reflecting on the decision
(22:38) – Anything that you would have done differently?
(25:21) – Moving forward to founder coaching and marketing
If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!
Startups For the Rest of Us 