Chris Savage (Wistia) | Building a $100M Software Startup from Scratch

May 15, 2024

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In this episode of Eating Glass, we dive into the rollercoaster journey of Chris Savage, co-founder and CEO of Wistia, as he takes us behind the scenes of building a successful video marketing platform from scratch. From failed viral ideas, living on a shoestring budget to discovering product-market fit and growing a loyal customer base, Chris shares the ups and downs of bootstrapping a tech company in the early days of online video. Tune in for valuable insights on pivoting, marketing strategies, and the power of perseverance in the face of entrepreneurial challenges. Don't miss this inspiring story of turning a passion for video into a thriving business.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Intro
00:02:56 - Motivations for starting a company
00:05:18 - Early failed ideas and pivots
00:11:04 - Surviving on a shoestring budget
00:16:50 - Building a simple solution for customers
00:20:35 - Raising angel money
00:22:29 - Navigating 2008
00:24:02 - Marketing strategies and content creation
00:26:40 - Growing the team and revenue
00:33:48 - Personal content creation
00:37:12 - Keeping creativity alive
00:41:40 - Balancing family and work
00:43:00 - Dealing with burnout and stress
00:49:43 - Trial and error as the best strategy
00:52:07 - Avoiding boredom
00:57:27 - The Next Decade
01:02:56 - Rapid-fire questions
01:13:13 - Wrap-up

ABOUT THE HOSTS:

Will Nitze is the Founder & CEO at IQBAR - America's leading "brain + body" nutrition startup. With minimal funding, Will has taken IQBAR from zero locations and zero in revenue in 2018 to 10,000+ doors and a projected $50 million in sales in 2024.

Joe Lemay founded Rocketbook with business partner Jake Epstein. After being featured on “Shark Tank”, where the sharks passed on a chance to invest – Joe would go on to grow Rocketbook and sell it to BIC for 40 million dollars just three years later.

Connect with Chris Savage:

Chris' Podcast: https://wistia.com/series/talking-too-loud
Wistia Website: https://wistia.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjsavage
X: https://twitter.com/csavage
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/csavage