Is it possible to build a billion-dollar business within a year? Well, the answer is YES! In this special episode of the Grow Your B2B SaaS podcast, recorded live on stage at the SaaS Open event in Austin, USA, show host Joran Hofman sits down with Adam Robinson, the founder of retention.com. This episode covers the critical factors and hacks to building a billion-dollar business within a year. Adam's RB2B companies focus on identifying website visitors on a personal level, with Retention targeting e-commerce and B2B. Adam is striving to bootstrap his company to unicorn status and has a TV series called The Billion Dollar Challenge. Previously, he bootstrapped Rob Lee email marketing to an eight-figure exit as co-founder and CEO. 

Adam shares his experiences and insights on bootstrapping startups, the meaning of building a billion-dollar company, and the importance of radical transparency in business. He also discusses the challenges of scaling a business, the role of product-market fit, and the value of a founder brand. Adam emphasizes the need for financial discipline, focusing on product-market fit, and leveraging social media to spread awareness.

Key Timecodes

• (00:00) Introduction and Background
• (01:24) The Quest for a Billion-Dollar Business
• (05:46) Founder Branding and Social Media
• (08:38) Different Approaches to Scaling
• (11:05) Balancing Revenue Goals and Free Strategies
• (12:29) Navigating Revenue Plateaus and Competition
• (15:22) Lessons from Rock Bottom Moments
• (20:06) Lessons from Past Mistakes
• (22:04) Implementing Processes and Accountability
• (25:30) The Importance of External Moderation
• (27:24) Advice for Bootstrapping Founders
• (30:18) Advice for Scaling to $10 Million ARR
• (32:42) The Power of Founder Branding
• (35:00) The Journey to Understanding Product-Market Fit
• (37:24) Reflecting on Past Mistakes and Learnings