The SaaS Podcast - SaaS, Startups, Growth Hacking & Entrepreneurship 393: Circle: Scaling a Community Platform from Seed to $19M ARR - with Andrew Guttormsen
Apr 18, 2024
Andrew Guttormsen, Co-founder of Circle, shares insights on scaling a community platform to $19M ARR. Topics include personalized onboarding, sales team development, strategic influencer partnerships, and driving growth beyond the initial million. Personal connections and inspirational quotes in the world of SaaS are also discussed.
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From Bootstrap to Boom
- Andrew Guttormsen and his co-founders initially planned to bootstrap Circle and grow slowly.
- The pandemic's onset fueled demand for online community tools, leading to rapid growth and funding rounds.
Building Pent-up Demand
- Build up demand before publicly launching a product by using a waitlist and doing personal demos.
- Engage with potential customers on social media and leverage influencer marketing.
1500 Demos
- Andrew Guttormsen personally conducted around 1500 demos in the first 18 months of Circle.
- This hands-on approach fostered strong word-of-mouth marketing and customer loyalty.