382: Walls.io: Bootstrapping Solo to Over $10M ARR - with Michael Kamleitner
Jan 18, 2024
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Michael Kamleitner, founder and CEO of Walls.io and Swat.io, shares his journey as a bootstrap solo founder, growing his businesses to over $10 million in annual revenue. He discusses the challenges of managing two separate products, positioning them in crowded markets, and the struggles of being a solo founder. He emphasizes the importance of meaningful networking, the love for Greece, and the support of friends and family.
The success of Walls.io and Swat.io can be attributed to their quality, positioning, and differentiation from low-cost competitors.
Pivoting quickly during the pandemic and integrating their social media content hubs into virtual event platforms helped Walls.io survive and thrive.
Deep dives
The journey from agency to two successful SaaS products
Michael Kamlightner, the founder and CEO of walls.io and SWOT.io, shares his journey of starting an agency specializing in Facebook app development and then launching SWOT.io to help clients manage Facebook communities. He later created walls.io as a social media content aggregator. It took time to find their first 10 customers, but they focused on German-speaking markets and larger companies. Michael also delves into the challenges of running two bootstrap companies simultaneously and the need for clear focus. The success of the products came from their quality, positioning, and differentiation from low-cost competitors.
Weathering the pandemic and the importance of partnerships
The pandemic hit walls.io hard as live events stopped, forcing Michael and his team to pivot quickly. They integrated their social media content hubs into virtual event platforms, which proved successful and helped them survive the challenging year. Michael emphasizes the value of partnerships by integrating their products with other software platforms and leveraging their app marketplaces. This strategy has helped with revenue growth and market presence.
Lessons learned: Marketing, networking, and balancing roles
Michael highlights the importance of networking and building strong one-to-one relationships, offering help and giving before asking for favors. He recommends the book 'In Search of Stupidity' by Merrill Chapman, which explores tech marketing failures. Michael also discusses the challenges of running two companies simultaneously and the need for focused time and energy. He reflects on the value of personal time audits and the importance of continuous learning and openness as a founder.
Positioning and differentiation in a crowded market
In a crowded market, Michael focuses on quality, product value, and positioning. With SWOT.io, they focused on German-speaking markets and mid to larger size companies. For walls.io, they differentiate by providing a high-quality social media content aggregator, addressing buyer needs for reliability and fast performance. Michael emphasizes the challenges of positioning and differentiating in a saturated market.