Master Enterprise-Level SaaS Growth with Justin Shimoon @ AffinityClick - Escape Velocity Show #48
Feb 25, 2021
auto_awesome
In this exclusive interview, Justin Shimoon, founder and CEO of AffinityClick, reveals the secrets behind the massive success of his enterprise VOIP company. He discusses the challenges of scaling quickly and leveraging existing technology. Among the topics covered are a massive pivot, creating OTT tech, and the near monetary downfall of AffinityClick. Justin's expertise in enterprise-level SaaS growth is unparalleled, making this interview a must-listen for anyone in the industry.
The podcast emphasizes the importance of leveraging existing technology and services to create a successful SaaS product that scales quickly.
Transparent communication within a company builds trust, purpose, and belief in the company's vision among team members.
Adaptability and a willingness to pivot are crucial to overcoming challenges and staying afloat in the early stages of a business.
Deep dives
Building a Mobile Telephony Platform
The podcast episode discusses the creation and evolution of a mobile telephony platform called Hushed. The platform is an OTT (over the top) solution that allows users to act and feel like they have a mobile phone without needing their own cell or voice component. It leverages the data connection of the carrier for users to make calls and send texts. Similar platforms like Google Voice and WhatsApp are mentioned. The host and guest delve into the history of the company, its initial challenges, and how it has become successful in the mobile telephony space. They also touch on topics such as VoIP technology, PBX systems, and the advantages of a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) approach.
The Importance of Transparent Communication
The podcast episode highlights the significance of transparent communication within a company. The guest emphasizes the importance of being open and transparent with the team, sharing business updates, and involving employees in decision-making processes. This approach helps build trust among team members and creates a sense of purpose and belief in the company's vision.
Overcoming Challenges and Pivoting
The podcast episode explores the challenges and obstacles the company faced in its early days. The guest shares how they had to pivot their business after almost running out of money. They discuss the importance of adaptability and making necessary changes to stay afloat. The guest also emphasizes the need to believe in the product or service being offered, while also being open to change and improvement.
Refactoring and Optimizing Costs
The podcast episode discusses the process of refactoring and optimizing costs within the company. The guest shares their experience of closely examining and analyzing the company's expenses, including VoIP costs, and finding ways to minimize them. They highlight the importance of continually assessing and optimizing costs to ensure the business remains efficient and profitable.
Looking Towards the Future
The podcast episode concludes by looking towards the future of the company. The guest hints at upcoming developments, such as launching an IVR capable solution and a new brand focused on the SMB market. They emphasize the importance of building a world-class product and staying focused on building the business while being open to potential opportunities that may arise.
I have an exclusive interview for you... No matter how far I looked, I haven’t been able to find ANY other interviews anywhere with mylatest Escape Velocity guest, Justin Shimoon. He just… doesn’t do them. But for me, he generously opened up about the massive success of his company, AffinityClick. ...And how he grew them to be one of the biggest players in the enterprise VOIP market. Justin is the founder and CEO of AffinityClick and the creator of Hushed, one of the world’s most popular mobile calling apps. This is a guy whose software has over 500,000+ monthly active users (MAUs) and makes millions from both B2C and B2B enterprise-level VOIP services. He made it possible for anyone to buy new phone numbers and use them alongside your real number. To launch AffinityClick, Justin didn’t build new infrastructure. Like any great SaaS that scales quickly, his product simply connected the dots between pre-existing technology and services. But knowing how to do that? Yeah, that’s the challenge. Check out the latest episode below and let’s hear how he grew his VOIP tech empire. This is an AWESOME interview. Handling enterprise-level SaaS growth is a whole different ball game, and Justin has mastered it. We’re chatting about: - Making a MASSIVE pivot to an entire company - The sunk cost fallacy - How to create OTT tech that leverages existing tech - How AffinityClick almost ran out of money after $900k personal investment - Getting to the top of the Apple App Store - Creating a Freemium model that converts 65% of users - The pains of growth - Buying ads to protect your brand - Scaling a SaaS with SEO Justin is a talented guy. He’s been an entrepreneur for over 20 years, which means he’s seen tech revolutions rise and fall countless times. Yet he’s still managed to remain successful despite the shifting trends. I really believe that’s what makes a great CEO and founder. It’s not your ability to get lucky with one business decision… It’s your ability to play your cards right again and again and again. In the end, it’s not luck. It’s entrepreneurial wisdom. Tune in to the latest episode to hear from Justin Shimoon’s impressive tech knowledge. -- Dan Martell is a serial entrepreneur, an investor in 40+ startups like Intercom, Udemy, and Unbounce and the creator ofSaaS Academy, helping over 500 B2B SaaS founders scale faster. He’s founded five SaaS companies and successfully exited three of them. If you want to scale faster without hitting the usual roadblocks, make sure to follow him onYoutube,Facebook,Instagram,LinkedIn&Twitter.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode