ProductLed Podcast

How To Go From 0 to 45K Users In Less Than 12 Months From the CEO of Softr.io

Sep 3, 2024

Mariam Hakobyan, the Co-Founder and CEO of Softr, is an engineer turned entrepreneur dedicated to simplifying software creation. She shares her journey of scaling Softr from zero to 45,000 users in less than a year. Mariam emphasizes the significance of community feedback in product development and how user empowerment fuels growth. She discusses balancing simplicity with advanced features to cater to varying user needs. With a focus on customer value and intuitive design, Mariam reveals her vision for creating a thriving ecosystem for software enthusiasts.

48:29

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Episode guests

Mariam Hakobyan

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Quick takeaways

Softr.io achieved rapid growth to 45,000 users by simplifying software development, enabling non-technical users to easily create applications.

Engaging with a passionate community on social media fostered organic growth and loyalty, driving user acquisition through word-of-mouth.

Deep dives

Origins of Softer.io

The inception of Softer.io stems from the founders’ desire to eliminate repetitive software development tasks they encountered throughout their careers. Frustrated by the bureaucratic constraints of corporate life and the monotony of reinventing basic functionalities like authentication and payment systems, the founders aimed to create a platform that provided pre-built building blocks. These components would enable businesses to tailor their applications without needing in-depth technical expertise, simplifying the development process significantly. The initial vision evolved from a broad platform idea into a more focused approach using Airtable as a backend, allowing users with no coding experience to easily create custom apps powered by their data.

Intro

4min

Building a Community-Centric Platform

19min

Balancing Simplicity and Functionality in Product Development

5min

Navigating User Needs: Balancing Software Complexity and Usability

2min

Building Community through User Engagement

13min

Empowering Communities and Building Ecosystems for User Growth

5min

Mariam Hakobyan is the Co-Founder and CEO at Softr. She’s an engineer turned entrepreneur and has a pang for technology, product, and design. At Softr, she pioneers in building the right product, listening to customers, and building ecosystems for software enthusiasts. She prioritizes the customer’s needs by simplifying software building so anyone can set up businesses without being intimidated by their tech skills.

Today, let’s listen to Mariam as she tells how Softr went from zero to 45,000 users in just a year.

Show Notes

[0:57] What initially drove her to start Software.io?

[1:56] How did she start exploring different ideas for the platform?

[6:01] What did she do to get the product into people’s hands?

[9:20] On pursuing user growth and monetizing your product

[12:20] The passionate software community, the product’s simplicity, and virality got them from zero to 45,000 users

[18:33] Mariam talks about empowering the community, creating ecosystems and a place for people to thrive

[21:53] The importance of being mindful of anything that you add to the platform

[29:04] Understanding what customers value and how much they want to customize?

[29:59] Intuition and understanding of the customers on what types of things are they trying to build

[38:55] Build a great product where people feel like a magician

About Mariam Hakobyan

Mariam is a graduate of Yerevan State University. Her colleagues highly respect her as she is passionate about her job and is always one step ahead in providing service to others. She started her engineering career in her early 20s and is now a force to be reckoned with in her field. But most importantly, Mariam is now a loving mother of two.

Links

Softr.io

Airtable

Profile

Mariam on LinkedIn