After building a successful VC-backed company, Esben Friis-Jensen took a different path — bootstrapping his next SaaS startup to $5M ARR with just a team of 3.

In this episode, he shares why he turned down venture funding, how he built an efficient, product-led growth engine, and lessons on scaling smart without sacrificing ownership or speed.

(00:00) - Introduction
(00:32) - Meet Esben Friis-Jensen
(02:30) - The Decision to Bootstrap
(06:27) - Product-Led Growth Strategy
(11:25) - Competing in a Crowded Market
(18:54) - The Role of AI in Business Operations
(22:08) - Efficiency and Execution in Small Teams
(27:48) - Making Tough Decision
(31:17) - Revenue Metrics
(32:10) - Speed of Decisions
(38:43) - Challenges and Benefits of Founder-Led Companies
(40:49) - Joining a Bootstrapped Company

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How to build a $5M SaaS with 3 people and no VC funding (With Esben Friis-Jensen)