In this episode of Mostly Growth, CJ Gustafson and Kyle Poyar interview Roland Ligtenberg, Co-Founder and SVP of Growth & Innovation at Housecall Pro, to break down how vertical SaaS can scale in messy, offline markets. Roland shares how Housecall Pro grew from a $4-per-month scheduling tool into a platform with more than a dozen products, emphasizing the importance of sequencing “layer cake” monetization — building a solid core before adding new revenue streams. He walks through unconventional customer acquisition tactics like cold-calling trades businesses, Yeti giveaways, truck-wash offers, and word-of-mouth tracking, all rooted in one principle: speak to customers through the channels they already use. The conversation also hits pricing strategy, PLG vs. SLG balance, TAM turnover, and using AI to tailor messaging by segment, trade, and intent — with constant A/B testing to avoid generic “AI slop.”
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SPONSORS:
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LINKS:
Mostly Metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com
CJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/
Growth Unhinged: https://www.growthunhinged.com/
Kyle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-poyar/
Housecall Pro: https://www.housecallpro.com/
Roland on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rolandal/
Slacker Stuff: https://www.slackerstuff.com/
Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/slackerstuff/
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RELATED EPISODES:
Do vanity plates bring serious business?
https://youtu.be/Cm1rubFb-kg
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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 Preview and Intro
00:01:37 Sponsors – Metronome, Pulley
00:03:57 Guest Introduction: Roland Ligtenberg
00:04:30 Poker Background
00:07:22 EDM and Hobbies
00:08:35 Layer Cake Strategy
00:09:19 Avoiding Too Many Layers Too Soon
00:10:13 Marketplace Pivot & Home Services Complexity
00:11:06 Early Fintech & Core Payment Rails
00:11:53 Source-of-Record Wedge
00:12:23 Serving 55+ Home Service Verticals
00:13:52 Pricing & Packaging Across Many Products
00:14:32 Core Plans and Add-On Structure
00:16:05 Balancing PLG and SLG
00:17:47 When to Begin Upsell Conversations
00:18:52 Sales, Onboarding & Success Motion
00:19:49 Matching Pain to the Right Solution
00:21:54 Finding the “Front Door” for Offline Trades
00:23:26 Gatekeepers & Communication Challenges
00:24:23 Unconventional Acquisition Tactics
00:26:27 Early Days Tactics for Traction
00:26:49 Cold Calling as First Principle
00:28:19 Improving LTV & Scaling Calling Ops
00:29:40 TAM Management & Value-Led Outreach
00:32:17 Word of Mouth as a Growth Driver
00:34:09 AI’s Role in Go-To-Market Personalization
00:38:04 AI Tools in the Growth Stack
00:40:18 Business Blunders Segment
00:43:20 Pricing in the Real World (Christmas Tree Story)
00:46:50 House Call Elf Holiday Marketing
00:46:58 Closing
#MostlyGrowthPodcast #VerticalSaaS #GoToMarket #PricingStrategy #FintechMonetization
Mostly Growth 
