

438: Reviews.io: From Scrappy SaaS MVP to $82M Exit - with Callum Mckeefery
24 snips Apr 10, 2025
Callum McKeefery, founder of Partner.io and former CEO of Reviews.io, shares his inspiring journey from financial struggles to selling his SaaS company for $82 million. He talks about customer acquisition strategies and the importance of feedback in product development. Callum also discusses innovative guerrilla marketing tactics and the value of hiring from non-traditional backgrounds. Listeners will discover how he navigated the emotional complexities of selling a business and the importance of validating ideas while addressing underserved market needs.
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Reviews.io Origin Story
- Callum McKefree pitched two startup ideas to a mobile phone company, but neither landed.
- A final question about customer reviews sparked the idea for Reviews.io, leading to a rough MVP within a week.
Identifying a Gap in the Market
- Trustpilot, a dominant player, had an unfriendly business model.
- Callum saw an opportunity to create a similar but "friendly" alternative, focusing on customer satisfaction and fair pricing.
Early Growth Tactics
- After initial rejection, Callum focused on product development and exhibited at an expo with limited resources.
- This led to first clients and a snowball effect of growth through customer referrals and competitor observation.