The SaaS Podcast - SaaS, Startups, Growth Hacking & Entrepreneurship
438: Reviews.io: From Scrappy SaaS MVP to $82M Exit - with Callum Mckeefery
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.
01:01:22
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Quick takeaways
- Callum McKeefery's initial struggle inspired the creation of Reviews.io, pivoting from rejected startup ideas to a successful MVP.
- Customer engagement and understanding pain points led to Reviews.io's unique value proposition, differentiating it from competitors like Trustpilot.
Deep dives
The Spark that Led to Reviews.io
In 2012, during a challenging financial phase, Callum McKefree's conversation with a major mobile phone company sparked the idea for Reviews.io. Although his initial startup ideas were rejected, one question about their customer review processes triggered him to create a rough MVP. This led to a focused effort, where he hustled to acquire initial customers through cold calling and guerrilla marketing tactics, including attending expos with engaging elements like a foosball table. Over 18 months of hard work, he reached his first million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), proving the potential of his idea against competitors.
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