434: OnRamp: From No-Code MVP to 7-Figure B2B SaaS - with Paul Holder
Mar 13, 2025
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Paul Holder, co-founder and CEO of OnRamp, shares his entrepreneurial journey from a no-code MVP to a thriving SaaS solution for B2B customer onboarding. He discusses the power of customer feedback and the importance of validating ideas. Paul also reveals challenges in educating clients about new solutions and the evolution from prototype to a scalable product. Insights on effective outreach and market focus highlight the strategic shifts required for success. His experiences illustrate the transformative impact of great onboarding on business growth.
Paul and Ross validated their onboarding solution idea through extensive market research, confirming widespread dissatisfaction before developing their product.
Utilizing a no-code platform allowed the founders to create a functional MVP quickly, which attracted initial paying customers and validated their concept.
A strategic pivot to focus on larger enterprises enabled OnRamp to capitalize on significant revenue growth and deeper integration with complex onboarding processes.
Deep dives
Identifying a Market Need
The founders of OnRamp, Paul and Ross, recognized a significant challenge in customer onboarding during their prior experiences in customer success roles. They spent months validating their idea by interviewing other customer success leaders, ensuring that the onboarding issues they faced were not isolated to their experience. This thorough market research revealed a widespread dissatisfaction with existing onboarding solutions, solidifying their belief that they could address this gap effectively. Their commitment to validation before developing a product laid a strong foundation for their eventual startup journey.
Leveraging No-Code Tools for MVP
Despite being non-technical founders, Paul and Ross managed to build an initial version of their product using Bubble, a no-code platform. This allowed them to create a functional Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that attracted their first paying customers, demonstrating that customers were willing to pay for their solution even in its rudimentary form. They discovered that the initial product, although basic, resonated with users looking for a solution to streamline their onboarding processes. This early traction was crucial as it validated their concept and provided them with insights to refine their product further.
Strategic Shift to Larger Markets
Initially targeting startups, OnRamp's founders realized that their solution offered even greater value to larger enterprises where minor efficiency improvements could result in substantial cost savings. This strategic pivot involved re-evaluating their customer profile, leading to a decision to focus on bigger organizations despite the risk of losing some smaller customers. By serving larger clients, they aimed to capitalize on the potential for significant revenue growth and deeper integration into complex onboarding processes. This shift ultimately proved transformative for their business, driving substantial revenue growth and expanding their customer base.
Challenges with Outbound Marketing
As OnRamp sought to grow, the founders faced hurdles in their outbound marketing efforts, especially with cold email outreach, which they found increasingly ineffective. After recognizing that many leads did not convert into ideal customers, they shifted their focus to channels like LinkedIn to engage prospects more effectively. By combining ads with meaningful organic interactions and networking, they aimed to educate potential clients about their product and the underlying issues they solved. This multi-faceted approach proved more fruitful, as it allowed them to better connect with decision-makers and drive engagement.
Building a Focused Product Strategy
The founders learned that trying to build too many features too quickly led to a diluted product strategy, causing them to miss their market’s core needs. Their early focus on a broad range of features left them overwhelmed and struggling to maintain a product that truly addressed customer needs. They recognized the importance of narrowing their focus and executing a deep dive on specific onboarding problems. This lesson in prioritization has guided their ongoing product development process, emphasizing the need for a deliberate and focused approach to feature enhancement.