Vlad Malanin, MD, PhD and co-founder of SpeedSize, shares how he scaled an AI-powered media optimization SaaS from $400K to $6M ARR with just 25 employees. SpeedSize helps enterprise and mid-market brands deliver high-quality images and video without sacrificing site performance, serving over 200 global customers.

In this episode, Vlad breaks down SpeedSize's capital-efficient growth strategy, enterprise pricing model, partnership-led GTM motion, and the hard founder decisions required to survive near-zero runway during wartime—while maintaining low churn, strong expansion revenue, and founder control.

NOTES:

Founder background
- Surgeon turned AI scientist and CTO
- Forbes Technology Council member
- Ukrainian-Israeli founding team navigating geopolitical risk
Company overview
- AI-powered image and video compression for rich media websites
- Focus on preserving visual quality while improving load speed
- Core customers: fashion, apparel, marketplaces, travel, jewelry
Revenue & growth
- $400K ARR in 2022
- ~$1.5M ARR in 2023
- ~$3M ARR in 2024
- ~$6M ARR today
- 200+ paying customers
- Low churn with strong net revenue expansion
Pricing & ACV
- Annual contracts only
- Pricing based on:
  - Data transferred (GB)
  - Number of original assets / SKUs
- ACV ranges:
  - $10K–$20K (lower mid-market)
  - $50K–$100K (mid-market)
  - Low seven figures (enterprise)
- Multiple customers paying $100K+ annually
GTM & acquisition
- Minimal reliance on paid ads
- Partnership-led growth strategy:
  - AWS Premium Partner
  - IBM Cloud partnerships
  - Agency referrals
- Focus on cloud providers lacking native media optimization
Sales motion
- Land-and-expand strategy
- Customers grow usage as they adopt richer media (video, animations)
- Enterprise-focused negotiations vs self-serve SMB motion
Team & operations
- Team downsized from 50 to ~25 for efficiency
- ~70% engineers
- High revenue per employee
- Cash-flow controlled with variable spend levers
Capital & fundraising
- ~$5M total raised (2022–2023)
- Founders retain 70%+ ownership
- Pre-Series A
- Lessons learned from VC-driven spending pressure
Crisis management
- Two months of runway during 2023 war escalation
- Cash dropped below $300K
- Founders cut their own salaries first
- Focused on survival, efficiency, and customer retention

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Founder Story

Transitioning from medicine to AI SaaS
Building during war and geopolitical uncertainty
Making survival-first leadership decisions

Pricing & Revenue

Structuring enterprise SaaS pricing by usage
Designing ACV tiers from $10K to seven figures
Using land-and-expand to drive ARR growth

GTM & Partnerships

Why SpeedSize prioritized partnerships over outbound sales
How AWS and IBM partnerships actually work
The realities of enterprise marketplace distribution

Acquisition & Retention

Why low churn matters more than hypergrowth
Enabling customer expansion through product value
Avoiding paid ads in favor of scalable channels

Scaling & Operations

Downsizing teams without killing momentum
Managing cashflow with variable spend
Staying capital-efficient while retaining founder control

This episode is a must-watch for SaaS founders, operators, and investors interested in pricing, GTM strategy, retention, capital efficiency, and real founder resilience.

#009 - Aprendizados depois de 13 anos de carreira