ProductLed’s Origin Story (8-Year Anniversary Special)
May 21, 2025
Dive into the wild eight-year journey of building a successful SaaS business, once humorously named 'Traffic is Currency.' Discover how a chance encounter with a client and a series of pandemic-induced pivots led to the creation of an innovative implementation program. Reflect on the struggles of earning $33K/month while feeling unfulfilled, and learn how writing a book during a six-month sprint shaped the path forward. Experience the evolution into a product-led system that transformed not only the business but the way it approaches growth.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Early Pivot from SEO to Consulting
Wes Bush began with an SEO tool idea but found his passion elsewhere quickly.
His first clients were referrals doing digital marketing for product-led SaaS companies.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Burnout Despite Big Revenue
Wes made $33K/month but felt miserable handling clients misaligned with his passion.
He realized energy matters more than just following money.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Follow Your Energy
Spend a year focusing on what activities give you energy and which drain it.
Do more of what energizes you and less of what drains you to find your true career direction.
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Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't
Jim Collins
In 'Good to Great,' Jim Collins and his research team investigate why some companies achieve long-term greatness while others do not. The book identifies key concepts such as Level 5 Leadership, the Hedgehog Concept, a Culture of Discipline, and the Flywheel Effect. These principles are derived from a comprehensive study comparing companies that made the leap to greatness with those that did not. The research highlights that greatness is not primarily a function of circumstance but rather a result of conscious choice and discipline. The book provides practical insights and case studies to help businesses and leaders understand and apply these principles to achieve sustained greatness.
I’m taking you behind the scenes of ProductLed’s wild 8-year ride. From our embarrassing original name (“Traffic is Currency” - yikes) to helping 400+ companies generate $1B in self-serve revenue, it’s been anything but linear. I share the honest truth about riding the pandemic capital wave, the year I was completely lost, and how accidentally discovering our implementation program changed everything.
Key Takeaways:
[00:01:55] My first client took a chance on me
[00:05:03] I was making $33K/month but was miserable
[00:09:44] Writing my book in a 6-month sprint
[00:13:23] How COVID forced us to pivot from workshops to cohorts
[00:20:07] The accidental discovery that transformed our business model
Looking back, my journey followed exactly what Jim Collins calls the “Hedgehog Concept” - first finding what makes money, then following my energy to PLG, and finally creating a unique system that could become world-class. The intersection of these three elements is where unstoppable businesses are built.
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