#386 – How Rex Kurzius built a business that funds itself

A story about choosing autonomy over speed—and building something that lasts.

This episode is for SaaS founders tired of chasing growth rounds—and wondering if slow, profitable building could win.

Most software companies raise capital to scale fast. Rex Kurzius, Founder of Asset Panda, rejected that path entirely. His father ran a bakery. His brother built MailChimp. Rex grew up watching immigrant work ethic turn into entrepreneurial success—and applied the same principle to software.

He spent 13 years building Asset Panda from startup to a world-class asset tracking platform. No investors. No board pressure. No artificial timelines. Just solving one problem—asset tracking—and letting customer revenue fund each next step.

And this inspired me to invite Rex to my podcast. We explore why staying curious matters more than being right. Rex shares his thinking on positioning pivots (consumer to business, product to platform), building without investor timelines, and the inverse relationship between AI and headcount growth. You'll discover why he calls himself the turtle in the race—and what slow, steady building creates.

We also zoom in on three of the 10 traits that define remarkable software companies:

• Master the art of curiosity
• Focus on the essence
• Turn customers into fans

Rex's story is proof that building slow beats chasing speed—when you solve real problems.

Here's one of Rex's quotes that captures his growth philosophy:

"It's not about being perfect, and it's not about being right. It's about being curious and having the ability to deal with failure, learn from that failure, and adapt to succeed."

By listening to this episode, you'll learn:

• Why staying curious beats being right when building software
• What happens when you fund growth with customer revenue, not investor capital
• Why solving client problems matters more than hitting investor timelines
• How building slow creates more enduring value than chasing speed

For more information about the guest from this week:

Guest: Rex Kurzius, Founder and CEO of Asset Panda

Website: assetpanda.com