Joe Sinkwitz @Intellifluence. Bootstrapping an influencer marketing SaaS

In this episode #15, we are talking with Joe Sinkwitz, the co-founder of Intellifluence (https://intellifluence.com/), an all-in-one influencer marketing platform that enables brands and influencers to connect, collaborate and reach their goals. Joe shares the rules that help him successfully bootstrap the business, the financial data he tracks, and how to prioritize the things that are important over something that’s just nice to have.

(0:00:08) – Building an All-in-One Marketing Platform 

Today on saas.unbound, I’m joined by Joe Sinkwitz, co-founder of Intellifluence. We explore how Intellifluence was born out of necessity when Joe was recruited to help an unlikely product, a vaping cellphone, gain traction. We learn how Joe used his software development and digital marketing background to create an all-in-one platform to facilitate collaboration between brands and influencers. Finally, we discuss the success of Intellifluence, which now boasts an impressive list of features, and how it has grown in popularity since 2016.

(0:15:21) – Influencer Marketing 

We discuss how the company was created to combat fraud in the influencer marketing space. We explore how Intellifluence implemented their own internal payments platform to ensure brands could prove they were good for the money, and the active community moderation that takes place to get rid of bad actors quickly. We also look at how forcing some form of concrete monetization alleviates the scammers who are trying to promise unrealistic and unsustainable incomes. Finally, we talk about some features we’ve had to get rid of due to customer feedback and the importance of listening to customers.

(0:28:24) – Bootstrapping and Company Philosophy

Intellifluence’s company philosophies, how decision-making is weighed between the brand, influencer, and the company, and the importance of customer support are explored. The lifestyle of the company, the decision-making process for bootstrapping, and the trade-offs that come with resource constraints are also discussed.

(0:32:22) – Trends and AI in Influencer Marketing 

Joe Sinkwitz, discusses the trend of AI and how startups are incorporating it. We explore the use of chat GPT and open AI for ideation, cautioning against the use of AI for things that don’t actually need it. We also discuss the potential of avatars that don’t exist, and how this could affect influencer marketing and advertisement. Finally, Joe reflects on Intellifluence’s biggest wins and losses.

(0:41:32) – SaaS and Bound 

We discuss the rise of AI and how startups are incorporating it into their businesses. We explore how AI can be used to make customer support more efficient and how AI can be used to detect and prevent fraud in the influencer marketing space. Joa shares the importance of customer support and how decision-making is weighed between the brand, influencer, and the company. We also talk about Intellifluence’s company philosophies and how they guide their decision-making.