Mastering SaaS growth without burning out as a solo founder with @Jason Zigelbaum @Zigpoll

saas.unbound is a podcast for and about founders who are working on scaling inspiring products that people love, brought to you by https://saas.group/, a serial acquirer of B2B SaaS companies.

In episode #21 of season 5, Anna Nadeina talks with Jason, founder at Zigpoll, helping eCommerce brands get a deeper understanding of their customers by using micro-surveys.

It’s a deep-dive into Jason’s experience, strategies, and lessons learned—from his initial motivation and growth tactics to branding, affiliate programs, and personal productivity hacks. Whether you’re a solo founder or part of a growing startup, Jason’s story offers valuable insights into scaling a SaaS product effectively without losing yourself in the process.

From Developer to Solo SaaS Founder: The Zigpoll Origin Story

Jason began his career nearly a decade ago as a front-end developer at an e-commerce agency. Frustrated by building products for others without seeing the rewards firsthand, he decided to create something on his own. His background in development naturally led him to the Shopify app store, a channel that allowed him to focus on product creation while Shopify handled distribution and infrastructure.

“I wanted to work alone,” Jason explains, noting that solo work helped him avoid burnout from team coordination and delegation. This independent approach shaped Zigpoll’s early days as a Shopify app focused on providing micro-surveys tailored to e-commerce brands.

Building and Marketing Zigpoll: The Evolution of Customer Focus

Initially, Jason’s instinct was to target technical users like developers, posting on forums such as Hacker News and software-focused subreddits. However, he soon realized the importance of understanding the actual users of his product, who were often marketers or non-technical professionals.

“You have to understand who is actually going to be using your product and focus on them. It’s not always the developers; it’s often marketers or others who want actionable insights.”

This insight transformed Jason’s product development and marketing strategy. He shifted towards tailoring the user experience, onboarding flow, and even the landing pages to better resonate with his ideal customer profile. This customer-centric approach is now a cornerstone of Zigpoll’s growth.

Leveraging the Shopify App Store: Opportunities and Challenges

Shopify served as a perfect launchpad for Zigpoll, offering an accessible distribution channel for solo developers. Jason acknowledges that while Shopify remains a key growth channel, it also imposes certain limitations.

• Growth Potential: Shopify’s ecosystem allowed Zigpoll to gain traction quickly, but scaling beyond a niche within Shopify can be challenging.
• Competition and Discovery: With thousands of apps available, maintaining visibility requires constant effort, especially through positive reviews.
• Platform Dependence: Shopify’s rules and ecosystem constraints mean that at some point, product growth outside Shopify becomes necessary for more control.

Jason’s advice to fellow founders is to use Shopify as a springboard but keep an eye on expanding beyond it to diversify distribution and brand presence.

Customer Support as a Growth Lever

Customer support is often seen as a tedious task, but Jason views it as a “superpower” for early-stage SaaS success. He personally handles every support ticket and email, using empathy and responsiveness to turn even frustrated users into loyal advocates.

To manage the volume, Jason employs strategies such as:

• Creating email templates for common questions, which also highlight product gaps to be addressed in future updates.
• Offering discounts or grandfathering pricing tiers to appease unhappy customers and encourage positive reviews.
• Following up proactively with users to ensure satisfaction and collect feedback.

His approach underscores the importance of listening to customers directly, especially when operating solo, to refine the product and foster organic growth.

Branding and Visual Identity: Simplicity and Consistency Matter

Jason admits that branding was not a primary focus in Zigpoll’s early days. Having designed the logo and visual assets himself, he recognizes that a consistent and simple brand identity is crucial for cohesive marketing and user recognition.

“Keep it simple — simpler than you think. Have a unique, visually cohesive icon and font that ties all your marketing materials together.”

He also highlights that branding’s importance can vary depending on the target audience. For B2B SaaS products used by marketers or business users, brand identity can be a differentiator that builds trust and loyalty. For more technical, tool-like products, it might be less critical.

Affiliate Programs: Offering Value to Drive Growth

Zigpoll’s affiliate program is built on offering one of the most competitive revenue shares in the market—50% lifetime revenue share. Jason explains that this aggressive approach is sustainable due to high margins and helps attract affiliates who genuinely believe in the product.

He emphasizes that authentic affiliates often come from satisfied customers who want to share the product, rather than opportunistic promoters looking for quick commissions. The program was launched early in the company’s life, although it took time before affiliates actively promoted the product.

Balancing Solo Foundership and Personal Life

Running a solo SaaS business while managing family life presents unique challenges. Jason shares how his routine has adapted since becoming a parent:

• He works in focused time blocks throughout the day, such as early mornings before the household wakes up, mid-morning, and evening sessions after his child goes to bed.
• He prioritizes tasks based on mental capacity, handling customer support or development when he is most alert.
• He acknowledges the constant juggling act but finds motivation in doing work he loves.

Jason’s key to avoiding burnout is aligning his work with his passions and setting a clear “north star” goal—initially focused on acquiring five-star reviews, and later shifting toward revenue growth.

Biggest Wins and Failures: Learning from Detours

Jason’s biggest win was a pivot during the COVID-19 pandemic when he developed a virtual concert platform for the music industry, generating nearly $400K in revenue by orchestrating online events for major labels like Universal and Sony Music. However, this detour was also a double-edged sword.

While financially successful, the virtual concert business was highly time-intensive and lacked scalability, pulling focus away from Zigpoll’s core product growth during a critical time.

“It was a cool detour but a missed opportunity not to focus sooner on what was clearly working—post-purchase surveys for e-commerce.”

This experience underscores the importance of balancing exploration with focus, especially for solo founders with limited bandwidth.

Productivity Hacks for Founders

One of Jason’s most effective productivity hacks is dedicating the early morning hour between 7 and 8 a.m. to work. This time slot offers several advantages:

• Fewer distractions and support requests.
• Opportunity to connect with European customers and partners during their working hours.
• Helps build an international presence that might otherwise be missed.

He encourages founders to identify their own “north star” metric—whether it’s customer satisfaction, revenue, or another goal—and prioritize daily activities around it. Flexibility in scheduling and task management is vital, especially when balancing family and work.