Josh Haynam @Interact. Bootstrapping a bulletproof SaaS to $3M ARR

In this episode #36, we are talking with Josh Haynam, Co-Founder and CEO of Interact (https://www.tryinteract.com/), a quiz-building tool that helps you generate leads, segment your audience, and recommend products. He and his co-founders have never had a “real” job, and now they’ve bootstrapped the company to $3M ARR. Josh talks about the way product roadmap changes with the scaling of the business and how much time the team spends building VS testing the new features.

(0:00:05) – Building a Successful Quiz Tool 

Josh Haynam, co-founder and CEO of Interact, a quiz-building tool, shares his inspiring story of going door-to-door as a 15-year-old to create his own business and how it eventually led to the success of Interact. We explore how he saw the potential of a quiz-building tool to generate leads and how his team is using AI to make quizzes even more engaging. It’s an inspiring story of turning a passion into a successful business.

(0:10:31) – Polishing MVP for Bulletproof Quizzes 

Josh Haynam, co-founder, and CEO of Interact, shares his experience of developing bulletproof quiz software for businesses. He explains the importance of testing as the company grows, and how his engineering team focuses on polishing their product to ensure reliability for their customers. He also talks about his own experience of understanding his customers, and the value of their time when creating products. 

(0:17:00) – Bootstrapping and Ethics in Marketing 

Josh shares how staying bootstrapped allows them to maintain creative freedom and control, while avoiding the pressure of having to hit certain revenue targets. We also discuss the ethics of advertisement and marketing, as well as the impact of the Cambridge Analytica scandal on the quiz industry. To finish, Josh explains how Interact’s growth strategy is focused on talking to customers, creating positive years of growth rather than huge leaps.

(0:23:28) – Content Channels for Small Business Growth

Josh Haynam talks about the changing platforms for content creation and how Interact has adapted to the ever-evolving marketing landscape. He shares how they develop their solutions for small businesses, their focus on organic content, and their approach to marketing. Josh then shares how their team is taking a democratized approach to marketing by sharing their individual perspectives across various platforms. He also discusses how he has increased his visibility through the use of storytelling and his advice for small business owners.

(0:36:37) – Ideal Customers and Long-Term Growth 

We discuss the importance of staying focused and working on the little things every day to achieve long-term success. Josh shares his experience of seeing the same people share their successes over and over again, only to give up when things got hard. It can be really frustrating for customers who have invested time using a product, only for it to disappear overnight. He talks about drawing inspiration from people who have worked on the same thing for decades, and how we can all celebrate the small wins that make up the bigger picture. Finally, he shares my approach to understanding which customers are right for us, and how to say no to those that are not.