Melissa Kwan @eWebinar. Bootstrapping a SaaS

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/ .

I’m your host Anna Nadeina, Head of Growth for saas.group. In this episode #5, we are talking with Melissa Kwan, the founder of eWebinar (https://ewebinar.com/ ), an automated webinar platform that combines pre-recorded video with real-time interactions. Melissa shares her journey of building 3 bootstrapped businesses, finding peace in her nomad lifestyle, and figuring out personal branding for the good of the product.

(0:00:02) – Successful eWebinar Business With Melissa Kwan 

Melissa Kwan, the third-time Boost Shop founder who is currently growing eWebinar, an automated webinar platform, shares her 13-year experience in startups and how her nomad lifestyle has shaped her journey. She explains how eWebinar was born out of her wish to have a product that could do the repetitive webinars for her, while she could go and live her life. We discuss the challenges of starting a business from scratch, even after a good exit, and what she has learned from prior experiences. Finally, Melissa shares her mindset for e-webinar and why she decided to exit her previous company.

(0:13:19) – Entrepreneurship and Personal Happiness 

Melissa Kwan shares her experience of being a bootstrapped founder and how she eventually went down the path of nomadism. She explains why she was initially chasing external validation from investors and the media and how it was a toxic mindset to have. She shares how she eventually freed up the mental space to decide to do something for herself and how that led to her leaving New York and traveling full-time.

(0:18:04) – Building and Growing a SaaS Product 

Melissa Kwan’s journey to creating eWebinar, an automated webinar platform, is explored. She was able to identify a product that people wanted and bootstrapped her company. Melissa quickly acquired her first 100 customers through one-on-one demos and eventually transitioned to a product-like growth strategy. Various strategies have been used to continue to grow her company.

(0:29:12) – Founder’s Success Through Bootstrapping

Melissa Kwan explains why customer success teams are worth three to five times as much as sales teams, and why companies should be investing in customer success rather than sales teams. She shares her approach to making sure customer questions are answered quickly and efficiently, and why investing in onboarding is essential. She also touches on the importance of desperation and creativity in bootstrapped companies, and how companies should focus on value for customers, not investors.

(0:40:05) – Interview With eWebinar Founder 

Melissa Kwan shares her experience in bootstrapping her company eWebinar, an automated webinar platform, and why she eventually decided to become a nomad. She explains the importance of customer success teams for businesses and how investing in them can be incredibly rewarding. Melissa also offers valuable advice on how to build a successful product and how to connect with her.