In this episode of MyWay, I sit down with Jane Portman — co-founder of Userlist, host of two long-running podcasts (UI Breakfast and Better Done Than Perfect), and a veteran UI/UX designer turned SaaS founder. Jane shares her journey from running a solo design consultancy to building a SaaS product in one of the most competitive markets: email marketing automation for SaaS companies.

We dive into the evolution of design’s role in SaaS, why user onboarding should be every founder’s top priority, the truth about “behavior-based” email marketing, and the biggest mistakes companies make when moving from simple newsletters to advanced automation. Jane also reveals her Atomic Emails framework, a practical system to overcome creative block and design email sequences that actually convert.

And because she’s been podcasting for over a decade, we also talk about what it takes to keep a show running consistently for 10+ years, what she’s learned from hundreds of guests, and why podcasting is her favorite long-term marketing asset.

Episode Highlights:

• Why great UI/UX is an advantage, not always a necessity — and when it is a must-have.
• The difference between SaaS email marketing and “generic” email automation.
• The two foundational workflows every SaaS company should have: onboarding and paying-customer retention.
• Best practices for nurturing campaigns — and the common mistake of overthinking them.
• How the Atomic Emails framework turns existing content into high-performing campaigns.
• The technical and creative skills needed to execute behavior-based email marketing.
• How Userlist uses roadmapping sessions to bridge the gap between marketing and engineering.
• What Jane has learned from over 400 podcast episodes — and the systems that keep her consistent.

Quote of the Episode

“Email is just a channel — not a silver bullet. But it’s basic business hygiene to be messaging your users. It shows you care.” — Jane Portman

Key Learnings

1. Design is powerful, but context matters. Great design can give you a competitive edge, but many SaaS businesses succeed before perfecting UI/UX.
2. SaaS email marketing is data-driven. It requires product usage tracking, segmentation, and triggers — far beyond standard email campaigns.
3. Start simple before going advanced. Complex systems evolve from simple ones; most companies only need advanced automation after a couple of years.
4. Onboarding is universal. No matter the pricing model, activating new users is the highest-leverage email workflow you can build.
5. Deliverability is earned. Authenticate your domain, separate cold outreach from product emails, and respect unsubscribe preferences.
6. Podcasting longevity comes from systems. Consistency is easier when production is a repeatable, team-supported process.