Welcome back to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In this episode, host Ben Murray sits down with Nathan Gwilliam, the founder and CEO of PodUp, for an in-depth look at building and scaling a SaaS business in the ever-evolving world of podcasting. Nathan shares his journey as a serial entrepreneur, from launching his first business at BYU to building and selling three successful companies—including Adoption.com, the world’s most-used adoption platform. 

Nathan takes us behind the scenes of PodUp, a platform designed to streamline every aspect of podcast creation, growth, and monetization through a suite of over 60 integrated tools—including sophisticated AI features. He opens up about the inspiration behind PodUp, the challenges of integrating dozens of technologies for content creators, and how a focus on both software and done-for-you services (through Pod Allies) is redefining the podcasting ecosystem. 

Together, Ben and Nathan discuss PodUp’s fundraising journey, the nuances of working with angel investors versus VCs, and key metrics that drive sustainable SaaS growth. Nathan also offers practical advice for founders on raising capital, finding the right investors, and why bootstrapping a functional MVP can dramatically improve your fundraising odds. Whether you’re a creator, entrepreneur, or SaaS enthusiast, this episode is packed with firsthand insight and actionable takeaways for anyone looking to win big in the creator economy. 

Show Notes: 

00:00 "Integrated Platform Solving Time Constraints" 

06:23 "Comprehensive Content & Monetization Tools" 

07:40 Podcast Monetization Strategy Explained 

12:56 "Board Accountability and Updates" 

14:11 Bootstrap Before Raising Money 

18:13 DIY Software Market Challenges 

22:13 Key Metrics for SaaS Survival 

26:39 "Choosing SaaS Use Cases Wisely" 

27:26 "SaaS vs Service Business Valuations" 

30:37 "Start & Grow Your Podcast" 

Links: 

SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/podup-raises-5-8-million-in-funding 

Nathan Gwilliam’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/ 

PodUp’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/poduppodcasting/ 

PodUp’s Website: https://podup.com/ 

To learn more about Ben check out the links below: 

Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe 

Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page 

SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ 

Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout 

Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray