James Ashford built a bootstrapped SaaS for £4,000 on WordPress and sold it to Sage for 8 figures—without raising a single dollar of outside funding. In this episode, early-stage B2B SaaS founders will learn the bootstrapped SaaS playbook that beat competitors with $75M in funding.
James breaks down exactly how to build a sellable asset from day one. You will learn why he printed logos of potential acquirers on his wall before getting his first customer, the "market like a celebrity chef" strategy that made his content go viral, and the "shock and awe" onboarding that impressed acquirers during due diligence.
In this episode, James also shares how trading 10% of his software for 10% of an accounting firm gave him instant credibility as an outsider, and why skipping conferences to hire a videographer was the smartest bootstrapped SaaS marketing decision he made.
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🚀 Small tech, big exit: James built an 8-figure bootstrapped SaaS on a £4,000 WordPress plugin MVP—proving you don't need massive funding.📚 Market like a celebrity chef: Give away your methodology for free. People still buy because they want it done faster.🎯 Built to sell from day one: Before his first customer, James calculated his exit number and printed acquirer logos on his wall.💡 Bootstrapped SaaS forces creativity: When conferences cost £25K, he hired a videographer instead and dominated online.📋 Playbooks enable premium exits: Every process documented. Acquirers pay more when they see exactly how the business runs.The "Don't Wish It Were Easier" PhilosophyWhat GoProposal Does for AccountantsCharacteristics of the Solution: Close in 15 MinutesFrom Business Consultant to SaaS FounderThe £4,000 WordPress MVP That ScaledWhy Not Knowing Tech Was an AdvantageTrading Equity for CredibilityWriting a Bestselling Book in 2 WeeksGetting the First 100 CustomersThe Bootstrapped SaaS Marketing PlaybookOutpacing Competitors with SpeedCreating Content Without Being an ExpertThe Power of Proximity to CustomersThe PATH Method: Pain, Aspirations, Traps, HowOnboarding: The Shock and Awe ApproachGrowing to 1,100+ CustomersWhy He Skipped Conferences for a VideographerPreparing for Exit from Day OneThe M&A Process and Due DiligenceWhy He Never Raised MoneyLife After Exit: The Crash and RecoverySmall Tech, Big Exit: The New ProjectLightning Round💌 Get weekly 5-minute SaaS insights: https://saasclub.io/email
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