Inspiring Journey of Two Friends Who Built a No-Code SaaS to $1M ARR
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Chapter 1: The Birth of Userflow
This narrative serves as motivation for anyone aiming to establish their own SaaS platform. Friends Esben Friss-Jensen and Sebastian Seilund developed Userflow from the ground up, forming a compact team of three comprising two co-founders and a dedicated designer.
Their relationship traces back to 2013 when Esben founded a company called Cobalt, where Sebastian was a client. Cobalt specializes in integrated penetration testing, enhancing communication between development and security teams. This is how their paths crossed, and they have maintained a strong friendship in the Bay Area.
Sebastian began working on Userflow in 2018, with Esben joining him full-time in 2020, seeking a new challenge after Cobalt’s growth. Their roles are clearly defined: Sebastian drives product development, while Esben concentrates on growth and customer support.
Esben strongly advocates for a product-centric growth approach. The Userflow team deliberately avoids traditional sales meetings and has no plans to hire a customer success manager, opting instead for a product-led growth strategy that enables rapid expansion without extensive hiring.
Customers can explore the product through free trials and often subscribe without direct interaction with the team.
Section 1.1: What is Userflow?
Userflow is a no-code platform designed as a SaaS tool that allows users to create in-app tours, guides, checklists, and surveys without any programming knowledge. This significantly reduces the need for costly developer resources, simplifying user onboarding with helpful guides.
Subsection 1.1.1: Identifying the Product Opportunity
The journey to find their product began by analyzing underserved market niches. However, this often means generating demand in a space with no competition, which can be challenging. Conversely, entering a crowded market requires distinguishing one’s product from established competitors.
Sebastian, while developing a video reporting tool, created a product tour feature that garnered attention. Many users inquired about how he achieved this, leading to the realization that there was a demand for a tool to simplify product tours.
Initially, Sebastian experimented with existing tools to create user guides but encountered various UX hurdles. This experience inspired him to develop a unique product that focused solely on creating guides, which became a core differentiator for Userflow.
Section 1.2: Emphasizing Product-Led Growth
Esben explains, "Product-led growth is a mindset. Always prioritize the product, as every action taken is vital." Ensuring an exceptional user experience is paramount; the goal is to engage users from their first interaction.
Instead of hiring additional support staff when faced with repeated queries, the Userflow team enhances the product itself to address common issues. Almost half of the team focuses on refining the UX, while the other half is dedicated to developing new features.
Chapter 2: Engaging Customers
In the video "0 to $2M ARR Bootstrapped Without Hiring - Evaboot SaaS Story - SaaS Startup Podcast," the journey of achieving significant growth without traditional hiring practices is explored, emphasizing the importance of product-led strategies.
Userflow's website presents two primary calls to action for visitors: initiating a free trial or viewing a demo. The demo, a concise 15-minute video featuring Sebastian, outlines the product’s functionalities, making it easier for potential users to understand what Userflow offers.
Esben emphasizes, "Our main call to action is to start a free trial, which most users choose." The team avoids sending users to demo scenarios, favoring longer-format videos that better illustrate the product's capabilities.
The video "3 No-Code Startups Making Over $1,000,000 In Revenue" highlights successful no-code ventures, showcasing how these companies navigate growth and user engagement.
Section 2.1: The User Experience
What does the user’s “aha” moment look like? The team prioritizes aiding users—particularly product managers and customer success managers—in building user flows effortlessly. If users can create flows without coding, they are more likely to remain loyal to the product.
Upon signing in for the first time, users receive a welcome message followed by a guided flow to help them create their initial user flow.
Subsection 2.1.1: Innovative Solutions
To facilitate product tours without requiring code, Userflow developed a Chrome extension. This allows users to build and preview content in their applications seamlessly, eliminating the need for JavaScript snippets.
This innovation provides product managers the ability to experience the product without developer involvement, enhancing the initial engagement.
Section 2.2: Growth Channels
Userflow primarily relies on word-of-mouth referrals and advertising for user acquisition. Esben has invested heavily in SEO since partnering with Sebastian, focusing on writing about product-led growth to attract attention to Userflow.
A book that has significantly influenced Esben is "Product Lead SEO" by Eli Schwartz, which emphasizes authenticity and integrity in writing.
Esben approaches keyword research unconventionally, favoring topics related to product-led growth and onboarding, which naturally draw in interested individuals.
Guest blogging has also become a key strategy, as it helps garner traffic through established readerships, further enhancing Userflow’s visibility.
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