421: Missive: How a Tiny Team Built a $6M SaaS Without VC Funding - with Philippe Lehoux

In this episode, we hear from Philippe Lehoux, the co-founder and CEO of Missive, a collaborative email client developed without outside funding. Philippe and his team created Missive to meet their own needs, dedicating over a year to its development before launching without any revenue. Initially, growth was slow, taking two years to reach $10,000 in monthly recurring revenue (MRR). Their breakthrough came from a strong focus on product quality, innovative marketing strategies like competitor comparison pages, and a unique self-built affiliate program, all while keeping their team small and dedicated. By prioritizing customer relationships over aggressive marketing, they ultimately achieved nearly $6 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) with just 11 employees.