Is it time to sell, autopilot, or double down on your plateaued SaaS business?

In this episode, Rob Walling tackles listener questions and shares practical frameworks for what to do when your product hits a plateau, explains why “autopilot” often leads to decline, and outlines when founders should seriously consider SOC 2 compliance. Rob also talks about balancing a startup with a newborn, the real value of open source and IP, and the risks and rewards of building MVPs in exchange for equity.

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Topics we cover:

(2:34) – What to do with a plateaued $500k B2C app
(4:28) – Founder motivation, business longevity, and the myth of autopilot
(13:15) – Should you offer MVP development in exchange for equity?
(14:04) – Equity risks, upside, and how to protect yourself
(18:00) – When SOC2 compliance actually matters for founders
(21:08) – Balancing a new baby, a job, and SaaS ambitions
(24:38) – Can open source IP help bootstrappers stand out?
(25:25) – Why differentiation and marketing matter more than patents or code

Links from the Show:

Discretion Capital – M&A Advisory for B2B SaaS with $2-25m ARR
MicroConf - SaaS Community
TinySeed - SaaS Institute

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

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Episode 808 | A $500k "Step 1" Business, When to Consider SOC2, and More Listener Questions

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