Episode 776 | How Bootstrapping Led to a Life-Changing $90M SaaS Exit

27/05/2025 50 min

                    Episode 776 | How Bootstrapping Led to a Life-Changing $90M SaaS Exit

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Episode Synopsis


What’s it take to bootstrap a niche SaaS to $90M without raising a dime?



In this episode, Kevin Wagstaff joins Rob Walling to share how he and his brother bootstrapped Spectora from a scrappy MVP to a $90M valuation. It’s a masterclass in finding traction in unsexy markets, building with empathy, and making smart bets like embedded payments.



Topics we cover: 




(4:39) – The surreal moment Kevin and his brother became multimillionaires



(9:14) – Why a mobile-first approach won in an outdated, overlooked niche



(17:39) – How adding payments created a second revenue stream and bigger valuation



(20:36) – The early hustle: trade shows, 6 AM demos, and Facebook group tactics




Links from the Show: 




SaaS Launchpad Course



MicroConf



Kevin Wagstaff | LinkedIn



Kevin Wagstaff (@KevinWagstaff3) | X



Spectora



Kevin’s Built to Sell Radio Episode




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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