Adam Robinson @retentionadam is the CEO of Retention.com, a $22M ARR SaaS company. Adam discusses his journey from working in finance at Lehman Brothers to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the tech space. He shares insights from bootstrapping his startups to significant annual recurring revenue milestones and emphasizes the importance of learning from experience, building entrepreneurial skills, and the challenges of scaling SaaS businesses. Adam also talks about his strategic use of LinkedIn for marketing and customer engagement, and the pivotal role of customer validation in early-stage startups. The conversation is rich with practical advice for budding entrepreneurs aiming to navigate the complexities of starting and growing a technology-driven business. 00:00 - Introduction: Meeting Adam Robinson 01:10 - Inspiration from Industry Seniors 02:21 - Origins: From Lehman Brothers to Vimeo's Early Days 04:16 - The Entrepreneurial Shift: Learning and Starting From Scratch 07:10 - Achieving Initial Profitability: Strategy and Execution 08:31 - Scaling Businesses: The Importance of Execution and Building Entrepreneurial Muscles 11:12 - The Slow SaaS Ramp of Death: Insights from Gail Goodman and Challenges in SaaS 13:38 - Rapid Growth in RB2B: Strategy and Execution in 12 Weeks 17:26 - Leveraging LinkedIn and Understanding Market Needs 22:30 - Lessons Learned: Building a Product and Market Fit 26:57 - The Role of Podcasting and Content in Building an Audience 30:34 - Validating Business Ideas Through Real Customer Commitments 34:32 - Identifying and Responding to Market Needs 37:03 - Diversifying and Scaling Up: Strategies for Growth 38:26 - Closing Thoughts: Perseverance in Entrepreneurship