In this episode of MyWay, I sit down with Jane Portman — co-founder of Userlist, host of two long-running podcasts (UI Breakfast and Better Done Than Perfect), and a veteran UI/UX designer turned SaaS founder. Jane shares her journey from running a solo design consultancy to building a SaaS product in one of the most competitive markets: email marketing automation for SaaS companies.
We dive into the evolution of design’s role in SaaS, why user onboarding should be every founder’s top priority, the truth about “behavior-based” email marketing, and the biggest mistakes companies make when moving from simple newsletters to advanced automation. Jane also reveals her Atomic Emails framework, a practical system to overcome creative block and design email sequences that actually convert.
And because she’s been podcasting for over a decade, we also talk about what it takes to keep a show running consistently for 10+ years, what she’s learned from hundreds of guests, and why podcasting is her favorite long-term marketing asset.
Episode Highlights:
- Why great UI/UX is an advantage, not always a necessity — and when it is a must-have.
- The difference between SaaS email marketing and “generic” email automation.
- The two foundational workflows every SaaS company should have: onboarding and paying-customer retention.
- Best practices for nurturing campaigns — and the common mistake of overthinking them.
- How the Atomic Emails framework turns existing content into high-performing campaigns.
- The technical and creative skills needed to execute behavior-based email marketing.
- How Userlist uses roadmapping sessions to bridge the gap between marketing and engineering.
- What Jane has learned from over 400 podcast episodes — and the systems that keep her consistent.
Quote of the Episode
“Email is just a channel — not a silver bullet. But it’s basic business hygiene to be messaging your users. It shows you care.” — Jane Portman
Key Learnings
- Design is powerful, but context matters. Great design can give you a competitive edge, but many SaaS businesses succeed before perfecting UI/UX.
- SaaS email marketing is data-driven. It requires product usage tracking, segmentation, and triggers — far beyond standard email campaigns.
- Start simple before going advanced. Complex systems evolve from simple ones; most companies only need advanced automation after a couple of years.
- Onboarding is universal. No matter the pricing model, activating new users is the highest-leverage email workflow you can build.
- Deliverability is earned. Authenticate your domain, separate cold outreach from product emails, and respect unsubscribe preferences.
- Podcasting longevity comes from systems. Consistency is easier when production is a repeatable, team-supported process.
