BUILD A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR STARTUP WITHOUT VENTURE CAPITAL

Strategies and frameworks from the trenches to help you grow a successful SaaS company.

Most companies that seek funding do not receive it

You don’t need anyone’s permission to build your startup

Who should read this book?

Any entrepreneur who wants to build an ambitious software startup. Whether you’re a software developer, a no-code aficionado, or you’ve never written code in your life, this book will walk you through the most actionable tactics to launch and grow a SaaS business.

Why should you read this book?

If you’ve been waiting for someone to hand you buckets of money to build your company, stop. The SaaS Playbook is your guide to building your startup without venture funding. It focuses on proven strategies and frameworks to take you through the process of finding marketing channels that work, building moats, finding the SaaS cheat codes, refining pricing, building your team, and fixing bottlenecks in your funnel while avoiding founders’ burnout.

Who shouldn’t read this book?

Founders who are looking for the easy path to success, or are seeking a silver bullet secret that will make them succeed without hard work. And also those dead set on raising venture capital and building a high-risk billion-dollar company that will get written up on TechCrunch.

Testimonials

  • Rand Fishkin

    Co-founder, SparkToro

    "If you're starting or running a SaaS business, this book isn't just good; it's essential. Rob's seen hundreds of SaaS businesses fail and dozens succeed, and he's distilled that knowledge into a beautifully readable, perfect-sized volume of only-the-really-good-advice. If you want to avoid the pitfalls that imperil every SaaS startup (and kill 95% of them), read this cover to cover, and refer back often; that's my plan."

  • Jason Cohen

    Founder, WP Engine

    "Fortunately for you, Rob Walling has been one of the most active members of this [startup community] for a few decades, having built several successful companies and, through investment, has seen the ups and downs of more than one hundred; he has distilled this experience into a book of wisdom, exactly what you need to tackle the work that is now in front you.”

  • Derek Sivers

    Founder, CD Baby
    Author of "Anything You Want"

    "By far the best book on this subject. Packed with specific instructions but also surprisingly deep insights into the hurdles and solutions. You can tell he's speaking not only from his own extensive experience but from knowing hundreds of other startups. A must-read for every bootstrapping entrepreneur."

  • Courtland Allen

    Founder, Indie Hackers

    “Rob is a startup Grand Master who's inspired me and countless others. A chance to learn from Rob's condensed knowledge is a drop-everything-and-do-this-instead moment.”

  • Laura Roeder

    Founder, Paperbell

    “Rob has more years in the bootstrapped trenches than anyone, and that's why he's my go-to source for how to build a lucrative bootstrapped business. After learning from his teachings and community, I exited my bootstrapped SaaS for 7 figures!”

  • Dharmesh Shah

    Co-founder/CTO, HubSpot

    “Rob knows software, and he knows startups. I've been learning from him since the early years of HubSpot. You should too.”

  • Patrick Campbell

    Co-founder, Profitwell

    “Rob's one of the few minds who sits at the center of the SaaS ecosystem with the knowledge of not only how to build SaaS products properly but also how to scale them. His playbook is something I've wanted for years—glad he finally put it down on the page so we can all learn.”

  • Peldi Guilizzoni

    Founder and CEO, Balsamiq

    “Most of the advice that's out there about growing a SaaS past the initial phases is pretty bad. Not a lot of people have actually run a bootstrapped SaaS business for a long time. Rob Walling is the exception. He's been in the trenches for over a decade, and has been mentoring the indie software community the whole time. I started reading this book, and I can't put it down.”

  • Noah Kagan

    Chief Sumo, AppSumo

    “I do whatever Rob recommends in SaaS! With a track record like his it’s a gift he’s sharing this playbook with the world. Must read for every SaaS creator.”

In this book, Rob Walling shares best practices tested and improved through years of trial and error, both in his startups and those he’s invested in.

You will find proven, actionable strategies in these six critical areas:

Market
How to understand your market and beat competition

Mindset
The psychological factors that can help you become a successful founder

Team
When to hire, and how to get the right people on your team

Marketing
Finding and scaling the best marketing channels

80/20 Metrics
The highest-impact SaaS metrics you should be watching

Pricing
Structuring pricing for maximum growth

This book is a MUST if…

You want to grow your startup faster.

You want to build a product and find customers at the scale to grow to a seven- or eight-figure business

(especially if you’ve already launched and are struggling to make progress)

You’re looking to grow a side project to replace your full-time income and beyond.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rob Walling is a serial entrepreneur who has built a few multimillion-dollar companies, including Drip, MicroConf, and TinySeed.

He’s the host of Startups for the Rest of Us and has written two best-selling books about startups: Start Small, Stay Small, and The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Keeping your Sh*t Together. Through his books, podcasts, conferences, and essays, he has helped tens of thousands of startup founders.

Rob has been featured in