Bootstrapped SaaS to 8-Figure Exit (No VC, No Problem) | GoProposal

James Ashford built a bootstrapped SaaS for £4,000 on WordPress and sold it to Sage for 8 figures—without raising a single dollar of outside funding. In this episode, early-stage B2B SaaS founders will learn the bootstrapped SaaS playbook that beat competitors with $75M in funding. James breaks down exactly how to build a sellable asset from day one. You will learn why he printed logos of potential acquirers on his wall before getting his first customer, the "market like a celebrity chef" strategy that made his content go viral, and the "shock and awe" onboarding that impressed acquirers during due diligence. In this episode, James also shares how trading 10% of his software for 10% of an accounting firm gave him instant credibility as an outsider, and why skipping conferences to hire a videographer was the smartest bootstrapped SaaS marketing decision he made. This episode is brought to you by: 💖 Gearheart → Book a call + get the first 20 hours of development free 📡 Signal House → Learn more and get a demo 🚨 NordStellar → Book a demo and get 20% off with code blackfriday20 🔑 Key Lessons 🚀 Small tech, big exit: James built an 8-figure bootstrapped SaaS on a £4,000 WordPress plugin MVP—proving you don't need massive funding. 📚 Market like a celebrity chef: Give away your methodology for free. People still buy because they want it done faster. 🎯 Built to sell from day one: Before his first customer, James calculated his exit number and printed acquirer logos on his wall. 💡 Bootstrapped SaaS forces creativity: When conferences cost £25K, he hired a videographer instead and dominated online. 📋 Playbooks enable premium exits: Every process documented. Acquirers pay more when they see exactly how the business runs. Chapters The "Don't Wish It Were Easier" Philosophy What GoProposal Does for Accountants Characteristics of the Solution: Close in 15 Minutes From Business Consultant to SaaS Founder The £4,000 WordPress MVP That Scaled Why Not Knowing Tech Was an Advantage Trading Equity for Credibility Writing a Bestselling Book in 2 Weeks Getting the First 100 Customers The Bootstrapped SaaS Marketing Playbook Outpacing Competitors with Speed Creating Content Without Being an Expert The Power of Proximity to Customers The PATH Method: Pain, Aspirations, Traps, How Onboarding: The Shock and Awe Approach Growing to 1,100+ Customers Why He Skipped Conferences for a Videographer Preparing for Exit from Day One The M&A Process and Due Diligence Why He Never Raised Money Life After Exit: The Crash and Recovery Small Tech, Big Exit: The New Project Lightning Round 💌 Get weekly 5-minute SaaS insights: https://saasclub.io/email SaaS Club Programs Join the SaaS Club founder community: https://saasclub.co/plus Build your $10K MRR SaaS: https://saasclub.io/launch Scale from 6-figures to $1M ARR Faster: https://saasclub.io/mastermind Get 1:1 async coaching from Omer: https://saasclub.io/accelerate Resources Full show notes: https://saasclub.io/461 Subscribe to the podcast: https://saasclub.io/subscribe