Instead of building software, Stable validated its virtual mailbox service by onboarding customers via Zoom, managing mail in Google Drive, and charging with a Stripe link. This hacky MVP proved market demand before a single line of code was written.
Stable compensated for its rudimentary no-code MVP by onboarding every early customer via Zoom. This direct, personal interaction built trust and provided invaluable feedback, proving that a polished product isn't necessary when you solve a deep pain point with superior service.
When COVID hit, Stable's founders expected their previous remote-work startup to boom. Instead, the market was silent, even for a free product. This revealed that a seemingly perfect market catalyst can be the ultimate stress test that proves you don't have product-market fit.
Stable’s founders regret spending only a few hundred dollars a week on early paid ads. They were micro-optimizing instead of spending enough to get a clear signal. The goal should be to saturate high-intent keywords to see if a channel works, not to perfect ROI on a tiny budget.
The SEO strategy that built Stable's initial growth is now failing. Google's AI Overviews absorb clicks that previously went to top-ranking blog posts. This fundamental shift requires moving from informational content SEO to brand-building, thought leadership, and diversified channels.
Stable's defensibility comes from its complexity. It had to build both a customer-facing SaaS app and a separate, complex internal software to manage its physical mail-processing operations. This dual software requirement creates a significant barrier to entry for pure software competitors.
A founder's role fundamentally shifts from product building to company building around the 15-20 employee mark. The new job is to ensure alignment and clear communication. A key lesson is that priorities must be stated repeatedly, as team members cannot read your mind.
The idea for Stable didn't come from a brainstorm session. It was a recurring pain point—the need for a business address—that surfaced repeatedly during hundreds of discovery calls for the founders' previous, failing startup. The best pivot ideas are often hidden in your existing customer research.