Instead of trying to produce polished content as an expert, founders should simply document their daily journey—challenges, learnings, and even product development decisions. This approach lowers the barrier to creation, feels more authentic to the audience, and invites them to contribute.
To overcome the challenge of being an outsider, James Ashford gave 10% of GoProposal to a respected accounting firm in exchange for a 10% stake in their business. This move instantly gave him credibility, an insider's perspective, and the ability to speak authentically to his target market.
GoProposal viewed high-touch, proactive onboarding as part of their acquisition cost. Before a trial user even entered their credit card, the team would manually set up their account with brand assets. This "shock and awe" approach wowed customers and dramatically increased conversion.
GoProposal's founder responded to customer questions with same-day videos and published event summaries hours after they ended. This focus on speed and relevance, rather than polished production, allowed his bootstrapped startup to dominate the content landscape against much larger competitors.
GoProposal used a four-part framework for all content: address customer Pain, clarify Aspirations, highlight the Traps of other solutions, and explain How to truly solve the problem. This structure guides prospects to conclude your product is the only viable option without directly attacking competitors.
GoProposal didn't push sales. Instead, they focused on developing prospects' understanding of the problem through content like books. This educated them into becoming better customers who signed up faster, stayed longer, and spent more, as they were primed for the solution.
Instead of building from scratch, James Ashford leveraged a WordPress multi-site as the "engine" for his SaaS. This enabled a rapid, low-cost launch and surprisingly scaled to over 1,000 customers and a seven-figure ARR, proving that non-traditional tech stacks can succeed.
Faced with a $25k event sponsorship, GoProposal's founder realized he could hire a full-time videographer for the same price. This decision, driven by scarcity, led to a more durable content engine that proved invaluable when the pandemic hit. A lack of resources forces creative, high-leverage thinking.
James Ashford modeled his marketing on celebrity chefs who share recipes freely yet still have packed restaurants. He taught accountants exactly how to improve their pricing without his software, building trust so that when they wanted an easier solution, GoProposal was the only choice.