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Oct 16, 2023 · 26m · founders-journal

How My Company Went From Zero to a $10 Million Run Rate

Jesse Poogee · 16m spoken Alex Lieberman · 6m spoken
0:00 / 0:00

gold bands on the timeline = statements, start to end. Hover to read, click to jump. CC turns on captions

In this episode of Founder's Journal, Alex Lieberman interviews Gateway X founder Jesse Pujji on how his venture Growth Assistant scaled to a $10 million run rate in 30 months. Jesse breaks down offshore talent economics, executive hiring, ideal customer profile targeting, and the operational shifts required to build a scalable enterprise.

How this conversation actually went

Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. Alex holds 30.3% of the talking time here. How this is scored →

Alex as informed peer 2.8 Guest teaching 2.5 Guest disagreement 0.3 Alex pushing back 0.3
05100:0010:0020:001:05–5:00 · Alex as informed peer 2/10 Jesse Poogee's Entrepreneurial Background and Gateway X Alex and Jesse have a very warm, collaborative rapport as former co-hosts. Alex asks foundational interview questions to establish the concept of Growth Assistant, while Jesse explains the historical evolution of BPO and the specific roles offshore assistants fill.5:00–12:36 · Alex as informed peer 4/10 Partnering with CEO Adrian Schwager Jesse clarifies that his early success came from tapping his Ampush alumni network rather than his Twitter audience as Alex initially assumed. Alex connects Jesse's insights on customer qualification to his own operational challenges building StoryArb.12:38–16:26 · Alex as informed peer 3/10 Business Model Economics and Hitting a 10M Run Rate Jesse details the financial mechanics of charging per full-time employee and explains why staffing is stickier and less prone to churn than an agency model. Alex listens attentively, asking clarifying operational questions around pricing transparency.16:30–23:07 · Alex as informed peer 3/10 Scaling Lessons, Execution Bias, and Marketing Channels Alex questions whether offshore staffing is largely commoditized, prompting Jesse to emphasize the delicate nuance required in talent matching. Jesse also shares scaling anecdotes about prioritizing execution over upfront legal precautions.23:07–25:39 · Alex as informed peer 5/10 Evolving from Solo Operator to Scaled Enterprise Jesse explains the friction of expanding company infrastructure to scale from $10M to $50M run rate. Alex demonstrates strong business intuition by synthesizing Jesse's operational scaling dilemma with an apt bed-and-breakfast versus hotel analogy.25:40–26:02 · Alex as informed peer 0/10 Episode Conclusion and Call for Listener Feedback Alex delivers a solo outro thanking the guest and asking listeners for feedback and future guest suggestions.1:05–5:00 · Guest teaching 2/10 Jesse Poogee's Entrepreneurial Background and Gateway X Alex and Jesse have a very warm, collaborative rapport as former co-hosts. Alex asks foundational interview questions to establish the concept of Growth Assistant, while Jesse explains the historical evolution of BPO and the specific roles offshore assistants fill.5:00–12:36 · Guest teaching 4/10 Partnering with CEO Adrian Schwager Jesse clarifies that his early success came from tapping his Ampush alumni network rather than his Twitter audience as Alex initially assumed. Alex connects Jesse's insights on customer qualification to his own operational challenges building StoryArb.12:38–16:26 · Guest teaching 3/10 Business Model Economics and Hitting a 10M Run Rate Jesse details the financial mechanics of charging per full-time employee and explains why staffing is stickier and less prone to churn than an agency model. Alex listens attentively, asking clarifying operational questions around pricing transparency.16:30–23:07 · Guest teaching 4/10 Scaling Lessons, Execution Bias, and Marketing Channels Alex questions whether offshore staffing is largely commoditized, prompting Jesse to emphasize the delicate nuance required in talent matching. Jesse also shares scaling anecdotes about prioritizing execution over upfront legal precautions.23:07–25:39 · Guest teaching 2/10 Evolving from Solo Operator to Scaled Enterprise Jesse explains the friction of expanding company infrastructure to scale from $10M to $50M run rate. Alex demonstrates strong business intuition by synthesizing Jesse's operational scaling dilemma with an apt bed-and-breakfast versus hotel analogy.25:40–26:02 · Guest teaching 0/10 Episode Conclusion and Call for Listener Feedback Alex delivers a solo outro thanking the guest and asking listeners for feedback and future guest suggestions.1:05–5:00 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Jesse Poogee's Entrepreneurial Background and Gateway X Alex and Jesse have a very warm, collaborative rapport as former co-hosts. Alex asks foundational interview questions to establish the concept of Growth Assistant, while Jesse explains the historical evolution of BPO and the specific roles offshore assistants fill.5:00–12:36 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Partnering with CEO Adrian Schwager Jesse clarifies that his early success came from tapping his Ampush alumni network rather than his Twitter audience as Alex initially assumed. Alex connects Jesse's insights on customer qualification to his own operational challenges building StoryArb.12:38–16:26 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Business Model Economics and Hitting a 10M Run Rate Jesse details the financial mechanics of charging per full-time employee and explains why staffing is stickier and less prone to churn than an agency model. Alex listens attentively, asking clarifying operational questions around pricing transparency.16:30–23:07 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Scaling Lessons, Execution Bias, and Marketing Channels Alex questions whether offshore staffing is largely commoditized, prompting Jesse to emphasize the delicate nuance required in talent matching. Jesse also shares scaling anecdotes about prioritizing execution over upfront legal precautions.23:07–25:39 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Evolving from Solo Operator to Scaled Enterprise Jesse explains the friction of expanding company infrastructure to scale from $10M to $50M run rate. Alex demonstrates strong business intuition by synthesizing Jesse's operational scaling dilemma with an apt bed-and-breakfast versus hotel analogy.25:40–26:02 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Episode Conclusion and Call for Listener Feedback Alex delivers a solo outro thanking the guest and asking listeners for feedback and future guest suggestions.1:05–5:00 · Alex pushing back 0/10 Jesse Poogee's Entrepreneurial Background and Gateway X Alex and Jesse have a very warm, collaborative rapport as former co-hosts. Alex asks foundational interview questions to establish the concept of Growth Assistant, while Jesse explains the historical evolution of BPO and the specific roles offshore assistants fill.5:00–12:36 · Alex pushing back 1/10 Partnering with CEO Adrian Schwager Jesse clarifies that his early success came from tapping his Ampush alumni network rather than his Twitter audience as Alex initially assumed. Alex connects Jesse's insights on customer qualification to his own operational challenges building StoryArb.12:38–16:26 · Alex pushing back 0/10 Business Model Economics and Hitting a 10M Run Rate Jesse details the financial mechanics of charging per full-time employee and explains why staffing is stickier and less prone to churn than an agency model. Alex listens attentively, asking clarifying operational questions around pricing transparency.16:30–23:07 · Alex pushing back 1/10 Scaling Lessons, Execution Bias, and Marketing Channels Alex questions whether offshore staffing is largely commoditized, prompting Jesse to emphasize the delicate nuance required in talent matching. Jesse also shares scaling anecdotes about prioritizing execution over upfront legal precautions.23:07–25:39 · Alex pushing back 0/10 Evolving from Solo Operator to Scaled Enterprise Jesse explains the friction of expanding company infrastructure to scale from $10M to $50M run rate. Alex demonstrates strong business intuition by synthesizing Jesse's operational scaling dilemma with an apt bed-and-breakfast versus hotel analogy.25:40–26:02 · Alex pushing back 0/10 Episode Conclusion and Call for Listener Feedback Alex delivers a solo outro thanking the guest and asking listeners for feedback and future guest suggestions.

speaking balance: gold is Alex, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)

0:00 · Alex 62.7% · guest 37.3%0:00 · Alex 62.7% · guest 37.3%3:00 · Alex 26.6% · guest 73.4%3:00 · Alex 26.6% · guest 73.4%6:00 · Alex 23.3% · guest 76.7%6:00 · Alex 23.3% · guest 76.7%9:00 · Alex 10.7% · guest 89.3%9:00 · Alex 10.7% · guest 89.3%12:00 · Alex 32.9% · guest 67.1%12:00 · Alex 32.9% · guest 67.1%15:00 · Alex 27.2% · guest 72.8%15:00 · Alex 27.2% · guest 72.8%18:00 · Alex 6.9% · guest 93.1%18:00 · Alex 6.9% · guest 93.1%21:00 · Alex 43.5% · guest 56.5%21:00 · Alex 43.5% · guest 56.5%24:00 · Alex 44.8% · guest 55.2%24:00 · Alex 44.8% · guest 55.2%
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 7:20 Rejecting audience as the primary growth catalyst

Jesse politely rejects Alex's premise that his massive Twitter audience seeded his company, clarifying that he only had 1,500 followers at launch and built initial traction through direct personal outreach to former employees.

 Hardest push from Alex ▶ 21:00 Challenging the commoditization of staffing

Alex challenges Jesse's framing of the business by asking whether offshore placement is merely a commoditized skill set rather than a high-touch matching service.

 Biggest teaching moment ▶ 7:25 Debunking the audience-first startup myth

Jesse educates Alex on how the company actually acquired its first 20 clients, disproving the assumption of social audience leverage and detailing the power of leveraging warm alumni networks.

 Alex holds their own ▶ 25:04 The bed-and-breakfast to hotel analogy

Alex showcases his own entrepreneurial acumen by translating Jesse's complex organizational growing pains into a clear, vivid metaphor about upgrading from a founder-operated B&B to a fully staffed hotel enterprise.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
ChapterTopicAlex as informed peerGuest teachingGuest disagreementAlex pushing backWhy
Jesse Poogee's Entrepreneurial Background and Gateway X 2200 Alex and Jesse have a very warm, collaborative rapport as former co-hosts. Alex asks foundational interview questions to establish the concept of Growth Assistant, while Jesse explains the historical evolution of BPO and the specific roles offshore assistants fill.
Partnering with CEO Adrian Schwager 4411 Jesse clarifies that his early success came from tapping his Ampush alumni network rather than his Twitter audience as Alex initially assumed. Alex connects Jesse's insights on customer qualification to his own operational challenges building StoryArb.
Business Model Economics and Hitting a 10M Run Rate 3300 Jesse details the financial mechanics of charging per full-time employee and explains why staffing is stickier and less prone to churn than an agency model. Alex listens attentively, asking clarifying operational questions around pricing transparency.
Scaling Lessons, Execution Bias, and Marketing Channels 3411 Alex questions whether offshore staffing is largely commoditized, prompting Jesse to emphasize the delicate nuance required in talent matching. Jesse also shares scaling anecdotes about prioritizing execution over upfront legal precautions.
Evolving from Solo Operator to Scaled Enterprise 5200 Jesse explains the friction of expanding company infrastructure to scale from $10M to $50M run rate. Alex demonstrates strong business intuition by synthesizing Jesse's operational scaling dilemma with an apt bed-and-breakfast versus hotel analogy.
Episode Conclusion and Call for Listener Feedback 0000 Alex delivers a solo outro thanking the guest and asking listeners for feedback and future guest suggestions.

Statements from this episode (11)

Disclosure
Growth Assistant Hits $10M Run-Rate With 350 Philippines Employees
“The business is roughly ten million dollars in, in run rate kind of revenue. And we have over 350 people in the Philippines already and over a hundred customers.”
Jesse Poogee Oct 16, 2023 ▶ 3:03
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Growth Assistant's First 20 Customers Were Jesse Pujji's Former Ampush Employees
“Our first 10 to 20 customers were former employees of mine. Right, who worked at Ampush, who then were running growth at DoorDash, or running growth at Careof, or running growth at whatever.”
Jesse Poogee Oct 16, 2023 ▶ 8:09
Insight
Solopreneurs Require Enterprise-Level Onboarding But Churn Quickly From Growth Assistant
“A lot of the stuff that came from Twitter were people who were one to five person companies, You know, solopreneurs, which I don't have anything against solopreneurs, but they would tend to bring someone on. They don't have the time to actually manage them. An…”
Jesse Poogee Oct 16, 2023 ▶ 10:09
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Growth Assistant Increased Its Top-of-Funnel Ideal Customer Profile Match to 70%
“Today we're probably at 70% ICP in terms of our, the top of our funnel. And maybe a year ago we were at 30%.”
Jesse Poogee Oct 16, 2023 ▶ 11:48
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Growth Assistant Marks Up Offshore Staffing Higher Than US Agencies' 30%
“Typically a staffing agency in the United States, if I just find you an engineer, I mark it up 30%. Like our markup is higher than that because we are like identifying really good talent that's so cheap”
Jesse Poogee Oct 16, 2023 ▶ 13:23
Insight
Offshore Staffing Experiences Lower Churn Than Traditional Performance Marketing Agencies
“This is less strategic, but it can get as big, but it's just way more sticky. As far as I can tell so far, I'm only two and a half years in, right? But it feels way, way more sticky than Ampush did.”
Jesse Poogee Oct 16, 2023 ▶ 15:43
Assertion Not checkable as stated
A Single Twitter Thread Generated 400 Initial Leads For Growth Assistant
“We grew to 50 K in MRR, and I wrote a thread on Twitter as, I think I had 8000 followers and I wrote it, and all of a sudden I had 16,000 followers and 400 leads.”
Jesse Poogee Oct 16, 2023 ▶ 19:03
Disclosure
Growth Assistant Reached Its Scale Without Meaningful Paid Marketing Spend
“We've never done any paid marketing or any real meaningful paid marketing.”
Jesse Poogee Oct 16, 2023 ▶ 21:57
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Pujji: Growth Assistant took customer sales calls before having a website
“We took our first customer sales calls within a month of buying the domain. We didn't even have a website when we took customer calls.”
Jesse Poogee Oct 16, 2023 ▶ 22:50
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Pujji: Growth Assistant Output Stalled for Months While Infrastructure Costs Surged
“The reality is the actual output of the business has not increased very much in the last, call it six to eight months, but the costs have gone up a lot.”
Jesse Poogee Oct 16, 2023 ▶ 23:55
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Growth Assistant's Existing Clients Immediately Absorb All Sourced Overseas Talent
“Right now, the general answer is it's supply-constrained business. If I can find you great, cheap, talented people overseas, you will, the demand, because even our current portfolio, we know every time we have a good person, we say, hey, one of these top 10 cu…”
Jesse Poogee Oct 16, 2023 ▶ 24:43
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