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Sep 2, 2022 · 17m · top-founders

Flooring engineers builds tool for himself, breaks $11k MRR as 1 person team

Joe Long · 9m spoken Nathan Latka · 5m 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 interview with Nathan Latka, solo founder Joe Long explains how he bootstrapped AdaSoft, a cloud ERP platform for commercial flooring contractors, to $11,000 in monthly recurring revenue within twelve months by replacing antiquated legacy software with an offshore-developed, high-margin SaaS solution.

How this conversation actually went

Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. Nathan holds 36.3% of the talking time here. How this is scored →

Nathan as informed peer 3.2 Guest teaching 2.8 Guest disagreement 2.0 Nathan pushing back 3.3
05100:0010:000:44–2:54 · Nathan as informed peer 2/10 Introducing Joe Long and His Background Nathan introduces Joe and AdaSoft, prompting Joe to outline the history of legacy on-prem software in the niche flooring sector like CompuFloor and RollMaster.2:55–5:36 · Nathan as informed peer 2/10 Architecture, Outsourcing, and Initial Capital Investment Joe details his development strategy, explaining how he designed the database himself, hired overseas contractor teams, and self-funded $320k using consulting income and PPP funds.5:37–7:44 · Nathan as informed peer 3/10 AdaSoft Product Capabilities, Pricing Model, and First Major Customer Nathan playfully pushes back on Joe's initial customer win, calling it insider trading when Joe admits he serves as COO of the 60-seat client company.7:47–10:43 · Nathan as informed peer 2/10 Sponsor Message: FounderPath Valuation Tool Following an ad read, Nathan investigates buyer personas in the flooring trade while Joe identifies enterprise targets such as America's Floor Source.10:44–14:34 · Nathan as informed peer 6/10 Analyzing Incumbent Economics and Potential Market Consolidation Nathan models total addressable market seat economics and pushes Joe on whether he has the aggressive killer instinct required to rapidly displace CompuFloor.14:35–16:38 · Nathan as informed peer 4/10 The Debate on Founder Focus Versus Managing Multiple Concurrent Ventures Nathan strongly challenges Joe's plan to launch multiple concurrent ventures, arguing lack of focus will kill growth, while Joe insists his fractional management playbook works.0:44–2:54 · Guest teaching 4/10 Introducing Joe Long and His Background Nathan introduces Joe and AdaSoft, prompting Joe to outline the history of legacy on-prem software in the niche flooring sector like CompuFloor and RollMaster.2:55–5:36 · Guest teaching 3/10 Architecture, Outsourcing, and Initial Capital Investment Joe details his development strategy, explaining how he designed the database himself, hired overseas contractor teams, and self-funded $320k using consulting income and PPP funds.5:37–7:44 · Guest teaching 2/10 AdaSoft Product Capabilities, Pricing Model, and First Major Customer Nathan playfully pushes back on Joe's initial customer win, calling it insider trading when Joe admits he serves as COO of the 60-seat client company.7:47–10:43 · Guest teaching 3/10 Sponsor Message: FounderPath Valuation Tool Following an ad read, Nathan investigates buyer personas in the flooring trade while Joe identifies enterprise targets such as America's Floor Source.10:44–14:34 · Guest teaching 3/10 Analyzing Incumbent Economics and Potential Market Consolidation Nathan models total addressable market seat economics and pushes Joe on whether he has the aggressive killer instinct required to rapidly displace CompuFloor.14:35–16:38 · Guest teaching 2/10 The Debate on Founder Focus Versus Managing Multiple Concurrent Ventures Nathan strongly challenges Joe's plan to launch multiple concurrent ventures, arguing lack of focus will kill growth, while Joe insists his fractional management playbook works.0:44–2:54 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Introducing Joe Long and His Background Nathan introduces Joe and AdaSoft, prompting Joe to outline the history of legacy on-prem software in the niche flooring sector like CompuFloor and RollMaster.2:55–5:36 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Architecture, Outsourcing, and Initial Capital Investment Joe details his development strategy, explaining how he designed the database himself, hired overseas contractor teams, and self-funded $320k using consulting income and PPP funds.5:37–7:44 · Guest disagreement 2/10 AdaSoft Product Capabilities, Pricing Model, and First Major Customer Nathan playfully pushes back on Joe's initial customer win, calling it insider trading when Joe admits he serves as COO of the 60-seat client company.7:47–10:43 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Sponsor Message: FounderPath Valuation Tool Following an ad read, Nathan investigates buyer personas in the flooring trade while Joe identifies enterprise targets such as America's Floor Source.10:44–14:34 · Guest disagreement 3/10 Analyzing Incumbent Economics and Potential Market Consolidation Nathan models total addressable market seat economics and pushes Joe on whether he has the aggressive killer instinct required to rapidly displace CompuFloor.14:35–16:38 · Guest disagreement 4/10 The Debate on Founder Focus Versus Managing Multiple Concurrent Ventures Nathan strongly challenges Joe's plan to launch multiple concurrent ventures, arguing lack of focus will kill growth, while Joe insists his fractional management playbook works.0:44–2:54 · Nathan pushing back 1/10 Introducing Joe Long and His Background Nathan introduces Joe and AdaSoft, prompting Joe to outline the history of legacy on-prem software in the niche flooring sector like CompuFloor and RollMaster.2:55–5:36 · Nathan pushing back 2/10 Architecture, Outsourcing, and Initial Capital Investment Joe details his development strategy, explaining how he designed the database himself, hired overseas contractor teams, and self-funded $320k using consulting income and PPP funds.5:37–7:44 · Nathan pushing back 4/10 AdaSoft Product Capabilities, Pricing Model, and First Major Customer Nathan playfully pushes back on Joe's initial customer win, calling it insider trading when Joe admits he serves as COO of the 60-seat client company.7:47–10:43 · Nathan pushing back 2/10 Sponsor Message: FounderPath Valuation Tool Following an ad read, Nathan investigates buyer personas in the flooring trade while Joe identifies enterprise targets such as America's Floor Source.10:44–14:34 · Nathan pushing back 5/10 Analyzing Incumbent Economics and Potential Market Consolidation Nathan models total addressable market seat economics and pushes Joe on whether he has the aggressive killer instinct required to rapidly displace CompuFloor.14:35–16:38 · Nathan pushing back 6/10 The Debate on Founder Focus Versus Managing Multiple Concurrent Ventures Nathan strongly challenges Joe's plan to launch multiple concurrent ventures, arguing lack of focus will kill growth, while Joe insists his fractional management playbook works.

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

0:00 · Nathan 48.6% · guest 51.4%0:00 · Nathan 48.6% · guest 51.4%3:00 · Nathan 21.5% · guest 78.5%3:00 · Nathan 21.5% · guest 78.5%6:00 · Nathan 49.5% · guest 50.5%6:00 · Nathan 49.5% · guest 50.5%9:00 · Nathan 23.2% · guest 76.8%9:00 · Nathan 23.2% · guest 76.8%12:00 · Nathan 29.1% · guest 70.9%12:00 · Nathan 29.1% · guest 70.9%15:00 · Nathan 50.8% · guest 49.2%15:00 · Nathan 50.8% · guest 49.2%
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 15:11 Guest insists on running multiple ventures

Joe directly resists Nathan's insistence that founders must focus on a single product, asserting that he has successfully managed executive roles across five businesses at once.

 Hardest push from Nathan ▶ 15:14 Host rejects multi-business distraction

Nathan flatly rejects Joe's desire to split focus across multiple ventures, telling him that trying to do everything guarantees failure.

 Biggest teaching moment ▶ 2:16 Educating on legacy ERP failure modes

Joe walks through the specialized 40-year history of flooring ERPs, explaining why legacy on-prem systems fail when slapping modern web front-ends onto old database architectures.

 Nathan holds their own ▶ 13:20 TAM seat-math and competitive challenge

Nathan rapidly calculates the niche total addressable market at 500 shops and 50,000 potential seats, demanding Joe aggressively pursue and capture the entire space.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
ChapterTopicNathan as informed peerGuest teachingGuest disagreementNathan pushing backWhy
Introducing Joe Long and His Background 2411 Nathan introduces Joe and AdaSoft, prompting Joe to outline the history of legacy on-prem software in the niche flooring sector like CompuFloor and RollMaster.
Architecture, Outsourcing, and Initial Capital Investment 2312 Joe details his development strategy, explaining how he designed the database himself, hired overseas contractor teams, and self-funded $320k using consulting income and PPP funds.
AdaSoft Product Capabilities, Pricing Model, and First Major Customer 3224 Nathan playfully pushes back on Joe's initial customer win, calling it insider trading when Joe admits he serves as COO of the 60-seat client company.
Sponsor Message: FounderPath Valuation Tool 2312 Following an ad read, Nathan investigates buyer personas in the flooring trade while Joe identifies enterprise targets such as America's Floor Source.
Analyzing Incumbent Economics and Potential Market Consolidation 6335 Nathan models total addressable market seat economics and pushes Joe on whether he has the aggressive killer instinct required to rapidly displace CompuFloor.
The Debate on Founder Focus Versus Managing Multiple Concurrent Ventures 4246 Nathan strongly challenges Joe's plan to launch multiple concurrent ventures, arguing lack of focus will kill growth, while Joe insists his fractional management playbook works.

Statements from this episode (12)

Disclosure
Joe Long peaked at $25k monthly development spend for AdaSoft
“Well, it was about 10,000 dollars a month to begin with, and then it floated up to about 20, 25,000 dollars a month, and now we're just kind of putting icing on the cake and, you know, we're down to around 10,000 dollars a month.”
Joe Long Sep 2, 2022 ▶ 4:19
Disclosure
Joe Long sunk $320k of personal capital into building AdaSoft
“About 320,000 dollars.”
Joe Long Sep 2, 2022 ▶ 4:33
Disclosure
Joe Long used COVID PPP funds to finance AdaSoft's development
“So that business is more or less evaporated during COVID, right, because everyone was staffed, and everyone wanted the PPP money, so I was able to hang on to them and get some PPP money, which also helped to build this software.”
Joe Long Sep 2, 2022 ▶ 5:22
Disclosure
AdaSoft charges $169 per user and launched with 60 seats
“So the rate per user, 169 dollars. And you know, our first customer here has about 60 users.”
Joe Long Sep 2, 2022 ▶ 6:11
Disclosure
Joe Long is the COO of AdaSoft's first 60-seat customer
“I happen to be the COO of that company.”
Joe Long Sep 2, 2022 ▶ 6:34
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Joe Long claims competitor CompuFloor lost six key staff in 18 months
“So literally, CompuFloor is failing across its entire customer base. They've had three project managers who've left over the last 18 months. Three programmer left. So they've they're struggling.”
Joe Long Sep 2, 2022 ▶ 6:51
Opinion
Joe Long claims CompuFloor's cloud shift is a flawed front end
“They've taken the on-prem and they're trying to make a fast model. And instead of reinventing the whole thing, they just slapped a front end on it. Top of their database, and it doesn't work well.”
Joe Long Sep 2, 2022 ▶ 10:35
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Joe Long claims competitor CompuFloor charges $800 to create a license
“But, CompuFlor charges them 800 dollars just to create a license, just to create a license.”
Joe Long Sep 2, 2022 ▶ 11:03
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Joe Long estimates flooring ERP incumbent CompuFloor generates $4M to $5M
“I'd say they're in the neighborhood of four or five million. I guess.”
Joe Long Sep 2, 2022 ▶ 11:15
Opinion
Joe Long claims Broadloom has not modernized RollMaster since acquiring it
“That's what Rollmaster, Rollmaster got bought by Broadloom, and they're not really changing it. They're talking about rolling out, you know, an ERP system in a year or two, but they've just taken the same on-prem Windows-based software that looks like it's fro…”
Joe Long Sep 2, 2022 ▶ 12:00
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Nathan Latka estimates the US flooring ERP market caps at 50,000 seats
“Cause this just feels like to me, like there's only 500 potential clients in the U S you know, they only have a maximum of a hundred seats of pops. There's only 50,000 seats.”
Nathan Latka Sep 2, 2022 ▶ 13:30
Insight
Joe Long advises twenty-year-olds to start businesses instead of getting married
“Don't get married. Start a business.”
Joe Long Sep 2, 2022 ▶ 16:38
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