Vertical SaaS: $400K Hardware Pivot to 7-Figure ARR

Episode notes

Hiren Hasmukh invested $400,000 of his own savings into a hardware company that COVID killed. He pivoted the backend software into a vertical SaaS that now generates 7-figure ARR with 22 people. In this episode, you'll learn how Teqtivity competes against heavily funded IT asset management competitors on just $2,500/month in ad spend, and why separate code bases per customer became a niche SaaS competitive advantage. Hiren reveals how long-tail Google keywords cost a fraction of the $60-70/click industry-specific SaaS primary keyword, why investing in conference booths across multiple events produced zero follow-up demos, and how transparency after a data breach - including moving a customer on-prem and completing SOC 2 - actually strengthened trust. Teqtivity now has 22 employees and 7-figure ARR while remaining fully bootstrapped - proof that a focused vertical SaaS can beat funded competitors through customization, word-of-mouth, and disciplined spending.