Scott Lynch

Physio → founder. Co-founder Moddy & Remittance Go. Ex-Head of Product, now advisor @ splose ($50m+ raised). Writing on building software, health & other things

[Scott Lynch @scottlynchy]

@gmo_dev Keep reaching out and talking to clients

Lots of demos and feedback

[Scott Lynch @scottlynchy]

Niche SaaS founders…

…what's the smallest market you've built a real product for?

mine is occupational therapists who design home modifications

go

[Scott Lynch @scottlynchy]

@gmo_dev And how's it going?

[Scott Lynch @scottlynchy]

@BillAckman @JensenHuang Nah, cheating is unacceptable

[Scott Lynch @scottlynchy]

'Grind for five years, then rest' assumes your health keeps a tab you can settle later…

…it doesn't

build at a pace you could hold for a decade

the good companies take about that long anyway…

…and you want to be around to enjoy it

[Scott Lynch @scottlynchy]

I've been Head of Product at a company that raised $50m+…

…and co-founded two small bootstrapped tools

here's what's actually different

1/ at scale you have a team to build things

the hard part is choosing what

small, it flips…

…ideas are free and every build costs you a week

2/ at scale, data tells you what's true

small, a phone call does

five customer calls can beat a dashboard with 30 users on it

3/ funded companies are built to grow fast

bootstrapped ones are built to stay alive and stay sane

both are valid…

…mixing up which game you're playing isn't

4/ the biggest thing I took from Splose…

…working with engineers, designers and PMs who think so differently to how I thought as a physio and clinician

it expanded my skills, and I'm still learning from that team today

[Scott Lynch @scottlynchy]

When I go to the gym or for a walk I don't put a podcast on…

…most of the time I'm just trying not to think

like Eckhart Tolle says, that's its own skill

or I'll consciously reflect on one thing in particular

[Scott Lynch @scottlynchy]

@atharvmantr_i mmm one business has heaps of problems

[Scott Lynch @scottlynchy]

Where do the first customers for a niche SaaS come from?

for me, people I know from running a real business

who had the same problems I did

go talk to someone running a real business, try to solve their problem…

…then find out who else has it

[Scott Lynch @scottlynchy]

@RealNidhibhai People underestimate seo and paid ads tbh

[Scott Lynch @scottlynchy]

@ChalithaWi Yeah so important

[Scott Lynch @scottlynchy]

Moddy is a CAD tool for one profession…

…occupational therapists designing home modifications

small market

but every user has the same problem, uses the same words and knows the same 50 people

niche isn't a ceiling

it's a distribution channel

[Scott Lynch @scottlynchy]

@Doublerightvc Both!

[Scott Lynch @scottlynchy]

Xero certification has been an important piece for RemittanceGo…

…if you're building on a platform with a certification process, lean into it

it's a really nice step for any startup

it tightens up your product and gives customers a reason to trust a small team

[Scott Lynch @scottlynchy]

@mubashirali822 You must be hands on with the product...

99.9% of SaaS tools are slop because they never solved a real business problem

[Scott Lynch @scottlynchy]

@ArgusPlatformAI Very niche example, but instead of speaking about the reconciliation in general...we targetted reconciliation of NDIS payments

[Scott Lynch @scottlynchy]

Building in public tip from someone who also runs a services business…

…share the problem before the product

'here's what's broken in how clinics do X' starts conversations

'we shipped v2.3' usually doesn't

[Scott Lynch @scottlynchy]

@Doublerightvc Massively improved trust amongst prospects

[Scott Lynch @scottlynchy]

@atharvmantr_i I keep solving problems that businesses I run have

[Scott Lynch @scottlynchy]

As you scale, sometimes the fastest thing you can do…

…is slow down for a quarter or two

new structures, clearer expectations, better ways of working together

then you unleash amazing velocity

[Scott Lynch @scottlynchy]

Friday reminder from someone with a few too many businesses…

…the work will still be there on Monday

this Saturday morning with the people you love…

…won't come round again