In this episode of the SaaS Sessions podcast, Jacob Bank, founder of Relay.app, shares his journey from academia to startup founder, discussing the challenges of building a product in the AI space. He emphasizes the importance of validating ideas, finding early customers, and experimenting with various marketing channels. Jacob also highlights the significance of cohort retention as a measure of product-market fit and the need to balance innovation with competition in a rapidly evolving market. Key Takeaways – 1. You’re not failing - your distribution is Building is easy; getting customers is the battlefield. Early channels (Reddit, network, cold email) only take you so far. Most startup advice is outdated or irrelevant to your context - test everything yourself. 2. Validate with precision, not ego The Mom Test changed how Jacob gathered honest feedback. 10 well-run interviews can kill or greenlight an idea. Getting “likes” is not validation - retention and willingness to pay are. 3. Every growth stage needs a new motion 0 → 10: Scrappy hustle (Reddit, LinkedIn DMs, direct outreach). 10 → 100: Partner marketing, SEO, and high-intent blog content. 100 → 1000: Viral LinkedIn content + YouTube for education + community-led growth. 4. PMF isn’t hype - it’s cohort retention Retention is the only true sign of product-market fit. Competitive pressure is a forcing function to build better products. Don’t be afraid to pick a fight in a crowded space - just know your edge. Connect with Jacob Bank: 🔗 Jacob Bank - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobbank/ 📅 Join his Build an AI Agent with Me sessions - https://events.relay.app 🌐 Try Relay.app for free: https://relay.app Relay.app is an AI agent builder that connects your tools into smart workflows. Designed to bring humans into the loop where automation fails, Relay combines intuitive UX with AI-native capabilities, enabling teams to move faster without drowning in manual ops. Chapters: 00:10 – Introduction 00:50 – Jacob’s journey from academia to Google to Relay 02:14 – The pain of early go-to-market and what didn’t work 06:09 – Using The Mom Test to validate early MVPs 07:59 – Breaking through with traction experiments 10:52 – Reddit, Product Hunt, and the weak links in early GTM 13:49 – From 10 to 100: What channels actually scaled 15:18 – Facing the 100 → 1000 wall 16:37 – Cracking virality with LinkedIn 21:29 – Mid-funnel levers: YouTube and email 27:13 – Competing in a mature category and why it’s a good thing 33:15 – Defining and validating PMF the hard way 38:27 – Retention is king—no tricks, just product 40:28 – Lightning round 42:41 – Final thoughts + how to join Jacob’s live AI agent sessionsVisit our website - <a href='https://saassessions.com/'>https://saassessions.com/</a> Connect with me on LinkedIn - <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunilneurgaonkar/'>https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunilneurgaonkar/</a>

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S9E3 - Cracking Early-Stage SaaS Growth ft. Jacob Bank, CEO of Relay.app

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