In this episode of “The Goats of Growth” I interview Alex Levin, CEO and Co-Founder of Regal.io, a customer engagement platform.
Alex discusses the company’s approach and focus on customer outcomes which has led to significant revenue growth for over 150 brands. He also talks about the importance of balancing growth and burn rate, and how Regal maintains a competitive edge despite having less funding than incumbents.
The $2 billion in revenue and value proposition ([00:01:22]) Alex Levin explains the value proposition of Regal and how they quantify the $2 billion in revenue they have helped drive for brands.
The importance of engaging customers in communication ([00:02:11]) Alex Levin discusses how engaging customers in thoughtful communication leads to higher customer lifetime value and how Regal helps facilitate this.
Scaling the team and the role of engineering ([00:04:51]) Alex Levin explains why Regal hasn’t needed to double their team despite doubling their business, particularly highlighting the role of engineering and the importance of effective communication within a team.
The concept of removing people from a project ([00:10:01]) The strategy of removing people from a project instead of adding them to ensure focus and efficiency.
Zero-based budgeting and linking metrics to hiring decisions ([00:11:41]) The concept of zero-based budgeting and the importance of linking hiring decisions to metrics or revenue goals.
Investor expectations and growth vs burn rate ([00:13:46]) The expectations of public markets regarding growth and burn rate, and how it affects hiring decisions and investor attractiveness.
Marketing spend and payback period ([00:19:38]) Discussion on the percentage of revenue spent on marketing and the payback period for SaaS companies.
Competition and competitive advantage ([00:20:37]) Exploration of competition in the market and the competitive advantage of startups in terms of distribution.
Attributing success to market opportunity ([00:24:32]) The importance of being in the right market with growth potential for success, rather than solely relying on the strength of the team.
Big goal and timeline ([00:28:55]) Alex Levin shares his big goal of reaching 10 billion in revenue for their customers within a year or two.
Leading with empathy ([00:30:46]) Alex Levin explains how he leads with empathy by considering the needs and priorities of different stakeholders, including employees, customers, and investors, while making decisions.