PLG & Growth·Dan Uyemura, PushPress

PushPress: From CrossFit Passion to 8-Figure SaaS

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Dan Uyemura is the co-founder and CEO of PushPress, a gym management software platform for boutique gym owners.

In 2009, Dan was working as a front-end developer at Myspace while also falling in love with CrossFit as a personal hobby. His passion for fitness led him to open his own gym, despite having no prior experience in the industry.

As a gym owner, Dan quickly realized the existing software options weren't meeting his needs. Believing he could create a better solution, he recruited two friends – a developer and a designer – to help build his own gym management software.

Building the software proved tougher than they expected. As they were working on it, they also talked to other gym owners and realized many shared Dan's frustrations. Seeing the bigger opportunity, they decided to build a product they could sell.

But for years, the founders struggled to gain traction. They faced several technical challenges, often having to scrap entire versions of their software and start over. The slow progress was demoralizing – it took them nearly 5 years to reach $1 million ARR.

Behind the scenes, Dan was battling personal demons. He struggled with drug addiction, which added another layer of complexity to his entrepreneurial journey. These personal challenges threatened to derail both his life and his business.

By 2017, Dan was on the verge of quitting PushPress and returning to just running his gym. In a last-ditch effort, he decided to invest in an accelerator program. This decision proved to be a turning point.

The changes the founders made worked. PushPress doubled revenue to $2 million ARR the following year. They teamed up with another company to add features they needed. But then a competitor bought that company.

Suddenly, the founders were in crisis mode. They had to race against time to build crucial features themselves or risk losing everything they'd worked for.

Today, PushPress generates 8-figures in ARR, serves over 3,500 gym clients, and has grown to a team of 100 people. The company has just $11 million in funding.

This episode is part of our PLG & Growth series.

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