The SaaS Podcast
How to Build a 7-Figure Software Business from a WordPress Plugin – with Stu McLaren [026]
How to Build a 7-Figure Software Business from a WordPress Plugin
Stu McLaren is the founder of Wishlist Member, a powerful and easy to use plugin that can turn any WordPress site into a full-blown membership site. Wishlist Member powers over 54,000 online communities and membership sites worldwide. Stu is also the founder of Rhino Support, a helpdesk SaaS application.
Key Talking Points
- How Stu came up with the idea for Wishlist Member and initially dismissed the idea because he wasn't technical or in the software business.
- How the product selling well out of the gate and why Stu believes that they were able to achieve strong sales so quickly.
- Why Stu and his team didn't validate the idea and started building it right away to scratch their own itch.
- How Stu sold the initial product to a group of friends and why he decided not to give it away for free to his friends.
- How the product generated $450,000 in sales in the first year and over $1,000,000 in the second year.
- How a developer nearly cost Stu and his business partner (Tracy Childers) the entire software business.
Success Quote
- “Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.” — St Augustine
- “Where you invest you love, you invest your life.” — Mumford & Sons
Book Recommendation
- “Essentialism” by Greg McKeown
- “The One Thing” by Gary Keller
Links & Resources Mentioned
Contact Information
- Stu McLaren – @StuMcLaren
- Omer Khan – @omerkhan
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