RS342: SaaS Survival Mode - AI, Niches & Navigating Chaos

RS342: SaaS Survival Mode - AI, Niches & Navigating Chaos

Author: RogueStartups April 23, 2025 Duration: 45:12
In this episode of Rogue Startups, Craig chats with Jesse Hanley, marketer, self-taught developer, and founder of Bento, a powerful email marketing platform for modern teams. With today’s economy in flux and global events adding more pressure, Craig and Jesse dive into what it really means to run and grow a SaaS business in 2025. They explore how entrepreneurs can protect their businesses and families in turbulent times, why niching down is more important than ever (but only for some), and how AI is transforming both Bento and Craig’s own company, Castos. From global living experiences to making tough decisions about free tiers, this episode is packed with honest insights, practical advice, and a few spicy takes on the future of SaaS. Highlights from Craig and Jesse’s conversation: Living and working in Japan, France, Australia, and the US: cultural and business differences Bento’s vision and how they are navigating economic uncertainty Knowing when to bring in experts (and when to trust your gut) How Bento is integrating AI—and how it’s driving real results for users Behind the scenes at Castos: using AI to boost productivity and creativity Are free plans a growth hack or a trap for SaaS companies? Marketing smarter: finding your ideal customers in a crowded market To niche or not to niche? What to do if your product is a Swiss Army knife If you’re a SaaS founder, bootstrapped entrepreneur, or just love behind-the-scenes looks at real businesses navigating real challenges, this episode is for you. Resources and Links from This Episode Jesse Hanley on Twitter/X: https://x.com/jessethanley  Bento: https://bentonow.com/  If you feel like Rogue Startups has benefited you, and it might benefit someone else, please share it with them. If you have a chance, give Rogue Startups a review on iTunes.  Do you have any comments, questions, or topic ideas for future episodes? Feel free to reach out to me: Twitter: @TheCraigHewitt LinkedIn:

Behind every new company is a story, and Rogue Startups digs into the real ones-the messy, uncertain, and exhilarating paths founders actually walk. This isn't about polished success tales; it's a candid look at the day-to-day grind of building a business from the ground up. You'll hear directly from entrepreneurs in the thick of it, along with seasoned experts who specialize in the crucial engines of growth: sales, marketing, and product development. Conversations focus on practical tactics, particularly around scaling productized services and SaaS offerings, exploring the real "how" behind their growth hacking strategies. The value of this podcast lies in that shared experience-hearing how others navigate the very obstacles you might be staring down, and learning what moves actually led to a win. It’s for anyone who prefers the unvarnished truth of entrepreneurship over theory, offering a sense of camaraderie and a toolbox of ideas drawn from the front lines. Tune in for authentic dialogue that skips the fluff and gets straight to the challenges and victories of building something new.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Rogue Startups
Podcast Episodes
RS348: Not Exactly White Hat AI-SEO with Lars Lofgren [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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RS347: How to Rank Any Brand In AI Results [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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RS346: What 11 Years in SaaS Really Looks Like [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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In this episode of the podcast, Craig sits down with longtime entrepreneur Colin Bartlett, cofounder of StatusGator, to explore what it really takes to build, and sustain, a SaaS business over the long haul. With more th…
RS345: The State Of Search 2025 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:27
- LLMs.txt article: https://www.quoleady.com/llm-txt-files/ - Craig's YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@thecraighewitt
RS344: 12 Years to Overnight Success with Amar Ghose [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:27
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Duration: 46:59
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RS341: Microconf 2025 Recap [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:48
Craig recaps his biggest takeaways from MicroConf 2025, reflecting on lessons in positioning, lead generation, conference ROI, and the power of going all in on what’s working. From tactical marketing insights to personal…
RS340: Is AI Killing SaaS w/ Tim Schumacher [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:00
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RS339: AI Skeptic, or Believer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:49
In today’s episode, Craig chats with Anthony Eden from DNSimple about how they use AI in their businesses and their personal lives. As early skeptics of AI, they do a deep dive into what made them change their minds, wha…
RS338:  Balancing Your Use of AI with Aaron Francis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:12
Ever wonder what's happening behind the scenes when your dev team says they're "leveraging AI"? As a non-technical founder, you don't need to understand every line of code, but knowing how AI is actually being used in yo…