Product-Led Growth Playbook: 8-Figure ARR with $0 Ad Spend | Read AI

David Shim sold his first startup for $200M, but when he started Read AI in 2021, he built something that failed spectacularly — 5% retention after 30 days. Instead of pivoting to chase revenue, he focused obsessively on fixing one metric: day-one ROI. In this episode, David Shim (CEO of Read AI) breaks down the Product-Led Growth playbook that took them from 5% retention to 81%, generating 8-figures in ARR with virtually zero ad spend. He reveals how building viral loops into the product creates a flywheel of 1M+ new accounts monthly, and why competing against giants like Google and Zoom requires building a "bridge" between their ecosystems rather than a walled garden. 🔑 Key Lessons 📉 From Failure to Fit: Why the first product failed with 5% retention and how focusing on actionable insights jumped it to 81%. 🚀 The $0 Ad Spend Model: How to build viral loops (like auto-shared meeting notes) that drive 1M+ signups without paid ads. 💡 Day-One ROI: Why prioritizing immediate value over revenue is the secret to PLG success in a crowded market. 🤖 The Multimodal Edge: How analyzing tone and body language (not just text) differentiated Read AI from generic GPT wrappers. ⚔️ Competing with Giants: How to survive when Microsoft, Google, and Zoom launch features that compete with you. 📖 Chapters Intro & The $200M Placed Acquisition The Read AI Origin Story (The ESPN Glasses Moment) Why Our First Product Failed (5% Retention Mistake) The Pivot: How Multimodal AI Beat Simple Summarizers The 81% Retention Strategy (The Key to Day-One ROI) The $0 Ad Spend PLG Playbook & Viral Loops Competing with Platform Features (Microsoft, Google, Zoom) Land and Expand without Salespeople The Future of AI Agents and Decision-Making This episode is brought to you by: 💖 ⁠⁠Sprinto⁠⁠ → ⁠⁠Learn more and book a demo today 🚀 SaaS Club Launch → Build your SaaS to $10K MRR Resources: 🎧 Full Show Notes: saasclub.io/458 🎤 Subscribe to the Podcast: saasclub.io/subscribe 💌 Get weekly 5-minute SaaS insights: saasclub.io/email 💡 Join the SaaS Club founder community: saasclub.co/plus