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From 0 to 300K Users with Just 20 People — Simo Lemhandez’s “Bootstrap Fundraiser” GTM Playbook
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That’s exactly what Simo Lemhandez, Co-founder of Folk CRM, is doing. In this episode, Simo shares how they’ve built one of the fastest-growing modern CRMs—now powering 3,500+ companies and 300,000 users—without chasing headcount or vanity metrics.
He calls it the “Bootstrap Fundraiser” model—think of it as bootstrapped discipline with VC-level acceleration.
From word-of-mouth to AI-first SEO, affiliate channels, influencer flywheels, and high-leverage demos, this is a growth playbook built for scale without the bloat.
(Featuring every channel, tactic, and AI prompt Simo uses to drive results.)
What You’ll Discover in This Episode
- 💡 The Bootstrap Fundraiser Model
- How to scale fast while staying lean
- Why fewer people often equals better culture & clarity
- What it takes to build for endurance, not just hype
- 📈 The 6-Channel Growth Architecture
- How word-of-mouth, influencer marketing, and SEO power 90% of revenue
- Why GEO (GPT Engine Optimization) is the next big frontier
- Building 1,500+ affiliates and scaling demos & webinars for high-conversion funnels
- ⚙️ AI-Powered GTM Systems
- The “AI-first” principle: Automate before hiring
- Using Jasper, Metabase, and partner ecosystems to accelerate without friction
- How Folk CRM runs 60–70 demos per week—without a bloated sales team
- 🚀 The Lean Team Blueprint
- 3 generalists, freelance specialists, weekly alignment = max output
- The tools, dashboards, and operating rituals that keep execution tight
- How to build a team that wins with leverage, not size
Welcome to Edbound With Kinner
Edbound With Kinner is the podcast where real founders, operators, and growth marketers come to decode what actually works when scaling modern businesses.
Hosted by Kinner N Sacchdev, Co-founder & CEO of Edbound AI and Knorish, this show dives deep into the strategies behind today’s fastest-growing SaaS, AI, and product-led companies.
From PLG experiments that move the needle, to GTM frameworks that convert and AI use-cases that actually work—you’ll hear firsthand from the people building it all. We go beyond headlines and hype to uncover the exact systems, scripts, and mindsets that drive growth.
Whether you’re a founder wearing multiple hats, a growth marketer chasing scalable channels, or a revenue leader looking to build a predictable pipeline—this is where you’ll find the edge.
New episodes drop every week.
Real operators. Real systems. No fluff. Just growth.
Subscribe To The Edbound With Kinner Podcast on your favorite platforms — Spotify, or watch on YouTube.
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Meet The Guest
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Simo Lemhandez is redefining how modern SaaS teams scale. As Co-founder of Folk CRM, he’s helped grow the company to 300K users with a lean 20-person team—combining relentless focus on product, AI leverage, and smart GTM execution.
Forget bloated teams and endless funding rounds—Simo’s “Bootstrap Fundraiser” philosophy prioritizes profitability, ownership, and speed.
Download the Bootstrap Fundraiser Playbook
Inspired by this episode, we’ve built a tactical 90-day guide with:
- Simo’s 6-channel GTM architecture
- Exact AI prompts to copy-paste into your workflows
- Implementation plan with milestone checklists
- The lean team + AI leverage model
✅ Whether you’re bootstrapping or fundraising, this is the modern SaaS growth system you need.
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Where to Find Kinner N Sacchdev
Where to Find Rishabh Ladha
Episode Timestamps
- 00:00 – Simo’s vision: The AI assistant for every salesperson
- 02:00 – Why the CRM market was broken—and ripe for reinvention
- 06:30 – How they raised $9M but still operate like a bootstrapped team
- 10:00 – Word-of-mouth as the ultimate GTM flywheel
- 13:00 – Scaling influence without chasing virality
- 18:00 – SEO, GEO, and AI-powered content production at scale
- 22:00 – How 1,500 affiliates drive high-conversion referrals
- 26:00 – The AI-first demo and webinar system
- 30:00 – Their lean team model: Generalists + freelancers
- 33:00 – Why Folk CRM’s WhatsApp integration is a game-changer
- 35:00 – Final advice on building for profitability, not pressure
Thank You for Watching!
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