Calendesk

How Calendesk Grew to $100K ARR After Overcoming Bankruptcy

Monthly Revenue

$17.6K

Starting Costs

$300K

Founders

Profitable

Yes

Days To Build

365

Year Started

2020

Customer

B2B

Founders

Profitable

Yes

Days To Build

365

Year Started

2020

Customer

B2B

Who is Maciej Cupial?

Maciej Cupial, the founder of Calendesk, hails from Poland and previously worked as a programmer and entrepreneur in real estate and the cafe industry. His background in programming sparked the idea for Calendesk, especially after a conversation with his hairdresser, and he emphasizes a learn-from-mistakes approach in building the company.

What problem does Calendesk solve?

Calendesk eliminates the hassle of managing appointments, saving businesses time and ensuring clients can easily schedule services without frustrating back-and-forths.

How did Maciej come up with the idea for Calendesk?

Maciej Cupial came up with the idea for Calendesk during a conversation with his hairdresser, who was having trouble managing customer bookings efficiently. With a background in programming, Maciej realized he could create a solution to alleviate such problems. The idea seemed straightforward to him—an appointment scheduling software with a user-friendly interface and efficient notification system.

Inspired by this daily-life observation, Maciej didn't rush into development. Instead, he initially hired a team but quickly learned a tough lesson when he overspent and saw little progress. This setback prompted him to personally take charge of product development, which became a turning point in refining his focus on what mattered most—engaging with customers and iterating the product based on their feedback.

Despite setbacks, including a stint of financial struggle, Maciej stayed committed to solving a real-world issue. One key lesson from his experience was the importance of adopting a customer-focused approach and ensuring that a product truly adds value before fully investing resources. His journey exemplifies the need for perseverance, learning from mistakes, and the importance of customer insight in crafting a viable product.

How did Maciej build the initial version of Calendesk?

Calendesk was initially built with a sizable team comprising ten people, including backend and frontend developers, iOS and Android developers, a DevOps expert, and a marketing specialist. The development process was ambitious and overly optimistic in its timeline, taking over a year to develop the beta version instead of the expected 3-5 months.

The tech stack included PHP Laravel for the API, with some components transitioning to Python, while the frontend utilized VueJs and Vuetify; the mobile apps were developed using Swift for iOS and Kotlin for Android. Maciej faced significant challenges during development, including mismanagement of resources and capital, which led to exhausting his savings and eventually necessitating the painful decision to disband the team and take over the development himself to complete the project.

What were the initial startup costs for Calendesk?

Initial Investment: The founder invested nearly everything he had, about $300,000, into getting Calendesk off the ground.

How did Maciej launch Calendesk and get initial traction?

Landing Page & Google Ads

Calendesk initially got the word out by creating a simple landing page with a strong call-to-action (CTA). This was complemented by launching a Google Ads campaign. The aim was to draw in initial users and understand their needs through direct feedback.

Why it worked: This tactic helped gain immediate visibility and brought users to the platform who could provide valuable feedback. This feedback was crucial for refining the product and was a cost-effective way to attract the first few users even though it wasn't highly profitable.

Initial Customer Engagement

The founder, Maciej, focused on engaging directly with early customers who signed up through the website. Video meetings and phone calls were used to connect with these customers, ensuring they understood how to use Calendesk and felt supported.

Why it worked: Direct communication with customers helped build strong relationships and trust. It also provided Maciej with insights into user experiences, allowing for immediate adjustments and improvements to the product, leading to better retention and satisfaction.

What was the growth strategy for Calendesk and how did they scale?

Google Ads

Calendesk launched with a straightforward marketing approach by creating a landing page and initiating a Google Ads campaign. This tactic helped them gain initial traction and customer insights, despite not being deeply profitable. The campaigns enabled them to connect with customers who could provide valuable feedback for product improvements.

Why it worked: Google Ads was effective for Calendesk in quickly reaching potential customers. This platform allowed them to test different messages and refine their product based on direct feedback. Although not immediately cost-effective, it was instrumental in understanding their target market and ensuring some early usage of their product which is crucial for any startup.

SEO

SEO has been one of the cornerstone strategies for Calendesk's growth. They focused on localized SEO, particularly in Polish and English, which helped them secure a stable online presence in both native and international markets. This approach was deemed more effective and valuable than paid ad channels over time.

Why it worked: Focusing on SEO allowed Calendesk to gain sustainable traffic over time without the recurring costs associated with ads. Their emphasis on localized keywords in a less crowded Polish market gave them an edge, increasing visibility among native speakers and thus expanding their customer base. This strategy provided long-term value by attracting organic traffic that was more inclined to convert.

Word-of-Mouth Referrals

Calendesk leveraged word-of-mouth as a key growth channel. They capitalized on the referrals from satisfied customers to expand their user base. Positive experiences with their appointment scheduling software naturally led to recommendations, which facilitated organic growth.

Why it worked: Word-of-mouth referrals worked well because they are inherently trustworthy; potential customers are more likely to trust recommendations from peers rather than advertisements. Calendesk's focus on customer satisfaction and engagement ensured that users were happy and willing to share their experiences, making this an efficient and cost-effective acquisition method.

What's the pricing strategy for Calendesk?

Calendesk offers a starting price of $79/month, focusing on B2B clients without a freemium model to enhance customer quality and retain paying users.

What were the biggest lessons learned from building Calendesk?

Hire Wisely: Hire only when it's clearly necessary and beneficial. Early over-hiring at Calendesk led to financial strain, teaching a valuable lesson in resource management.
Focus on Selling: Building the product is only half the battle. Calendesk realized the importance of concentrating on customer engagement and sales efforts over mere product development.
Customer Feedback is Crucial: Engaging actively with customers for feedback helps refine the product. Early Google Ads brought users that provided valuable insights, despite not being immediately profitable.
Learn from Mistakes: Maciej's initial mismanagement and financial setbacks offered invaluable experience, shaping a more efficient, customer-focused business approach moving forward.
Consistency and Resilience: Despite financial hardships and setbacks, consistent efforts and perseverance led to Calendesk's eventual success. This highlights the importance of staying persistent and adaptable in entrepreneurship.

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