In this episode, we dive into the entrepreneurial journey of Adam Sandman, founder and CEO of Inflectra, a global provider of software test management and project management tools. Adam shares how he started programming at age 10 in rainy Wales, which sparked his passion for technology. After working as a Director at Sapient Government Services, Adam saw a gap in the market for affordable and user-friendly test management solutions, prompting him to launch Inflectra in 2006.

Adam walks us through the early days of building his business from the ground up, wearing every hat from programming to sales. He talks about the challenges of bootstrapping a company in a competitive landscape dominated by tech giants like Microsoft and IBM. Adam explains how Inflectra carved out a niche by being a low-cost alternative and eventually pivoting to a more differentiated, premium offering to stay ahead of competitors.

‍

We discuss the evolution of sales strategies as Inflectra scaled—from a self-service model with no demos to a professional sales team spanning multiple regions. Adam highlights the complexities of transitioning from founder-led sales to hiring the right people, avoiding costly mistakes, and balancing customer expectations. He also shares insights on managing the customer journey, maintaining high-quality support, and the importance of intentional onboarding to ensure a seamless user experience.

‍

Adam reveals Inflectra's growth goals, including the integration of AI technologies similar to Copilot for software testers, expanding partnerships with large platforms like AWS, and exploring new outbound sales motions. He emphasizes the value of experimentation, measuring success, and not being afraid to pivot when strategies don’t yield the expected results.

‍

Join us as Adam Sandman offers valuable lessons on navigating the ups and downs of bootstrapping, staying competitive, and scaling a tech company against industry giants. If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or business leader, you won’t want to miss the practical advice shared in this conversation.

‍

To reach out to Adam, you can email him at adam.sandman@inflectra.com or connect with him on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/adamsandman. For more on our marketing services, visit NextGenGrowth.com.