Raj Bhaskar, CEO and cofounder of Hurdlr. Hurdlr is an online tool that helps freelancers and entrepreneurs track their income and taxes. It helps people save money by calculating deductions within seconds. Nathan and Raj will discuss the beginning of Hurdlr and where they are headed in the future.
Famous Five:
Favorite Book? – The One Thing
What CEO do you follow? — Gary Keller
Favorite online tool? — Google Drive, Freshbooks
Do you get 8 hours of sleep? — No.
If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Don’t be so serious.
Time Stamped Show Notes:
01:03 – Nathan introduces Raj
02:15 – VisualHOMES acquisition price
02:35 – Revenue model
03:10 – Using proceeds from that as an investor and for Hurdlr
03:25 – Hurdlr launched a couple years ago
03:40 – It tracks finances and taxes for freelancers
04:25 – Competitors
04:40 – “Like Mint but for business.”
05:15 – Quick process compared to competitors
05:55 – They integrate with Freshbooks
06:20 – The business model
06:30 – They are currently pre-revenue
06:45 – Monthly or annual fee
07:10 – Other mobile solutions are different
07:40 – They have no desktop product
08:00 – Mobile is fast
08:30 – Founded 2.5 years ago
08:50 – Costs started in 2014
09:10 – Capital has been over $1.5 million
09:50 – 16 fulltime employees
10:25 – Usage metrics
10:45 – Mileage tracking
11:15 – Syncing with credit card
11:30 – Tens of thousands users, with 70% active once a month
12:00 – Pricing plan
12:20 – Simple and “part of the customer experience”
12:40 – “Pricing should bring a smile to your face.”
13:00 – Referrals
13:15 – Tracking savings through deductions
13:40 – The option to continue paying a monthly fee
14:10 – hurdlr.com with real-time chat
16:15 -- The Famous Five
3 Key Points:
Come up with a pricing model that you would feel comfortable paying.
Find a niche that sets you apart.
Use new technology to come up with helpful solutions.
Resources Mentioned:
Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
Leadpages – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
Google Drive and Freshbooks -- Raj’s favorite tools, besides Hurdlr
Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives