Solo Founder CoachWho I am
I help SaaS operators become founders on the side.
I'm Peter Gustafson. I spent 10+ years in B2B SaaS across Customer Success, Product Management, Solutions Engineering and Operations, from fintech startups to enterprise. Now I coach Customer Success and operations people building a side project on nights and weekends toward a first paying customer, without quitting their job. I'm building my own software right now too.
Why this exists
Why I do this work
The moment I saw the problem
For years I watched operators like you make other people's products work for customers, then stall for months on your own side project. You keep adding features instead of talking to customers, because when the product is yours, a lukewarm answer feels personal.
What I believe about it
You are not short on skill. You already run discovery calls and spot churn before anyone else in the room. You are stuck because you are building like a team of ten and applying employee-mode thinking to a founder-mode problem.
What I want for you
One paying customer, a customer success process you own instead of maintain, and a workflow that uses AI tools to ship at a pace that used to need a full team. All without quitting your job first.
Why I do this work
Every role taught the same three things
Every job was a version of the same lesson: listen to customers, build what people want, and sell without being pushy. At Trading Technologies I set up the company's first NPS survey. At The Washington Post I was responsible for $5M in annual SaaS revenue with enterprise clients. At nZero I led a team managing 40+ clients and roughly $3M ARR.
The most useful education came later. Building my own thing from scratch, alone, showed me what the doorway between operator and founder actually feels like. I coach because I have stood in it, and I know the view from there.
- 10+ years in B2B SaaS
- Led a roughly $3M ARR book
- MBA, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
The story, in order
The career in order, from fintech to climate tech
2013 to 2015
Solutions Engineer, Pike13
Mobile client management SaaS startup serving SMBs; acquired by Jonas Software
2016 to 2018
Customer Success Operations Manager, Trading Technologies
Fintech SaaS startup; acquired by 7RIDGE
2016
Business Development Associate, Carena
Telehealth SaaS startup serving enterprise health systems; acquired by Amwell
2018 to 2019
Product Manager, American Medical Association
Ecommerce store & mobile app serving enterprise health systems
2019 to 2021
Technical Account Manager, The Washington Post
CMS startup within the Washington Post serving enterprise clients
2021 to 2022
Product Manager II, American Medical Association
Initial hire on the VeriCre team
How I work
What you can expect from me
Honest over polished
I tell you which phase you are actually in and what that phase's one job is, even when it is uncomfortable to hear.
A conversation, not a course
We troubleshoot your specific problem live and you leave with a clear next step, not another framework to read.
Specifics, not vague advice
Numbers, names and scripts: email five potential customers this afternoon, not a strategy deck for next quarter.
In the doorway with you
I'm building my own software right now using the same AI-assisted workflows I teach, so none of this is theory.
Ready for a real conversation?
No pitch and no deck. We talk through where you're stuck and you leave with a clear next step.