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Jason Cohen
WP Engine
4th bootstrapped company to $1M+, "A Smart Bear" blog built massive authority
8 years
$100K ARR
SEO / Content
Growth channel
Co-founders
Founder
Founder
Jason Cohen
Co-foundersβ’Technicalβ’USA
Commitment
Full-timeExperience
ExperiencedProduct
Managed WordPress hosting platform.
Type
SaaSIndustry
Developer toolsModel
SubscriptionMarketing strategy
How Jason acquired customers
Growth channel
SEO / Content
Also used
CommunitiesWord of mouth
Tech Stack
Tools used to build WP Engine
PHPMySQLAWSStripe
The full story
WP Engine is my 4th bootstrapped company to hit $1M+. My "A Smart Bear" blog built massive authority that attracted customers and investors.
Serial Entrepreneurship
This is my 4th company to $1M+. Each one taught lessons for the next.
Thought Leadership
"A Smart Bear" blog positioned me as an authority. When I launched WP Engine, that authority converted to customers.
Blog to Billion
The launch-announcement post to my 18,000-subscriber blog only produced 2 direct signups; by then, 50 paying customers already existed through direct outreach. Still, the blog built lasting authority that helped attract partners and investors over time, and WP Engine is now valued at $1B+.
- Bootstrapped companies to $1M+: 4
- WP Engine valuation: $1B+
Key Takeaways
1
Thought leadership blogging attracts customers
2
Serial entrepreneurs benefit from documenting
3
Authority compounds across ventures
4
Blogs can lead to billion-dollar outcomes
Originally published onA Smart Bear (Jason Cohen's blog)
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Milestone Journey
Jason achieved 4 milestones on the path to $100K ARR
First customer
14 days
July 2010
53% faster
vs median 1 month+1 month to next milestone
$1K MRR
$1,000
2 months
September 2010
67% faster
vs median 6 months+4 months to next milestone
$10K MRR
$10,000
6 months
January 2011
51% faster
vs median 1 year+8 years to next milestone
$100K ARR
$1,000,000,000
8 years
July 2018
Avg: 2 years
8 years
Total journey time
4
Milestones achieved
Against every documented journey
Jason Cohen reached $10K MRR in 6 months, faster than 74% of the 295 documented $10K journeys (median 12 months). The amber bar is this journey.
Jason's Path to $100K ARRPremium
The journey, decisions, and context behind this milestone
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Frequently asked questions
How much does WP Engine make?
WP Engine reports $400M ARR as of January 2024. WP Engine $400M ARR as of 2024. Jason Cohen is Chief Innovation Officer. Source: GetLatka.
What is WP Engine?
Managed WordPress hosting platform. It operates in Developer tools.
How long did it take WP Engine to reach $100k arr?
Jason Cohen took 8 years to reach $100k arr with WP Engine.
Was Jason Cohen a solo founder?
No. Jason Cohen built WP Engine with co-founders.
What marketing channel did WP Engine use to grow?
WP Engine grew primarily through SEO / Content.
What industry is WP Engine in?
WP Engine operates in Developer tools.
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