How Ampush’s Founder, Jesse Pujji, Bootstrapped GrowthAssistant to $50K MRR in 100 Days

The Idea

For years, the concept of GrowthAssistant remained on Jesse’s to-do list, as he waited for the right co-founder—someone skilled in Human Resources (HR) and recruitment. That person was Adriane Schwager, a former HR executive and long-time friend. Together, they created a service that sources, trains and embeds full-time, college-educated offshore assistants from the Philippines into startups and Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) brands. Their focus is specifically on providing support for growth marketing and operational tasks.

Challenges

GrowthAssistant experienced rapid early success, but not without hurdles. The startup faced several typical challenges:

• Building systems for international payroll: Managing payments across different countries and currencies was complex.
• Global legal incorporation: Navigating legal requirements for operating in multiple countries presented additional difficulties.
• Cultural fit: Ensuring remote assistants aligned well with client company cultures was essential for long-term success.
• Client churn: They had to learn from instances where clients churned and assistants needed replacing.

Convincing companies to trust offshore talent with core marketing tasks was another significant challenge. However, Jesse’s industry credibility and network eased some of these concerns.

Industry Context

The outsourcing and remote staffing industry surged in popularity during the pandemic as companies adapted to remote work. While outsourcing is standard in finance and consulting, it was relatively new in growth marketing. GrowthAssistant identified a large market opportunity, as nearly every high-growth startup or DTC brand seeks to scale operations efficiently and cost-effectively.

The industry prioritized highly skilled, English-speaking talent in regions like the Philippines. GrowthAssistant filled this gap by offering vetted candidates specialized in marketing, operations, and administrative support.

Founders

Jesse Pujji, a seasoned entrepreneur, brought his deep expertise in growth marketing and offshore talent management to the venture. As a co-founder of Ampush, he had already witnessed the advantages of utilizing offshore teams for repetitive tasks.

Adriane Schwager, the CEO, oversees operations, recruitment, and HR. Her background in HR and experience working at a hedge fund made her the ideal partner to scale GrowthAssistant.

Product

GrowthAssistant provides full-time, college-educated assistants from the Philippines, who are embedded into clients’ teams. These Growth Assistants (GAs) handle reporting, video editing, campaign management, and Sales Development Representative (SDR) outreach tasks. They operate within the client’s time zone, participate in team meetings, and use company communication tools like Slack and Zoom, becoming fully integrated team members.

GrowthAssistant boasts a rigorous hiring process, claiming to select only the top 1% of applicants. Their clientele mainly consists of high-growth startups and DTC brands needing a cost-effective way to scale their marketing efforts.

USP

To thrive in the competitive remote staffing landscape, GrowthAssistant had to differentiate by offering a unique solution. GrowthAssistant’s USP lies in providing highly skilled, embedded assistants for growth marketing at a fraction of the cost of U.S.-based talent. By leveraging offshore talent from the Philippines, they offer a fast and affordable means to scale operations without sacrificing quality. Unlike typical outsourcing models, their assistants work full-time for a single company, allowing deep integration into each business’s workflow.

Competitors

Even with a USP, GrowthAssistant faced immense competition in the talent outsourcing space from several companies:

• Mayple: Connects businesses with vetted marketing professionals using an AI-based matching system, starting at $1,800 per month.
• Toptal: Offers a broad range of freelance talent, including marketers, with a rigorous screening process and a two-week free trial.
• Right Side Up: Provides strategic marketing recruiting, focusing on both freelancers and team engagements, primarily in the San Francisco area.
• Creative Circle: A staffing agency known for its diverse talent pool, though it lacks transparent pricing.

GrowthAssistant has still managed to gain market share. It differentiated itself by offering trained, full-time offshore employees to handle manual marketing tasks, allowing in-house teams to focus on strategy(MarketerHire)(Growjo).

Build

The company started with minimal overhead. Jesse and Adriane initially handled everything, from recruiting to building the company’s website. They tapped into their existing network, offering the service to companies like Noom, DoorDash, and Varsity Tutors. GrowthAssistant secured its first sale within 30 days, and demand grew so quickly that they had to implement a waitlist to manage incoming requests.

Implementation

After the build, GrowthAssistant’s implementation was pretty straightforward. The process flowed like this: companies complete a needs survey and, within weeks, they are matched with a trained Growth Assistant. The onboarding process was kept efficient, enabling assistants to start adding value immediately. They handle repetitive tasks, allowing internal teams to focus on strategy and growth.

Growth

Since its launch, GrowthAssistant has scaled rapidly. Within its first 100 days, the company grew 50% month-over-month, reaching $50,000 in Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR). Its client base continues to expand, including notable names like Candid and marketing expert Nik Sharma. The company is on a path to sustained growth with a bootstrapped model and strong demand.

Pricing

GrowthAssistant’s pricing model has remained relatively straightforward since its inception.

They charge a flat fee of $3,000 per month per assistant. This simple and transparent pricing is a fraction of the cost of hiring U.S.-based talent, which can exceed $60,000 per year for similar roles. Fixed pricing helps companies effectively budget as they scale their teams.

Key Takeaways

• Bias to action: The founders moved quickly from idea to execution, capitalizing on market demand early.
• Leverage your network: Jesse’s connections in growth marketing provided a head start, with early customers like Nik Sharma lending social proof.
• Scalable offshore talent: GrowthAssistant provides a scalable solution tailored to growth marketing needs by focusing on vetted, skilled offshore talent.

GrowthAssistant has carved out a niche in the outsourcing market by providing specialized, full-time offshore talent tailored to handle marketing tasks, freeing up teams to focus on strategy and brand growth. Its rapid revenue growth and expanding team showcase its success in fulfilling a critical need for businesses.

By offering a cost-effective and dedicated solution for managing manual marketing processes, GrowthAssistant has positioned itself as a valuable partner for marketing teams looking to scale efficiently. As it continues to grow, maintaining its commitment to quality and flexibility will be key to sustaining its competitive edge.

To learn more about building scalable infrastructure to keep up with increasing demand, read our guide on “How to Build a Scalable Infrastructure for Long-Term Growth”.