597: How She Built a $38M App with ZERO Ads | Tezza Barton
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
In this masterclass episode, Tezza Barton, co-founder of the Tezza app, reveals how she and her developer husband Cole bootstrapped their creative editing platform to over 25 million downloads and $38 million in revenue without spending a single dollar on ads for the first four years. (00:54) Starting with negative dollars in their bank account, they built their business by treating their app like a beauty brand rather than traditional software. (02:43) The episode explores their journey from struggling entrepreneurs in New York City to building a profitable, sustainable business with just 15-16 employees.
- Core themes include building community first, bootstrapping vs. venture capital, and creating authentic brand experiences that turn users into passionate advocates
Speakers
Tezza Barton
Tezza Barton is the co-founder of the Tezza app, a creative editing platform with over 25 million downloads and $38 million in annual revenue. A photographer turned entrepreneur, she started her journey by selling Lightroom presets and building a community of creators before launching her app. Tezza grew up in an entrepreneurial family surrounded by artists and has been building businesses since age seven, starting with a candy shop at her brother's baseball games.
Nathan Chan
Nathan Chan is the founder and CEO of Foundr, a leading entrepreneurship media company and education platform. He started Foundr as a digital magazine over 12 years ago with just $2,000 and has grown it into a multi-million dollar business. Nathan is known for interviewing top entrepreneurs and sharing practical business insights with the Foundr community.
Key Takeaways
Build Community Before Product
Rather than building an app and hoping people would come, Tezza spent over a year cultivating a dedicated community of creators who were invested in what they were building. (15:34) She actively engaged with her audience through DMs, comments, emails, and in-person meetings, understanding their pain points and involving them in the development process. This approach created loyal advocates who felt like they were building the product alongside Tezza, leading to organic growth and word-of-mouth marketing that eliminated the need for paid advertising in the early years.
Treat Your App Like a Brand, Not Just Software
Tezza's key insight was approaching their app development like building a beauty brand rather than traditional software. (31:31) Instead of technical naming conventions, they created experiential names for filters and effects, like "Wildflower" for spring-themed content. They built events, collaborations, and real-world experiences around their digital product, creating emotional connections that went far beyond functionality. This brand-first approach differentiated them in a crowded market of tech-focused competitors.
Bootstrap for Better Customer Understanding
By bootstrapping for the first four years without any paid advertising, Tezza and Cole were forced to deeply understand their customers and create genuine value. (24:50) This constraint led to better retention, healthier business metrics, and organic growth that supported their eventual paid marketing efforts. The bootstrapped approach also allowed them to maintain control over their vision and build sustainable profitability from day one.
Intentional Scaling Preserves Company Culture
Despite their success, Tezza and Cole have intentionally kept their team small at 15-16 employees, focusing on hiring people who can enhance their creative vision rather than just filling roles. (25:40) This deliberate approach to scaling has allowed them to maintain the passionate, creative culture that drives their success while ensuring every team member contributes meaningfully to their mission of empowering creativity in others.
Persistence Through Initial Failure
Tezza emphasizes that just because something doesn't work immediately doesn't mean it's a bad idea. (40:47) Their collage kits product initially seemed like a failure based on first-day sales, but became successful after two years of consistent effort and marketing. This lesson applies broadly to entrepreneurship - failure often means you're one step closer to success, and persistence through initial setbacks is crucial for long-term success.
Statistics & Facts
- Tezza app has generated over 25 million downloads and approximately $38 million in annual revenue with only 15-16 employees. (12:20)
- The company operated for the first four years without spending a single dollar on paid advertising, relying entirely on organic growth. (18:53)
- In their first year after launch, the app achieved over one million downloads through word-of-mouth and community marketing alone. (22:30)
