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Growth channel · Direct sales & cold outreach
Businesses that grew with direct sales & cold outreach
The 1M.chat dataset has 194 businesses that credited direct sales & cold outreach. 146 of them have a revenue figure the founder reported in an interview. Their median is $50K a month, and 40% were at $1M a year or more when interviewed, with a median team of 5 employees. The growth channels founders credited most often were direct sales & cold outreach (100%), organic social media (63%), SEO & organic search (47%).
Revenue at interview
| Under $1K/mo | 5 | |
| $1K–$10K/mo | 21 | |
| $10K–$50K/mo | 45 | |
| $50K–$83K/mo | 17 | |
| $1M+ a year | 49 | |
| $1M+ a month | 9 |
Growth channels credited
| Direct sales & cold outreach | 100% | |
| Organic social media | 63% | |
| SEO & organic search | 47% | |
| Email & newsletters | 35% | |
| Paid ads | 34% |
Share of 146 businesses with channel information; founders often name several.
Industries in this group
| Software & SaaS | 68 | |
| Agencies & services | 49 | |
| AI tools & apps | 14 | |
| Other physical products | 10 | |
| Home, lifestyle & gifts | 10 | |
| Marketplaces & platforms | 9 |
Tools named most: Instagram (28%), Google Analytics (20%), Upwork (16%), PayPal (12%), QuickBooks (12%) — of 25 that listed tools.
Examples
Highest founder-reported revenues in this group
| Business | What it sells | Revenue / month | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel LaptopsOther physical products | diesel diagnostic hardware, software and services | $4.2Mfounder interview 2018 | United States |
| TrainualSoftware & SaaS | training and knowledge base software for small businesses | $2.7Mfounder interview 2019 | United States |
| Mattress Depot USAOther physical products | Discount mattresses and bedding | $2Mfounder interview 2021 | United States |
| International Cer...Other physical products | Ceramics manufacturing for industrial clients | $2Mfounder interview 2024 | United States |
| DetraPelOther physical products | protective stain-repellent sprays for fabric and leather | $1.9Mfounder interview 2019 | United States |
| GR0Agencies & services | SEO and organic growth marketing | $1.8Mfounder interview 2021 | United States |
| Hennessey DigitalAgencies & services | SEO and digital marketing services for law firms | $20M/yrfounder interview 2024 | United States |
| Salt Water DigitalAgencies & services | Digital marketing agency services including SEO, PPC, web development | $1.2Mfounder interview 2022 | Canada |
| Inflectra Corpora...Software & SaaS | Software development and testing management tools | $1.1Mfounder interview 2022 | United States |
| OmegasonicsOther | industrial ultrasonic cleaning equipment | $708Kfounder interview 2022 | United States |
| AppetiserAgencies & services | app development and growth services for startups and enterprises | $700Kfounder interview 2022 | Australia |
| Prime Publishing LLCNewsletters, blogs & media | cooking and crafting websites and newsletters | $600Kfounder interview 2022 | United States |
| PVM ITAgencies & services | Software engineering services for big data storage and analytics | $600Kfounder interview 2022 | United States |
| CognotaSoftware & SaaS | learning operations software for enterprises | $500Kfounder interview 2023 | Canada |
| Photobooth Supply...Other physical products | photo booths for event rental businesses | $500Kfounder interview 2018 | United States |
| FuseBox OneSoftware & SaaS | Digital asset management and brand management software | $420Kfounder interview 2024 | United States |
| White BulletSoftware & SaaS | IP risk protection and ad transparency data | $417Kfounder interview | United Kingdom |
| GoPromotionalOther physical products | custom-branded promotional merchandise | $400Kfounder interview 2022 | United Kingdom |
| Flying V GroupAgencies & services | Digital marketing and SEO services | $350Kfounder interview 2021 | United States |
| Social BeatAgencies & services | digital and social media marketing | $350Kfounder interview 2022 | India |
Revenue as the founder reported it in a Starter Story interview, at the interview date; not current revenue. “What it sells” is a 1M.chat summary. Channels come from Starter Story's listed growth channels and from what founders said worked in their interviews, grouped by 1M.chat. How this data is built
Questions
How much do businesses that credited direct sales & cold outreach typically make?
Among 146 businesses that credited direct sales & cold outreach with founder-reported revenue, the median was $50K a month at the time of the interview. The sample is founders who chose to be interviewed, so it leans toward businesses that were already working; treat it as a range of real outcomes, not an average for everyone who tries.
How many businesses that credited direct sales & cold outreach reached $1M a year?
58 of 146 (40%) reported at least $83K a month, the run-rate for $1M a year.
How did businesses that credited direct sales & cold outreach find customers?
Of 146 with growth-channel information, founders most often credited direct sales & cold outreach (100%), organic social media (63%), SEO & organic search (47%), email & newsletters (35%), paid ads (34%). Channels are grouped by 1M.chat from what founders said worked.
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