$750K, Katelyn Bourgoin & Community-Led Growth

Introducing Katelyn Bourgoin

Katelyn Bourgoin, the ingenious mind behind Customer Camp (aka the “Customer Whisperer"), has donned many hats in her entrepreneurial journey. While the detailed chronicles of her early life remain elusive, her professional story is an epitome of evolving with the market's cadence.

Bourgoin transitioned from being a solopreneur to building a successful micro-business that stands on the bedrock of collective intelligence.

🔍 Biz Breakdown

Customer Camp, Bourgoin's brainchild launched in 2019, is a training and research firm dedicated to bridging the understanding gap between product teams, marketers, and their customers​¹​.

The venture started with a modest newsletter, and within a year, they hit the 3,000 subscriber mark. But the real magic unfolded when they doubled this figure in just nine weeks, a testimony to Bourgoin's adeptness at leveraging growth hacks.

While precise income figures remain under wraps, the rapid growth of her subscriber base implies a potential upswing in revenue channels, be it through subscriptions, consultations, or workshops.

Bourgoin's business model is simple yet effective: provide clarity to clients through 1:1 strategy calls and enable smart marketing decisions rooted in buyer psychology​²​.

The ethos of 'Subtraction' also seems to play a pivotal role in her business model. When faced with challenges like revenue growth, the emphasis is on refining existing strategies rather than adding new elements, a notion that resonates with the principle of 'less is more'​³​.

And just recently, she shared how her business generated around $750K for the year (click the post below).

🫂 Team Secrets

No success story comes without a team. And that’s what separates solopreneurs from micropreneurs.

Bourgoin's approach towards team building is both unique and pragmatic. She has consciously chosen to run a “one-person business,” but aligning with skilled contractors as needed, thus keeping the core team lean while ensuring access to requisite expertise​⁴​.

This model not only curtails operational expenses but also nurtures a community of like-minded individuals who can collaboratively contribute to the business's growth.

The essence of Bourgoin's journey underscores three critical takeaways for micropreneurs transitioning from solopreneurship:

1. Community Building: The growth of Customer Camp's newsletter audience illustrates the power of community building. By creating valuable content and engaging with her audience, Bourgoin managed to create a loyal community that contributed to her business growth​⁵​.

2. Simplicity in Strategy: Bourgoin's business model is rooted in simplicity and clarity. By offering direct solutions through 1:1 strategy calls, she eliminates the fluff that often clouds modern marketing strategies. This straightforward approach can serve as a blueprint for micropreneurs aiming to streamline their business models.

3. Lean Team Structure: The decision to operate a one-person business while collaborating with skilled contractors as needed is a practical approach to managing resources efficiently. This lean team structure could serve as a viable model for micropreneurs aiming to scale their ventures without incurring hefty operational costs.

📈 Rising Trend: Community-Led Growth

A rising trend that aligns with Katelyn Bourgoin's story is the "Community-Led Growth" model.

Unlike traditional business growth models that heavily rely on sales and marketing efforts, the Community-Led Growth model hinges on building vibrant communities around a brand or product.

By fostering a sense of belonging and engagement among users, businesses can organically grow through word-of-mouth referrals and user-generated content. Bourgoin's approach of nurturing a newsletter community that aids in the growth of Customer Camp reflects this emerging trend.

The effectiveness of this model is evident in the way Customer Camp doubled its newsletter audience in a short span, showcasing a symbiotic relationship between the business and its community¹​.

This community-centric model is becoming a cornerstone for modern micropreneurs seeking a sustainable and organic growth trajectory.

🔑 3 Key Lessons

1. Community Over Customers: Bourgoin's strategy of building a community before converting them into customers is a contrarian approach. In a digital landscape dominated by aggressive marketing and sales funnels, her approach emphasizes creating value and fostering relationships first.

2. Simplicity as a Strategy: In an era where businesses are obsessed with growth hacks and scaling, Bourgoin’s focus on simplicity and clarity is a breath of fresh air. Her business model demonstrates that it's possible to achieve remarkable growth without over-complicating strategies.

3. Lean Team Dynamics: The conventional wisdom advocates for scaling teams as businesses grow. However, Bourgoin’s decision to maintain a one-person core team while leveraging a network of skilled contractors challenges this norm, showcasing a sustainable, lean operation model.

🫵 What This Means For You

Adopting a Community-Led Growth model, akin to Katelyn Bourgoin's approach, can signify a shift towards more sustainable and organic growth for your micro-business.

By fostering a devoted community around your brand or product, you not only create a loyal customer base but also a valuable resource for feedback, innovation, and word-of-mouth referrals.

This approach, blended with a lean operational model, could redefine success for modern micropreneurs.

As the essence of community and collaborative effort is deeply rooted in cultural practices, such as those seen in Canada's cooperative movements, integrating these elements could also enrich your brand's identity and resonance with your audience.

✅ Action Step

Consider revisiting your business model to identify areas where simplicity can be introduced.

Evaluate your current team structure and explore opportunities to collaborate with freelancers or contractors to maintain a lean operation.

For instance, the recent trend of businesses turning to platforms like Upwork to find skilled freelancers for project-based work demonstrates a practical step towards embracing a leaner operational model while accessing a broad talent pool.