About the Company

Olvy is a release notes tool designed to enhance user experience and feedback integration. Unlike traditional release note systems, Olvy allows businesses to collect reactions and comments directly on their updates, transforming feedback into actionable insights. This approach helps businesses identify the most appreciated features and areas requiring improvement. Olvy’s key offering is its simplicity and versatility, making it easy for companies to integrate and deploy updates.

The company emphasizes aesthetics, usability, and integration with other tools to provide a seamless experience. Olvy’s foundation is built on customer feedback and community engagement, which are central to its growth strategy.

Idea Behind Company

Arnob and Nishant drew inspiration from their experiences in enterprise SaaS startups. They observed that launching a product involves more than the product itself; it requires supplementary tools like changelogs, status pages, and support hubs. Realizing a gap in the market for an effective release notes tool, they focused on this niche.

They initially envisioned a comprehensive suite of tools but decided to prioritize release notes due to its underestimated complexity. This focus led to the creation of Olvy, which provides businesses with the means to improve user experience through feedback-driven updates.

Their guiding principles—beautiful design, ease of use, and meaningful integration—were pivotal in shaping Olvy. They wanted to create a product that users enjoyed interacting with and which fit seamlessly into existing workflows.

Creating the Company

The journey began with competitor analysis and defining core principles for Olvy. They prototyped using Figma, built a minimum viable product, and launched a “Builders Program” to onboard early users and gather feedback. This program was instrumental in identifying usability issues and refining the product based on real-world applications.

The team balanced full-time jobs while building Olvy, prioritizing a flexible and scalable design. User onboarding sessions, where participants set up the product themselves, offered invaluable insights into user needs and behavior.

The company’s emphasis on community building and user engagement was evident from the beginning. Early adopters not only shaped the product but also became advocates, helping Olvy gain visibility and credibility in its niche.

Launching the Business

Olvy’s launch strategy was methodical and community-driven. Before the public launch, the founders built an email waitlist and engaged with SaaS and maker communities. They used innovative methods, such as an animated landing page created with Lottie, to attract attention and sign-ups.

Social media, particularly Twitter, played a crucial role in building pre-launch buzz. The final launch sequence included a landing page revamp, a polished demo video, and a Product Hunt debut. Olvy’s efforts paid off when it secured the #1 Product of the Day on Product Hunt, significantly boosting its visibility and attracting its initial user base.

Post-launch, the team focused on nurturing its community, improving the product, and leveraging feedback to increase user retention. Early promotional offers and continued outreach to waitlist members helped convert free users into paying customers.

Earnings

Small Axe Peppers has grown significantly since its inception. From producing 5,000 bottles in 2014, the company scaled up to 70,000 bottles in 2016, fueled by increased pepper production in community gardens. By 2020, they sourced peppers from gardens in cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Detroit, reflecting their national reach.

Currently, the business earns $85K/month, with a robust distribution model supported by major partners like UFI and KeHe. However, challenges with cash flow persist due to the demands of scaling production and distribution. To address this, Small Axe Peppers has prioritized direct online sales, ensuring liquidity to handle large retail orders.

The company’s focus remains on sustaining its mission-driven growth, empowering community gardens, and expanding its customer base through authentic storytelling and high-quality products.