How Notion Bootstrapped From a Failed Side Project

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Notion, now a $10 billion productivity software company, bootstrapped its early years — starting as a failed side project by Ivan Zhao and Simon Last. They discuss the lean, profit-first approach before VC funding, including how the founders built a minimal viable product, struggled to find product-market fit, and pivoted from an all-in-one tool to a modular workspace. With concrete numbers on the company's early revenue, team size, and the specific tactics they used to grow without outside capital, this episode offers a real-world lesson in patient, founder-led growth. No hype — just the actual decisions that kept Notion alive and eventually made it a category-defining business. #Notion #IvanZhao #SimonLast #Bootstrapping #ProductLedGrowth #SaaS #ProductivitySoftware #LeanStartup #ProfitFirst #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #StartupStory #SideProject #Pivot #MinimalViableProduct #CustomerDevelopment #FounderLed Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo