Ryan Doyle, a New York salesman, spent the COVID-19 pandemic developing various software projects that initially failed to gain traction. Eventually, he connected with a partner on social media, and together they launched a lead generation agency that now earns over $1,000,000 in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR). Over the next four years, Doyle explored the world, from Bali to Costa Rica and back to the United States.
Doyle, who uniquely combines sales expertise with coding skills, shared his experiences while renovating an old van for an American road trip. Here's what he revealed about his journey.
Ryan Doyle
Doyle's early days
Doyle grew up on a farm in New York State and later went to business school in California. He started a few online shops there and realized the importance of learning how to sell, regardless of his future endeavors.
This realization led him to take sales jobs at software companies in Palo Alto and then New York City. During the pandemic, he was working 80-hour weeks at his job while teaching himself to code on nights and weekends.
In summer 2020, during the Black Lives Matter protests, Doyle experienced a challenging situation. Police would drive around his neighborhood at night with sirens on, apparently to wear people out and discourage them from protesting. This went on for two months, and Doyle found it unbearable.
After enduring this for two months, Doyle decided it was time for a change. Despite acknowledging that his coding skills weren't great at the time, he believed they were sufficient to take a chance. He quit his job and planned to trade farm work for rent on his family's property.
First attempts at software projects
Doyle's first software creation was called Chatty. It utilized Slack's API to send sales information to potential customers and interact with them. He built it without a website due to his lack of web development skills. While it somewhat functioned, his sales friends who tried it didn't continue using it.
This project consumed six weeks of work without yielding the desired results. Undeterred, Doyle moved on to his next idea.
His second attempt was a newsletter called salesadvice.io. People had suggested he write about sales given his knowledge in the field. He managed to write about six issues before realizing he had exhausted his content ideas. However, this venture did bring in $500, marking his first taste of success.
Gaining GPT access through a unique approach
A significant turning point came when Doyle gained access to GPT in November 2020. At that time, GPT access was primarily granted to well-known individuals. Doyle, by his own admission, was not in that category.
To gain access, he employed an unconventional strategy. He began writing a daily haiku on Twitter, directed at OpenAI's CTO. Surprisingly, this creative approach worked, and he was granted access to GPT.
Using GPT, Doyle developed a cold email writer called Magic Sales Bot. While he admits it wasn't a great product, the excitement surrounding AI helped him achieve $1,000 in Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR). He also secured funding from Calm Fund, garnered press attention, and found himself fielding numerous calls from interested parties.
Despite these initial successes, Doyle later realized that his approach to the product was flawed. While it improved over time, it wasn't the type of software service he ultimately wanted to create. This experience provided valuable lessons about product development and market fit.
Making connections on social media
After spending a year and a half working on Magic Sales Bot, Doyle began sharing his experiences on Twitter. During this time, he came across Jakob Greenfeld's content and found it particularly insightful. Doyle took one of Greenfeld's online courses about web scraping and even downloaded all of Greenfeld's blog posts to read during an internet-free weekend.
Impressed by Greenfeld's clear thinking, Doyle found himself wishing he could think in a similar manner. Fate intervened when Greenfeld reached out to Doyle, initiating a conversation that would prove crucial to Doyle's future success.
Their Twitter exchanges continued for six months until Greenfeld proposed the idea of offering cold email services to others. Initially, Doyle was hesitant, concerned about dealing with clients. However, Greenfeld managed to convince him to give it a try.
Interestingly, the pair didn't meet in person until four or five months after starting their collaboration. By that time, they had already achieved $10,000 in monthly income, demonstrating the power of online partnerships in the digital age.
Leveraging AI for efficiency
Sales.co, the company founded by Doyle and Greenfeld, is a lead generation agency. They've developed proprietary tools for lead discovery, message personalization, and operational efficiency.
Their system heavily relies on AI and operates through Airtable, a cloud collaboration service. When they receive replies from a customer, the text is fed into GPT, which categorizes it as 'positive', 'neutral', or 'has a question'. The categorized response is then assigned to a specific Airtable user.
This AI-driven system allows their team to focus on high-priority tasks. It also enables them to provide detailed weekly reports to customers, outlining current activities and future outreach plans.
Doyle emphasizes the importance of storytelling in customer relations. During slower periods, they need to demonstrate their ongoing efforts to clients.
While they now have streamlined processes for everything, Doyle notes that it took considerable effort to reach this point. They only implemented AI for response sorting after manually handling hundreds of thousands of emails, underscoring the value of hands-on experience.
In the early stages, Doyle and Greenfeld handled all aspects of the business themselves. Greenfeld focused on lead generation, while Doyle managed email writing, sales calls, system setup, and the hiring of virtual assistants.
Refining pricing strategies through free trials and customer feedback
Before implementing a pricing structure, they offered their cold email services free of charge to three companies for a week. They then proposed continuing the service for $500 per month, gradually increasing to $1,000, $1,500, and finally $2,000. Two of the initial three companies chose to remain as paying clients.
Their pricing strategy evolved based on continuous customer feedback. They were open to phone conversations with anyone interested and offered generous money-back guarantees to build trust and attract clients.
The pair experimented with various pricing models initially, including a commission-only structure and a per-meeting charge. These attempts, while unsuccessful, provided valuable insights that helped shape their current, more effective business model.
Expanding the business
As the business grew, roles became more defined. Greenfeld assumed the position of CEO, overseeing daily operations. Doyle shifted his focus to special projects and high-level sales calls.
One of their new ventures involves helping startups acquire their first customers. Doyle is currently engaged with two such companies, believing that the need for customer acquisition assistance will always exist.
Doyle is also developing a new product called Damn Good Leads, responding to long-standing customer requests for niche-specific lead lists.
He expresses a particular fondness for creating self-promoting products. Sales.co exemplifies this approach, using its own cold email tactics for business growth. Another project involves scraping data from online newsletters to compile advertiser lists, which can then be offered back to the newsletters.
When considering business expansion, Doyle focuses on creating products that can be marketed through cold email and have the potential for self-sustained growth.
He also advocates for unconventional approaches in business. In an environment where everyone strives to appear intelligent, Doyle believes that seemingly simple or counterintuitive ideas can sometimes yield surprising results.
Doyle's road trip plans
Doyle is currently engaged in refurbishing an old van, a project he's contemplated for years. This endeavor satisfies his desire to work with his hands and create something tangible.
His plan is to travel across the United States, visiting every national park, with the possibility of extending his journey into Mexico. This adventure could span one to two years, with the van serving as his mobile home during his time in the U.S.
Doyle appreciates the balance between his computer-based work and the physical labor involved in the van project. He finds that alternating between these different types of work keeps him energized and motivated.
Despite his lack of experience in van restoration, Doyle remains undaunted. He relies on online resources like YouTube for guidance, showcasing his belief in self-education and resourcefulness.
Conclusion
The success of Sales.co stems from a combination of AI-driven efficiency, smart pricing strategies, and a focus on customer needs. Doyle and Greenfeld's willingness to experiment with different business models and their emphasis on customer feedback were key to their growth. As Doyle looks to the future, he's balancing his tech work with new ventures and personal projects, including a cross-country road trip in a refurbished van. His story highlights the importance of partnerships and thinking outside the box in today's business world.
