Episode Summary:
Paul Stovell, founder and CEO of Octopus Deploy, shares his journey from coding side projects in a Brisbane library to building a $100M+ ARR global business in the competitive world of DevOps. Paul reveals how a relentless focus on product excellence, profitability, and customer value enabled Octopus Deploy to scale without relying on constant investor funding, becoming one of Australia’s most successful software companies.
He delves into the benefits (and pitfalls) of building with transparency, why he rejected Silicon Valley’s growth-at-all-costs mindset, and how he structured Octopus Deploy for sustainable, long-term growth. Paul also unpacks the personal challenges of balancing family, co-founding with his wife, and maintaining passion for building, plus why he’s still at the helm despite the inevitable burnout moments.
If you’re a founder, operator, or investor curious about bootstrapping vs. fundraising, scaling a product-led SaaS, or maintaining healthy relationships while building an empire, this episode is packed with raw insights.
Episode Sponsors:
Chapters:
02:20 – Building Octopus Deploy: From Brisbane library to $100M ARR
05:00 – Bootstrapping and turning down a $400K early acquisition offer
08:30 – Co-founding with your spouse: Paul and Sonya’s partnership story
12:10 – Creating a contrarian culture: Remote-first before it was trendy
15:45 – How Australia’s startup ecosystem evolved from 2012 to today
20:30 – Becoming profitable from day one: The mindset behind sustainable growth
26:00 – Facing down Microsoft: Pivoting to survive industry giants
31:10 – Why transparency and building publicly were key growth levers
36:50 – Scaling to 100 employees without losing the original vision
43:00 – Raising $172M from Insight Partners (without needing the money)
50:10 – The realities of taking on investors: How Paul views venture capital
57:00 – Navigating burnout and founder stress while scaling globally
01:04:20 – Hiring mistakes, culture clashes, and leadership lessons learned
01:12:45 – Goal-setting without rigid KPIs: Paul’s unconventional strategy
01:22:00 – Personal life balance: Family, renovating classic cars, and keeping perspective
01:29:30 – What’s next for Octopus Deploy: Staying independent and profitable
Resources:
🐙 Octopus Deploy – https://octopus.com
📖 Octopus Public Handbook – https://handbook.octopus.com
📊 Octopus Investor Relations – https://ir.octopus.com
👤 Paul Stovell’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulstovell
