Flodesk

Martha Bitar was a graphic designer frustrated that every email marketing tool was either ugly or too complicated for non-technical users. She partnered with developer Rebecca Shostak and designer-turned-coder Trong in 2019 to build Flodesk — an email tool where every template looked like it came from a design agency. They launched with a beta waitlist, then opened with a viral referral loop: every email sent with Flodesk included a footer badge that drove sign-ups. The company was profitable from week two. Growth compounded through influencers, creators, and small business owners who shared their beautiful email designs on social media. Flodesk reached $5M ARR without a single paid ad, then $10M, then $30M. By 2025 it had over 100,000 paying subscribers and 75 employees. It remains fully bootstrapped with no outside funding. Martha and Rebecca became prominent voices on building a company that puts design and user experience first, and both were named to Forbes 30 Under 30.