Aha! Ranks #143 on the Inc. 5000 List of Fastest-Growing Private Companies
August 15, 2018

Aha! Ranks #143 on the Inc. 5000 List of Fastest-Growing Private Companies

by Brian de Haaff

Just how fast can a product roadmapping software company with no VC funding, no offices, and no salespeople grow? Pretty darn fast. 2,871 percent, to be precise. That is the percentage growth rate of Aha! since 2014 — a tremendous accomplishment for our team. We are especially happy to see our success showcased on the prestigious Inc. 5000 list.

Aha! was named #143 in terms of revenue growth among all companies and #13 among our software peers in Inc. magazine’s 37th annual Inc. 5000 list.

The Inc. 5000 list ranks fast-growing businesses — the most successful independent small and mid-sized companies in the U.S. The winners this year are exceptional. Each one is leading in growth, job creation, and economic impact, collectively generating an aggregate revenue of $206.1 billion in 2017 and 664,095 jobs over the past three years.

To put that in context, the three-year growth average of all companies on the 2018 Inc. 5000 list was 538.2 percent. It is no surprise why Inc. said this list shows “staggering growth” compared to prior years.

And it is clear why Aha! earned such a distinguished spot. Just last month, we announced that Aha! surpassed 5,000 customers, 200,000 users, and a $40 million annual revenue run rate in less than five years. And in the last few months, we have been recognized by several industry-leading organizations as one of the most innovative companies and rewarding places to work.

But for the Aha! team, the real story is not about revenue or even growth percentages. It is how we are helping companies build better products and redefining how a high-growth software company can be built.

My co-founder Dr. Chris Waters and I knew that there was a better way to build a company. We put people first and reject the growth-at-all-costs mentality that is standard for most technology companies today. From day one, Aha! was built to be different — bootstrapped with an entirely remote team and no salespeople.

We have built a business like our grandparents did — by focusing on value and relationships. And it has worked. In just five short years we have become one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S.

If you have been following our journey for some time, this will probably be familiar. (If not, you may want to read Lovability, our bestselling book which explains our philosophy and the story behind our exceptional growth.)

We take a simple yet unconventional approach to creating customer and employee joy — we focus on creating real value for customers and our team. This has allowed us to build a team of passionate and hard-working experts. We hire intrinsically motivated people and enable them to work from where they are happiest. These folks have more than 250 years of collective product management experience and use it to serve customers ridiculously fast and with kindness.

Aha! comprises the highest-performing team I have ever worked with. So I am humbled but not surprised by our success.

Together, this group achieves perfect moments every single day — for our customers and for each other. The recognition from Inc. is just another signal that what we are building is meaningful and lasting. And we are committed to even more perfect moments ahead.

Want to be part of this adventure and change how companies innovate? Join our team.

Brian de Haaff

Brian de Haaff

Brian seeks business and wilderness adventure. He is the co-founder and CEO of Aha! — the world’s #1 product development software — and the author of the bestseller Lovability and The Startup Adventure newsletter. Brian writes and speaks about product and company growth and the journey of pursuing a meaningful life.

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