How to Build a GTM Engine Like Base44, With No Team, No Funding, and No Excuses

David Bitton
Aug 29
2 min read

Graphic with the text ‘The $80M Wix–Base44 Acquisition’ over stacked coins, representing the rapid six-month exit and financial success of Base44

Intro

Base44's rapid rise to a $80M acquisition in just six months has become legend. Solo founder Maor Shlomo built the company with zero VC funding, no co-founders, and no team. Yet Base44 achieved profitability, landed major brand partners, and scaled to 250,000+ users. Here’s how he did it, and how you can implement the same strategies step-by-step.

Build in Public as a GTM Engine Strategy Why it worked:

Building in public created transparency, trust, and viral traction.

How to implement it:

Start a Twitter/X and LinkedIn thread documenting your journey. Post daily updates.
Share screenshots, metrics, user feedback, and mistakes openly.
Use visuals (Looms, GIFs, infographics) to showcase progress.
End each post with a CTA: "Try it yourself", "Join the waitlist", or "Give feedback"

Tool tip: Use Typefully or Taplio to schedule and monitor content performance.

Product-Led GTM with "Batteries Included" UX Why it worked:

Base44 made users feel like they were building apps instantly, with no friction.

How to implement it:

Map your core user journey: Identify where most users drop off.
Add micro-onboarding steps: e.g., in-app prompts, tooltips, progress bars.
Bundle infrastructure: Consider offering hosting, auth, database in one-click setup.
Run usability tests with first-time users and implement one UX improvement per week.

Tool tip: Use tools like Userflow, Hotjar, or Fullstory for real-time UX optimization.

Tactical Partnerships for Exponential Reach. Why it worked:

Partnerships with known brands drove distribution and credibility.

How to implement it:

Identify 3-5 companies whose customers overlap with yours.
Reach out, offering a co-marketing partnership or integration.
Deliver a proof-of-concept quickly and share usage data.
Post public success stories with data (performance uplift, time saved, reach extended).

Tool tip: Use Notion to build a one-pager outlining the partner value prop before pitching.