#397 – How Dean Mathews rejected conventional growth and built a company 170,000 people rely on every month

A story about measuring success differently—and what that single decision builds.

This episode is for SaaS founders who sense their growth metrics are missing something — and can't put their finger on what.

Many SaaS companies track monthly active users. Dean Mathews asks a different question when he looks at that number.

Dean Mathews, Founder and CEO of OnTheClock, launched his time-tracking company in 2004 after reading complaints in a small business forum. For the next decade, he ran it as a side project — patient, focused, and measuring success by one question: are we actually helping people?

That question changed what he built, how he hired, and why customers keep coming back.

And this inspired me to invite Dean to my podcast. We explore how measuring success by people rather than revenue changes what a software company becomes. Dean shares why monthly active users became his north star, why 20 years of patience in one segment compounds in ways rapid growth never does, and what really drives customers to recommend you without being asked.

You'll discover how a 4.9 out of 5 customer support rating and 7–8% word-of-mouth referrals trace back to one belief about what business is actually for.

We zoom in on two of the 10 traits that define remarkable software companies: – Turn customers into fans – Master the art of curiosity

Dean's story proves remarkable companies don't obsess over revenue metrics—they obsess over the people those metrics are supposed to represent.

Here's one of Dean's quotes that captures his philosophy on what makes a team culture actually work:

"The biggest one for me is connecting their work to the actual value that's delivered to a customer, and showing them that their work actually matters. That's like gold."

By listening to this episode, you'll learn:

• Why measuring success by people helped—not revenue—changes how your whole team behaves
• What turns occasional users into customers who recommend you to friends and colleagues
• Why staying in one segment for 20 years compounds in ways most founders never see
• Why connecting every team member to customer outcomes creates effort no salary can buy

For more information about the guest from this week:

Guest: Dean Mathews, Founder & CEO of OnTheClock

Website: ontheclock.com