14: How we are using Cloudflare and AWS to build a freemium solution without blowing the budget

Our B2B SaaS Journey

In this episode, Mitchell takes us deep into the development of SixSides’ new real-time theme designer—built with Next.js, Cloudflare, and a dash of Cursor magic. Meanwhile, Gavin begins his “CTO in training” journey by installing GitHub for the first time (with only mild resistance).

We also get into the behind-the-scenes planning for Mitchell’s wedding (yes, it’s a side project), a live wrap video for Start Club Brisbane, and the exciting future of SixSides scaling globally through durable objects.

Expect a candid, behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to launch a B2B SaaS company from scratch – completely bootstrapped.

Got questions or topics you want us to cover? Email us at [email protected]

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In this episode, we cover:

• How Mitchell used AI to build a collaborative theme designer
• Switching from Laravel to Next.js for the marketing site
• Why Cloudflare Durable Objects are a game-changer for global scalability
• Lessons from launching a blog and improving content workflows
• Gavin’s first encounter with GitHub (and VS Code!)
• The story behind Mitchell’s upcoming wedding venue
• Why Start Club Brisbane is eager to use SixSides
• Our new merch idea for our partners
• Planning for freemium and infrastructure scaling
• Gavin’s busy week juggling client work, DealBuddi, and SixSides

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:00) - Four months in: reflecting on the journey
• (02:15) - Dishwashers of the world, we salute you
• (03:00) - Mitchell’s wedding planning (and why Gavin’s uninvited)
• (05:30) - Building the theme designer with AI
• (10:00) - Real-time collaboration and sharing in the browser
• (12:49) - Gavin loses his design (and wants an undo button)
• (13:30) - A blog is born + CEO sleepout post
• (15:00) - Gavin’s dev setup begins (slowly)
• (17:00) - Tuple, tabs, and taking control
• (18:45) - SEO titles and future-proofing content
• (22:00) - Gavin’s week: juggling DealBuddy, clients, and chaos
• (26:25) - Start Club Brisbane and our first SixSides wrap
• (29:30) - Shirts for the real MVPs: our partners
• (32:00) - Why durable objects matter for scaling
• (36:00) - Real-time updates and saving $$$
• (42:00) - Freemium, cost control, and infrastructure
• (44:30) - How Mitchell’s learning all this stuff
• (48:00) - Back to the mobile app
• (49:40) - Gavin gets a GitHub
• (50:01) - Wrap-up

Atlas Software is a premier software development agency based in Sydney, Australia, and founded by Mitchell Davis. We specialise in building innovative, robust, and scalable applications that drive business growth. With expertise in Laravel, Vue, React, and React Native, we help businesses craft tailored software solutions that streamline operations and enhance user experiences. Whether you're a startup finding product-market fit or an enterprise scaling digital transformation, Atlas ensures your tech vision becomes reality. Learn more at atlas.dev.

Gavin Tye is a sales strategist and the creator of Sales Market Fit (SMF) - a game-changing framework that helps B2B startups unlock predictable, scalable growth. With over 20 years of experience in high-value SaaS sales, Gavin has cracked the code on why businesses struggle to close deals and how they can transform their approach. Sales Market Fit aligns positioning, go-to-market strategies, and sales execution into a repeatable process that wins more clients with less friction. Learn how to stop relying on hope and start winning with a deliberate, proven sales strategy at salesmarketfit.co.

Links:

• SixSides: sixsides.co
• Book a call with Gavin: call.sixsides.co
• Support Gavin with the CEO SLEEPOUT: ceosleepout.org.au

Connect with us:

• Mitchell on Bluesky: mitchdav.is
• Mitchell on LinkedIn: mitchdav
• Gavin on LinkedIn: gavintye
• Gavin on GitHub: gavtye76
• SixSides on LinkedIn: sixsides
• SixSides on X: sixsidesevents
• SixSides on Bluesky: sixsides.co