How do you decide what’s actually worth building next?

In this episode, Amar Ghose, CEO and co-founder of ZenMaid, shares how his team is thinking about priorities, product development, and long-term SaaS strategy as they plan for 2026. He breaks down the four types of features every SaaS should understand (Retention, Conversion, Delight, and Foundational), how ZenMaid applies the ICE framework to real decisions, and why improving existing user behaviors often beats trying to create new ones. A candid, behind-the-scenes look at how a profitable SaaS company builds smarter, stays focused, and continues to serve its community of cleaning business owners.

In this episode, Amar Ghose shares his personal journey of recovering from a severe ankle injury. He reflects on the incident that led to his injury, the challenges of adjusting to a new reality, and the importance of mindset in overcoming adversity. Throughout the conversation, he emphasizes the significance of finding small victories, reframing identity and goals, and adopting healthier habits. Amar also discusses the lessons learned from his experience and how it has shaped his perspective on life and health.

Chapters

⁠00:00⁠ Introduction to the Journey⁠

05:50⁠ Adjusting to a New Reality

⁠11:23⁠ The Importance of Rest and Recovery⁠

17:01⁠ Redefining Goals and Identity

⁠23:16⁠ Health Habits and Lifestyle Changes

⁠28:26⁠ Support and Community During Recovery

Hiring an executive assistant isn’t just about freeing up time — it’s about multiplying impact.

In this episode, I pull back the curtain on my search for the right-hand operator who can keep up with an ADHD CEO, think three steps ahead, and use AI like it’s second nature.

I walk through the real job description I’m sending to candidates — from ownership of follow-through and content leverage to managing my network and helping me show up as a better CEO, friend, and creator.

If you’ve ever thought about hiring an EA (or becoming one for a high-growth founder), you’ll get a raw, unpolished look at:

• What I expect from an EA at ZenMaid

• Why “task takers” won’t cut it

• The non-negotiables for working directly with me

• How AI fits into the role (and where it doesn’t)

Plus, I share why I think most founders wait way too long to make this hire — and how the right EA changes everything.

In this episode, I sit down with Jesse from DropInBlog to unpack the 2025 ZenMaid team retreat—our biggest and most transformational yet. From an AI-powered design sprint to real conversations about leadership and culture, we dive into what made this week so impactful—and why I now see the annual retreat as the highest-leverage week of the year.

Finally defined a little framework I’ve been using at ZenMaid to prioritize product features.I'm calling it CRaMD (as in cramming too much into your roadmap 😉):All development we consider falls into 4 distinct areas/categories:Conversion featuresRetention featuresMaintenance developmentDelightRecorded a short bit expanding on how I use this. Do you think similarly or completely different to this? Interested to know how others view and prioritize development options!

🧳 Big life update: after 2.5 years in Brighton (with a broken ankle, a brain tumor, and a new golden retriever), my wife, Lola, and I just moved to London.

Earlier this week I recorded a brief clip on what that means for us and for ZenMaid.

This move isn’t just a change of scenery. It’s a full reset:

• Fran’s diving into art school and launching her career as a full-time artist 🎨

• I’m surrounded by more founders, more ambition, and more luxury pull-up bars 💪🏾

• And for ZenMaid: I expect this move to naturally accelerate everything 🧘‍♀️

It's been a week and London’s already pushing me to level up in health, wealth, and relationships.

If you're around these parts, or know someone who is that I should meet, let me know!

Hey Listener,

This was a fun one. Jim (our designer at ZenMaid) and I sat down to talk through how our design process has evolved into something that’s not just efficient, but actually fun.

We covered:

• Why delight isn’t fluff and how to add it without derailing the roadmap

• Using actual customers in design (but only the right ones!)

• The difference between presenting work vs. co-creating it

• How we learned to balance high-level vision with nitty-gritty details

• When to ship boring and polish later

If you want a behind-the-scenes peek at design at ZenMaid, give this a listen.

In this episode, I’m joined by Stephanie Pipkin — a longtime ZenMaid customer, cleaning industry expert, and now an important part of the ZenMaid team — for a deep and wide-ranging conversation about business growth, decision-making, and the evolution of ZenMaid.

We dive into:

• How Stephanie and I first connected — from customer to collaborator to advisor
• The psychology of spending — how perceptions of value shift as you grow personally and professionally
• ZenMaid’s unique position in the market — why we focus on value over just affordability
• The pain of switching software — and why so many maid services stay stuck with tools they don’t love
• How ZenMaid locks in customers by targeting 4–7 cleaner businesses — and helps them scale to 8–12 and beyond
• The importance of content and education — how ZenMaid became a media company that monetizes through software
• What happens if the ZenMaid software disappeared — and how we’ve built resilience beyond our tech
• The massive upside of treating ZenMaid as a platform — not just a tool
• How pricing strategy decisions were made — and why bringing in outside experts (like Jules from Roast My Pricing Page) was crucial
• Understanding risk and expected value — and how poker taught me to think like a CEO
• Why most big moves today are about reducing downside risk, not chasing upside
• How ZenMaid invests resources across marketing, sales, and product teams
• The “80/20 Rule” obsession — why it’s referenced in every ZenMaid meeting and how it powers faster decision-making
• Balancing customer feedback and internal vision — why not every feature request gets built, and how we stay focused on our Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
• The evolution of the cleaning industry — how younger entrepreneurs are changing the market and what that means for software like ZenMaid
• Thoughts on AI and automation in the cleaning industry — and why newer companies may underestimate the complexity of real-world operations
• The “cruise ship vs. speedboat” metaphor — why ZenMaid’s stability is a strategic advantage
• How Stephanie created a trusted audience by providing value first — and how that mirrors ZenMaid’s success with content marketing

Throughout the conversation, we also touch on personal philosophies around business building, resilience, team building, and how tiny consistent actions (“brick by brick”) have compounded over more than a decade at ZenMaid.

Mentioned Links:

🧹 ZenMaid: ZenMaid.com

🇺🇸 Follow my entrepreneurial journey: TheAmaricanDream.com

🧼 Stephanie’s consulting and content: SereneClean.com + the Filthy Rich Cleaners Podcast

Thanks for listening!

If you have questions you want answered in the next episode, drop a comment or message us.