Blaze is an AI tool that helps teams of one create better content in half the time, all in their brand voice. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Blaze CEO Adam Nathan to learn more about the company.
Adam Nathan’s Background
Could you tell me more about your background? Nathan said:
“After spending time at some of the most complex organizations in the world (White House, Apple, Lyft), I realized companies were spending more time coordinating work than actually doing it. I founded Almanac in 2019 to help teams collaborate better, and in 2023 I launched Blaze to help small businesses and entrepreneurs succeed with AI-powered marketing. I’ve always been drawn to creating things that help people work better and accomplish more. My background across government, tech, and startups showed me that great tools can transform how people work and build businesses. I hold systems engineering and economics degrees from Duke University and an MBA with highest honors from Harvard Business School.”
Formation Of The Company
How did the idea for the company come together? Nathan shared:
“When we pivoted to Blaze in mid-2023, AI was creating the kind of once-in-a-generation disruption every entrepreneur dreams about. While most AI companies were chasing enterprise deals, we saw that solopreneurs and small businesses had an urgent need – they all wore ten hats, had no time for marketing, but desperately needed it to grow. We realized AI could level the playing field against bigger companies with large marketing budgets. It wasn’t just a business opportunity; it was personal. My parents built a small outerwear business in NYC, and I watched them struggle to make the jump online. Blaze is for entrepreneurs like them who bet on themselves and rely on their own grit and creativity to keep the lights on.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Nathan reflected:
“Seeing our first customers succeed. We recently helped a small business owner in North Carolina take his first vacation in 14 years thanks to the time saved using Blaze. A digital marketer 10x’d her agency’s revenue. A drone photographer moved from page 50 to page 1 on Google in six months. An HR consultant finally launched the podcast he’d been dreaming of. These stories remind me why we built Blaze – to help entrepreneurs realize their dreams, grow faster, and get time back for the things that matter.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Nathan explained:
“Blaze helps teams of one go from overwhelmed to empowered. Our AI doesn’t just generate generic content – it creates personalized marketing in your authentic brand voice and style. Some key features:
– AI Brand Kit that analyzes your website to create on-brand content that looks and feels like your brand
– Visual Studio for AI-generated designs in your brand style
– Content Management System to schedule and publish directly from Blaze
– Tools to generate a full month of content in one click
We’ve built a complete stack that handles everything from brainstorming ideas to scheduling posts, so entrepreneurs can add a virtual marketer to their team for just $26/month and grow their business while they sleep.”
Challenges Faced
Have you faced any challenges in your sector of work recently? Nathan acknowledged:
“Pivoting from Almanac to Blaze was the hardest decision I’ve made as a CEO. After years of work on Almanac, we had to face the reality that we wouldn’t grow fast enough to achieve venture-scale returns. When we saw what was happening with AI, we knew we had to make a bold move – completely rebuilding our product, repositioning for a new market, and redesigning our go-to-market strategy. We overcame it by moving incredibly fast and focusing relentlessly on getting our product into customers’ hands.”
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Nathan noted:
“Since our launch, we’ve rapidly expanded from basic AI content generation to becoming a full-stack marketing solution. We’ve added a complete Content Management System, our Visual Studio for AI-generated designs, and tools that can generate an entire month of content in one click. The key evolution has been in personalization – our Brand Voice technology now creates content that authentically matches each customer’s unique style and tone, which was a major gap in the market.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Nathan cited:
“We’ve hit several remarkable milestones in our first 15 months:
– Growing from $0 to $5 million in ARR in just 15 months
– Projecting to reach $10 million ARR by end of Q1 2025
– Building a product that serves hundreds of thousands of users
– Doing all this with an incredibly lean team of just 25 people
– Becoming the #1 Product of the Day, Week, and Month on Product Hunt
What’s most exciting is we’re seeing our growth rate accelerate every month.”
Customer Success Stories
Can you share any specific customer success stories? Nathan highlighted:
“One that stands out is a North Carolina small business owner who was able to take his first vacation in 14 years because Blaze automated his marketing. We’ve helped a digital marketer grow her agency revenue by 10x. A drone photographer used our SEO tools to move from page 50 to page 1 on Google in six months and 3X his inbound leads. A podcast host increased his website traffic by 440%. For our customers, the only alternative to Blaze is often hiring marketers or SEO consultants for thousands a month, so the foundation of each success story is how affordable Blaze is. These stories show how AI can truly level the playing field for small businesses.”
Revenue
When asking Nathan about the company’s funding details, he revealed:
“We’ve grown from $0 to $7 million in ARR in just 15 months, and we’re growing at about 35% month-over-month. At our current pace, we’re on track to 3x ARR from December 2024 to March 2025. With that kind of exponential growth, we could reach $50 million or even $100 million in ARR by the end of this year, and we’re doing it efficiently with under $1 million per month in net burn.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Nathan assessed:
“There are 33 million small businesses in America alone, and every single one needs marketing to grow. While tools like Shopify and Stripe made it possible to start a business online, they left you on your own to grow it. That’s the gap we’re filling. The market for marketing software is massive and growing rapidly with AI adoption.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Nathan affirmed:
“Three key things set us apart:
1. Focus on small businesses and teams of one – while others chase enterprise deals, we’re laser-focused on entrepreneurs
2. Superior personalization – our Brand Voice technology creates content that authentically matches each customer’s unique style
3. Brand and mission – we’re building the first great consumer brand in AI, focused on helping entrepreneurs achieve their dreams”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future company goals? Nathan emphasized:
“In 5 years, we aim to be the one-stop shop for all your marketing needs – imagine Canva, Google Docs, ChatGPT, and Shopify rolled into a simple, powerful platform. Our mission is to help create more millionaires from the internet by giving small businesses the tools that big companies have kept to themselves. More immediately, we’re focused on reaching $100 million in revenue with less than 100 people, showing that AI enables incredible efficiency at scale.”
Additional Thoughts
Any other topics you would like to discuss? Nathan concluded:
“I’d emphasize that Blaze represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to level the playing field for small businesses. The internet promised equal opportunity for business growth and success – AI is finally delivering on that promise. We’re not just another tech tool; we’re the first company building in AI focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs succeed.”
