Welcome to True Operators, the show where we bring you content & conversations with people who know what it takes to operate a truly world-class team, product (or service), and company. Brought to you by ScaleMath.
From Side Project to Trusted by Disney: Robert Abela on 13 Years of Melapress
In this episode, we sit down with Robert Abela – founder and CEO of Melapress – to talk about what happens when you've built a solid, profitable WordPress security product and growth just... stalls.
Robert started WP Activity Log as a side project in 2013. Over the next decade, he grew Melapress past $1M ARR with zero marketing, landing enterprise customers like Disney, Bosch, Amazon, and DHL along the way.
But when revenue plateaued, he had to fundamentally rethink how he runs the company, shows up as a founder, and prioritizes what gets built next.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro: When growth stalls
01:54 – Recognizing the revenue plateau
02:52 – Running a remote team of seven
09:47 – Lessons from 14 years in software companies
13:34 – Technical founder vs. marketing founder
17:48 – The loneliness of solo founding
21:11 – From $1,000 to $1M ARR
25:37 – Enterprise customers showed up organically
29:45 – Stepping out from behind the brand
32:33 – Shedding products and refocusing
36:17 – Real talk: remote work and family
37:00 – How AI is changing a lean team
40:57 – Why juniors are struggling more than ever
44:30 – WordPress partnerships and integrations
46:35 – Move faster, fail faster
If you're a technical founder hitting a growth ceiling, wondering how to balance product work with marketing, or thinking about what it actually takes to break past $1M ARR in WordPress, this episode is a candid look at how it plays out.
About Robert
Robert Abela is the founder and CEO of Melapress (https://melapress.com), a WordPress security company behind WP Activity Log (https://melapress.com/wp-activity-log), WP 2FA, and Melapress Login Security. He's been building WordPress plugins for over a decade, serving everyone from individual site owners to Fortune 500 enterprises.
Links & Resources
Melapress (https://melapress.com)
WP Activity Log (https://melapress.com/wp-activity-log)
Robert on X (https://x.com/robertabela)
About the Podcast
Practical conversations on building world-class companies with true operators. Hosted by Alex Panagis, True Operators goes behind the scenes with the people building world-class companies. Every episode uncovers how they think, make decisions, and keep their teams performing at a high level.
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https://scalemath.com/newsletter (https://scalemath.com/newsletter)
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Alex on Twitter/X (https://twitter.com/alexjpanagis) | LinkedIn (https://linkedin.com/in/alexjpanagis)
ScaleMath on Twitter/X (https://twitter.com/scalemath) | LinkedIn (https://linkedin.com/company/scalemath)
Interested in joining the ScaleMath team? Apply today (https://careers.scalemath.com).
17 Apr 2026
Why focus isn’t about doing less: building products, community, and courses | Remkus de Vries
In this episode, we sit down with Remkus de Vries – founder of Scanfully, creator of Within WordPress, and long-time WordPress operator – to break down how he’s building an ecosystem of products, content, and services that actually reinforce each other.
Remkus has spent over 20 years in the WordPress ecosystem across agencies, hosting, consultancy, and now SaaS and education. Instead of “picking one thing,” he’s intentionally building multiple bets that compound.
We cover:
From agency to SaaS and education
Building multiple products that connect
The origin and vision behind Scanfully
Site health vs performance (and why it matters)
Courses, content, and audience building
Product decisions and roadmap thinking
Bootstrapping vs raising capital
What “focus” actually means in practice
If you’re building SaaS, working across multiple projects, or thinking about how to turn expertise into products, this is a practical look at how it actually plays out.
About Remkus
Remkus de Vries is a WordPress performance expert, product builder, and educator with over two decades of experience. He operates across SaaS, consultancy, and education – helping companies build faster, more scalable WordPress products.
Links & Resources
Personal → https://remkusdevries.com (https://remkusdevries.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
Within WordPress → https://withinwp.com (https://withinwp.com)
Scanfully → https://scanfully.com (https://scanfully.com)
Truer Than North → https://truerthannorth.com (https://truerthannorth.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
About the Podcast
True Operators is a podcast about building world-class companies. Hosted by Alex Panagis, each episode explores how operators think, make decisions, and execute at a high level.
Subscribe to the newsletter: https://scalemath.com/newsletter (https://scalemath.com/newsletter)
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/alexjpanagis (https://twitter.com/alexjpanagis)LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/alexjpanagis (https://linkedin.com/in/alexjpanagis)
28 Oct 2025
How to Build a Calm Support Operation That Scales With Your SaaS | Antoine Minoux, Fernand
Also on Spotify (https://scalemath.com/spotify) and Apple Podcasts (https://scalemath.com/applepodcasts)
In Episode 2 of the True Operators Podcast, ScaleMath’s CEO Alex Panagis talks with Antoine Minoux, founder of Fernand, about building calm support — an approach focused on clarity, craft, and systems that scale without chaos.
With multiple bootstrapped exits (including ImprovMX) behind him, Antoine shares how he applies this philosophy to both product and process — and why doing less, better leads to happier customers and a calmer team.
We dig into:
* When support becomes a growth lever (not a cost center)
* “Feature bloat” vs. focused tools — and why many teams only use 5 % of what they pay for
* Human-in-the-loop AI: smart drafts, clear escape hatches, and where full automation breaks for SaaS
* Free tier realities: using support to power word-of-mouth without drowning the team
* Scope creep & migrations: offering VIP help (intentionally) and staying transparent when you can’t
* Overstaffing support (on purpose) to fix root issues and close churn loops
* Calm companies: choosing craft over dashboards — and designing UX that keeps agents in flow
* Building with family, operating while part-time at a large company, and keeping the work… calm
Always get our latest videos: https://scalemath.com/newsletter (https://scalemath.com/newsletter) 🫶
Learn more about Fernand: https://getfernand.com (https://getfernand.com)
Find Alex on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/alexjpanagis (https://twitter.com/alexjpanagis)Connect with Alex on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/alexjpanagis (https://linkedin.com/in/alexjpanagis)
Follow ScaleMath on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/scalemath (https://twitter.com/scalemath)Follow ScaleMath on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/scalemath (https://linkedin.com/company/scalemath)
Interested in joining the ScaleMath team? Apply today: https://careers.scalemath.com
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsletter.trueoperators.com (https://newsletter.trueoperators.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
6 Oct 2025
Should You Run a Lifetime Deal? WP Umbrella’s Lessons from AppSumo w/Aurelio Volle
Lifetime deals can jump-start a SaaS — or saddle you with costs you can’t sustain. In this first episode of the True Operators Podcast, Alex Panagis interviews Aurelio (WP Umbrella) about their early AppSumo launch: what worked, what didn’t, and how they transitioned to simple, pay-as-you-go pricing at $1.99/site.
We dig into:
* When LTDs create real traction — and when they create debt
* Why variable costs (backups, storage, infra) can break the model
* Using LTD users for fast feedback loops without letting them define your roadmap
* Pricing after the deal: keeping it fair, transparent, and scalable
* Survivorship bias: why most “LTD success stories” you hear are… the ones willing to talk
Who this is for: founders and operators at SaaS & product companies (especially WordPress/agency tools) deciding whether an LTD fits their context.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsletter.trueoperators.com (https://newsletter.trueoperators.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
8 Oct 2024
We're Starting A Podcast! Introducing True Operators...
The time is now.
Let’s summarize:
* We’re officially starting a show called True Operators.
* This isn’t going to be an interview-only podcast (yes, we’ll also do interviews with people who qualify as ‘True Operators’)
* For now, this is just a quick introduction.
* Please subscribe to our podcast on your podcast platform of choice (or on YouTube) – we look forward to having you along for the ride.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit trueoperators.substack.com (https://trueoperators.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
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