Should you build SMS into your product—or buy it?

For SaaS leaders, product teams, and founders, adding SMS can drive higher engagement, stronger retention, larger deal sizes, and even create a new usage-based revenue stream. But building messaging infrastructure is often far more complex than it appears.

In this episode, TextUs CEO Martin Payne joins Andrew Davis to break down the real costs of building SMS features, the compliance and deliverability challenges most teams underestimate, and why more software companies are choosing embedded or white-label messaging solutions instead.

You'll learn:
• When it makes sense to build SMS yourself
• The hidden engineering and maintenance costs of messaging infrastructure
• How SMS compliance, carrier regulations, and 10DLC impact your product roadmap
• Why SMS can improve retention, stickiness, and customer engagement
• The difference between API-based, embedded, and white-label SMS solutions
• How SaaS companies are generating additional revenue through messaging

Whether you're a CEO, Chief Product Officer, VP of Product, or engineering leader evaluating messaging for your platform, this conversation will help you make a smarter Build vs Buy decision.

👇 Download the Build vs Buy SMS Guide
https://textus.com/playbook/white-label-sms-api-playbook

👇 Learn more about White Label SMS from TextUs
https://textus.com/white-label-solutions

Andrew LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewdaviscmu/

TextUs.com

If you’ve ever thought about using SMS but hesitated because of compliance—you’re not alone.

For many teams, it’s the biggest blocker: “What if we do it wrong?” “What if we get flagged or shut down?”

In this episode, Andrew sits down with TextUs CEO Martin Payne to unpack what SMS compliance actually means and what’s been misunderstood.

They break down what really gets messages blocked, what carriers actually care about, and why most of the fear around SMS comes from a lack of clarity not actual risk.

You’ll also see how modern teams are removing that risk entirely, using built-in guardrails and AI to catch issues before messages are sent.

If SMS has felt confusing, risky, or off-limits, this episode will change how you think about it.

Links & Resources

• TextUs Smart Delivery
• “What is Performance SMS?” guide
• Book a demo with TextUs
• Andrew Davis LinkedIn
• Martin Payne LinkedIn

Guest: Martin Payne, CEO of TextUs

Episode Summary

Most teams are avoiding SMS because they’re unsure of the risks.

In this episode, Andrew Davis sits down with TextUs CEO Martin Payne to break down what SMS compliance actually means, what really gets messages blocked, and why most of the fear around texting comes from misunderstanding—not actual risk.

If compliance has been the reason you haven’t explored SMS yet, this episode will give you the clarity (and confidence) to rethink that.

What You’ll Learn

• Why compliance is the #1 reason teams avoid SMS
• What actually happens when messages get flagged or blocked
• The biggest misconceptions about SMS compliance
• What carriers really look for in message quality
• How to safely start using SMS without risking your brand

Andrew LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewdaviscmu/

TextUs.com

Your funnel isn’t broken. It’s leaking momentum at every stage.

If 70–85% of leads never convert and 65% of pipeline ends in no-decision, the problem isn’t demand. It’s engagement.

In this episode, we’ll show you where SMS actually fits in a modern SaaS sales workflow—and how it accelerates deals without turning into spam.

Andrew LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewdaviscmu/

TextUs.com