What happens when you bring Silicon Valley tech thinking into an “unsexy” industry? Alex Jekowsky, Co-founder and CEO of Cents, shares how his vertically integrated platform is quietly transforming garment care—starting with laundromats. In this conversation, Alex breaks down what it takes to digitize an analog industry, earn operator trust, and build deep value with a lean team. If you’ve ever wondered what it really means to build vertical SaaS for SMBs, this is a masterclass.

Key Takeaways

Start with digitization, not disruption—operators don’t need revolution, they need visibility and options.

Building for SMBs means listening first, innovating later. Reliability beats cleverness early on.

A lean team can deliver better quality by being more deliberate, but it comes with execution risk.

Cents’ growth isn’t about horizontal expansion—it’s about going deeper with each customer.

Clear alignment on mission—“garment care”—enables scale without complexity.

Timestamped Highlights

[01:50] – Why laundromats? The overlooked opportunity in an “unsexy” industry

[06:30] – Digitize first, then provide optionality: Cents' real value proposition

[09:40] – Why innovation is an earned right in SMB SaaS

[12:50] – The tradeoffs and benefits of building vertically with a small team

[16:40] – How Cents plans to grow deeper in garment care without chasing new verticals

[21:50] – Culture, clarity, and staying anchored to the mission—how Cents keeps its edge

Quote of the Episode

"Nobody works with you because you're innovative—they work with you because you work."

Resources Mentioned

Cents: https://www.trycents.com

Call to Action

If this episode changed how you think about vertical SaaS or SMB tech, share it with a founder or product leader who needs to hear it. And don’t forget to follow The Tech Trek for more behind-the-scenes stories on building products that actually move industries forward.