Interview: How Caxy Tripled by Selling Outcomes, Not Services

Written By David Hoos

Behind the Agency Podcast with Michael LaVista, Founder & CEO of Kaxie

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Prefer the highlights? Key takeaways and summary below.

TL;DR – Key Takeaways

  • Most agencies lead with their capabilities. Michael learned to lead with the problem instead.

  • Kaxie pivoted from offering "apps" to solving million-dollar inefficiencies—and started landing bigger deals.

  • The "bandwidth check-in" strategy with existing clients now drives 50%+ of growth.

  • Measuring outcomes and mapping problems back to real dollars changed the nature of their sales process.

  • Great customer experience is underrated—everything from invoices to delivery shapes loyalty.

  • Hiring got easier once they embraced tools like Innermetrix to map roles to aptitudes.

  • Mistakes like vague goals or junior hires owning AI innovation signal bigger mindset gaps.

Meet the Guest

Michael LaVista is the Founder & CEO of Caxy, a software and AI consultancy that helps companies eliminate back office bottlenecks through smarter systems. What started as a side hustle making CD-ROMs evolved into a nimble, outcome-focused partner for growth-minded clients.

Episode Summary

1. From Musician to Founder

Michael's journey into tech wasn’t planned. He left a music career and stumbled into entrepreneurship with high school friends. After many pivots (and some CD-ROMs), Kaxie became what it is today.

2. Why Services Sell Poorly (and Outcomes Sell Big)

"I spent 10 years offering services, and no one cared. When I started solving $10M problems, things changed."

Agencies often sell what they do (apps, branding, marketing). Kaxie shifted to selling what clients want: outcomes. The "we help Fred copy/paste less" pitch was replaced with solving operational blockages worth millions.

3. The Simple Conversation That Drives Growth

Michael’s go-to move? Quarterly check-ins with existing clients:

"Hey, we're growing. If I had 1-3 people worth of bandwidth available, would you want them or should I put them elsewhere?"

It almost always surfaces new work.

4. Their Sales Framework

  • Get the numbers: Where are they today? Revenue, margins, blockers?

  • Define the vision: Where do they want to go in 3 years?

  • Identify the gap: What’s stopping that growth?

  • Dig into the impact: What happens if it isn’t fixed?

  • Then (and only then): Propose a solution.

5. Hiring Hacks

After years of instinctual hiring, Kaxie now maps team fit using Innermetrix assessments. They know what patterns work best for PMs, developers, and leads—and use skill tests to validate fit.

6. Lessons from Growth Tactics That Flopped

  • Early AI offers flopped because they sold the tech, not the value.

  • Cold email, swag mailers, and ads all failed when the message missed.

  • The big unlock? Realizing, "Nobody cares about us. They care about their problem."

7. Mindset Myths Busted

"People think big companies only buy from big companies. But new tech levels the field. Smaller firms often do it better."

Michael also challenges the idea that interns should "do AI." His advice? Don’t put your most strategic opportunity in the least experienced hands.

Notable Quotes

"You don't need a sales team—you need client-facing strategists."

"When someone says no for the right reason, they come back."

"Our invoices didn’t reflect value. If I got them, I’d lose my mind."

"Agencies are in the hospitality business. Clients remember the experience."

Learn More / Get in Touch

Visit → https://caxy.com
Email → [Reach out via site]
LinkedIn → https://linkedin.com/in/michaellavista

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David Hoos
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Interview: Building Strategic, Silo-Free Marketing That Actually Scales