For most of its existence, DevHub wasn’t a brand.

It was the engine behind other brands.

For over 16 years, Mark Michael and his team powered websites for agencies and marketing platforms—completely behind the scenes.

No visibility. No recognition. Just infrastructure.

Then everything changed.

In this episode, Mark shares the story behind DevHub’s bold decision to stop operating as a white-label provider and go direct to franchise brands—a move that required them to “burn the boats” and completely reposition the company.

Guy and Mark unpack:

Why staying invisible eventually became a limitation
The trade-offs of relying on middlemen
What happens when you take back control of your product
How franchisors can avoid the same mistake
Why your website should never be outsourced as an afterthought

This episode is about more than tech—it’s about ownership, identity, and making the hard decisions that unlock the next level of growth.

Key Takeaways:

Being behind the scenes can limit long-term growth
White-label success doesn’t equal brand equity
Going direct requires risk—but creates control
Franchisors must own their core infrastructure
The hardest pivots often create the biggest breakthroughs

Timestamps:
[00:00:00] – Why Most Franchise Brands Fail to Scale (10→100 Units)
[00:01:30] – DevHub’s Origin Story: 16 Years Behind the Scenes
[00:02:30] – The Bold Pivot: From White Label to Direct-to-Brand
[00:04:30] – “Burn the Boats” Moment That Changed Everything
[00:08:00] – The Co-Founder Dynamic That Built DevHub
[00:12:30] – When Should Small Brands Invest in Tech Like DevHub?
[00:33:00] – Brutal Founder Lesson: Hiring, Firing & Growth Pain
[00:43:00] – Why Creativity & Side Projects Make You a Better CEO

If you’re serious about scaling your franchise—and you know something in your system needs to change—don’t wait until it becomes a bigger problem.

Go to guycoffey.com and book a free franchise growth strategy call

We’ll break down:

Where you’re stuck
What’s holding your growth back
And what it actually takes to scale without losing control

No fluff. No theory. Just real strategy.

Connect with Guy Coffey:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/guycoffey
Website: www.guycoffey.com
Instagram: @guycoffey
YouTube: @guycoffey