Tweets

@tylertringas It’s just our dreams have a social safety net 😉😅

@songadaymann First

@tylertringas “Building, Owning (& possibly Selling) a profitable remote SaaS business is the new American Dream.”

🎯

I like the way @corey_gwin describes this:

“Look for demonstrated demand.”

@thisiskp_ thanks! 🙌

@ratiovernon yesssssss

@derrickreimer Well said!

Also notable:

How many products in @robwalling's startup stack are from established companies, with generous free tiers?

It's normal for startups to keep costs low!

This is "the way things are" in that market. Don't chase a strategy based on "the way you wish things would be"

Another illustration of what I'm describing here. The fact that Rob is "a founder" isn't terribly pertinent.

But (from a market perspective) what's more interesting is that he's "a founder who spends money on X."

https://twitter.com/robwalling/status/1197195813920706563

@nwquah I wonder how entrenched this philosophy really is at Apple. If the existing leadership goes away, what happens?

@BilalBudhani Interviews are one way (asking your target customers what they're currently spending money on).

It can also be observational:

• "Wow, every real estate agent I know uses Docusign."
• "It seems like everyone on Twitter is talking about switching to ConvertKit."

@HansWustrack 2 minutes

@ninjaparade Yessssssss

✌️

@cgenco One of the most helpful things my therapist tells me:

“You’re not the only one. I see this all the time.”

“What! No way; other humans experience this too?”

It helped me go from feeling like I was alone in my situation to: “ok. This happens. I gotta get through it.”

@ow NO VIDEO GAMES AT WORK

@volkandkaya Now we’re talking!

Almost every SaaS company spends money on a website design + hosting.

Initially it might be an “off-the-shelf” template.

Later on it might be something more bespoke.

For @TransistorFM we initially spent ~$1,500 to get our site up and running.

@frantzfries 🤣

@jstoone @jonbuda @TransistorFM I'm digging it! 👌

@stephenasonye_ thanks for sharing it, Stephen! 🙌

@jstoone @jonbuda @TransistorFM Nice! 🙌

I’m listening to your soundcloud right now! 🎧 👍

Summary:

"A group of people" is not a market.

"A group of people spending money on X" is a market.

If you asked 100 small SaaS companies: "What subscriptions are you paying for?"

They might respond:

1. Helpdesk & customer support (Kayako, Helpscout)
2. Email marketing (Mailchimp, ConvertKit)
3. Transactional email (Postmark, Mailgun)

☝️ potentially good markets.

You can definitely target a customer type ("Small SaaS companies") but the next step is to figure out *how they spend their money*:

@kodiebeckley I'm glad I still have a few anarchists following this account. 😉

How big is the market?

❌ "There are 1.4 million potential customers in this market."
✅ "Last year, 1.4 million real estate agents spent a collective $131 million on digital signature software."

"SaaS companies" might be growing fast as a segment (meaning: there are more this year than last year), but that's only relevant if we know how they're spending their money.

@JakeDohm I would talk to as many as I can find and ask: "What apps do you spend money on?"

They might respond:

1. Helpdesk & customer support (Kayako, Helpscout, Intercom)
2. Email marketing (Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Active Campaign)
3. Transactional email (Postmark, Mailgun, Sendgrid)

Another example:

❌ "My market is small SaaS companies."

This isn't a great market definition because it doesn't tell us anything about what they're buying.

✅ "I'm in the helpdesk market. Last year, small SaaS companies spent $10 million on helpdesk apps."

I think folks misunderstand me when I say: "pick your market first."

❌ "Market" = "A group I'd like to sell to."
✅ "Market" = "A category where people are currently spending $."

Example:
"The global diamond market is currently $82 billion USD."

If you know, you know. https://twitter.com/buildyoursaas/status/1196627709230628868

Great newsletter from @nickd this morning:

"The key to positioning your business is to check your impulses. Move slowly. One has to say “no” to many very good ideas because they don’t serve the business’s market."

When your kid asks you for podcast recommendations you drop everything.

Sending her podcast recs is my new job now.

BIG DAY FOR A PODCAST DAD

RT @mijustin: "If I get an idea, I immediately take a step forward, and see how that feels. If it feels good, I take another step forward.…

@valsopi @Starbucks Bellboy

@tracymakes 👍 looks good!

This is incredible! Every conference should have a troubadour. 👌

(And a song-a-long at the end) https://twitter.com/songadaymann/status/1196471478725881856

@songadaymann ❤️ it!!!

We often use data to make decisions, but we don't often examine the underlying data we're using to make decisions.

🎯 https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/status/1196505854037680129

@arvidkahl YESSSSSSS!!!

@blairrorani @disneyplus Let me know what you think!

@JacobBennett 🎯

@raspberrysarah SO CUTE

@dominicstpierre @disneyplus That part was a real winner at our house too. 😉

@PatFlynn It’s really nice having a show that I can watch with the kids again.

We were watching Netflix’s “Lost in Space” but there’s been no new season in over a year.

The Mandalorian is perfect for family tv night. 👌

@_PodLink @NathanG We use @statamic 👌

@jupiterunknown @chrisvasselli 👍

@JacobBennett I’m listening to tons of pods today. Loving it. 👌

@SlowSteadyPod @petersuhm @benediktdeicke listening now! 🙌

@calebporzio @noplanstomerge @DCoulbourne I make up subtext for everything you guys say.

Like, at this part, I’m thinking:

“Caleb totally owes D-coul money.”

@calebporzio @noplanstomerge @DCoulbourne Such a good episode!

More philosophy talk less programming talk please 😜

RT @mijustin: The role of the founder isn’t to guess what people will be doing tomorrow.

Their job is to look at what people are doing rig…

@chrisvasselli @jupiterunknown nice! 👌

I wrote a little "tips and tricks" guide here you might find helpful:
http://justinjackson.ca/microconf

@JacobBennett Nice 👍

@Swizec Yeah! The Disney family movie feature on broadcast TV was a big thing in my family growing up. 👌

Interesting to think about why Disney+ feels like a good deal to me:

We watch a movie as a family almost every Friday. Often, that means renting something from Apple for $5.99.

Now, we can watch an episode of the Mandalorian every Friday instead (plus a huge catalog of movies)

The Mandalorian is really great.

If you like the grittiness of Star Wars ep 4-6, you’ll dig it.

First TV show I’ve watched in a long time. Worth getting @disneyplus just for this show.

(Watched chapter 1 & 2 last night with the fam. 💯)

@theashguy I totally identify with that! 👌

@theashguy But, without market demand, does it matter what we want to work on?

Feels like this the foundation, and we answer all the other questions after that.

I wrote a bit about that here:
https://justinjackson.ca/want

@pjourneypod Great episode! Enjoyed hearing you work through the Mom Test, and your honest reactions to it. 😉

The role of the founder isn’t to guess what people will be doing tomorrow.

Their job is to look at what people are doing right now, and figure out what the next natural evolution of that thing might look like.

The most important entrepreneurial question is:

“What are people regularly searching for, buying, and using right now?”

Current consumption is a good predictor for future behavior.

Great story and newsletter from @AliAbdaal this morning:

"There are things within our control, things partially in our control, and things outside our control. We’d all live happier lives if we focused only on the stuff we could control, and let the rest go."

@mjwhansen @ScottHYoung Totally. I'm talking about the long-term investment in building genuine relationships and an audience that trusts you.

Interestingly, @ScottHYoung and Cal Newport prioritize skills, while I (still) think that your human connections are more important:

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1000167960474861568

Love seeing when other thinkers have come to the same conclusions. Here's how @ScottHYoung puts it:

@garrettdimon Garrett has a great newsletter. You can subscribe at the bottom of this page: https://startingandsustaining.com/

"The cycle is simple. Build. Launch. Learn. Adjust. Without the learning, you likely have an incorrect definition of what truly represents perfection. The best way to make perfection attainable is to simply do less." – @garrettdimon

@jongold We’ve been using the Shape Up process, and it feels like it’s helping.

@hunterwalk yes.

@leif Impaired from lack of sleep?

@officeofsarah @raspberrysarah Love this one!

@KevinCTofel Where was it on sale?

RT @jackmcdade: More stuff or better stuff? A great article from @mijustin. No one right answer, as many things in life. https://t.co/xj9Uc…

@songadaymann Whoa!!!!! I need to update my numbers.

Should you make multiple things or just focus on one project?

https://justinjackson.ca/more-stuff-or-better-stuff

@steve_coding Interesting.

Are you talking about your personal “why” or something different?

@iprashantpillai That’s https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/bullet/id1464117391

@tylertringas @earnestcapital It’s cool. Skiers and snowboarders get along now. 🤙

My three boys all ski. 👍

@MarkBennett Lol. I had to google that!

The CEO of Spotify (@eldsjal) echoes a lot of this in his interview with @patrick_osha:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3eGF6pKazFiCe9n5C0wd4i?si=MQSBUnqoQI2oesVhJK-PnQ

@tylertringas @earnestcapital Dang! That’d be fun. When’s the next time you’re going to be in Vernon, BC? 😜

Come snowboarding this winter. 🏂

@zenfounder Gross. Totally inappropriate.

"Is the secret to feeling happy really just to feel happy? It sounds ridiculous, right?"

https://kottke.org/19/11/the-secret-to-enjoying-a-long-winter

In my experience, most progress is iterative.

Meaning: with consistent effort, you should be seeing consistent results over a reasonable timeframe.

Results accumulate gradually; they don't appear suddenly.

@kodiebeckley The definition of Quixotism? 😉

Or the whole thread?

You want to avoid "quixotism:"

"The impractical pursuit of ideals, especially those ideals manifested by rash, lofty and romantic ideas or extravagantly chivalrous action."

Don't fall in love with a given form; stay focused on the function you want to perform.

Iterating in small, experimental phases helps.

"Let's launch something small and see what the response is."

Don't launch a chain of taco restaurants until you know what it's like running a small taco stand.

You can't just list the "pros" of moving forward; you also need to think about the "cons!"

Evaluate your ideas honestly; critically.

Be OK with quitting. Quitting something that's not working is a superpower.

💯 to Tara's point here.

You need a way to evaluate the project at every stage.

If you're not seeing the results you want, it might be time to switch to something else.

https://twitter.com/kindofstrange/status/1195371118133219329

@evangoldin Obviously, discernment and instincts are at play here.

Plus: the product has to be good! 😉

For a project to succeed you’ve got to be really clear about:

- who it’s for
- what it’s for

And work backwards from there.

Don’t jump on a concept too early! Find the form that best fits the function.

@evangoldin I think you’re missing it.

There was lots of evidence that people were already paying for rides (taxis).

People lining up for taxis after last call at the bar is almost enough evidence in itself! There’s visible demand for something better.

“Customers should already know they have the problem you think they have, and be attempting to solve it.” – @patio11

@fortelabs Nice. 👌 I dig his bio!

@cedfunches For me, I realized that a lot of booze’s function for me at events was “to just have a drink in my hand.”

Now I’ll just have soda + lime, and I don’t miss it. (And I know I won’t do/say something I regret).

The only time I really miss drinking is while I’m on snowboard trips.

@cedfunches I decided to experiment with not drinking in 2019 and it had a huge impact on my life.

I’m sleeping better. Less irate. And I feel way healthier.

@sambreed @masonoise That’s pretty good. You got any Simon & Garfunkel in there?

🎯 https://twitter.com/csavage/status/1195106121096273920