Tweets

Everybody wondering what Spotify's acquisition means for @TransistorFM should listen to the episode we recorded on Monday. 😉

https://saas.transistor.fm/episodes/getting-real-sharing-our-founder-struggles

@ow My guess (hope?) is that Spotify is spending "smart money" on Gimlet.

Meaning: inside their platform, Spotify could see the stats for all the Gimlet shows. My guess is they saw a connection between that and "more minutes listened to in Spotify."

Apple is in this same business!

I think the Spotify/Gimlet deal will have the opposite effect on Apple:

- They've reached peak iPhone
- They need to find growth elsewhere
- They're investing hugely in original content for their new streaming service
- Gimlet is an original content play

https://twitter.com/nbashaw/status/1093210862603497474

@Aazarshad Yup, they changed it in the App Store this past month.

@CaptnBaz My guess is they'll keep some shows (Reply All) free and open.

@ethananderson No immediate changes for @TransistorFM 😉

Gimlet - $230 million
Anchor - ?

Gimlet - $28.5M in funding
Anchor - $14.4M in funding

🤯 "Spotify says it isn’t done — it says it has other podcast acquisitions in mind and that it expects to spend up to $500 million on deals this year."

https://www.recode.net/2019/2/6/18213456/spotify-podcast-gimlet-anchor-q4-results

WHAT THE HECK PODCAST LAND

https://twitter.com/spotifynews/status/1093103001315745793?s=21

Reminds me of this Einstein quote:

"If I had an hour to solve a problem, I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions." https://twitter.com/rjs/status/933144104321601536

@Shpigford In 2012, I got rid of all my paper books and went digital.

And then, in 2017, I had a realization that made me switch back to paper books.

@tylertringas I'd say @podia is a good replacement for Patreon. They do monthly subscriptions in a similar fashion.

They're missing two things:
- "support us on Patreon" is a thing that people know and understand
- there are some network effects when you support someone on Patreon

People like this one! 🙌

Listen to it here:
https://overcast.fm/+MBmWvTLXk https://twitter.com/mattwensing/status/1092951464614547457

@mattwensing @TransistorFM You liked this one? 😉

⚡ Most effective sales channel for my SaaS business this year?

This surprised me: affiliates.

So far, 22% of new revenue has come from our Rewardful affiliate program.

https://www.getrewardful.com/?via=twitter

Also true:

https://twitter.com/tomzur/status/1092884997340651526

@renebastijans Anecdotally, I've noticed this is true across the three SaaS products I've worked on.

But, this would be a good question for @SDMattG at @churnbuster. 👍

@Shpigford When I re-launched http://justinjackson.ca I was surprised by how many folks noticed the feed was broken (now it's fixed!).

Lots of folks still using RSS readers it seems. 👌

Hotmail and AOL email addresses = strong predictor of churn.

Save our snow. ❄️

If you care about ⛷🏂🌎, read this article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/02/opinion/sunday/winter-snow-ski-climate.html

@okydk Lol. The descive factor!

⚡️ If you've read Atomic Habits, check out this interview with @JamesClear:

https://www.productpeople.tv/100 https://twitter.com/jro7/status/1092759882833498112

@jro7 @JamesClear Thank you! 🙌

RT @adamwathan: Was a pleasure being @ryanchenkie’s first guest on his new podcast.

Had a really good conversation about building an audie…

@Shpigford I definitely agree when it comes to houses!

@pjrvs @digitalocean @usefathom Nice! 🙌

RT @mijustin: A good product unlocks a desire the customer already has.

@left_pad Our friend @iChris edits our @TransistorFM show!

@jmckinven @pjrvs Nice! You got the special UK cover! 🙌

@r00k OMG.

This is either "evil ben" or "havin' a great time ben"

RT @hnshah: Change your market, save your product says @mijustin https://buff.ly/2WAqjPL

@Kevin_McArdle @tylertringas @lovevalgeisler @wardsandler @IndieHackers @csallen Yes, I've chatted with Courtland about their system quite a bit.

They've been paying someone to transcribe those interviews by hand + insert time codes. (The time codes is the easy part)

Again, it's possible to do it, but not at scale yet.

RT @mijustin: Mental illness is real.

I didn't think I would ever get depressed, until it hit me last year.

There is help!

Here are some…

@lovevalgeisler @pjrvs Definitely! 🙌

@tylertringas @lovevalgeisler @wardsandler Yup, we're looking at it. 😉

Trust me, I'm a HUGE Descript user (probably 5x per week).

If (or when) it makes sense to integrate, we will. 👌

Nice. 👌

https://twitter.com/theworldindex/status/1090429065750892544?s=21

@lovevalgeisler @wardsandler @tylertringas We're definitely looking at both.

But... automated transcription still has a long way to go. I think Descript has done a decent job, but that's their whole focus (and their automated transcriptions still require a lot of editing).

@morajabi @zeithq Nice! 👍

RT @YaleE360: “We’ve destroyed the protections that fish populations once enjoyed… If we don’t create sanctuaries where they can recover, t…

@kamilrextin @dohertyjf @pjrvs There is a chance that all the public backlash will negatively affect Facebook.

It happened with Uber (Lyft gained marketshare after #deleteuber)

https://therideshareguy.com/it-looks-like-deleteuber-had-more-of-an-impact-than-we-thought/

@ramsey I'm glad you're talking about this. 🙌

@dohertyjf @pjrvs For example, as Facebook gets into more scandals, it's possible that demand for FB ads will go down.

Folks who had previously specialized in FB ads will need to change their business model.

https://twitter.com/dhh/status/1090417877230874624

@dohertyjf @pjrvs Yes.

"Offering the market something specific that they desire" is definitely 👍

Just as long as we acknowledge that the demand for those specializations can (and do!) change over time.

@dohertyjf @pjrvs @carter_phipps @mansharamani Can you give me an example of the type of consulting specialist you're referring too?

Interesting POV in @pjrvs' Company of One book:

"According to @carter_phipps, generalists will continue to thrive in business as it becomes increasingly valuable to know "a little bit about a lot.'"

"@mansharamani said that acknowledging specific expertise is overvalued."

RT @mschwanzer: Excellent reminder to think outside your box (market) sometimes from @mijustin https://justinjackson.ca/this-tree-guy-has-good-business-advice?ck_subscriber_id=262769434

@Shpigford I talked about this recently.

I think the real power of school (or any collocated audience) is the opportunity to push people to practice.

https://twitter.com/TransistorFM/status/1090686097770799104

Fascinating to listen to @ConanOBrien and @danacarvey grapple with the podcasting format:

https://transistor.fm/dana-carvey-and-conan-obrien-podcasting/

I like @danacarvey's observation near the end: podcasting’s advantage is that it feels more personal:

“Conan’s right next to you, in your ear.”

@m1guelpf Exactly, what was the "job to be done" with the egg photo?

Why were people motivated to like it?

People do things for one reason only: to make their lives better!

RT @ianbremmer: Many people believe that with low taxes you get much more philanthropy. The behavior of America’s richest suggest that’s no…

Spotify already hosts a separate feed for podcasts on their platform.

If they buy Gimlet, they could easily

- use their existing system for inserting ads + removing ads for Spotify subscribers
- have separate feeds for other podcast players (with ads)

https://twitter.com/rahrahyah/status/1091933351181598720?s=21

RT @jasondoesstuff: The easier someone makes it look, the harder they worked when you weren’t paying attention.

@EspreeDevora Stay strong! 💪

You got this! 🙌

How should a person deal with criticism?

"Just as they handle compliments: it's good information, but it's not the whole story." – @WilliamHMacy

Apple is already putting iTunes on Samsung TVs.

Putting Apple Podcasts on Android isn't such a crazy idea. 🤔

https://twitter.com/watsonstuart/status/1091850525883097088?s=21

@bradenkeith What show is this?!?

@bradenkeith 🙌

Spotify also changed their name on the App Store

(added music and *podcasts*).

They're betting big on podcasts.

@ow @dirceu I've already been down this rabbit hole.

I thought the same as you but heard from tons of folks who listen to podcasts on Spotify.

https://twitter.com/tcodinat/status/1064606707949678593?s=21

@Shpigford I approve of this message.

@ideasasylum I'm setting a reminder! 😜

@ideasasylum In the USA most folks don't pay for Hulu and Netflix; they choose.

Most folks don't pay for Apple Music and Spotify; they choose.

However, lots of folks might upgrade their Apple Music subscription to include TV, Movies, premium audio content if the offerings were good enough.

@ideasasylum Netflix wants to win, in the sense that most consumers will only pay for one streaming service.

@ideasasylum But Apple is already putting iTunes on Samsung devices. They're shifting priorities.

Less = vendor lock- in.
More = streaming / media options on every device.

They're gearing up for a battle with Netflix.

https://www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2019/1/6/18170797/samsung-2019-tvs-itunes-support-airplay-2

💰 Subscription revenue!

🤑 They want some of that "Netflix money"

👉 They've evaluated the upside, and are already investing (BIG!) in original content.

📝 They've signed deals with Spielgberg, Oprah, Jennifer Anniston.

https://www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2019/1/30/18202831/apple-tv-streaming-tim-cook-earnings-call-investors-disney-netlflix-hulu https://twitter.com/ideasasylum/status/1091787168325005314

@ideasasylum 💰 Subscription revenue!

🤑 They want some of that "Netflix money"

👉 They've evaluated the upside, and are already investing (BIG!) in original content.

https://www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2019/1/30/18202831/apple-tv-streaming-tim-cook-earnings-call-investors-disney-netlflix-hulu

I like this idea:

👨‍💻 @glenmccallumcan is writing a "Developer Journal" to track what he's working on each day:

https://glenmccallum.com/2019/02/02/first-developer-journal-entry/

@kalenjordan @earthlingworks @sudyk As @nwquah has pointed out: Gimlet's business model is actually super risky.

It requires a lot of up-front resources to develop a show, with no guarantee that the bet will pay off.

In some ways, the Spotify acquisition is their only way out (seeing as they took VC money).

@JiiimmyyN @ApplePodcasts They're already putting iTunes on Samsung TVs:

https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/6/18170797/samsung-2019-tvs-itunes-support-airplay-2

@chadhflinn @TransistorFM Nice! 🙌

RT @mijustin: If Apple wants to win against Netflix and Spotify in the world of streaming, they should start where they have the biggest ad…

RT @mijustin: First thoughts:

If I was Gimlet, I'd be knocking on Apple's door to get a competing offer.

Why?

Apple is launching a stre…

@tylertringas @rahrahyah @replyall yes. That’s what i’m saying.

But they will also keep some shows exclusive.

@rahrahyah @tylertringas A lot of companies are producing exclusive podcasts now (Stitcher, Audible).

Some shows (like @replyall) will stay free and ad-supported.

But I can definitely seem them producing new shows that will be for paying subscribers only.

@JamesCridland It is!

@JamesCridland That's a few hours from my home. 😊

@daverodenbaugh @Patticus The new content deals they're doing now are definitely more edgy.

@theleviallen Tip: more spandex.

@tylertringas Yup, but I think Apple should try to buy Gimlet.

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1091508922022686720?s=21

@blirwin If I was @tim_cook, I'd make Gimlet a better offer. 😉

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1091508922022686720?s=21

@qwoods13 Spotify has already done podcast exclusives.

My guess is these will be structured similarly.

https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2018/08/23/spotify-podcast-joe-budden/

@tnorthcutt @ApplePodcasts They'll do both.

Some shows will stay free and ad-supported.

But new shows like these will be for paying subscribers only:

- the next big audio drama with Hollywood talent
- the next big comedy show with A-list comedian

(Gimlet and Spotify have done exclusives before)

My guess: they'll do both.

Some shows (like @replyall) will stay free and ad-supported.

But new shows like these will be for paying subscribers only:

- the next big audio drama with Hollywood talent
- the next big comedy show with A-list comedian https://twitter.com/iChris/status/1091520710483329026

@Patticus Remember, Apple is *already* investing in original content for their new streaming service.

They've already bought the rights to a new thriller series by @MNightShyamalan, and an Amazing Stories series by Spielberg:

https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/10/16454312/apple-steven-spielberg-amazing-stories-original-content-deal

BTW - Apple is *already* investing in original content for their new streaming service.

They've already bought the rights to a new thriller series by @MNightShyamalan.

https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/27/17059138/apple-tv-thriller-series-m-night-shyamalan

@patrickbjohnson @ApplePodcasts They're already making these deals.

https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/30/18202831/apple-tv-streaming-tim-cook-earnings-call-investors-disney-netlflix-hulu

@thekylemarshall They'd likely increase the price for an "everything bundle."

@Patticus One exception: in the "dev" niche they've been doing original content successfully for years. (WWDC)

@Patticus I agree (this is historically true).

But they know they need to develop this expertise (especially with their new streaming service).

Hardware revenue is falling, they're looking increasingly to services + entertainment for new growth.

@earthlingworks An increasing portion of Gimlet's revenue is now coming from Hollywood deals like Homecoming. 📺

Plus: branded podcasts are still performing well (Gimlet Creative does that).

Also, there is still tons of growth in podcast advertising – that's still just getting started.

@patrickbjohnson @ApplePodcasts They definitely want to win. 😉

Apple has a huge opportunity here:

Turn the "@AppleMusic" subscription into an all-you-can-eat streaming buffet:

- TV
- Movies
- Premium podcasts
- Audio books
- Music

The pitch:

"Instead of paying for Hulu, Netflix, Audible, and Spotify, get AppleStream."

If Apple wants to win against Netflix and Spotify in the world of streaming, they should start where they have the biggest advantage: PODCASTS.

60% of listeners use @ApplePodcasts.

They own the biggest podcast directory.

They have editorial control over what gets featured.

Also: by acquiring Gimlet, @ApplePodcasts could have original, exclusive audio content. (If they don't, they'll lose all those shows to Spotify, who will certainly make it exclusive)

And Apple's streaming service could make original TV and movies from Gimlet's IP.

It's WIN-WIN.

First thoughts:

If I was Gimlet, I'd be knocking on Apple's door to get a competing offer.

Why?

Apple is launching a streaming TV service.

Apple needs content IP for original TV shows and movies (to compete with Netflix). Gimlet has this!

https://twitter.com/nwquah/status/1091496410392875008?s=21

😮 Spotify in talks to buy Gimlet?!!?!

🔥🎙️ Podcast space is getting hotter.

https://www.recode.net/2019/2/1/18207198/spotify-gimlet-podcast-acquisition

Just realized that my podcast embed links work in @discourse forums!

(BTW - does this work for folks using other podcast platforms?)

https://youtu.be/_lEnmAz7fwc

RT @mijustin: Hanging out live with @ichris talking about podcasting in 2019 https://www.pscp.tv/w/bySo-DM4NTU1MXwxbER4TE1Bb1BYd0ttyWpPGryCzvAcFASZRb8AjmAIOsXEfcPtIJ_mMjLuHek=

Hanging out live with @ichris talking about podcasting in 2019 https://www.pscp.tv/w/bySo-DM4NTU1MXwxbER4TE1Bb1BYd0ttyWpPGryCzvAcFASZRb8AjmAIOsXEfcPtIJ_mMjLuHek=

RT @TransistorFM: 🎙️ We're making our podcast's stats public!

See everything:
📊 Analytics from Transistor's dashboard
📈 Stats from Apple P…