Tweets

All the small decisions you've made over your lifetime have accumulated into the person you are today.

Want to change who you'll be in the future? Start making small, meaningful changes today, and repeat every day going forward.

@JamesTimmins @tylertringas “Job to be Done”

https://justinjackson.ca/what-is-jobs-to-be-done

"Bootstrappers are like people who fish: you want to catch customers, and you want to catch them consistently." 🎣💰

https://justinjackson.ca/fish

@thisiskp_ 💯

In business, don’t keep doing what’s not working!

If you keep casting and you’re not catching any fish, either:

a) you’re on the wrong spot on the river
b) this river has no fish

Try reaching your market from multiple points. If that doesn’t work, it’s time to find a new river

Many would-be founders choose a spot they want to fish from, and start casting.

It’s better to go where the fish are:

“The 80/20 rule usually applies to fish location in rivers. That is, 80 percent of the fish are located in about 20 percent of the river.” – @ScoutLifeMag

@webby2001 🎯

(Also applies to podcasting)

“There’s a rule of fishing that’s a very good rule. The first rule of fishing is “fish where the fish are,” and the second rule of fishing is “don’t forget rule number one.” Some places have lots of fish, and you don’t have to be that good a fisherman to do pretty well.” – Munger

@JayGilmore It’s mostly #1 and #3.

It’s rare, but there is such thing as pent up “latent” demand: a large group of people desire something, but they haven’t started searching for it (or don’t know how to search for it).

It’s a desire that’s felt, but doesn’t have a way to articulate itself yet.

What does customer demand look like?

I like to see evidence that there is a sizable group of people already searching for a solution:

“Calendar booking software”
“Server deployment tools”
“Audiogram creation tool”
“Form creation software”

@JayGilmore Customer demand can be “latent,” but most often it’s already visible.

I like to see evidence that there is a sizable group of people already searching for a solution:

“Calendar booking software”
“Server deployment tools”
“Form creation software”

What kills startups?

It's not "bad" marketing
It's not "bad" product
It's not "bad" team

(Although those are all crucial ingredients)

What kills startups is LACK OF DEMAND.

Customer demand is your business' oxygen. Without it, all the other parts are useless.

@floraworley I enjoy @every.

@StephenAfamO @Gatsby_WP Haha, nice!

@alphacolin Oh I agree. This is come up before a ton.

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1470515378535088129

@alphacolin this made me lol

@derrickgrigg @Alpine_JS TAL = marketing site (@statamic)

RAT = web app

@alphacolin Would love to see a side-by-side review like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBP4DEJAsjU

CAT? 😸

(C#, Alpine, Tailwind) https://twitter.com/rskopecek/status/1502066181984899073

@taylorotwell I loved this whole episode btw.

You had some spicy takes, but you were also clear that if you dug in your heels (and didn't explore the rest of the ecosystem) that Laravel could get left behind.

I think you're 💯 right about the "disconnect" between the two sides.

I do like the sound of "ART stack" 😄

(@Alpine_JS, @Rails, @Tailwindcss) https://twitter.com/bhumi1102/status/1502063054233776162

@bhumi1102 @Alpine_JS Haha. Yeah. Could also be TAR. 😆

I do like the sound of ART stack... 👍

@jasonlbeggs @laravelphp Yup. Totally agree.

Super creative marketing by @threehourcoffee:

1. Create an app that offers a fun diversion
2. Have an animated llama make an appearance and ask you if you'd like to check out Marie's project (@llamalifeco)

https://www.fidgetpage.com/

@SimonMinton @DescriptApp I've just uploaded captions to the video here on Twitter, is that better?

@aarondfrancis @tuple Congrats! They're lucky to have you. 🙌

@SimonMinton @Tobsch @taylorotwell Here's the transcript version:

https://share.descript.com/view/MhYSxJj7Ge5

Definitely.

At Transistor we use the TAL stack (Tailwind, @Alpine_JS, Laravel) and the RAT stack (Rails, Alpine, Tailwind). 😉

https://twitter.com/CasJam/status/1502049457189404675

@CasJam @rails @laravelphp @joshuaanderton @valsopi @dr @tailwindcss Definitely. 💯

(The whole TALL stack, or TAR stack are game changers)

To me, the full-stack developer is the best thing to happen in indie SaaS:

Using frameworks like @rails and @laravelphp,
devs like @joshuaanderton, @CasJam, @valsopi, @dr,
can build full web apps, basically themselves.

That kind of productivity makes "the dream" possible.

Also related: this conversation between @leenyburger, @aarondfrancis, @sfioritto on the Hammerstone podcast.

"Is Rails over?"

Timestamp here:
https://overcast.fm/+pTByXc5Zg/5:25

Here's a relevant clip from @Tobsch's interview with @taylorotwell:

"There's still no fullstack JavaScript framework that's equal to Rails productivity, and that's an 18-year-old framework."

https://overcast.fm/+a3I0uVCRs

"Do you think in 10 years we'll still have full stack web developers?"

I heard this line on a podcast, referencing whether frameworks like @laravelphp or Rails would still be the underlying engine for SaaS apps in the future.

What do you think?

@deandahl Yes!!! 👏👏👏

When I was a kid, a vacuum salesperson came to our door.

We didn't need a vacuum.
We didn't want what he was selling.

But he tried every trick in the book to try to sell this vacuum to my parents.

Contrast that with how people desire, seek out, and buy Dyson vacuums.

@LPZolob Yup. 🎯

There's a reason that word-of-mouth is the holy grail for any product: it proves that people want it, and are willing to tell other people about it.

It's a simple, virtuous cycle:

User tries the product
User likes the product
User tells other people about the product

In my experience, the better the business opportunity, the simpler your marketing efforts need to be.

If you're needing to layer on increasingly complicated acquisition tactics, it's likely that people don't really desire what you're selling.

@sarahdoody I noticed that too!

@zfogg @AnthonyCastrio @TransistorFM @PodcastAddict Thanks! We’re a small team, doing our best. 🥰

@panphora @ConvertKit I think @rezzz knows it really well.

@wbepodcast @maxwellcdavis @TransistorFM @AnthonyCastrio @PodcastAddict yup!

@wbepodcast @maxwellcdavis @TransistorFM @AnthonyCastrio @PodcastAddict Different podcast players count this differently:

- In Spotify, it needs to be at least 60 seconds.
- In Apple Podcasts 0 seconds.
- In Google Podcasts it's at least 5 seconds.

https://support.transistor.fm/en/article/what-constitutes-a-podcast-download-stream-listen-kv1em2/

In the past few days @sherrywalling has gained 133 new Twitter followers. 🎉

That's 64% of her way to her goal of 5,000 followers. 👍

███████▓░░░░ 64%

@steveschoger @si_bonobo @negativespaceca Nice!

@jimhilluk Daaaang.

@dqmonn 🤦‍♂️

@ChaseDillingham 🤦‍♂️

Story time: a client asked me to record monthly marketing KPIs for a year.

Then, one day I discovered that the attribution model they were using ("we're getting this much traffic from this source") was completely wrong.

Based on those KPIs, we'd made dozens of decisions. 🤦‍♂️

What are the most ridiculous KPIs you've ever been asked to track?

@thethoughtcard Congrats!!!! 🎉

@itengelhardt @mjwhansen @robwalling @randfish @successfulsw @gerechtGericht @DazeEnd I think what @levelsio is doing with @RemoteOK (and the additional health insurance) could be helpful.

(RemoteOK also lists non-tech jobs)

https://remoteok.com/

RT @dohertyjf: "The purpose of marketing is to connect buyers (who want a product like yours) with your product."

@mijustin

https://t.co…

@dohertyjf I used to invest heavily in marketing automation, tracking, attribution, configuring funnels, and retargeting. But after 13 years of doing marketing for SaaS companies... I'm convinced that 90% of it is unnecessary.

https://justinjackson.ca/marketing-steroids

@mattwensing Yes. The “rules of the game” are very strange.

It’s all so sad.

Jane Portman: @uibreakfast

Jane is a tenacious founder! She’s been building businesses for years, and is now the co-founder of @userlist.

Follow her for UX advice, and to follow her journey growing @userlist.

Michele Hansen: @mjwhansen

“The customer interview maven!” Michele is the co-founder of @Geocodio, and the author of @DeployEmpathy.

Follow her for JTBD, customer research, and building indie SaaS. 💯

@threehourcoffee You did it! Congrats on 5k! 🎉

Help Marie hit 5k! https://twitter.com/threehourcoffee/status/1501334516920557575

Benedicte Raae: @raae

I've been following Benedicte's journey on the @SlowSteadyPod (and in the MegaMaker slack), and I've just started following her on Twitter as well.

She's a web-developer-turned-indie-hacker, and is working on POW, a privacy-first menstrual cycle journal.

Colleen Schnettler: @leenyburger

It was so fun to hear Colleen's story of building Simple File Upload, and growing MRR, on the @SoftwareSocPod.

If you're interested in learning to build a SaaS from a software developer's perspective, follow Colleen!

RT @venikunche: On this #IWD2022, don't just do performative allyship.

Hire us, promote us and pay us what we are worth!

Here is an easy…

Rachel Andrew: @rachelandrew

I've learned so much about design, CSS, public speaking, writing, and running a business from Rachel.

It's worth watching her past talks just to see how well she teaches technical topics:

https://noti.st/rachelandrew

RT @AmandaMGoetz: It’s #InternationalWomensDay

The best thing men can do is not separate or distance themselves from the issues women fac…

Saron Yitbarek: @saronyitbarek

Incredibly talented: entrepreneur, podcast host, public speaker, community builder, and software developer.

If you're learning to code, want to build your own product, or want to get into public speaking, you should definitely follow Saron.

Marie Ng: @threehourcoffee

If you like following indie hackers who "build in public," you should definitely follow Marie. She's getting really close getting @llamalifeco to 1,000 customers:

■■■■■■■■□□ 1k

Natalie Nagele: @natalienagele

Natalie is the leader I want to be more like. Her "people-first" approach to being the CEO at @Wildbit has created a calm (but effective) work culture.

I've just subscribed to their new newsletter:
https://wildbit.com/newsletter

Katelyn Bourgoin: @KateBour

I'm subscribed to Katelyn's marketing newsletter (Why We Buy) which is consistently awesome.

If you're trying to figure out the psychology of your customers, and why they pick certain products over others, she's a must-follow. 👍

@arithisandthat 🤣

Ona Oghogho: @OnaOghogho

I've been following Ona on Instagram for awhile, and just followed her on Twitter as well. I'm truly in awe of what she's building over at @podhousemedia. The studio space they built is 💯!

https://www.adodemedia.com/sets/plantoasis

Ashley Baxter: @iamashley

Ashley was one of the first bootstrappers I saw sharing her journey of building a business in public. Her business (@_withjack) serves freelancers, so she also has lots of great insight on running a client business.

Aniyia: @operaqueenie

Aniyia has created so much cool shit! She runs @BBFounders, which helps Black and Latinx founders in tech. She also co-founded @sexandstartups, which is shaking up the startup world (and making it more equitable).

Sherry Walling: @sherrywalling

Sherry was one of the first people I saw talk about mental health for bootstrapped founders. Her first talks on the @MicroConf stage, and her ZenFounder podcast, have been deeply meaningful for me.

Amanda Natividad: @amandanat

If you're looking for product marketing tips or experiments you can run on your own SaaS, Amanda shares tons of good tips. She does marketing at @sparktoro (and was previously at @growthmachine__ and @fitbit).

Marie Poulin: @mariepoulin

Marie has built one of the most impressive online course businesses I've ever seen (http://notionmastery.com). She also shares hilarious anecdotes on Twitter. 😆

Lesley: @lesley_pizza

I really admire Lesley's tenacity. She's bootstrapping @NewsletterGlue, and she's focused on moving forward, one step at a time.

Her blog is great as well: https://lesley.pizza/

Helen Ryles: @HelenRyles

I'm so fortunate to get to work with Helen every day at @TransistorFM! Helen is a creative powerhouse, and really understands how to help customers with their "job to be done."

Her list of nocode projects is impressive!

Veni Kunche: @venikunche

After working as a software engineer since 2003, she started @DiversifyTechCo with the aim of making tech more inclusive for underrepresented folks.

Happy International Women's Day! 🎉

Here is a list of incredible women in the indie SaaS, tech, creator space you should follow on Twitter.

👉

"As the product gets to ~25% market penetration, the curve flattens into linear growth. Finally it levels out at what is called the “carrying capacity”—the fully-saturated market."

This piece by @asmartbear is the must-read product/marketing article of the year.

His thesis:

"High-growth companies grow quadratically, not exponentially."

https://longform.asmartbear.com/docs/exponential-growth/

@adamwathan @jeffrey_way @calebporzio @jackmcdade This is what real life is about: connecting with other humans in meaningful ways. 👍

RT @tribelaw: When you’re hurting because oil and gas cost so much, remember this picture of a Ukrainian family:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/03/07/business/real-price-war/

Another reason to give workers more control of their work environment. https://twitter.com/audrawilliams/status/1500669564711014401

@JoelGMcKinnon @TransistorFM Thanks! 👍

@jessarchercodes Lol.

@minhasv https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1501032843174027264

Yes!

“Useful, but not sufficient on its own.”

Every advantage you have is additive. https://twitter.com/CasJam/status/1501031881088905218

Another example:

Only a small % of @TransistorFM’s customers follow me on Twitter.

My personal Twitter is a useful channel, but it’s by no means the most important (SEO is far more valuable).

However it is true that “people like buying from people.”

There an element of this that is true, but it’s also important to remember that “followers do not automatically translate into paying customers.”

Elon has 57M followers, but Tesla has only sold about 2M vehicles.

(And many of those customers don’t follow Elon on Twitter). https://twitter.com/heyblake/status/1404824521002000385

@AlbanBrooke 🥳

@mojoadam_ @TransistorFM Thank you! 🥰

@rrhoover Ideas.

I'm just obsessed with concepts, thoughts, theories, arguments, and premises.

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1255878157980164096

RT @sherrywalling: After 2 years of unrelenting pandemic, we’ve lost loved ones, rituals, our sense of safety, trust in structures. We are…

Dr. @sherrywalling is really close to getting 100 new followers today! 🙌

☝️ if she hits 3,172 that would be amazing!

@bradenkeith Congrats! 🎉

@benbarbersmith Agreed!

@jonbuda and I just got together in January. It had been far too long.

https://saas.transistor.fm/episodes/founders-retreat

Yes! @sherrywalling's first book, https://www.amazon.com/Entrepreneurs-Guide-Keeping-Your-Together-ebook/dp/B079SNX6NB, is awesome.

https://twitter.com/Keithin8a/status/1500935971097006080

@itskrystalewis Dr. @sherrywalling is a clinical psychologist and gives mental health advice specifically for entrepreneurs.

Highly recommended. 💯