Tweets

Great piece by @taylorotwell:

“Reflections on #MicroConf” @taylorotwell/reflections-on-microconf-dd6e2c2a7690?source=twitterShare-a02dd1574d08-1492904337" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://medium.com/@taylorotwell/reflections-on-microconf-dd6e2c2a7690?source=twitterShare-a02dd1574d08-1492904337

Constantly reminding myself:

"Just because I spent time making something, doesn't mean it's good OR that people have to like it."

Where my customers come from:

My blog & podcast
⬇️
Join my list, follow me on Twitter
⬇️
Build trust
⬇️
Buy something I've made

Reviewing the #jtbd forces diagram.

"The habit of the present" is much stronger than most product people realize.

.@patio11 yes!

This is Iron Maiden's website.
This is Iron Maiden's website on Bootstrap.

#microconf

"How do I validate my idea?" is the wrong question.

"What do people urgently need that I can provide?" is the right question.

It feels like every marketing channel has gotten harder: SEO, content, affiliates, ads, social media, PR...

My focus for 2024 is to share SaaS marketing experiments (and the results) on my blog and newsletter:

https://justinjackson.ca/2024-theme

IMPERSONATOR alert:

This account (@mijustiin) is impersonating me.

Could you report it? 🙏

(I've already filed a report)

It’s Canadian thanksgiving! 🇨🇦🍁🦃

This might be our new holiday tradition. 😄

Good article on the future of SEO (in an AI world):

https://www.animalz.co/blog/seo-and-chatgpt/

@aarondfrancis too late for this submission?

One of the hardest things to get right in business is the effort-to-results ratio.

Often we get stuck in a business that requires a high amount of effort for minimal results.

It’s tempting to “stick with it” (because the business is generating some revenue).

But invariably,…

Welcome to Descript, where there's always "a new version ready."

who else had one

I see this all the time in forums.

“Idea prospecting” doesn’t usually reveal good business opportunities. (the number #1 response to this thread was “Quickbooks.”)

Instead, observe the solutions folks are actively searching for.

Ex: “Best way to make YouTube thumbnails.”

As a small indie company, @TransistorFM benefits greatly from word-of-mouth.

There's no greater feeling than when our customers (and friends) share us with their friends. 🥰

Thanks to everyone who's posted about us lately! 🙌

Massive celebration in the indie hacking world today for @MrSimonBennett.

He's been a @megamaker member since 2016, and I've watched him work diligently on @SnapShooterio, and support his family at the same time.

This exit couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

Congrats! 🎉 https://twitter.com/MrSimonBennett/status/1613175978846523392

The willingness of some CEOs to move fast, and make big risky decisions with impunity, boggles my mind.

Is this really the best strategy?

Maybe it’s because Transistor is small, but I’m very much in the “keep the boat steady” camp.

@paulg @skyler_fs this you?

https://twitter.com/paulg/status/1592852796185128961?s=20&t=plHuyICPzNpvksowN2vymw

Is this the “free speech absolutism” we were promised?

Why stop here Elon? Why not just ban all hyperlinks all together?

Can I still link to my blog? For how much longer?

It’s that time of year!

The concept of trajectory is fascinating to me.

If you're steering a ship, pointing your nose just a few degrees in one direction can wildly change where you end up.

This is true in business (and life)!

Your initial trajectory matters, as do the subsequent adjustments.

I love how @every's Lex writing assistant helps me get unstuck when I'm writing.

Often, I just need to find a different way of saying something.

I used to ask these questions in Slack, or in my coworking office.

But now I can just use "Ask Lex." 👍

Conferences really are like summer camp for adults.

Had an amazing time at @PodcastMovement. So nice to meet everyone IRL.

I’ll be back next year! #pm22

For too long, the tech industry has embraced "disruption" without considering the human lives we're disrupting.

Today on my newsletter, I share the story of two entrepreneurs I first read about 20 years ago.

Their example has inspired me since then.

"When all your choices are made with freedom & simplicity in mind, then freedom & simplicity is inevitable."

https://justinjackson.ca/the-good-life

@lovevalgeisler I’m not *great* at this, but for me, walking home from my office (30 mins) helps a lot.

Remember: MailChimp was a side-project for 6 years before the founders went full-time.

From side-project to $12 billion acquisition. How many people can say that?

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1049485785936711681

Today's calendar. 🌊

Which founder(s) do you think have the best quality of life?

Goal achieved! 🎉

██████████ 100%

25 new companies have enabled @stripe Climate, and are contributing at least 1% of their revenue towards fighting climate change and removing carbon from the atmosphere. 🌱🙏🌎

https://transistor.fm/climate-change/

@Shpigford So many places! A few in British Columbia and Alberta:

1. Vancouver Island: Victoria is a beautiful city.
2. Vancouver city
3. Gulf Islands
4. The Okanagan (where I live): Vernon, Kelowna, Penticton
5. Banff / Lake Louise: touristy, but incredible! (Canmore is great too)

Also, yes: lol, what does “best founders” even mean? 😆

Jack gets it: https://twitter.com/JackEllis/status/1401642156968734720

Here are three moments of calm, brought to you by my walk in #vernonbc.

First: 🌸

Like, 80% of you don’t know about Commander Keen.

Wow. Ok. Some pretty big @ApplePodcasts announcements for podcasters at today's #AppleEvent.

I'm still digging through it, but here's a thread with some quick thoughts.

https://twitter.com/TransistorFM/status/1384563856484179970

@IndieHackers "Stripe payment disputed as fraudulent"

Currently, podcasters have leverage because they own the connection with their audience.

YouTubers don't have that. They're at the whim of the algorithm and monetization gods.

Trading leverage for "more distribution" is like making a deal with the devil. The devil always wins.

The biggest threat to traditional VC is the new class of investors who aren’t assholes (@tinyseedfund, @earnestcapital, @indievc).

I forgot to mention that one of my favorite "podcasts for programmers" just switched to @TransistorFM.

Welcome aboard @noplanstomerge! 😍 (I'm a huge fan)

https://transistor.fm/dev-podcasts/

Note: the big winners in 2020 were the folks "selling pickaxes to gold miners."

Folks who:
- make software tools
- own a popular marketplace
- control strong distribution channels

will continue to win in 2021.

In my experience, it's not worth chasing prospects who aren't already making an effort.

You want self-motivated customers: folks who are hungry for a solution.

"F*ck this, I'm fixing [this problem] today."

Omg. This is so true.

Being a good marketer actually made it harder for me to validate ideas in the past.

I used to look at “response to the launch” as validation.

Now, I look for the underlying fundamentals: existing market demand (outside of my influence). https://twitter.com/derrickreimer/status/1328730115765805056

There’s a myth in North American culture that if you “work really hard, you can achieve any goal.”

But the truth is, the underlying fundamentals play a bigger role.

In business: the market you’re in will determine most of your growth (no matter how hard you work).

@pjrvs Tim Horton’s gift cards

This was my hypothesis: WP devs realized they could “level up” and make way more money, and have better clients.

https://twitter.com/DavidVII/status/1312857075383324673?s=20

At the very least, tell visitors which product category you’re in.

“The customer tries to figure out what box to put you in; what frame of reference to put you in. And if you don't give them a box they have to make one up." – @aprildunford

Big day. 😍

A “success” is everything working together, in tandem.

It’s the confluence of all your experiences and traits, coming together at the right time.

In this sense, “doing stuff” consistently, over time, makes it more likely that you’ll achieve some success.

Using @tailwindcss and @Alpine_JS, we reduced the size of our CSS by 82.5% and Javascript by 43%.

@adamwathan and @calebporzio's work help turn @TransistorFM into a LEAN MEAN PODCAST MACHINE. 💪

Is it luck or hard work that brings success?

I think most of the luck happens at the beginning: where are you born, when are you born, and to whom are you born. (I could be wrong on this)

And hard work is definitely a piece of it.

But...

@hnshah These days, I’m primarily looking at market demand:
https://justinjackson.ca/surfing

@Shpigford Thanks for saying this out loud.

👋 feeling the same here

Completely out of sorts.

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. 💯)

Storytime:

My friend Colin is one of the most gentle souls I know. He's so earnest in his kindness; he wears it on his sleeve.

Years ago, he was sitting in his truck in a parking lot.

A man walked by, visibly upset, and motioned for him to roll down his window.

Here's our timeline:

✍️ Feb 2018: signed partnership docs
✉️ March 2018: invited first paying (beta) customers
🎉 Aug 2018: official launch
👨‍💻 April 2019: I go full-time
👨‍💻 July 2019: @jonbuda goes full-time

Update: @jonbuda figured out how to lazyload the Kayako chat widget.

We’ve got a score of 100 on mobile! 🙌

Instead of blindly pursuing "an idea for a business," we should be following @robfitz's advice:

- Ask your target market how they're currently solving the problem. (You'll discover if they have the problem at all!)
- Ask if they've ever looked for an alternative.

Two types of stories that resonate:

1. “Wow, I didn’t know that was possible!”
2. “I thought I was the only one. It’s good to know I’m not alone.”

This past month, I set out to build @TransistorFM a new marketing website using @statamic + @tailwindcss.

(Current site is on WordPress, Astra theme + Beaver Builder)

One problem I wanted to solve? Slow PageSpeed scores.

I just tested the new site. Want to see the results? 👇

Smashing Pumpkins, Zero. What a great fucking song.

Apple Music: http://music.apple.com/ca/album/zero/1455510683?i=1455510869
Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/track/4YFcGTdgmEuw8xTO4XrxbB

In 2008, I was new to the software industry, and my boss gave me a copy of "Getting Real" by @dhh and @jasonfried.

It's still one of the most impactful books I've read. It changed the way I thought about building a business.

https://basecamp.com/books/getting-real

@nathanbarry 1. Mom
2. Dad
3. Friend
4. Co-worker
5. Friend
6. Sister
7. Boss
8. Bot
9. Bot
10. Bot

Also: @asmartbear once said that “some of the most responsive customer support comes from bootstrapped founders.”

This is very true.

It's like interviewing for a job when you don't *need* the job.

It makes you feel like *you're* the boss. 💪

@wesbos 👩‍💻 For devs looking to upgrade their product + marketing skills:

https://megamaker.co/blackfriday/

😮 Up to 65% off on:

🖥️ Marketing for Developers course + book
✅ Validate your Product Idea
📕 The Jolt Book
🚀 Build Better Landing Pages
📈 SEO for Hackers

This @JamesClear quote is 💯.

Banking is broken because human beings don't want "accounts" they want "buckets."

@sarah_edo My personal favorite:

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/686407632450539521

⚡ Headline tip:

🔍 Search Twitter for keywords that relate to your product. Example: "Calendar sharing pain."

💫 Incorporate *their* real words into your headlines. These will resonate much stronger!

I don't really want Google to build this, but I like @yongfook's vision for smart banking here:

https://www.yongfook.com/google-bank.html

☝️ also, I found so many bad PHP jokes / memes / comics while researching this article.

Here are few others I found (but didn't use).

PHP devs sure get a lot of abuse!

⚡️ Software developers: learning marketing skills will make you unstoppable.

(in your career OR if you decide to build your own startup).

That's why I created http://devmarketing.xyz👍

If you program today, tomorrow, and every day after that, you’re a programmer.

If you design today, tomorrow, and every day after that, you’re a designer.

If you run today, tomorrow, and every day after that, you’re a runner.

It's 2018 and I just fixed Chrome so that "mailto" links open in Gmail and not Apple Mail. 🙄 #latebloomer

Tucked my 7 year old into bed.

He whispers:
"Dad, I just love singing background vocals."

The enemies of good decision making are laziness, fear, hurt, comfort, and ego.

💯

"Design matters because first impressions matter." – @sujanpatel #microconf

Being mistaken for a professional athlete is fun.

Every product is about getting users from Point A to Point B.

You help them:
- overcome obstacles
- make progress
- achieve a better life

"I can’t stress this enough—protect your attention. It’s among the most valuable things you have."
– @jasonfried

👇 This is what starting small looks like

https://justinjackson.ca/rockstar/

I think people are confusing "innovation" with "what consumers want."

Lots of tech companies have made cool stuff that no one bought.

1. I'm wary of startups that encourage employees to spend personal time advancing company goals.

Often found in "team is family" cultures.

People don’t want the *process* they want the *results*.

Sell the result.
Then show customers how your process gets them there faster.

People are facing an increasing amount of noise.

So be genuine.
Have empathy.
And create unique things that make their lives better.

The Rails / Laravel pipeline problem:
https://justinjackson.ca/summer-project

- Young devs don't learn Laravel/Rails
- They learn React or Next instead
- There's a belief that "all the jobs are in React"

Therefore:

- It's hard to hire experienced Laravel/Rails devs

He’s a natural on stage.

(@DCoulbourne killing this talk on event sourcing at @LaraconUS)

#laracon

For the last six years, I’ve hired an editor (@iChris) to transform my audio recordings into finished podcast episodes.

Working with Chris has reduced my stress and made podcasting more fun. All I have to do is show up, record, and send him my files.

Highly recommended. 👍

I'm at the point with my SaaS where I need a financial modeling tool like this.

(I think @mattwensing was working on this but ended up going a different direction with @usesummit?)

Does anyone know of anything that does this? https://twitter.com/mattwensing/status/1282690718163771393

“If our twitter bid succeeds, we will defeat the spam bots or die trying!” – Musk https://twitter.com/warsh33p/status/1767506389663178864

If OpenAI crumbles, who gets ChatGPT?

(Arguably one of the most valuable apps on the planet right now)

Twitter's big rebrand to 𝕏 has been terrible for discovery.

"𝕏 just doesn't have the brand recognition of Twitter."

Since the change, downloads for 𝕏 have dropped by 50%! 😮

I'm encouraging indie founders to think about whether the market/idea they're pursuing is worth the risk/investment.

A founder needs to learn how to identify a bad bet, fold, and move on. 🎴

https://justinjackson.ca/quit

I’ve been criticizing Elon long before he took over Twitter.

(You clearly haven’t been reading my newsletter or my tweets 😉)

We should all be criticizing Elon: he has a repeated pattern of spreading misinformation, hurling obnoxious insults, and causing securities fraud here.

Jon and I on a boat in Montreal during the @TransistorFM retreat. ❤️

Whoa! I spy @sparktoro on @LastWeekTonight!

https://youtu.be/jXf04bhcjbg

🙌 @randfish @amandanat

I've seen many self-funded entrepreneurs who get into a "negative cycle of desperation:"

- They quit their job, but don't have any savings
- They're under immediate pressure for their idea to bring in $
- If their startup doesn't bring in the required $ right away, they flail

What is your daily recipe for happiness?

Here’s mine:

Open schedule
Walking downtown
Coffee at the coffee shop
Talking with friends at cowork
Working on interesting projects
Virtual call with internet friend
Going out for lunch w friends
Walk home, listen to pods
Dinner w fam