Tweets

Let’s build more “mindful” tech products:

- let you rest
- aren't addictive
- decrease anxiety
- don't disturb the peace
- allow you to be present
- improve human relationships
- improve mental & physical health
- turn off when you've had too much

100 days without alcohol. 👍

☝️ Also, it's devs like @derrickreimer, @adamwathan, @r00k, @robwalling that scare the shit out of "marketing folks" like me.

They've proven you can be technical and also be proficient at:
- copywriting
- media (podcasting, video)
- design
- overall marketing strategy

@pitdesi Tony Hawk made more $ from the video game than competing as a pro skateboarder.

⚡ Startup tip:

📈 @stripe quietly released SaaS metrics awhile ago:
https://dashboard.stripe.com/billing

😮 Click on "Billing" and you'll see MRR growth, Net Revenue, Trials, Retention and more!

We need more calm companies.

https://justinjackson.ca/calm-company

To achieve success, sacrifice your:
- ego

Don't sacrifice your:
- sleep
- family
- values
- nutrition
- exercise
- mental health
- close relationships

Entrepreneurs respond to existing demand, they don’t create it.

The market should already be “pulling” for what you’re building; the demand should already exist.

In Canada, a “full stack developer” is someone who can make a nice batch of pancakes. 🥞🇨🇦

Let’s take a moment:

1. Subscribe to your friends’ newsletters.
2. Subscribe to your friends’ podcasts.
3. Subscribe to your friends’ RSS feeds.

Open web forever. ✊

How much would a house like this cost in your area?

(In a reasonably nice neighborhood)

4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 2400 sq feet

You’ll never be in the “right place at the right time” unless you:
- start now
- start small
- meet people
- show your work

I see new startups emulating these "benefits-driven" headlines from established brands, and I think it's a mistake.

For example, Intercom's is "the best way to connect with your customers."

☝️ this approach works for them (we know it's "live chat") but won't work for new SaaS.

Whoa. Listening to @dhh and @adamwathan chat about Hotwire (“HTML over the wire”).

These two do not waste time with appetizers. They jump straight to the main course.

Really great conversation. 👍

https://overcast.fm/+heX7qcLTU

I had a super 🔥 conversation with @taylorotwell today for the @buildyoursaas podcast.

"I've never talked about this publicly... but I actually thought about selling."

We talked about indie SaaS, the future of full-stack development, @laravelphp, Rails and so much more.

SaaS MRR and investment interest:

$0-5k: folks on @microacquire are interested
$5k-10k: Earnest and TinySeed are interested
$10k-$20k: angels get interested
$20k-$50k: bigger companies get interested in acquiring at a cheaper price
100k+ : higher valuations (but lower multiples)

You get a whole new perspective up here. #vernonbc

There's no better feeling than having a customer come back to you after they've tried out a competitor. 🥰

The beauty of having side-projects is that it's OK if they fail!

Instead of heaping unrealistic expectations on our ideas we can let them live (or die) on their own merits.

To have a chance of catching the big fish you have to catch (and release) a lot of little fish.

Ultimately, you're looking for leverage.

Leverage is your ability to make progress; to get the life you want.

Leverage comes from 3 things:

1. Your connections: who you know, and who knows you.
2. Your skills: the value you can add to the world.
3. Your assets: money, equity.

Good opportunity for bootstrappers:

👉 So much software is still bad.

“I have a new product idea...”

First questions to ask:

- What evidence is there that people want this?
- How many people want it? How much are they spending on this problem right now?
- How can you reach these folks, at scale?
- Why are you the right person to build it?

It’s OK to move on.

https://justinjackson.ca/moving-on

For me, "folding laundry time" is "podcast listening time." 🎧

🤔 When do you listen to podcasts?

“An Echo Chamber makes its members feel perfectly informed while crippling them as intellectuals.

It teaches them that knowledge is easy and gets them hooked on the feeling of knowing the truth about everything without having to work for it.”

— @waitbutwhy, What's Our Problem

Who is building a Laravel-based SaaS?

cc @laravelphp @laravelnews

"Whenever a startup goes out of business, the first thing I get curious about are their costs, not their revenues."

Great post from @jasonfried:

https://m.signalvnoise.com/outlasting/

Having the freedom to make & create without financial pressure is the ultimate freedom. 👌

My first programming tutorial video of the year! 🙌

💻 How to build a landing page with @tailwindcss (+ @tailwindui) and deploy to @Netlify.

(Under the hood we're using @vite_js and a sprinkling of @Alpine_JS)

https://youtu.be/41kqZYK3wRI

It's cliché, but the best decision I made for myself was finding a therapist.

I get a lot of questions (especially from dudes!) about how to find the right counselor.

This is what worked for me:

I sent this to my newsletter this morning.

Now, I'm posting it here:

🤔 "Can you bootstrap a startup on the side?"

https://justinjackson.ca/sideproject

As a kid, I always assumed that older adults “felt their age.”

Now I’m nearly 43, but in my head I feel about 25.

I’ve learned that I’m not the only one! This phenomenon is called “subjective age.”

How about you? What age do you “feel” you are?

I really don't get the hype around web3.

(I was around for the advent of the web and and "web 2.0" and was excited about both)

If you're a web3 believer, what's compelling about it for you?

In my experience with SaaS, the highest value / most profitable customers complain the least.

We got 3x more complaints from our $19 plan than our $99 plan.

https://twitter.com/WebInbound/status/941058693675745280

MySpace: acquired by News Corp for $580 million, later sold for $35 million.

Tumblr: acquired by Yahoo for $1.1 billion, later sold for $3 million.

Twitter: acquired by Elon for $44 billion, later sells for…?

The biggest problem I see from SaaS who target SMBs is they’re not getting enough trials.

(You'll need more than you think).

A few times a year, someone will send me a message like this:

"Stick to talking about bootstrapping and business. Don't talk about [philosophy, mental health, economics, politics, ecology]."

A thread 👉

Here's my list of good non-alcoholic drinks for social gatherings:

1. Cranberry + Soda (very little sugar, easy to drink)
2. Virgin Caesar's [Bloody Mary] (I order them spicy)
3. Kombucha (if they have it on tap)
4. Spirit-free cocktails

Indie hackers vs the competition.

More margin =

Less worry
Less driving
Less rushing
Less working
Less meetings
Less possessions
Less cognitive load
Less things to maintain

More slow meals
More family time
More memories
More hangouts
More attention
More sunlight
More peace
More walks
More rest
More ❤️

Disney is one of America's most iconic companies.

It took them 10 years to achieve even a baseline of success.

10 years!

Are we willing to put forward that kind of effort, in a single direction, for that long?

Are we willing to take our knocks, and keep going?

Too many founders practicing "rugged individualism."

They're doing everything on their own, in a silo.

The power of the web is that it lets us connect with people all over the world!

You can't do this on your own. You're going to need allies and partners.

Build relationships!

Holy shit.

I can't believe this was two years ago!!!

A few days after I posted this update I went "full-time" on Transistor.

Four months later, Jon quit his job and went full-time too.

Since then, this little business us given us more than we ever imagined.

Thankful. 🙏 https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1111417288664584195

At the beginning of a new business venture, being a founder with lots of willpower, skills, energy, and drive can actually hurt you.

Let me explain...

I can’t tell if this is an ad for Zappos, UPS, or Ring.

Marketing skills = 🔥

Product skills = 🔥🔥🔥

Coding skills = 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Code skills + Product skills + Marketing skills =
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Today’s my birthday!

44 and I still got it. 🥳

Looking for new business opportunities in 2021?

Here are a few trends I'm keeping my eyes on. 👉

Don't fall in love with the problem.

Fall in love with the people you want to serve.

Then, help make their lives better.

The biggest reason you don't need a complex marketing stack?

What drives demand isn't a bunch of funnels or retargeting campaigns...

👉 What drives demand is a bunch of customers who actively want what you're selling.

Good indie marketing connects buyers with your product.

I think, as bootstrappers, we need to abandon the "long slow SaaS ramp of death" trope.

1. That talk is nearly 20 years old (lots has changed)
2. I'm not sure it ever really applied to most successful bootstrapped businesses? 🤔
3. For many SaaS I know, the ramp was pretty fast.

The Hierarchy of Needs for new product ideas:

Has Clubhouse run out of steam?

They released their Android app... to little fanfare? (It launched on Product Hunt and didn't even crack top 3)

The @MostlyTechPod is like Seinfeld but for nerds.

"Male toes are disgusting."
"Disgusting!"
"We're grotesque."

(I spent way too much time yesterday putting together this Mostly Technical X Seinfeld supercut of @ianlandsman & @aarondfrancis' interactions)

"I want to be the next Zuckerberg."

No you don't:

Nothing gives indie founders a better quality of life than recurring revenue. 🥰

Do some folks really prefer iOS to MacOS for work?

Every time I’m writing on my iPhone I can’t wait to get back to my Mac.

"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. If it feels bad, I take a step back. I learn by doing."
– Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia

Hey folks,

Starting July 1st, I'm going to be taking my annual break from Twitter, Instagram, FB, LinkedIn. I'll probably be off 30-60 days.

If you normally message me on here, please use my email.

Thanks! ✌️

There's a big difference between baking a cake you think people might want, and baking a cake you see people buying and eating every day. 🍰

I listen to podcasts when I:
- go for a walk
- do yard work
- lay in the park
- do the dishes
- clean the garage
- at night before I sleep

When do you listen?

Watching @adamwathan preview the new @tailwindcss UI components.

"If you're a dev like me, the first thing you need is some sort of shell in place, with a navbar and a content area."

Adam & @steveschoger: TAKE MY MONEY!

Most worthwhile accomplishments are a long time in the making.

Don't expect to start and make it overnight!

It's going to take years of small wins.

These @patio11 slides on "how to price your product" are so good.

I refer to them often! 👍

New SaaS entrepreneurs:

Don't discount the opportunity to go into an established category and offer more value (for less cost) than the incumbents.

"Lower price for more value" is a great competitive wedge.

If being productive =
- having to wake up at 4am
- filling every block in my calendar
- feeling like I'm "go go go" all the time

... then I don't want to be productive.

⚡ Tip: see how your site's preview will look in iMessage, Twitter, FB, Slack, etc.. by using a tool like http://www.heymeta.com/

Two truths:

1. Everything takes time.

2. Not everything is worth your time.

My boys (10 and 11) have been making animated videos on their YouTube channel.

I asked them if they could make one for @TransistorFM. They said yes.

This is what they came up with:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3Wd19Ldzl8

It got me thinking again about this concept of: "Gradually, and then suddenly."

For years and years, the Disney brothers are gradually clawing their way forward. It's slow and painful.

And then, suddenly, all those years start to pay off. Everything seems to improve at once.

Almost everybody I know who's created a successful business found their winning idea while doing something else.

Almost like they were digging a pool in their backyard and accidentally discovered oil.

Whoa.

https://twitter.com/owenconti/status/1131642828990210048

⚡ Your ability to launch a product relies on hundreds of events in your history:

The people you know
​The skills you've learned​
The people who know you
The content you've produced
The product instincts you've honed​
The financial decisions you've made

Money creates the space for you to pursue the things that can make you happy.

The most significant action you can take in your career/entrepreneurial journey is to make micro-investments in yourself along the way:

- Build that relationship
- Go to that meetup
- Start that podcast
- Go on that retreat
- Apply for that job
- Build that project

Business idea:

FaaS
"Force me to do shit; as a service"

I call you up, and you stay on the line and make sure that I do work that I've been procrastinating on (taxes, paperwork, cleaning my office, whatever).

More and more people want to build a SaaS.

But it’s not like the typical career ladder.

Business is more like surfing.

https://justinjackson.ca/surfing

⚡ Official announcement:

👨‍💻 I have a new website.

🤘 Inspired by the punk rock zines I read as a kid.

👉 Check it out: https://justinjackson.ca/new-website

Want to give an indie developer a great gift? 🎁

If you love their software, talk about it! ❤️

- Recommend indie apps to your friends
- Give kudos publicly in tweets and blog posts
- Leave a review on @produchunt, Capterra, etc.
- Make videos showing how you use indie products

Real estate listings are missing a big opportunity with remote workers.

Everything is based around searching a given town and area.

MLS should add “here’s what your money could buy you in 5 other regions of the world” to every search.

At $30k / month, Jon and I can both be full-time on Transistor.

We're earning a living, doing work we enjoy, for customers we like.

This has been our aim from the beginning: to build a great product, while at the same time having a great life. 👌

Momentum is everything.

People who stand still don't make progress.
People in motion make mistakes, but they also move forward. 🏃

Vacation hack for parents: just find a place with a pool.

It doesn’t need to far away. It doesn’t need to have fancy museums, or tourist attractions.

Just find a pool. Get the kids in the pool. And then sit on the side with a drink and relax. 🥂

So dang close.

BTW - the summer's a great time to start a podcast! 😜

https://transistor.fm/?via=twitter

Really awesome suggestions here! I'm curating a list of all of these here:
https://justinjackson.ca/nobooze

This new NFT-avatar trend is like someone saying “yo, meet me at the costume party, I’ll be dressed as a lion,” and when you arrive EVERYONE IS DRESSED LIKE A LION.

There is no such thing as a “million dollar business idea.”

There are only million dollar *markets.*

You don’t find a good idea; you find a good market that needs a problem solved.

"Growth can creep up on you. The faster a business grows, the faster it dies also. So we slowed down Patagonia's growth so we could be around for 100 years. There's two types of growth: one, you grow stronger. The other way, you grow fat."
– Yvon Chouinard

Can you launch a successful company in your 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, or even 70s?

Absolutely.

(For context, I'm 43 now, and I was 38 when Jon and I started @TransistorFM)

But here’s an essential insight: age isn’t the crucial factor in this equation. Instead, it's the accumulation…

The market is unsympathetic to your passion.

You can build whatever you want, but ultimately you're beholden to the market and what it wants.

Without customer demand, you don't have a business.

I ❤️ what @derrickreimer is doing here on this landing page:
https://level.app/

It answers three important questions:

1. How could this fit into my life? 🤔
2. What *is* it exactly? What does it look like? 💻
3. What's my next step? ☑️

Good mix of story + features. 👍

My son is really into animation.

I asked him if he could make me an "8-bit animated video for @TransistorFM."

He's been working on it for weeks.

He just published it here, and I love it! 😄

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHmDKeJwsY4

I can't believe it: it's been 4 years since we launched @TransistorFM!

I wrote down my memories of building and launching that initial version with @jonbuda, and reflected on everything that's happened since we launched (it's changed our lives):

https://transistor.fm/anniversary/

Which SaaS success stories don’t get talked about enough in the bootstrapped space?

"Is it it ever going to happen for me?"

Once I hit my mid-30s I started asking myself that question a lot.

At Laracon, I shared about growing old and jaded in tech (and how I overcame it).

You can watch the whole talk here:
https://youtu.be/AfEBby1KRyU

There's a trend in marketing to "put your main value prop in the headline." So folks will make their H1 something like:

"Eliminate back-and-forth haggling."

☝️ but that headline doesn't tell somebody who's visiting your site for the first time *what your product is*.

In 2012, after reading Tony Hsieh's book, Delivering Happiness, I was so inspired I traveled to Vegas to see Zappos in person.

I was blown away by their culture. They genuinely cared for people: their staff, customers, and guests.

RIP Tony. You changed my perspective forever.

“Work from home” should mean “flexible work:” work however (and wherever) you feel best.

For me, that meant starting @CoWorkVernon with friends.

I get to hang out all day with cool people, without the long commute or office politics.

Every once in awhile, it’s worth asking:

“Do my actions match up with my values?”

You might think your values are X, but your actions actually indicate Y.

If you're interested in building your own business (SaaS or info-product), this interview between @csallen and @robwalling is a must-listen:

https://overcast.fm/+JmiMSi6qQ