Tweets

How much money would you like to have saved up by the time you're 45?

(Cash in the bank, savings, retirement savings, investments - don't include real estate)

@JamesIvings Looks like this is B2Prosumer, and using one-time payments for this definitely helping!

I'm bullish on the Prosumer market:
https://justinjackson.ca/prosumers

Just finished recording an episode with @tylertringas and @ianlandsman about the Once/Campfire launch, and what it might mean for bootstrappers, indie hackers, etc...

Will publish it on the @buildyoursaas feed!

OpenAI is really becoming the “everything app.”

Software ate the world, and now AI is eating software? https://twitter.com/LinusEkenstam/status/1721754808036766145

4. Look for product categories where the incumbents are old and crusty, and customers want something new and fresh.

Many recent SaaS successes have followed this path:

For example: Google Analytics was old and bloated, so @usefathom made a simple analytics alternative.

Watching @nathanbarry in this @ConvertKit documentary. 👀

I'd heard a lot of Nathan's story, but seeing it all in one place was really compelling.

Nathan's been an inspiration for me from the beginning. ❤️

https://youtu.be/5bzMHKOMaxY

Section 174 could increase your biz taxes by 466%.

I just sent this to my email list:
https://justinjackson.ck.page/posts/can-you-sign-this-today

If you're in 🇺🇸, please sign the petition today. 🙏
https://ssballiance.org/

#section174

What are some of your favorite subreddits?

Here’s a few of mine:

r/AccidentalWesAnderson
r/ArchitecturalRevival
r/RetroFuturism
r/CozyPlaces
r/Xennials

big day for me on mastodon

(cc @buildyoursaas fans)

Bootstrapped Web (w @JordanGal and @CasJam) is one of those podcasts that I listen to right when a new episode drops.

I’ve been following their stories for so long that I feel deeply connected to their entrepreneurial journeys.

https://overcast.fm/+sZZYee1hU

Let’s normalize holding rich, powerful, influential people accountable for what they do and say.

Why do older founders have an advantage?

According to @seths_d's book, it's because of their employment experience!

"Entrepreneurs are roughly twice as likely to build an extremely successful company if they previously worked in the field in which they started the company."

OMG. You can play Prince of Persia online here:
https://princejs.com/

(h/t @valsopi @rswebdesigner)

Getting a new customer shouldn't feel like a "heavy lift;" it should feel relatively simple and effortless.

Why? If you're working *really hard* to convince someone to become a customer, they're not self-motivated.

You want self-motivated customers.

The challenge with many SaaS experiments (increasing prices, cold email outreach, etc) is that it's very difficult to do a long-term, multivariate analysis of how effective that *really* was.

Podcasts must have just hit it big time.

(The front page of my small town newspaper has the word “podcast” in the headline 😜)

"How do you get more traffic for your SaaS?"

Chatted with @casjam today about how he's thinking about growth for @ZipMessage, and what initial traction for @TransistorFM looked like.

(Full episode coming Tuesday on @buildyoursaas)

Huge congrats to my friend @kylefox (and his co-founder @bradycassidy)! 🎉

🍾 @getRewardful (the company they've been bootstrapping since 2017) was just acquired by @saas_group.

https://twitter.com/kylefox/status/1460687258986582016

Just realized that @patio11's podcast is now hosted on @TransistorFM! ❤️

Lots of gems in there. I think that episode 12 (with @JoshDoody) should be required listening for all software engineers:

"Salary negotiation tactics for programmers"

https://www.kalzumeus.com/podcast/

On Sep. 10, Denmark will drop all Covid restrictions.

How are they able to do that?

According to their health minister:

* Over 80% of their population got double-vaccinated

* They instituted vaccine passports for restaurants, nightclubs, sporting events, etc

💯 Yes!!!

Small teams (1 person, 2 people, etc) can build incredible products and (often) offer way better customer service. https://twitter.com/gonedark/status/1428342556929241096

🎯 Exactly this.

People can’t change their mind, because there’s too much at stake:

their identity, their relational and families ties, their status in their communities and churches; the worldview they’ve built their lives on. https://twitter.com/SachaGreif/status/1423840138933637126

If you can, it’s worth simplifying what you offer customers:

- discover what the “main thing” is,
- make the main thing, the main thing

Good thread.

Spoiler: there’s no way billionaires will be able to make space habitable (for themselves, or anyone else) https://twitter.com/sim_kern/status/1411304994788331523

Anytime you see a founder (or a product) who's really killing it remember:

There are tons of layers (under the surface) that contributed to their success.

Here are the factors that lead to a SaaS gaining traction in a given market. 👉

https://youtu.be/rHTr17jfTCk

Very good thread. https://twitter.com/joshuaanderton/status/1391051585237655553

@DruRly Yes! And “doing it better” can be:

1. Better brand
2. Better distribution
3. Better product quality
4. Better customer experience

I can see Clubhouse being an awesome social outlet if you’re single.

But if you have a family... it can be really disruptive.

(I’ve been trying go on only during work hours)

🤯 by the level of feedback @MattGiovanisci just provided me in DMs.

He gave me 10+ specific, actionable steps I could use to make @TransistorFM perform better in Google searches.

(Highly recommend you follow his SEO stuff).

Doing another SaaS chat on Clubhouse in 10 minutes:

"What are the characteristics of smaller, successful SaaS?"

https://www.joinclubhouse.com/event/xVbelJQD

<grumpy podcast man shakes fist at sky>

The amount of $$$ being invested into podcasting is puzzling.

In the last 2 years, Spotify has spent $1 billion on podcast acquisitions.

In 2021, ad revenue for the ENTIRE podcast ecosystem is slated to be $1 billion ($782M in 2020).

There's a disconnect here.

@SamHarrisOrg Currently, folks seem most excited about @hopinofficial.

I attended an event that used it, and it’s definitely the best software I’ve experienced yet.

(Not “amazing” but pretty good)

(We offered them "free Burger King for a year." I thought it was compelling)

To me, the most interesting part about business is when customers show up.

💯This.

But there needs to be a viable alternative to Amazon and DoorDash: a network of independent shops that’s easy to search, and offers lightning fast local delivery.

Platforms, like @Shopify and @Square, could make this happen. https://twitter.com/thatdetroitandy/status/1330333298615312384

“Most successful companies are not category creators.” - @aprildunford

Quick way for governments around the world to 2x VAT and GST revenues:

Instead of asking millions of small businesses to *voluntarily* collect and remit taxes for foreign governments, ask Stripe to do it on their end.

Every product category is different, but let's say your plans are $39/month - $99/month, and you ask for a credit card upfront.

We'll assume trial-to-paid conversion is 40% - 60%.

You'll want at least 200-300 trials per month. (More if you have lower-priced plans).

This is the uncomfortable truth we need to accept (and act on).

"Nobody's free until everybody's free." – Fannie Lou Hamer

(As true in Canada, as it is in the USA. Especially when it comes to First Nations people.) https://twitter.com/BerniceKing/status/1266730015196090368

@jasonfried There has to be alignment between:

1. What the market wants
2. What you can provide
3. What you want

I think it’s a lot harder when you start with 2 & 3, and then go fishing for folks that might want what you have for sale.

There are many ideas for which there is no market.

There are tons of tech people who are skilled at building software but struggle to build good software businesses.

The difference is in the quality of their ideas.

“Over the long term, the future is decided by optimists. To be an optimist you don’t have to ignore all the many problems we create; you just have to imagine improving our capacity to solve problems.” – @kevin2kelly

Folks ask me all the time if it's possible to publish a podcast completely from your iPad.

I decided to try it out! Here's a quick video.

How is the pandemic affecting SaaS revenues?

@Shpigford and I had an honest chat about it.

You can listen to the full episode here:
https://saas.transistor.fm/episodes/how-coronavirus-is-impacting-software-companies

This is my son’s first time setting up a new board.

We’re taking these trucks off this deck I’ve had since 2005!

I can always tell which providers don't offer good customer support because their customers show up in our live chat! 😜

Wondering how podcasting works?

I just recorded some simple instructions here:

https://transistor.fm/how-podcasting-works

Want to know how your podcast's stats compare to other shows?

I just posted all my podcast's numbers publicly:
https://transistor.fm/public-podcast-stats

Wow. I need to write an update on this one. https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1038472025000402944

What causes certain products to grow revenue faster than others?

What are the primary factors?

One side-effect of being an early-stage bootstrapped founder that doesn’t get talked about much:

We don’t sleep so good.

cc @benediktdeicke @r00k @jonbuda

On the other side: don’t base your strategy purely on “what worked” for someone else. Your variables (and outcomes) will likely be different than theirs. https://twitter.com/villi/status/1205969184670117889

Everything rises and falls on the quality of your business' market:

"X number of people actively spending money on Y."

It's the foundation you build everything else on.

I’ve had projects where the road to success was dependent on multiple things going my way.

For things to work out, I would need a “perfect storm.”

I realize now why so few of those projects succeeded.

What “macro story” needed to play out in society for there to be market-wide demand for Slack?

(ref: @a16z blog post)

A few ideas 👉

One thing @podhuntapp gets right about podcast discovery: podcasters (and admins) can add a short audio preview for the episode.

When you're thinking about trying out a new podcast, you want a quick way to see if it's "right for you."

A short trailer (30s-90s) is perfect. 👌

Happy Friday! 👋

What are you working on right now?

A good co-founder makes you move faster.

Sure, you'll have to give up equity.

But the right partnership will grow your business beyond anything you could have done on your own.

You'll move faster, but you won't be working as hard.

Folks who have a big audience also have an additional pressure to succeed.

If you’re unknown, and you fail, it’s not a big deal. You learn, and move on.

But when you’re known, your failures get amplified.

When fans sign up for your waiting list, that momentum can fool you into thinking you have product-market fit (when you don't).

CHEESE GRATER!

Just did my second @PairWithTuple call and it really feels like magic.

That's the fastest @adamwathan has ever been able to explain a concept to me. 😅

Having the ability to highlight different parts of the screen is 👍.

Love this interchange:

@csallen: "What are things founders commonly lie to themselves about?"

@asmartbear: "Oh wow; what don't we lie to ourselves about? Founders think they're the smartest person in the room (always)."

🐰 Crazy how much the Easter holiday affects customer support.

🎙️ @TransistorFM usually gets about 10 support requests a day on weekends.

📉 Today? Nothing!

"Hard technical problems don't necessarily translate into profitable businesses."

(A little tease of tomorrow's newsletter)

Subscribe here: https://justinjackson.ca/newsletter

The number of sales your product receives is a multiple of these two variables:

1. How big is the target market?
2. How desirable is the outcome you're offering them?

Riding more frozen waves this morning. #vernonbc

❄️🌊🏂

I used to ❤️ Apple hardware, and how well it integrated with MacOs.

Magsafe, MacBook Air, and retina all felt innovative.

But lately, their hardware feels like it's going backwards.

Plus, Apple has always been more expensive, but their price ratcheting is getting ridiculous.

The folks I've met at #laracon are hands-down the best people I've met in the last few years.

Can't wait to go back again this year! 🤘

https://twitter.com/taylorotwell/status/1066370650120626176

I leave my 13-year-old alone with my computer for five minutes...

Really good chat with @tylertringas.

Now I have a way better understanding of what he's doing with http://earnestcapital.co. 👍

Bootstrapping is hard. Bootstrappers need more options.

🙋‍♀️ If you're looking for creative ways to self-fund your company, I'm going to be sending "round 2" of my Unconventional Bootstrapping series tomorrow:

📩 https://justinjackson.ca/newsletter

What do you folks think of @robwalling's distinction between "self-funded" and "bootstrapped?"

⚡ I just found out about @unfurls_co, which generates social previews of your website for Slack, Facebook, Messenger, iMessage, and more!

Here's an example: https://unfurls.co/lookout/results/a/153566975920

If you've been waiting to hear about the results from our @TransistorFM launch, we just published our "launch week hangover" phone call here:

https://saas.transistor.fm/episodes/tbd

⚡️ Email tip:

Style (and center) the alt-text in your images so they look nice when your recipients have image-blocking turned on.

📺 Can you still be a solopreneur in 2018?

Really enjoyed this conversation with @nathanallotey.

We talked about why PDFs and online courses might not work the same way they used to, and how indie creatives can find new opportunities.

⚡️ Sending out a product update email?

Make sure you include:
- a description of what your app does: "Hey, this is PodPro. We help you get more listeners for your podcast."
- a "log in" button! Often I get an email, but there's no place for me to easily access the site.

⚡️ Automatically email your list when you publish a new podcast:

1. In @MailChimp, create a new campaign
2. Select "Automated" and then "Share blog updates"
3. Enter your @transistorfm podcast's RSS feed URL
4. In the editor, use RSS tags like *|RSSITEM:TITLE|*
5. "Start RSS"

Product/market fit is important, but so is Founder/market fit + Founder/product fit.

I believe it was @sehurlburt who said: "There's no shame in using your connections, rich family, etc... to help your business succeed."

But, she's also good at reminding us to help others!

(Accept the hand-up you got, but also give that opportunity to other people who need it)

Omg I forgot about these transforming fast food toys

<blink>182</blink>

Successful thinkers don't just contemplate ideas inside their heads; they flesh them out in the public sphere.

"Engineering is about understanding people."

❤️ this by @yonatanzunger @yonatanzunger/so-about-this-googlers-manifesto-1e3773ed1788?source=twitterShare-a02dd1574d08-1502052016" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://medium.com/@yonatanzunger/so-about-this-googlers-manifesto-1e3773ed1788?source=twitterShare-a02dd1574d08-1502052016

"Every action you take is a vote for the person you want to become." – @james_clear

Whoa. I've never seen @Harris_Bryan speak before. He's killing it. Good story teller; great advice.

When you're being choked by your circumstance it's hard to breathe, much less imagine a world of possibility.

Be kind to those who struggle

Make your product so good that people can't help but share it with their friends.

Don’t be mean to people on the Internet.

If you see a human being walking outside they are 100% playing Pokemon Go.

🙌 Love this quote:

“Do what you love to do, find someone who loves it, and there you go, you have a business.”
— @mikeherreraTD

This. Almost every single time.

https://twitter.com/dhh/status/734398083568668672

I love the emails I'm getting for http://tomstrucking.net

😂

Text message from my brother. 😂

The only validation that matters:

Short term: finding people who will pay you for your product.

Long term: finding more of those people.

So many good newsletter writers right now:
@studiofellow
@avclark
@pjrvs
@seanwes
@nathanbarry
@SachaGreif
@brennandunn
@patio11
@amyhoy

There are some things you practice for 10,000 hours and you become world class.

And there are other things you practice for 100,000 hours and your skills stay roughly the same.

Like beatboxing.