Tweets

The people you meet, face to face, matters.

This is why conferences, meetups, coworking, Skype calls, coaching, online communities all matter.

I've finally finished the updates to the @marketingdevs book! 🎉

Want to get your copy? Here's a coupon for $10 off:
https://justinjackson.withcoach.com/marketing-for-developers-the-book?coupon=2017-TWITTER

It's hard to grow your business when people only "sort of want" what you're selling.

(Focus on products that people desire!)

So true!

I felt the same about podcasting, YouTube, blogging, Twitter, making products...

(But I wasn't too late)

https://twitter.com/edwardlando/status/896881873653084161

I hit my goal of 1,000 YouTube subscribers! 🙌

You can subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/justinjackson?sub_confirmation=1

I'd like to get more emails like this:
"Justin, I checked out your onboarding sequence. For $ I'll improve it so it generates % more sales."

Just made my first series on Medium: https://medium.com/series/5673f2348520?source=twitterShare-a02dd1574d08-1488662118

Things to do when Amazon S3 is down https://justinjackson.ca/s3/

I moved to #vernonbc so I could snowboard more. Decided to take the morning off and test this @sandmarcgear GoPro pole.

For a customer, a product is just a means to an end.

It doesn't need to be SaaS, an app, or hardware: it just needs to solve a problem.

Surprises me how many brands put social media icons on their packaging with no usernames.

Basically free advertising for FB, Twitter, etc..

Going on stage in a few minutes at #SumoCon. Wish me luck! ⚡️

2. If you're spending your own time + resources helping your employer, you're not an employee; you're an investor.

Spend all the time and $ you want on a fancy family vacation.

All the kids will remember is the hotel waterslide.😜

Don't make the mistake of going into your analytics looking for answers *before* you've taken the time to formulate good questions.

Someone at this coffee shop just gave me $10 cash to preorder @joltbook. 👍

I've been offered jobs in the 🇺🇸.

I ❤️ the people, the cities, the innovation.

But 🇺🇸 politics + religion + guns scare me. Can't do it.

The more I get to know you folks, the more I love being alive.

You're a good bunch of human beings. 👌

Quick Pokémon Go review:

Incredible. My boys never want to walk the dog with me. Tonight? We walked 2 miles.

Reactions to your product that don't matter:
- "That's interesting"
- #1 on Product Hunt
- "Cool idea"

Reaction that does:
TAKE MY MONEY!

Promote your own stuff. It’s not a sin.

Remember: you can always iterate on a small thing and make it bigger.

But it's a lot harder to make a big thing small.

(Start small)

"Almost every project is enthralling at the beginning, and a grind at the end."

http://justinjackson.ca/the-last-mile/

Questions to ask when considering a new product idea:

Who wants this?
Why do they want it?
Where can I find them?
How much will they pay?

For creatives most of the struggle is just forcing yourself to sit down and do the work.

After interviewing dozens of founders I've realized the most important product question is: "Who would pay for this, and why?"

@robjama https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1458906465016565761

Excited to see my buddy @adamwathan back on the @LaraconUS stage. 🔥

#laracon

This what we’ve been waiting for: @taylorotwell is on stage at @LaraconUS! 🔥

#laracon

Today:

Chicago ✈️ Dallas

See you soon @LaraconUS friends (and basketball 🏀 fans)

While other companies are laying people off and investing in "AI chatbots," we're doubling down on real, human-powered customer support.

Our small team answers live chat 24/7 and, on weekdays, often responds immediately.

Having Michael full-time is an investment in serving our… https://twitter.com/TransistorFM/status/1814012284064428467

I’m starting a private Telegram group for SaaS founders/marketers doing more than $50k in MRR.

The focus will be marketing/sales, and growing revenue.

If that’s you, DM me!

Happy Father’s Day dads

When it comes to business success, people say: “don’t look at the outliers. Be wary of survivorship bias!”

But every successful entrepreneur is an outlier!

The vast majority of business attempts fail.

To see what works, look at the survivors.

Building a business should be fun.

(It's one of the main motivations for entrepreneurs: we like building businesses.)

If there's too much stress/pain, there's less motivation to run a business.

Governments should do more to reduce the pain of starting and running a business.

Omg. There WAS a $1 bill in @noahkagan’s mystery box!

(Looking forward to reading the book Noah! 🙌)

The only way to truly empathize with the customer is if you've previously done what they're trying to do.

You'll intuitively understand what's at stake, the pressures they are under, what's frustrating about the process, etc.

This year, I'm focusing my writing on "SaaS marketing experiments."

My first step is to learn more about how you're doing marketing now.

If you have a SaaS, could you fill out this (anonymous) form?

https://forms.gle/rLgHSQ8URv4wrmhr6

I ordered @AliAbdaal’s new book.

Excited to dig in!

One hack to use when you get stuck: ask someone for guidance.

It's incredible how often we'll procrastinate on a problem and sit with it for hours/days/weeks/months when a quick way to get unstuck is to send a message to someone who might shed a little light on your problem.

Night owls be like…

More live music in the park tonight with @sundogfest

Great to see @daysormay!

#vernonbc

Good business ideas come from the fabric of your life experience.

Curious: what do you think are the unique challenges for people building a new SaaS in 2023?

You can’t control how people will react to the things you make.

Once you put something out into the world, it’s out of your hands.

Sometimes we give folks gifts they don’t like. It’s not optimal, but it’s not the end of the world either.

Don’t attach your personal sense of…

Back on the lake today!

This podcast episode with @asmartbear is a gift to indie hackers.

@adamwathan & @r00k get him to clarify points from his 2013 talk, "Designing the Ideal Bootstrapped Business."

"It's not always smart to raise prices. If you already have p/m fit, why would you screw that up?"

Because AI requires significant computing power, building stand-alone products on top of tech like ChatGPT is the ultimate form of "platform risk."

But the biggest risk for ChatGPT-enabled apps is that existing products (Microsoft Office, Descript, Google Sheets, Zapier) are just implementing these features directly into their apps.

Who profits? OpenAI.

Despite all of our advances in robotics and artificial intelligence, machines aren't even close to being able to replace most trade work (plumbing, carpentry) and repair work (fixing a dishwasher).

Robots and AI are no match for human dexterity and specialized problem-solving.

This "move fast and break stuff" CEO mentality comes from what @matthewstoller calls "Counterfeit Capitalism."

CEOs get used to running companies on zero profits and unlimited capital and focus on objectives like "hire and grow as fast as you can."

https://mattstoller.substack.com/p/wework-and-counterfeit-capitalism

I've been working with @polarizetech to improve the marketing site for @TransistorFM.

🤩 Here's our first pass at revamping the Features page.

https://transistor.fm/features/

Hey audio/podcast nerds: what mic arm is this?

Early-stage startup founders paying their AWS bill with free credits.

Love this new feature we just released on @TransistorFM: Podcast Achievement Badges! 🥳

https://transistor.fm/changelog/achievements/

Whoa. @ChrisJBakke sold Laskie for ~$50M on $2.5M ARR?! 😮

https://www.indiehackers.com/post/built-my-last-co-to-2-5m-arr-became-profitable-in-2-5-years-sold-it-for-mid-8-figures-and-going-even-bigger-this-time-ama-afbc8f2eeb

🎯 "Many people are not ready for their lucky break when it comes to them.

Develop your skills. Study your craft. Save some money. Build a network before you need it. Lay the groundwork.

The prepared person is positioned to benefit from unexpected opportunities."

– @JamesClear

Generally, I recommend that:

• In your 20s-30s, you should optimize for learning, growing, and networking.
• In your 30s-40s, you should optimize for earning + building equity (but keep learning!)

What do you love about running your own business?

Elon just deleted the tweet. Here it is.

“While Musk’s legion of fans will no doubt claim it’s “just a joke,” it’s still jarring to see the richest person on the planet compare world leaders in functioning democracies to Hitler.”
– @paleofuture, @Gizmodo

Age 40
- my best year in terms of calm, financial security, and freedom
- moved to a new house

Age 41
- Jon and I hired two more people to work with us at Transistor
- started working on a side-project with @joshuaanderton: @meepsapp

🙏 Thankful for the whole journey.

❌ "A solution in search of a problem"
✅ "Real people looking for a solution to their problem."

Some wheels don't require as much grease.

If you're constantly having to grease the wheels to keep your business working, it might be time to pivot to something new, or create something different for a different market.

Good businesses give back more than they take.

It's a Christmas miracle! @jonbuda and I recorded a new episode of @buildyoursaas. 🎄

🔥 getting really fired up about @TransistorFM 2022.

https://saas.transistor.fm/episodes/the-christmas-bonus-check

🤣 had to google this one

Historically, is it really the brash, “quick to act,” “move fast and break things” leadership that’s created the best results?

“Move faster” as advice is too simplistic, too blunt, too un-nuanced to be of any practical use. https://twitter.com/sama/status/1465027161849413637

I’m surprised that Snapchat is still this popular with teens!

And exhale...

.@cdixon identifies a few of web3's constraints, but misses the biggest one: adoption.

Without widespread adoption (by "regular" folks), the promise of web3 won't work.

Government funding of internet infrastructure stoked web 1.0/2.0 adoption. How will that happen with web3?

Lots of talk about "reinvesting money as opposed to taking more salary."

I'm not convinced that this is always a good move.

Often "reinvest the money" means "spending that doesn't meaningfully improve the business, or make the founder's life better."

https://twitter.com/ThomasSmale/status/1425133438357676033

Smoke and fire on one side.
Clear skies on the other.

#WhiteRockLakeFire #BCWS #BCWildfire @Kamscan

Listening to @leenyburger and @mjwhansen’s podcast is uplifting.

It’s the “two founders talking to each other” format without any of the smugness or ego.

It’s refreshing to hear their genuine enthusiasm and support for each other. ❤️

One thing that really woke me up was my daughter going to college this year. 🤯

Like, how did that happen?

I never used to understand it when older parents would tell me “enjoy it, it goes by fast.”

Now I get it.

I think a $10B valuation is way too high:

- Clubhouse still feels more like a feature that fits on top of an existing graph (Twitter, FB, etc)
- Clubhouse currently has no path to monetization; ads feel difficult here
- It’s fun now (for me too!) but I think the format will wane

Can't believe Spotify outbid @TransistorFM on this deal.

I thought for sure @jonbuda and I were in the running. 🤣

https://techcrunch.com/2020/12/15/spotify-inks-multi-year-podcasting-deal-with-prince-harry-and-meghan-markle/?guccounter=1

What happened to Paul Jarvis?

@JackEllis and Paul tell all in this podcast:

https://overcast.fm/+VbWDmfu3M

Don't undervalue the investment of your life in an idea that (might) not pan out.

The longer it takes you to get to "default alive," the riskier your bet becomes.

Smart founders get out while the getting's good (so they can try something else).

https://twitter.com/destraynor/status/1029688002442874883

Often, being an entrepreneur means foregoing consistent promotions and opportunities in your industry.

Starting a business means you're no longer climbing the corporate ladder.

In many cases, those become lost years. You can't get those lost opportunities back.

11 years ago I read @jasonfried's description of his workday in Inc Magazine.

Since then, I've been pursuing this kind of calm. 🙏

The philosophy of "doing less" has dramatically improved my life.

https://www.inc.com/magazine/20091101/the-way-i-work-jason-fried-of-37signals.html

Yes, and:

Bootstrapping forces you to say “yes” to the right things:

- the right market
- the right timing
- the right fit for you as a founder https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/status/1326601687587561478

@pjrvs @Shpigford I like this @GhostCMS response that @r00k showed me:

https://ghost.org/enterprise/

What kills startups?

You run out of margin: financially, emotionally, or with your time.

(You become broke or broken)

Folks who start the journey with more margin (financial, time, emotional) have a greater chance of going the distance.

@adamwathan Your Disney outfit is on-point Adam! 🙌

I just spoke with three other bootstrapped SaaS founders (all who have launched within the last 5 years and have traction).

Here's how many monthly trials we're getting:

250
400
300
600

(These are 2-3 person companies.)

Wow! Reading this two years later is interesting... https://twitter.com/joelgascoigne/status/1029729957772177408

I’ve started snapchating again.

Got out of the house, and spent some time with @derrickreimer and @r00k.

Helped me clear my head. Feeling grounded. ✌️

It’s live!

Really great @buildyoursaas episode with @mariepoulin:

“Maybe you shouldn’t build a SaaS! There are other ways to get the life you want.”

Nutella addiction is real.

@kvlly The only thing I can really listen to at work is SoundCloud mixes.

@joshmuccio 👋 I’ve been writing about this a ton.

https://justinjackson.ca/build

This is @taylorotwell’s influence.

If you asked 100 small SaaS companies: "What subscriptions are you paying for?"

They might respond:

1. Helpdesk & customer support (Kayako, Helpscout)
2. Email marketing (Mailchimp, ConvertKit)
3. Transactional email (Postmark, Mailgun)

☝️ potentially good markets.

@michaeldyrynda Lol. My 11 year-old was watching this with me yesterday, looked at @JacobBennett and asked:

“Hey, is that guy in prison?’l 😂

Has Apple fixed family-sharing for photos yet? I basically want one, unified photos drive (in the cloud) for my family.

Is my only option for this still Google Photos?

Made some good progress today on the new @transistorfm marketing site that I'm building on @statamic (with @tailwindcss)!

"It's gradual, and then sudden."

Many don't realize how much of a grind it was for American heroes, like Disney, early on.

Getting to a baseline of success took him 10 years.

https://justinjackson.ca/disney

There is a difference between "wait and see" and procrastination.

With procrastination, you know what you're supposed to do, but you're stalling.

But sometimes, you don't know how to proceed yet. The path is foggy. "Wait and see" is waiting until the fog lifts.

☕ Sitting in a coffee shop, talking with someone about @TransistorFM & podcasting.

Lots of folks are still confused about "how a podcast gets into the Podcasts app on my iPhone."

I wrote an answer here:
https://transistor.fm/how-podcast-works/

Really appreciate @hnshah's honesty in this post.

For "excitable" product people like me, it's a cautionary tale. All founders should read it.

https://producthabits.com/my-billion-dollar-mistake/