Tweets

To better understand the accusations against Elon, and Tesla’s Autopilot, I recommend watching this documentary (“Elon Musk’s Crash Course”).

The most damning bits are from former Tesla autopilot engineers.

https://www.hulu.com/series/the-new-york-times-presents-f22278d1-ef56-40e8-9227-af3a029ca6f4

My friends at @ratiovernon just sent me this:

"Japan's anti-procrastination cafe: no leaving until your work is done."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZPw7gRc-VU

@levelsio 100%

Everyday photos with my iPhone 13 look incredible.

@arvidkahl @ryanstrickler Ok. You win the internet

Warren Buffet's investment strategy relied on making better bets.

As @billgates explained in HBR:

"Warren says that in your lifetime you should swing at only a couple dozen pitches, and he advises doing careful homework so that the few swings you do take are hits."

To me, it's fascinating that two people can invest the same amount of time, money, and resources, and one person can get 10x, 100x, or 1000x better results.

Some of this can be explained by "luck," but this multiplication effect can also be achieved by making better bets.

I don't read many product newsletters, but the @sparktoro email (by @amandanat) is consistently excellent.

My brain has a trigger to automatically open them because I know I'll see amazing tips like these inside.

https://mailchi.mp/sparktoro/audience-research-newsletter-004-qualify-leads-gen-z-fonts-4027840?e=a1acd5b9de

People ask me all the time: “how can you compete in a crowded category against bigger competitors?”

The answer is *care about the customer more than they do*.

Go the extra mile.
Engage with them.
Be curious about what they’re trying to accomplish.

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.

Hey! @jasonlbeggs and I just moved the @TransistorFM @statamic site to Digital Ocean, and had to regenerate the LetsEncrypt SSL cert.

Can a bunch of you visit https://transistor.fm/, and make sure it's working?

Have an efficient tech stack

Frameworks like Rails and @laravelphp give small indie startups a huge advantage.

Modern design systems like @tailwindcss and @tailwindui can help you ship nice UIs faster.

Small tools like @Alpine_JS have replaced old, slow libraries.

Walking outside.

B2C vs B2B isn’t a binary; there’s a spectrum of opportunities between those two.

https://justinjackson.ca/prosumers

❤️ these views

With new startup idea, you should have a general sense of how big the market is (and how fast it’s growing).

Try to get a sense of whether your market meets a min floor of potential (is this market big enough?), and also what the ceiling is likely to be (how big could we grow?).

how does dave grohl end up in every rock documentary

@theSamParr I've tried investing in stocks, and in other startups, but so far the best investment I've made (by far) is in @TransistorFM:

https://transistor.fm/

@missbikesalot Hard to nail it down to just one. 😅

CMS: @statamic
Graphics: @sketch
Analytics: @usefathom
Email onboarding: @userlist
SEO: @ahrefs & @seo_testing
Video messaging: @ZipMessage
Calendar scheduling: @savvycal
Screencasts: @ecammtweets & @ScreenFlow
@TransistorFM for podcasting 😉

Some products just get better traction, faster.

Why? The "shape of demand" isn't uniform for all types of products.

People often realize this after they've worked on multiple product launches.

Traction is mostly correlated to underlying demand (rather than founder effort).

Strong brand = accumulated reputation & recognition, over time.

"Here's a 1080p webcam"

<THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE>

“The best way to build an audience is to create something people want, consistently.” – @mariogabriele

https://www.readthegeneralist.com/briefing/1-year

Say what you will about @SamHarrisOrg, but his critique here is on point.

Tech humanism is full of hubris; imagining utopian solutions for the world, but disconnected from consequences if it goes wrong.

"If it all unravels, they can hide in their New Zealand compound."

Nobody’s more responsive than a founder serving early-access customers. 💯

Case in point: @joshuaanderton and @meepsapp! 👏👏👏

As a founder, you're taking on years of risk (and foregoing employment salary + opportunities + growth).

You're making a "bet" that your startup will give you a better life than would have had as an employee.

Don't push off those returns too long. 😅

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1334278732450680834

Ok. @joshuaanderton and I are so close to getting 500 people signed up to our early access list for @meepsapp on @ProductHunt.

🙏 Know anyone who's looking for a better way to build a membership site, online community, private newsletter?

https://www.producthunt.com/upcoming/meeps

I tweeted this last year.

Today, most of BC, Canada looks like this (including my town, #vernonbc).

We can't go outside, and the air quality is some of the worst in the world (AQI hit 410 yesterday!) https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1212632299705028608

Some of the best standup ever.

Fastball after fastball. https://twitter.com/birbigs/status/1416911184826142721

Simple is underrated.

AM/FM radio is still used by billions of people: you turn a knob, and you listen.

RSS is simple too.

New people discover podcasts every day; it’s all working on RSS.

It’s working.

Simple is beautiful. ❤️

Still answering questions on my /r/saas AMA:

https://www.reddit.com/r/SaaS/comments/nrjsao/im_40_years_old_and_i_finally_bootstrapped_a_saas/

When I was 20 I was perfecting my table layouts on Geocities.

Today, Gen-Z is like: “oh that’s cute. I just sold my 4th startup, sold a few Bitcoin, bought a mansion in Miami, and launched a $25 million rolling fund.” 😜

"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

Going live right now with @tylertringas debating crowdfunding: who is it good for?

https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1yNxaWXXLgdGj

I ❤️ @tailwindcss and @tailwindui.

I'm just looking for devs who can customize it and make it look truly unique. 💯

Show me your work! 🙌

Wow. @kayvz just confirmed this: unlike Clubhouse, @TwitterSpaces has been architected to have MILLIONS of listeners. 😯 https://twitter.com/akkhosh/status/1361947463670636544

I think audio spaces are probably here to stay.

But enthusiasm for them will definitely wane.

After a few months, users will reduce their usage.

(Dedicating 2-6 hours a day to be in audio rooms isn’t sustainable for most folks)

Meerkat died when Twitter (and later Instagram and Facebook) built similar functionality into their apps.

Twitter is already replicating Clubhouse with Twitter Spaces.

It feels like we’ve been down this path before...

Decided to write a quick Twitter Spaces vs Clubhouse review.

tl;dr – I think Twitter Spaces will be a better fit for most Twitter users (our social graph is already here)

https://transistor.fm/spaces-clubhouse/

Damn.

(We use @BankMercury btw and love them)

Mercury: 🙏 PLEASE DON'T SHUT DOWN! https://twitter.com/ShengSlogar/status/1347264665575821313

The biggest problem for local shops: their inventory is hidden from most local consumers.

That inventory needs to be made visible, and searchable, online.

1. Help local shops get their inventory online.
2. Network this inventory together with other shops.
3. Make it searchable

If you want a break from the election, I just listened to @leenyburger and @mjwhansen’s “feelings” episode and it was so good!

(If you’re bootstrapping, you should subscribe)

https://overcast.fm/+gJ-Wf46AM

Ok, how come nobody told me about @Kishi_bashi?

One track after the other, and I'm in love.

Feel-good sunlight music vibes all day long:
https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/kishi-bashi/441315443

People here with hot tubs:

• are they a pain to maintain?
• are they expensive to run? (Electricity wise?)
• regrets?

🛀 🧖‍♂️♨️🧖‍♀️🍲

That Bootstrapped Web episode with Landsman.

*chef’s kiss*

@dr These are the “rules of thumb” that I use for B2B or B2Prosumer.

It’s not enough to choose just *any* category indiscriminately.

You want to choose a category:

a) that shows potential (growing market)
b) where you’ve identified gaps/opportunities.
c) where YOU (as a founder) have some strengths/advantages.

Purchase-intent usually shows itself as "potential customers searching for a solution."

Recognizing that demand, and later, creating supply, doesn't necessarily require you to have an audience.

Who lands on a random company website when they’re “just browsing,” anyway?”

Feels like companies are optimizing for folks just stumbling upon their site accidentally.

If folks are landing on your site, it’s because it was recommended to them (friend, search engine, article).

Canada’s version of Nextdoor.

(This is seriously happening right now)

Have you ever had to convince 190 million people to change the way they do something?

That part won't be fun.

This release also includes some notable new features and enhancements, like this drag-and-drop file uploader:

@AndrewAskins @arvidkahl @hnshah It can be harder to find a good, profitable SaaS concept.

There’s generally more customer support.

The biggest is that you have more anxiety about uptime. With info-products you don’t have to worry about your whole system crashing.

I just published this video, and a friend noticed this.

THIS WAS NOT PLANNED. 🌲👌

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaDWHhoLR4Q&feature=youtu.be

Quarantine vibes.

❤️ this. https://twitter.com/dannymatz90/status/1242518866279923712

thanks @bentossell

Request for product:

“@ScreenFlow but for podcast audio editing.”

- No video preview
- LUFs monitoring and normalization
- Ability to export as MP3!

https://youtu.be/j2HCMrfh4_o

I have this biggest pod crush ever on @DCoulbourne and @calebporzio so when they asked me to be on their show I just giggled and blushed the whole time.

https://noplanstomerge.simplecast.com/episodes/the-market-is-everything-feat-justin-jackson

Obligatory @shl quote:

"It doesn't matter how awesome your product is; the market you're in will determine most of your growth."

I’ve changed my mind about a bunch of business related things this year.

I think I talked about most of them on this episode of @pjourneypod:
https://overcast.fm/+T3kjbKeeI

My friends at @podia have a new podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/feed/id1490316342

Lots of brands are starting shows these days, but this one feels different.

I think it's worth subscribing just to hear what a well-produced "company" podcast can sound like. 👍

There should be be evidence that folks are already spending money in the space you’re thinking of entering.

Before AirBnB, folks paid money to stay at hotels, B&Bs, cottages, vacation homes, and hostels.

Annually, people spend $570 BILLION on travel accommodation.

Hell yeah. Sign me up. https://twitter.com/megbutton/status/1166711418231631873

I just summarized all of this here: https://justinjackson.ca/pull-the-market

If there's no market momentum in the direction you're headed, it means there is no demand.

I think @CoolioJuliao perfectly captured my speaking style at @podsummit this year.

Just discovered @bandrewsays' mic reviews, and they're brilliant.

They're all about ~7 minutes. 👍
He does the same tests with each mic. 👍
He lets you hear them all for yourself first! 👍
In the end, he gives his top recommendation. 🎯

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gnu0QBNZ4AU

I love @derrickreimer's redesign of his site.
https://www.derrickreimer.com/

It just feels like a good "home" for Derrick's words.

Good post by @tylertringas on the different stages of a company’s growth, and what options you have for financing the business at each level:

https://tylertringas.com/the-entrepreneurs-new-path-of-maximum-optionality/

Some of my biggest revelations have come from meeting new people and having my eyes opened:

“Wow! That’s POSSIBLE?!?”

If your organization needs multiple podcasts, you'll want to use @TransistorFM. 💪

"This is huge! Most other podcast services charge an ungodly fee for each show."

Finishing up my @podsummit talk right now (see you soon #yyc!).

I've added a section on the "jobs a podcast does in people's lives."

Did I miss any?

@jayclouse @tylertringas Yes, but it shouldn't take *too* long.

Because, as a bootstrapper, you need to survive until you get to scale.

We need to achieve a baseline of traction & growth to keep going.

Jason Cohen says anything past 4 years is a red flag. Increasingly, I agree with him.

@ajlkn In Canada that's what we call a bunch of pancakes.

Derek @sivers says:

"Don’t waste years fighting uphill battles against locked doors. Improve or invent until you get that huge response. Instead of trying to create demand, you’re managing the huge demand."

If you have something people really want, you shouldn't have to put a massive amount of effort into convincing folks to buy.

More in today’s blog post:

https://justinjackson.ca/build

The best podcast interviews are with friends like ⁦@adamwathan⁩ who can ask whatever questions they want. 😅

http://www.fullstackradio.com/113

Also... this. 😂

https://twitter.com/andrewdraper/status/1115799719962234883?s=21

Want to go to Belgium in October?

This Full Stack Dev conference organized by @freekmurze and @driesvints looks good:

https://fullstackeurope.com/

@hnshah @useloom @twistappteam @NotionHQ @airtable @EveryTimeZone We're using the following to build @TransistorFM:

- @clubhouse for Kanban
- @Kayako for customer support (notes and tagging are really helpful)
- Slack for chat
- Zoho for email

The marketing potential of your product is determined early on:

1. The market you choose (how cheap/easy are they to reach? do they pay for things?)

2. The customer desire you choose to tackle (how strong is it?)

3. The product you choose to build (does it satisfy the desire?)

Reminds me of this Einstein quote:

"If I had an hour to solve a problem, I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions." https://twitter.com/rjs/status/933144104321601536

Here's an early peek at my newsletter for next Saturday morning:

https://justinjackson.ca/cynical

(Let me know what you think)

Great insights from Seth Godin on why indie makers / entrepreneurs might want to give some of their stuff away for free.

To me, this is why podcasting, blogging, livestreaming, video can be so powerful. 👌

This whole thread is good:

https://twitter.com/r00k/status/1052299209364439040

Unconventional bootstrapping: round 1 https://justinjackson.ca/round1/

Tonight I crashed the Portland @IndieHackers meetup. Had an incredible chat with @dgwight and @bradjasper. 🙌

The @TuftandNeedle story is a great example of creatively bootstrapping your company.

They didn't take VC money, but they figured out how to get funding from other sources:

- $6k of their own cash
- $300k city grant for building renos
- $500k loan

The best questions you can ask are still:

1. WHO is it for?
2. WHAT is it for?

Put another way:

1. What group of people am I making this for?
2. How will they use it to make their lives better? (And how is it better than what they're already using?)

We see this pattern frequently with products:

Initial products try to capture the market and fail, and then someone comes along and really steals the show.

- CakePHP, Codeigniter came first, but Laravel captured the PHP market.
- Campfire, Hipchat came first, but Slack won.

OMG. Microsoft in ‘80-81 has so much in common with @megamaker. 🤘

(bring that logo back and I'll wear it on a t-shirt)

https://twitter.com/CharlesFinch/status/1023265704408240129

↑↑↓↓←→←→BA

https://twitter.com/lindsaybayuk/status/1021239355132690438

Concerts I wish I went to, but can't now:

1. Beastie Boys
2. Rage Against the Machine
3. White Stripes

Concerts I'd still like to see:

1. Paul Simon
2. @BattleBeast
3. @macklemore

Concerts I'm glad I saw:

1. Iron Maiden
2. Tom Petty
3. Green Day

💻 Who's built something cool in Rails recently?

Show me what you're working on!

<comes back from 6 month jungle meditation>

“So, what’d I miss?”

https://twitter.com/Patticus/status/996207860664201217

Making good progress on this. Had a few people beta test it who found it *really* helpful. Getting excited to release it. 👍

Does design matter for marketing?

Yes! Good design makes your message more clear and appealing. It's the elements that help reduce customer anxiety.

Bad marketing design? That's anything that creates anxiety, distaste, confusion, or slows the process the down.

Simple feature, but really helpful for podcasters: @TransistorFM's subscribe page supports:

- @ApplePodcasts
- @BreakerAudio
- @OvercastFM
- @pocketcasts
- @GooglePlay
- Stitcher
- Castro
- and more!

http://podcast.megamaker.co/subscribe

⛰ Chairlift thoughts:

Getting someone to pay for your product is not validation!

To succeed long-term you’re going to need usage and satisfaction from your customers.