Tweets

Alright, here's my first attempt at replicating @brennandunn-style personalization, but using @ConvertKit instead of Drip (Part 1):

Most entrepreneurs aren't in it for the money.

They're just trying to build a better life for their families.

via https://www.drip.co/entrepreneurship

I've been really appreciating @ianlandsman's perspective lately.

His latest ("Shady Tactics") is a must read:
https://ianlandsman.com/2016/11/14/shady-tactics-in-our-midst/

The best way to understand people's frustration is to recognize the obstacles they face & how long they've been struggling to overcome them.

Wow. It's 1:30am. I just published something I'm proud of:

https://medium.com/product-people/i-wasted-4-years-of-my-life-doing-this-60e2d21b642#.uuku2r8jv

This is big news for project management SaaS:

"GitHub is adding Kanban board-like project management features”

https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/14/github-gets-built-in-project-management-tools-and-support-for-reviews/

I'm not saying there's an Apple conspiracy but my iPhone 6S just jumped out my office window and fell 30 stories to the ground.

I know some folks are cynical about this quote. But it's the 🔑 to staying relevant. You can't stand still.

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/773588750035058689

3. Founders: please quit describing your company as "a family."

It inspires the notion that you'll take care of people "no matter what."

Here's my experience so far with the trademark system:

"It's not built for people with little businesses like me." 😞

You need big 💰.

It’s easier to critique than create.

I've created a comparison spreadsheet for subscription platforms (Recurly, Memberful, etc…)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kFUUwthzKeReZr5vt6Fg8yqE7LzkCo31p-CLjFepftk/edit?usp=sharing

New experiment: MAKER MOB.

http://megamaker.co/mob/

Thoughts I have while walking.

This is the "elevator track" at #microconf

Excited to be going to #microconf today.

But sad to be leaving #vernonbc at such a beautiful time of year.

“The better you understand people, the better you’ll be able to serve them” My new post: https://medium.com/life-learning/what-we-want-more-than-money-b69801829e89#---0-147.psjsq4b47

From a macro perspective: yes, work hard. Hustle! Stay hungry.

From a micro perspective: get some damned sleep tonight, alright?

Alright folks! New episode of #MegaMaker on @producthunt:

"Launch when you're scared" 🙀

https://www.producthunt.com/podcasts/megamaker-ep13-launch-when-you-re-scared

Just launched the "Marketing for Product People" book on @ProductHunt https://www.producthunt.com/books/marketing-for-product-people

This is how I introduce myself in new Slack rooms now

The destructive power of a single LEGO on an adult foot is extraordinary.

Anyone else like this?

My last thought before I go to sleep is:
"I can't wait to wake up tomorrow morning and have a coffee."

“Your idea is a unique and wonderful snowflake. In a blizzard.”
— @Jason

Your company's most important person isn't the developer, marketer, designer, or even the CEO.

It's the customer.

@Shpigford That hasn’t been my experience at all. You need to start by following a good Starter Pack - then it’s incredible.

In the last week, there's been a surge of new folks hanging out on b-sky.

If you're in the Laravel community, here's a starter pack to help find folks there. 🦋 (📷 in replies.)

I keep seeing two numbers for the podcast industry:

"Podcasting is a $2 billion a year industry."

"The podcast industry is worth $20 billion."

Can anyone tell me where these numbers come from and how they're calculated?

(They're often quoted but never cited)

I preordered this when I saw Caleb demo it on stage.

If you use @LaravelLivewire, Flux gives you rocket fuel for making web apps. 🔥 https://twitter.com/calebporzio/status/1838227011564679651

Did some screencasting today. 👍

So fun. https://twitter.com/vishal_viitor/status/1828190070970490951

This is devastating.

Jasper, Alberta, one of the world’s most beautiful mountain towns, completely destroyed. 😭

Growing up in Edmonton, we went here every year. https://twitter.com/ryanjespersen/status/1816494189338566866

Nice night

Back on the bike

This is cool: you can now upload video to @spotify, even if you're not hosting your podcast there. 👍

Founders with small teams: how do you find and hire new people?

@adamwathan and I discussed a few different tactics we’ve used.

Which approach works for you? https://twitter.com/adamwathan/status/1794695166747689128

Congrats @AcquiredFM on being #1 on @ApplePodcasts! 🥳

@djrosent and @gilbert have built an incredible independent media brand that rivals The Daily, Joe Rogan, Smartless, and Serial.

Seriously impressive. 💪

Quick one day mission to @revelstokemtn today

If you're a founder or employee at a tech company, please call your rep in Congress to get them to fix Section 174 and support HR 7024. 🙏

Call and say, “Hi, my name is (name), and I live in the Representative’s district. Please tell them to support HR 7024.”

The same piece of short-form content, posted simultaneously on Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts = with vastly more views on one.

Often, when I test this, one piece of content "takes off" in one place but won't do much on the other two.

I’m digging what @CasJam is doing on his YouTube channel.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn full stack development (especially if you’re a founder) you should check out this video:

https://youtu.be/gUwkAkkJPW0?si=YH1_zZQi7oIq1kuR

@MostlyTechPod @ianlandsman @aarondfrancis Ok. I just created a new ending:

"That's a rejoinder!"

(thanks to @fideloper and @tnorthcutt for the clips)

I appreciated this discussion between @CasJam & @JordanGal about "Discovery platforms vs Relationship platforms." (h/t @jayclouse)

"A podcast and email newsletter strengthens your relationship with the audience."

"Platforms like YouTube and X are where you grow your audience."

Livewire and @calebporzio getting a shout out in @BurtDS’ talk. 💪

@FullStackEU #fseu23

Just landed in Amsterdam!

Excited to speak at @FullStackEU in 6 days. https://twitter.com/FullStackEU/status/1713102369288864068

For me, having "more margin for life" has been a consistent driver of happiness.

https://justinjackson.ca/margin

Epic night with @IronMaiden in Edmonton!

Went with my brother, my two youngest sons, and a bunch of friends!

I'm still adding to (and improving) this list as I prepare for my talk at @FullStackEU.

You can read the whole thing here:

https://justinjackson.ca/build-new-startup

If you have ideas/comments, reply to this thread.✌️

This is the fire that just crossed over into Canada from the USA (in Osoyoos).

As global temperatures increase, fires like this are becoming more and more common. https://twitter.com/kamloopsian1/status/1685503143365509120

@AlbanBrooke Yes!

I've described podcasts as "slow" media. It's a mindful medium.

And, because it's an open protocol, no centralized company can try to juice it to increase engagement.

There’s nothing better than going for a walk and seeing where you end up.

#vernonbc

Almost the end of the snowboard season. Great to be up at @SilverStarMR a few more times for spring skiing. 👍

A good question to ask yourself if you’re considering AI business ideas:

Does it make sense for an established product (with market share) to add this as a feature?

Because it’s likely that your “small AI startup idea” could become a feature in Adobe, Microsoft, Dropbox, etc.

Today I got to see some of the new things @joshuaanderton has been building for the @transistorfm homepage (using @statamic & @tailwindcss).

This new section featuring podcasts on Transistor is my favorite.

Just schedule another exciting episode of "Build your SaaS Sales Tax Compliance" for tomorrow morning!

Subscribe/follow @buildyoursaas on @OvercastFM, @Spotify, @ApplePodcasts here:

https://saas.transistor.fm/

I’ll go first

A nice case study on how local brick-and-mortar stores can thrive (and compete against Amazon):

https://tedgioia.substack.com/p/what-can-we-learn-from-barnes-and

Really enjoyed @_etdev’s interview on @IndieHackers.

Great example of how to build a bootstrapped business step-by-step in Japan.

https://overcast.fm/+JmiM-oUDA

Are you going to @MicroConf in Denver this year?

(April 16 - 18, 2022)

What are the benefits of doing an in-person retreat for your remote company?

The @TransistorFM team shared their highlights from our recent retreat in Montreal:

1) @CanadiensMTL hockey game
2) Walks/dinners together
3) Unstructured conversation
4) Building personal connection

Just got this book on @danshipper’s recommendation: “Metaphors We Live By”

So many SaaS companies are looking at MRR, churn, ARR, LTV...

All that stuff only matters if it creates a good quality of life for the team + a product that improves the lives of customers.

"Business strategy" without a commensurate amount of "business ethics" is bad strategy.

Our culture (especially the tech culture) is happy to cheer on companies that grow fast and dominate markets while ignoring the negative externalities that stack up.

For those curious, here's what the @TransistorFM homepage looked like in 2018.

That page got us our first 78 customers! (Before we'd even launched)

The @Oatmeal describes it perfectly:

https://theoatmeal.com/comics/reaching_people

Naturally, this doesn't apply to folks who are in desperation mode.

(If you're in the desert, and you tip over your water bottle, that's more serious)

But many of us are operating on an old script about money that isn't serving us anymore.

Headed to @PodcastMovement today!

With any luck, I’ll arrive in Dallas at 1am. 😅 #pm22

(It’s a long travel day from Kelowna, BC 🇨🇦)

The meaningful insight for me is that financial wealth creates the space you need to build social, physical, mental, and time wealth. 💪

(ht @SahilBloom)

While it felt like we were a long way off from our goal, we kept shipping new features, helping customers with their podcasts, and spreading the word.

These actions compounded, and 12 months after our launch we achieved our goal: $20,000 MRR!

(4 years faster than expected)

I enjoyed @peldi's "solopreneur" interview with @successfulsw in the @balsamiq newsletter. 👍

https://mailchi.mp/balsamiq/balsamiqs-spotlight-on-solopreneur-andy-brice?e=0a71629d7f

If you're interested, @jonbuda and I shared our entire startup journey on our podcast: @buildyoursaas.

You can listen to us bootstrap the business at every stage, starting in 2018:

https://saas.transistor.fm/episodes/finding-a-cofounder-you-want-to-work-with

@yongfook It’s one of the major benefits of running a small, self-funded, SaaS.

When you’re not pushing unrealistic growth, your cash flow is much simpler.

We also don’t have inventory, or offer payment terms to customers, which is usually what makes managing cash flow more complicated.

This episode with @aarondfrancis and @leenyburger is why I love bootstrappers who share their journey: things *often* don’t work out.

The path to success is filled with failed experiments, incremental improvements, and (hopefully!) breakthroughs.

https://overcast.fm/+pTBxpOPZA

How did three French Canadians go from $0 to $2 million in ARR?

I spoke with @plehoux (of @missiveapp) about their startup journey.

Really interesting how they used: their first business (@ConfBadge) to fund the development of their new SaaS.

🎧 Full episode on @buildyoursaas.

Recorded a ton of video today for the @TransistorFM YouTube channel.

(will end up being 3-4 separate tutorials)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY-RAM94RTpFuXvcYnRDqCA

You can also listen to the episode (and read show notes) on our new podcast website:

https://saas.transistor.fm/episodes/taylor-otwell-2022

One thing a lot of people don't realize about @taylorotwell and the Laravel ecosystem is that he's created 5 products:

- Forge
- Vapor
- Envoyer
- Spark
- Nova (with @davidhemphill)

Each of these would be considered a successful indie business on its own!

I saw this post on Facebook:

"Running a business is really hard. It's a grind. It's long hours. It's lots of additional stress. It’s freaking exhausting."

I know this is the dominant narrative. And, from experience, I know it can be true.

But what if you flipped the script? 👉

Yesssss!! 🙌

@aarondfrancis (a @laravelphp developer) and @andrewculver (a @rails dev) have a new podcast where they come together to talk about both frameworks. 🤝

I really enjoyed the first episode. 👍

https://www.frameworkfriends.com/

Another example:

Only a small % of @TransistorFM’s customers follow me on Twitter.

My personal Twitter is a useful channel, but it’s by no means the most important (SEO is far more valuable).

However it is true that “people like buying from people.”

The Red Cross is responding to urgent humanitarian need in Ukraine. 🇺🇦❤️


Join me in donating to the @ICRC here:
https://www.icrc.org/en/donate/ukraine

Winter walk, winter sunset.

Wildfires in Colorado IN DECEMBER.

Winds 80-100 mph. 1600 acres. More than 30,000 people evacuated.

My ❤️ goes out to everyone affected.

So really, the only time Elon has to pay taxes is when he exercises his stock options.

Unlike you and I, he pays no income tax. Why? He takes no salary.

Instead, he uses his TSLA stock as collateral to get $548 million in (tax free) loans.

In my town, e-scooters have become incredibly popular: people have ridden 160,000kms so far, and 40% of all trips replaced a car trip.

But what motivates riders to use this green mode of transportation?

81% said “it’s more fun.”

(While only 53% cited the environment)

The whole point of a headline (IMO) is to quickly tell people what you're selling!

People are searching for X.

When they come to your page, let them know they've found "X"!

https://twitter.com/jonathanstark/status/1462296458678484992

here we go

Your ability to “move fast” wisely is determined by preparation, practice, experience, knowledge, and properly understanding the situation.

Blindly “moving fast” because the world is “moving faster” won’t get you anywhere.

On the other hand, it’s also true that running a profitable indie SaaS is incredible.

(And as far as creating wealth, optionality, and leverage, it’s pretty unparalleled)

But, in today’s job market, your best chance of *getting the life you want* is… a job.

Going from subscription → one-time payment for my community resulted in:

📈 More annual revenue
📰 Less need for content
😊 Happier members
👍 More engagement
🧘 More calm for me

An hour with @stauffermatt = very good for the soul.

☀️❤️

So many things I wish I could Fleet right now

In the last 4 months, Transistor has grown by 2X: we went from 2 full-time (Jon and me) to 4 full-time (@HelenRyles and @jsonperl)! 😄

It feels awesome to be able to tackle a bigger project like this. 💪

How come Gen Z loves Spotify so much?

(Is… Apple Music considered uncool?)

🎯 Trading podcasting's open RSS protocol for "more distribution" is like making a deal with the devil.

The devil always wins.

These corps & VCs don't want to help podcast creators; they want to OWN podcast creators.

https://twitter.com/alex_sugg/status/1423437613097226240

Indoor waterslide?

I’ll take it! 🙌

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/479-E-1450-N-Orem-UT-84097/11940123_zpid/

So glad @businessbarista, @nbashaw, and @danshipper are talking about anxiety and mental health issues publicly.

Very helpful for all of us founders. ❤️

https://share.transistor.fm/s/4162bae3

Super close to getting 1,000 downloads on today's episode of the re-booted @megamaker podcast.

@joshuaanderton said he'd quit if we didn't get 1,000 downloads today. 😅

Can you help me out? 👉

https://podcast.megamaker.co/

100% this.

Flexible work gives families more margin. https://twitter.com/alphacolin/status/1401204146959650826