Tweets

@yongfook Just change the multiple. 😜

6x = bam! You’re a millionaire again.

The founders could be pulling back on growth (issuing less invites).

But anecdotally, I see way less people *wanting* invites.

https://twitter.com/MorningBrew/status/1389263066492137474

2010-2020: remote work, blogging, podcasting, FT consulting, @megamaker, digital products, met @jonbuda, speaking, FT indie maker, launched @TransistorFM, turned 40

2020-2030: 🙏 margin, freedom, calm. All 4 kids will go to college? Grow the business? Sell? Invest? Diversify?

@shl ... or it’s a fad.

My biggest concern with the "long slow SaaS ramp of death" is that new founders take it as gospel.

They treat slow growth as a positive signal (when really, it's a false-positive).

A lot of Clubhouse events happen in the evening and on weekends.

To join, you have to shut yourself away from your family.

This means Clubhouse rooms over-index on folks without kids. By the nature of the tech, it excludes a big demographic.

This made me spit out my tea. 🤣 https://twitter.com/MikaelThalen/status/1359209202292428800

A few people recommended podcasting as a good way to build a network, share your journey, and earn trust.

(I agree! 😉)

If you want to start a podcast, I've written a guide here:

https://transistor.fm/how-to-start-a-podcast/?via=justin

It's late here (6:04pm) but I ended up staying at the office to write an official Clubhouse vs @TwitterSpaces review. 🤣

(I don't think there's anything like this out yet)

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

🎯 https://twitter.com/DanPriceSeattle/status/1347356340893708289

In 2021, good things will come to people who are already in motion.

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1037611977877516288

I know that Hey and Gmail both have separate areas for newsletters.

But when I’m in my inbox, I’m not in a mental zone for long reads.

Too often, email newsletters just get pushed to the “back shelf,” and never get read.

@adamwathan Thinking about this some more:

You really need both Customer Demand and Distribution.

When people want something, they’ll seek it out. The more channels you have to reach them, the better.

But demand also contributes to distribution. Ex: searches & clicks affects search algo.

Trying to give @joinClubhouse a good go.

Anyone here on there?

I’m “mijustin” on there too. Let’s connect! 👋

Relief from present-day scarcity gives you the space to have future-based dreams.

https://justinjackson.ca/cure

If you long for the simplicity of Substack, but want to keep your custom WordPress site, than check out @lesley_pizza’s new plugin:

https://newsletterglue.com/

(keep your independence!)

Yes! The most important marketing occurs *before* you launch.

Building anticipation, growing your subscriber list, having people talk about it, releasing teasers: all crucial. https://twitter.com/petersuhm/status/1320700085496328194

Great point by @HelenRyles. 🎯

Business & technical complexity is not necessarily correlated with more revenue.

Looks like an incredible lineup for @podia’s virtual conference:

https://www.podia.com/create

@CasJam This was our experience with @TransistorFM as well.

Early-access customers: mostly people in our personal networks.

Launch customers: people in our network + the @ProductHunt / @IndieHackers community.

Traction customers: customers started coming through a reliable channel.

You don’t need to create a new product category to win! (In fact, you shouldn’t)

I highly recommend this article by @grigoriy_kogan. Incredibly thorough, with lots of good case studies. 💯

https://www.gkogan.co/blog/category-creation/

It really helps when you have a product (or idea) that people are already interested in.

If they’ve already been asking “I wonder if there’s a way to do this?” then it’s a lot easier to sell them the solution. 👍

Look at these two kids. SIX OFFICERS pulled them over. No warrant. Just profiling. These kids were not armed. They're college students at Spellman and Morehouse.

@awilkinson I’ve been exploring a bunch of ideas for retailers here:

Lots of folks in podcasting are worried about exclusive audio content (Rogan) on platforms like Spotify, Stitcher, and Luminary.

Question: can you see yourself switching the way you consume podcasts to get exclusive content like this?

@adamwathan This message brought to you by Pain™

Our fruit tree is blooming! 🌸 #vernonbc

This postscript on @nayafia’s Substack is fascinating to think about:

“Blogging is still frozen in amber because we haven’t yet figured out how to attach status to it.”

https://nayafia.substack.com/p/19-internet-friends

Pretty sobering to browse this layoffs tracker:
https://layoffs.fyi/tracker/

Sad for all these employees who have lost their jobs. 😢

When I quit working in the non-profit sector (at 28) I was desperate for a new job.

I applied at an Apple Store just to have *something* and didn’t get the job.

And then, @greggoldring’s hand appeared through the fog and pulled me up. He gave me a job.

That changed my life. ❤️

This is so true:

“Sometimes the best thing someone can do for you is give you a job.” – @RobertDowneyJr

In this crisis, I don't think anybody's articulated my feelings better than @annehelen.

She's helping me find my way through the mess that is life right now. ❤️

I highly recommend subscribing to her Substack:
https://annehelen.substack.com/

The point isn’t to just prevent attendees, students, and employees from getting sick.

The bigger reason is to slow down the spread of the disease.

https://twitter.com/SiouxsieW/status/1237275231783284736/photo/1

This is heartbreaking. 💔

🇨🇦 healthcare isn't perfect but Matt's story wouldn't happen here:
- Avg out-of-pocket costs for folks with diabetes is $1,824.97/year.
- There's no charge for visiting an emergency room.
- There's no charge for getting surgery.

https://twitter.com/AdyBarkan/status/1232337836365537281

Desirable + useful:

Some products have utility, but nobody’s really searching for them.

The desire can be for the product itself, or the outcome it provides.

Tips for choosing an audience:

1. Identify what outcomes you want (personally and professionally).
2. Choose a group, activity, or mission that you're excited about AND overlaps with the outcomes you want.
3. Make sure there are good channels for reaching them (the medium).

The folks at @shopify (under @tobi’s leadership), have already committed $5 million annually to fight climate change.

I think Apple can do more.

Here’s a cool idea for reducing air travel to tech conferences:

@MicroConf recently announced a series of smaller, local events that will bring their big conference experience to cities across the USA.

This also enables folks to attend who wouldn’t normally be able to afford it

For those wanting policy: we could implement what the UK is considering.

“Each citizen would be allowed one tax-free flight per year but would pay progressively higher taxes on each additional flight taken.”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/25/1-of-english-residents-take-one-fifth-of-overseas-flights-survey-shows

A good illustration from @JamesClear:

You can gradually increase the temperature of an ice cube, and for a long time nothing happens.

Then, it “suddenly” begins to melt.

It’s the accumulation of small temperature changes that cause the transformation.

The flip side: Spotify connects podcasters with a big new audience, and podcasters get to keep the revenue they make independently (ads, memberships, Patreon).

Fair trade?

Really good podcast from @JackEllis and @pjrvs about why they’re focusing less on open source.

https://overcast.fm/+VbWCfkJN4

@tylertringas “Building, Owning (& possibly Selling) a profitable remote SaaS business is the new American Dream.”

🎯

"The cycle is simple. Build. Launch. Learn. Adjust. Without the learning, you likely have an incorrect definition of what truly represents perfection. The best way to make perfection attainable is to simply do less." – @garrettdimon

Found this photo today (from 2014).

This is the first time @jonbuda and I met.

Forever thankful to @chasewreeves for introducing us at @coavacoffee in Portland.

@marckohlbrugge Better (historical) analytics.

Ability to buy expired / unused handles.

@Disney @disneyplus For parents, this is a no-brainer. Every classic Disney film is on here.

But it will also be appealing to nostalgic 30-somethings:
- Simpsons
- Marvel
- Star Wars
- DARKWING DUCK!!!

When things are going badly we tend to add complexity: “Let’s try adding another thing to the mix and see if it works.”

What we should be doing is making things more simple: “Let’s focus on one or two things and see if we can turn this around.”

We tend to assume the best of people (that's a good thing!)

Here's how you can recognize a toxic person:

(Described here by Holloway (PhD) and @dr_mitch_kusy:
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f4c8/2588309a1ca0d370666e9c60ed180d34f1ab.pdf)

Here's an example of market momentum, and the opportunity within it:

🌬️ Momentum: more and more folks are starting Shopify stores.
💡 Opportunity: build an app in the Shopify app store in an area that's being underserved.

$3 million for Tumblr seems like an incredible deal.

(As a comparison, WordPress bought a small bootstrapped startup [WooCommerce] in 2015 for $30 million)

Last day in Brooklyn. 😢

Breakfast and ☕️ at @CafeBeit 👍

First ☕️ in NYC. 👌

Ok #laracon fam.

Just got into my hotel now (3am!)

c u around noon 👌

🚨 just opened a Lacroix and a bag of trailmix

Today's episode of @buildyoursaas is out, and @jonbuda's got some personal news...

https://overcast.fm/itunes1357295850/build-your-saas-bootstrapping-in-2019

Generally, we only see the reality in front of us.

"This is how much money the people I know make."

"This is what most businesses look like."

"Most folks think about life this way."

This is why you'll sometimes see well-known artists release work anonymously. They want the work to stand on its own and attract attention on its own merits.

Similarly, standup comedians know that a room full of friends isn't a good barometer for how funny their act is.

Looking for a way to share photos with family and close friends that feels like Instagram, but respects your privacy?

My friend @smithtimmytim is SO CLOSE to funding his dream for building a private Instagram alternative:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/timothybsmith/bokeh-private-independent-and-user-funded-photo-sh

My company (@transistorfm)'s biggest competitor is Libsyn. They host 62,000 podcasts.

There are 700,000 podcasts on Apple Podcasts (it grew by 100,000 in the last year)

What % of podcasters know about Libsyn?

What % know about Transistor?

Late night thinking:

How much complexity does it add to the business once you go from two co-founders to hiring your first employee?

https://overcast.fm/+MBmWW7UDo

Increasingly, folks are willing to trade "lower pay" for "more freedom."

I like this idea of learning in public.

via @glenmccallumcan:

https://glenmccallum.com/2019/04/20/learning-in-public/

🎯 True for so many creative endeavors:

"The best comedy is not needy. It's not desperate for you to like it." – @pattonoswalt

I've been thinking about this post for years. Collecting different POV. It took me hours to put together (and I was up until 2am writing it), but I'm glad it's finally out.

Want to thank some of the folks who's ideas influenced it:

Certainly, every high growth business seems to be built on someone else's platform.

iPod was built on of MP3 and Napster.

iPhone was built on iPod, Blackberry, and device subsidies from cell carriers.

App Store was built on iPhone (and earlier work done by Palm).

@ArlanWasHere I dig it. Reminds me of this quote:

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1091924121372450816?s=21

I'll go first:

🔮 The Dark Crystal 🔮

I was fascinated (and scared!) by it when I was a kid. Re-watched it with my kids. They were like:

"Dad, this is the most awful movie we've ever seen." 🤣

Apple has a huge opportunity here:

Turn the "@AppleMusic" subscription into an all-you-can-eat streaming buffet:

- TV
- Movies
- Premium podcasts
- Audio books
- Music

The pitch:

"Instead of paying for Hulu, Netflix, Audible, and Spotify, get AppleStream."

Caught some frozen waves today. 👌

This mindset is something I want to continue to put into practice in 2019:

https://twitter.com/jamesclear/status/1048612840615997441?s=21

Just published a new podcast:

"The hard truth about bootstrapping startups."

https://overcast.fm/+MP58qWyuE

Part 2 of my chat with @asmartbear is up!

"The hard truths about bootstrapping startups."

📺 https://youtu.be/Ja5Btf3uxdQ

I'm a parent of two teens.

This podcast, ⁦@thatsathingYEG⁩, explains "teenager stuff" in terms a parent (like me) can understand.

Highly recommended. https://overcast.fm/+LV35jI-Ag

Just revised "The Freedom Ladder."

👉 https://justinjackson.ca/freedom

If you dream about quitting your job, read this first!

I'm going all in: PHOTOCOPYING EVERYTHING.

https://justinjackson.ca/need-want/

👌 Tweets look way better:

"We often say yes to little requests because we are not clear enough about what we need to be doing instead. When your dreams are vague, it's easy to rationalize little more exceptions and never get around to the specific things you need to do to succeed."
– @JamesClear

Here's how I built an audience:

1. Podcasting
2. Writing
3. Twitter
4. Video
5. Events
6. Projects, products, challenges

Basically, creating stuff, and making it public.

🗣️ Rumor: Apple is going to get into the audiobooks business (to compete with Audible and Amazon).

💡 Crazy idea: they should get into the physical book publishing business.

📚 Allow authors to sell their ebooks, audiobooks, and softcover/hardcover on Apple's platform.

Don't mistake "B2Prosumer" for "B2B."

There are similarities, but lots of important differences:

1. B2P generally has lower LTV
2. B2P is much more price conscious.
3. B2P folks aren't making much revenue on their projects (if any) which definitely affects their motivation

🤔 Anyone else tracking their email metrics in Excel?

What kinds of things are you monitoring? I'd like to start calculating my "Average Revenue per Subscriber" from @Convertkit.

(I really like this dashboard by @hollygowrightly)

Do any of these apply to you?

"I want to find a product idea."
"I need to choose a target market."
"I want to validate my product idea."
"I've launched, but I need more customers."

😮 OMG. @jonbuda and I just made a decision on-air about whether we'd share our @TransistorFM revenue on @IndieHackers.

Episode comes out on Tuesday: http://saas.transistor.fm

My friend @adamwathan just launched his new course, Advanced Vue Component Design! 🙌

Adam makes really quality stuff.

Also, he has one of the best sales pages I've seen:
https://adamwathan.me/advanced-vue-component-design/

One thing Elon's really good at, is "show don't tell."

People understand it, believe it, and want it when they can imagine themselves using it.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/972245615735222273

Writing my announcement about the new SaaS I'm building in 2018.

You can get it by subscribing here: https://justinjackson.ca/now

I really like @sallypoulsen’s ideas for a better @Twitter.

@jack should listen to her.

@sallypoulsen/dear-twitter-i-have-some-ideas-29cd9f4cf11b?source=linkShare-a02dd1574d08-1520185415" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://medium.com/@sallypoulsen/dear-twitter-i-have-some-ideas-29cd9f4cf11b?source=linkShare-a02dd1574d08-1520185415

What are some examples of password-less sign-up approaches? #ui

Prediction: Laravel overtakes Rails as the framework of choice for SaaS: https://twitter.com/taylorotwell/status/954732361580720128

I see a lot of emails / landing pages that give the reader too many options (2-3 links to click on).

It rarely works.

Focus on *one* thing. What's *one* thing you want to promote?

If you're a dev who's terrified of giving a talk, but want to speak at a conference one day, subscribe to @jmcharnes' newsletter:

https://jasoncharnes.com/speaking/

Love this idea: live so fully in the next year that it’s like living 10, and everything that came before it is just a footnote.

https://twitter.com/nayyirahwaheed/status/947881338526359552

To produce good work, you need to practice.

To make good work exceptional, you need to edit.

I've tried tons of membership platforms, and @podiadotcom is the best I've found.

Here's my review:
https://megamaker.co/podia/

People won't *tell* you what they want.

But, you can see it in how they spend their money, time, and attention.

https://twitter.com/mnlfrgr/status/922568004646211584

Sample case studies:

1. From @pjrvs: https://creativeclass.co/using-the-creative-class-to-build-a-business-and-a-2-month-waiting-list/
2. @sprintly: @shipitgood/how-to-be-an-agile-consultant-b62a2b45cb0c" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://medium.com/@shipitgood/how-to-be-an-agile-consultant-b62a2b45cb0c
3. @balsamiq: https://blog.balsamiq.com/category/case-studies/

There's a group of people who buy ebooks, and after downloading, ask for a refund every time. 😡

If you can't afford it, please just ask me.

"When we believe someone is successful, we can choose our reaction: resentment, or joy."

Awesome piece @sehurlburt! http://stephaniehurlburt.com/blog/2017/8/4/a-candle-loses-nothing-by-lighting-another-candle

Essentials for SaaS marketing (with PDF download):

https://devmarketing.xyz/saas-marketing-essentials/

"Charge more!" There's a lot of folklore around pricing.

Here's a preview of my chat with @ianlandsman.

Get it at http://productpeople.tv!