Tweets

Idolizing individual thinkers, scientists, entrepreneurs, celebrities is a real threat to the progress of knowledge because all individuals are prone to bad thinking.

People who have a large cult-like following can distort knowledge, and distract from the scientific process.

In university, I had a Business Ethics professor who truly shook my foundational beliefs about the world.

Whenever I claimed something, he would ask:

"What evidence do you have for that being true? Has that evidence been validated by folks with expertise?"

Golden sky tonight in #vernonbc

Things aren’t looking so great in BC currently. 😷🔥 https://twitter.com/teslainvernon/status/1426685129372536833

🎯 VCs pretending that they have no influence on founders is ridiculous.

VC is still an "old boys club." They have tremendous influence on who gets deals, who gets subsequent rounds, etc.

https://twitter.com/tylertringas/status/1422966256832073734

So freakin' excited about what @joshuaanderton is building over at @meepsapp.

Get on the waiting list and you'll be the first to hear about it next week. 🤞

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

Wowser. Just got to my desk and tons of people made commitments overnight.

@jmckinven, @yhdesai, @podcastharry, @benediktdeicke, @uibreakfast, @bertwitt, @iamcoreyg (did I miss anybody?)

█████████░░░ 76% to our goal!

https://transistor.fm/climate-change/

Entrepreneurs have incredible confirmation bias:

“This worked for me, so it *must* work for all people”

(I’m guilty of this)

The truth is, founders are successful when they understand their category and customer better than anyone else.

You, the founder, should be the expert.

My prediction, from back in February:

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1356316115513745409

@yongfook July 2021 post-Covid is brutal for SaaS!

Lots of us indie SaaS folks feeling this “slow July”.

In the @megamaker community, 61% of indie makers say they'd take the job.

A good bootstrapper is worth 5-10 employees.*

*(if you incentivize them correctly)

Yes! 💯

This is exactly my point. 👍

https://twitter.com/jstnchu/status/1405236730446303241

For existing podcasters, the biggest improvement is Apple Podcasts' new analytics.

You can drill into each episode, and see where listener drop-off occurred.

Really helpful feedback if you're trying to optimize your show. 💯

Doing a Clubhouse "SaaS chat" in ~11 minutes:

https://www.joinclubhouse.com/event/PGR9orOO

@Shpigford just listened to your chat with @robwalling. 👍

https://overcast.fm/+L7tih8TXY

Really enjoyed it! You’ve always been encouraging and helpful to me.

So glad you were able to get such a nice outcome from your biz! 🙌

I believe we’ll see an increasing amount of “Clubhouse burnout:”

- hosting a room takes hours of time (my guess is the average is at least 3 hours)
- paradoxically: as more participants join a room the less opportunity for participation there is
- “marketers ruin everything”

I was sitting on a chairlift with a guy who asked me what I do.

“I’m in podcasting.”

“What! No way! I just discovered podcasts. I’ve been listening in the truck all the time.”

A friend recommended a show. He found the @ApplePodcasts app, and listened.

Discovery is working.

Accept the hand-up you got, but also pay it forward: provide opportunities and resources for other folks too. https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/961340138415472641

Best tweet of 2021 https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg/status/1351890941087522820

You can call universal health care “socialism” if you want, but I wouldn’t have been able to start my businesses without it.

It’s nice to know, whatever stage you’re at, that your family will still be able to see a doctor.

Doing something fun. 🎙️❤️

The next 10 people who sign up for an annual plan on Transistor will get a free microphone + pop filter with this link:

https://transistor.fm/contest/?via=free-microphone

We're also seeing the power of building popular open-source frameworks and then offering paid SaaS/utilities/content on top of that.

- @laravelphp (mature + growing)
- @tailwindcss (growth/traction phase)
- @flybayer's Blitz.js (developing)

(If I could) I'd invest $$$ in all 3.

It's idealistic, but I often think about @harari_yuval's description of hunter-gatherers:

"[Farmers] worked harder [and their] lives were generally more difficult and less satisfying. Hunter-gatherers spent their time in more stimulating ways. "

No schedule = bliss.

Cool idea. 👍 https://twitter.com/conorgil/status/1330691345044934656

💯

The best waves are caught be the surfers already in the water (not those on the beach). https://twitter.com/MatterSignal/status/1325816726857146369

@stauffermatt I think it’s time to switch up the flavor.

It's hard to let go of things in our life that are already in motion (businesses, relationships, commitments, habits, lifestyle, schedule).

But, if these things are continually grinding you down, it's time to let go of (or reconfigure) them so that you get the margin you need.

"I only want to bake pies."

That's fine, but that makes you an artist, not a business.

A business person, who discovers that 9 times out of 10 people prefer cake over pie, will switch to selling cake.

Need some help setting up the Shure SM7B for podcasting.

Does anyone here have tips?

I've worked on hundreds of ideas that just weren't that great.

Working *harder* and *longer* on these mediocre ideas didn't produce better results.

Exploring those ideas lead me to where I am today, but I'm glad I didn't stick with them.

@ceeram @spoutnik @laravelphp Hundreds of places. 😉

https://www.serverlesschats.com/7/

From the bootstrapped founders I've spoken with (and my own experience), hitting 200-500 trials per month is where the business feels like it's working.

(Again: this depends on your price point, churn, CAC)

For me, 200 trials per month was when I went full-time on the business.

4. If your current surf spot isn't producing good waves, move on. Sitting in a pond waiting for a big wave won't do you any good!

5. Likewise: don't try to turn a small wave into a big wave! It's unlikely to get bigger. 😉 Move on.

2. Develop your skillset. Practice by catching little waves. Paddle every day.

3. Develop your network. Build relationships with other people who catch waves. They might tip you off: "Hey, this wave would be perfect for you."

So much marketing and sales advice relies on theories about how people come to a buying decision.

We need to constantly question these assumptions.

Most are tropes that are constantly repeated, but don’t have meaningful numbers behind them.

"The whole internet is just patchwork of pipes and duct tape." – @jonbuda

Comedians used to rely on HBO and Netflix; now they can start an email newsletter and sell their special directly to fans.

Thinkers like Sam Harris used to rely on publishers; now he can start a free podcast and upsell fans to his private podcast.

Open and independent is 👍.

Initially, a closed-platform will entice creators with the promise of more exposure, more money, more targeting, more analytics.

But invariably, as soon as they have sufficient leverage, they’ll apply downward pressure on creators. They’ll squeeze the ecosystem for every drop.

Arguably, if it weren’t for TCP/IP, HTTP, SMTP, etc being free (and open) protocols, web app profit margins would be as low as any other business.

Our “rents” are low because we get a lot for free.

If restaurants didn’t have to pay their rent, they’d have good margins too!

I’m applying. 😎 https://twitter.com/adamwathan/status/1260629589803634689

Many folks talk about pricing as a leveraging factor.

But it's often too simplistic:

"If I charge $5/mo I only make $60/yr. But if I charge $500/mo I'll make $6,000!"

What's missing from the picture:
- ease of acquisition
- purchase frequency
- retention
- overall resilience

@arvidkahl just pushed this live! 🎉

https://transistor.fm/podcasts-for-bootstrappers

@stauffermatt @LaraconOnline

Absolute legend.

If you haven’t experienced a Mitch Hedburg (RIP) set, this one is full of idiosyncratic delight.

https://youtu.be/Z_XbtYfrNYI

Did an impromptu episode of @buildyoursaas on New Year’s Eve.

In the last 9 minutes I hit on this idea:

“Tomorrow morning, how many people will be lining up for this?”

https://overcast.fm/+MBmUUPJDM

Back out here. #vernonbc

It's hard to compete with momentum.

You could:
A) Offer potential customers a laundry list of features they've never searched for.

Or, you can:
B) Give them what they're looking for.

@dhh @rizwanreza @TransistorFM @reworkpodcast Yup! @jonbuda built the whole things on Rails. We just upgraded to Rails 6! 🙌

Also notable:

How many products in @robwalling's startup stack are from established companies, with generous free tiers?

It's normal for startups to keep costs low!

This is "the way things are" in that market. Don't chase a strategy based on "the way you wish things would be"

Good morning snow!

Even with good principles, there are no guarantees!

In surfing, you paddle out hoping to catch a good wave.

Knowing which wave to catch helps.

Being in the right place helps.

Having the right skills helps.

But even then, there are no guarantees you’ll ride that wave in.

I'm beta testing an upcoming @TransistorFM feature, and getting feedback like this is 🙌.

"When I first heard about this idea I didn't get it. Now that I've experienced it I can see it's awesomely game changing."

YES! 🕺💃

I just published a post with as many of these replies as I could fit in:

https://justinjackson.ca/sleep

Big turnout for the #climatestrike in #vernonbc. It’s motivating to see so many young people taking action. 🙌

"For more than 30 years the science has been crystal clear. How dare you continue to look away."

Powerful words from @GretaThunberg today at the UN. ✊

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/sep/23/world-leaders-generation-climate-breakdown-greta-thunberg

Before folks start mentioning Steve Jobs and the iPhone ("Steve built a product we didn't even know we needed!")

Nope.

Steve recognized the market's existing momentum and saw an opportunity.

"Everyone has a cell phone." (momentum)
"But nobody likes it." (opportunity)

🤔 thinking about this now: @PairWithTuple was the lowest friction way for @steveschoger and I to hop on a call:

“Should we Zoom? Skype?”

“What if we just hop on Tuple?”

It’s already in my menu bar, Steve’s name is right there, I just push one button and we’re connected.

Folks keep mentioning “the iPhone” as an example of product that didn’t have preexisting demand.

A pocket computer that allows you to have all your music, play games, browse the web, AND MAKE PHONE CALLS?!?

The market demand was visible previously with GameBoy, BlackBerry, iPod

We could all learn something from @IronMaiden.

They’ve stayed in “their lane” for decades, but have remained relevant.

Their fans show up! “If they’re playing, I go see them,” one guy said.

I also really dig @jonbuda's personal page.

1. Nice cartoon illustration. Feels friendly.
2. Short, concise bio (although, it looks like he needs to update it now! 😜)

Before this call, @vuejs (and JavaScript in general) was intimidating to me.

But having @adamwathan explain things to me simply, and show me how to write each line of code, I feel like I'm finally starting to get it.

Plus: look how simple this Vue code is!

Finally! Time to do some coding: @statamic + @tailwindcss + @laravelphp https://www.pscp.tv/w/b8bQDjM4NTU1MXwxbXJ4bXZBZ2V5V0t5Ca2CFicI5IWlALDOvEy1ALg1hwLW8DB34miP4NIBAfI=

Sometimes, you start with bait and a rod and you'll ask:

"What fish can I catch with these?"

The business equivalent is starting with a product idea, and asking:

"What kind of customers can I attract to this?"

It's definitely harder to do it this way.

Balsamiq and Clubhouse have been incredible sponsors for @buildyoursaas for the past 3 months.

They both wanted to renew, but I'd like to mix it up and give our listeners something fresh for June and July.

If you'd like to sponsor our podcast, let me know!

Good advice from @natekontny on doing customer support for your SaaS:

https://ninjasandrobots.com/does-that-help

We need to do this in 🇨🇦

https://twitter.com/levelsio/status/1105693326689198080?s=21

Trying to build a status website for @transistorfm using @tailwindcss https://www.pscp.tv/w/b1BR-zM4NTU1MXwxZGpHWE9xQnBiQktavNKOgQbamqC3JHaAf71--WDQ8F87JfC4kb4WFvKZyP4=

Love this line from @asmartbear's latest essay:

"The 'long tail' can sound appealing, but it sure is easy to sell vanilla ice cream at the beach even when you’re right next to another ice cream stand."

So true! 🍦🏖️

https://blog.asmartbear.com/kung-fu.html

☝️ this definitely doesn't explain all bias, but it's interesting to think about how a paycheque can color our ideology.

Think about issues like:
- climate change
- inequality
- privacy

And, YES! "Tell people about it" is a crucial step.

https://twitter.com/earthlingworks/status/1097191073690968064?s=21

@r00k @adamwathan I'm with you...

But 90% of my customers aren't. 😜

I'd love a WYSIWYG editor that also has a markdown mode.

@drewwilson I'd say podcasting is having its gold rush now:

- Spotify buys Anchor for $?M
- Spotify buys Gimlet for $230M
- Castbox (podcast app) has raised $30M
- Himalaya (podcast app) just raised $100M
- How Stuff Works acquired for $55 million in 2018

Fascinating to listen to @ConanOBrien and @danacarvey grapple with the podcasting format:

https://transistor.fm/dana-carvey-and-conan-obrien-podcasting/

I like @danacarvey's observation near the end: podcasting’s advantage is that it feels more personal:

“Conan’s right next to you, in your ear.”

@nathanbarry I believe at @TransistorFM we have...

Two.

(Give or take)

YES! Great post by @mjwhansen. 🙌

"What I've learned after bootstrapping a company for 5 years."

@mjwhansen/bootstrapping-a-business-5-years-in-5f7e6bf6ef" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.indiehackers.com/@mjwhansen/bootstrapping-a-business-5-years-in-5f7e6bf6ef

SO CLOSE TO 100,000 LISTENS.

Can y'all do me a favor, and listen to this episode? It's one of our more popular shows. 👌

"How bootstrappers are extending their financial runway."

https://saas.transistor.fm/33

Look at these numbers.

To download an 8 GB file...

...in 1991 it would take 1,325 hours on a 14.4k modem.

In 2018 with fiber (300 Mbit/s) it takes you 4 minutes.

If you (or your employer!) has been thinking about podcasting, check this out:

https://podcast2019.com

Great newsletter from @nickd today:

"Design’s purpose is to provide economic benefit for businesses. It affects how the business is perceived, how a product operates, and how the business’s service is executed. Every design decision has a corresponding business ramification."

Just answering email like...

👍 just because you have a few bad hands, doesn't mean you won't win more poker games in the future.

Focus on what matters:
- Your strategy
- Your habits
- Who you're serving
- What they need

https://twitter.com/rickylyman/status/1049737484849086465

Here’s the full Forbes piece: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2018/10/08/the-new-atlanta-billionaires-behind-an-unlikely-tech-unicorn/

Really, we're trying to answer two questions:

1. What's the purpose of my work?
2. What's the best way to sustain it?

Lots of great conversation around this post. 👌

https://twitter.com/indievc/status/1038954446510669824?s=21

This shows you the power of leverage when it comes to creating wealth:

- You have 100,000 workers.
- You earn $1 for every second they work.
- In 2.78 hours they help you earn $1 billion.
- If you pay them $20 / hr, your profit is $994,440,000.

📊 Percentage of 2018 @megamaker revenue by platform:

- @podiadotcom: 25%
- @memberful: 24%
- RCP by @pippinsplugins: 42%
- @gravityforms: 8%
- Amazon, Youtube ads, affiliate: 1%

@jasonfried This isn't just a great feature announcement...

It feels like you've also finally helped me articulate why I can't immediately "jump into doing things."

That "figuring things out" stage takes time!

can every restaurant please do this k thanx

https://twitter.com/mathowie/status/1000156256215097344

Love seeing creative side-projects from people at @basecamp.

The latest: @edgardpodcast is an interactive audio adventure by @shildner.

It's unlike any other podcast I've listened to. Listeners help direct the hero's actions via tweets.

Check it out: https://edgard.transistor.fm/

We’ve got @adamwathan on stage at #microconf describing how to have a great info-product launch. 🙌

Check out Build Your SaaS on @producthunt:

"A podcast about what it takes to launch a web app in 2018."

https://www.producthunt.com/posts/build-your-saas

It’s amazing how much you can get done in the moments after inspiration hits.

Are you a solopreneur struggling to make sales?

Questions to ask: yourself:

- Is it your product/service? Do people not want it?
- Is it your marketing/design? Is your product not attractive enough?
- Is it your customer? Do you need to target a customer who is more motivated?

How do I get more viewers on my YouTube videos?

Here's a quick hack I shared on Instagram live the other day...

When you see a successful business, and you try to replicate their success, you're missing the #1 thing that made them successful:

They built a connection with their customers, and grew their understanding of what their customers needed.

According to @foursquare's data, Feb 8th is "fall off the wagon day:" the day people break their New Year's resolutions.

Too many folks see an empty lease, and think: "I could start a coffee shop there."

But...

1. They've never worked at a coffee shop.
2. They've never sold a cup of coffee.
3. They don't understand what local coffee drinkers want.
4. They haven't built a reputation for coffee.

Nice! @hnshah just released an 8-week course on "Building winning products." This looks awesome.

http://app.producthabits.com/buildwinningproducts

Increasingly, channel fatigue is affecting content marketing.

I think we're going to see a lot more "tools as marketing" in 2018.

Currently, my fave is @mbuckbee's subject line tester: https://sendcheckit.com/email-subject-line-tester-results