Tweets

Hey @awscloud: please fix this soon! https://twitter.com/jonnyplatt/status/1470714901412954112

Huge 🙌 to @jasonlbeggs today.

I hired him to do some pairing with me on the @TransistorFM marketing site (@statamic, @Netlify, @tailwindcss): https://transistor.fm

Really helpful for me (and probably saved @jonbuda a ton of his sanity 😆).

Here's what we did 👉

Just got an advisor update email from @MrSimonBennett.

He's built an impressive indie SaaS business with @SnapShooterio. I'm cheering for him to reach his next MRR milestone!

If you need backups for your servers, websites, and databases, I recommend it: https://snapshooter.com/

Yes! Developers can learn marketing. https://twitter.com/Kev_Conti/status/1309114446976094208

Side note: I know this is uncomfortable, but what about this thread is "shaming?"

I'm not trying to shame people; I'm sharing knowledge.

Confronting uncomfortable truths is part of life. Growth comes through discomfort.

https://twitter.com/sfioritto/status/1458139185978642435

We need more passenger trains in Canada.

(Especially western Canada)

Ok. This new @meepsapp feature that @joshuaanderton building is going to be huge! 🤯

Create an automated, print-on-demand merch store for your community/membership using @Printful. 👕🧢

(Or, use it to give away swag to your startup customers)

http://meeps.app

Here’s him explaining on video.

(Yes, my son’s voice is way lower than mine 😂)

@hnshah Well, except y'all are here at the Twitter party and I can't tell who any of you are! 🤣

The mods of /r/podcasting said I could do an AMA today!

https://www.reddit.com/r/podcasting/comments/prwjlx/im_the_cofounder_of_transistorfm_podcast_hosting/

Head over and ask me your podcasting questions. 🙏

You know that saying: “eventually your heroes will do something that disappoints you?”

The *same* is true with individuals in science and medicine.

Individuals are fallible; they make errors!

That’s the beauty of the peer-review process: it exposes bad ideas and mistakes.

Nice! @joshuaanderton just added the ability to charge for "Sponsorships" in @meepsapp (one-time, monthly, annually).

💰 Perfect if you want to earn sponsorship revenue from your community, newsletter, Discord group, membership, or podcast!

👉 https://meeps.app/

I differ with @nbashaw here:

"When dealing with a new paradigm, reason has its limits. The best strategy is to embrace curiosity, and don't worry too much."

☝️ Some shifts have the potential to be destructive; they're not always neutral, or benign. Transformative criticism FTW.

If you're planning on having a picnic, but it rains, you adjust your plans. 🌧️

Likewise, it's necessary for leaders to adjust their plans when they get new information. ⚡

Plans aren't static; variables change. Responding to evolving circumstances is part of life. 🌀

It's important that we all properly understand the scientific process.

This article by @NaomiOreskes does a great job of describing how it works:

"It's the process of tough, sustained scrutiny that works to ensure faulty claims are rejected."

https://time.com/5709691/why-trust-science/?amp=true

Follow-up: Gen Z dramatically prefers Spotify and YouTube for podcast listening (especially when compared to other generations).

Thoughts why?

Huge thank you to @damcclean for jumping on a call with me today and fixing all my git, @laravelforge, @statamic sync issues. 🙏

The best advice, for any content, is still: "make something that people tell their friends about."

https://twitter.com/Aazarshad/status/1423283771718000658

Smoke in the sky. 😵😷

Wildfire smoke so thick, it gives you a headache and makes your eyes water.

#vernonbc

Meanwhile, Andreessen Horowitz is (checks notes) investing $515 million in crypto?

🤦‍♂️

$4.5 million in 🌱 vs $515 milion in 🏭

You can do better @a16z: it's time to build!

https://twitter.com/JimEngland/status/1417233383101456384

Tired: "Software is eating the world."

Wired: "Climate change is destroying the world."

@theothercole @MarieMartens 🥰 Thanks!

✍️ I've written about most of my experience here:
https://justinjackson.ca/bootstrap

For those of you who think Canada is always cold: check out this week’s temps in the Okanagan.

Currently on Mojave.

Is it time to upgrade? 😅

@spencerfry @alphacolin @TransistorFM I’m still not convinced that every company needs to grow beyond 5-10 people. 🙏

I’m tweeting this as someone who isn’t a fan of crypto, and owns less than $500 worth.

But, I also see that it’s likely not going anywhere, because there’s a huge community of people who have a religious-like desire for it to succeed.

@Patticus @hnshah Better to enjoy life as a small company (2 co-founders, 1 FT employee) vs scale up team in order to grow revenue?

(I know lots of folks who scaled up, got more revenue, but were more miserable.)

(Although… I would probably buy a Commander Keen NFT 🤔)

"Parasocial relationships may be the most important psychological effect of the modern tech era.

In our minds, we believe that we “know” someone that we don’t." – @edzitron

https://ez.substack.com/p/how-parasocial-relationships-have

“The word ‘influencer’ extracts the one thing advertisers care about from creators: their influence. Most creators don’t want to be influencers! They want to make stuff.” – @jackconte

Lots of folks excited (and investing in!) Gumroad's big crowd equity campaign today.

Crowdfunding seems like an awesome opportunity for founders (especially those who have built up social capital).

But I'm still unclear how "good" these campaigns are for investors? https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1356731802698674176

The product you build should be a response to genuine demand.

There should be evidence that people *want* whatever you're building.

Evidence looks like:
- Folks currently buying something similar
- Folks spending time + energy to create their own solution (Excel, etc)

As an example, in 2019 @_rchase_ went from

Jan: $3K MRR 💰
to
July: $9K MRR 💰💰💰

(Pretty fast SaaS ramp!)

For him, reaching $100k ARR meant:
- profitability
- freedom

https://twitter.com/_rchase_/status/1156633632527855616

@r00k Maybe it's because I have kids?

Once I had kids, my money always had a purpose; it was never really for me.

From age 22 on, there's been a constant struggle to make ends meet.

So now, the money (and the peace of mind it brings) feels deeply fulfilling.

Anyone want an early preview of this "@tailwindcss landing page" tutorial?

I just exported it to Loom. I'll DM you the link.

In many categories, the incumbents have gone upstream, and their pricing is now aimed at the enterprise. They've left the SMB market behind.

There's a huge opportunity in targeting SMBs/prosumers who can't afford enterprise prices.

📈 To figure out how much demand is there for what you’re selling, ask:

- How have you seen demand for X demonstrated?
- How many people are paying for something similar?
- If they’re not currently paying, is there a strong enough pull for them to pay?

Well said!

(If you’re not following @mariepoulin, you should be) https://twitter.com/mariepoulin/status/1340092571813474305

What are things that rapidly drain *your* emotional battery, but don't seem to affect other people the same way?

1. Call @jonbuda
2. DM founder friends
3. Email a mentor
4. Get on a call with someone I trust https://twitter.com/minal_hasan/status/1334314244532146176

Anyone up for a late night SaaS chat on @joinClubhouse?

(I’m mijustin there)

Just updated the professional podcast kit: switched out the Cloudlifter for the DBX 286s:

https://transistor.fm/how-to-start-a-podcast/

🎛 I recently made the change myself: much better voice processing. You don't really need the Cloudlifter (as long as your USB audio interface is decent).

Here’s the City Clerk (who is a Republican!) responding to RNC claims of voter fraud in Rochester Hills, Michigan.

There were no missing ballots.

Trump supporters: I’m still calling you out here. You should be decrying the RNC’s lies publicly. https://twitter.com/TinaLBarton/status/1324868768342962183

Look at the contrast between these two.

I'm not a huge Biden fan, but he's light-years more reasonable than Trump.

(Trump voters: how can you stay ignorant while he spouts this shit? How do you rationalize it?)

There's no evidence of widespread voter fraud.

For all the “well, actually” people in my replies:

TRUMP’S OWN COMMISSION ON VOTER FRAUD FOUND NO VOTER FRAUD.

https://apnews.com/article/f5f6a73b2af546ee97816bb35e82c18d

The only person I’ve seen is Ben Shapiro (of all people!): https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1323890527767416834

Probably the best podcast episode I've ever recorded:

https://share.transistor.fm/s/21d5c4e7

When brainstorming new ideas, always figure out:

"Are people already searching/paying for this?"

If they're not looking for a solution, how are you going to get them to find you?

Neither of us started with a good microphone.

We recorded our first call on Skype using our Apple headphones.

You can still listen to it here:
https://share.transistor.fm/s/e7004e88

"Build it and they will come?" YES!

If the demand is there, and you're the right founder for the job, and you've built a product that meets the demand, and your timing is right, and you've found some good distribution channels, then...

Yes, they *will* come.

Nailed it. https://twitter.com/brittlestar/status/1303433211582844930

One problem with "first, find a group of people" is that it forces you to draw boundaries *that might not matter.*

Initially, @TransistorFM was "podcast hosting for brands." But (it turns out) 90% of our customers don't identify that way. They simply want "podcast hosting."

Had a great conversation with @justinvincent.

We hash out whether building an audience before you build your product is *really* a good idea. 🤔

https://overcast.fm/+OJ6u84Ko

This is fucked up.

It’s awful that anyone would be the recipient of this kind of harassment.

We (tech) need to fix this shit. https://twitter.com/katfukui/status/1298757209883414529

The biggest marketing question you should be asking is:

“How are people already finding and buying similar items?”

How to put yourself in a good position to catch the next wave:

1. Be on the lookout for good "surf spots." What industry, market, or sector is showing potential? What are you seeing that could develop into a much larger wave?

Also: how is Minecraft still a thing?

We just got another license (for the PC) this quarantine.

That means we’ve bought it:
- 3x on desktop
- 2x on console
- 3x on iOS

This game was first released in 2009 and it’s still selling.

Watching my son play Minecraft.

“Ok, now I’m going to create a nether portal by adding water to this lava in an underground cave.”

Um, what?

How do they figure all this stuff out!?!

https://youtu.be/HDlUO0s2qcE

Good video from @nathanallotey.

His idea of “passive segregation” perfectly describes how the tech/bootstrapping community has treated Black voices up until now.

We’ve been passively aware that there’s a problem, but haven’t actively done anything.

@davidpco Transistor is just me and Jon right now, and we're both taking time off to take action. We're also looking at how we can structure the company to be more equitable (hiring, funding creators).

App developers complain when Apple takes a 30% cut of sales.

But the profit margins on software are often 80%+.

Typical restaurant profits margins are 5%!!!

(Grubhub charges 15-30%!)

@anthilemoon Thank you for making that 2nd category 28-44 😜

I think a big factor in success is putting yourself in a place to spot good opportunities, and recognizing the good opportunities when they come.

For those of us who grew up in a small bubble, this almost always means getting out of your bubble, and exploring new contexts.

Love watching @arvidkahl grow his podcast! 🙌 https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/status/1257265008595161090

Also, the "stay in your lane" rhetoric is a convenient way for us capitalists to ignore the problems in our current system:

✍️ "Let's talk about raising workers' wages."
🤡 "Stay in your lane dude!"

🎙️ "We're destroying the environment."
🤡 "Stay in your lane dude!"

I’ve been waiting for this one!

It’s the @beastieboys Story (on @AppleTV).

I like this idea of “tactical urbanism.” https://twitter.com/fietsprofessor/status/1249355572237029376

Wow. These headlines from the Winnipeg Free Press in 1918 are strikingly similar to 2020. https://twitter.com/brent_bellamy/status/1248413638265733123

“Bad ollie dad” is my DJ name. 😂

If you've always wanted to start a podcast, now's a great time. Here's a quick (2:25) tutorial:

@taylorotwell @LaraconUS Sending you lots of ❤️ today.

So many events that people have put their hearts and souls into are getting hammered.

Coronavirus sucks.

“Motivation is fragile. Pay close attention to what’s killing or increasing your motivation, and adjust accordingly.”

Great advice from @sivers.

Let's hang out: bootstrapper's livestream (landing page teardowns, AMA, whatever!) https://www.pscp.tv/w/cTke0jM4NTU1MXwxQlJKalFqYmR5Tkd3r2himaUr9UjaY4GDGdhhh8UJj1tjsM1cn_14U39gsSs=

“Cancelling major events is the bare minimum of what we should be doing. Panicking won’t help, but shaming people for being concerned is not it.” – @ArlanWasHere

An important lesson, as seen on my weekly @usefathom analytics report:

My "Business is surfing" post is doing well – I shared it with my list of 11,589 and on Twitter.

But these other 3 articles get consistent, keyword-driven, search traffic.

Nothing beats intent-based search!

It’s important to recognize how much of entrepreneurship is learning to be the in the water, learning to paddle, and learning to recognize good waves.

One of the best ways to increase your margin is to decrease your footprint.

@davidhuber_ Yup it's a problem.

Although, there are folks looking for solutions:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-02-05/wind-turbine-blades-can-t-be-recycled-so-they-re-piling-up-in-landfills

@shl Nice. That’s my favorite city in the USA.

@tylertringas @datanyze @nathanbarry He’s in the email market (“people who buy email newsletter software”).

Positioning matters, but only after you’ve chosen your market category.

The point is, you have to focus on a category where people are already spending money.

People switched from MailChimp to Convertkit.

Even if my math is wrong, the total market for PHP related skills, apps, infrastructure, education is likely in the hundreds of billions of dollars.

That’s an incredible market.

There’s a reason @laravelphp is kicking ass there: it’s a huge opportunity.

OH YEAAAAAH!!!! 🎉 https://twitter.com/brennandunn/status/1200099580819492866

The key is to get out quick if it doesn’t feel right.

@taylorotwell so good it hurts

I think about this Fat Mike (NOFX) interview constantly.

It's a sobering reminder about the dangers of fast growth (for bands and businesses).

"Once you get really big, you can't hold on to it. You can't sustain that level of popularity. Our level of popularity we can sustain."

“Podcasts grow differently than blog and video audiences.”

And... maybe this is a good thing? 🧐

I've just updated my #microconf 2020 "tips and tricks" blog post, but... I've never been to Minneapolis!

https://justinjackson.ca/microconf

Any locals want to give me some good tips for these sections?

Who has the best podcast banter?

@calebporzio and @DCoulbourne do.

Insane flex by @Disney.

They drop a tweet thread with every movie, TV show, and property they own.

Everything will be on @disneyplus.

https://twitter.com/disneyplus/status/1183715553057239040

@KateBour Juicy Fruit

Here's another question I received:

"How much of your growth do you attribute to having built a following beforehand?"

It definitely helped in the beginning (for our first ~100 customers), but after that, SEO, content, and affiliates became more important channels.

@TheEricAnderson @jasonfried That’s Descript! https://app.descript.com/r/HkLbabKnG

@dhh @dvassallo @reworkpodcast Migrating is pretty easy:

1. Forward old Art19 RSS feed to your new @TransistorFM RSS feed
2. Update Apple Podcasts

Doing those two things will take care of most of it. 👍

I wrote a quick guide on this here:
https://transistor.fm/switching-podcast-hosting/

Got to hang out with one of my favorite people today.

@mikevardy is one of the kindest, most genuine folks I know from the internet.

Always nice to spend time with you Mike! 🙌

Need some Visual Studio @Code help:

When I highlight text, and it highlights similar items below, how do I replace the text in all of them at once?

@ViperChill @Harris_Bryan Yup! This exists. A bunch of folks are doing it:

1. @podfanHQ
2. @GlowDotFM
3. @supercast
4. @Patreon has been doing it for years.

If you're struggling to gain traction, you likely have a problem in your:

- market
- product
- channels

(or all three)

Sustainable growth > Insane "can't hold on" growth > Slow "barely there" growth

Three days of biking at @SilverStarMR 🤙 #vernonbc

I really like @studiofellow's site right now:
https://studiofellow.com/