Tweets

Ads that follow you around the internet can be destructive.

Read this whole thread:

https://twitter.com/sethdrebitko/status/845788285171650560

These are the tools I used to go independent this past year:

https://justinjackson.ca/tools/

The question you need to ask is:

"How does my art / my product / my work make people more awesome?"

Just had an awesome chat with @mikeherreraTD (of @mxpx) for his podcast. One of my fave shows!

Subscribe to get it: http://idobi.com/show/the-mike-herrera-hour/

Tons of people ask me how I make these animated videos for @tinymktgwins.

This is the tool I use:
https://justinjackson.ca/animate

Yes! Great piece by @meseali 🙌 https://medium.com/swlh/build-a-product-vs-focus-on-growth-addc4d8fa7c2?source=twitterShare-a02dd1574d08-1484714952

HOLY GUACAMOLE
@awilkinson and the @metalab crew just bought @Dribbble! 😮 @awilkinson/dribbble-2-0-c2cd1fa184c5#---115-188.4p4v8c40b" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://medium.com/@awilkinson/dribbble-2-0-c2cd1fa184c5#---115-188.4p4v8c40b

Sharing some lessons I learned from my first year of being a solopreneur:

https://youtu.be/JjLijnHug0s

ALMOST ready to publish this...

Today I learned that Boxing Day is primarily a thing in:
🇬🇧
🇦🇺
🇨🇦
🇳🇿

(Basically all countries with the Queen on our money)

This holiday season millions of parents will put an enormous amount of energy into pretending they're an old man who sneaks into houses. 🎅

A successful product is rarely something "we didn't know we wanted."

Successful products give us the progress we already desire.

These vectors amplify your chances of success:

1. Right market
2. Single out ^ their #1 desire
3. Well-made product
4. Size of your network

Just a guesstimate (and probably low), but Basecamp likely has the highest $$ / employee in SaaS:

#gid=0" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RwrDxt1KwAB_MSoHN79adVhVXanHeMXZ2UvWIos_-oM/edit#gid=0

Just published “Get out of your creative rut.” Lots folks saying: “I was feeling this way.” https://medium.com/swlh/get-out-of-your-creative-rut-57b8f7b9e8da#---0-71.kzdln2olc

Working on a newsletter / blog post for tomorrow based on this:

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/418169996120846336

Making a product that’s “dramatically better” than the competition only works if “better” means dramatically more progress for the user.

We're eager to get beyond the uncomfortable stage.

Which is ironic, because that's where we do our best work.

I want to see more webinars performed by puppets.

"Rails is my love letter to Ruby."

This Slashdot interview with @dhh is awesome:

http://buff.ly/2c0zVyC

Running a business gives your freedom, BUT...

If you're not getting @hnshah's SaaS Weekly newsletter, you SHOULD be:

#start" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://hiten.com/issues/104?#start

⚡️ 📈 🚀 💰 👌

The way you earn your money colors the way you perceive the world.

5. Corporations are carnivorous by nature. They will gobble up any resource presented to them. Even well-intentioned institutions do this!

The best news I’ve heard in a long time.

https://twitter.com/scottjehl/status/768156598959218688

“Everything about your business is an experiment.”
— @pjrvs

Same is true for podcasting, building products, creating music.

You can make things wherever you are.

https://twitter.com/ugmonk/status/765637672949915648

Prediction:

In the SMB market there will be a shift away from fragmented SaaS (customers using 20+ apps) to SaaS with more features.

Weird Twitter bug right now: everyone has 0 tweets and 0 followers.

We're all the same! Twitter socialism!

At the end of the day, people will go wherever they get the most:

- views
- likes
- messages
- followers

Vanity metrics have influence.

Surround yourself with friends who will call you out on your bull-shit.

Noble friends are guardrails that reduce your risk of stupidity.

Nobody wants to give up their position. We're self-righteous. We hunker down and go back to listening to the voices that affirm our beliefs.

Shipping is where possibility meets reality.

It’s amazing
the number of things
that had to transpire
for you to be a fully
evolved human
who is able
to retweet
their own
tweets
now

Interesting...

After a big @producthunt spike, @6secondspodcast has a nice listenership of ~300 people per day.

“Humans remember the transitions, because it's moments of change and possibility and trepidation that light us up.”
— Seth Godin

Yes, you should listen to your customers.

Even more important? Watching what they actually do.

If you read @nathanbarry's "SaaS Cashflow" post, you might like this 2-part interview:

http://productpeople.tv/2016/04/01/ep77-nathan-barry-three-years-in-the-desert-part-1/

http://productpeople.tv/2016/04/06/ep78-nathan-barry-saas/

Often, the reason people switch to a product is based on “who else is using it.”

Herd mentality plays a big role.

I don’t know why but every time I walk by this sign it makes me laugh.

“People do not buy stuff, they buy what stuff does for them.”
— Theodore Levitt

“Quantity produces quality. If you only write a few things, you’re doomed.”
— Ray Bradbury

Whoa! iTunes just approved the #megamaker podcast:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/megamaker/id1074661788

(if you like the show, please give it a 👍 review. Really helps.)

Lots of people read "We own you" today:

https://medium.com/mega-maker/we-own-you-9a97819ad292#.3dfnkg95o

"If you’re a bootstrapper, the full quote should be 'make something people want enough to pay for'" - @SachaGreif @sachagreif/monetizing-the-unmonetizable-92e7f07fabfe" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://medium.com/@sachagreif/monetizing-the-unmonetizable-92e7f07fabfe

SaaS does not necessarily = Recurring revenue.

There are a lot of use cases where paying monthly isn't a good fit for the customer.

I really need to start doing more things by the power of Greyskull.

The secret to stand-up comedy (or any content really) is to state what seems obvious but hasn't yet been articulated.

Deadlines matter. Once you hit one milestone, make sure you set another one. If you don't, you'll stagnate.

Force yourself to get better by doing the hard stuff.

Don't try to avoid it.

A sigh is like a brief meditation for busy people.

Start today and you’ll finish sooner than if you start tomorrow.

"One km driven by car costs society about 17 cents, whereas society gains 18 cents for each km cycled" http://www.fastcoexist.com/3046345/how-copenhagen-became-a-cycling-paradise-by-considering-the-full-cost-of-cars

“Business opportunities are like buses, there's always another one coming.”
— Richard Branson

New on the blog:

Don’t follow your heroes

http://buff.ly/1BlVqkg

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
— Arthur Ashe

"You’re listening to the radio through your PHONE?!? When I was your age I had a shovel, and I dug a hole."
— Old man I met once

The best time to start your business is in your late 30’s.

@nathanbarry this photo felt like a perfect opportunity for a product placement...

Do you know what's happening in the next 3 months?

This is your window.

http://buff.ly/1v4eFbh

"The only 2 people who can give you feedback about your product: those who just bought it & those who just canceled." http://buff.ly/1q4ogMM

I think the reason a lot of people dream of doing something big is it shields them from the embarrassment of starting with something little.

Unreal. My essay "This is a web page" has been viewed over 118,000 times, and has been translated into 7 languages http://buff.ly/14RO4Dl

What happens when you mix the wisdom of @hnshah, @sivers and @spencerfry into a single post: http://buff.ly/1bI13Yu

Interview with @amyhoy & @thomasfuchs. It's a must listen for #ProductPeople (and I think it's one of @adamstac's best) http://5by5.tv/founderstalk/6

I’m scared of birds and my wife has put about 127 of these crows around our house

In the past, I've sold "launch-driven" products (plugins, buy-once software, courses).

Launch-driven businesses are exhausting. You're on a constant hamster wheel.

Recurring revenue has led to so much more calm. When it works, it provides a stable, dependable cash flow.

Building a secret Laravel app https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1MYxNMBRPwLJw

What an amazing way to kick off the live @AcquiredFM event: a morning run with @gilbert, @djrosent, and 100 other podcast fans!! 🤩

The @TransistorFM team and I are in San Francisco for our annual retreat!

Excited to go to the @AcquiredFM arena show tomorrow, and see @finkd on stage. 🙌

I wrote a piece about the return of the @Diggnation podcast, how it affected me personally, and why it has an important place in the history of podcasting.

Glad to have you back, @kevinrose & @alexalbrecht!

https://transistor.fm/customers/diggnation/

SaaS is evolving beyond the traditional B2B vs B2C dichotomy.

Enter B2Spectrum: one product targeting multiple markets.

For example, @canva serves multiple customer segments simultaneously:

Consumers
Prosumers
SMBs
Enterprises
Nonprofits
Governments

$2.3 billion ARR!

Nice paddle tonight!

Checking out the @snackodev booth. This game looks cool.

#gameconcanada

I’m in Los Angeles for @PodcastMovement this week.

If you’re around and want to chat about podcasting, @TransistorFM, bootstrapping, or marketing, let me know!

Looking forward to seeing all my podcast friends! 🙌

Republican Senators are holding back an important bill that would provide some relief from Section 174.

Please: call your Senator and tell them to stop fucking around, and get this thing passed!! https://twitter.com/mjwhansen/status/1768589439347933245

@SP1NS1R It’s so good. https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1217320820873166848

@asmartbear More and more bootstrappers are raising a small round + looking for partners who can advise them on growth.

I wrote about this back in 2018:

https://justinjackson.ca/cost/

@levelsio @andypuddicombe I'm 43 now. I was 38 when Jon and I started @TransistorFM.

It's not about how old/young you are when you start a company but rather the experiences, connections, skills, and insights you've built up before that.

Folks can't just wait until they're 38, 43, or 51 and magically…

As much as possible, it's worth investing in "snowball channels" vs. "slot machine channels."

Snowball channels
These channels include SEO, mailing lists, blogging, and YouTube. They take a considerable amount of initial investment, but those efforts typically snowball into…

Hey friends! Ticket sales for @FullStackEU have opened up.

"A conference for full-stack devs who want to improve their skills across the stack."

If you want to join me in Belgium in October, get your ticket here (with a discount!):

https://ti.to/on3/fseu23/discount/Justin

#fseu23

Got some fresh air at @PodcastMovement!

(with @bar5hop, @iamjeremyenns, @podcastharry, @codyschneiderxx)

#PM23

I love this kind of “build in public” podcast.

Listened to the first episode, @johnrudolphdrex and @DCoulbourne have a real nice rapport.

(John sounds so mature for his age) https://twitter.com/DCoulbourne/status/1692641198224162872

Here’s my site: https://justinjackson.ca/

Designed by @jackmcdade, with @statamic as the CMS.

I write about my bootstrapping journey, personal posts, and explore ideas.

"The idea that they're the people who created the technology; therefore they have special insight into the downstream impact on society and rules and regulations... does not hold up well historically."

So why are we listening to Marc? Because he created Netscape?

Oh man, my heart goes out to folks in Chicago, Detroit, Boston, New York, Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and everyone else living in this area.

Living in the smog of forest fire smoke is a truly awful experience.

🌲🔥😷

Job applicants: definitely listen to @adamwathan & @r00k's episode.

"How to Stand Out When Applying for a Job at a Small Company."

https://fullstackradio.com/152

I'm ready to bring the 🔥 at Hack Night tonight. 🤣

Ok. I'm wearing these snowboarding. #WWDC23

This @IndieHackers episode with @SethGodinBlog is a must-listen for indie entrepreneurs:

https://overcast.fm/+JmiNp14SA

I've been wanting this forever: a button on @TransistorFM's pricing page that just opens up a @crisp_im chat.

Tried a few times, but couldn't figure it out.

@joshuaanderton just made it happen! 🙌

pretty simple: `$crisp.push(['do', 'chat:open'])`

This can't be the future of podcasts. AI audio is jarring to listen to, almost like a podcast that consists entirely of video game cut scenes.

The AI-generated content I've come across so far mostly has this vapid quality. https://twitter.com/LinusEkenstam/status/1662073874425544706

Rumor is they tried to get Ballmer but he wasn't available. https://twitter.com/danlev/status/1656373547093352449

Lorinda was keen to learn how to do studio design, so I asked her if she could help me build a better video setup. She said yes!

She signed up for @theKevinShen's "Dream Studio" course, and she's been loving it. Kevin and his team are really good at this stuff.

"Good advice at the wrong time is bad advice." – @JamesClear

This is especially true when it comes to pricing advice.

"Raise your prices" can be the right advice, but it depends on many factors.

@asmartbear recently refined his advice on pricing by saying:

"It's not always…

It’s healthy to critique ideas, concepts, practices, technology, and beliefs.

We (as a society) can learn to be less dogmatic about our sacred beliefs: to approach difficult problems with humility, be open to genuine knowledge about a topic, and keen to understand the nuance.

ChatGPT is an insanely popular freemium SaaS product.

Over 100 million free users; I wonder what their conversion to paid is? https://twitter.com/abacaj/status/1643312603551129601

Too many business owners are on this treadmill that really grinds them down. Eventually, it burns them out.

We need to ask ourselves: "Why did I start this company?"

Put pillars in place (values, margins, calm) so that your business gives you a better life. 👍

For me, having more walkability (less car-dependence) in a city has always made it more enjoyable.

Would love to see cities in North America transform themselves with “co-location of higher residential and job densities, mixed land use, and transit.” 👍

https://mass.streetsblog.org/2022/04/22/international-climate-report-demands-systemic-changes-to-transportation-and-urban-planning/

Love seeing folks start additional podcasts! 🙌

Making it easy for people to host multiple podcasts was a big reason we built @TransistorFM the way we did. 👍 https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/status/1633551388222398464