Tweets

Today in Barcelona, @marckohlbrugge and I visited Sagrada Família and Parque Güell.

"Three ways to get your product noticed"

(a slide from my @marketingdevs talk at #microconf)

.@jasonfried agreed.

1. Comic Sans
2. Big mobile phones
3. Chipotle
4. Vinyl "family" stickers on cars
5. GIFs
6. Taylor Swift

I like my web scrolling like I like my butter.

Smooth.

One of my favorite @brennandunn quotes (plus a sneak peek from @marketingdevs, the new book I'm working on):

“If you embarrass yourself long enough you’ll make progress.” — @natekontny #dd6d--share-112-206" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://medium.com/product-people/you-always-feel-dumb-at-the-beginning-567e3fc0e153?source=tw-a02dd1574d08-1436485142013#dd6d--share-112-206

New episode of @productpeopletv with @nathanbarry:
http://productpeople.tv/2015/05/04/ep72-nathan-barry-saas/

"SaaS is the hardest thing I've done"

I miss autoexec.bat

Think about this: because of Minecraft, the first programming language many of today's kids will learn is JAVA.

“Never ask a barber if you need a haircut.”
— Warren Buffet

My new podcast just got accepted into iTunes!

"Build & Launch - ship small products"

http://buff.ly/1BilPKH

(3 mini episodes so far)

I just finished recording some mini-episodes for the launch of http://buildandlaunch.net.

Coming early this week!

Today my amazing wife and I are celebrating THIRTEEN years of marriage.

Wowser.

An inside look at my life: the things I text my kids.

Increasingly, I'm liking the idea of the "recklessly creative". People who aren't afraid to be unconventional and forge their own paths.

It doesn’t matter how interesting, important, or unique your product is…

Marketing only works if you have something people *want*.

Another great post from @jeff_archibald: how web development pricing works.

http://jeffarchibald.ca/inside-black-box-web-design-pricing/

"If you can get anyone to show up and pay you $1, you’ve made it on the internet." - @danmartell http://buff.ly/1dDRhh1

A simple way to validate your startup idea http://wp.me/p1366z-fj

"If you’re good a finding (and solving) pain you’ll always be in business." http://buff.ly/1dwzDod

"What the founders actually do on a daily basis, [and] their core values" have more influence than written procedures http://buff.ly/Njdvqj

Link: https://go.bsky.app/3NzQbV3

(@ianlandsman is back on there, @joshcirre, @wking__, @joetannenbaum, @johnrudolphdrex, @simonhamp, @stauffermatt, @benholmen, and @jamesbrooksco are all active)

If your response is 'you just gotta tend your garden,' you're rationalizing design/business choices that are hostile to users.

The product owner is the gardener – we’re here to enjoy the garden!

7/ This is the project I hired Ferdinand to build: @SwagFanhq, a tool to simplify giving away branded swag.

This shows you how good @laravelphp is: he'd never used it before and was able to build most of it in just six weeks! 😮

Here's a demo: https://youtu.be/DmJU5RGyBSo

@itsurboyevan Evan's whole piece is thought-provoking and beautifully written.

Read it on the @every site:

https://every.to/napkin-math/live-fuller-not-bigger-70cd44e7-4c2e-49d1-a853-29bd0b67c9fa

Here early for the @jpmorgan @AcquiredFM show at @Chase center.

Looks amazing!

Agreed.

🤔 I wonder if @laravelphp, @laravelnews, @laraveljobs should do a "It's better to work for a small software team" campaign?

So many great employers in the Laravel ecosystem. IMHO, way better quality of life working for a well-run small biz.

https://x.com/forgebitz/status/1831028768451821761

Somebody tell @joetannenbaum he would have been great at designing BBS menus in the early 90s.

“This entrepreneur/startup is an exception to the rule.”

I’d argue that every successful business defies the norm.

99% of attempts to build a profitable company fail.

We should study every success because it’s the exception to the rule.

"We’re misinformed because we like the misinformation we receive and are eager for more.” – David French https://twitter.com/joshgondelman/status/1812263739493605627

💯 https://twitter.com/asmartbear/status/1810875092504567820

This is a good point: a “disruptive product” might disrupt the customer’s life by causing upheaval, stress, and mayhem.

Most of the time people just want a simple solution; not a disruption. https://twitter.com/asmartbear/status/1808372857069547774

B2C or B2B – which is better for SaaS?

In reality, many successful tech businesses serve a blend of B2C, B2P, B2SMB, B2B, and B2E customers.

For example, according to @ConvertKit's survey, a big chunk of the Creator market self-identify as hobbyists.

Working on a new YouTube video: “building a business with a strong financial engine.”

Here’s a clip:

Acquired is now #1 on the 🇺🇸 @spotifypodcasts charts as well! 👏👏👏 https://twitter.com/AcquiredFM/status/1791121471005499764

Who else is watching this game?

🔥🔥🔥 https://twitter.com/EdmontonOilers/status/1788402761207255520

I drove out to the location I had my snowboard shop and it’s a weed shop now lol.

Love this website redesign! 🤩 https://twitter.com/derrickreimer/status/1785335382655091101

This is a real dream I had about @derrickreimer five years ago. https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1137411001668648960

Listening to the new @AcquiredFM now!

The story behind @Microsoft’s success.

Fascinating history.

I've worked for “frenzied” companies!

When I wrote that blog post, I tried to articulate the feeling the best I could. https://twitter.com/hughdurkin/status/1776672523930738993

Last chance to sign this letter and send a strong message to the US Senate:

“Stop fucking around and repeal Section 174!!!” https://twitter.com/mjwhansen/status/1763930357739442652

Which generation are you in?

(I do these polls so that I can feel old)

In most cases, "average" is not enough.

To be better than average, ask: "What does above-average look like?"

What does...

- an above-average job applicant do to get hired?
- an above-average student do to get better grades?
- an above-average business do to earn more revenue?

Holy crap: @iChris edited this super fast!

The episode is out now! 🎉

https://saas.transistor.fm/episodes/is-once-going-to-disrupt-the-indie-saas-world

@levelsio Come hang out with me in BC!

(Or just watch this with your Apple Vision)

I really appreciate the advocacy work @mjwhansen has been doing for months on Section 174.

People are now realizing how bad this is for small SaaS companies (which is why her tweet thread is blowing up).

If you vote in the USA, please help us take action on this! https://twitter.com/mjwhansen/status/1748345492998696961

How are you tracking which of your marketing efforts lead to revenue?

Examples:
- "This blog post led to this $$$ amount of revenue."
- "YouTube as a referrer generated $$$ of revenue."
- "Our SEO channel attracted X visitors, Y leads, Z number of customers, and $$$ total."

@aarondfrancis @MostlyTechPod @ianlandsman omg. This seriously took me forever. 🤣 But it was such a joy to make. Glad you liked it!

🎯 https://twitter.com/asmartbear/status/1730506523749593301

@AlbanBrooke The world needs more "slow, mindful media:" media that is not dependent on getting consumers algorithmically addicted to scrolling a feed by amplifying outrage and drama.

Podcasting is slow media; it's mindful media.

You have to take your time to consume a podcast episode. You…

Interestingly, it’s easier for me to answer this question when it comes to podcasts.

Whenever @CasJam and @JordanGal publish a new episode of Bootstrapped Web, I almost always listen right away.

I think it’s because:

- their podcast is like an ongoing story/adventure/journey…

I don't think I've ever noticed this "Research" tab on my YouTube channel.

It will show you some of the top searches from viewers on your channel.

The FounderQuest podcast is back! 🔥🔥🔥

One of my favorite bootstrapping podcasts. 💪 https://twitter.com/heyjoshwood_/status/1723039588170494182

Just added @jclermont's show (No Compromises) to our list of "Podcasts for software devs."

https://transistor.fm/dev-podcasts/

What other podcasts should we add?

@TransistorFM Love how these custom embeds look on a page with many different embeds.

For example: @noplanstomerge, @hackersincpod, @MostlyTechPod

Kudos to @joshuaanderton and @jonbuda for working on this. It turned out great! 🎉

Berlin is fascinating: it simultaneously feels very old and very modern.

I love the extensive use of Comic Sans in @nic_o_martin’s slides.

Big fan. 👏

(He’s giving a great talk on progressive web apps at @FullStackEU #fseu23)

SaaS founders headquartered in the 🇺🇸: sign this! https://twitter.com/mjwhansen/status/1709891121671708688

@taylorotwell YESSSSSSS

Rent the Sphere!

First day of @PodcastMovement:

Went to the @MeowWolf exhibit in Denver. (Ran into @BryanBarletta and @webby2001)

Highly recommended. Thanks for the idea @mikevardy!

#pm23

YESSSS!

This podcast is going to be 🔥.

@aarondfrancis and @ianlandsman have the perfect personality mix for a show like this. https://twitter.com/aarondfrancis/status/1689298672503123968

Like, look how fun this looks.

@calebporzio's @LaravelLivewire demos make me want to go try all this stuff.

If you're in Europe in October and you want to hear how I'd build an indie SaaS in 2023, you should grab a ticket!

I'd love to hang out with you at @FullStackEU! 🙌

There's still lots of opportunity for new businesses built around full-stack web apps (@laravelphp, @rails, etc) https://twitter.com/driesvints/status/1681740691410661376

If you're a SaaS founder who wishes you had a marketing co-founder, check out Corey's new service.

This is much needed: seems like lots of companies struggling to find good marketing channels.

Congrats on the launch Corey! 🎉 https://twitter.com/coreyhainesco/status/1678462542438617088

Just bought this Pacific Breeze: Japanese City Pop record and it’s so good.

@jasonleowsg It’s good to recognize this now!

If there’s not enough demand, it’s best to switch.

Try to identify a market with strong demand:

https://justinjackson.ca/the-market

@asmartbear Another example: Tony Hawk made more $ from video games than from skateboarding.

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1348803129626689539

@noahwbragg This is more of a warning to focus on markets/ideas that are worth the risk.

Folks should learn to identify bad bets early and move on (I spent way too much time on bad bets; I should have ejected from those sooner).

"You've got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em…

Whether you're building a product, selling a service, or trying to get hired for a job, the key is to target:

1. Folks who have identified what they need/want
2. Folks who are ready to do something about it
3. Folks who have the means (time/money) to do something about it

You’re not looking for people who “struggle with this problem,” you’re looking for people who have acted on that struggle, and are looking for a solution.

New @TransistorFM stickers.

PODCASTICORN!! 🦄 🎤

@patrickc 🙏 automated sales tax collection and remittance?

@marckohlbrugge 💯

I think that “knowing when to quit an idea” is an underrated skill for founders.

https://justinjackson.ca/quit

@yongfook Yup. I think the vast majority of the revenue in the GPT value chain is going to go to a handful of big companies like OpenAI.

https://justinjackson.ca/chatgpt-business

@IndieHackers @csallen @ChanningAllen The full @IndieHackers podcast episode where they talk about going independent from @Stripe just dropped:

https://share.transistor.fm/s/ba7dd93d

Interesting to hear how they're planning growing revenue from $0.

Whoa, this looks good!

"Tetris" by @AppleTVPlus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BLM1naCfME

🎯 https://twitter.com/KieranSnyder/status/1634702771285811200

@Patticus Can you tell me more about “willingness to pay?”

How is that data collected? Is it a self-reported “I would pay for this” in a survey, or are you actually tracking conversions-to-paid?

"After multiple shakedowns and cancelations at Spotify, RSS feeds are looking better than ever — but it’s up to independent creators to keep them strong."
– @SkyePillsbury

Yes! 💯

https://open.substack.com/pub/thisisthesqueeze/p/spotifys-daniel-ek-got-carried-away?r=6bwmm&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

@excid3 @nextjs @laravelphp Overall search volume might be down, but actual usage is strong.

Lots of new SaaS companies in the 5 years have used Rails.

(@ZipMessage, @bannerbearHQ, @TransistorFM)

I just published an in-depth tutorial on the @TransistorFM YouTube channel: "How to do podcast SEO"

(optimizing your podcast so it ranks higher on search engines)

Here is a teaser:

I think about this a lot when I see local teenagers in my town: so much of their future depends on what they get exposed to along the way.

It's us (as adults) who have the opportunity to open up their world to new ideas, new experiences, new understandings...

For example, our product, @transistorfm, got a bunch of visitors because it was the 75th anniversary of the transistor.

It's tricky to filter out those kinds of visits retroactively, but they can have a big impact on your visitor --> trial conversion rate.

In science, opposing viewpoints and critiques are encouraged. Questioning other people's work publicly is seen as an important part of the process.

We need this same kind of rigor in tech, especially because the things we create have the ability to move/change entire societies.

I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on @sivers' latest essays.

He's definitely got me thinking!

https://sive.rs/run
https://sive.rs/run2
https://sive.rs/mb

I've been using @OvercastFM as my primary podcast app for 8 years, and today was the first time I learned about this one simple trick:

"How can I view my starred episodes?"⭐

"Tap Add Playlist, then tap Starred" 🤯

https://www.tumblr.com/marco/701572762743046144/do-you-have-any-plans-to-allow-overcast-users-to?_branch_match_id=868274957600044796&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAAxXIUQrAIAgA0BOZ7HO7jbUgwjJMi24%2F9j5fMRvzQSQL5i2yhiQNG2kSfAWOOBRaGagfGEx9ggkQs2yQlTXRNPCZ9X9s249fd43s9QPqkvGfWQAAAA%3D%3D

Thanks @marcoarment!

If you're looking to build a physical product (especially with a Kickstarter), you should talk to my friend @tomgerhardt.

http://tomgerhardt.com/coaching/

I can personally vouch for him; he really knows his stuff. 👍

Mine are here;

Newsletter: http://justinjackson.ca/newsletter

RSS: https://justinjackson.ca/feed

Blog: http://justinjackson.ca/articles

Podcast: http://saas.transistor.fm

Post yours here too so I can subscribe/follow. 🙏

🦄 Question of the Day 🦄

What does your product's "About" page look like?
How can we all improve our About pages?
What makes a good About page?

I recreated the timeline of Elon’s Twitter takeover so far.

Curious: looking at the timeline, what do you think is most likely to happen?

https://justinjackson.ca/is-twitter-done

I'm not cheering for the death of Twitter (or for Elon to fail).

My point (all along) was that he had no plan for Twitter and was likely to kill it.

https://twitter.com/ZoeSchiffer/status/1590812793787518977

🐘 I’m on Mastodon here:

@mijustin" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://mastodon.social/@mijustin

Seems weird to make me pay Twitter every month so other people won’t impersonate me. 🤷‍♂️

The point of verification is a one-time process for determining that you really are who you claim to be.

They’ve already verified me (which included me sending a photo of my passport!)

“We have so much scientific evidence that we are very, very close to irreversible changes.”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/27/world-close-to-irreversible-climate-breakdown-warn-major-studies

☝️ Statistically, when I post these links most people don’t click on them.

I hope more people start paying attention.

Also, for many, the point of these AI-assisted writing tools is SEO: to rank on Google.

But, if people start skipping Google and just go directly to the AI... will we even need to write all this content?

And... will brands start figuring out how to optimize for AI suggestions?

I’ve heard these bits hundreds of times and they still make me laugh.

Legend.

https://youtu.be/Z_XbtYfrNYI

I’m curious how much it costs to host a site with Webflow compared to @statamic or WordPress.

Webflow users: how much are you paying each month?

@dvassallo Yes. Saying “this is the only way I’m going to reach my desired destination” is too limiting.

If your destination is “a good life,” you have to be open to other paths that might take you there.