Tweets

sorry I ruined tonight’s tacos everybody

India needs our help.

Today I donated to @UNICEF’s relief efforts there.

They’re already in the country, and are well-equipped to respond.

https://secure.unicef.ca/page/81500/donate/1?locale=en-US

I originally met @HelenRyles in the @megamaker community in 2014. In 2018, she became a moderator there.

I’ve always been super impressed with how she treats people. 👍 She’s also a talented maker, and has released a bunch of cool indie projects.

Glad to have her on the team!

It took about 10+ hours before I was able to get access to my existing Apple Podcasts Connect account and see the podcasts I already had active on Apple Podcasts.

Overall, the new interface feels cleaner. 👍

Some folks are asking me for “lessons learned.”

In your 20s:

1. Question your ideologies, dogmas, and idealisms.

2. Optimize for learning & exploration.

3. Get out of your hometown!

4. Meet interesting people in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and ask them how they got there.

@yongfook @meet__chopra @levelsio I started working in tech in 2008.

It wasn’t until 2020 that I felt like I had a business with margin.

Bit by bit, pushing the rock up the hill.

https://justinjackson.ca/2020-review

@yongfook Growth was slow for us in the first half of April, but appears to be picking up now.

I definitely struggle when I get those ProfitWell emails: “YOU’RE BEHIND YOUR GOAL” 😨

Every category has attributes that affect the shape of your business:
- how aware are customers of the category?
- how price-sensitive is the customer?
- how much overall demand is there?
- how slow is the buying process?
- what type of scale is required?
- how competitive is it?

The web is the perfect place for people to channel their own insecurity into critique, drive-by comments, and snarky tweets.

"Haters feel 'good' when they make other people feel bad."

https://justinjackson.ca/haters

@tylertringas The flipside:

Not all hard problems have good payoffs.

(Put another way: payoffs aren't necessarily linearly correlated with the degree of difficulty)

I still think customer demand (especially if there is unmet demand or excess demand) is probably a better signal.

In 2000, the costs for starting a SaaS were a lot higher too:

"We had to license our billing system for $250k. Now, you can get it online for pennies."

The SaaS ramp was "long and slow" partly because tooling was expensive, complex, and time-intensive to implement.

@MrSimonBennett just got my @SnapShooterio hat in the mail! 🙌

Without our:

- Data
- Usage
- Content
- Connections
- Word of mouth

... the big platforms have no "network effects."

We built this city.

@r00k I can’t identify with this (yet?).

Maybe I’m still too early,
or, maybe, it’s because it took a long time for success to happen.

But for me, achieving all of this feels like a lot. It’s a lot of emotion, and gratitude, and fullness.

I can’t identify with that empty feeling.

As a beginner, it's always frustrated me when tutorials are missing steps or screenshots, so I've tried to include as much detail as possible. 🤞

@anandp29 I still don’t have a good answer for this (largely because I did a terrible job of that for most of my 20s and 30s).

The biggest thing: you can’t get your entire sense of purpose and esteem from your “work self.”

You need internal, personal, and relational maturity too.

I'd argue that most new businesses have to compete on price because they're... new and unproven. 😉

You haven't earned the right to "charge more" yet.

You don't want to compete on price forever, but in the beginning, it's often necessary.

https://twitter.com/N0RESP0NSE/status/1359226922593628162

@thepatwalls Every form of media seems to have some form of “popular vapid content.”

I’m ok with it.

a) sometimes I like a cheesy pop song
b) there are lots of voices on Twitter (and elsewhere) who are driven by curiosity and have substance

We can seek out whichever form we want. 👍

Wow! That was nuts. Thanks to everyone who showed up and participated.

Before I forget, I'll drop some of the key resources/tools/ideas we discussed in this thread 👉

Odd to see folks advocating that Twitter should be a “government controlled utility.”

So, you want to fight censorship by giving a central government control over the big social media platforms?

(Personally, as a citizen, I’m more afraid of being censored by the government)

The President could also, conceivably, send a letter to every citizen:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/his-name-on-stimulus-checks-trump-sends-a-gushing-letter-to-90-million-people/2020/04/28/04143a62-8999-11ea-ac8a-fe9b8088e101_story.html

On second thought, maybe it should be:

3. Make sure the numbers work.

@fortelabs I was 15 years old!

A lot of classic albums came out that year.

💸 Evaluate how much it costs you to:

1. Capture customer demand
2. Create experiences that keep customers happy

Keep costs as low as possible.

You want healthy margins for your time, energy, and profit.

https://justinjackson.ca/costs

Pure gold. https://twitter.com/vinn_ayy/status/1336178629450018817

So thankful for all the customers who have trusted @TransistorFM with their podcast.

Our goal has always been to give you the best customer experience we can and help you share your audio with the world.

Incredibly gratifying to be able to do this for a living. 🥰

@rosiesherry I’m a fan of:

@iamashley’s podcasts and writing
@charliprangley’s YouTube
@mariepoulin’s YouTube
@theartofchristi’s substack
@Abadesi’s podcasts
@leenyburger & @mjwhansen’s podcast

@jasonfried YES!!

I actually owe you for introducing me to the concept of an "empty calendar." Thank you. 🙏

I remember reading this article in 2009 and thinking: "This is the kind of calm I want in my life."

https://www.inc.com/magazine/20091101/the-way-i-work-jason-fried-of-37signals.html

Good rule for writing, podcasts, video... https://twitter.com/AliAbdaal/status/1329000173134094336

For example: @Alanis and @GlenBallard wrote the song “Ironic” really quickly.

To Alanis, it felt like a throwaway:

“I didn’t even want that song on the record,” she told Rolling Stone.

It ended up becoming her greatest hit.

Founders: what’s the ideal company size? (For you)

How do you know?

What does "unsatiated demand" look like?

⌨️ @tuple: devs liked Screenhero, and then Slack killed it. The only other options were Zoom and Skype.

🖥️ @tailwindcss: devs want to get better at design. Devs were "sick of overriding unwanted styles, and fighting with Bootstrap."

Human society requires a baseline of trust in shared institutions.

That isn't to say our institutions are perfect or don't need the occasional correction.

But if we throw it all away, we get anarchy.

@cforsythdev At what point can we call a spade a spade, and label a truly incorrigible man as such?

Here's the official announcement:
https://transistor.fm/changelog/distribution/

Paraphrasing @SethGodinBlog:

“If you own the channel, you have something that creators don't have – the Means of Distribution. Then, you can pit creators against each other, and they’ll work for lower rates.”

Creators lose, and the platforms (Spotify and YouTube) profit.

It's challenging for an indie bootstrapped SaaS to compete in the SEO channel.

Trying to figure out @TransistorFM's next steps to level-up our game.

Guessing we'll need to get creative!

Just found this tweet:

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/625885464180862976

@KateKendall Wearing my @TightenCo shirt right now!

@adamwathan The kid’s right: Rapunzel’s dress IS purple.

OMG. Sealed package!

The market is the wave.

All waves have different shapes, sizes, and timing.

Competition is the number of surfers gunning for the same wave.

Your ability to get to a wave and ride it better than your competitors depends on your speed, skill, experience, privilege, and timing. https://twitter.com/mattwensing/status/1303329642871488518

Also, a cautionary tale:

Often, the companies who “break trail” (create a new category) don’t survive.

They just end up paving the way for other companies who come later.

You don’t always want to be first.

@adamwathan Can we call this “Slayer mode?”

Bad ideas are hungry: they consume whatever energy, money, or time you throw at them, without giving you anything back.

Often:

Bad markets = bad market channels

If people are willing to pay, but there’s no efficient way to reach them, that’s a bad market!

I get questions like this all the time: “What are the best marketing channels I can use to reach my market?”

How should I know!? It’s *your* market. You should be the expert! (That’s the point).

What works in my market likely won’t work for you.

Another thing:

I’m not against taxation (or privacy laws), but the EU really needs to look at how hard they’re making it for small businesses.

The compliance is going to kill EU based startups, because companies in the USA are going to be able to move faster.

@tylertringas Understanding cross-border legal and accounting ramifications.

(ie. Founders in different countries, owning a Canadian/US subsidiary)

Love this. ❤️ https://twitter.com/zuzana_kunckova/status/1288113997409947648

@brent_bellamy Whoa! Is this the same house?

"Eyes are being opened. These are children who were treated as if they had just robbed a bank or shot up a church."

Powerful words from @chrisstewartesq (lawyer for one of the Atlanta students) at the press conference today.

If it wasn’t for civilian video, this assault by police would have never come to light.

Nobody would have known; nobody would have cared.

It makes me furious.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1267147449577148423 https://twitter.com/Brittm_tv/status/1267147449577148423

Related:
https://twitter.com/jamesclear/status/1264984310194622464?s=21 https://twitter.com/JamesClear/status/1264984310194622464

And here we gooooooooo

https://twitter.com/marcoarment/status/1262824593494073345

This plumbing company I used once has been calling me every week seeing where they can “provide more value.”

“HVAC check?” No thanks.
“Furnace filter replacement?” Nope.

I don’t need “more value” right now!

I’ll call you when my pipes are leaking. 🤙

Do I know any bootstrappers who are on Clubhouse?

(Not the Project Management app, the new audio social app)

I’m not on it either, just curious.

“Things will not always be easy; sometimes we do fail. But it isn't failing that makes you a failure. It's staying down that does. The ability to stand up, brush yourself and try again is a huge strength. It's something that will take you very far in your life.”
– @LynMullalyHunt

“Art is not practical. Art is valuable because it’s not practical. (That’s what makes it great).” – @_brandswell

We often compare ideas to seeds. But a bad seed can’t grow into a plant; only a good seed can.

Got a bad idea? Don’t spend lots of time fertilizing it, watering it, and trying to get it to grow. No! Throw it away.

Focus on cultivating good ideas and helping them grow. 🌱

Seeing lots of good discussion on this episode. ✌️

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/build-your-saas-bootstrap-in-2020/id1357295850?i=1000472925317

A few of my key points 👉

Bands face this all the time:

"You used to sing about going to high school and partying! Now you just sing about global warming. Go back to the old stuff!"

Again, if grown adults want to keep singing songs about being teenagers that's fine.

But it's also OK to grow.

What’s the best “zoom concert” or “selfie cam jam” you’ve seen so far?

For me, it’s been the @barenakedladies.

I wasn’t a huge fan before, but I’m really digging them!

Feels like they understand the medium, and how to perform on the smaller screen. 👍

https://youtu.be/qe7ZW7ypKfM

Also, Apple Pay is a gamechanger for local merchants (and indie stores online).

It's 1000% better than any other checkout system.

@Square & @LightspeedHQ need to integrate with them (and Google Pay) as soon as possible.

Kudos to @tobi & @Shopify for having it already. 🙌

My guess is that communities will also see an uptick:

- Platforms: @discourse, Reddit, Mighty Networks, Telegram
- Communities: @megamaker, @wip

This is dope!

🙌 @GarethRedfern

(and, nice use of the @TransistorFM player)

https://prog.house/

How are you doing? https://www.pscp.tv/w/cUZr1TM4NTU1MXwxUGxLUW1lTVFqTUtFW-o9GOe5nlrYZeRBEeXlRZB3oV6QTcA4yTidUMTel84=

Just upped my monthly Patreon support for @theleviallen.

❤️ love him as a human and a creator, and want to continue to support his work during this downturn.

https://patreon.com/leviallen?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=creatorshare

@ArlanWasHere These kids need to watch Claire's video:

She just got back from Spain where she saw the effects of coronavirus firsthand.

#covid19 is no joke.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/B9xl0dpovjb/?igshid=1wdwz7p771bap

@jasonfried This is ace. 💯

@lukaszkups um, yes.

played King's Quest on 10 disks. 🤣

This is cool! https://twitter.com/notrab/status/1235313548915544065

This is an interesting revenue model for open source projects!

I dig it. 💯 https://twitter.com/DCoulbourne/status/1234548237769617413

💯 this https://twitter.com/JohnONolan/status/1233024433448554496

VC money enables startups to operate outside of normal market conditions:

- CAC doesn’t matter as long as user base is growing
- They can undercut market prices (and lose money)
- Often, they ignore gov regulations

It looks like they’re creating demand, but it doesn’t last.

@JordanGal I’ve thought about this a bunch as well.

If you need $50k-$100k, a loan seems like a great option for a bootstrapper.

You keep all your equity, and only need to pay back the loan once (as opposed to 2-3x, or dividends forever).

Even at 15% interest, it’s a good deal.

How much of the American wealth pie goes to the middle?

You might be surprised:

@petersuhm @arvidkahl It all depends on your semantics. 😜

The primary message I’m trying to communicate is “the size of the wave you’re trying to catch matters.”

If there’s no evidence of market pull (people actively buying in your category) it’s going to be a lot harder.

https://justinjackson.ca/today

Can I install @Statamic 3 and get one of these starter packs going? https://www.pscp.tv/w/cPi-NTM4NTU1MXwxdk94d2Fkd1hSREdC7Y3nL_y8iCGqyeaEHUIWgN3-ITUnCWW4g6eV6BFNESY=

(Thinking out loud)

I suppose if you open a dessert spot, the dessert IS the entree. 😉

The point is to focus on the “main dish” as opposed to the ancillary dishes.

Digging @nbashaw's Divinations paid-newsletter.

Really in-depth analysis. 👍

The latest: https://divinations.substack.com/p/your-actual-competition?r=1maux&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&utm_source=twitter

My point is more about positioning than search volume.

I’m wondering if it’s better to start a company with “general” positioning (Squarespace, Webflow) and then target longtail (niches) with landing pages.

(As opposed to structuring your whole company around a niche vertical)

There’s a natural tension between the “safety of the known” and the “opportunities in the unknown.”

Some safety and familiarity is healthy, but don’t let it hold you back from discovering new ideas

Every once in awhile, venture out and explore the world of possibilities.

It’s not enough to open your mind to new possibilities; first you need to get in a different space.

Explore a new culture, a different profession, or a bigger city.

Go to a meetup, conference, or party you wouldn’t normally attend.

Expand your world.

One realization I had (after listening to Saul Griffith on the @ezraklein show):

Life could become *better* as we solve climate change.

If we take the premise seriously, it allows us to imagine a clean energy future.

It doesn’t have to be depressing!

https://overcast.fm/+QLhUk_f9A

Our instinct is to respond by pointing the finger (“But China, India, the elites!”), stroking our ego (“but I own a Tesla!”), or becoming despondent.

We’ll do anything but consider the premise: “Do we fly too much? What could we do instead?”

(I get it, I do this too)

@joelgascoigne Environmental impact.

How do our business activities help (or harm) the climate?

I’m currently considering the environmental costs of:
- air travel
- cloud infrastructure

Also considering, like @patrickc and @tobi, how we can invest resources in climate change solutions.

There are solutions, but we need to act now.

Specifically, governments need to quit offering the *wrong* incentives (fossil fuel subsidies) and start offering the right ones (help businesses and families decarbonize transportation, homes, and manufacturing).

@abigailotwell That outfit is basically all you need to get into Canada. 👍

@r00k “They said no after some debate.”

Typical dev team purchasing process. 🤣

Yes! Lianna will be an incredible MC for @MicroConf. 🙌

Perfect choice. 👌 https://twitter.com/punchlinecopy/status/1205246109351845889

When I say “market” I don’t just mean “a target group to sell to.”

I mean “X dollars was spent on Y.”

“The turkey market in 2017 was $4.87 billion.” 🦃

@destraynor @satyanadella that’s a mere 160,000x the value of my little @TransistorFM company. 🤣

It’s going to be a frosty bike ride this morning! 🚴‍♂️

@ow NO VIDEO GAMES AT WORK

@enigmaticsoulrg @wonderwomentech @marketingdevs Beauty! That was quick. The full amount was raised in under 15 minutes. 🙌

Conference ticket ✅
Plane ticket ✅
Hotel ✅

Have a great time @enigmaticsoulrg!

Let's help get @enigmaticsoulrg to the @wonderwomentech conference!

Her flight has been sponsored.
Her conference ticket has been sponsored.

She only needs a bit more: http://gf.me/u/wgtj3c

I'll give a free copy of @marketingdevs to anyone who contributes $50+ (full course).

This is my new favorite weekly newsletter. https://twitter.com/inevernu/status/1105099827396964353

@rrhoover we have maple syrup 🍁 🥞

So true it hurts. https://t.co/UiJBntkj1y