Tweets

The way it’s structured currently, most of the upside from AI will accrue to venture capitalists, big corporations, and the wealthy.

AI is a cost cutting, labor saving technology that benefits owners, not regular employees.

Ultimately, the benefits won’t “trickle down.”

@waitbutwhy Really enjoyed this one.

The “human history as a book” metaphor is really powerful.

I wrote about how we set all this up here:

https://justinjackson.ca/wfh

Just added something new to my side-project, @MyPodStudio:

A new podcast studio! This one features @jmckinven's podcast recording booth he built into a cupboard.

A good one to check out if you have a smaller space:
https://mypodstudios.com/james-mckinven

@CasJam Yes!!! I love @statamic! 👏👏👏

@ylecun @adamdangelo @ESYudkowsky @TonyZador Yann, why the hyperbole?

In the debate, you say: "Stuart has called me stupid," and then you reference a quote where he doesn't call you stupid?

If you'd rather read this thread as a blog post, that's here:
https://justinjackson.ca/chatgpt-business

(I'll keep updating it as I have more thoughts)

This brings me to the risks of building your startup on @OpenAI's ChatGPT (or other AI platforms):

OpenAI's ChatGPT is not open. Their source code is closed, and you must pay for API access.

OpenAI also just announced their plugin store, a central marketplace they control.

Here's the news! 🎉

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1640472931364143104

I appreciate @danshipper's perspective here and encourage folks to read the whole piece:

https://every.to/chain-of-thought/awe-anxiety-and-ai

Reality is far more nuanced:

There are smart people who do (and say) dumb things.

There are extroverted folks who need alone time to recharge.

There are people who a generally positive in their daily lives but need to talk about hard, "negative" topics.

This was a quick, fun no-code project.

I had the idea
Registered the domain ($9.76)
Got a blog going on @blogstatic ($19/year)
Created a form on @heyreform (already had account)

...all within a few hours.

I already have a queue of submissions ready to go in Reform!

New record day!

Reddit is down. 😅

@nathanbarry Omg. The @TransistorFM team and I could not live without @crisp_im.

By far, the best value for live chat, support software, help docs. ❤️

Got a message from @jsonperl saying: "Just publish it now!"

The episode is out:
https://share.transistor.fm/s/4e602604

@mynameis_davis I remember @asmartbear used to do these kinds of sessions in-person, and had them recorded for a podcast.

This was years ago. Can’t remember the name of the podcast.

“Funding for bootstrappers”

Enjoying @CasJam’s interview with @tylertringas:

https://overcast.fm/+46sEhv6MI

@balsamiq @peldi Aspirationally, my goal has always been to emulate Balsamiq's values, way of working, and vibe at @TransistorFM. 🥰

They've always seemed to be focused on "building a better life" for stakeholders in addition to building a great product. 💯

“Jesus was carried out by four security guards, one on each limb... kind of like he was on a cross. The kicker is the song Suicide Messiah was playing while this unfolded. You can't make this stuff up.”

For me personally, podcasts opened up a whole new world to me.

Hearing from folks like @robwalling, who were bootstrapping software businesses, gave me the inspiration, insight, and awareness to eventually launch my own products.

Remarkable how similar all of these acquisitions go.

https://justinjackson.ca/is-the-money-still-bored

More from the @verge here:

https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/15/23512113/twitter-blocking-mastodon-links-elon-musk-elonjet

I was feeling totally overwhelmed about this marketing challenge we're having at Transistor, so I decided to write a newsletter about it:

https://justinjackson.ck.page/posts/justin-s-problem

(felt good to write it out)

If you've faced a similar challenge, I'd love to hear how you solved it. 👍

🎙️ Podcast idea:

Use a tool like @answerthepublic to find podcast topics people are searching for ("best podcast for...").

"Best podcast for camping"
"Best podcast for anxiety"

Pick the topic you're interested in, and start recording episodes.

Use @TransistorFM to host it!

Did a bunch of studying on #GPT3 today. 😅

Research by @emilymbender and @chirag_shah demonstrates that language models (like GPT) aren't well-suited to replace search engines or human expertise.

https://www.washington.edu/news/2022/03/14/qa-preserving-context-and-user-intent-in-the-future-of-web-search/

Would love to build up my newsletter list again.

I've been sending shorter "thoughts about startups, bootstrapping, ethics, tech, and building a better life."

Read the latest issue and subscribe here:
https://justinjackson.ck.page/posts

Again, the GPT3 model wasn't designed to provide accurate medical advice.

In the past, the GPT3 model has made "dangerous oversimplifications" when it comes to health:
https://www.nabla.com/blog/gpt-3/

Self-diagnosis is already a problem on the internet; I hope GPT doesn't make it worse.

For example, @tdinh_me built a screenshot tool called @XnapperHQ.

There were already existing options, so Xnapper had to be better in a few areas that customers cared about.

So Xnapper focused on generating "beautiful 'twitter-ready' screenshots without using Photoshop."

“I want to help people make better bets: to be mindful of what they commit themselves to.”

Had a great chat with @5harath on his podcast.

Add it to your @OvercastFM queue here:

https://overcast.fm/+8BYQZ63c4

@JordanGal Crypto doesn't represent all decentralized tech. 😉

The crypto culture incorporated decentralized ideals into their belief system, but "decentralized" was a thing long before crypto came along (SMPT, RSS, DNS, etc)

The entire backbone of the internet is decentralized; it works.

@StarleeKine This one?

I’ll give it a listen!

https://overcast.fm/+8EWsQ8fDc

@yongfook You’ve really executed on this concept well!

Love the simplicity, playfulness, and clarity of the offer. 👍

Trying an AI photo experiment: training it mostly with "crazy hair / bedhead" photos.

Curious to see what outputs it generates. 😆

Love this thought from @nomadicdigital:

"I'd point out that changes in trajectory only make an impact if you also have velocity and/or momentum. (If your engine isn't on, it doesn't matter which way you're pointed)."

Is Twitter done?

Also experimenting (and having fun) on Mastodon:
@mijustin" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://mastodon.social/@mijustin

Feels like the old internet (FidoNet, BBSes, Geocities, UseNet).

I'm @mijustin@mastodon.social there.

As an acquisition, YouTube worked because:

a) it augments Google's primary economic driver (ads) and primary feature (search)
b) Google had the money to float YouTube until they could get the monetization engine going
c) Google partnered with creators, shared rev, built tools

Are you a "glass half-full or half-empty" kind of person?

Culturally, with think:

- Half-full: happy, positive 😃
- Half-empty: negative, miserable 🙁

But after studying the underlying philosophies of optimism & pessimism, I think we've misunderstood what they mean.

1/

My point is these businesses are really difficult to run.

Even Apple (Ping) and Google (Google+ and Buzz) failed.

Despite all of their resources, acumen, and success in other categories, they couldn’t pull it off.

https://www.macrumors.com/2020/09/01/itunes-ping-launched-10-years-ago-today/

@sol_orwell I know! You have to export it as a web page first. 🤦‍♂️

@Shpigford @levelsio @elonmusk Got it. I don’t feel I was pessimistic in my response.

(Or pessimistic in general!)

Pushing back on ideas, challenging beliefs, and being concerned about the future isn’t “pessimism”.

That’s participating in the marketplace of ideas.

We really are at the precipice of some really shitty consequences if we don’t act soon.

If you’re someone who likes making things, it’s in your interest to care and act!

I really enjoyed @delong’s interview on the @every podcast:

https://share.transistor.fm/s/a9ee85f7

A fascinating historical perspective on human development, technology, capitalism, and culture.

(After listening I bought his new book, Slouching Towards Utopia)

The first thing you notice when you meet people from the internet in real life:

"Oh, that's how tall you are." 😅

@AlexLlullTW I recently tried @blogstatic and found it really easy to set up. I was able to start writing immediately.

@noahwbragg @aarondfrancis loved the back-and-forth questions on this episode!

(Reminded me about what it was like as an indie hacker with small kids)

https://overcast.fm/+T3khIGRf0

The key is to get in motion.

It’s what you discover along the way that will likely make the biggest difference.

But if you’re standing still, stuck trying to figure out which direction to go, you’ll miss out on that discovery.

THIS!!! https://twitter.com/marcelladotco/status/1572445599999336451

@CasJam Urban design / urban renewal
Documentaries on music (bands, singers)
The skateboard and snowboard industries
Post-evangelicalism (leaving church/ministry)

Around 2012, @mjwhansen & @MathiasHansen launched a mobile app called "Open Nearby," showing you what stores were open now.

The map in the app required geocoding. Google Maps was too expensive, so they built @Geocodio to serve their own needs.

https://searchingforsaas.com/podcast/ep25-local-restaurant-app-to-geocoding-as-a-service-michele-hansen-from-geocodio/

AI-driven media platforms (TikTok) will exploit the cheap/free content from creators to drive their algorithm + build their business as long as it suits them.

But you better believe: as soon as they can generate the content with AI (and bypass creators entirely) they will.

Thanks @JackRhysider! ❤️

https://www.reddit.com/r/podcasting/comments/xciarj/comment/io5algk/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

@cgenco congrats on getting married! 🎉

#t=39m48s" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://share.transistor.fm/s/81ad3655#t=39m48s

Is podcast search broken?

If I wanted to find podcast episodes on a specific topic, how hard would that be?

Yesterday I tested podcast search on:

🍎 @ApplePodcasts
🟢 @spotifypodcasts
💠 @Google Podcasts
🗒️ @ListenNotes, @Podchaser, and more

Here are my results...

I asked my four teenagers this question a few weeks ago:

"What does RSS stand for?"

Their best guess was "Radically Simple Service" 😅

(It's actually "Really Simple Syndication")

https://twitter.com/JudoHacker/status/1567589841143037955?s=20&t=z70Mrdmh4MXnAwsQfuI19g

The tricky thing, for any indie creator, is that ultimately you’re beholden to market forces, and markets aren’t always kind. There’s winners and losers.

Typically, getting to a win is going to require some losses. Unfortunately, not everyone can sustain themselves long enough.

Who do I know who lives in Victoria, BC?

A bunch of jumps to get to #PM22 in Dallas:

🇨🇦 YLW 🛫 YVR
🇨🇦🇺🇸 YVR 🛫 DEN

Soon (hopefully 🤞):

🇺🇸 DEN 🛫 DFW

This episode features questions from @marcelladotco @iChris @jasondoesstuff @noahwbragg @thisiskp_ @ForaLiving_Pod @phuctm97 @connor_lindsey @yongfook 🤙

Now, the @TransistorFM player jumps to specific time stamps:

#t=21m19s" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://share.transistor.fm/s/aed24420#t=21m19s

I've been getting so many good tips for attending @PodcastMovement, I've collated it all into a blog post:

https://transistor.fm/podcast-movement/

Hopefully, this is helpful for other #pm22 first-time attendees as well!

(Have something I should add? Let me know! 🙌)

Over the next four years, we’ll focus on the things that got us here:

1. Understanding our customers better than anyone else
2. Building high-quality software
3. Offering exceptional customer support
4. Having a calm work environment

In early 2018, we decided to make it official, and signed a partnership agreement.

From the outset, we had two main goals for @TransistorFM:

1. To build the best podcast hosting platform on the planet
2. To build a good life for us as business owners

An example:

In 2012, I collaborated on a small podcast for product people with @kylefox.

Not only did I develop a rich friendship with Kyle, but I built relationships with many incredible people.

These relationships were hugely helpful when Jon and I started @TransistorFM.

"Tesla said it made $272 million on bitcoin sales early last year. Add that to the $936 million it offloaded this quarter and the $218 million it still held at the end of the quarter, and Tesla comes out roughly $74 million in the red on its bitcoin bet."

https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-bitcoin-converted-to-fiat-crypto-crash-elon-musk-2022-7

🎯 https://twitter.com/valsopi/status/1547522703388704768

@MattGiovanisci r u drinking beer right now

Yes, it’s multiple factors: the accumulation of skills, experiences, intuition, connections, and (yes) resources. 💯

https://twitter.com/hey_rick__/status/1545195380698120194?s=21&t=jtL1GxOvjQEZui2BFmNUQA

@bohlenlabs @arvidkahl @jspector Thanks for including me!

I’ll add:

- @coreyhainesco: SaaS marketing
- @HelenRyles: SaaS customer success
- @valsopi: blogging
- @venikunche: diversity and hiring

@Patticus Here’s what I’ve seen:

- Assistants who book meetings for execs love apps like @savvycal (makes their job way easier). The execs themselves don’t care.
- Indie hackers / small shops also love tools like this.
- The only people I’ve seen get “offended” are tech workers in SF.

@nathanbarry Your pricing tiers examples really resonated with me when I first read them years ago.

Nice to re-read them now!

@r00k I’m different on this one: I don’t mind getting those links at all!

(But they do seem to stress out my co-founder)

Here's a quick video demo of how @PodcastSites works.

Pretty crazy that we can generate all of this from someone's podcast RSS feed. 🤯

These are fully functional websites that you can connect to your custom domain (we’re also offering free SSL through @caddyserver)

Often an innovative product will “break trail” (do the hard/expensive work to establish a category), which makes it easier for other companies access that market and profit.

@PierreDeWulf When I wrote @marketingdevs, I tried to make this as clear as possible:

@anothercohen @typeform I switched to @petersuhm’s @heyreform. 👍

🎯 It's easier to sell a product if folks are already searching for it:

"Mapping API alternative to Google Maps" 👉 @Geocodio

"Calendar scheduling tool" 👉 @savvycal

"Tool for video messaging" 👉 @ZipMessage

https://twitter.com/mjwhansen/status/1527015921742761986

Thinking about this again.

Broadly, I still agree with the original point (a customer has to have a baseline of motivation to start using your product).

But, there are tactics a startup can employ to encourage activation and/or recurring usage. https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1486219294685888512

This was a roller coaster!

Probably the most “open eyed” exploration of NFTs I’ve heard yet.

https://overcast.fm/+E24Ady3Wo

1990 was also a huge year for games.

VGA games were becoming more popular (over the EGA standard).

Secret of Monkey Island
Commander Keen
King's Quest 5
Spider Man

https://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-list.php?tp=4&year=1990&ord=4

I'm discussing this more in my newsletter tomorrow.

You can subscribe here if you want to get it + chat more:

https://justinjackson.ca/newsletter

Just added @fideloper's podcast ("Pushing Boulders") to this list as well:

"Growing a business is a lot of hard work. This podcast is about talking to people who are building their own businesses - pushing their own boulder up the hill."

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

Years ago, I started a snowboard shop in my small suburb, thinking that the thousands of snowboarders in my area would want to "shop local"

But what I didn't consider was their existing momentum: they were happy to drive into the big city and shop at stores with more inventory.

Lots of folks saying "there's no way Elon could run Twitter worse it's been run"

But, there are many ways Elon could be worse. Statistically, there are innumerable outcomes that are possible.

Also, everyone's definition of "what's worse" is different. Which rubric are we using?

@tnorthcutt "Wait and see" is a good life philosophy, but it's not a panacea for all of life's situations.

Yes, we can't be swayed emotionally by every event.

But: but there are times when we *do* need to react.

The danger with "we'll see" is descending into apathy.

I think folks will dig tomorrow's newsletter.

Topics:
- A list of founder salaries I've found
- How people are really getting more Twitter followers
- A response to what Elon said in Vancouver

Would love to have more Twitter followers get it:
https://justinjackson.ca/newsletter

You should probably leave the first job you get in your 20s sooner than you think.

Most career advancements occur:

1. As a result of a connection (not a job application)
2. Moving to a new company (as opposed to getting a promotion at your current company)

Love this interview with @Bobby_Seagull by @AliAbdaal.

“What’s involved in the equation for success? Some say its talent, innate intelligence, education, privilege, grit, or simply dumb luck.”

https://share.transistor.fm/s/69f5c6c4

@heyeaslo @jasonfried @peterthiel @arvidkahl @ericries @shl "The Mom Test" by @robfitz
"Deploying Empathy" by @mjwhansen
"Badass: Making Users Awesome" by Kathy Sierra

@valsopi What you need now is to create the impression that "people like [this], use blogstatic."

The idea is to create the perception that lots of folks in a given group are using your product.

@KateBour has a good piece on this: https://app.mailerlite.com/z7u7g6k0o2

Really great stuff in Brian’s AMA today (especially his tips on generating SaaS ideas) 👍 https://twitter.com/CasJam/status/1508820414000209930

These days, a nice-looking desk setup can be part of your brand.

@ugmonk is a good example: his desk setup is widely known and recognizable.

https://ugmonk.com/blogs/journal/how-i-designed-a-super-productive-desk-setup

@joedubeytldr Did that partner at Sequoia get it from me? Genuinely curious.

https://justinjackson.ca/surfing

I know business partners can cause stress + strife, but my experience with @jonbuda has been the opposite.

Teaming up with someone who has different skills has been a force multiplier.

As a two-person startup, we were able to compete with teams of 20. (Today, we have 4 people).

Live coding: adding a new section @transistorfm's homepage ? (HTML, @tailwindcss, @statamic) https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1LyxBojrybrKN

We got the whole @TransistorFM band together for a @buildyoursaas episode!

@HelenRyles and @jsonperl shared what it’s like to work with Jon and I. 😆

https://overcast.fm/+MBmWqnFkM

Please join me! We're really excited about this one. 🙌 https://twitter.com/TransistorFM/status/1503477863483289600

Method 2: look for popular product searches

Search for "best software for" in various places and see what gets recommended. (Add additional qualifiers that interest you: "best software for audio")

Places to try:

- Google
- Twitter search
- FB search
- Reddit
- Keyword explorer

Watching 1971 on @AppleTV, and it’s captivating.

“The year that music changed everything.”

Worth checking out.

https://tv.apple.com/ca/show/1971-the-year-that-music-changed-everything/umc.cmc.6dkxf7hxdcaueu4jhe1wm2k2n