Tweets

I’m beating this drum because I hear too many startup retroactives where the founder will say:

“We won because we had a great product.”

“We won because we solved a specific problem for a specific niche.”

“We won because we had an incredible team.”

Yes, but...

Podcasting is at its best when the humans behind the mic get vulnerable.

Really enjoyed this latest update from @joshuaanderton. 👌

The last half is especially raw, and it’s the part I identified with the most emotionally:
https://overcast.fm/+T1MwldTP8

I’ve been there too Josh! ✊

@MicroConf OMG! ARE WE ALL GETTING RED STAPLERS? 😮🙏

@ericlbarnes This is how I imagine @ianlandsman has been living for the past decade.

@artur_sfo @mozilla @elastic @InVisionApp @gitlab @automattic @digitalocean @auth0 @CloudBees @zapier @CircleCI @Percona @xteam @dribbble @buffer @TransistorFM > 2

Other places to look:

Are they searching for answers on Google?

Are they asking for recommendations in Slack?

Are they sharing hacks and workarounds in private groups?

Are they hiring contractors and employees to get the task done?

What are some ways to identify what people are looking for?

The best way is to already be heavily involved in an industry, group, or product category. You'll notice what solutions people are looking for because you're in the same office. 😉

@philipggross @QasimRashid Homelessness is a result of complex causes.

But a big part of the response is going to be “more money for programs.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6445694/

“Customers should already know they have the problem you think they have, and be attempting to solve it.” – @patio11

Just built & deployed a new version of the Podcast Artwork Previewer tool with @jonbuda https://www.pscp.tv/w/cJ3M3jM4NTU1MXwxeW5KT3dWZWdqbEpSceNKBnqMTvpvtni8nmmZkPcWLwPKBpPhwuiB225SYUs=

@pjrvs @TransistorFM Thanks Paul. ❤️

@louisnicholls_ Totally. And understanding that “value” is often more emotional than substantive.

🎯 https://twitter.com/ogrover/status/1192634466658897920

Building re-usable content blocks in @statamic for better SEO + efficiency https://www.pscp.tv/w/cJCeCzM4NTU1MXwxdk94d2FZbW5sV0dCceWErO074HStk48FNRnYiwjZozL3vpwt01X-Itb1DBI=

Apps had a single marketplace (the App Store); one place to search for, and discover, new apps.

Podcast discovery is spread across multiple directories and apps (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Search, Podchaser, PodHunt, Podyssey).

I like how @robwalling describes the benefits of building an audience.

It’s not always about getting direct sales! Often, it’s the other, intangible, benefits that make it worthwhile.

His whole chat with @CorbettBarr is worth listening to:

https://overcast.fm/+Jq5UGN6s

@taylorotwell AWWWWW YEAAAAAAH 🔥

Question: "It seems like Transistor doesn't have as much mindshare as Libsyn, Blubbry, and other big podcast hosts. What's going to be your big differentiator?"

First, Jon and I don't necessarily want to be as big as those companies! Competitively, we just think about our users.

On the latest episode of Tradeoffs, @hnshah and @Patticus discussed more of this context:

* Campfire and Hipchat helped create and prove their was a market.
* Slack was fun and colorful; other apps were drab.
* Folks wanted more integrations.

https://share.transistor.fm/s/9c4257b8

The idea of "product-user fit" doesn't resonate with me as much, but the article is still worth reading.

https://a16z.com/2019/09/16/product-user-fit-comes-before-product-market-fit/

We can see how this kind of behavior gets manifested online.

Behind a computer screen, it's even easier for folks who are hurt, bitter, angry, resentful, to lash out at others.

Eventually, if you're on the internet, you're going to encounter one of these toxic people.

"What are most people doing currently?" is key.

People's current pattern generally determines their direction.

Example: If I've never thought about pair programming, it's unlikely you'll convince me to buy @PairWithTuple. But if I loved Screenhero, you have a chance.

I’ve had products where the initial interest was high:

- lots of pre-launch buzz
- tons of people signing up for the waiting list
- a big spike in launch-day sales

...only to find that usage fizzled out after a few weeks.

People felt excited, but didn’t act on it long-term.

@maxogles We're working on a new feature that we (hope) will increase average revenue per user and expansion revenue. 👌

Exactly! For many, a good idea is worth the price of admission.

The book can fill in the details, or give you a framework for implementing a new process.

But what makes a book compelling is a simple, compelling truth that folks haven't heard anywhere else. https://twitter.com/CasJam/status/1171049292888444930

“When we ignore trouble for so long, we can slip quickly into nihilism. It’s too late. We missed our chance to take action.” https://www.wired.com/story/we-might-be-reaching-peak-indifference-on-climate-change/

@m1guelpf r u making a bread slicer

@r00k @artofproductpod We’ve been running @megamaker as a paid community since 2013.

It’s private Slack + private forums.

After trying a bunch of different models, we found that monthly/annual doesn’t work as well as “pay once for lifetime access.”

@CasJam Join the @statamic train!

Lots of folks have switched lately: @pjrvs, @curtismchale, myself...

But this reinforces the point:

“Business is already hard, why make it harder?” – @asmartbear

Why try to enter a niche where there’s no demonstrable demand?

Why try to serve a total addressable market of 500, when you could go after 500,000 potential customers?

Best decision I made all day, @sambreed. 👌

@Patticus Have you seen this Deloitte survey yet?

https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/streaming-subscription-fatigue-us-consumers-deloitte-study-1203166046/

WEB IMAGES. How do I deliver an appropriate image to every user depending on screen size in @statamic using @tailwindcss? https://www.pscp.tv/w/cBxK0DM4NTU1MXwxak1KZ3ZtRWdRWUdMza9EMDv67V-xESJYS1Z49K0A3NhPQzrx7lqs0q2L2-U=

Ok. Banging my head against the wall here trying to figure out how to progressively optimize images.

Got questions about WebP, fallbacks, and more.

A thread...

(You can also upvote and comment on @podhuntapp)

https://podhunt.app/episodes/85/founder-depression-going-independent-the-future-of-podcasting

@LorenzoCiglioni @jasonfried @jonbuda It will be published on Tuesday. It will be episode 70.

If you subscribe here it will be the next one you get:
https://saas.transistor.fm/subscribe

(@iChris is editing it right now)

@patio11 If you’re there now, you should meet @m1guelpf.

He’s one of the most gifted teenaged web devs I know!

I met him and his family while they were in NYC a few days ago (they’re in Chicago now, visiting from Spain)

The podcast that @KarenUnland does with her daughter (@thatsathingYEG) is a great illustration of how you can stand out in a crowd.

It's a completely different take on "the parenting podcast."

In 2013 I launched @megamaker, a private community for bootstrappers.

Since then, I've tried tons of discussion platforms:

- Campfire
- BuddyPress
- bbPress
- P2
- Mightybell
- Discourse
- Slack

None of them have done the job well.

When you've launched a new product, your advantage is in delighting people when they show up.

The easiest "no code" way to do that is by answering their questions as fast as you can.

“The few humans not replaced by machines have more power now than ever before.” https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/26/opinion/global-economy-cannes.html

coffee and donut at @ratiovernon before I head to #yyc for @podsummit!

Looking forward to meeting some @transistorfm podcasters in calgary!

Going live motivates me to ship more updates to this new @transistorfm marketing site https://www.pscp.tv/w/b9AXbjM4NTU1MXwxbER4THJSTmFRWkdtCk4cJAsQkcyvVgYMIesT0_NyPyQhWIJ2O1resRhn8II=

@imchristiepitts I’d forgotten about these! Need to add this to my list. 👌

This is the future: @statamic + @tailwindcss 💯 https://twitter.com/stefanbauerme/status/1136590321696088066

👋 Hypercard kid here too. https://twitter.com/davemorin/status/1135625601211981824

Omg.

This would be a good question for the @honeybadgerapp crew to answer on their next @FounderQuest podcast as well. 👌

@tylertringas @earnestcapital Dude, if you're going to say "Justin's wrong," give me some sort of reference point.

I have tons of reference points in my piece.

Give me yours.

Yes!!! 🎯 https://twitter.com/eliajf/status/1132371610306994177

Next month, I'll be in Calgary for @podsummit.

I'd like to meet as many #yyc podcasters as I can! 👋

If you're considering going after a small niche market (and want to know the pros and cons) definitely check out @justinvincent's interview with @ted_pitts & @harryhollander from Moraware. 👍

http://techzinglive.com/page/1080/190-tz-interview-ted-pitts-harry-hollander-moraware

There are certainly exceptions, but I’ve seen data from hundreds of indie businesses.

Almost everyone who is consistently earning more than $10k / month (and certainly those that break $50k) targeted a large, or fast growing, market that they could reach efficiently.

Seth Godin advises to “begin with the smallest viable market. What’s the minimum number of people you would need to influence to make it worth the effort?”

Incidentally, "when to walk away" was already the topic for tomorrow's newsletter. You can subscribe here to get it: http://justinjackson.ca/newsletter

@RossDCurrie Sometimes, you just gotta keep rehashing the same old wisdom. 😉

Show and tell: made some progress today on my @statamic theme + @tailwindcss https://www.pscp.tv/w/b6tKszM4NTU1MXwxZ3F4dlZET3dkUnhCYXgZf6az6_jNCJyJc2nhwV16WUBHTMmgdkbqTSi_7eU=

But cynicism kills progress. (https://justinjackson.ca/cynical)

It puts you in a rut.

this. so true. https://twitter.com/Shpigford/status/1125427329260556288

@sehurlburt I've been talking about my struggles as much as I can.

@abigailotwell #NeverForget

Taking @srobbin's minimalist CMS @hellovapid for a test drive https://www.pscp.tv/w/b5njjTM4NTU1MXwxQlJKanZPZU1ZVkp3wE8mRCDFAWow_LaCxRseTGN2uUrYwscEWVt98zbynPw=

Hey @brennandunn and @shaisc, you should add this to @rightmessageapp 😉

https://twitter.com/monolesan/status/1123230490016849920?s=21

@lovevalgeisler @useloom http://Headliner.app does video editing + transcription (and captions) in the browser.

(Although, would be nice to have recording + editing in the same interface)

@garrytan This reminds me of @rodneymullen's quote:

"I only won once. The rest of the time I was just defending my title, and it killed my creativity."

https://justinjackson.ca/rodney-mullen

@5minpause @avdi Hey Avdi! 👋 Happy to show you around @TransistorFM. I just made you a quick 1.5-minute overview.

I've been thinking about this tweet, and @nathanbarry's post on value, a lot lately:
https://nathanbarry.com/value/ https://twitter.com/tylertringas/status/1088085029048201216

@taylorotwell @adamwathan but did u learn css

This interactive podcast player by @Bitcast_fm is really cool:
https://www.bitcast.fm/podcast/1008/Build-Your-SaaS-bootstrapping-in-2019/episode/2536/When-should-bootstrappers-get-paid?spot=2899C

Going live with @laurium in 8 minutes!

https://my.demio.com/ref/qvSoKgBa9xU46Ld2

Perfectly orchestrated internet PR.

Well done @LEGO_Group, well done.

https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/b8kwq5/new_york_lego_store_knows_what_theyre_doing/

@pjrvs “Protein bars are just candy bars with good PR.”

This is why I like working with @jonbuda.

This product that @studiofellow is working on looks so good.

https://productinpublic.com/how-to-do-a-user-test-without-a-product/

Here's an update from ⁦@jonbuda⁩ and I on our progress with ⁦@TransistorFM⁩ 👋 https://overcast.fm/+MBmURou7o

Today I hit the Golden 6-pack on @TheStreaksApp.

This is from EP433 of Startups for the Rest of Us. Listen to the whole thing here:
https://www.startupsfortherestofus.com/episodes/episode-433-managing-your-emotions-the-cost-of-an-mvp-and-more-listener-questions

(Just one thought I had from @Shpigford's most recent blog post, which is excellent).

Read the whole thing here:
http://baremetrics.com/blog/sunsetting-intros

@Kameronkales That's Streaks!

https://streaksapp.com/

☝️ seriously, @LaraconUS is one of the best run conferences I've been to.

Attendees get seriously spoiled.

If your use #laravel, get a ticket!

@codyschneiderxx To me, it seems that people generally buy products they want (and often ignore things they need).

https://youtu.be/OgZhIWquqiw

@taylorotwell @adamwathan that's why I luv pairing with adam

Side note:

This is also what causes inequality.

Generations of actions lead some groups to a sustained advantage over other groups.

When one group (over centuries) gains too much power, they become so entrenched that other groups can't move upward.

That's bad for society.

Another one:

🕹️ The Wizard

My wife and I were leaving on a date, and my mom was wondering what a good movie might be for the kids.

I remember loving this movie as a kid, so I recommended it.

When we got back, mom was like:

🤦‍♂️ "That movie was terrible. The kids hated it."

@JamesCridland @RadioToday @TrevorDann Also:

- 36 million YouTube channels
- 505 million blogs

Podcasting is still tiny.

@Shpigford I talked about this recently.

I think the real power of school (or any collocated audience) is the opportunity to push people to practice.

https://twitter.com/TransistorFM/status/1090686097770799104

@davidhemphill I thought for sure one of those "L"s was going to be Lasagna.

It's fun when you get interviewed by someone you grew up with!

@coreyhaley and I went to school together in Stony Plain, AB.

Now he's a Vice-Principal, and has a podcast focused on improving education.

Listen to our chat on @ApplePodcasts:
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/intersection-education-corey-haley-toward-better-teaching/id1380397181?mt=2&i=1000428782489

@BillGates @tobi Can we tackle climate change next?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/everything-is-not-going-to-be-okay-how-to-live-with-constant-reminders-that-the-earth-is-in-trouble/2019/01/24/9dd9d6e6-1e53-11e9-8b59-0a28f2191131_story.html

@nathanbarry @TransistorFM @ConvertKit Dang. I was a champion for a hot second.

It's not really fair to compare @TransistorFM's numbers with @convertkit's (because we're still so new)...

... but technically I think we have the highest Quick Ratio @nathanbarry. 😉

https://nathanbarry.com/metrics/

@DanielleMorrill "Atomic Habits" by @JamesClear lead to a bunch of breakthroughs for me personally, and is one of the few books I've read where I could apply the advice immediately.

In my town, there are two barber shops side-by-side.

Barbershop A is booked 4 months in advance, and charge $38 for a haircut. They can't take walk-ins, they're too busy!

Barbershop B is rarely busy. They'll take walk-ins. They charge $25.

@callmevlad this is exactly the kind of company we're trying to build at @TransistorFM.

You've articulated it perfectly. 👌

@radermacher_io @taylorotwell @TransistorFM It takes a little while to get it submitted to iTunes (which is where Overcast gets their directory).

You can copy and paste this feed URL directly into Overcast:

https://feeds.transistor.fm/laravel-snippet

Awww yeaah! 🎉

If you want to see me speak in 2019, this might be your only chance:

https://twitter.com/laraconus/status/1082651590765498369?s=21

Canada is quiet. It's nice. 👌

https://twitter.com/levelsio/status/1082302756558299136?s=21

You can read his original article here:
https://signalvnoise.com/posts/2244-shoes-and-software

@jasonlk What does "any traction at all" look like to you?

@adamwathan Just wait...