Tweets

@MrSimonBennett Just reply and tell ‘em you’ve already invested it all in NFTs!

@Shpigford @tailwindcss It’s so nice to use. 🤙

Podcast promotion tips:

- Create better artwork, show titles, descriptions
- Build anticipation before you launch
- Optimize your podcast for search engines
- Cross-promote on other podcasts
- Use video clips to promote episodes
- Ask your listeners to share with their friends

✍️ Blog ideas:

Choose a hobby you're passionate about (skiing, photography, recording music) and write how-to blog posts on that topic:

"How to set up a small home recording studio."
"The best powder skis for the Rockies"

Try to rank for those queries on Google.

Wow. How does it know who I am? 🤔 https://twitter.com/hello_matthias/status/1600165776383627268

A sobering look at the environmental and social costs of mining for electric vehicles.

This doesn't mean electric vehicles are "bad," but it does mean we need to have our eyes open to the costs (and be willing to mitigate them).

https://restofworld.org/2022/indonesia-china-ev-nickel/

This looks dope! https://twitter.com/digitaltrouble/status/1595679861242216450

I spoke about all of this with @CasJam on his podcast.

Have a listen here:
https://share.transistor.fm/s/2cc458bf?t=37m8s

@arvidkahl @SilverStarMR Haha. Tried that!

If you're looking to recoup some costs/earn some revenue from your blog, consider joining a few good affiliate programs that match up with your audience.

For example, @TransistorFM will pay you 25% commission (ongoing) for any customers you refer to us. http://transistor.fm/affiliates

Using @dannypostmaa's tool for this:

https://www.profilepicture.ai/?ref=W0TMtiqAvmd4uxEihXWXWWmqDvr2

"The trust and safety team prepared a list of recommendations intended to help Musk avoid the most obvious and damaging consequences of his plans.

The document predicts with eerie accuracy some of the events that follow." – @CaseyNewton @ZoeSchiffer

https://www.platformer.news/p/elon-only-trusts-elon

@jackmcdade Why the lucky stiff:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_the_lucky_stiff

A good summary of what’s going on at Twitter:

https://pxlnv.com/linklog/today-at-twitter/

@TimLeland @noahwbragg @JackEllis @dr Yes. I think a one-time payment makes more sense for verification.

"Pay $ X, get verified."

(And, make people pay and get re-verified anytime they change their display name or handle)

Write your values out before you make a $ of revenue.

It defines what's important early on and helps you steer the ship in the direction you want.

Here are Transistor's values:
https://github.com/TransistorFM/handbook/blob/master/values.md

As an acquisition, Instagram worked because:

a) it augments FB's primary economic driver (ads) and primary feature (social feed)
b) FB was able to connect IG to their existing FB Ads platform, which was already popular with advertisers
c) It gave advertisers more channels

For me, having concern leads to action. "Yikes, that spot looks like skin cancer; I should call my doctor."

You need to detect the cancer before treatment can begin. And, if you notice a skin spot, you shouldn't pretend it doesn't exist. We need awareness + action.

/5

The essay dismisses the idea that "pessimism = negative (bad)" and "optimism = positive (good)"

In the author's view, pessimists aren't "negative, unhappy people."

Pessimism isn't about "expecting the worst" but rather "a refusal to believe that progress is a given."

3/

Here's something else cool @polarizetech built for the @TransistorFM website: a proper FAQs page!

https://transistor.fm/faqs/

Even cooler, he turned it into a reusable @statamic widget. Now I can easily insert different FAQs on different pages.

https://transistor.fm/pricing/

It's worth reading the entire post (and seeing what @itsurboyevan suggests at the end to "fix" twitter):

https://every.to/napkin-math/how-elon-wins

@Shpigford @levelsio @elonmusk Nothing pessimistic about my response; I’m just pushing back on the idea that the ethos being described here applies to most of Elon’s work.

Isn’t “pushing back on ideas” a feature of free speech?

2. Write your politicians and tell them you care. Tell them we can’t keep going this way. If you’re in the Pacific Northwest, talk about how fire and smoke is impacting your life and health. Tell them you want them to fix this.

@mjwhansen @mattwensing loving this series!

Halfway through part 1; it’s really great. 👍

https://overcast.fm/+gJ-XTuNxs

It’s really hard to convince people to buy a product that they don’t have an active desire for.

You can send me the best sales pitch in the world, but if it doesn’t connect with a desire I already have, I’ll just ignore it.

You can listen to @jonbuda, @jsonperl, @HelenRyles, and I discuss the entire retreat (with plenty of tips for other remote teams) on the @buildyoursaas podcast:

https://saas.transistor.fm/episodes/what-happened-at-our-team-retreat

Here's the list of everyone who's been on the podcast. Too many to list here!

(You can click on their photo and see all the episodes they were in)

https://saas.transistor.fm/people

Just so it's clear: I'm specifically referencing the overdemanding cadence/schedule creators put themselves on.

(Not the underlying medium [YouTube, podcasts, etc])

Some mediums are more demanding than others, but it's often the demands we put on ourselves that are unhealthy.

If your intention is to be a creator so that you can _____, make sure you're not missing out on _____ by putting yourself on an overdemanding treadmill.

I think folks are assuming a lot here (without fully knowing Sketch’s numbers).

For all we know, Sketch has been growing continuously all these years.

My guess is they have millions of active users. https://twitter.com/kumailht/status/1574878234440769551

🔥 @PuniDHC

Nice, simple, framework for evaluating your life and work from @_brandswell:

https://overcast.fm/+Jmdd_s90M

@PodlandNews @ashleyrcarman Inevitable?

I haven't heard about any indie podcast platforms doing layoffs. 🤔

This is a common question: "How can these platforms make money without ads or AI recommendations?"

This is my primary critique: as a society, that's not our job to figure out!

Companies must find ethical business models that don't impose significant negative costs on society.

Hat tip to the wisdom of @misener & @JackRhysider in response to this question:

"What can a podcast do to get 1000 downloads per episode?"

https://www.reddit.com/r/podcasting/comments/xciarj/comment/io6i942/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

I think I record less video (and take more photos) on my iPhone partly because of the stylized Instagram photo trend that started in 2010.

Video is pretty raw; it takes a lot more editing. You can’t just add a pretty filter to make it look good.

@AlbanBrooke “My podcast is about my favorite thing in my head.”

Did some pairing today with @jasonlbeggs (needed help on upgrading Laravel so I could do some work on our @statamic site locally).

He introduced me to @gonedark's project, @laravelshift.

So good! It's the best way to upgrade your version of @laravelphp:
https://laravelshift.com/

I printed this one on @stickermule (@Printful on-demand would also work).

If you want to print your own, here are my files on Dropbox:

📂 https://www.dropbox.com/sh/gni3g7ud8kf36f3/AACjGVaGRRhg_K7Tqj5vDQb8a?dl=0

@jayacunzo A lot of this has to do with distribution.

The Blue Yeti is available in many suburbs & smaller cities, because it’s often the only mic available at Best Buy, Staples, etc

The problem with web3 is that the projects still rely on centralized indexes/distribution (OpenSea, Rarible, etc) for discoverability.

The web3 world still hasn't figured out how to decentralize discoverability.

https://twitter.com/rchoffardet/status/1566830819272003591

@cheerfulpaige This part is weird:

- We give them free content and seed their networks with our personal contacts
- We drive people to the platforms ("Watch me on YouTube," "Check out my Soundcloud")
- Our content and reach are ultimately governed by algorithms designed to benefit the platform

@dvassallo Yes. Especially *really* looking at the downsides of possible opportunities, and how reversible they are.

You can explore a path, but you should have a trigger point where you go: “this isn’t going well. it’s time to get off this path.”

@randombytes2 @intilektual Most people aren’t millionaires.

The median income in Canada and USA ~65k.

Research shows that positive feelings increase for every jump in income (tested all the way past 450k per year).

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1561033467701239810

@danshipper @nbashaw Hahaha.

We jest, but it's true.

I was only really able to take care of my mental health (depression, anxiety, etc) once I had financial margin in my life.

Otherwise, "survival mode" always trumped my health.

@chuck_daniels_ Other research hasn't found this to be true: https://www.vox.com/2015/6/20/8815813/orange-is-the-new-black-piper-chapman-happiness-study

Also, the original 2010 study found that "high income *does* buy life satisfaction."
https://www.vice.com/en/article/mbwa48/money-happiness-truth

@r00k The tension I feel (regarding risk tolerance) is that I don’t want to ruin the lifestyle and calm I’m experiencing right now.

I’ve worked for companies with tons of ambition, that drove hard on KPIs, and I didn’t enjoy it.

For me, the “risk” is a busy schedule, more ppl, etc

@mjwhansen @leenyburger @devberkan Yes. Spotify decided to break with convention and not show "Episode Summary."

They just pull from "Full Show Notes."

We knew growing @TransistorFM would take time; this meant keeping our day jobs and working on Transistor on the side.

It wasn’t easy. There were many times where Jon and I were stretched thin.

I wrote this blog post at the time to express my feelings:

https://justinjackson.ca/bootstrap-reality

After getting home late, I stayed up until 12:01 am and posted it on @ProductHunt.

#transistor-fm" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.producthunt.com/products/transistor#transistor-fm

@TransistorFM was officially launched to the public!

Fast forward to late 2017: Jon and I started brainstorming ideas for podcast hosting.

Here’s one of our early planning docs:

Many SaaS for SMBs and makers experienced this phenomenon:

COVID “pulled forward” demand, and gave us a big revenue bump.

But the effect wasn’t permanent: the growth trend has largely averaged out.

If we’d followed our pre-COVID growth rate, we’d be at largely the same place.

@hunterwalk The irony is that when people do their own research in 2022 they get radically different answers.

@tylertringas @plehoux @missiveapp I just interviewed @baptistejamin, and he definitely has this pricing philosophy for @crisp_im. 🎯

https://saas.transistor.fm/episodes/bootstrapping-in-france-baptiste-jamin-from-crisp

@asmartbear This is a constant question that @jonbuda and I have:

“How come big companies seem so much less productive?”

With our small (4 people) @TransistorFM team it feels like we’re having way more impact than the bigger teams I’ve been on.

My hunch is that “alignment” is a key piece

@souvik_kaffein @TransistorFM When I co-founded Transistor, I was 38 with 4 kids (aged 15, 12, 10, and 8 at the time), a mortgage, etc...

Definitely a challenge (you can hear my financial stress on @buildyoursaas during that time), but much easier to build the company when my kids were older.

@arvidkahl A big reason we started @megamaker back in 2013!

@Shpigford Beautiful! 🎉

Sending lots of ❤️ to your family!

@daysormay hi guyz

@MattGiovanisci Odd, all the millionaires I know drive Teslas, Porsches, etc…

You really want to build on top of what customers are already searching for.

“I need a way for clients to schedule calls with me”
“We need a better tool for pair programming.”
“I need a CMS for our marketing site”
“I’m trying to get better at CSS”
“I’m starting a podcast”

Other forms of momentum also helped Instagram grow:

An initial (and popular) use case for Instagram was sharing photos on Twitter.

Instagram URLs posted on Twitter would automatically embed the image in the tweet. (Later deprecated)

@Patticus Is it the positioning? (how a brand fits in a given category according to the consumer)

Or is it more about consumer psychology? (how the consumer thinks about certain categories in their life, and how they prioritize their spending in each)

🎯 "Optimism can be weaponized." https://twitter.com/tylertringas/status/1534933886731530240

@sbyrnes Here’s my stack:

- remote recording: @RiversidedotFM
- editing: @DescriptApp
- hosting & stats: @TransistorFM
- website: @PodcastSites

https://transistor.fm/how-to-start-a-podcast/

@JackEllis Most people bomb when they try standup comedy (even funny people).

Those that succeed have two characteristics:

1. They’re funny
2. They spent the time to work on their material, learn, grow, etc

If you have potential, you still need to develop your fundamentals to compete.

@Shpigford You clearly had what it took to “grind, learn, gain skills, and develop” as a founder. 👍

I’m also not saying we should block anyone from trying.

But statistically, it’s just true that most people won’t “make it” (same is true in music, art, professional sports).

You can listen to the whole interview on @TransistorFM's @buildyoursaas podcast:

https://saas.transistor.fm/episodes/patrick-campbell-why-profitwell-sold-to-paddle-for-200m

"Hey @patticus, were those @paddlehq sneakers part of the deal?"

(Good negotiation tactic @christianbowens 😉)

You can also integrate with @usefathom or Google Analytics and track all of the stats for your website (again, for free).

@erikthejones lol.

we should build a @TransistorFM podcast player that emotes on behalf of podcast producers. 😆

@TransistorFM Naturally, a new startup isn't going to give you all the purpose, enjoyment, freedom, and money you want from the beginning.

But I wouldn't wait too long for your business to start paying you "better life" dividends.

@TransistorFM At Transistor, our company's purpose is to build the best podcast hosting software and to give our users excellent customer service.

But for us as founders, our main motivation is for us to build better lives for ourselves and our employees.

I wrote this up as a blog post:

https://justinjackson.ca/effort

For founders, there's another danger of being in "desperation mode:"

People can smell your desperation. We often avoid folks who seem desperate.

Generally, customers, partners, and VCs want to do business with folks who seem calm, grounded, and confident.

Sometimes having our back against the wall can be the push we need.

But there's a risk: desperation can lead to despair.

In the beginning, I think it's best to be "hungry" over "desperate."

Back in 2014, I called this spectrum the "desperation scale."

https://justinjackson.ca/desperation

@aarondfrancis @louisnicholls_ @youngprotean @ramykhuffash @GeoffTRoberts @Julian @IndieHackers Not sure I can do a podcast with someone who doesn't seem to respect me.

I'm able to have lots of discussions (in good faith) with people who don't agree with me, but those require mutual respect that seems to be missing here.

https://twitter.com/louisnicholls_/status/1304051036928323586

@brianpmccann @christinetrac1 @InTake_Anthony @samanthademers @brodydoes @EvansNifty @kadavy Thanks so much. ❤️

Don't get too caught up with my Uber example.

Uber may have disrupted a "bad system," but that doesn't mean the answer is Uber.

Better question: how can we innovate and reform old systems while minimizing suffering? (And maximizing the benefits for working-class people)

@ChanningAllen @csallen really enjoying this “brothers chat” episode!

https://overcast.fm/+JmiMt3wRU

@mjwhansen no. please no.

I'm not a legal expert, but I believe people espousing this view misunderstand the First Amendment:

The rules were written specifically for the US govt to follow (to protect citizens from the govt).

Structurally, these rules wouldn't make sense on a private platform.

Old school internet protocols:

"Don't call it a comeback! I've been here for years." https://twitter.com/damedotblog/status/1514825958292955137

@skulegirl @lkr @SimpsonDaniK Yup! @CodeNewbies was founded by @saronyitbarek and acquired:

https://dev.to/devteam/special-announcement-from-dev-4oi

This is what people are tired of.

SV elites increasingly want to control the narrative. They say they’re offering optimism (and that everyone else is just spreading FUD).

But much of what they say is vapid and self-serving. https://twitter.com/iroughol/status/1515647083692408833

Yes.

It’s been disappointing to see Andreessen write “It’s time to build,” only to follow it up with investments largely devoid of any real substance.

https://twitter.com/seanmmasters/status/1392102098851049476

To explain this further:

1. Beware of debt from college, vehicles, and credit cards.
2. Your 20s determine your habits around alcohol, drugs, gambling.
3. Injuries from sports, motorcycles, etc.
4 & 5. Monumental; wait for the right time.

Be sensible!

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1514323097763016704

@Shpigford I'd also recommend this sound-proofing tutorial from @simonswiss:

https://www.betterdevscreencasts.com/posts/preparing-room-for-audio-recordings

Even if you follow just a few of these steps, you'll reduce the reverb and sound much better. 👍

@dohertyjf @AndrewWarner @TransistorFM I ended up making a full video on this with a bunch of different options:

https://youtu.be/Ydxvv7twnDA

@dohertyjf @AndrewWarner hey! If you're recording video on your iPhone, and you want to convert it to audio + upload it as a podcast episode on @TransistorFM, you can use Shortcuts to create a workflow. 👍

@kimberly_hacker @_swanson @DanielZarick @benedictfritz

We're getting ready to do our first @TransistorFM team retreat in the fall (hopefully!).

I found this episode super helpful. 👍 Thanks for sharing it!

https://overcast.fm/+eDn16z5Uk

The purpose of free speech and the freedom of the press is to produce a marketplace of ideas.

We need to foster a society where we (as individuals) regularly collide with ideas that make us uncomfortable.

Being in a market with weak demand feels like paddling upstream: you're working super hard, but not getting anywhere.

@Mike_Klemmer I think your social image could be improved!

Here's an idea:

If you’re a founder looking for customer support tips, check out this chat I did with @HelenRyles:

https://overcast.fm/+MBmXIMiDQ

This is a really helpful guide for those of us learning to code 👉 https://twitter.com/typeoneerror/status/1506420884243841025

The holy grail in mindshare marketing is when a group identifies closely with your product:

"People like us, use a product like this"

For example:

"Solopreneurs like us, use an ESP like @Convertkit"
"Programmers who podcast use @transistorfm"
"IG influencers prefer Linktree"

@mjwhansen @JamesClear I dig this.

If you listen to the first year of @buildyoursaas, you'll definitely see that Jon and I went through some tough times.

BUT: building Transistor was 100x easier than other businesses I've started (snowboard shop, consulting, events business, etc)

https://twitter.com/conradomaggi/status/1504891770236293128

@r00k 🙏 I wish @BankMercury had personal accounts (and did accounts in 🇨🇦)