Startups For the Rest of Us

In episode 686, join Rob Walling for another solo adventure where he answers listener questions. He answers how to evaluate monetary success, combat hedonic adaptation, and how to evaluate the capabilities of technical co-founders. Rob also discusses whether outsourcing sales and marketing is possible and considers some alternative no-code approaches.  Topics we cover:  4:20 – Success after stair-stepping, confronting hedonic adaptation 15:35 – Sales funnels, friction before demos, and collecting email addresses 19:24 – Outsourcing marketing and sales 23:54 – Evaluating the technical capabilities of your technical co-founder(s) 29:41 – Reducing the platform risk of developing in typical no-code tools Links from the Show:  State of Independent SaaS Survey and Report MicroConf Local in Austin MicroConf Connect Bernard Huang (@bernardjhuang) | X WP Engine (@wpengine) | X Tracy Osborn (@tracymakes) | X The Stair Step Method of Bootstrapping Start Small, Stay Small:

In episode 685, Rob Walling goes solo to share his insights on 7 common mistakes that SaaS founders make. Be sure to listen to the end to hear Rob’s spicy take on launching a portfolio of products to see what sticks. Episode Sponsor: As a founder your plate is full. So when you have to hire devs, there’s no time to search for that perfect culture-fit, get-things-done developer. Lemon.io’s new product, Lemon Hire saves founders time by connecting them with a pipeline of 80K+ senior engineers. Each dev is filtered through a 4-step vetting process, available to interview within 48 hours of choosing, and backed by a 30-day replacement guarantee. Find your great-fit candidates fast with Lemon Hire. Claim a special discount for our fans. Visit  https://lemon.io/hire/, sign up, and mention “Startups” to receive $2000 off your first hire. Topics we cover:  1:29 – Sign the National Association of Manufacturers Letter, Section 174 3:52 – Compiling a list of things founders shouldn’t do 6:49 – B2C applications, “the w

In episode 684, Rob Walling is joined by Dr. Sherry Walling to share their experience from MicroConf Europe 2023 in Lisbon. They discuss a continued shift in MicroConf’s focus towards fostering founder connections and networking, and the value of face-to-face interactions. Rob and Sherry reflect on their own talks and highlight others by fellow founders and attendees.  Topics we cover:  1:28 – Reflecting on MicroConf locations 6:28 – Continuous event improvements, focus on community 9:41 – Michelle Hanson’s talk “Frameworks For Making Product and Strategic Company Decisions” 10:38 – Rob’s talk about the five stages of customer awareness 13:21 – Einar Vollset’s talk on applying AI iteratively to solve problems 15:07 – QuietLight’s live business valuation 16:39 – Attendee talks from Sophie, Johannes Akhison, and more 19:25 – Dr. Sherry Walling discusses motivational archetypes 22:46 – Steven Craven’s founder story Links from the Show:  Rob Walling (@robwalling) | X Sher

In episode 683, join Rob Walling for another solo adventure where he answers listener questions. He addresses gathering feedback from customers that are reluctant to give it to you, whether to bring on a partner, and the value of going to in-person events. Rob also covers topics such as equity for advisors, pricing strategies, & productized services. Episode Sponsor: Find your perfect developer or a team at Lemon.io/startups The competition for incredible engineers and developers has never been more fierce. Lemon.io helps you cut through the noise and find great talent through its network of engineers in Europe and Latin America. They take care of the vetting, interviewing, and testing of candidates to make sure that you are working with someone who can hit the ground running. When it comes to hiring, the time it takes to write your job description, list the position, review resumes, schedule interviews, and make an offer can take weeks, if not months. With Lemon.io, you can cut down on a

In episode 682, Rob Walling interviews Alex Theuma, the founder of SaaStock, a conference for SaaS founders. They discuss the challenges of bootstrapping an event and the pros and cons of large startup events versus small startup events. Alex also shares his experience of building credibility and authority in the industry, the importance of maintaining a positive attendee experience, and ensuring financial sustainability. Episode Sponsor: Tired of searching endlessly for highly skilled software developers? CloudDevs is your solution. Gain access to over 8000 pre-vetted senior devs distributed across their Latin America and global talent pools. All their remote developers work within your own time zone and can get onboarded within 24 hours. The CloudDevs team can help you recruit full time hires, or part time, project based freelancers. And every hire comes with a week-long free trial, making sure you get the right person for the job. All of our listeners get a 15% discount on their first m

In episode 681, Rob Walling and Ruben Gamez go deep on the drawbacks of launching a second product. They both generally advise against doing so, as it can distract from the existing product. However they do share some successful attempts, strategic insights, how to approach feedback on second ideas, and the benefits for founders that beat the odds. Topics we cover:  1:31 – When you should launch a second product 5:32 – Ruben’s experience growing Bidsketch and SignWell 9:45 – Responding to market pull, avoid the sunk cost fallacy 12:26 – Dividing attention between multiple products 16:40 – Choosing when to split focus 21:13 – Why a second product worked for Ruben and others 28:54 – Gauging your product intuition and getting outside feedback 32:50 – Avoiding bias when receiving feedback on your ideas 38:21 – Strategies and goals for adding a second product 42:50 – Cross selling multiple products Links from the Show:  MicroConf US Tickets are on sale Ruben Gamez (@ear

In episode 680, Rob Walling goes solo again, covering a wide variety of topics including listening to customers, but not necessarily their solutions. He also cautions against making decisions based on one customer's feedback, but listening to the crowd. Finally, Rob highlights the importance of doing whatever it takes to succeed as a founder. Episode Sponsor: Find your perfect developer or a team at Lemon.io/startups The competition for incredible engineers and developers has never been more fierce. Lemon.io helps you cut through the noise and find great talent through its network of engineers in Europe and Latin America. They take care of the vetting, interviewing, and testing of candidates to make sure that you are working with someone who can hit the ground running. When it comes to hiring, the time it takes to write your job description, list the position, review resumes, schedule interviews, and make an offer can take weeks, if not months. With Lemon.io, you can cut down on a lot of that

In episode 679.5, Rob shares seven announcements about the future of MicroConf in the upcoming year.  Whether you're a long-time supporter or a new member of our crew of misfits, you know we're all about empowering bootstrapped SaaS entrepreneurs. For nearly a decade, we've been fueling the permissionless entrepreneurship movement that's gripped founders worldwide - and we're nowhere close to finished. Our next big leap is coming, and you won't want to miss it. If you want to get the inside scoop, and to keep up to date as we roll out all of these offerings, head over to https://www.futureofmicroconf.com/. Topics we cover:  2:03 – MicroConf Connect has leveled up, and is accepting new signups 2:41 – The return of The State of Independent SaaS Report 3:21 – Community voting for MicroConf Local 2024 cities 3:50 – New course launch, “Starting Up From Idea to Traction” 4:21 – MicroConf co-founder matching coming soon 4:58 – Host your team retreat with MicroConf’s Team Sync 5:2

In episode 679, join Rob Walling for another solo adventure where he answers listener questions. He discusses how “mock features” can be implemented to close deals with certain buying dynamics, how to recover from a failed launch, and the benefits of phased launches to minimize those. Rob also gives advice on creating organic content for a SaaS and suggests alternative marketing strategies to content creation. Finally, he covers what an engineer might encounter during an acquisition in a small startup and how to dive into consulting and contracting. Topics we cover:  3:43 – Mock features for B2B SaaS 6:20 – Recovering from a failed launch 10:37 – Advice for a consumer-facing “vitamin” product 12:53 – Creating content to market SaaS tools 17:13 – Acquisitions for startups with small engineering teams 20:24 – Consulting for junior and mid-level engineers Links from the Show:  The SaaS Playbook MicroConf Connect Applications are Open! Episode 671 | Working on What Matters, Lef

In episode 678, join Rob Walling for another solo adventure where he answers listener questions. He answers how he might find buyers for a half-done SaaS product, addresses platform risk that accompanies no-code development, and shares insights on bookkeeping for SaaS startups. Rob also details what frameworks new marketers should be looking into and gives advice on launching a new SaaS tool to an email list. Episode Sponsor: Find your perfect developer or a team at Lemon.io/startups The competition for incredible engineers and developers has never been more fierce. Lemon.io helps you cut through the noise and find great talent through its network of engineers in Europe and Latin America. They take care of the vetting, interviewing, and testing of candidates to make sure that you are working with someone who can hit the ground running. When it comes to hiring, the time it takes to write your job description, list the position, review resumes, schedule interviews, and make an offer can take we

In episode 677, Tracy Osborn interviews Leon Barnard from Balsamiq about wireframing and design. They discuss the book "Wireframing for Everyone" written by Leon and his co-authors from Balsamiq and they emphasize the value of low-fidelity wireframes for founders. They also cover how wireframing can improve ideation and communication processes among teams. To wrap up, they recommend resources for non-designers interested in learning more about wireframing and design. Episode Sponsor: Life as a founder can put a strain on even the strongest relationships, but spending dedicated quality time with your better half can help you recharge and refocus. If you’re ready to unwind from the daily startup grind, head over to cratedwithlove.com to level up your next date night. And for listeners of this podcast, you can use code STARTUPS during checkout for an exclusive 15% off your first order.  Topics we cover:  3:29 – TinySeed applications for Fall 2023 are open 5:00 – Leon’s passion for wireframing 

In episode 676, join Rob Walling for a solo adventure where he answers more listener questions. He answers questions around the inflated valuations in the B2B SaaS market, choosing between ideas, and validating a SaaS idea before building. Rob wraps up evaluating the effectiveness of building a podcast or YouTube following prior to launch. Topics we cover:  0:56 – TinySeed applications for fall 2023 batch 1:42 – The Future of MicroConf announcement event 2:13 – Why are B2B SaaS valuations so high? 10:43 – Choosing between two software ideas 15:02 – Don’t start a two-sided marketplace 17:04 – Do my “Stair Steps” have to be related? 19:47 – Co-founder equity splits and founder agreements 24:56 – Idea validation techniques 28:02 – Starting a podcast to building an audience Links from the Show:  The SaaS Playbook TinySeed Future of MicroConf The UpFlip Podcast 27. How to Build a Thriving Software Company (From Scratch) Quiet Light, Empire Flippers, FE internat

In episode 675, Rob Walling interviews Stephen Steers, author of "Superpower Storytelling." They discuss Stephen’s experience in selling and teaching startups how to sell better. They cover Stephen’s storytelling “AREA” framework and the concept of the problem stack. They also talk about when founders should consider delegating sales, the importance of documenting successful sales processes, and using humor in the sales process. Episode Sponsor: Find your perfect developer or a team at Lemon.io/startups The competition for incredible engineers and developers has never been more fierce. Lemon.io helps you cut through the noise and find great talent through its network of engineers in Europe and Latin America. They take care of the vetting, interviewing, and testing of candidates to make sure that you are working with someone who can hit the ground running. When it comes to hiring, the time it takes to write your job description, list the position, review resumes, schedule interviews, and make

In episode 674, ​​join Rob Walling, Einar Vollset, and Tracy Osborn for Hot Take Tuesday, where they analyze and discuss some of the latest news. They talk about Elon rebranding Twitter to X and the emergence of Instagram's Threads. They also cover the pros and cons of taking VC and SparkToro's unique funding model and paying back investors. Topics we cover:  2:49 – Twitter is now X 5:53 – Does the rebranding make sense? 12:15 – Instagram launches Threads 19:18 – SparkToro pays back investors 26:04 – Planning ahead for the payback 28:53 – “Don’t take VC funding” 35:11 – “We Raised a Bunch of Money” Links from the Show:  Tracy Osborn (@tracymakes) | Twitter Einar Vollset (@einarvollset) | Twitter The SaaS Playbook TinySeed Twitter is being rebranded as X Introducing Threads: A New Way to Share with Text Rand Fishkin (@randfish ) |Twitter Casey Henry (@caseyhen) |Twitter SparkToro Postpone SparkToro Year 3 Retrospective: Investor Payback, Systemic C

In episode 673, Rob Walling chats with Ruben Gamez, the founder of SignWell, as they answer listener questions. They cover topics related to pricing models for SaaS products, marketing strategies for new products, the concept of copycat apps, and the challenges of balancing customer requests with product development. Additionally, they address a question about choosing between working at a startup or a big tech company. Episode Sponsor: Find your perfect developer or a team at Lemon.io/startups The competition for incredible engineers and developers has never been more fierce. Lemon.io helps you cut through the noise and find great talent through its network of engineers in Europe and Latin America. They take care of the vetting, interviewing, and testing of candidates to make sure that you are working with someone who can hit the ground running. When it comes to hiring, the time it takes to write your job description, list the position, review resumes, schedule interviews, and make an offer

In episode 672, Rob Walling speaks with Jon Hainstock, M&A advisor at Quiet Light and previously ZoomShift. They discuss Jon’s bootstrapper journey, his exit from ZoomShift, the benefits of buying versus building, and how he helps other founders sell their businesses at Quiet Light. To wrap up, Jon exposes some common pitfalls to avoid when buying businesses. Topics we cover:  2:17 – Timeline of building and selling ZoomShift 6:07 – Deciding to sell ZoomShift 11:06 – Jumping into a new project immediately after exit 17:16 – Acquiring small assets 19:16 – Picking Quiet Light Brokerage over smaller acquisitions 26:23 – “Broker” vs. “Advisor” 30:26 – What to avoid when buying a business Links from the Show:  The Exit Event Jon Hainstock (@jonhainstock) | Twitter Quiet Light (@quietlightinc) | Twitter ZoomShift ChatterDocs.ai Quiet Light Finish Big by Bo Burlingham Acquire.com, formerly MicroAcquire Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki The Quiet L

In episode 671, join Rob Walling for another solo adventure where he covers a variety of topics. First, he shares an example of why successful founders move the needle rather than staying in their comfort zone. He shares an anecdote about discovering left-handed threads and how it applies to startups, and wraps up with some thoughts on the role of luck in audience building.  Episode Sponsor: Find your perfect developer or a team at Lemon.io/startups The competition for incredible engineers and developers has never been more fierce. Lemon.io helps you cut through the noise and find great talent through its network of engineers in Europe and Latin America. They take care of the vetting, interviewing, and testing of candidates to make sure that you are working with someone who can hit the ground running. When it comes to hiring, the time it takes to write your job description, list the position, review resumes, schedule interviews, and make an offer can take weeks, if not months. With Lemon.io,

In episode 670, join Rob Walling for another solo adventure, where he discusses why, while striking luck in your SaaS journey is great, working hard and building skills is the sustainable way to build businesses for the long haul. He also shares his personal approach to work when burnout is on the horizon and finally an anecdote relating to SaaS marketing approaches. Topics we cover:  0:41 – RSS feed issues, undesirable startup tasks 2:52 – Two exclusive episodes of Startups For the Rest of Us 3:39 – Success takes hard work, luck, and skill 11:00 – The grind of content creation, burnout on the horizon 21:38 – Bad player or bad instrument? Links from the Show:  Episode 667 | Increase Your Exit Price by Decoupling Yourself from Your Business with John Warrillow Castos Sugarcult – “Stuck in America” MicroConf YouTube Channel MicroConf On Air Podcast Sherry Walling (@sherrywalling) | Twitter The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Keeping Your Sh*t Together TinySeed If you

In episode 669, Rob Walling chats with Rick Hymanson, founder of detamoov and previously Shugo. They discuss Rick’s exit from Shugo in 2018 in what Rob calls “ten years to overnight success”. Rick recounts an early pivot for the company in finding product market fit, building the business with a day job, the logistics of the exit, and why he’s excited to join TinySeed with detamoov. Episode Sponsor: Find your perfect developer or a team at Lemon.io/startups The competition for incredible engineers and developers has never been more fierce. Lemon.io helps you cut through the noise and find great talent through its network of engineers in Europe and Latin America. They take care of the vetting, interviewing, and testing of candidates to make sure that you are working with someone who can hit the ground running. When it comes to hiring, the time it takes to write your job description, list the position, review resumes, schedule interviews, and make an offer can take weeks, if not months. With Le

In episode 668, Rob Walling and Arvid Kahl share nine key takeaways from MicroConf US 2023 in Denver. They cover topics ranging from founder mental health, shared motivations for bootstrapping, the value of in-person conferences, and the MicroConf experimentation that led to the “Chaos Lunch”. Topics we cover:  2:04 – MicroConf 2023 in Denver, building back after COVID 9:09 – Founders are sharing an experience of struggles and pivots 11:21 – Why nothing beats being in a room together 14:07 – Discussing mental health in a welcoming environment 17:07 – How experimentation on the MicroConf format led to “Chaos Lunch” 21:03  – Sharing strategies and tactics, Dev Basu’s talk on product marketing 24:28 – What motivations do founders have for running their SaaS businesses 27:27 – Arvid’s workshop encourages discussion of founder mental health   30:22 – MicroConf’s powerful Hallway track 32:45 – Patrick Campbell’s talk on mental frameworks and founder paths 36:47 – Upcoming MicroC