Strictly From Nowhere: A Podcast Experiment by Cause of a Kind Catching a Signal | Episode #044
We shipped Uncal. Open sourced the code. And didn't tell anyone it wasn't ready yet.
In this episode of The Standup, Justin and Mike break down the experiment they ran to test market demand before building a full SaaS product. How a simple landing page tweak turned crickets into signups. Why geo-targeting matters. And what they learned about converting interest into paying customers.
This is a masterclass in validating ideas before burning months building features nobody wants. We discuss why patents are dead, why ideas are worth nothing and execution is everything, and how personal brand compounds over time to give you distribution when you need it most.
Topics covered:
The Uncal experiment: testing demand before building the SaaS
Why honesty on landing pages kills conversions (and what works instead)
How changing "verify your interest" to "sign up now" changed everything
Why people still want the SaaS even though the code is open source
The open SaaS model: giving away the code, charging for the hosted version
Patents are dead—execution is the only thing that's defensible
Building personal brand over 9 years and why it matters for distribution
Geo-targeting strategy: US vs Asia vs Latin America for paying customers
Lead gen companies and podcast booking services as ideal customers
What's next for Uncal: multi-calendar support, Outlook integration, and more
If you're launching a product, testing market fit, or trying to figure out how to validate ideas without wasting months, this episode shows you the playbook.
Ideas are worth nothing. Execution is everything. Test before you build.
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LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW
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FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin
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FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto
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CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind
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OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
CodeDojo
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OCR Ruby GEM
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COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
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Fin Forecasting - Never Lose Money On A Project Again
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Brought to you by Cause of a Kind
A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York
Stand up. Show up. Build.