The Bootstrapped Founder

Justin Jackson has been successfully bootstrapping Transistor.fm with a small team throughout the ups and downs of a shifting economy. He even rejected massive clients to be able to keep running a calm and self-funded business. Find out just how important it is to stay independent, resilient, and nimble, and what building on open standards has to do with that.00:00:00 Justin Jackson00:01:24 The world of ideas00:10:32 Understanding the context of advice.00:15:58 The importance of attribution00:20:49 What’s the most important metric?00:25:29 What’s your company for?00:29:56 Having a team that can execute at the highest level00:35:34 The repercussions of decisions00:40:41 Simple things are more resilient than complicated things00:45:26 Platform risk00:51:22 The problem with centralized discoverability01:00:53 The importance of open standardsMy new podcast project: Arvid & Tyler Catch Up / https://catchup.fmThe blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/justin-jackson-bootstrapping-transistor-fm-on-open-standards/ The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/1740724b The video: https://youtu.be/y0yIZ-O8nNQYou'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.comPodcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcastNewsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletterMy book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/My course Find your Following: https://findyourfollowing.comFind me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/Sponsored by Acquire.com.

Looking to build a successful SaaS business? Don't just focus on product-market fit. In this video, learn about the Solution-Workflow Fit, a crucial element to consider for success. Discover why the medium in which your solution is implemented and the workflow of your customers matter just as much as the technical side of your solution. See real-life examples and learn how to research your target industry's existing workflows, design your solution to fit between existing tools, and adapt your solution to fit your customers' needs. Achieving solution-workflow fit is key to creating a successful SaaS business that truly helps and empowers your customers.My new podcast project: Arvid & Tyler Catch Up / https://catchup.fmThe blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/the-saas-solution-workflow-fitThe podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/f9bf24a1The video: https://youtu.be/eb5cS5Z1vBkYou'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.comPodcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcastNewsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletterMy book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/My course Find your Following: https://findyourfollowing.comFind me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/

Rob Fitzpatrick is a serial entrepreneur, a writer, a community leader, and a very curious human being. I talk to Rob about building an incredibly complicated business, the world of self-publishing, what AI tools can and will do for humanity, and how to build communities that can run by themselves.00:00:00 Rob Fitzpatrick00:03:38 The challenges of building the Useful Books business00:10:01 A rare breed00:14:47 The passion discount00:21:12 What’s changed in self-publishing?00:26:43 What’s your pet peeve of the publishing industry?00:32:48 Knowledge production00:39:06 Short-term wins are not going to be around for long00:42:21 Different voices for the same content00:47:39 Prose be gone00:54:26 Staying accountable in an accountability community00:57:45 Late-stage communities01:02:26 Rob’s passion and the purpose of communitiesBrandon Sanderson's class on Indie Publishing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHdYX418PaAThe blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/rob-fitzpatrick-tinkerers-thinkers-and-teachers/The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/fd014e11The video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqPF3a0px68You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.comPodcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcastNewsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletterMy book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/My course Find your Following: https://findyourfollowing.comFind me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/This interview is sponsored by Acquire.com

The podcast discusses securing a SaaS business, including using secure frameworks and outsourcing. It highlights the risks of data collection and the importance of vetting vendors. Best practices for securing a business are provided, such as thorough testing and setting up a bug bounty program. The significance of password vaults and password managers is also explored.

Troy Hunt (of HaveIBeenPwned fame) is a cybersecurity expert who has been around long enough to be able to give actionable and pragmatic security advice without complicating things.In our conversation, we chat about best practices for securing your SaaS business, how to get your family to be more secure, what it means to vet your vendors, if you should build your own authentication and why passwords just won't die.After this conversation, you will know how to adequately secure your SaaS business without having to spend thousands of dollars.00:00:00 Troy Hunt00:00:59 The 1 thing SaaS founders get wrong00:05:14 Why you shouldn’t build your own authentication00:09:17 Library update management00:13:42 Using third-party services00:19:08 Data breaches and security expectations00:26:39 Browser extensions00:31:53 What is the right amount of security?00:37:11 Giving your customers security options00:42:13 The Have I Been Pwned + 1Password deal00:48:18 Password managersThe blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/securing-your-saas-with-troy-hunt/ The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/d2244c65 The video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRM-UrS440s You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.comPodcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcastNewsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletterMy book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/My course Find your Following: https://findyourfollowing.comFind me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/This interview is sponsored by Acquire.com

Goodhart's law is powerful and important to remember for every creator: when a measure becomes a target, people tend to optimize their behavior to meet that target, which can lead to unintended consequences. You'll see examples of this law in action, including in education and social media, and learn the negative consequences of over-optimizing for follower count. But I won't let you go without prevention methods and tips for building a quality audience on social media.00:00:00 Intro00:01:51 Goodhart's Law00:03:28 The Pitfalls of Focusing on Follower Count00:07:32 The Negative Consequences of Over-Optimizing for Follower Count 00:09:18 Prevention Methods00:12:16 How to Build a Quality Audience on Social Media The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/dont-fall-for-the-follower-count-trapThe podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/33be4469The video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1HtIy5JyHIYou'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.comPodcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcastNewsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletterMy book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/My course Find your Following: https://findyourfollowing.comFind me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/This episode is sponsored by Fathom Analytics.

Today, I’m talking to Matt Wensing — the founder behind Summit and tweeter of many often controversial things. We talk about bootstrapping a financial SaaS, how to deal with integrations, and when to take funding. Here’s Matt.00:00:00 An exchange of stories00:04:54 What’s your strategy?00:09:31 Writing long-form00:15:05 Bridging the gap between invention and commercialization.00:19:56 Creators and salespeople.00:25:58 How a little bit of cash can change the trajectory of your business.00:34:34 Bootstrapping is not a shot in the dark00:41:48 The importance of trust (in the crypto space.)00:47:55 Centralization has to occur for other people to benefit00:54:58 How not to leave people behind00:59:29 How do you look at platform risk from both sides?00:1:05:06 The nature of platformsThe blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/matt-wensing-publish-your-juicy-thoughts/The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/f7deea33The video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pBYsl1UxeYYou'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.comPodcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcastNewsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletterMy book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/My course Find your Following: https://findyourfollowing.comFind me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/This interview is sponsored by Acquire.com

Stair-stepping into software entrepreneurship is a great way for developers to start their own businesses without taking on massive risks. Building a plugin on an established platform allows developers to leverage existing user bases and traffic to grow their business quickly, while also being aware of the risks associated with platform dependency, profit-sharing, and limited flexibility.My interview with Collen Schnettler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpcYTO5x3cYRob Walling's Stair-Stepping: https://robwalling.com/2015/03/26/the-stair-step-method-of-bootstrapping/Preetham Nath: https://www.preetamnath.com/blog/grow-shopify-micro-saas-to-25k-mrr-in-14-monthsThe blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/stair-stepping-with-plugins-platforms-to-build-on/The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/51643e63The video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjOHqn4PJZMYou'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.comPodcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcastNewsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletterMy book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/My course Find your Following: https://findyourfollowing.comFind me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/This episode is sponsored by Drata.

Today, I’m talking to Colleen Schnettler, co-founder of Hammerstone and build-in-public podcaster. We talk about getting bootstrapper-compatible funding, juggling way too many projects, and selling a business when you know it’s time to move on. Here’s Colleen.00:00:00 A lot of podcasts00:06:01 Building on Heroku00:12:25 Building on Marketplaces00:16:59 Dealing with support requests00:21:49 Pressure to sell?00:26:27 Hammerstone00:31:24 Business Value00:35:46 Value of value 00:41:11 The risks of having just a few big customers00:46:12 Getting bootstrapper fundingThe blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/colleen-schnettler-stair-stepping-into-saas/ The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/281dbe46The video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpcYTO5x3cY You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.comPodcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcastNewsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletterMy book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/My course Find your Following: https://findyourfollowing.comFind me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/This interview is sponsored by Acquire.com

Experienced writer and entrepreneur Arvid discusses the importance of writing for self-funded founders. Topics include using writing to communicate ideas clearly, attract attention, build relationships, and create a personal brand. Examples from successful entrepreneurs highlight the impact of writing on business growth and success.