Build Your SaaS

A story

In 1999, Basecamp started a blog called Signal vs Noise, which they billed as “Strong opinions and shared thoughts on design, business, and tech.”

It had a huge impact on their business. By 2009, over 100,000 people were subscribed. Later, in their best-selling book Rework, they said:

Nowadays, it’s harder than ever to get people’s attention. Channels are saturated. There’s enormous competition. And many folks are growing feel overwhelmed by all the content.

So what’s Basecamp doing in 2018 to build their audience? They're focusing a lot of their energy on their new podcast, also called Rework.

What we learned

Businesses like Basecamp, eBay, and Code Pen have discovered the power of having a branded podcast. There are lots of challenges: creating and syndicating the feed, creating a compelling podcast website, producing a regular show, and calculating ROI.

So we want to make Transistor the best way to create a podcast for your business.

We already have our first paying customer: Cards Against Humanity. Their show, The Good News Podcast, which is hosted on Transistor.

"Branded content" sounds like a really dirty word. But it doesn't have to be.

Focusing on businesses, rather than DIY or hobbyist podcasts, has some advantages:

• Businesses have more money to spend, and they value their time more.
• Many hobbyists are looking for the lowest price. Businesses don't mind paying more if there's value.
• Businesses are highly motivated to spend money when it helps them make progress.

What We Urge You to Do

When you're building a new product, ask yourself these questions:

1. Why would someone use my product over what's already out there in the market?
2. What opportunities exist in this market?
3. What advantages do I have?

Links

• Signal vs Noise
• Rework
• Nuzzel
• Jon's book recommendation: Da Vinci Biography
• Justin's book recommendation: Sapiens
• Altered Carbon
• Rework.fm
• Wailin Wong on Twitter
• CodePen Radio
• Gimlet Startup Podcast
• Fast Company: Branded Podcasts are the Ads People Actually Want to Listen to
• The Good News Podcast
• Mastercard Launches a Branded Podcast with Gimlet Creative
• Anchor.fm
• Macualey Caulkin: Bunny Ears Podcast
• The Hyacinth Disaster
• Transistor.fm
• How I Built This Podcast
• Transistor.fm on Instagram
• Transistor.fm on Twitter

🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.
📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Who are we?

Jon is a Web Designer and Developer in Chicago. Justin is a Product Manager and Podcaster from Canada. 

How did we meet?

We met in 2014 at XOXO in Portland. At the end of the festival, we said to each other: “We should build something together someday.” 

How do you find a cofounder?

• Go to events!
• Build your own projects: make stuff, tell people.
• Build long-term relationships (“I’m never going to team up with someone I just met”)

What should you look for in a cofounder?

• Complimentary skills
• They should have their own network
• Trustworthy
• Positivity
• Values 

What we urge you to do

• Sign real legal documents!
• Use Stripe Atlas
• Be really up-front about:
  • Your values
  • Your aspirations: what are you trying to get out of this?
• Talk to a lawyer

Show notes

• Blackbox
• The Chicago Podcast Cooperative
• XOXO Festival
• Chase Reeves
• Marketing for Developers
• Sprintly
• Product People
• The Good News Podcast
• Transistor.fm
• Stripe Atlas
• Cards Against Humanity's Max Temkin
• 500 Startups Legal Documents
• How I Built This Podcast
• Transistor.fm on Instagram
• Transistor.fm on Twitter

🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.
📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Jon Buda and Justin Jackson are building and launching a new product this year called Transistor.

You can follow along as we explore this question:

What does it take to build a SaaS business now? Is all of the low-hanging fruit gone?

You'll get to hear our real raw emotions:

"A lot of my time right now is spent trying to figure out how motivated the customer is to sign up."

If this sounds interesting, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to shows. 

Show notes

• How to start a podcast
• Transistor.fm
• Transistor.fm on Instagram
• Transistor.fm on Twitter
• Jon Buda is back on Twitter: @jonbuda
• Justin Jackson on Twitter here: @mijustin