Build Your SaaS

Jon's back! He and Justin share their feelings/thoughts about the new year:

• Closing the door on the past
• Exciting revenue milestone
• Podcast companies losing money
  • https://podnews.net/update/pocket-casts-for-sale
  • https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/15/spotifys-big-bet-on-podcasts-is-failing-citi-says.html 
  • https://www.macrumors.com/2021/01/15/apple-podcast-subscription-service/
• Twitter's Trump ban
  • https://twitter.com/evan_greer/status/1347948903921045511
  • https://www.fastcompany.com/90592060/capitol-attack-fascism-surveillance-censorship 
  • https://medium.com/craft-ventures/section-230-mend-it-dont-end-it-e33799a43a5f 
  • https://twitter.com/Kasparov63/status/1348355023101685761
  • https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/01/how-big-tech-impeached-donald-trump/617643/

What should we talk about next?

• Twitter: @buildyoursaas, @mijustin, @jonbuda
• Leave a comment on PodHunt; it's like Reddit, but for podcasts.
• Email us: [email protected]

Thanks to our monthly supporters:

• Take It EV podcast
• Ethan Gunderson
• Anton Zorin
• Bill Condo
• Chris Willow
• Mason Hensley
• Borja Soler teami.io
• Ward from MemberSpace.com
• Travis Fischer
• Matt Buckley, from NiceThings.io 
• Russell Brown
• Evandro Sasse
• Noah Prail, eventOneHQ.com
• Robert Simplicio, Simplicio.com
• Colin Gray alitu.com
• Josh Smith, hellosift.com
• Shane Smith, dev.transistor.fm
• Austin Loveless
• Michael Sitver, letterjoy.co
• Paul Jarvis and Jack Ellis, usefathom.com 
• Dan Buda danbuda.com
• Darby Frey
• Samori Augusto, thebicrowd.com
• Brad from Canada
• Mike Walker
• Adam DuVander
• Dave Giunta (JOOnta)
• Kyle Fox GetRewardful.com

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

This week, Justin and Jason discuss the dynamics of market demand.

• Justin's original tweet
• Jason's response

What should we talk about next?

• Twitter: @buildyoursaas, @mijustin, @jonbuda, @jasonfried
• Leave a comment on PodHunt; it's like Reddit, but for podcasts.
• Email us: [email protected]

Thanks to our monthly supporters:

• Take It EV podcast
• Ethan Gunderson
• Anton Zorin
• Bill Condo
• Chris Willow
• Mason Hensley
• Borja Soler teami.io
• Ward from MemberSpace.com
• Travis Fischer
• Matt Buckley, from NiceThings.io 
• Russell Brown
• Evandro Sasse
• Noah Prail, eventOneHQ.com
• Robert Simplicio, Simplicio.com
• Colin Gray alitu.com
• Josh Smith, hellosift.com
• Shane Smith, dev.transistor.fm
• Austin Loveless
• Michael Sitver, letterjoy.co
• Paul Jarvis and Jack Ellis, usefathom.com 
• Dan Buda danbuda.com
• Darby Frey
• Samori Augusto, thebicrowd.com
• Brad from Canada
• Mike Walker
• Adam DuVander
• Dave Giunta (JOOnta)
• Kyle Fox GetRewardful.com

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

This week, Justin catches up with Simon Bennett of Snapshooter:

• Every once in a while, we highlight one of our listeners who are building their own SaaS.
• This week: Simon Bennett, comes back to tell us what's happened since he left his full-time job 7 months ago.
• Looking for automatic backups for Digital Ocean, AWS, WordPress, or Laravel? Check out https://snapshooter.io.
• Simon had just put his kids to bed (he's in the UK) and sat down in his office to have a chat with Justin.

What should we talk about next?

• Twitter: @buildyoursaas, @mijustin, @jonbuda, @MrSimonBennett
• Leave a comment on PodHunt; it's like Reddit, but for podcasts.
• Email us: [email protected]

Thanks to our monthly supporters:

• Take It EV podcast
• Ethan Gunderson
• Anton Zorin
• Bill Condo
• Chris Willow
• Mason Hensley
• Borja Soler teami.io
• Ward from MemberSpace.com
• Travis Fischer
• Matt Buckley, from NiceThings.io 
• Russell Brown
• Evandro Sasse
• Noah Prail, eventOneHQ.com
• Robert Simplicio, Simplicio.com
• Colin Gray alitu.com
• Josh Smith, hellosift.com
• Shane Smith, dev.transistor.fm
• Austin Loveless
• Michael Sitver, letterjoy.co
• Paul Jarvis and Jack Ellis, usefathom.com 
• Dan Buda danbuda.com
• Darby Frey
• Samori Augusto, thebicrowd.com
• Brad from Canada
• Mike Walker
• Adam DuVander
• Dave Giunta (JOOnta)
• Kyle Fox GetRewardful.com

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

Justin is joined by everybody's favorite Twitter Uncle: Ian Landsman (founder of HelpSpot).

• Ian's encounter with his internet hero Joel Spolsky
• Do you get worried that this all going to go away?
• How scared should we be of the competition?
• How do you hedge your bets?
• We prognosticate about what our bootstrapper friends' blind spots are. 🤣
• We both ask for investors live, on air.
• How founders should manage their personal finances.
• How our past experience can make us blind to opportunities.
• How can devs connect with marketers?
• Which startups would we invest in.

What should we talk about next?

• Twitter: @buildyoursaas, @mijustin, @jonbuda, @ianlandsman
• Leave a comment on PodHunt; it's like Reddit, but for podcasts.
• Email us: [email protected]

Thanks to our monthly supporters:

• Take It EV podcast
• Ethan Gunderson
• Helmut Irle
• Colt Borg
• Marc Beinder
• Anton Zorin
• Bill Condo
• Sofia Quintero
• Chris Willow
• Mason Hensley
• Borja Soler teami.io
• Ward from MemberSpace.com
• Travis Fischer
• Matt Buckley, from NiceThings.io 
• Russell Brown
• Evandro Sasse
• Noah Prail, eventOneHQ.com
• Robert Simplicio, Simplicio.com
• Colin Gray alitu.com
• Josh Smith, hellosift.com
• Brian Rhea (Pronounced “Ray”)
• Shane Smith, dev.transistor.fm
• Austin Loveless
• Michael Sitver, letterjoy.co
• Paul Jarvis and Jack Ellis, usefathom.com 
• Dan Buda danbuda.com
• Darby Frey
• Samori Augusto, thebicrowd.com
• Brad from Canada
• Mike Walker
• Adam DuVander
• Dave Giunta (JOOnta)
• Kyle Fox GetRewardful.com

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

We're back! 

• Justin's voice sounds terrible (sorry!)
• When is the next wave of economic despair going to happen?
• The maker/creator market is on 🔥 right now. How long will it last?
• How "soft" is the prosumer market? How fragile is it?
• A BUNCH OF NEW TRANSISTOR FEATURES:
  • Zapier integration
  • Podcast:locked
  • Easily submit your podcast to the major podcast directories.
  • Podcast distribution checklist
• How do you work on your startup when you're feeling down?
  • "There were weeks when I got almost nothing done because I was stressed out about the state of the world."
  • "It's hard to force yourself to do creative work if you're not feeling good emotionally."

What should we talk about next?

• Twitter: @buildyoursaas, @mijustin, @jonbuda
• Leave a comment on PodHunt; it's like Reddit, but for podcasts.
• Email us: [email protected]

Thanks to our monthly supporters:

• Take It EV podcast
• Ethan Gunderson
• Helmut Irle
• Colt Borg
• Marc Beinder
• Anton Zorin
• Bill Condo
• Sofia Quintero
• Chris Willow
• Mason Hensley
• Borja Soler teami.io
• Ward from MemberSpace.com
• Travis Fischer
• Matt Buckley, from NiceThings.io 
• Russell Brown
• Evandro Sasse
• Noah Prail, eventOneHQ.com
• Robert Simplicio, Simplicio.com
• Colin Gray alitu.com
• Josh Smith, hellosift.com
• Brian Rhea (Pronounced “Ray”)
• Shane Smith, dev.transistor.fm
• Austin Loveless
• Michael Sitver, letterjoy.co
• Paul Jarvis and Jack Ellis, usefathom.com 
• Dan Buda danbuda.com
• Darby Frey
• Samori Augusto, thebicrowd.com
• Brad from Canada
• Mike Walker
• Adam DuVander
• Dave Giunta (JOOnta)
• Kyle Fox GetRewardful.com

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

We have a bonus episode for you this week!

• Justin was on the Framework podcast.
• Check out the other Spec.fm shows
• Subscribe to Framework in Overcast

Want to reply to something we said?

• Twitter: @buildyoursaas, @mijustin, @jonbuda, @tomcreighton, @therobhayes
• Leave a comment on PodHunt; it's like Reddit, but for podcasts.
• Email us: [email protected]

Thanks to our monthly supporters:

• Take It EV podcast
• Ethan Gunderson
• Helmut Irle
• Colt Borg
• Marc Beinder
• Anton Zorin
• Bill Condo
• Sofia Quintero
• Chris Willow
• Mason Hensley
• Borja Soler teami.io
• Ward from MemberSpace.com
• Travis Fischer
• Matt Buckley, from NiceThings.io 
• Russell Brown
• Evandro Sasse
• Noah Prail, eventOneHQ.com
• Robert Simplicio, Simplicio.com
• Colin Gray alitu.com
• Josh Smith, hellosift.com
• Brian Rhea (Pronounced “Ray”)
• Shane Smith, dev.transistor.fm
• Austin Loveless
• Michael Sitver, letterjoy.co
• Paul Jarvis and Jack Ellis, usefathom.com 
• Dan Buda danbuda.com
• Darby Frey
• Samori Augusto, thebicrowd.com
• Brad from Canada
• Mike Walker
• Adam DuVander
• Dave Giunta (JOOnta)
• Kyle Fox GetRewardful.com

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

Jon and Justin talk about "optionality" in bootstrapping. (Justin is concerned, Jon thinks we should just enjoy the moment).

• DHH: "Part of what gave us the confidence to turn down the whole world of venture capital was a small sale of equity to Jeff Bezos. That gave our personal bank accounts just enough ballast that the big numbers touted by VCs and acquisition hunters lost their lure."
• Are we at peak podcasting? Things are good right now - will they be good for 10 years? 20 years? 
• Fred Wilson: "Taking money off the table."
• How much did the founders of Buffer, Robinhood, etc. take off the table? Article.
• Des Traynor: "A founder is spending 60 months of their best years in their startup (instead of their career). That is a substantial upfront investment; it's like a seed round, but instead of money, it's your life."
• How much richer than us is Jeff Bezos?

Want to reply to something we said?

• Twitter: @buildyoursaas, @mijustin, @jonbuda
• Leave a comment on PodHunt; it's like Reddit, but for podcasts.
• Email us: [email protected]

Thanks to our monthly supporters:

• Helmut Irle
• Colt Borg
• Marc Beinder
• Anton Zorin
• Bill Condo
• Sofia Quintero
• Chris Willow
• Mason Hensley
• Borja Soler teami.io
• Ward from MemberSpace.com
• Travis Fischer
• Matt Buckley, from NiceThings.io 
• Russell Brown
• Evandro Sasse
• Noah Prail, eventOneHQ.com
• Robert Simplicio, Simplicio.com
• Colin Gray alitu.com
• Josh Smith, hellosift.com
• Brian Rhea (Pronounced “Ray”)
• Shane Smith, dev.transistor.fm
• Austin Loveless
• Michael Sitver, letterjoy.co
• Paul Jarvis and Jack Ellis, usefathom.com 
• Dan Buda danbuda.com
• Darby Frey
• Samori Augusto, thebicrowd.com
• Brad from Canada
• Mike Walker
• Adam DuVander
• Dave Giunta (JOOnta)
• Kyle Fox GetRewardful.com

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

Late-summer update! This week on the program, we bring you a super spicy interview that Justin did on the TechZing podcast.

• Do you really need to build an audience before you build your product?
• Justin's tweet
• There's this idea that you need to grow an audience, talk to an audience, and then build something they want. Is that really necessary?
• IndieHackers interview with Vincent Woo
• justinjackson.ca/surfing
• Tweet: what do we mean when we say "audience?"

Want to reply to something we said?

• Twitter: @buildyoursaas, @mijustin, @jonbuda, @justinvincent
• Leave a comment on the TechZing episode page.
• Leave a comment on PodHunt; it's like Reddit, but for podcasts.
• Email us: [email protected]

Thanks to our monthly supporters:

• Helmut Irle
• Colt Borg
• Marc Beinder
• Anton Zorin
• Bill Condo
• Sofia Quintero
• Chris Willow
• Mason Hensley
• Borja Soler teami.io
• Ward from MemberSpace.com
• Travis Fischer
• Matt Buckley, from NiceThings.io 
• Russell Brown
• Evandro Sasse
• Noah Prail, eventOneHQ.com
• Robert Simplicio, Simplicio.com
• Colin Gray alitu.com
• Josh Smith, hellosift.com
• Brian Rhea (Pronounced “Ray”)
• Shane Smith, dev.transistor.fm
• Austin Loveless
• Michael Sitver, letterjoy.co
• Paul Jarvis and Jack Ellis, usefathom.com 
• Dan Buda danbuda.com
• Darby Frey
• Samori Augusto, thebicrowd.com
• Brad from Canada
• Mike Walker
• Adam DuVander
• Dave Giunta (JOOnta)
• Kyle Fox GetRewardful.com

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

Mid-summer update! This week on the program, Justin and Jon talk about:

• If you're bootstrapping SaaS, how many monthly trials do you need?
• Tweet: "You probably need more trials than you think."
• Breaking out of your own way of thinking
• "All it took was someone talking to me to have a different way of thinking about it."

Want to reply to something we said?

• Twitter: @buildyoursaas, @mijustin, @jonbuda
• Leave a comment on PodHunt; it's like Reddit, but for podcasts.
• Email us: [email protected]

Thanks to our monthly supporters:

• Colt Borg
• Marc Beinder
• Anton Zorin
• Bill Condo
• Sofia Quintero
• Chris Willow
• Mason Hensley
• Borja Soler teami.io
• Ward from MemberSpace.com
• Travis Fischer
• Matt Buckley, from NiceThings.io 
• Russell Brown
• Evandro Sasse
• Pradyumna Shembekar (PD), pradyumna.dev
• Noah Prail, eventOneHQ.com
• Robert Simplicio, Simplicio.com
• Colin Gray alitu.com
• Josh Smith, hellosift.com
• Brian Rhea (Pronounced “Ray”)
• Shane Smith, dev.transistor.fm
• Austin Loveless
• Michael Sitver, letterjoy.co
• Paul Jarvis and Jack Ellis, usefathom.com 
• Dan Buda danbuda.com
• Darby Frey
• Samori Augusto, thebicrowd.com
• Brad from Canada
• Sammy Schuckert
• Mike Walker
• Adam DuVander
• Dave Giunta (JOOnta)
• Kyle Fox GetRewardful.com

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

This week on the program, Justin and Jon talk about:

• Updates on Transistor: new API is almost done, static site generator, growth slowed in June?
• Questioning whether we should slow down for the summer
• Talking about the Simplecast acquisition
  • What would sell for? Mike: “Anything that’s a life-changing amount.”

Want to reply to something we said?

• Twitter: @buildyoursaas, @mijustin, @jonbuda
• Leave a comment on PodHunt; it's like Reddit, but for podcasts.
• Email us: [email protected]

★ Bootstrapper shout-out of the week:

• Nusii
• https://nusii.com
• Professional proposal templates

Thanks to our monthly supporters:

• Colt Borg
• Marc Beinder
• Anton Zorin
• Bill Condo
• Sofia Quintero
• Diogo
• Chris Willow
• Mason Hensley
• Borja Soler teami.io
• Ward from MemberSpace.com
• Travis Fischer
• Matt Buckley, from NiceThings.io 
• Russell Brown
• Evandro Sasse
• Pradyumna Shembekar (PD), pradyumna.dev
• Noah Prail, eventOneHQ.com
• Robert Simplicio, Simplicio.com
• Colin Gray alitu.com
• Josh Smith, hellosift.com
• Ivan Curkovic
• Brian Rhea (Pronounced “Ray”)
• Shane Smith, dev.transistor.fm
• Austin Loveless
• Michael Sitver, letterjoy.co
• Paul Jarvis and Jack Ellis, usefathom.com 
• Dan Buda danbuda.com
• Darby Frey
• Samori Augusto, thebicrowd.com
• Brad from Canada
• Sammy Schuckert
• Mike Walker
• Adam DuVander
• Dave Giunta (JOOnta)
• Kyle Fox GetRewardful.com

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