By Tobias Arweiler
The podcast currently has 29 episodes available.
In this episode of Code & Conquer, Tobias interviews Marie Martens, co-founder of Tally Forms. They discuss the origin story of Tally, the challenges faced by bootstrapped startups, and the strategies they've implemented to grow their user base without a massive marketing budget. Marie shares valuable insights into their unique pricing model, the importance of customer support, and their vision for the future of Tally.
#MarieMartens #TallyForms #IndieHacker #Startups #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #TechPodcast #ProductLedGrowth #OnlineForms #BootstrapStartup #SaaS #ProductDevelopment #FoundersJourney #PodcastInterview #TechCommunity #UserExperience #CustomerSupport #GrowthStrategy #BuildingInPublic
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Episode Setup
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Marie's Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarieMartens
Tally Forms: https://tally.so/
My own website: https://icebearlabs.com
You can find this podcast on: https://codeandconquer.fm
Find our product here: https://www.repodcasted.com/
Yeah, freelancing's awesome but have you tried creating a productized service??
That's what we're talking about today with our guest Alex Szczurek, one of two founders of baked.design a design studio you can subscribe to month to month. We're talking about setting up a productized service, how to find your customers and how to scale beyond your own person when the work starts coming in more and more.
Other topics include Alex new side project Uncover.lab, a Figma component library, how to hire team members and when to let them go and how build a brand on Socials.
We also talk a little about burnout and handling the mental load of having a very successful business that generates a lot of work.
I hope you enjoy this one!
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
05:07 Transition from Developer to UX Designer
08:56 Building a Specialized Design Team
15:01 Managing Burnout and Setting Boundaries
24:01 The Evolution of Baked Design and Client Selection
42:17 The Cringe Factor of Talking about MRR
43:28 The Importance of Social Proof in the Services Industry
44:26 The Issue of Trust in Marketing Services
47:04 Managing Churn in a Productized Service
53:39 Branding and Design for a Landing Page
01:16:43 The Role of Aesthetics in Gadgets and Apps
01:19:37 The Impact of Aesthetics on User Satisfaction
01:25:09 The Role of Design in Productivity and User Experience
01:32:58 Visual Appeal and Building a Connection with the Audience
01:35:35 Giving Back to the Community and Providing Valu
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Alex's Twitter: https://x.com/aliszu
Alex's Website: https://www.aliszu.co/
Baked.design: https://baked.design/
uncoverLAB: https://uncoverlab.co/
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My own website: https://icebearlabs.com
You can find this podcast on: https://codeandconquer.fm
Find our product here: https://www.repodcasted.com/
In this episode we talk to Nathan J. Powell who built an app, sold it to his cofounder and then went offline for three years.
Now he's back and he's got some stories to tell. We'll talk about his time with cofounder Michael Koper (another guest of the show) and their app Nusii, a failed startup called FeatureFlex and Nathan's newest product, or rather a productized service called Beyond the Pixel.
Since we're both UX (User experience) people we also dive a little into how UX and UI (user interface) design differ and how you can build an ugly app and still make money with it.
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Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Nathan's Indie Hacker Journey
03:56 Nusii: Challenges of Growth and Reaching Customers
16:59 Selling Nusii and Taking a Hiatus from the Internet
23:30 Launching FeatureFlux and Lessons Learned
29:01 The Importance of Customer Development Interviews
31:57 Avoiding Confirmation Bias in Product Development
34:52 Finding the Right Market Fit and Category for a Product
38:16 The Importance of Feedback and User Interviews
44:11 The Role of Design in Usability and Customer Experience
01:02:36 Introducing Beyond the Pixel Studio
01:12:08 Starting with Closed Products and Transitioning to Larger Projects
01:14:08 The Value of Quick Wireframing with Balsamiq
01:19:14 Charging Higher Prices for Your Services
01:21:20 The Challenges of Setting Up a Business in Europe
01:29:49 Finding Fun in Building Products
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Nathan's Twitter: https://x.com/nathanjpowellUX
Beyond the Pixel's Website: https://beyondthepixel.studio/
Nusii's website: https://nusii.com/
FeatureFlux website: https://featureflux.com/
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My own website: https://icebearlabs.com
You can find this podcast on: https://codeandconquer.fm
Find our product here: https://www.repodcasted.com/
In this episode of the Code & Conquer podcast, I sit down with Thomas Sanlis, a seasoned Indie Hacker with over six years of experience. Thomas shares his journey into indie hacking, discussing his successful projects Uneed.best and Vue Developers.
He delves into the challenges of maintaining a directory and launching platform, handling competition from giants like Product Hunt, and the importance of automation in his workflow.
We talk about the mindset required for indie hacking, balancing passion projects with sustainable income, and the realities of freelancing and teaching. Thomas offers valuable insights into the indie hacking world, touching on themes of patience, resilience, and the quest for a balanced life.
Thomas also shares his experience handling DDoS attacks, migrating platforms, and his strategies for marketing and growth. Whether you're an aspiring indie hacker or a seasoned entrepreneur, this conversation is packed with lessons and inspiration. Don't miss it!
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
02:49 Pivoting UnitBest: From Tools Directory to Product Hunt Alternative
07:07 Automating Processes on UnitBest for Efficiency
10:47 Vue Developers: A Reverse Job Board for Vue.js Developers
19:32 The Mindset of an Indie Hacker
28:47 The Power of Newsletters: Driving Traffic to UnitBest
31:08 The Idea Behind Vue Developers
33:12 The Value of Automation in Product Development
36:16 Different Approaches to Indie Hacking
53:19 The Benefits and Challenges of Self-Hosting
58:51 Finding a Balance Between Work and Personal Life
Thomas's Twitter: https://x.com/T_Zahil
Thomas's Website: https://www.thomas-sanlis.com/
Uneed.best: https://www.uneed.best/
Vue Developers: https://www.vue-developers.com/
My own website: https://icebearlabs.com
You can find this podcast on https://codeandconquer.fm
Find our product here: https://www.repodcasted.com/
Ever wondered how to crack the SEO code as an indie hacker? In this episode, Tobias sits down with Yossi Zegev, founder of SEO Stuff, an affordable SEO tool designed specifically for indie hackers and bootstrappers.
Yossi shares his journey of launching SEO Stuff in a super scrappy way, starting with just a logo and search bar. He opens up about the struggles of failing projects before finally striking gold with SEO Stuff's genius pricing model focused on credit packs instead of subscriptions.
The conversation dives deep into the world of SEO - how to find the right keywords, understanding search volume and difficulty, and optimizing content for Google's ever-changing algorithms. Yossi provides a refreshing perspective on the role of AI, advocating for human-written content enhanced by AI assistance.
But it's not just about SEO. Yossi also drops some major wisdom about the indie hacker journey, emphasizing the importance of business skills over complex tech. His advice for aspiring indie hackers? Work fast, release fast, validate fast - and be willing to pivot when something isn't working.
Whether you're an SEO newbie or a seasoned pro, this episode offers tons of valuable insights into building successful indie products people actually want to pay for.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to SEO Stuff
02:07 Understanding SEO and the Value of SEO Stuff
07:02 Targeting the Right Keywords
11:47 Competition in the SEO Market
15:28 Getting Data for SEO Tools
22:25 The Scrappy Launch of SEO Stuff
30:11 Growing Traffic and Revenue for SEO Stuff
32:12 Pricing Changes and Customer Behavior
39:47 The Importance of Business Skills
44:18 Balancing Technical Skills and Efficient Tech Stacks
54:28 The Future of SEO
01:01:49 The Role of AI in the Artist Community and the Importance of Credit
01:04:05 The Limitations of AI-Written Content and the Future of SEO Optimization
01:06:01 Introducing Write SEO: Using AI to Create High-Quality Content
01:15:30 Disappointment with Google's Progress in AI Technology
01:18:38 Advice for Starting an Indie Hacker Career: Validate Ideas and Listen to Feedback
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SEO Stuff Website: https://www.seo-stuff.com/
Yossi's Twitter: https://x.com/HeyImYossi
My own website: https://icebearlabs.com
You can find this podcast on https://codeandconquer.fm
Find our product here: https://www.repodcasted.com/
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Overview of Nusii
02:53 Plateaus in Business Growth
08:00 Buying Out a Co-founder
14:57 The Importance of Pricing
37:08 Navigating the Challenges of AppSumo Customers
45:05 The Benefits of Living in Spain as an Indie Hacker
59:31 Avoiding Lifestyle Creep: Prioritizing Freedom and Flexibility
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Nusii's website: https://nusii.com/
Michael's personal website: https://michaelkoper.com/
Michael's Twitter: https://x.com/michaelkoper
My own website: https://icebearlabs.com
You can find this podcast on https://codeandconquer.fm
Find our product here: https://www.repodcasted.com/
In this episode of Code & Conquer, Dominik Sobe, a full-time digital nomad and indie hacker, discusses his journey as a solopreneur and the development of his product, HelpKit. He shares his experience of overcoming burnout and the importance of having a supportive community. Dominik also talks about the power of building in public and how it helped him gain traction for his product. He shares the creative idea of creating a fake customer support shop as an April Fools' joke and the positive response it received. Overall, Dominik emphasizes the importance of finding the right market fit and leveraging creative marketing strategies as an indie hacker. Dominik Sobe discusses his journey as a digital nomad and indie hacker. He shares how he transitioned from wanting to become a management consultant to becoming a software developer and building his own products. He talks about the benefits of being a digital nomad, such as living in affordable locations and experiencing different cultures. He also discusses the importance of healthcare and insurance while traveling and provides insights into finding a balance between work and enjoying the travel experience. In this final part of the conversation, Dominik discusses the sketchy parts of living in Southeast Asia, including safety concerns, theft, corruption, and drug laws. He also shares his plans for the future, including growing HelpKit and potentially selling it to achieve financial independence. Dominik emphasizes the importance of finding a community of like-minded people, both online and offline, to combat loneliness while nomading. He advises new indie hackers to try many different things, focus on marketing and distribution, and be comfortable with failure.
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00:00 Introduction and Technical Difficulties
18:08 Building in Public and Finding Initial Traction
30:08 The Value of Side Projects and Prioritizing Mental Health
43:11 Navigating Healthcare and Insurance
56:19 Finding Work-Life Balance
01:06:26 Is Digital Nomadism Right for You?
01:20:09 The Future of HelpKit and Financial Independence
01:29:11 Struggles and Demoralization as a Founder
01:37:25 Finding Community and Combating Loneliness as a Nomad
01:46:06 Excitement for Analog Photography and Advice for New Indie Hackers
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Dominik's Twitter: https://twitter.com/sobedominik
HelpKit: https://www.helpkit.so/
NomadKit: https://nomadkit.co/
FilmTypes: https://www.filmtypes.com/
My own website: https://icebearlabs.com
You can find this podcast on https://codeandconquer.fm
Find our product here: https://www.repodcasted.com/
In this episode, we go behind-the-scenes with Justin, the creator of Quda- a platform for bite-sized educational content and expert Q&A.
Justin shares his incredible journey transitioning from the music industry into the indie hacker life, while juggling a day job and family. Hear the fascinating story of how he built Quda using no-code tools to solve his own pain points around learning and knowledge sharing.
We dive deep into Justin's monetization strategies, pricing psychology, and the common trap of indie hackers undercharging. He also discusses exploring additional revenue streams like coaching subscriptions.
Justin offers authentic insights into embracing an indie hacker mindset, the power of taking imperfect action, and finding the motivation to work on your startup efter hours. Whether you're technical or non-technical, this episode packs tonnes of value for anyone building an indie business.
Tune in for an inspiring and incredibly useful conversation! Let Justin's story and advice motivate your own indie hacking adventures.
Chapters:
Chapters
00:00 Justin's Journey to Indie Hacking
06:03 Introduction to Quda
08:57 Creating a Platform for Short-Form Learning
12:23 Building a B2C Social Platform
19:22 Choosing to Focus on One Product
25:14 Maintaining Motivation and Enjoyment in the Process
28:08 Considering Marketing Strategy Before Launch
34:41 The Importance of Getting the Product in Users' Hands
38:39 Introduction to Repodcasted
39:08 Building Products that Scratch Your Own Itch
40:06 Finding the Right Motivation and Time
40:46 Different Approaches to Building Products
41:14 Marrying Approaches to Your Temperament and Constraints
42:03 Balancing Time and Constraints
43:27 The Challenges of Indie Hacking with Kids
44:21 Managing Time with a Day Job and Family
45:50 The Importance of Loving What You Do
46:20 The Freedom to Experiment with Low-Cost Projects
47:37 The Business Model of Quda
48:37 The Value of Knowledge and the Future of Quda
49:48 Micro Products within Quda
50:56 The Importance of Profitability
51:43 The Business Fundamentals of Indie Hacking
52:23 Getting Educators on the Quda Platform
53:48 The Attraction of Asynchronous Q&A on Quda
55:13 Reaching Out to Creators at the Right Time
56:35 Handling Rejections and Persistence
57:32 Dealing with Rejections and the Importance of Persistence
58:06 The Importance of Persistence and Reaching Out
59:01 Overcoming Perfectionism and Learning Through Doing
01:01:13 The Value of Learning Through Doing
01:02:12 Embracing Imperfection and Learning from Users
01:03:11 Excitement about Text-to-Coding and AI Robotics
01:06:40 The Importance of Building and Finding a Technical Co-founder
01:11:24 Advice for New Indie Hackers: Just Start Building
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Justin's Twitter: https://twitter.com/JustinQuda
Quda: https://askquda.com/
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My own website: https://icebearlabs.com
You can find this podcast on https://codeandconquer.fm
Find our product here: https://www.repodcasted.com/
In this episode, Steve McLeod shares the lessons he's learned from building and growing his SaaS product Feature Upvote. Steve discusses his unconventional journey from an IT consultant to a successful indie hacker, including the surprising ways his target market evolved over time.
The conversation covers Steve's approach to pricing and customer acquisition, as well as his decision to launch a coaching business alongside his core product.
Steve offers counter-intuitive advice and insights that challenge common indie hacker wisdom, providing a refreshingly honest look at the ups and downs of his entrepreneurial path.
Whether you're just starting your first indie project or looking to take an established product to the next level, this episode is filled with practical wisdom that could reshape your strategies and mindset as an entrepreneur.
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00:00 Introduction and Background
01:02 Discovering the Indie Hacker Community
03:16 Finding Unexpected Customers
04:13 The Pricing Dilemma
05:26 Choosing the Right Target Market
06:32 The Pros and Cons of High Pricing
07:29 Managing Customer Support Expectations
08:19 The Challenges of Running a 24/7 SaaS
08:59 The Importance of Launching Early
09:41 Validating the Product Market Fit
10:11 The Decision to Bootstrap Feature Upvote
11:44 Overcoming the Fear of SaaS Downtime
12:49 Choosing the Right Product Idea
13:33 Dealing with Self-Doubt and Imposter Syndrome
14:27 Acquiring the First Customers
15:52 Building Credibility in Online Communities
19:34 The Importance of Being Helpful in Communities
20:58 The Journey from Zero MRR to Sustainable Income
22:25 The Challenges of Content Writing
23:41 The Definition of Bootstrapping
25:03 The Decision to Persist or Quit
26:18 The Value of Transparency in Marketing
27:34 Dealing with Self-Doubt and Seeking Support
29:08 The Ever-Present Self-Doubt in Entrepreneurship
30:47 The Effectiveness of Different Marketing Strategies
31:59 The Impact of Competitors on Customer Feedback
33:14 The Balance Between Transparency and Competition
34:39 The Importance of Listening to Your Customers
35:48 The Trial and Error of Marketing Techniques
36:46 The Value of Expert Help in Marketing
37:34 The Importance of Getting Started with SEO
38:28 The Impact of AI on SEO
41:11 Creating Long-Form Content for Marketing
42:27 Reusing Content for Different Platforms
44:41 Launching a Coaching Business
45:48 Setting Premium Prices for Coaching
49:39 Balancing Coaching and Business Expansion
53:29 The Future of Feature Upvote and Coaching
55:13 Finding a Balance in Entrepreneurship
58:21 Excitement for HTMX
01:02:57 Advice for Bootstrappers: Charge More
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Steve's Twitter: https://twitter.com/steveofmcleod
Steve's personal website: https://steveofmcleod.com/
Public Lab: https://featureupvote.com/
You can find this podcast on https://codeandconquer.fm
Find our product here: https://www.repodcasted.com/
In this episode, I sit down with Kevon Cheung, a leading voice in the #buildinpublic movement. Kevon shares his unique journey from studying business in university to becoming a self-taught developer and then transitioning into teaching others how to build an audience while creating products.
We dive deep into the strategies and mindset behind building in public effectively. Kevon explains how to genuinely engage with your target audience, come up with interesting content ideas from real interactions, and build trust over time. He dispels common myths and provides practical tips on using platforms like Twitter, newsletters, and even YouTube for your building in public efforts.
Kevon also discusses when building in public may not be the best approach for certain business models. Throughout the conversation, he emphasizes the importance of blending into communities, soliciting feedback, and earning in public based on your behind-the-scenes work.
Whether you're an indie hacker, creator, or just someone looking to build an engaged audience, this episode is packed with insights from one of the experts in the building in public space. Tune in for a masterclass on authentic audience-building from Kevon "The Broccoli Guy" Cheung.
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00:00 Introduction and Background
00:54 Transition to Indie Hacking
10:09 Building an Audience from Scratch
16:25 Creating Engaging Content
25:54 Creating Valuable Content for Niche Audiences
29:21 Generating Content for B2B Products
32:26 Creating Genuine Content
33:12 Creating Multiple Pieces of Content
34:00 Engagement Bait vs. Genuine Engagement
35:19 Using Feedback to Improve Products
36:28 Building Trust and Gaining Fans
37:36 The Importance of Email Newsletters
38:34 The Power of Email as a Communication Channel
41:52 The Benefits of Email as a Platform-Independent Channel
43:28 Not Every Piece of Content Will Go Viral
46:42 Considering YouTube as a Content Platform
51:44 The Story Behind the Broccoli Logo
55:13 Exploring SaaS Ideas
57:41 Blend into the Community and Build in Private
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Kevon's Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeetKevon
Kevon's personal website: https://kevoncheung.com/
Public Lab: https://publiclab.co/
Find our product here: https://repodcasted.com
The podcast currently has 29 episodes available.