Startups For the Rest of Us

Episode 800 | The 12 Commandments of Startups for the Rest of Us

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What if you could get all 15 years of this podcast bundled up into one episode? 

In episode 800, Rob Walling goes solo for a special milestone installment of Startups For the Rest of Us. He covers the 12 foundational commandments that shape his approach to SaaS, hard-won lessons forged from years of building, investing in, and advising startups.

Topics we cover: 
  • (3:46) – #1: Nuance beats absolutes
  • (6:52) – #2: Make hard decisions with incomplete information
  • (9:16) – #3: Avoid the classic traps
  • (12:22) – #4: Don't build without real evidence
  • (15:14) – #5: Marketing beats product
  • (19:08) – #6: Fewer customers, better customers
  • (21:01) – #7: Respect (and fear) the platform
  • (24:04) – #8: Build your network, not just your audience
  • (26:30) – #9: Overnight success takes a decade
  • (28:45) – #10: Stack small wins
  • (31:22) – #11: Be careful who you listen to
  • (33:15) – #12: The hardest battles are in your own head
    • Links from the Show:
    • MicroConf US 2026 - Portland, Oregon - Use Promo Code ROB50 for $50 off.
    • Invest in TinySeed Fund Three
    • SaaS Playbook
    • The Entrepreneur's Guide to Keeping Your Sh*t Together
    • Exit Strategy
    • Episode 685 | 7 Things You Should Never Do
    • Episode 700 | Playing the Long Game
    • Episode 735 | The 8 Levels of SaaS Platform Risk

      • If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

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