Startups For the Rest of Us

Episode 803 | 8 Key Takeaways from MicroConf Europe 2025

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What's it really like to attend MicroConf?

In this episode, Rob Walling and Laura Sprinkle, founder of Rootabl, recap MicroConf Europe 2025 in Istanbul. They discuss the MicroConf vibe, standout talks on AI, affiliate marketing, and SaaS growth, as well as the value of networking and connecting while getting outside the conference room. 

 Topics we cover: 
  • (5:01) – The friendly, diverse MicroConf crowd
  • (8:06) – Impressions on Istanbul
  • (9:24) – Marc Thomas on lifecycle marketing
  • (11:34) – Michelle Hansen & John Knox on networking 
  • (13:04) – MicroConf Excursions
  • (16:45) – Einar Volset on SaaS Buyers
  • (20:27) – Rob’s AI talk
  • (23:27) – Laura’s talk about affiliate programs
  • (24:47) – Jesse Schoberg on ranking in ChatGPT and Google's AI
  • (26:31) – Attendee-Led Workshops
  • (27:58) – Kevin Sahin’s unfiltered lessons scaling to $2M
  • (31:12) – James Mooring’s journey to $2M ARR
    • Links from the Show: 
    • Get your Ticket for MicroConf - Portland, Oregon, on April 12 -14, 2026 | Use promo code ROB50 for $50 off your ticket.
    • TinySeed
    • Join MicroConf Connect
    • Deploy Empathy by Michelle Hansen
    • The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
    • There’s ONLY 5 Ways to Use AI in SaaS (prove me wrong)
    • Rob Walling (@robwalling) | X
    • Rootabl
    • Laura Sprinkle | LinkedIn
    • Laura Sprinkle (@imlaurasprinkle) | X

      • 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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      Startups For the Rest of UsBy Rob Walling
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