Startups For the Rest of Us

Episode 803 | 8 Key Takeaways from MicroConf Europe 2025

Listen Later

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!

      Subscribe & Review: iTunes | Spotify

      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store
      Startups For the Rest of UsBy Rob Walling
      • 4.9
      • 4.9
      • 4.9
      • 4.9
      • 4.9

      4.9

      697 ratings

      More shows like Startups For the Rest of Us

      View all
      This Week in Startups by Jason Calacanis

      This Week in Startups

      1,285 Listeners

      The Official SaaStr Podcast: SaaS | Founders | Investors by SaaStr

      The Official SaaStr Podcast: SaaS | Founders | Investors

      175 Listeners

      The a16z Show by Andreessen Horowitz

      The a16z Show

      1,082 Listeners

      The SaaS Podcast: Build, Launch & Scale Your SaaS by Omer Khan

      The SaaS Podcast: Build, Launch & Scale Your SaaS

      186 Listeners

      Built to Sell Radio by John Warrillow

      Built to Sell Radio

      212 Listeners

      Y Combinator Startup Podcast by Y Combinator

      Y Combinator Startup Podcast

      227 Listeners

      REWORK by 37signals

      REWORK

      210 Listeners

      My First Million by Hubspot Media

      My First Million

      2,650 Listeners

      The Startup Ideas Podcast by Greg Isenberg

      The Startup Ideas Podcast

      205 Listeners

      Marketing Against The Grain by Hubspot Media

      Marketing Against The Grain

      356 Listeners

      Moneywise by Hampton

      Moneywise

      654 Listeners

      The Koerner Office - Business Ideas and Small Business Deep Dives with Entrepreneurs by Chris Koerner

      The Koerner Office - Business Ideas and Small Business Deep Dives with Entrepreneurs

      239 Listeners

      The Next Wave - AI and The Future of Technology by Mindstream (Hubspot Media)

      The Next Wave - AI and The Future of Technology

      59 Listeners

      AI + a16z by a16z

      AI + a16z

      35 Listeners

      Lightcone Podcast by Y Combinator

      Lightcone Podcast

      21 Listeners