The Bootstrapped Founder

This week, I got on my first post-COVID trip and headed to Denver, Colorado for MicroConf 2023.

It.

Was.

Awesome.

Unsurprisingly, being in the same room with 250 other bootstrapped SaaS founders is one of the nerdiest things you can do. And it was as enlightening as it was nerdy. I just arrived back home in Canada a few hours ago, so I took the opportunity to share my insights from the conference on my podcast. Enjoy!

00:00:14 Intro

00:02:26 What is MicroConf? 

00:08:42 STIR

00:11:21 The talks

00:16:34 The speaksessionsers

00:19:19 My session on mental health

00:25:43 Feeling isolated

00:28:31 How to start a conversation about your own experience.

00:34:37 Mental health as a founder is paramount.

00:37:25 MicroConf is more than just a conference

00:43:28 Things outside the conference hall

My MicroConf EU 2019 attendee talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TheiytjsZoY
MicroConf Connect: https://microconf.com/connect

My new podcast project: Arvid & Tyler Catch Up / https://catchup.fm

The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/microconf-us-23-recap-what-happens-when-250-saas-founders-meet/

The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/9d12dbc0

The video: https://youtu.be/8ty4NNbVnMo

You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com

Podcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcast

Newsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletter

My book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/

My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/

My course Find your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com

Find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/

This episode is sponsored by Pinto Financial. Check out their demo! 

When it comes to building an "owned audience," nothing beats an email list. Louis Nicholls is a newsletter expert, and he shared with me how to monetize a list, how to grow it reliably, and why cold emails are often done spectacularly wrong.

Louis will show you how to do email right.

00:00:00 Why did you choose to build SparkLoop?

00:05:23 Grow an audience, monetize a list

00:09:07 How do you maintain customer quality in a network?

00:14:55 Advice on how to cross-link your knowledge with other channels.

00:18:48 How much is too much in terms of "buying" subscribers?

00:21:59 What makes a newsletter word of mouth-worthy?

00:27:48 Struggling with self-promotion

00:31:51 What makes a good or a really bad cold email?

00:36:44 Why all cold emails look the same

00:42:57 Why a good message is never cold

00:48:57 Borrowed audiences always have risk

My new podcast project: Arvid & Tyler Catch Up / https://catchup.fm

The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/louis-nicholls-growing-your-newsletter/

The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/8e4bcbf9

The video: https://youtu.be/FNolzZtXjLI

You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com

Podcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcast

Newsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletter

My book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/

My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/

My course Find Your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com

ChatGPT is everywhere. But can we build businesses on it? What risks will we face? Let's dive into the future of entrepreneurship in a world where AI is ubiquitous.

My new podcast project: Arvid & Tyler Catch Up / https://catchup.fm

The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/chatgpt-goldmine-or-minefield-for-indie-hackers/

The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/efd69983

The video: https://youtu.be/J4eNi1uqxUI

You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com

Podcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcast

Newsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletter

My book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/

My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/

My course Find your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com

Find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/

This episode is sponsored by Pinto Financial. Check out their demo! 

Marie and Ben are a power couple. Together, they run Notion Mastery, an intense workshop for people who want to use Notion professionally and productively. In our conversation, we'll dive into platform risk, building a sustainable educational business, how to work together as a couple, and why social media distribution matters a lot to educational founders. Enjoy!

00:00:00 What can we learn from permaculture?
00:04:55 How do you make it profitable?
00:10:57 Building an info product on top of a shifting platform?
00:13:28 How do you keep your courses relevant in the future?
00:19:14 Perfectionism is a huge problem
00:22:12 How do you speak to an audience that is so diverse?
00:27:33 Are you a user or are you a builder?
00:29:52 Channels that have worked the best.
00:33:55 Partnerships
00:37:16 How to build a business with yout partner.
00:43:08 What is needed to keep a long-term event like this running?
00:46:34 The breathing business

My new podcast project: Arvid & Tyler Catch Up / https://catchup.fm

The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/marie-poulin-benjamin-borowski-digital-permaculture/

The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/faf48b60

The video: https://youtu.be/Dr0Uty8heyo

You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com

Podcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcast

Newsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletter

My book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/

My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/

My course Find Your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com

Find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/

Artificial scarcity, a marketing tactic that fosters urgency in customers, can lead to short-term financial gains but raises ethical concerns and negative consequences in the creator economy. Drawbacks include damaging relationships, promoting impulsive purchases, and exacerbating global inequality. While there are exceptions, such as outcome-oriented communities and front-loading financial gains, adopting an abundance mindset and cultivating genuine relationships is a more sustainable long-term strategy in the digital realm.

My new podcast project: Arvid & Tyler Catch Up / https://catchup.fm

The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/artificial-scarcity-damages-the-creator-economy/

The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/37d137db

The video: https://youtu.be/0ypM30tG1Mg

You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com

Podcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcast

Newsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletter

My book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/

My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/

My course Find your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com

Find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/

This episode is sponsored by Pinto Financial. Check out their demo! 

Most of Josh Spector's newsletter issues are just a few sentences. Sometimes, just a link. And still, advertisers and readers alike flock to Josh's emails. In our conversation, you will learn why brevity is so attractive, how to make sure you're telling the right stories to the right people, and how to build systems that keep people coming back for more.

00:00:00 How to think about scarcity

00:04:16 Josh's newsletter(s)

00:08:49 Ads that feel less like ads

00:12:21 Why you need to know what you want to sell

00:16:20 How Josh got started

00:22:02 Advertising is just another way for people to connect

00:26:32 Maintain and improve the quality of your audience

00:30:51 How to get people to subscribe to your newsletter

00:34:54 Why you need to shorten your email newsletter

00:39:28 How to use video as part of your content strategy

00:48:12 Empathy with the needs of your audience

00:51:31 Helping your reader

00:57:16 Having an audience centric approach to business

My new podcast project: Arvid & Tyler Catch Up / https://catchup.fm

The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/josh-spector-saying-less-and-making-more/

The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/6bbf0f6e

The video: https://youtu.be/AND8f7I_Tr0

You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com

Podcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcast

Newsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletter

My book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/

My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/

My course Find Your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com

Find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/

Sponsored by Acquire.com.

This is probably the most concentrated and well-produced podcast I've been on in a long while. And I want to share it with you here today as a bonus episode.

Kudos to @YongSooChung for putting his money where his mic is. He spent a lot of time, money, and energy to make this episode happen. This is a great ep, and if want to learn about my whole founder journey, I recommend a listen.

Here's the original show: https://www.firstclassfounders.com/life-changing-wisdom-with-arvid-kahl-from-selling-a-saas-business-to-becoming-a-creator/

Yong-Soo Chung on Twitter: https://twitter.com/YongSooChung

What are the factors involved in choosing a solid business name? From securing an available domain to choosing a unique name for SEO reasons, I delve into the linguistic and cultural considerations of choosing a business name, including avoiding potentially offensive or negative connotations in various markets.

I also emphasize the importance of trademarking the business name and domain to protect from infringement and legal disputes. Future-proofing a business name involves securing social media handles and reevaluating and possibly undertaking a rebranding process if the business's direction changes significantly or the target audience's preferences shift over time.

This podcast episode offers practical insights and tips on choosing a fitting business name that represents your brand's identity and promise.

 https://namemesh.pro/ : Generates domain name suggestions based on your keywords.

 https://www.shopify.com/tools/business-name-generator Offers a variety of business name ideas based on your input.

 Lean Domain Search: Matches your keyword with thousands of potential domain names.  Namium is great, too.

My new podcast project: Arvid & Tyler Catch Up / https://catchup.fm

The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/the-art-of-naming-your-business/ 

The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/9c485402

The video: https://youtu.be/HDGSrHBrLtk

You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com

Podcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcast

Newsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletter

My book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/

My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/

My course Find your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com

Find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/

This episode is sponsored by Localazy! use the coupon ARVID for 25% off.

Peter knows how to get good domains and turn them into businesses. He's selling onions, helps dude ranchers get clients, and will share his approach to monetizing domains as well as purchasing them on the cheap side. Peter's been building online marketplaces for a while, and he'll teach you how he approaches setting up profitable businesses.

00:00:00 Peter’s unique approach to building a business.

00:02:59 The right mindset to become an entrepreneur.

00:05:46 Getting into domain name investing.

00:11:11 The domain name investing path.

00:16:20 The importance of having a domain first.

00:20:08 What’s a directory marketplace like?

00:26:43 The domain-first approach is genius.

00:30:00 The importance of no-brainer pricing.

00:33:37 How to use a domain portfolio to build your business

00:39:22 Peter is not afraid of going into a new industry.

00:44:21 The importance of having a good domain name.

00:52:13 Industries to avoid

00:58:48 Peter's world

My new podcast project: Arvid & Tyler Catch Up / https://catchup.fm

The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/peter-askew-domain-expertise/

The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/da30dbce

The video: https://youtu.be/vGN8fPLg4Nw

You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com

Podcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcast

Newsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletter

My book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/

My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/

My course Find your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com

Find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/

Sponsored by Acquire.com.

Here are my personal strategies for achieving consistency in content creation, which encompass implementing accountability systems, connecting with my audience, and reaping financial and lifestyle rewards. Additionally, I explore the difficulties of maintaining motivation and the vital role of community in this process.

I recount my own story, beginning with the launch of a blog and ultimately leading to the development of a self-perpetuating content creation cycle. Throughout this journey, I've expanded my income sources by securing sponsorships and authoring books. By highlighting the significance of consistency, I aim to inspire others to adopt it as a guiding principle in their own creative endeavors.

My new podcast project: Arvid & Tyler Catch Up / https://catchup.fm

The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/how-i-stay-consistent/

The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/7bd407f4

The video: https://youtu.be/K3qSwVT1Sh0

You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com

Podcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcast

Newsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletter

My book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/

My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/

My course Find your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com

Find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/