In this episode of the Business of Laravel podcast, Matt Stauffer talks with Alex Millar, CTO and founder of GovAI, about his journey from selling his previous venture, Bonfire, to adopting Laravel for his latest project. Alex shares how Laravel improved his two-man team’s efficiency and his experience as a newcomer to the framework. They discuss challenges in adopting new tools, the importance of documentation, architecture testing, and strategies for entrepreneurial success. Alex also offers insights on leadership, communication, and how small, well-executed details can drive significant growth.

• Matt Stauffer Twitter
• Tighten Website
• Alex Millar’s Website
• Alex Millar Twitter
• GovAI Website
• MinMaxing Software Costs Talk
• Randall Stutman: The Essence of Leadership [The Knowledge Project Ep. #96] "‌")
• Jim Dethmer: Leading Above the Line [The Knowledge Project Ep. #60]
• TED: Speaking so People Want to Listen
• Alex’s README

You can email Alex at [email protected].

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Editing and transcription sponsored by Tighten.

In this episode of the Business of Laravel podcast, Matt Stauffer sits down with Jason Johnson, Chief Information Officer at Sweetwater, a leading provider of musical instruments, pro audio equipment, and comprehensive support services for musicians and audio professionals. They discuss Sweetwater’s impressive growth, how Laravel plays a key role in their technology stack, and the critical importance of building a strong company culture. Jason shares valuable insights on hiring practices, the significance of diversity in tech, and the power of vulnerability in leadership. He also emphasizes the need for continuous learning and highlights the importance of making intentional, business-driven decisions in both technology and team management.

• Matt Stauffer Twitter
• Tighten Website
• Jason Johnson LinkedIn 
• Extreme Ownership Book
• Upstream Book
• 168 Hours Book
• Sweetwater LinkedIn
• Sweetwater Careers

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Editing and transcription sponsored by Tighten.

In this episode of the Business of Laravel podcast, Matt Stauffer interviews Jason McCreary, the founder of Shift. They discuss Jason's role and journey in the Laravel community, the functionality of Laravel Shift as an automation tool for upgrading Laravel versions, and the importance of keeping Laravel applications up to date. Jason shares his experience in building a successful SaaS product for developers, offers advice for aspiring founders and business owners, and discusses the unique challenges and rewards of being a solo founder.

• Matt Stauffer Twitter
• Tighten Website
• Jason McCreary Twitter
• Shift
• Jason’s Twitter Thread
• Jason’s Video on Adding an SMS Admin Action to Download Logs
• Jason’s Article on SMS admin in 8 lines of code
• Origin story of Shift

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Editing and transcription sponsored by Tighten.

In this episode of the Business of Laravel Podcast, Matt Stauffer sits down with Jon Behr, VP of Engineering at FM, to discuss his journey into the company and FM's use of Laravel. FM operates three major brands—Musicbed, Film Supply, and Stills—which license music, provide film clips, and sell premium stock photography. John shares insights into the ground-up rewrite of the Musicbed app using Laravel, highlighting the importance of choosing "boring technology" to ensure stability. They also explore topics like scalability, clear communication within engineering teams, and the intricacies of hiring and firing developers.

• Matt Stauffer Twitter
• Tighten Website
• Jon Behr Twitter
• Jon Behr LinkedIn 
• FM Website
• Musicbed
• Filmsupply
• Choose Boring Technology Blog Post
• Becoming an Effective Software Engineering Manager Book
• Radical Candor Book
• FM Careers Page

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Editing and transcription sponsored by Tighten.

In this episode of the Business of Laravel Podcast, Matt Stauffer sits down with Chris Morrell, the CEO and CTO of InterNACHI, the largest trade organization for residential and commercial property inspectors globally. Chris shares his insights on leading a technology-driven business in the home inspection industry and explains how InterNACHI leverages Laravel to deliver education, certification, and business tools for home inspectors. He discusses the challenges of broadening their service offerings while emphasizing the importance of making strategic, focused decisions. Additionally, Chris shares his experiences with the hiring process for Laravel developers and highlights the advantages of active participation in the Laravel community.

• Matt Stauffer Twitter
• Tighten Website
• Chis on Mastodon
• InterNACHI Website
• Chris Morrell Twitter
• Chris Morrell on GitHub
• Radical Candor Book
• Books by Tim Ferriss
• Financial Management of a Marketing Firm Book
• Chris’s Podcast - Over Engineered
• Gretel Package

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Editing and transcription sponsored by Tighten.

In this episode of the Business of Laravel Podcast, Matt Stauffer sits down with Matthew Davis, the CTO of Mumsnet, a leading social platform for parents in the UK. They discuss Mumsnet's full-scale transition to Laravel, unpacking the challenges and victories of their ground-up rewrite. They dive into the technical architecture behind their hosting and how they're leveraging machine learning to personalize content for their users. The discussion also covers the nuances of hiring Laravel developers and why finding the right culture fit is crucial for avoiding micromanagement and fostering independence in the workplace. Matthew Davis offers incredible insights on building trust between engineering and product teams and highlights how Laravel can be a game-changer for boosting productivity and driving real business value.

• Matt Stauffer Twitter
• Tighten Website
• Matthew Davis Twitter 
• Mumsnet Website
• Mumsnet LinkedIn
• Randical Candor Book 
• Conflicted by Ian Leslie 
• Growth Levers by Matt Lerner 
• Matt Stauffer’s Empathy Gives You Superpowers Talk - Laracon EU 2015 

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Editing and transcription sponsored by Tighten.

In this episode of the Business of Laravel podcast, Matt Stauffer interviews Greg Skerman, Director of Technology at iSeekplant, Australia’s leading online construction marketplace. They discuss Greg’s role, the benefits and challenges of a service-oriented architecture, and working with non-technical stakeholders. Greg emphasizes the importance of scaling people alongside technology, the value of experimentation, and the ability to swiftly revert changes. He highlights the advantages of frequent deployments, such as risk mitigation and quicker rollbacks, and their positive impact on staff retention. Greg also offers advice for aspiring leaders, stressing the importance of soft skills, openness to different approaches, and engaging with the community and mentors for career growth.

• Matt Stauffer Twitter 
• Tighten Website 
• Greg Skerman Twitter
• Greg Skerman LinkedIn
• Greg’s Podcast
• Greg’s Substack
• iseekplant Website
• PostHog
• Turn the Ship Around Book
• Greg's 2023 Laracon AU Talk
• Laracon AU 2024

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Editing and transcription sponsored by Tighten.

In this episode of the Business of Laravel podcast, host Matt Stauffer interviews Michele and Mathias Hansen, the founders of Geocodio, a SaaS that provides hassle-free geocoding, built with Laravel. They discuss their motivation for creating the service, born from their own need for reliable geocoding data, and explore the challenges and benefits of working together as a couple, including how their roles have evolved as the company has grown. They also highlight the importance of listening to user feedback and customer input throughout the development process and share their experiences in hiring and building a remote team.

• Matt Stauffer Twitter 
• Tighten Website 
• Michele Hansen Twitter 
• Mathias Hansen Twitter
• Geocodio Website
• Michele’s book - Deploy Empathy  

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Editing and transcription sponsored by Tighten.

In this episode of the Business of Laravel podcast, host Matt Stauffer sits down with Ben Holmen, CTO of the Boutique Hub, a community of boutique owners and brands dedicated to strengthening small businesses. Ben shares insights into his role, where he juggles infrastructure, people, code, and business objectives.

Ben discusses the challenges and successes of using Laravel, key decisions as a CTO, and integrating with Shopify. He also shares his personal journey from being a programmer to leading a team, highlighting the critical role of communication and trust in a remote setup. Plus, we explore his latest experiment, the Pair-amid Scheme, where he pairs with strangers to spark collaboration and growth in the developer community.

• Matt Stauffer Twitter 
• Tighten Website 
• Ben Holmen Twitter 
• Ben Holmen’s Website
• The Boutique Hub
• Pair-amid Scheme
• Radical Candor Book

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Editing and transcription sponsored by Tighten.

In this episode of the Business of Laravel podcast, host Matt Stauffer interviews Aaron Francis, co-founder of Try Hard Studios, beloved Internet personality, Laravel developer, and all-around Internet nice guy. Aaron shares his journey from his days at a property tax company to his bold leap into entrepreneurship, sharing insights into his evolution every step of the way. He discusses moving beyond the "hustle era" to what he terms the "Try Hard era," emphasizing the importance of concerted effort and determination in achieving success. Tune in to learn about Aaron's background, his passion for creating educational content, and the exciting ventures he's currently pursuing in the world of Laravel development.

• Matt Stauffer Twitter - Matt Stauffer (@stauffermatt) on X
• Tighten Website - Tighten | Software Development for Web + Mobile | Laravel + Vue.js
• Aaron Francis Twitter - @‌aarondfrancis
• Aaron Francis Website - aaronfrancis.com
• Try Hard Studios - tryhardstudios.com
• Radical Candor - https://www.radicalcandor.com/
• 37 Signals - https://37signals.com/books/
• Brené Brown - https://brenebrown.com/

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Editing and transcription sponsored by Tighten.