Startups For the Rest of Us

Latest Episodes:

Episode 679 | Mock Features, A Failed Launch, Becoming a Freelancer, and More Listener Questions (A Rob Solo Adventure) Sep 19, 2023

Show notes

In episode 679, join Rob Walling for another solo adventure where he answers listener questions. He discusses how “mock features” can be implemented to close deals with certain buying dynamics, how to recover from a failed launch, and the benefits of phased launches to minimize those. Rob also gives advice on creating organic content for a SaaS and suggests alternative marketing strategies to content creation. Finally, he covers what an engineer might encounter during an acquisition in a small startup and how to dive into consulting and contracting.

Topics we cover:

3:43 – Mock features for B2B SaaS
6:20 – Recovering from a failed launch
10:37 – Advice for a consumer-facing “vitamin” product
12:53 – Creating content to market SaaS tools
17:13 – Acquisitions for startups with small engineering teams
20:24 – Consulting for junior and mid-level engineers

Links from the Show:

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 | Google

Episode 678 | Selling a Half-Finished Product, Phased Launches, and More Listener Questions (Rob Solo Adventure) Sep 12, 2023

Show notes

In episode 678, join Rob Walling for another solo adventure where he answers listener questions. He answers how he might find buyers for a half-done SaaS product, addresses platform risk that accompanies no-code development, and shares insights on bookkeeping for SaaS startups. Rob also details what frameworks new marketers should be looking into and gives advice on launching a new SaaS tool to an email list.

Episode Sponsor:

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They take care of the vetting, interviewing, and testing of candidates to make sure that you are working with someone who can hit the ground running.

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And for subscribers of Startups For the Rest of Us, you can get 15% off your first 4 week contract with a developer by visiting lemon.io/startups

Topics we cover:

3:10 – Where can I sell partially developed SaaS apps?
7:42 – Evaluating higher platform risk inherent in no-code apps
11:44 – Approaches to bookkeeping early on in your SaaS business
14:47 – Setting up a marketing engine for those with little experience
20:43 – Launching a new product to an email list with a phased approach

Links from the Show:

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 | Google

Episode 677 | Design Faster and More Effectively With Wireframing Sep 05, 2023

Show notes

In episode 677, Tracy Osborn interviews Leon Barnard from Balsamiq about wireframing and design. They discuss the book "Wireframing for Everyone" written by Leon and his co-authors from Balsamiq and they emphasize the value of low-fidelity wireframes for founders. They also cover how wireframing can improve ideation and communication processes among teams. To wrap up, they recommend resources for non-designers interested in learning more about wireframing and design.

Episode Sponsor:

Life as a founder can put a strain on even the strongest relationships, but spending dedicated quality time with your better half can help you recharge and refocus. If you’re ready to unwind from the daily startup grind, head over to cratedwithlove.com to level up your next date night. And for listeners of this podcast, you can use code STARTUPS during checkout for an exclusive 15% off your first order.

Topics we cover:

3:29 – TinySeed applications for Fall 2023 are open
5:00 – Leon’s passion for wireframing
8:32 – Designing in low fidelity wireframes
11:03 – Wireframing, ideation, and iteration
16:21 – Communicating design with wireframing
21:22 – Using wireframing to iterate on already existing, high fidelity content
24:35 – Writing about wireframing within the broader context of general design principles
28:16 – Additional resources for non-designers to gain confidence in design
32:36 – Asking questions informs good design

Links from the Show:

MicroConf is leveling up!
Tracy Osborn (@tracymakes) | X
Leon Barnard (@leonbarnard) | X
Leon Barnard | LinkedIn
Balsamiq (@balsamiq) | X
Wireframing for Everyone by Michael Angeles, Leon Barnard, and Billy Carlson
Balsamiq Wireframing Academy
Sketching User Experiences by Bill Buxton
Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug
UX for Lean Startups by Laura Klein

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 | Google

Episode 676 | Exit Valuations, Choosing Between Ideas, and More Listener Questions Aug 29, 2023

Show notes

In episode 676, join Rob Walling for a solo adventure where he answers more listener questions. He answers questions around the inflated valuations in the B2B SaaS market, choosing between ideas, and validating a SaaS idea before building. Rob wraps up evaluating the effectiveness of building a podcast or YouTube following prior to launch.

Topics we cover:

0:56 – TinySeed applications for fall 2023 batch
1:42 – The Future of MicroConf announcement event
2:13 – Why are B2B SaaS valuations so high?
10:43 – Choosing between two software ideas
15:02 – Don’t start a two-sided marketplace
17:04 – Do my “Stair Steps” have to be related?
19:47 – Co-founder equity splits and founder agreements
24:56 – Idea validation techniques
28:02 – Starting a podcast to building an audience

Links from the Show:

The SaaS Playbook
TinySeed
Future of MicroConf
The UpFlip Podcast
27. How to Build a Thriving Software Company (From Scratch)
Quiet Light, Empire Flippers, FE international
Castos Productions
Nolo, Rocket Lawyer, Lexgo
Slicing Pie
Episode 671 | Working on What Matters, Left-handed Threads, and Being Lucky (A Rob Solo Adventure)
The Stair Step Method of Bootstrapping
Traction by Gino Wickman
Hacking Growth by Sean Brown, Morgan, Ellis

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 | Google

Episode 675 | Storytelling as a Sales Superpower (Book Recommendation) Aug 22, 2023

Show notes

In episode 675, Rob Walling interviews Stephen Steers, author of "Superpower Storytelling." They discuss Stephen’s experience in selling and teaching startups how to sell better. They cover Stephen’s storytelling “AREA” framework and the concept of the problem stack. They also talk about when founders should consider delegating sales, the importance of documenting successful sales processes, and using humor in the sales process.

Episode Sponsor:

Find your perfect developer or a team at Lemon.io/startups

They take care of the vetting, interviewing, and testing of candidates to make sure that you are working with someone who can hit the ground running.

And for subscribers of Startups For the Rest of Us, you can get 15% off your first 4 week contract with a developer by visiting lemon.io/startups

Topics we cover:

1:36 – Start Small, Stay Small
3:21 – Stephen’s book, Superpower Storytelling, and how to tell the story of you and your company
4:30 – Why is storytelling important for startups
7:47 – A valuable background in sales consulting
10:35 – The AREA mental framework
13:21 – The “problem stack”
18:42 – When to outsource sales in your organization
22:37 – The four reasons that businesses buy, consultative selling
28:01 – Using humor to your advantage when selling or as a founder

Links from the Show:

Stephen Steers | LinkedIn
Steers Sales Consulting
Superpower Storytelling by Stephen Steers
Start Small, Stay Small by Rob Walling
Made to Stick by Chip Heath & Dan Heath
Taki Moore (@takimoore) | Twitter
Scott Sambucci (@scottsambucci) | Twitter

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 | Google

Episode 674 | SparkToro Pays Back Investors, When to Raise Funding, and X.com (Hot Take Tuesday) Aug 15, 2023

Show notes

In episode 674, join Rob Walling, Einar Vollset, and Tracy Osborn for Hot Take Tuesday, where they analyze and discuss some of the latest news. They talk about Elon rebranding Twitter to X and the emergence of Instagram's Threads. They also cover the pros and cons of taking VC and SparkToro's unique funding model and paying back investors.

Topics we cover:

2:49 – Twitter is now X
5:53 – Does the rebranding make sense?
12:15 – Instagram launches Threads
19:18 – SparkToro pays back investors
26:04 – Planning ahead for the payback
28:53 – “Don’t take VC funding”
35:11 – “We Raised a Bunch of Money”

Links from the Show:

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 | Google

Episode 673 | Lifetime Plans vs Subscriptions, Testing an Idea With a Landing Page, and More Listener Questions Aug 08, 2023

Show notes

In episode 673, Rob Walling chats with Ruben Gamez, the founder of SignWell, as they answer listener questions. They cover topics related to pricing models for SaaS products, marketing strategies for new products, the concept of copycat apps, and the challenges of balancing customer requests with product development. Additionally, they address a question about choosing between working at a startup or a big tech company.

Episode Sponsor:

Find your perfect developer or a team at Lemon.io/startups

They take care of the vetting, interviewing, and testing of candidates to make sure that you are working with someone who can hit the ground running.

And for subscribers of Startups For the Rest of Us, you can get 15% off your first 4 week contract with a developer by visiting lemon.io/startups

Topics we cover:

2:06 – Lifetime value pricing vs. monthly recurring revenue
11:33 – Pay-as-you-go as an alternative to lifetime or SaaS pricing
14:30 – Testing the market with a landing page
22:16 – Getting feedback from landing page signups
25:11 – Marketing strategies for SaaS
32:53 – Building copycat apps
38:51 – Startup roles vs. roles in a big tech company as a software engineer
43:33 – Balancing customer needs with our strategic roadmap

Links from the Show:

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 | Google

Episode 672 | Bootstrapping, Building, Buying, and Selling SaaS Companies Aug 01, 2023

Show notes

In episode 672, Rob Walling speaks with Jon Hainstock, M&A advisor at Quiet Light and previously ZoomShift. They discuss Jon’s bootstrapper journey, his exit from ZoomShift, the benefits of buying versus building, and how he helps other founders sell their businesses at Quiet Light. To wrap up, Jon exposes some common pitfalls to avoid when buying businesses.

Topics we cover:

2:17 – Timeline of building and selling ZoomShift
6:07 – Deciding to sell ZoomShift
11:06 – Jumping into a new project immediately after exit
17:16 – Acquiring small assets
19:16 – Picking Quiet Light Brokerage over smaller acquisitions
26:23 – “Broker” vs. “Advisor”
30:26 – What to avoid when buying a business

Links from the Show:

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 | Google

Episode 671 | Working on What Matters, Left-handed Threads, and Being Lucky (A Rob Solo Adventure) Jul 25, 2023

Show notes

In episode 671, join Rob Walling for another solo adventure where he covers a variety of topics. First, he shares an example of why successful founders move the needle rather than staying in their comfort zone. He shares an anecdote about discovering left-handed threads and how it applies to startups, and wraps up with some thoughts on the role of luck in audience building.

Episode Sponsor:

Find your perfect developer or a team at Lemon.io/startups

They take care of the vetting, interviewing, and testing of candidates to make sure that you are working with someone who can hit the ground running.

And for subscribers of Startups For the Rest of Us, you can get 15% off your first 4 week contract with a developer by visiting lemon.io/startups

Topics we cover:

1:56 – Moving the needle rather than staying comfortable
11:10 – First time discovering left-handed threads
19:15 – Building an audience doesn’t require luck

Links from the Show:

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 | Google

Episode 670 | Relying on Luck, Avoiding Burnout, and Bad Player vs. Bad Instrument (A Rob Solo Adventure) Jul 18, 2023

Show notes

In episode 670, join Rob Walling for another solo adventure, where he discusses why, while striking luck in your SaaS journey is great, working hard and building skills is the sustainable way to build businesses for the long haul. He also shares his personal approach to work when burnout is on the horizon and finally an anecdote relating to SaaS marketing approaches.

Topics we cover:

0:41 – RSS feed issues, undesirable startup tasks
2:52 – Two exclusive episodes of Startups For the Rest of Us
3:39 – Success takes hard work, luck, and skill
11:00 – The grind of content creation, burnout on the horizon
21:38 – Bad player or bad instrument?

Links from the Show:

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 | Google

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