Tim Dietrich - Lessons Learned from Decades of Surfing Tech Waves

(NOTE: this ep was recorded in October 2025, but I didn't get around to publishing it until March 2026. It was WILD listening to the AI portions of the conversation five months later - post OpenClaw.)Old friend and self-described “workaholic” developer Tim Dietrich joined me on Ditching Hourly to share his journey from FileMaker freelancer to the undisputed SuiteQL expert in the NetSuite ecosystem — a niche so specific that the platform itself became his marketing engine.We also dig into what happens when AI comes for your platform and how to think about the next wave.Chapters(00:00) - Introduction (00:53) - Tim's Background (03:02) - Early Career and FileMaker Days (06:08) - Transition to NetSuite (16:02) - SuiteQL and SQL Integration (21:00) - Positioning as SuiteQL Expert (30:03) - Managing Demand and Consulting Opportunities (34:39) - Current Client Work and Scaling Back (36:01) - The Rise of AI in NetSuite (50:27) - Comparing to Other Waves and Platforms (01:05:37) - Exploring Monetization Strategies (01:22:31) - Future Trends and Opportunities ----Do you know you need to niche down, but keep hesitating because you're afraid of picking the wrong niche, cutting off good opportunities, or boxing yourself in?You DON'T need more convincing that vague positioning is a problem.You DO need a way to make positioning feel less risky so you can finally choose a direction, test it in the market, and adjust without blowing up your business.On Tuesday, September 8th, 2026, at noon Eastern Time, I'm running a live workshop called Positioning For Soloists Having A Hard Time Niching Down.That's what we'll tackle in this workshop.It's the second session of my Fall 2026 Soloist Growth Workshop series for expertise-based business owners just like you.Live attendance is limited to 20, so don't wait.Learn more at: https://jonathanstark.com/sgsEnroll in Positioning For Soloists now »Hope to see you live in Zoom on Tuesday.