Product People

I've been trying to learn how to program since 1985. This past year, at 38 years old, I finally figured out how.Questions we discuss in this episode:Is there only "one" way to learn how to code?Why is getting started SO HARD?How did Justin finally figure out a way to learn programming?Show notesGet the book: UltralearningScott's blogPDF: The science of cycologyThe latest from Justin:Want to start a podcast?My podcasting startup: Transistor.fmJoin Justin's newsletter justinjackson.ca/newsletterSend Justin a message on Twitter: @mijustinListen to my startup podcast: Build your SaaS★ Looking for a community of bootstrappers?Join MegaMaker Clu 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

James Clear describes how you can improve your life, using small incremental steps that add up to big wins.Questions we discuss in this episode:How does "what you repeatedly do" affect your identity?How does someone’s context affect their ability to set and maintain good habits? Are good habits only for people of privilege? How can you maintain habits for people with depression, anxiety or attention deficit?How to form habits when your schedule is not in your control? (if you have kids, etc...)If you do fall out of a habit, what should you do? Revive it, or let it go?What systems and tools can you use to help automate, facilitate or help ingrain healthy habits?Show notesGet the book: Atomic HabitsGet the habits journalSteven Pressfield: "Stevie Wonder’s territory is the piano. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s is the gym. When Bill Gates pulls into the parking lot at Microsoft, he’s on his territory"Seth Godin: "Who is it for, and what is it for?"Seth Godin: “People like us do things like this.”James Clear's AMA on RedditRead James' blog: JamesClear.comJames Clear: "Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become."Nir Eyal shuts off his internet every nightJames Clear: "When you're struggling with a new habit, your effort's not wasted, it's just being stored."The latest from Justin:My new startup: Transistor.fmPodcast in 2019!Join Justin's newsletter justinjackson.ca/newsletterSend Justin a message on Twitter: @mijustinListen to my startup podcast: Build your SaaSWant to start a podcast?★ Looking for a community of bootstrappers?Join MegaMaker ClubLooking for your app's first 100 customers? 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Ben is the co-founder of Tuple.app and is running a new course called Habits for Hackers.★ Looking for a community of bootstrappers?Join MegaMaker ClubShow notesBen Orenstein on TwitterHabits for HackersMalcolm Gladwell and Rick Rubin talking about Johnny CashBen's working on a new product: Tuple.appBen's episode on Bootstrapped Web TinySeedEarnest CapitalBen's co-founder weekly retro questionslearntopair.com - Ben's guide to pair programmingArt of Product podcastBook: Atomic Habits by James ClearThe latest from Justin:My new startup: Transistor.fmPodcast in 2019!Join Justin's newsletter justinjackson.ca/newsletterSend Justin a message on Twitter: @mijustinSend Justin a message on Instagram: instagram.com/mijustin 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Jason Cohen asks Justin Jackson hard questions about his startup, Transistor.fm, and what it's going to take to go full-time.This is the second half of our chat. Part 1 was really just setting the stage. Part 2 digs into the real-life challenges of bootstrapping a business.★ Looking for a community of bootstrappers?Join MegaMaker ClubShow notesPodcast in 2019!Justin's original tweetBlog post: Can you bootstrap on the side?Watch this interview on YouTubeJason Cohen on TwitterThe latest from Justin:My new startup: Transistor.fmJoin Justin's newsletter justinjackson.ca/newsletterSend Justin a message on Twitter: @mijustinSend Justin a message on Instagram: instagram.com/mijustin 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

When you're building a startup you have these questions:Should I work on my startup on the side, and grow it slowly?Should I take investment and go full-time sooner?These are the questions that have been circulating in my head over the past few months.Which is why when Jason Cohen, founder of WPengine and someone I respect, replied to my tweet, I took note:"It’s difficult to find successful companies where founders didn’t work 80+ hours and took longer than four years to get to $1M ARR. If you're two years in and you still need a day job then by definition it doesn’t have good fundamentals. I usually think of "$10k/month/founder" as a rough measure of whether you're ready for full-time. Saying that should take three years is wrong. It's hard to find that companies that live and took that long."Today we'll be digging into that! (Check back next week for Part 2)★ Looking for community of bootstrappers?Join MegaMaker ClubShow notesPodcast in 2019!Justin's original tweetBlog post: Can you bootstrap on the side?Watch this interview on YouTubeJason Cohen on TwitterWPEngine recently raised $250 millionThe latest from Justin:My new startup: Transistor.fmJoin Justin's newsletter justinjackson.ca/newsletterSend Justin a message on Twitter: @mijustinSend Justin a message on Instagram: instagram.com/mijustin 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Hamish Macpherson is an engineer at Buffer, and was one of the first people to join MegaMaker.★ Looking for community of bootstrappers?Join MegaMaker ClubShow notesFollow Hamish Macherson on TwitterBufferHamish's Stand to Make side-projectThe latest from Justin:My new startup: Transistor.fmJoin Justin's newsletter justinjackson.ca/newsletterSend Justin a message on Twitter: @mijustinSend Justin a message on Instagram: instagram.com/mijustinSend Justin a message on Snapchat: @mijustin 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

This is a great chat with Samantha Geitz, a Senior Developer at Tighten, and the founder of BetaFish.Topics in this episode: Should "business/marketing" people learn programming?What's the difference between messing around and being a serious programmer?Do regular programmers Google for answers?Why English Majors can make great programmers.If you want to learn hard things, do you need to be in a classroom?Why should take a mental health day when you need it.Announcement:Want to speak at a tech conference? I'm doing class called "public speaking for geeks." More info here.Show notesSamantha Geitz on TwitterTighten.coBattle.Tighten.coSamantha's new startup: BetaFishCoinPress.ccSamantha's blog post: "How I overcame my fear of public speaking"Stuff from Justin...My new startup: Transistor.fmLooking for community? Join MegaMaker ClubJoin Justin's newsletter justinjackson.ca/newsletterSend Justin a message on Twitter: @mijustinSend Justin a message on Instagram: instagram.com/mijustinSend Justin a message on Snapchat: @mijustinThanks to...Podcast hosting: Transistor.fm 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

So many great topics in this episode: Should developers learn design?Derrick's "viral signup" trickHow important is a personal brand?How to promote your project (while you're still building it)Do software companies need to become more service oriented?Announcement:I'm having a birthday sale! Go to megamaker.co/birthday and get up to 38% off Marketing for Developers, my books, and Product Validation Checklist!Show notesThis is the recording from the Art of Product Podcast. Full episode will be there!Ben Orenstein on TwitterDerrick Reimer on TwitterDerrick's new app: level.appStuff from Justin...My new startup: Transistor.fmStartup announcementHow do you validate your idea? megamaker.co/validateJoin Justin's newsletter justinjackson.ca/newsletterSend Justin a message on Twitter: @mijustinSend Justin a message on Instagram: instagram.com/mijustinSend Justin a message on Snapchat: @mijustinThanks to...Podcast hosting: Transistor.fm 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

I'm building a new SaaS in 2018 with my buddy Jon Buda called Transistor.fm. Now, we're trying to figure out our pricing. We're trying not to pretend we know everything there is to know about running a SaaS.So, we wanted to reach out to some experts and get outside opinions about how to create our pricing tiers. So I asked Patrick Campbell, from Price Intelligently, to help give us some direction. He blew my mind. This conversation is incredible, you're going to get so much out of it.Two announcements:Want to validate your product idea? Productvalidationchecklist.com is launching soon.Now is your last chance to get Marketing for Developers. Use the the code "summer2018" and get $50 off. In July, I'm taking it off my store so I can relaunch it in October. (If you buy now, you get future updates).Show notesJon and I discussed pricing on Build Your SaaSPatrick Campbell on Twitter: @patticusPatrick's free pricing software for SaaS: profitwell.comPrice Intelligently's bookStuff from Justin...My new startup: Transistor.fmStartup announcementHow do you validate your idea? megamaker.co/validateJoin Justin's newsletter justinjackson.ca/newsletterSend Justin a message on Twitter: @mijustinSend Justin a message on Instagram: instagram.com/mijustinSend Justin a message on Snapchat: @mijustinThanks to...Podcast hosting: Transistor.fm 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Mike Taber (Bluetick) and Rob Walling (Drip) started MicroConf in 2011 as a conference for self-funded startups. It's gone from just over 100 attendees to nearly 500. It's become the place for bootstrappers to hang out.Get $100 off MicroConf Starter EditionGo to megamaker.co/microconf or text "microconf" to (424) 247-5762.Show notesRead the 2018 MicroConf GuideRegister for MicroConfGet $100 off Starter EditionTED - how to make a great presentationDeckSet - make amazing slidesDraftsend - Hiten Shah's new slidesharing appMike Taber on TwitterBluetick - Mike's software companyThe Startups for the Rest of Us podcastStuff from Justin...My new startup: Transistor.fmStartup announcementHow do you validate your idea? megamaker.co/validateJoin Justin's newsletter justinjackson.ca/newsletterSend Justin a message on Twitter: @mijustinSend Justin a message on Instagram: instagram.com/mijustinSend Justin a message on Snapchat: @mijustinThanks to...Podcast hosting: Transistor.fmTheme music: Striker-metal.com★ Thinking about how to validate your product? megamaker.co/validate ★ 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Josh started out trying to build a "GitHub for music." When that idea didn't pan out, he still wanted to do something with Web Audio and WebRTC. So he started building Zencastr, which gives podcasters the ability to record "double-ender" interviews in the browser.Get all the Mega Profitable case studiesDon't miss any of the future Mega Profitable interviews!★ Sign up here. ★Show notes"I asked a podcaster I knew how much he'd pay, and he said '$20 / month' so that's what I used for a price."Leave a review on iTunes!ZencastrRead Josh's MegaProfitable case studyIndieHackers interviewFollow Josh on Twitter: @joshonthewebWant to contact Justin?Join Justin's newsletter justinjackson.ca/newsletterSend Justin a message on Twitter: @mijustinSend Justin a message on Instagram: instagram.com/mijustinSend Justin a message on Snapchat: @mijustinThanks to...Podcast hosting: Simplecast.fmTheme music: Striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

6 years ago, Bjorn Forsberg built an app called OrderlyPrint for Shopify. His goal was to increase his freedom, and to spend more time with his family. Was able to achieve it? (This is the 5th case study in the Mega Profitable series) We should measure profitability in other ways. It's not just "financial profitability." There's also "freedom profitability," and "time profitability." Because profitability is really about "getting ahead." So where else are you getting ahead? Get all the Mega Profitable case studies Don't miss any of the future Mega Profitable interviews! ★ Sign up here. ★ Show notes "People don't give themselves enough time. They think they're going to build a unicorn in 6 months." Leave a review on iTunes! OrderlyPrint forsbergplustwo.com OrderlyEmails Follow Bjorn on Twitter: @forsbergtwo Want to contact Justin? Join Justin's newsletter justinjackson.ca/newsletter Send Justin a message on Twitter: @mijustin Send Justin a message on Instagram: instagram.com/mijustin Send Justin a message on Snapchat: @mijustin Thanks to... Podcast hosting: Simplecast.fm Theme music: Striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Back in the early 2000s, Wildbit was an agency building Flash websites for Philly nightclubs.Then, in 2007, they launched their first product, Beanstalk. Two years later, they quit doing consulting. Natalie Nagele takes us through their story!Get all the Mega Profitable case studiesDon't miss any of the future Mega Profitable interviews!★ Sign up here. ★Show notesLeave a review on iTunes!beanstalkapp.compostmarkapp.comFrom 2005: Wildbit's client portfolioFollow Natalie on Twitter: @natalienageleWant to contact Justin?Join Justin's newsletter justinjackson.ca/newsletterSend Justin a message on Twitter: @mijustinSend Justin a message on Instagram: instagram.com/mijustinSend Justin a message on Snapchat: @mijustinThanks to...Podcast hosting: Simplecast.fmTheme music: Striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Pippin Williamson started out like a lot of us do: building websites for whoever would pay him. He decided to try selling one of his WordPress plugins. Now, Pippin's Plugins earns over $1 million in revenue a year. This Mega Profitable series aims to help founders, like you, get profitable!Get all the Mega Profitable case studiesDon't miss any of the future Mega Profitable interviews!★ Sign up here. ★Show notesLeave a review on iTunes!pippinsplugins.comSandhills DevelopmentThe original pippinspages.comFollow Pippin on Twitter: @pippinspluginsWant to contact Justin?Join Justin's newsletter justinjackson.ca/newsletterSend Justin a message on Twitter: @mijustinSend Justin a message on Instagram: instagram.com/mijustinSend Justin a message on Snapchat: @mijustinThanks to...Podcast hosting: Simplecast.fmTheme music: Striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

It's time for another Mega Profitable interview! This series aims to help founders, like you, get profitable. Learn how Draft went from having $21 in the bank (in his first year) to creating a solid, profitable solo-founder business.Get all the Mega Profitable case studiesDon't miss any of the future Mega Profitable interviews!★ Sign up here. ★Show notesLeave a review on iTunes!draft.nuNick's service: Draft ReviseNick's book: Draft EvidenceFollow Nick on Twitter: @nickdWant to contact Justin?Join Justin's newsletter justinjackson.ca/newsletterSend Justin a message on Twitter: @mijustinSend Justin a message on Instagram: instagram.com/mijustinSend Justin a message on Snapchat: @mijustinThanks to...Podcast hosting: Simplecast.fmTheme music: Striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Introducing a new series: Mega Profitable. What's the difference between a founder who is mega profitable, and a product person who's just making a living? Brennan Dunn joins me to talk about his journey.This episode sponsored by...I've just updated my most popular product: the Marketing for Developers book.★ Grab a sample chapter here. ★Show notesLeave a review on iTunes!doubleyourfreelancing.comBrennan's new product: RightMessageBrennan's book: Double Your Freelance RateFollow Brennan on Twitter: @brennandunnWant to contact Justin?Join Justin's newsletter justinjackson.ca/newsletterSend Justin a message on Twitter: @mijustinSend Justin a message on Instagram: instagram.com/mijustinSend Justin a message on Snapchat: @mijustinThanks to...Podcast hosting: Simplecast.fmTheme music: Striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

You'll recognize Mike from Startups for the Rest of Us and the MicroConf conference. He's launching a new product called Bluetick.This episode sponsored by...★ I'm updating my most popular product: the Marketing for Developers book.Relaunches end of August 2017. Grab a sample chapter here.Show notesLeave a review on iTunes!singlefounder.comMike's product: Bluetick.ioMike's conference MicroConfFollow Mike on Twitter: @singlefounderWant to contact Justin?Join Justin's newsletter justinjackson.ca/newsletterSend Justin a message on Twitter: @mijustinSend Justin a message on Instagram: instagram.com/mijustinSend Justin a message on Snapchat: @mijustinThanks to...Podcast hosting: Simplecast.fmTheme music: Striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

"Charge more!" "Use content marketing!" "Start with an ebook!"There's a lot of folklore in the startup and bootstrapping community. Do they all stand up to scrutiny?This is my interview with long-time SaaS entrepreneur, Ian Landsman.Show notesLeave a review on iTunes!ianlandsman.comIan's product: HelpSpotIan's new product: ThermostatFollow Ian on Twitter: @ianlandsmanWant to contact Justin?Join Justin's NEW Indie newsletter justinjackson.ca/indieSend Justin a message on Twitter: @mijustinSend Justin a message on Instagram: instagram.com/mijustinSend Justin a message on Snapchat: @mijustinThanks to...Podcast hosting: Simplecast.fmTheme music: Striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

How do you find product ideas that resonate?Hear how Laura knew there was demand for her project, Client Portal.Everyone was like: "I want that."(This is my special MicroConf 2017 episode!)Show notesLeave a review on iTunes!lauraelizabeth.coLaura's product: Client PortalLaura's other project: Design AcademyFollow Laura on Twitter: @lauriumWant to contact Justin?Join Justin's NEW Indie newsletter justinjackson.ca/indieSend Justin a message on Twitter: @mijustinSend Justin a message on Instagram: instagram.com/mijustinSend Justin a message on Snapchat: @mijustinThanks to...Podcast hosting: Simplecast.fmTheme music: Striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

When we last chatted with Adam Wathan he'd just launched his first book.His next project is a course called Test Driven Laravel. You won't believe his launch results!You'll hear how he built the course, all his launch numbers, and why he thinks it was such an incredible success.Happy holidays everyone!Show notesAdam Wathan's blogAdam's course: Test Driven LaravelFollow Adam on Twitter: @adamwathanFollow Justin on Twitter: @mijustinTheme music by Striker-metal.comPodcast hosting by Simplecast.fmGet the full video interviewThis interview is also available as a bonus video in the new Marketing for Developers course.“★★★★★ What can I say – amazing! A specific checklist on how to market and launch your product” – Vadim DemedesGet $50 off by using this coupon →Want to help the show?Go to iTunes, and search for Product People and leave us a review! 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Adam Wathan has always been passionate about learning new things, and sharing what he's learned with the world.Then he discovered that he could earn an independent living doing it.His book and video course, Refactoring to Collections, teaches PHP programmers how to apply functional programming principles to write clean, maintainable code.In this episode, we delve into each stage of his launch. Hear about how he built and promoted his course, and what his results were.Show notesAdam Wathan's blogAdam's book & course: Refactoring to CollectionsFollow Adam on Twitter: @adamwathanFollow Justin on Twitter: @mijustinTheme music by Striker-metal.comPodcast hosting by Simplecast.fmWant to support the show?The only way I can keep making cool stuff (like this podcast) is if fans support the show! There's two ways you can help:Get the new Marketing for Developers course for $50 off by using this coupon: megamaker.co/couponLeave a review for the show! Go to iTunes, search for Product People and click ★★★★★ 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Should you start a SaaS company in 2016? Does it still make sense to run a SaaS as a solopreneur? (Originally posted on the MegaMaker podcast) SaaS isn’t a destination. It’s just a licensing and delivery model. Don’t treat it like a religion! Show notes Had two separate friends from the internet visit me this past week! Photos. Justin's book is out! He's sold 666 copies so far. He'd like to get to 1,000 copies. Get a special podcast deal here. See Jolt's books reviews. The fiery blog post: SaaS is ripe for disruption. Have we reached peak SaaS? Commander Keen What's a BBS? Examples of SaaS companies: Freshbooks, MailChimp, Squarespace. You pay a monthly fee, and access the software via your web browser. Rob Walling on episode 292 of Startups for the Rest of Us Our theme music is by Striker-Metal.com Podcast hosting by Simplecast.fm Want to support the show? The only way I can keep making cool stuff (like this podcast) is if fans support the show! There's two ways you can help: Buy something I've made. My new book is less than $12 with this coupon. Leave a review for the show! Go to iTunes, search for Product People and click ★★★★★ 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Josh is the founder of Baremetrics. But he's also just a normal guy. When a relatively well known investor chastised him, it stung.How does he deal with scrutiny?Most companies aren’t doing nearly as well as you think they are. 90% of the time that startup that you look up to, envy and try to mimic…they are in fact NOT crushing it.Show notesJosh Pigford on Twitter: @ShpigfordBaremetricsJosh's tweetstorm on transparency + criticismJustin's new book: JoltPodcast: Sleep With MeBaremetrics: Open StartupsTheme music: Striker-Metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

This is part 2 of my conversation with Nathan Barry. In the past four months, he’s taken his burgeoning SaaS company (ConvertKit) from $1 million in annual recurring revenue to $2 million.That sounds exciting, but it wasn’t easy getting there. In this episode Nathan talks about the stress of being a new CEO, running out of money, not being able to get a loan, and finally figuring out a way to succeed.Personally, I completely ran out of money. Wells Fargo wouldn’t give me a loan.Show notesNathan Barry on TwitterConvertKit’s public revenue statsJustin’s other podcast: MegaMaker – making 100 things in 1 yearSponsorMy friend Peldi (from Balsamiq) is sponsoring a whole month of MegaMaker podcasts. He’s offering my listeners $10 off Balsamiq Mockups 3 for Desktop (normally $89). USE COUPON CODE MEGAMAKER. Expires May 1st.Win 1 hour with Peldi! Enter the contest at megamaker.co/dreamsmallNote from JustinThis interview is a smaller segment of a full-interview with Nathan Barry, available on Product People Club. Go to productpeople.club, and sign up for the waiting list. Screenshots are up now!Want to help the show? If you could go to iTunes leave a nice review that would be superb. Also: if you’re listening on Stitcher, please leave a review on there!Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustinMusic: Lethal Force by Striker, visit them at striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

The last time I talked to Nathan, his web app (ConvertKit) had just hit $5,000 in MRR. In this two part series, Nathan describes how they grew that to $182,000 in monthly recurring revenue.I’m going to start more conference talks with: “Look, this worked for me. If you can get something from it great. But there’s no guarantees.” I’m not interested in being a thought leader anymore.Show notesNathan Barry on TwitterConvertKit’s public revenue statsJustin’s other podcast: MegaMaker – making 100 things in 1 yearSponsorMy friend Peldi (from Balsamiq) is sponsoring a whole month of MegaMaker podcasts. He’s offering my listeners $10 off Balsamiq Mockups 3 for Desktop (normally $89). USE COUPON CODE MEGAMAKER. Expires May 1st.Note from JustinThis interview is a smaller segment of a full-interview with Nathan Barry, available on Product People Club. Go to productpeople.club, and sign up for the waiting list. Screenshots are up now!Want to help the show? If you could go to iTunes leave a nice review that would be superb. Also: if you’re listening on Stitcher, please leave a review on there!Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustinMusic: Lethal Force by Striker, visit them at striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Tom and Dan had one of the most successful Kickstarters of 2010 when they released the Glif. But was that enough to launch full-time careers as product makers?In this episode, they delve into how they started Studio Neat (their company) and give tons of practical tips for building physical products, and doing crowdfunding campaigns. (This episode contains giggles)Show notes:studioneat.comGlif KickstarterDaring Fireball’s post on GlifTheir book: It Will be Exhilarating Studio Neat’s Vimeo channelNote from JustinI’m launching a brand new book tomorrow (Feb 10th, 2016): Marketing for Product People.When I wrote Marketing for Developers a lot of non-engineers asked if I could re-write the book for them. So I did! If you’re planning on launching a product in 2016, this is a great starting point. Get a free chapter here.I also have a new podcast! It’s called MegaMaker. Each episode is only 10-13 minutes long, and there’s a new “maker mission” every week. You can listen + subscribe + review in iTunes.Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustinMusic: Lethal Force by Striker, visit them at  striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Jason Zook has a different perspective on life and business. He’s not afraid to try weird and crazy business ideas.In 2008 he started a business called I Wear Your Shirt. Over 5 years he earned over $1 million in revenue from wearing over 1,600 sponsored t-shirts. Following that business, he sold the rights to his last name (he was Jason Headsetsdotcom and Jason Surfrapp for awhile).Jason joins me to talk about his new project: Buy My Future. Until October 6 people can buy everything he’s ever created, plus everything he’s going to create, for one price.He explains the motivation behind the project, and how the launch is going so far (including revenue numbers).Notable quotes:I’m asking people to buy into my life’s work, with access to everything I’ve ever created, and everything I will ever create.> A lot of people stifle their own creativity to fit in.> It’s ok to be polarizing. It’s ok to cause a stir. Do something different!Show notes:buymyfuture.comJason’s journal: Project Galaxyiwearyourshirt.comJason’s book: Creativity for SaleDerek’s Sivers post: Saying noNote from JustinI had a great time speaking at MicroConf Europe about  Marketing for Developers, my new book. Before I left I had over 100 people buy the beta version. The feedback has been really good. Looking forward to doing the official launch in the next 3-5 weeks. Get a sample chapter here!Want to help the show? If you could go to  iTunes leave a nice review that would be superb. Also: if you’re listening on  Stitcher, please leave a review on there!Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustinMusic: Lethal Force by Striker, visit them at  striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

If you want to launch your own Kickstarter, write your own book, or build your own web application you’re going to love this episode.Tracy Osborn is a serious bad-ass who’s done all three! She’s my guest this week.In this episode Tracy goes through the process of running a Kickstarter, and the lessons she’s learned:When I conceived the book idea, I was faced the decision whether I should work with a publisher, or whether I should self-publish. In the end, the typical royalty/advance structure turned me away from working with a publisher. Why not drum up an “advance” by running a Kickstarter campaign? If the campaign was successful, I would be able to bring in some early revenue to help finance my time with writing the book, as well as test demand and start building an audience. Seemed like a no-brainer.Show notesCheck out Tracy’s new Kickstarter!Tracy Osborn on TwitterTracy’s websiteGet Tracy’s book: Hello Web AppTracy’s startup: WeddingLovelyNote from JustinI had a great time speaking at MicroConf Europe about  Marketing for Developers, my new book. Before I left I had a bunch of people buy a beta version. The feedback is really positive. Looking forward to doing the official launch in the next 3-5 weeks. Here’s a photo from my talk!Want to help the show? If you could go to  iTunes leave a nice review that would be superb. Also: if you’re listening on  Stitcher, please leave a review on there!Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustinMusic: Lethal Force by Striker, visit them at  striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

I was recently on the Chasing Product podcast with Chris Hawkins. Chris is a good interviewer: he asked a lot of great questions about my back-story, and how I got into products. There’s this independence and self-reliance that comes from making your own products. Show notes Mentioned on Startups for the Rest of Us The Build & Launch podcast Working on Marketing for Developers Chasing Product Podcast: EP 25 Note from Justin Want to help the show? If you could go to  iTunes leave a nice review that would be superb. Also: if you’re listening on  Stitcher, please leave a review on there! Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustin Music: Lethal Force by Striker, visit them at  striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

After having great success with books and courses, Nathan Barry has shifted his attention to his SaaS: a web application called ConvertKit.Two weeks ago I announced we finally hit $5,000 in MRR ( http://t.co/p7CY6OATEf). We've added $1,200 in MRR since then.— Nathan Barry (@nathanbarry) March 27, 2015In this episode he shares all his revenue numbers, and how his focus on his sales funnel lately has increased MRR.The real question will be how long we can keep up this growth. But even if we are only able to maintain the absolute numbers of $1,000-1,500 in new MRR each month, it will still turn into a successful business. The numbers here really inspire me. Freckle never had crazy growth. They just worked on it for a long time and built a real business. – Nathan BarryShow notesNathan Barry on TwitterConvertKit’s public revenue statsMusic: Lethal Force by Striker, visit them at  striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Des Traynor is one of my favorite writers and speakers on the topic of SaaS businesses, and jobs-to-be-done.Notable quotes“I think not talking to your customers was always a pretty pathological thing to do” – Des Traynor“Customer service is the new competitive edge. Everyone has SaaS businesses. We’re all using the same frameworks, copying the same design techniques. Most software being produced today is infinitely better than it was years ago. The competitive edge isn’t going to be who has the better bevel. I actually think it will move to things like: ‘Who has a better relationship with the customer?’” – Des Traynor“There’s a ton of project management software. It’s hard to compete on features. But if you ask: ‘How do I make people really great at managing projects?’ The answers come to you a lot quicker.” – Des Traynor“It’s the forgotten job of every single SaaS product. ‘Ok, you’ve sold me. Now help me sell it to the rest of the team.’ I can eat the $29, but getting me to spend my own social currency… that’s a big ask.” – Des Traynor“The job of every dashboard and report is to get someone promoted” – Des TraynorShow notesIntercomInside Intercom BlogDes on TwitterNote from JustinThis interview is a smaller segment of a full-interview with Des, available on Product People Club. Go to  productpeople.club, and sign up for the waiting list. Screenshots are up now!Want to help the show? If you could go to  iTunes leave a nice review that would be superb. Also: if you’re listening on  Stitcher, please leave a review on there!Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustinMusic: Lethal Force by Striker, visit them at  striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Samuel has become the internet’s authority on user onboarding. In this personal and open interview, Samuel talks about how he was able to discover his niche, build an audience, and launch his first product. He also talks about what to do after a dissapointing launch.Near the end of this interview, Samuel and Justin get passionate about the idea of greeting our product users like human beings: “Hello, welcome! We’re glad you’re here; we’ve been waiting for you.”Show notesUseronboard.com@samuelhulickSamuel’s onboarding bookcrazyegg.comSuper Mario user onboardingChase Reeve’s interview with the restauranteurNote from JustinThis interview is a smaller segment of a full-interview with Samuel, available on Product People Club. Go to  productpeople.club, and sign up for the waiting list. Screenshots are up now!Want to help the show? If you could go to  iTunes leave a nice review that would be superb. Also: if you’re listening on  Stitcher, please leave a review on there!Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustinMusic: Lethal Force by Striker, visit them at  striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

In June of 2013, I was introduced to Nir Eyal through Ryan Hoover. Nir had been blogging a lot about psychology and analyzing what makes a highly engaging product. Nir eventually published a book on that topic:  Hooked – How to Build Habit-Forming Products. Hooked is a guide to building habit-forming technology, written for product managers, designers, marketers, and startup founders.In this episode we get into how you can design your products, especially the initial experience, to create traction. We also get into my addiction to iTunes.Hooked comes out on hard-cover on November 4th.Show notesNir’s web page is:  www.nirandfar.comwww.hookmodel.comHe tweets at:  twitter.com/nireyalNote from JustinThis interview is a smaller segment of a full-interview with Nir, available on Product People Club. Go to  productpeople.club, and sign up for the waiting list. Screenshots are up now!Want to help the show? If you could go to  iTunes leave a nice review that would be superb. Also: if you’re listening on  Stitcher, please leave a review on there!Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustinMusic: Lethal Force by Striker, visit them at  striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Brian Casel is a bootstrapper with a lot of projects: he has a podcast, a hosting platform called Restaurant Engine, and a new course called Productize.We talked about Brian’s story (from developing WordPress themes, to building an audience online) as well as what a productized service is.Show notesBrian’s new course is:  http://casjam.com/productize/Brian is the host of: http://bootstrappedweb.com/He tweets at: https://twitter.com/CasJamHis products are here: http://casjam.com/Note from JustinThis interview is a smaller segment of a full-interview with Brian, available on Product People Club. Go to  productpeople.club, and sign up for the waiting list. Screenshots are up now!Want to help the show? If you could go to  iTunes leave a nice review that would be superb. Also: if you’re listening on  Stitcher, please leave a review on there!Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustinMusic: Lethal Force by Striker, visit them at  striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Mike Rohde is a designer and an author, but he’s probably best known for illustrating the 37signals books: Rework and Remote. Mike is now building his own products: The Sketchnote Handbook, and the Sketchnote Workbook. Both are unique books, which also include video. Mike has a secret agenda: to get more people drawing again.Show notesXOXO Festival“Let’s make some stuff”Mike Rohde’s homepageMike Rohde on TwitterBuy Mike’s first book: The Sketchnote HandbookBuy Mike’s new book: The Sketchnote WorkbookSubscribe to Mike’s newsletterDocumentary: Jiro Dreams of SushiNote from JustinThis interview is a smaller segment of a full-interview with Mike, available on Product People Club. Go to  productpeople.club, and sign up for the waiting list. Screenshots are up now!Want to help the show? If you could go to  iTunes leave a nice review that would be superb. Also: if you’re listening on  Stitcher, please leave a review on there!Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustinMusic: Lethal Force by Striker, visit them at  striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Marc-André Cournoyer is a passionate coder and product person from Montreal, Quebec. If you’re a developer, engineer, or technical person looking to make the jump to building products, you’re going to love this one.Show notesMarc’s homepageMarc on TwitterOwning RailsGreat Code ClubNote from JustinThis interview is a smaller segment of a full-interview with Marc, available on Product People Club. Go to  productpeople.club, and sign up for the waiting list. Screenshots are up now!Want to help the show? If you could go to  iTunes leave a nice review that would be superb. Also: if you’re listening on  Stitcher, please leave a review on there!Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustinMusic:  Land of the Lost and  Can’t Stop the Rush by Striker, visit them at  striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Andreea Mihalcea is a dynamic young founder from Romania. Her and her team are building a new product called Startup Kit. I loved her insights into how and why people buy software products. Startup Kit is targeting an interesting problem: managers and CTOs who need to get a handle on what products their team is using and paying for.Notable quotes“When you’re working on a team, you have to make sure that your tools play nice with other team’s tools” – Andreea MihalceaShow notesStartupKit.ioStartup Kit blogStartup Kit on TwitterStartup Kit on MediumAndreea on TwitterNote from JustinThis interview is a smaller segment of a full-interview with Andreea, available on Product People Club. Go to  productpeople.club, and sign up for the waiting list. Screenshots are up now!Want to help the show? If you could go to  iTunes leave a nice review that would be superb. Also: if you’re listening on  Stitcher, please leave a review on there!Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustinMusic:  Land of the Lost and  Can’t Stop the Rush by Striker, visit them at  striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

First, you need to know that Jarrod Drysdale is a good dude. He’s also the author of Bootstrapping Design, and the creator of Cascade.io. He’s smart, and humble, and talented and he has tons of great things to say about building products, succeeding and failing, and the importance of really caring for the people you’re serving.Show notesJarrod’s blogJarrod on TwitterBootstrapping DesignCascade.ioNote from JustinThis interview is a smaller segment of a full-interview with Jarrod, available on Product People Club. Go to  productpeople.club, and sign up for the waiting list. Screenshots are up now!Want to help the show? If you could go to  iTunes leave a nice review that would be superb. Also: if you’re listening on  Stitcher, please leave a review on there!Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustinMusic:  Land of the Lost and  Can’t Stop the Rush by Striker, visit them at  striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Sacha Greif joined me again for a chat on how he marketed Discover Meteor, and why certain blog posts get popular.Notable quotes“I’ve always believed that people really respond to quality content.” – Sacha Greif“You can tell when someone has written something with no research; getting quality data, screenshots, and diagrams really helps.” – Sacha Greif“There’s a direct relationship between the amount of time I put into a blog post, and how popular it is” – Sacha Greif“People respond to books: they don’t want to have to look through 20 blog posts.” – Sacha Greif“I did something I shouldn’t have done – and I put all my eggs in one basket.” – Sacha Greif“My first book is really short: it’s like 40 pages. I didn’t spend 6 months in a cave building it.” – Sacha GreifShow notesSacha Greif’s websiteSacha Greif on TwitterDiscover MeteorNote from JustinThis interview is a smaller segment of a full-interview with Sacha, available in Build Your Own Audience. It’s available here:  justinjackson.ca/audiencecourse. You can also sign up to my  mailing list.Want to help the show? If you could go to  iTunes leave a nice review that would be superb. Also: if you’re listening on  Stitcher, please leave a review on there!Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustinPS: By the way, I’m working on something new called Product People Club. Go to  productpeople.club, and sign up for the waiting list. Screenshots are up now!Music:  Land of the Lost and  Can’t Stop the Rush by Striker, visit them at  striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

I freakin’ love Paul Jarvis. He’s creative, he’s unique, and he’s Canadian.Notable quotes“When you work for yourself, your boss is an asshole” – Paul Jarvis“I’m vegan so I’m always hungry” – Paul Jarvis“I want to help people build their business online.” – Paul Jarvis“It’s funny: people think that when they’re done school, they’re done with homework. Do a bit of homework! You’ll stand out.” – Paul Jarvis“People don’t hire web designers because of skills. They want someone they trust.” – Paul Jarvis“You gotta go to them: you got to go where your audience lives and where your audience spends their time.” – Paul Jarvis“It’s all about who you know, and whether those people trust you.” – Paul Jarvis“The only way to guarantee failure is to stop trying.” – Paul JarvisShow notesPaul’s websitePaul’s TwitterWork like you’re on vacationBrennan’s DYFRNote from JustinThis interview is a smaller segment of a full-interview with Paul, available in Build Your Own Audience. It’s available here:  justinjackson.ca/audiencecourse. You can also sign up to my  mailing list.Want to help the show? If you could go to  iTunes leave a nice review that would be superb. Also: if you’re listening on  Stitcher, please leave a review on there!Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustinPS: By the way, I’m working on something new called Product People Club. Go to  productpeople.club, and sign up for the waiting list. I’ll have something to announce shortly!Music:  Land of the Lost and  Can’t Stop the Rush by Striker, visit them at  striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Today’s interview is with one of my favourite people on the internet: Nate Kontny. He’s the solo-founder of Draft, a web application that helps you improve your writing through collaboration. He also blogs at Ninjas and Robots.Notable quotes“Solve your own problems!” – Nate Kontny“Take two or things in your life that your passionate about, and merge them together. Then you’ll start creating cool things.” – Nate KontnyShow notesDraftNate’s blogNate on TwitterNote from JustinI’m releasing a new course (based on my sold-out workshops) called Build Your Own Audience. It will be available on July 29th at justinjackson.ca/audience. You can sign up to my mailing list and get early access on July 25th.I need your help. People don’t know the show is back, releasing new episodes every Thursday. I took a break back in October, and people think the show is still offline. If you could go to  iTunes leave a nice review that would be superb.Also: if you’re listening on  Stitcher, please leave a review on there!Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustinPS: By the way, I’m working on something new called Product People Club. Go to  productpeople.club, and sign up for the waiting list. I’ll have something to announce shortly!Music:  Land of the Lost and  Can’t Stop the Rush by Striker, visit them at  striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

This week’s guest is Ryan Hoover. We’ve been online friends for a few years now. Back in 2013, Ryan invited me to join a new site he’d created called ProductHunt.com. In the last 3 weeks, it’s exploded. He was interviewed on Fox News, he was interviewed on This Week in Startups, AND he just announced that he’s joined YCombinator.I actually recorded this episode on January 24, 2014 (5 months ago) – before Product Hunt got huge. I thought it would be interesting to revisit that conversation: to hear from the Ryan Hoover that hadn’t yet achieved all this recent success.Once you hear it, you’ll understand why Ryan’s done so well: he built an audience (by blogging, and creating Startup Edition), and then focused on creating something valuable for that community.Notable quotes“I’ve always been entrepreneurial: as a child I created little joke books, and operated gum ball machines.” – Ryan Hoover“I didn’t know what a Product Manager was 6 months before I became one.” – Ryan Hoover“We built Product Hunt over 4 days, during Thanksgiving.” – Ryan Hoover“Inspiration is perishable.” – Jason Fried“I need to keep reminding myself that I can’t predict the future.” – Ryan HooverShow notesRyan Hoover’s blogRyan Hoover twitterProduct HuntNathan BashawTWIST interviewFox News interviewTechCrunch: Ryan Hoover joins YCombinatorTelescope by Sacha GreifNote from JustinI need your help. People don’t know the show is back, releasing new episodes every Thursday. I took a break back in October, and people think the show is still offline. If you could go to iTunes leave a nice review that would be superb.Also: if you’re listening on Stitcher, please leave a review on there!Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustinPS: By the way, I’m working on something new called Product People Club. Go to  productpeople.club, and sign up for the waiting list. I’ll have something to announce shortly!Music:  Land of the Lost and  Can’t Stop the Rush by Striker, visit them at  striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Dan Norris is the co-founder of  WP Curve, and the author of  The 7 Day Startup. He gave himself 1 year to build a profitable product. After spending a year on a product called Inform.ly, with no profits to show for it, he came up with the idea for WP Curve, and made it got his first paying customer in 4 days.Notable quotes:“With my first business, I just wasn’t selling something people wanted.” – Dan Norris“We’ve launched 4 business in the last 12 months, and 3 of them failed. We started listening to customers and focused on the 1 business that was working.” – Dan Norris“Don’t make decisions based on assumption.” – Dan Norris“Launch the business in a week; and then don’t make any more assumptions. Make the decisions after you launch.” – Dan Norris“With WP Curve I knew right away that people would pay for it. With my first business, I had to build it for 6 months before I could figure out that people would pay for it.” – Dan Norris“The only two people who can give you real feedback about your product are people who just purchased it and people who just canceled.” – Jason Fried via Dan Shipper“When people cancel, we ask them a simple question: what did we do wrong?” – Dan NorrisShow notesWP CurveThe 7 Day StartupDan Norris on Twitter WP Curve co-founder  Alex McClaffertyCheers, Justin Jackson @mijustinPS: By the way, I’m working on something new called Product People Club. Go to  productpeople.club, and sign up for the waiting list. I’ll have something to announce shortly!Music:  Land of the Lost and  Can’t Stop the Rush by Striker, visit them at  striker-metal.com 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Garrett Dimon is the founder of Sifter and author of Starting + Sustaining. We talked about finding an idea, validating an idea, and building your product. Our conversation started with this question: “What are the biggest misconceptions about running a SaaS product?” Notable quotes: “If you just want to create stuff, and write code, starting a business is not the best way to do that.” – Garrett Dimon “I definitely thought I was would be able to do more development and design; but it’s not really like that” – Garrett Dimon “People don’t describer their problems to us – they email us and tell us what they want us to build. That makes it difficult to see what their root problem is.” – Garrett Dimon “We don’t compete on features.” – Garrett Dimon “No is easier to do. Yes is easier to say.” – Jason Fried Show notes Starting and Sustaining Sifter Garrett Dimon’s blog Garrett Dimon on Twitter Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustin PS: By the way, I’m working on something new called Product People Club. Go to  productpeople.club, and sign up for the waiting list. I’ll have something to announce shortly! Music by  Striker Metal, Song: Forever 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Brennan Dunn is the go-to guy to talk about marketing automation. He’s build a SaaS, called Planscope, but these days he recommends first-time entrepreneurs build something smaller (like an eBook, or a webinar). He’s also the author of Double Your Freelancing Rate, and has lots of good insight on pricing, marketing, and automating your sales funnel. Notable quotes: “We get so fixated on the medium (is it a SaaS, ebook, webinar) when really all that matters is the results for the customer.” – Brennan Dunn “Dentists are not typically googling around for dental software. To make the sale, you’ll need to knock on their door, and make a presentation. It’s not about the product, it’s about getting it in their hands.” – Brennan Dunn “You want to tap into things that are actually affecting someone’s bottom line. Go back to the dentist example: is the dentist losing money with his crappy terminal based dental software? You have to tap into actual core needs.” – Brennan Dunn Show notes Brennan Dunn on Twitter Brennan Dunn’s blog Planscope Double Your Freelancing Rate Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustin PS: By the way, I’m working on something new called Product People Club. Go to productpeople.club, and sign up for the waiting list. I’ll have something to announce shortly! Music by Striker Metal, Song: Fight for your Right 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Ok, so ages ago I interviewed Sean Fioritto, the author of Sketching with CSS. I like Sean a lot. He’s from Chicago, and he struggled for years trying to build products. Then he wrote this book, and it took off. You’ll hear his story, and how he succeeded after lots of failures. I haven’t put out an episode in awhile. I have a bunch recorded but I haven’t had time to edit them and put them out. I’ve just been slammed: haven’t had time or energy for anything. It’s been pedal to the metal at work – we’re dealing with that Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation right now. Geez. And at home, there’s just always stuff to bring the kids to, appointments, classes, activities. So I’ve been drained! Anyways. I’m hoping to put an end to this Product People drought, and start releasing episodes every Thursday now. So subscribe, and watch for new episode every Thursday. On that topic. I’ve got a landing page up for something new: it’s called Product People Club. Go to productpeople.club on the internet, and sign up for the waiting list because I’ll have something to announce shortly. Notable quotes: “There’s a lot of different failure modes, and I’ve pretty much done all of them.” – Sean Fioritto “I’ve got to give Amy Hoy and 30×500 for giving me the right structure for building products. The main thing I figured out is you can’t start with an idea.” – Sean Fioritto “Starting with an idea is a self-centered way to build a product.” – Sean Fioritto “If you’re a bootstrapper, you don’t have time to waste.” – Sean Fioritto Show notes Sean on Twitter Sketching with CSS Flexbox Tutorial Music:  Land of the Lost and  Can’t Stop the Rush by Striker, visit them at striker-metal.com Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustin PS: By the way, this interview is available in full video in my upcoming book:  Marketing for Developers.  Click here to sign-up for updates (and get a sample PDF). 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

This week you’ll hear from Patrick Mackenzie (Patio11 on the internet), an influential member of the self-funded, bootstrapping community, as well as a high profile member of Hacker News. Patrick is a great guest: he’s a great storyteller, and is always completely himself. (He does some great voice impressions too) Our topic was: how to market yourself, make connections, and promote that app, SaaS, or other product you’ve just built. Notable quotes: “I like to play League of Legends. The vast majority of people will never make a living off League of Legends. If you want to build your business on something like LoL, that’s probably not the best things.” – Patio11 “Self-promotion is not accepted by the community at every watering hole on the internet. Hacker News is a bit of an anomaly, because Hacker News is a community who are making or starting businesses.” – Patio11 “I haven’t submitted my stuff to Hacker News in years. I’m also really careful about what I publish. Before I publish a blog post, I ask: ‘Is this post worthy of being in the top 5 of Hacker News?'” – Patio11 “The Hacker News launch is like a mini version of the Techcrunch launch. But I wouldn’t bet the success of my business based on whether or not it gets to the top of Hacker News.” – Patio11 “My first internet business launched to a total of 76 people the first day. You can build your reputation organically, by building awesome things over time.” – Patio11 Show notes Patrick’s email list Patrick’s blog Patrick’s book on conversion optimization Appointment Reminder A note from Justin: A big thanks to Patrick for being on the show! Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustin PS: I’m writing a new book right now called  Marketing for Developers.  Click here to sign-up for updates (and get a sample PDF). 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

David Heinemeier Hansson started working with Jason Fried at 37signals about 14-15 years ago. 10 years ago, they created Basecamp, their first SaaS product. This past week they decided to stop using the 37signals brand, and sell off (or stop developing) their other products (notably Highrise and Campfire). Our topic was: Why is 37signals changing it’s name to Basecamp? How will this change the company? Was it worth building those other products? Notable quotes: “Basecamp was special because it was forged out of constraints.” – DHH “I’m interested in trade-offs where it’s not easy: everyone wants more. More stuff, more money, more, more, more. What I find interesting is: ‘I want more peace of mind, and I’m going to give up some things for that.'” – DHH Show notes Announcement: 37signals is becoming Basecamp The new Basecamp 2006 interview: who is 37signals? A note from Justin: A big thanks to David for being on the show! Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustin PS: I’m writing a new book right now called  Marketing for Developers.  Click here to sign-up for updates (and get a sample PDF). 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Alex Hillman is many things: first, he’s the king of JFDI (he even has the tattoo to prove it). Second: he’s the founder of IndyHall, a co-working space in Philadelphia. Third: he’s Amy Hoy’s partner in 30×500. And fourth: he’s just recently launched his own product called  GroupBuzz.io. Our topic was: What do communities & product businesses have in common? Notable quotes “Having a connection with people is really important. A lot of people build tools without thinking about the people that are using them.” – Alex Hillman “It’s not hard to get a group of people in a room. It’s hard getting a group of people doing something useful together.” – Alex Hillman “Cult of personality is one of the most dangerous things for a community.” – Alex Hillman “Customer interviews are bullshit. Not because people are mean, because they’re too nice. You have to observe what they do, not what they say.” – Alex Hillman “Put a lot more stock in what people do as opposed to what they say. Be a pattern watcher. Pay attention to how people act.” – Alex Hillman Show notes GroupBuzz.io The Bullseye Model Alex on Twitter Alex’s blog 30×500 Justin’s JFDI community A note from Justin: A big thanks to Alex for being on the show! Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustin PS: I’m writing a new book right now called  Marketing for Developers.  Click here to sign-up for updates (and get a sample PDF). 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Amy Hoy is known for her unfiltered, straight-shooting opinions on building product businesses. Her and her husband  Thomas Fuchs have built  Freckle, an awesome time-tracking web app – and have become well known in the bootstrapping, design, and Ruby on Rails communities. Amy is also a passionate teacher: her and Alex Hillman run the excellent  30×500 bootcamp whose students include the likes of Brennan Dunn,  Chris Hartjes, and  Jaana Kulmala. Our topic was: finding an audience, discovering needs, and building products people want. Notable quotes “The core problem with so many businesses is that they’re based on what the business owner wants.” “They’re fantasizing about being the hero: “I’m going to ride in on my white ‘software’ horse, and save these poor people.” “As much as you can, you want to sell to people who will use your product. People who buy your product and don’t use it will never buy from you again.” “Target people already in motion.” “Selling to wannabes has the least amount of upside; people who already have a business are more likely to spend money.” “I would rather have no money, than know that the vast majority of people that gave me the money aren’t achieving what they wanted to. If that’s true, I don’t want to be in that business.” “Being in business forces you to become a better human being.” Show notes Freckle Time Tracking 30×500 Amy’s blog post on why Freckle became successful The legend of 30×500 A note from Justin: A big thanks to Amy Hoy for being Amy: no bullshit, nothing held back. Just real, hard advice for product people. Cheers, Justin Jackson @mijustin PS: I’m writing a new book right now called Marketing for Developers. Click here to sign-up for updates (and get a sample PDF). 🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!