A show about bootstrapping SaaS businesses. Hosted by Landon Bennett and Kyle Conarro, co-founders of Ad Reform and Userfeed.
Sponsored by Fetch Truck Rental. Truck rental made easy.To learn more about AdLib.Twitter: @HauptmanMichaelRemote workspacesRecent business woesMedia Math as AdReforms first customerMike's connection to MediaMathWhat happened when MediaMath went downRecovery, optionsRepercussionsPossible next stepsWays to stay in the gameGaining and keeping Momentum
Sponsored by Fetch Truck Rental. Goal: precipitate the repeal of 174 changesBut how? Get 1,000+ signatures on the Small Software Business Coalition Letter to Congress by April 10thSign the letter → Small Software Business Owners AllianceSDMichele's Twitter: @mjwhansenMichele's latest Twitter thread about Section 174 changes
Sponsored by Fetch Truck Rental. Truck rental made easy.Big Band Softwarehow you run multiple businesses and hiringHow do you structure this from an entity standpointWhat can founders do to prepare for saleWhat metrics, P&L line items matterSaaS acquisition market during these tougher timesNiches that are doing wellSect 174
Personal updatesRetreats and Conferences, Kyle at Big Snow, Tiny ConferenceKicking off 2023 and the year aheadExploring adjacent use case and tailoring products to new needsPodcast repurposingTip of the week - high yield savings rates
Beer vs. Wine vs. Mixed Drinks, all good.Camo and OSX iPhone WebCam App, don't get a fancy webcam, just use your iPhoneTypeDream.com website builderThnks.com gifting for businessClaap.io video clip / screen sharing and feedback appTLDV.ioRecast.studioMuseapp.com - open canvas, white board type idea building, planning, collaboration platformFelt.com - MAPS!Swarmia.com - Engineering organization appVideoask.com - video clip delivery, vid e-mail appSwitchboard.app - remote collab tool
https://www.sendspark.com/Bethany breaks down SendsparkThe problem of stale content in help centerBethany discusses integration into IntercomBethany explains origins of Sendspark, was in marketing at another company when she and co-founder realized the needBethany as a Userfeed customerFundraising for Sendspark, product usage metrics and activationInitial product Dev strategies, funding and spendingBethany working in NYCEnergy of NYC and getting sickGrind during the week, weekends for sleepLandon asks “who is harder to market to - developers or sales people?”Struggles of email marketing, the need for more human connection in marketingLandon using Notion, problem of lack of contextSendspark marketing channels, organic trafficHow-to-SEOSendspark partnershipsLandon testing rankings, name changesYouTube vid SEO tips from BethanyLandon using Intercom for UserfeedBethany using vid email for lead generation on website
Sponsored by Punchlist: Close the loop on creative feedback and get your projects done. Sign up at punchlist.com and use the promo code GRIT for your first month FREE of Punchlist Team (or 10% off any monthly plan) ---Notes:Helping people sell more things is the right place to beTaplio: 6-figure ARRTweethunter: 7-figure ARRWhy build two separate products when they could potentially be under one roof?Why its important to build a brand on LinkedIn and tips to building an audienceWhy is LinkedIn different from Twitter?How much time do you spend on each business?
Sponsored by Punchlist: Close the loop on creative feedback and get your projects done. Sign up at punchlist.com and use the promo code GRIT for your first month FREE of Punchlist Team (or 10% off any monthly plan) ---Notes:Growing our candidate pipeline for Hire with GritWhat we look for in candidate interviewsVideo setupsEnergy/enthusiasm Marketing experiments for the podcasts Repurposing content for social channelsVideoMoving the Hire with Grit site to TypedreamCrappy accounting softwareUsing a services business as hunting ground for software ideas
Episode NotesSponsored by Punchlist: Close the loop on creative feedback and get your projects done. Sign up at punchlist.com and use the promo code GRIT for your first month FREE of Punchlist Team (or 10% off any monthly plan) ---Notes:Our first solo pod. Weird? We're also on YouTube now! Weirder?
Sponsored by Punchlist: Close the loop on creative feedback and get your projects done. Sign up at punchlist.com and use the promo code GRIT for your first month FREE of Punchlist Team (or 10% off any monthly plan) ---Notes:Starting multiple new venturesZeromile.ioHirewithGrit.comZeromile.io#docsfreshHillchart.appWhy are we starting more businesses, especially as the macro-economy crumblesThings we're doing different this time aroundHow to set up operations to run multiple businesses and why it's important to separate all revenue and accounting accountsRelay FinanceWaveWhy we're building Hire with Grit, a headhunting business out of the PhilippinesGetting our first few deals under our belt and figuring out our laneBuilding Docsfresh and why we're starting on IntercomWhy working on multiple things gives you energy and learnings you can't get through one businessStarting sponsorships for the podLandon starts continuous glucose monitoring with LevelsSnapchat drone cam: Pixie
LinksBonjoro.comMatt BarnettNotesLandon tells Matt about his funny Bonjoro storyLandon talks about Docs Fresh, a new Intercom app their about to launchHow Matt stair-stepped to Bonjoro through a video insights agencySaaS Virality (Bonjoro videos)How they've grown to multiple millions in revenue without an outbound sales teamWorkday schedule with kidsHow they scale support with 60k usersFinding talent overseas (ie. Hire with Grit)Bootstrapping vs funding
Notes:Daniel Zarick (Founder of Arrows.to)Why it's hard to do a podcast about your business when you're growing a company in a competitive categoryLearning about the compounding of SaaS with Daniel's Twilio experience (23rd employee)Some markets are a lot bigger than you thinkDaniel talks about going from bootstrapper to VC-funded with Arrows.toHow did you meet all of the high profile angel investors that joined your seed round?Operators as investorsThe current funding market with valuations droppingWhat were the first things Daniel spent the money on?Pivoting Arrows to an integration-based product (currently focusing on Hubspot)Narrowing focus for the product and how that allows you to improve your marketing contentMarketing assets: Templates and guides (Arrows guide to customer onboarding on Hubspot)
LinksPunchlist.com: Close the loop on creative feedback and get your projects doneTechstars AtlantaOverline VCNotesWhy raise money vs. continuing to bootstrap?How to get the most out of an accelerator?What were the most interesting startups to come out of Techstars?How to find a co-founder?How did you raise $2mm?"Team, team, team, product"How are you finding great people to hire remotely?Quantifying success by time spent in the product vs. revenue (early on)What are the weirdest use cases you've seen with Punchlist users?How do you sell to agencies?Paying over $20k for the .com and why it's a no-brainer
Notes:What it was like to start our business (the hard times)Building out our new home officesA new product: recurring website screenshotsBuilding landing pages before building the productHow important is SEOUserfeed/Bump being sold again for a big return in only one year from the initial saleAre SaaS businesses being flipped or used as cashflow entities?If you buy a SaaS what's the optimal length of time before you sell it?Hard to maintain the tech/security overtimePlatform risk on things like Intercom or Shopify Links:Hillchart.app (Hillcharts for Notion, Clickup, Github, Trello, Gitlab)Intercom Jira AppHighways.io (Intercom integration for A bunch of CRM apps)
Notes/LinksAd Reform's first sales without the founders!How soon should a company hire a sales rep?Is the product management role shrinking in a remote-first world?Peter Levels tweetProfit-first as a serviceMatt Wensing tweetIs Facebook crumbling? And is that going to kill small businesses that rely on that growth channel (e.g. DTC brands)?Startup valuations declining alongside public tech company valuationsWhat does this mean for companies that raised at crazy valuations over the past two years? Will they all die?Why Kyle is a weirdo for not watching the Super Bowl
NotesTypefully: Twitter threads & analyticsMatter: a better readerCalendly Twitter dramaStripe/YC mob dramaMarvel: productized content servicePurchasing a $1k courseProject work vs. sales work and the feeling of momentum
Kyle and Landon discuss 2022 planning, talking to as many prospects as possible in the early days, why some entrepreneurs are afraid of rejection, the wave of competition in SaaS, and the different levels of authentic demand.
Back after a lengthy break, Landon and Kyle discuss Atlanta sports (and the World Series champs), collections, valuations & more.Today's Topics:The Atlanta Braves are World Series champs!?Iterating on and improving new hire onboardingBookkeeping mania: adding granularity, cleaning things upMicro-acquisitions, Micro PE, and wild valuationsBuilding vs. buyingLandon reviews his fancy new espresso machine (and Kyle confuses semi-automatic with Semisonic)Links & Resources:MicroAcquireTerra KaffeNespressoBottomless Coffee (← Kyle's referral link)Trade Coffee
In part two of the conversation, Landon and Kyle discuss experimenting with approaches to building businesses, how much is "enough", and reward and incentive structures as companies grow. They also touch on the current moment: the end of the 20-year American occupation of Afghanistan.Today's Topics:Experimenting with new markets and approaches to building businessesDoubling down vs. autopilot vs. freedom to build other stuffThinking critically about the end goal to maintain optionalityHow much is "enough"?How do we build an asset that affords our team a comfortable life + enables us the freedom to work on anything we want to work onProfit-sharing as a simple, shared incentive structureAcknowledging the moment: the difficult and tragic end of the 20-year American occupation of AfghanistanWhere do these events fall in the arc of history? (local vs. global optima)Podcast chats as historical markersLinks & Resources:fatFIRE subreddit (Wealth and Financial Independence/Retire Early)MwG episode 36 with Tyler Williams of Motion ArrayIncome vs. Happiness curveLocal vs. global optima
Landon and Kyle chat about parenting, productivity, and new business ideas.Today's Topics:A new Ad Reformer! Landon had a baby boy
After bootstrapping Median, why go venture-backed with Workshop?Derek talks about their $3mm seedEasier to raise after some winsWhat has been different about having capital from the start?Derek talks about some of the marketing strategies that are helping them build up a large following in the HR spaceAcquired a newsletter for $6kRunning ads that point to templates accessed by filling out an email formHubspot formLinks:WorkshopWorkshop Raises $3mmPrevious episode with Derek@dhomann
Notes:First post-covid vacationsNew hire running customer operations and freeing Landon up to sellThe struggles of handing-off tasks you've owned for yearsForce testing how the business runs without youWhat is a customer ops manager?What Landon has been doing on the outbound sales side and how it's goingA new product direction/use case that's brought on $100k in ARR in the past few monthsHow to find these opportunitiesHow we're feeling about the Userfeed acquisition six months later Outbound sales emailCopy pointersIndustry-based sequencesTacticsWhen email works and when it doesn'tHow we approached outbound at Rigor (selling to enterprise in a highly competitive incumbent market)Personalization do's and don'tsWhy making assumptions in emails workLandon's first seed investment (Grayscale). See episode 15 where we talked to the CEO of Grayscale (Ty) about his business. By the way, they're hiring.Links:MixMaxHubspotRigor
Landon and Kyle discuss growth, hiring, and selling business ideas.Today's Topics:Getting back in the officeGrowing revenue by following leads, expanding offeringsHiring for help with customer operationsDifferentiation vectors: usability, functionality, design, etc.A storefront for business ideas?Coming soon: Made with Grit swag
Notes:Why did we sell?How did we sell the business?MicroAcquireManaging leads and sharing information with potential buyersHow long did it take?What were the terms?What went well and what would we do differently?Why focus is important
Today's Topics:Clubhouse takes...what is it good for?Update on Landon's stock trading "hobby"What we're drinkingNew Webflow marketing site launchedIt's tax time - R&D tax credits & filing servicesUpdate on what we're buying: Cocofloss, coffee deliveryLandon got a new Apple watchChanging the default music app on iOSWe're getting M1 MacbooksLinks & Resources:Clubhouse (no, not this Clubhouse)Capiche.fm - Talk to the internetUncle Nearest WhiskeyAgora - Realtime video and voice engagementNew Ad Reform website on WebflowEndorsal - Customer testimonials, automatedCheckly - Delightful active monitoring for developersMainstreetTaxfyleCoco FlossBottomless Coffee (Kyle's referral link)
Episode SummaryTyler Williams on bootstrapping and selling Motion Array for $65 Million. Episode NotesToday's Topics:After selling your company for $65mm what was your first purchase?The story on how they sold the businessWhy they bootstrapped the businessWhat is Motion Array and how did Tyler come up with the ideaWhat move really made the business take offThe importance of SEO and why bootstrapped businesses need to find free/cheap distribution channelsVenture Studio model Failure.incSome ideas he's cooking up for his next ventureLinks & Resources:Motion ArrayArtlist acquisition of Motion ArrayFailure.incTyler Williams on Twitter
Today's Topics:A lot of momentum for alt-funding options like PipeMoney is cheaper, with less "baggage" than ever beforeMarketplace for selling a smaller SaaS is growingBest time ever to be a bootstrapped founderComparing our march to $1mm ARR vs what it was like getting there in our previous company 5 years agoWhat we're drinkingRecent fancy DTC purchases we've madeMade with Grit T-shirt design in the worksRegulation changes for crowdfunding Links & Resources:PipeHausMiniMeisCasper glow lightsExposureCoco FlossFatherly
Today's Topics:Deleting Twitter from phone and using MailbrewWhat are we drinkingHow we performed our first profit shareWhy invoice collections are a huge pain for a small teamBootstrapped business ideasMade with Grit t-shirtsLinks & Resources:MailbrewTip Top canned cocktailsNathan Barry: Profit-sharing for bootstrappers
Landon and Kyle discuss the idea of avoiding popular SaaS markets and give their thoughts on building in public (while sipping on some bourbon & eggnog). They also give their thoughts on some of the recent SaaS acquisitions. Today's Topics Include:Their podcast drinks of choice Acquisitions of Kustomer (Facebook) & Slack (Salesforce)New product: BumpBuilding in public? Pros and cons Learnings are helpfulLeads to more competitorsMore interested in klout instead of businessSpending more time showing you're building in public than actually buildingMany 'open startups' move away from that as they growGiving a business more time to mature90% of companies still aren't using cloud-based softwareThese are the unsexy nichesLinks & Resources:Salesforce, Slack, and the future of workBump
Landon and Kyle discuss their business bouncing back from the dip they experienced during the beginning of the pandemic. They also discuss their previous company getting acquired by Splunk. Today's Topics Include:Kyle's long absence from the podcastAd Reform's revenue bouncing back strong after the pandemic dip Userfeed launch of a new Intercom app: BumpKyle and Landon's previous employer, Rigor, selling to Splunk for 8-figuresUS election crazinessKyle and Landon getting new houses and dealing with the movesLinks & Resources:RigorRigor acquired by SplunkBump
Landon and TJ discuss what it's like transitioning from services to products, bootstrapping, selling to NGOs/healthcare, and being motivated by the impact their products have on the world. TJ also talks about how his global health data SaaS is having quite a moment in the year of COVID, sparked by a free tool that tracks Coronavirus data. Today’s Topics:ATL tiesBootstrap or raise?Services to productsBuilding for impactWhen to cut your losses and move to the next idea or product"Luck is the residue of design"Building a fully remote teamGlobal health data and how COVID has shined a light on the spaceCovid Mapping ProjectSelling, contracts, and collections pains in the healthcare industryProfit-sharing and owner distributionsLinks & Resources:Secure Data KitNTDeliverCovid Mapping ProjectSwitchyardsAtlanta Tech VillageNathan Barry on profit-sharing@TJMule
Landon and Baird discuss what it's like starting and running multiple SaaS businesses. Baird's businesses include Wavve, Zubtitles, Duplikit, and Churnkey and are doing over $2mm ARR combined.Today’s Topics:Should you build more than one SaaS?One company or multiple?Dealing with support/churn across multiple businessesWhat's more important: growth or retention?Moneyball approach to prioritizationLow effort, high impactAsync communication and decision-makingLinks & Resources:WavveZubtitlesDuplikitChurnkey@BairdHall
Jeff Gardner of Graphy joins Landon and Kyle to discuss his 8-year journey at Intercom. He chats about the early days of the product (he was employee #4), growing a support team from 1 to 100, launching a developer platform, and more.Today’s Topics:Intercom pricing (and potential IPO?)Growing support in lockstep with customer growthThe evolution of hiring needs as a company scalesBeing remote in a majority in-person companyGoing from "we have an API" to "we are a developer platform"Advice for indie developers building on a platformBack to the beginning: moving to GraphyWhat is customer success?Customers as collaborators on the product journeyThinking in trade-offsLinks & Resources:Jeff on Twitter: @erskingardnerGraphy: Data collaboration in a visual, fun and flexible wayFinite and Infinite Games by James P. Carse
Landon chats with Derek Homann, co-founder of Median and Workshop, about bootstrapping, working on multiple SaaS products, taking money off the table, and more.Today’s Topics:Building SaaS outside Silicon Valley (in Omaha, in Derek's case)Running multiple SaaS products as a small, bootstrapped teamDerek's career journey: technical recruiter > customer support > director > founderLatest project: Workshop: Collaborative & Actionable MeetingsJumpstarting a business by building on a platformTaking money off the table with perpetual licensingLinks & Resources:Derek on Twitter: @dhomannMedian: Simple CoBrowsing for Support TeamsWorkshop: Collaborative & Actionable Meetings
Kyle and Landon share a company update, then chat about the Facebook ad boycott, stocks, and HEY.Today’s Topics:How the pandemic has impacted revenue and growthPaused customers are returning...will that continue?The pain of getting a home loan as a bootstrapperThe Facebook ad boycott: meaningful, or just posturing?Investing a little money for fun (and maybe profit)HEY, Basecamp, and DHH's Twitter masteryLinks & Resources:Razer Kiyo webcam + lightSquadcastHEY.com
Kyle and Landon discuss recent changes to their product development and marketing processes.Today’s Topics:The psychological impact of slow growthObjective improvements vs. psychological tricksBalancing commitment and responsivenessPrioritization and execution: Serial process, or concurrent threads?Shipping cadence: Minimizing work-in-progress, maximizing throughputMarketing: one-month-at-a-time, one thing per weekFinding rhythm and a sustainable paceLinks & Resources:Intercom's 6 week product cyclesUserfeed video: 3 ways to collect feedbackRescueTime (Kyle's referral link)Userfeed + GitHub integration
Kyle chats with Andy O'Hara, a finance guy turned healthcare entrepreneur (and now a self-taught developer). Listen as they discuss Andy's experience growing an on-demand pediatrics business.Today’s Topics:The acquisition of Andy’s recent companyLearning to code on the job at Chiron HealthBuilding an app simply for an easier dev - and user - experienceAndy’s journey building a telemedicine businessDeciding against the brick-and-mortar route and building an on-demand pediatrics serviceWhat Andy is doing differently with the new companyVC-backed and profitableModern Pediatrics’ roadmap in light of COVID-19Using code and no-code tools togetherNo-code debtLinks & Resources:Andy on LinkedInModern Pediatrics - Let the pediatrician come to youChiron Health - See your patients over HIPAA-compliant video with full reimbursementElixir - A dynamic, functional language designed for building scalable and maintainable applications.Ruby On Rails - A web-application framework that includes everything needed to create database-backed web applications according to the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern.Zapier - Connect your apps and automate workflows
Landon chats with Brandon Cummings about his journey from finance, to tech, to starting a non-profit in Atlanta that feeds 6,000 people per week.Today’s Topics:Brandon’s journey from finance, to biz dev, to engineeringThe demise of VoxaBootstrapped vs “going big”A detour into data scienceGoing full-time on a side projectTaking a new job after COVID-19 shuts down the businessBuilding an open source platform for COVID-19 testingStarting a non-profit to feed hospitality workers during the pandemicBuilding software and systems to support feeding 6,000 people a week$20 provides 4 family meals. Donate here.Links & Resources:ATL Family Meal - Feeding 6000 hospitality workers per weekATL Family Meal on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and FacebookKevy - The best marketing platform for growing salesRigor - Digital Experience Monitoring and OptimizationTerminus - Full Funnel Account-Based MarketingRails Tutorial - Michael HartlCapgemini - A global leader in consulting, technology services and digital transformationFlowPath - Facilities management simplifiedTwilio - Engage customers on any channel, any timeTighten - Software for strength & focusMatt StaufferLyft - Get a ride from a friendly driver within minutes
Landon & Kyle have a heated discussion about B2B customer support.Today’s Topics:We got the PPP loan!Decided not to run for presidentWhat we’ve learned about B2B SaaS supportStop calling them support “tickets”Live chat isn’t the problemChoosing to be opinionated about customer feedback managementDon’t make your customers do all the workWhy you should be collecting customer feedback from the beginningLinks & Resources:Business Casual Podcast episide with Ray Dalio (Part 1 and Part 2)Remote Team - Automated Payrolls, Time Off, HR Tools, and Compliance for Remote TeamsCalendly - Super easy online appointment scheduling softwareUserfeed.io - Customer feedback designed for Intercom
Today’s Topics:Kept up all night by…the dogWhat we’re working onNew podcast ideaHandling subscription pause requests due to COVID-19Automating payrollVirtual coffee with the founder of a new SaaSLooking back at the inflection points for Ad ReformTrying to monetize free softwareWhat we would have done differently if we started the business todayIterative billing strategiesJoe Rogan and UFOsLinks & Resources:Remote Team - Automated Payrolls, Time Off, HR Tools, and Compliance for Remote TeamsAds.txt Pro - Monitor ads.txt files, find errors before files go live, and get notified in SlackAd Reform - Your intelligent ad ops assistantUserfeed - Customer feedback designed for Intercom
Kyle ventures back to the office to water the plants, Landon has been researching note-taking apps, and the governor of Georgia is reopening bowling alleys.Today’s Topics:An update on the COVID-19 life and distant socializingGeorgia ignoring the stats to reopen gyms, restaurants, massage parlorsBowling alley conspiraciesNote taking apps for the iPadAd Reform’s cash situation and the hot new trend in SaaS: Subscription pausingHow the businesses have been impactedLinks & Resources:Landon’s tweet about governor of Georgia's announcementNotability - Fall in love with Note takingGoodNotes - GoodNotes transforms your iPad into digital paperNebo - Your notes at workNotion - All-in-one workspaceSidecar - Use your iPad as a second display for additional screen spaceBuild your SaaS episode with Josh Pigford of BaremetricsGetting To Ramen Podcast
Landon and Kyle talk about the strategies and (many, many) tools they use (and have tried out) to collaborate remotely on work.Today’s Topics:COVID-19 drinking game (the new normal)All we can do is keep moving forwardBlood-sucking sales repsHow our team collaborates remotely from all over the worldUsing Slack only for what it's good forOur async-first workflow and why it's better than the alternativeKnowing what communication goes whereUsing Loom and Soapbox for async video communicationLinks & Resources:Guru - Knowledge management solution that delivers everything you needRework (book) - The playbook for anyone who’s ever dreamed of doing it on their ownRemote (book) - Shows both employers and employees how they can work together, remotelyNotion - Write, plan, collaborate, and get organizedUserfeed.io - Customer feedback for IntercomArt of Product PodcastTuple - The best remote pair programming app on macOSScreen.so - Work together like you're in the same roomTandem - A virtual office for remote teamsYac - Voice messaging for remote teamsLoom - Easy and free screen recorder for Mac, Windows, and ChromebooksSoapbox - The easiest way to create a great video by yourselfAround - Quick, high-impact video calls for a new era of workMatt Stauffer blog post on setting Up Your Webcam, Lights, and Audio for Remote Work
Kyle and Landon reflect on how fast things have changed, how COVID-19 has affected the team so far, and how running the companies conservatively has ultimately paid off.Today’s Topics:A break from podcasting because of "you know what"The emotional phases of a pandemicHow our remote team has been affectedBuilding a no-code app to keep track of COVID-19 cases where our different team members liveGlobally united for better or for worseWhere the business stands from a cash standpointProviding extra financial support to our teamShifting gears from growth to sustainabilityCutting tech costs by requesting deferred payments and or discountsApplying for government loansHow running a business conservatively has paid offIn a twitter battle with a journalistLinks & Resources:AdReform - Your intelligent ad ops assistantUserfeed.io - Customer feedback for Intercom
Landon and Kyle talk about the struggles of hiring a remote international team while still building a product and moving bigger deals forward.Today’s Topics:Kyle and Landon chat about what they’ve been doing latelyChallenges that come with hiring remote international staffDiscovering unnoticed fees when paying internationally with Bank of AmericaR&D tax creditFeeling overwhelmed when day to day work takes a back seatWhat kind of things you need to know about and ask when it comes to making bigger dealsLinks & Resources:Upwork - Connects businesses of all sizes with freelancers.TransferWise - Transfer money abroad quickly with low costs money transfers.Stripe - The best software platform for running an internet business.Gusto - Payroll, benefits, time tracking tools, and more.Wave - Award-winning financial software designed for entrepreneurs.Payoneer - Get paid online by international clients.Basecamp - Get it together and manage projects the right way.
Kyle talks to Pete Bernardo about leaving agency life and starting PunchlistToday’s Topics:Our second guest Pete BernardoWhat is PunchlistThe problem that Punchlist is solving for agencies and businessesNaming PunchlistStarting as a solo-founder and bring people in laterPast businesses & co-founder falloutsRolling out new pricing through in-person conversations to get feedbackThe technical implications of a pricing change toward teamsFocusing on annual dealsLinks & Resources:Punchli.st - Knockout what's left. A todo list for your websiteProduct Of One PodcastMicroConf - The world’s most popular community for non-venture track startup foundersTuple - The best remote pair programming app on macOSStartups For the Rest of Us - 480+ episodes to help you launch and grow your startup
It’s that time of year again: Tax season. Landon & Kyle talk about what they’ve learned (or haven't) about accounting for startups over the years.Today’s Topics:Doing the boring stuff (taxes, bookkeeping, booking flights, etc.)Stuff you should leave until you’re actually making moneyGot ourselves a bookkeeperUsing a product-ized service for filing taxesAnother benefit to being apart of an incubator like TinySeedOur new accounting membership businessRamping up the new head of product for UserfeedLinks & Resources:MicroConf - The World’s Most Popular Community for Independent StartupsTaxFyle - On-demand tax workWave - Award-winning financial software designed for entrepreneursBench - America’s largest bookkeeping service for small businessesTurboTax - The #1 best-selling tax preparation software to file taxes onlineTinySeed - The first startup accelerator designed for bootstrappers.Gusto - Payroll, benefits, time tracking tools, and more.High Alpha - We create and fund B2B SaaS companies.Atlanta Ventures - We empower entrepreneurs to achieve their potential.ATDC - Georgia’s technology incubator
Landon sits down with Ty Abernethy, Co-Founder and CEO of Grayscale to discuss getting to $60K ARR with an MVP, getting blacklisted for sending too many outbound sales emails, and VC vs Bootstrapping.Today’s Topics:How Landon and Ty met at a strangely-named entreprenuer meetupGrayscale’s 30-second elevator pitchAccidentally naming Ty’s company after a diseaseComing up with the initial ideaGetting to $60K ARR with an MVPFinding a co-founderBurned by too much funding too early in a recent businessOutbound sales and partnershipsHow to get your domain blacklisted (and then fix it)The hardest part about running a businessTaking the team out for drinksDigital detoxLinks & Resources:Grayscale - Conversational Recruiting PlatformMarcel - Steakhouse and bar
Landon and Kyle discuss the hard questions they've had to ask about the fate of Userfeed. As well as the conclusion they've finally come to.Today’s Topics:Struggle to run two businesses without neglecting oneWeighing the options for UserfeedThe decision we’ve landed onWhat’s nextThe loss of a heroLinks & Resources:BasecampWildbit
Landon and Kyle prepare for an Atlanta Hawks game while chatting about dev emergencies, content marketing, and tricks for LinkedIn outreach.Today’s Topics:Our first remote episode!A small emergency on the engineering sideEven accountants don’t like accountingUsing StoryChief for content marketing using keyword research and SEORepurposing blog postsShould we use Webflow?How we do LinkedIn outreachLinks & Resources:Tuple - Pair Programming for MacOSPodmelon - Podcast editingStoryChief - All-in-one Content Marketing WorkspaceWebflow - Build better business websites, faster. Without coding.Landen - The Website Builder for StartupsLandon’s tweet about Webflow templatesLandon’s tweet about using Intercom bots for tracking where customers are coming from
As Ad Reform continues to grow, Kyle and Landon talk about the tools and tactics they are using to stay focused on the priorities.Today’s Topics:Our most popular episode yetWe’re killing it! Or so it seems?Can’t get back into a groove after the holidaysLearning to balance a growing list of prioritiesTools for staying productiveWhen should the founders stop providing full-time support?Links & Resources:Rescue Time - Automatically tracks & categorizes the websites you visit and time spentHeyFocus - Website and application blocker for MacOSStatusHero - Automated Stand-ups, Reports, and Insights for Software Teams
Kyle and Landon reflect back on a funding offer from their dream accelerator and wrestle with whether or not they made the right decision...Today’s Topics:An offer from our dream acceleratorSudden influx in cashAt what point does it no longer make sense to take funding?Things to factor in when considering funding (VC or otherwise)Links & Resources:TinySeedMicroConfTechstarsTweet by Kristen Anderson about who should/shouldn't take VC fundingKyle's retweet and comments on notes/SAFEsPodmelon