Podcasts about mrr

Before spending a single dollar on paid advertising, you need to ask one critical question: Do you have product-market fit—or at least clear signals of it?In a recent podcast episode, Patrick Cumming, Head of Marketing at KlientBoost, emphasizes that paid advertising, especially paid search, is not a shortcut to growth. If your product doesn't already have demand, paid search will likely drain your budget without meaningful returns. Instead, companies should assess how much of their total addressable audience they can effectively saturate with the budget they have. Success in paid advertising isn't just about targeting the right people; it's about delivering the right message in a way that resonates deeply with your audience.Key Timecodes(0:00) - Introduction: Patrick on product-market fit and paid ads(0:54) - Guest Introduction: Joran introduces Patrick Cumming(1:41) - Common Myths: Patrick discusses myths about SaaS paid ads(2:53) - Small Audience Strategy: The benefits of targeting a small audience (3:16) - B2B SaaS Ad Campaigns Failures: Reasons why ad campaigns fail(4:35) - Reach and Frequency: Importance in marketing strategies(5:48) - Ad Creatives: Patrick's five-step framework for effective ads(7:49) - Audience Targeting: Importance in ad campaign success(8:40) - When to Start Paid Ads: Timing and prerequisites for running ads(10:19) - Experimentation: The challenges of creating new market demand(11:45) - Scaling Mistakes: Common errors when scaling ad campaigns(13:13) - Platform Usage: Using Google Ads and social media effectively (15:27) - Cold Audience Challenges: Issues with targeting cold audiences(16:00) - Building a Paid Ads Strategy: Framework for starting a campaign(17:00) - Analyzing Data: Importance of understanding existing customers(18:18) - High Intent Keywords: Starting point for Google Ads(19:21) - Budget and Audience Saturation: Maximizing ad spend efficiency(20:21) - Account-Based Marketing: Strategy for focusing on target audiences(21:36) - Case Study: Successful strategy for a small audience segment(23:57) - LinkedIn Revenue Attribution Report: Measuring ad performance(25:26) - Correlation in Ads: Understanding ad impact beyond direct attribution(27:54) - Tracking and Measurement: Challenges and importance in ad campaigns(29:08) - Attribution Tools: Using Dream Data for understanding ad influence(31:35) - Trust in Ads: Importance of trusting ad performance over time(33:04) - SEO vs. Paid Ads: Balancing organic and paid strategies(35:45) - Future of Marketing: Preparing for changes in tracking and privacy(38:14) - Bold Advertising: Patrick's advice for standing out in paid marketing(39:10) - Advice for SaaS Founders: Tips for reaching 10k MRR(41:51) - Scaling to 10M ARR: Strategies for growing a successful SaaS business(44:38) - Expanding Channels: Using tools like Primer and Metadata(46:42) - Contact Information: How to connect with Patrick Cumming(48:04) - Closing Remarks: Joran wraps up the episode

Struggling to turn new sign-ups into loyal, paying customers? You're not alone, and the problem might not be your product, it might be your onboarding. In this episode of Grow Your B2B SaaS, we're joined by onboarding expert and best-selling author Ramli “RJ” John to break it all down. Ramli exposes what most SaaS companies miss: onboarding isn't a feature — it's a full-blown business strategy. We explore how to craft onboarding experiences that form habits, boost user activation, increase retention, and drive revenue. Whether you're a scrappy startup or scaling toward $10M ARR, this episode is packed with real talk, actionable insights, and smart frameworks that will help you turn more free trials into forever customers.Key Timecodes(0:00)-Introduction: Aha moment and onboarding as a business problem(0:49)-Episode Overview: Building habit-forming hybrid onboarding(1:03)-Guest Introduction: Ramli "RJ" John and his work(1:42)-Importance of Habit-Forming Onboarding(3:00)-Retention and Profit from Effective Onboarding(3:41)-Misconceptions about Onboarding(5:18)-The Promise Fulfillment Concept(6:52)-Common Mistakes in Onboarding(8:00)-Moments of Confusion and Delight(9:37)-Goals of Effective Onboarding(11:05)-Step-by-Step Onboarding Improvement(12:45)-User Case Understanding and Endpoint Focus(15:02)-Hybrid Onboarding for Enterprise Customers(18:35)-Challenges and Overcoming in Product Onboarding(20:49)-Technical Product Onboarding Suggestions(24:15)-Immediate Steps for Onboarding Improvement(28:21)-Habit Formation in Onboarding(30:23)-Future of Onboarding with AI(33:33)-Risks and Opportunities for SaaS Founders(35:24)-Best Advice on SaaS Onboarding(36:08)-Growing Early Stage SaaS from 0–10k MRR(37:47)-Scaling SaaS to 10 Million ARR(40:04)-Summary of Key Points(40:45)-How to Contact Ramli and Closing Remarks

Vincent Oliveira a participé à plusieurs Aventures entrepreneuriales avant de fonder Webyn.ai. Il a réussi à lever 1,2M€ auprès de fonds dédiés à l'amorçage et il a composé une équipe d'une vingtaine de talents pour créer sa plateforme d'optimisation de la conversion, notamment à destination de ecommerçants. Il nous partage dans cet épisode sa vision de l'usage de l'IA, les obstacles qu'il a dû franchir pour passer sa boîte de 0€ de MRR à aujourd'hui plus de 1,5M€ d'ARR. Paysage concurrentiel, stratégies d'A/B testing, timing de l'expansion internationale...de nombreux sujets clés sont abordés durant cet échange !

In today's episode, Mother Malia delves into the powerful strategies for scaling your product-based business to new heights beyond seven figures. If you're passionate about taking your business to the next level, this episode is for you! In This Episode, You'll Discover: The Value of Sales Volume: Learn why the volume of sales is crucial for demonstrating proof of concept and enhancing your business's value to potential buyers or investors. The Importance of Your Email List and Social Assets: Understand how building a responsive and engaged community around your product can significantly impact its success and value. Maintaining Ongoing Innovation: Discover strategies for keeping your product relevant, whether it's by replenishing frequently, innovating, or acquiring complementary products. Bonus Tip: Consider acquiring a company with products that complement or align with yours to expand your offerings and scale more effectively. Scaling a product-based business involves not just the operational aspects but also a deep connection to your market and constant innovation. Whether you plan to sell or keep your business, these strategies will guide you toward successful scaling. Tune in now to The Gold Standard Podcast and discover: Libsyn: https://jenniferlongmore.libsyn.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3KAqK4RuGonXt7PaLOf618 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-gold-standard-making-millions-with-mother-malia Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JenniferLongmoreSoulJourneys If you're ready to elevate your product-based business and explore how to scale it beyond 7 figures, I invite you to connect with my team to explore working with me: media@mothermalia.com Let's craft a roadmap to scale your impact, your income, and your freedom.   P.S. If you see yourself as a sovereign, new earth leader ready to generate five figures in MRR by creating new income streams beyond your business, come join the conversation in my new Facebook group. —------------------------------------------------ About Our Host - Jennifer Longmore / 8 Figure Mentor, Founder of the #1 Akashic Record Training School & Clear Channel for Mother Malia Jennifer is an award winning CEO, 12 time best selling author and built the #1 Akashic Record Training School in the world before shifting into becoming Mother Malia. Over the past 20 years, her school has certified over 100,000 consultants in over 100 countries and has been translated into 5 languages. She is also a clear channel for Mother Malia: The Great Mother who comes to earth during times of great transition, like the collective ascension we are experiencing now. She is here to restore the original codes of The Land of The People, to reawaken the gold codes as they were intended, and support as many light leaders as possible elevate into their sacred mission and allow in millions to fuel the spread of their sacred gifts. When she is not channeling and providing high level strategic guidance to light leaders, you can find her enjoying trips with her family, hikes with her dog, or tending to her 100+ rare plant collection. Learn more:    Website: https://mothermalia.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferlongmore/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulPurposeExpert Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/souljourneyexpert  Facebook Caption Product-based business owners: Are you leaving money on the table?

In this raw and real episode, Mother Malia dives deep into a story few leaders share publicly — navigating the trauma of team sabotage, and more importantly, how to alchemize that betrayal into gold. This is a masterclass in energetic leadership, intuitive decision-making, and reclaiming your power after being blindsided. Whether you've experienced a silent coup, quiet quitting, or misaligned team energy that nearly derailed your mission — this episode is here to remind you: nothing is wasted. Every breakdown can be a portal to embodied sovereignty and next-level growth. In this episode, you'll hear: A behind-the-scenes look at how sabotage showed up in Mother Malia's business The hidden cost of ignoring your intuition when hiring Why team character matters more than skill How unresolved trauma creates blind spots in leadership Practical tools for clearing tolerations and reclaiming momentum Why hiring the wrong team can keep you in manager mode, not CEO mode What it really takes to build a team that can scale with your vision “I needed that sabotage to show me where I was still settling. It was the medicine that helped me lead at the next level.” If you're scaling to 6- or 7-figure months and know that team is your next edge — this conversation is for you. I invite you to connect with my team to explore working with media@mothermalia.com so that you can embrace your unique path and embrace the wealth and prosperity already waiting for you to be claimed!P.S. If you see yourself as a sovereign, new earth leader ready to generate five figures in MRR by creating new income streams beyond your business, come join the conversation in my new Facebook group. —------------------------------------------------ About Our Host - Jennifer Longmore / 8 Figure Mentor, Founder of the #1 Akashic Record Training School & Clear Channel for Mother Malia Jennifer is an award winning CEO, 12 time best selling author and built the #1 Akashic Record Training School in the world before shifting into becoming Mother Malia. Over the past 20 years, her school has certified over 100,000 consultants in over 100 countries and has been translated into 5 languages. She is also a clear channel for Mother Malia: The Great Mother who comes to earth during times of great transition, like the collective ascension we are experiencing now. She is here to restore the original codes of The Land of The People, to reawaken the gold codes as they were intended, and support as many light leaders as possible elevate into their sacred mission and allow in millions to fuel the spread of their sacred gifts. When she is not channeling and providing high level strategic guidance to light leaders, you can find her enjoying trips with her family, hikes with her dog, or tending to her 100+ rare plant collection. Learn more:  Website: https://mothermalia.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferlongmore/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulPurposeExpert Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/souljourneyexpert

Anthony Debrant a créé la boîte dont il a toujours rêvé. Fan de sneakers, il a agrégé autour de sa plateforme Sneakmart une communauté de plus de 2500 membres privilégiés, lui assurant un confortable MRR. Marketplace premium dédiée aux éditions limités, collectors et luxe, il a opéré des collbs avec les plus grandes marques et les plus grands influenceurs comme Mister V. Il nous partage dans cet épisode ses principaux accomplissements et ses objectifs pour ces 5 prochaines années. Inspiré d'immenses succès comme Showroomprivé, il fonce vers sa plus belle réussite, entouré des meilleurs business angels.

Recently, my friend Shannon Mattern interviewed me on her The Profitable Web Designer podcast all about what's working well for web designers killing it in 2025.She's kindly offered to let me repurpose the whole convo for you! It's a bit of a 2-parter with part 1 being all about becoming more than just a web designer for clients, but a growth partner for bigger MRR (monthly recurring revenue)Part 2 covers more of what I went through in pivoting from selling information to selling transformation. Very parallel to web designers moving from selling a nice website design to selling a high-converting sales tool for clients. All the same lessons apply.Enjoy!

How do meaningful startup events really come together—and what can founders learn from the process?In this episode of We Code, You Launch: The Startup Community Podcast From CodeLaunch &  Improving , host Jason W. Taylor sits down with two key collaborators behind Startup Mania, a high-energy pitch event that debuted during Miami Tech Week 2025. Guests Rajiv Nathan, aka Startup Hype Man, and Guillermo Vizcaino aka "G", Global Community Director at Startup Grind, share how the idea for Startup Mania emerged from a casual email and evolved into a unique collaboration across communities, creatives, and tech ecosystems. They break down how intentional storytelling, community building, and trusting your gut can turn a bold idea into something founders can rally around. Whether you're launching a product, growing a community, or planning your next community event, this episode is packed with real lessons on what it takes to build something impactful.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Turning Founder Emotions Into Creative Expression: Rajiv shares how years of working with startups, led to the creation of Go to Market, the first-ever hip hop album inspired by startup life. He opens up about founder burnout, emotional cycles, and why music became his outlet to tell the stories many in tech are afraid to say out loud.The Story Behind Startup Mania: From Idea to Execution: You'll hear the real backstory of how Startup Mania started as a wild pitch in an email thread between Rajiv, G, and a contact at HubSpot for Startups—and how it evolved into a high-energy, bracket-style pitch tournament held during Miami Tech Week, backed by CodeLaunch and Startup Grind.The Power of Collaboration in Startup Culture: JWT, G, and Rajiv reflect on how Startup Mania came together through fast trust and shared purpose—not red tape. This conversation is a reminder that when creators, founders, and ecosystem leaders align on values, bold ideas can come to life quickly—and make a lasting impact.Building Startup Communities Where They Don't Exist: G shares how he launched the Startup Grind Guayaquil chapter remotely from the U.S. to serve founders in Ecuador, where no ecosystem existed at the time. His grassroots approach helped grow a 23K-member community—proof that founders can build ecosystem infrastructure by leading with service.How to Pitch When Your Revenue Is “Too Early”: Rajiv introduces the Revenue Engine Technique, a strategy he developed to help early-stage founders talk about traction when their MRR is still low. Learn how repositioning your progress can change investor perception—without inflating your numbers.From Solo Hustle to Scalable Teams: G reflects on his journey as a startup founder, explaining how bringing in the right co-founders was the key to sustainable growth—and eventually, a successful exit. His take on founder partnerships and long-haul thinking offers practical advice for any startup leader navigating scale.Connect with Our Guests: RajNation on LinkedIn –  @startuphypeman

In this enlightening episode, Mother Malia continues our Scale Series by diving deep into the art of scaling a location-dependent business beyond the magical threshold of 7 figures. Whether you're running a restaurant, a yoga studio, a wellness clinic, or any service-based storefront, this episode is packed with transformative insights tailored just for you.   Episode Highlights: Embrace the Shift: In a post-2020 world, the home has become the new storefront. Learn how to adapt your business model to meet your clients where they are—at home, with their laptops open and a world of options at their fingertips. Creating Value: Discover the importance of building your business as if it could be sold. How can you ensure your venture holds value in a rapidly changing landscape? Online Expansion: Mother Malia shares her wisdom on creating online courses and product suites that transcend geographical limitations. Why rely solely on in-person training when you can reach audiences across the globe? Optimize Your Offerings: Explore innovative ways to enhance your product offerings, from exclusive brand partnerships to selling related products that resonate with your community. Real-World Example: Hear the story of a successful aesthetic entrepreneur who has tapped into both in-person training and online resources to scale her impact and income.   We hope this episode inspires you to embrace your unique path and step into a world of spiritual abundance. Stay tuned for our next enlightening conversation, where we continue to explore the convergence of spirituality and wealth creation. If you desire support in this… If you're ready to elevate your location-dependent business beyond the magical threshold of 7 figures, I invite you to connect with my team to explore working with media@mothermalia.com so that you can embrace your unique path and embrace the wealth and prosperity already waiting for you to be claimed! P.S. If you see yourself as a sovereign, new earth leader ready to generate five figures in MRR by creating new income streams beyond your business, come join the conversation in my new Facebook group.   —------------------------------------------------   About Our Host - Jennifer Longmore / 8 Figure Mentor, Founder of the #1 Akashic Record Training School & Clear Channel for Mother Malia   Jennifer is an award winning CEO, 12 time best selling author and built the #1 Akashic Record Training School in the world before shifting into becoming Mother Malia. Over the past 20 years, her school has certified over 100,000 consultants in over 100 countries and has been translated into 5 languages.   She is also a clear channel for Mother Malia: The Great Mother who comes to earth during times of great transition, like the collective ascension we are experiencing now. She is here to restore the original codes of The Land of The People, to reawaken the gold codes as they were intended, and support as many light leaders as possible elevate into their sacred mission and allow in millions to fuel the spread of their sacred gifts.   When she is not channeling and providing high level strategic guidance to light leaders, you can find her enjoying trips with her family, hikes with her dog, or tending to her 100+ rare plant collection.   Learn more:    Website: https://mothermalia.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferlongmore/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulPurposeExpert Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/souljourneyexpert

¿Se puede escalar una startup en México desde cero hasta 45K$ de MRR solo con referidos?En nuestra nueva serie vamos a visitar una a una, todas nuestras invertidas del portfolio de ITNIG junto a Berta Madueño.En este episodio nos sentamos con Adrià, fundador de Camillion, la herramienta que estandariza las operaciones diarias de empleados Blue Collar en sucursales distribuidas. Desde su aterrizaje casi accidental en México, Adrià ha convertido a Camillion en un SaaS que ya factura 45K$ mensuales, con 11 clientes enterprise como Petco u Office Depot, y un NPS interno de 45 minutos de uso diario por empleado. Con cero churn, contratos de 24 meses y un crecimiento 100% orgánico, Camillion se postula como el nuevo estándar operativo para retail en LATAM. Su objetivo: convertirse en el “Notion del Blue Collar”.

Today's show: Jason, Lon, and Alex break down a loaded week in tech: Apple's 27% App Store “link-out” fee gets shut down by a judge—unlocking margin for startups and slashing CAC; AI bots on Reddit's r/ChangeMyView are now 6x more effective than humans at changing minds, signaling a seismic shift in online discourse; and Beehiiv CEO Tyler Denk joins to discuss building in public, rapid product iteration, and the irony of being critiqued like a market leader for innovating too fast. The big takeaway? AI is evolving fast, gatekeepers are falling, and founders who build through chaos are best positioned to win.Timestamps:(0:00) Episode Teaser(1:20) Introduction and venture capital power law(4:14) Economic data and labor market trends(8:19) Mimicking trades and Dub's Series A funding(10:05) Kyte - TWIST Listeners: Go to https://kyte.com/ and download the Kyte app today. Use code JASON to save 10% on your first rental.(14:48) Apple App Store ruling and startup implications(19:44) Atlassian - Head to https://www.atlassian.com/startups/twist to see if you qualify for 50 free seats for 12 months.(21:44) App store fees and antitrust concerns(27:34) Fivetran's acquisition and Lena Khan's impact on VC(29:58) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups(32:02) Venture capital scenarios and M&A future(37:23) Jason's Starbucks tweet and union perspectives(45:02) Reddit's AI experiment and online discourse(48:16) Interview with Tyler Denk from Beehiiv(49:52) Beehiiv overview and customer base(51:02) Beehiiv's revenue strategy and Boost feature(57:06) Balancing revenue streams and feature quality(1:04:30) MRR growth and founder transparency(1:08:05) Brand marketing impact and staying focused(1:11:44) Hiring challenges and platform comparisons(1:14:01) Twist 500 initiative updateSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpLinks from episode:Beehiiv: https://www.beehiiv.com/Follow Tyler:X: https://x.com/denk_tweetsFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partners:(10:05) Kyte - TWIST Listeners: Go to https://kyte.com/ and download the Kyte app today. Use code JASON to save 10% on your first rental.(19:44) Atlassian - Head to https://www.atlassian.com/startups/twist to see if you qualify for 50 free seats for 12 months.(29:58) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartupsGreat TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.comSubscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

In this episode, your host, Mother Malia, explores the MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) or network marketing business model, offering insights and considerations for those already involved or contemplating joining one. In This Episode, You Will Learn: Understanding the MLM Model: What network marketing entails and how it can fit into your existing business, particularly if you have a personal brand or a physical location like a yoga studio or naturopathic clinic. The Appeal of MLM: How a well-aligned product can complement your current offerings and provide a significant revenue stream, especially for those with engaged email lists and existing clients looking for solutions. The Reality Check: Mother Malia shares her personal experience with MLM, including the pros and cons she faced while building a successful side business. She discusses the potential for high five-figure monthly income and the critical factors to consider. Navigating Common Misconceptions: Addressing the stigma around MLMs, including perceptions of cult-like cultures and pyramid schemes, and the importance of evaluating the companies you partner with. The Commitment Required: The reality of building an MLM business, including the time investment often not disclosed by top leaders, and the impact on your existing business and personal brand. Maintaining Authentic Connections: The importance of genuine relationships in network marketing and the potential pitfalls of perceived predatory practices in the industry. Key Takeaways: Aligning with an MLM can lead to additional income, but weigh the benefits against potential impacts on your brand. Transparency about the time and effort required is essential for sustainable success. Authenticity is key; building connections based on trust rather than exploitation fosters lasting relationships. Tune in now to The Gold Standard Podcast and discover: Libsyn: https://jenniferlongmore.libsyn.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3KAqK4RuGonXt7PaLOf618 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-gold-standard-making-millions-with-mother-malia Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JenniferLongmoreSoulJourneys If you're ready to explore how to scale your business model beyond seven figures, I invite you to connect with my team to explore working with media@mothermalia.com so that you can embrace your unique path and embrace the wealth and prosperity already waiting for you to be claimed! P.S. If you see yourself as a sovereign, new earth leader ready to generate five figures in MRR by creating new income streams beyond your business, come join the conversation in my new Facebook group.   —------------------------------------------------   About Our Host - Jennifer Longmore / 8 Figure Mentor, Founder of the #1 Akashic Record Training School & Clear Channel for Mother Malia   Jennifer is an award winning CEO, 12 time best selling author and built the #1 Akashic Record Training School in the world before shifting into becoming Mother Malia. Over the past 20 years, her school has certified over 100,000 consultants in over 100 countries and has been translated into 5 languages.   She is also a clear channel for Mother Malia: The Great Mother who comes to earth during times of great transition, like the collective ascension we are experiencing now. She is here to restore the original codes of The Land of The People, to reawaken the gold codes as they were intended, and support as many light leaders as possible elevate into their sacred mission and allow in millions to fuel the spread of their sacred gifts.   When she is not channeling and providing high level strategic guidance to light leaders, you can find her enjoying trips with her family, hikes with her dog, or tending to her 100+ rare plant collection.   Learn more:    Website: https://mothermalia.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferlongmore/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulPurposeExpert Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/souljourneyexpert

SaaS Growth Metrics Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are several key SaaS metrics to know in evaluating a startup. Here's a summary of the key metrics: SaaS Quick Ratio  -- New MRR divided by the churned MRR. This measures how efficient your growth is.   Low efficiency will make scaling difficult. LTV: CAC -- Lifetime value to Cost of Customer Acquisition This measures how long customers continue to use the product and compares it to the cost of acquiring that customer. An early-stage company should see a 3:1 ratio. Over time, it should improve to 5:1 and later to 7:1 Churn Rate This measures how many customers drop off during a time period, such as a month. Segment the customers into groups to examine churn to see where the business is not succeeding. 40% Rule Growth and profitability should add up to 40% or more. There's a tradeoff between growth and profitability. The more invested in growth, the less profitability. This shows the viability of the business regardless of whether or not they focus on growth or profitability. Use these metrics to understand a potential startup investment.   Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at:   Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

Send us a textIf you're not making monthly recurring revenue (MRR) a priority, you're building a business that resets to zero every single month. In this episode, I dive into: why MRR is the key to scaling to six figures and beyond the five sneaky ways you might be holding yourself back from six figures how to create consistent cash flowhow to build client retention into your modelhow to stop living launch-to-launchwhy this is the answer to a happy nervous system and JOY in businessThis episode is for the entrepreneur who wants stability, scalability, and peace.With love,Robyn xoP.S. If you loved this episode, I'd appreciate if you could leave a review or share on your socials. It truly means the world to me and helps amplify this message for other mothers desiring a supportive business for motherhood. If you would like to learn more about The Mothered Business Mastermind, click here. Please say hi to me on Instagram @robyn.gooding or take a peek at my website for more info www.robyngooding.comClick here to book your call anytime!

In this episode, Mother Malia dives deep into the specific strategies needed to scale your agency beyond 7 figures. Having firsthand experience in purchasing and selling an agency, Mother Malia shares the unique challenges and triumphs of growing an agency, touching on both business structure and leadership insights. She emphasizes the importance of nurturing your team, ensuring they embody the high standards of your brand, and fostering a culture where quality and client satisfaction are paramount. Malia also explores the power of transitioning from project-based work to retainer models to establish recurring revenue, which can alleviate the stress of constantly seeking new clients and allow for more consistent growth. Listen to the full episode to gain actionable insights on scaling efficiently, building strong client relationships, and creating an agency that truly stands out in your industry. Key Takeaways: Your Team is the Foundation: Invest in your people. Make sure your team members are not only skilled but have the character and people skills to represent your brand and deliver high-quality services to clients. Malia stresses the importance of trust within the team, noting that any breakdowns in integrity or performance can severely impact your agency's reputation. Becoming the Gold Standard: To scale quickly, aim to be the gold standard in your industry. This includes going beyond meeting client expectations and constantly evaluating whether your service matches what a top-tier agency should deliver. Shift to Retainers for Recurring Revenue: Transition from selling projects to offering retainers. Retainers create a steady flow of monthly recurring revenue, reducing the pressure of continuously chasing new projects and ensuring financial stability for your agency. Tune in now to The Gold Standard Podcast and discover: Libsyn: https://jenniferlongmore.libsyn.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3KAqK4RuGonXt7PaLOf618 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-gold-standard-making-millions-with-mother-malia Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JenniferLongmoreSoulJourneys As you explore these strategies and envision the growth of your agency, remember that support is just a call away. If you're ready to dive deeper and discover how to implement these insights tailored to your unique situation, I invite you to connect with my team to explore working with me: media@mothermalia.com Let's craft a roadmap to scale your impact, your income, and your freedom. P.S. If you see yourself as a sovereign, new earth leader ready to generate five figures in MRR by creating new income streams beyond your business, come join the conversation in my new Facebook group.   —------------------------------------------------   About Our Host - Jennifer Longmore / 8 Figure Mentor, Founder of the #1 Akashic Record Training School & Clear Channel for Mother Malia   Jennifer is an award winning CEO, 12 time best selling author and built the #1 Akashic Record Training School in the world before shifting into becoming Mother Malia. Over the past 20 years, her school has certified over 100,000 consultants in over 100 countries and has been translated into 5 languages.   She is also a clear channel for Mother Malia: The Great Mother who comes to earth during times of great transition, like the collective ascension we are experiencing now. She is here to restore the original codes of The Land of The People, to reawaken the gold codes as they were intended, and support as many light leaders as possible elevate into their sacred mission and allow in millions to fuel the spread of their sacred gifts.   When she is not channeling and providing high level strategic guidance to light leaders, you can find her enjoying trips with her family, hikes with her dog, or tending to her 100+ rare plant collection.   Learn more:    Website: https://mothermalia.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferlongmore/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulPurposeExpert Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/souljourneyexpert

On this episode Joe Woodard speaks with Deb Defer, Director of CAS Consulting at Woodard, about how firms can turn client onboarding from a loss leader into a profitable, strategic phase of their CAS engagements. They explore pricing structures like evergreen retainers, volume-discounted cleanups, and onboarding fees to ensure firms aren't losing money or undervaluing their services. The episode is packed with actionable advice for firms of all sizes looking to boost MRR and avoid getting stuck in once-a-year cleanup chaos. Thank you to our show sponsor, Bill — your financial operations platform.Bill is the intelligent way to create and pay bills, send invoices, manage expenses, control budgets and access the credit your business needs to grow, all in one platform. Learn more about the show and our sponsors at Woodard.com/podcast

In this episode, Mother Malia dives deep into scaling your training school or educational model beyond 7 figures, paving the way to even greater success. Whether you're running a coaching school, a course-based business, or a training academy, this episode is packed with insights to elevate your business. In This Episode: Relationship Currency and Aligned Referral Partners Discover the power of building and nurturing relationships that go beyond mere transactions. Learn how to leverage relationship currency by connecting with well-networked individuals who may not be direct referral partners but can open doors to new opportunities. We'll explore how to maintain these connections and use them to create buzz and excitement around your offerings. Maintaining High Visibility Visibility is key to scaling your training school. We'll discuss strategies to stay top-of-mind with potential clients and maintain engagement with your current audience. From leveraging live events and creating your own platforms to seeking out opportunities for guest appearances, find out how to keep your business in the spotlight and attract new students. Trademarking Your Methodology and Creating Sellable Assets Learn the importance of protecting your intellectual property and the value of certifying others in your methodology. We'll cover how to build a scalable and sellable training model, including tips on creating recurring revenue streams and ensuring your training program is a valuable asset, even if you decide to sell it. Don't miss these empowering insights that will inspire you to elevate your personal brand and step into your role as a New Earth leader! Tune in now to The Gold Standard Podcast and discover: Libsyn: https://jenniferlongmore.libsyn.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3KAqK4RuGonXt7PaLOf618 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-gold-standard-making-millions-with-mother-malia Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JenniferLongmoreSoulJourneys As you reflect on the insights shared, consider how you can integrate them into your spiritual and professional journey. If you feel called to dive deeper and embrace the abundance awaiting you, I invite you to connect with my team to explore working with me: media@mothermalia.com Let's craft a roadmap to scale your impact, your income, and your freedom. P.S. If you see yourself as a sovereign, new earth leader ready to generate five figures in MRR by creating new income streams beyond your business, come join the conversation in my new Facebook group.   —------------------------------------------------   About Our Host - Jennifer Longmore / 8 Figure Mentor, Founder of the #1 Akashic Record Training School & Clear Channel for Mother Malia   Jennifer is an award winning CEO, 12 time best selling author and built the #1 Akashic Record Training School in the world before shifting into becoming Mother Malia. Over the past 20 years, her school has certified over 100,000 consultants in over 100 countries and has been translated into 5 languages.   She is also a clear channel for Mother Malia: The Great Mother who comes to earth during times of great transition, like the collective ascension we are experiencing now. She is here to restore the original codes of The Land of The People, to reawaken the gold codes as they were intended, and support as many light leaders as possible elevate into their sacred mission and allow in millions to fuel the spread of their sacred gifts.   When she is not channeling and providing high level strategic guidance to light leaders, you can find her enjoying trips with her family, hikes with her dog, or tending to her 100+ rare plant collection.   Learn more:    Website: https://mothermalia.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferlongmore/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulPurposeExpert Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/souljourneyexpert

How Monthly Recurring Revenue Can Help You Stop Trading Precious Time for a Teacher Salary That Doesn't Stretch Far Enough If you've ever found yourself stuck in the cycle of trading hours for dollars—whether that's in your classroom, tutoring on the side, or hustling for every individual sale online—this episode is for you. Because let's be honest—chasing one-off TpT sales isn't cutting it anymore. You need a business that supports your life, not one that depends on every flash sale, bundle, or new upload. We're pulling back the curtain on one of the most powerful shifts in the CEO Teacher® journey: building monthly recurring revenue that doesn't depend on your time or energy every single week. You'll learn what MRR actually means (no biz degree required), why it's a game-changer for teacher income, and how you can start small with what you've already created.  In this episode, you will learn: What monthly recurring revenue (MRR) really is—and how to calculate it The biggest myths about starting a teacher membership (and why they're wrong) How to stop depending on one-off sales and start building income that works while you rest 3 simple steps to get started using your existing resources Real membership ideas for teachers in primary, secondary, homeschool, and support roles (this one's a must-listen) Links Mentioned in this Episode about monthly recurring revenue with a teacher membership:  Want to go deeper with monthly recurring revenue and teacher memberships? Download the Not-So-Fabulous Life of a Teacher eBook. This is your honest invitation to rethink what teaching has to be—and what your future could really look like when you stop trading time for money. CEO Teacher® Patreon Community CEO Teacher® Resources Worth Their Weight in Gold You're already a wealth of knowledge! You're a teacher after all. You've got the skills, the passion, and the creativity to build a thriving online business. You may just not yet know what you want to create or how to get started.    If that's you- First things first:  Grab the “Start or Expand Your Teacher Business” workbook. It's your roadmap to success! This isn't just another worksheet to fill your Google Drive downloads folder– it's your personalized blueprint for getting started building a profitable online business.   Now if you are a seasoned CEO Teacher® who has all the systems in place, has started showing up, and is still feeling overwhelmed with all the tasks and to-dos of building your teaching legacy? No problem! Let's break it down together.    Your first step is to understand your CEO Teacher® Type, and all the goodness and inspiration that comes along with your already remarkable skill set! Take the 2 Minute quiz here so we can navigate the hard parts together!   And if leveling up your knowledge with books is your love language, I have a whole library shelf of goodness just for you! CEO Teacher® Book List Ready to connect with a community of inspiring educators? Join the conversation! Instagram: Tag me @theceoteacher and let's chat about your edupreneur journey. No topic is off limits, and it's always a party in the DM's- just sayin'   Podcast: Subscribe on iTunes and never miss an episode. This is your weekly go-to for all things teacher business, marketing, and mindset…   Leave a Review: Help other teachers discover the CEO Teacher® Podcast and lean into their teacher magic!   Join The Community: The CEO Teacher's Lounge is a community for ANY educator building an online business who doesn't want to do it alone. kaysemorris.com/patreon Want a list of real-life teacher memberships that actually work? Check out these 4 ideas for turning your experience into a sustainable membership: The Monthly Play + Learn Club (Primary teachers) The Teach Smarter Toolkit (Secondary educators) The Nurture Learning Collective (Homeschool families) The Educator Impact Lab (Admins, SLPs, Coaches, and Specialists) P.S. Check out our latest CEO Teacher® Podcast episodes and blog posts for more inspiration and actionable advice. 7 Secrets to a Successful Teacher Membership Why Blogging is Important for Your Teacher Business The Teacher's Guide to Choosing a Membership Platform When is the best time to create your teacher podcast?   P.P.S. Don't forget to grab your free bag of virtual teacher goodies and start making your mark online!   I believe in you! YOUR best is yet to come! Kayse

Connectivity is critical to every cloud workload, video call, and customer transaction, so Massive Networks is offering a new vision for MSPs to deliver next-generation network services. In a podcast recorded for Technology Reseller News, Ken Totura, Chief Channel Officer, and James Coberly, CTO, unveiled the company's “Carrier Evolved” initiative and its flagship solution, One Pipe Multi-Connect. “Carrier Evolved isn't just a tagline—it's a rethink of what a modern network provider should be,” said Totura. “It's about reliability, security, simplicity—and a true partnership with MSPs.” One Pipe Multi-Connect: More Than a Pipe—A Platform The centerpiece of the initiative is One Pipe Multi-Connect, a high-performance fiber transport system that lets MSPs deliver multiple isolated services over a single physical connection. These can include: Premium blended internet Private Layer 2 networking VoIP-dedicated bandwidth IoT segmentation Direct cloud on-ramps (to Azure, AWS, GCP and more) Services can be scaled, modified, or added within 24–48 hours, providing the flexibility required by seasonal businesses, multi-site operations, and evolving hybrid workforces. “Think of it as a Swiss Army knife for enterprise connectivity,” said Coberly. “We're delivering data center-grade internet and private cloud access directly to the customer premises.” Built for MSPs, Not to Compete with Them Unlike some providers that sell over or around their partners, Massive Networks is 100% channel-first. The company provides engineering consultation, 24/7 live support, and a referral and revenue model that helps MSPs grow monthly recurring revenue (MRR) and increase their valuation. “MSPs can offer a higher-grade, fully customized network solution without building a NOC,” said Totura. “We handle last-mile aggregation, private transport, and cloud connectivity—globally.” Consultative, Customized Connectivity The “Carrier Evolved” approach also changes the customer conversation. By helping MSPs deliver robust, consultative, and customized network services, Massive Networks empowers end-customers to: Increase productivity by segmenting traffic and prioritizing apps Enhance brand reputation with faster, more reliable services Reduce TCO with consolidated billing and multi-service flexibility “CIOs want a simplified, secure network stack with fewer vendors and better control,” said Coberly. “We let MSPs be the single point of truth and trust.” Massive Networks supports access to 65+ million lit buildings, 500+ cloud on-ramps, and true Layer 2 isolation—with hardware encryption options for regulated industries. The Bottom Line Carrier Evolved means reliability, security, and simplicity—and it's giving MSPs a new reason to lead the connectivity conversation. Learn more at www.massivenetworks.com

Welcome to this transformative episode where we explore the essential keys to effortlessly scaling your personal brand beyond seven figures! If you're ready to unlock the full potential of your brand and create a powerful impact, this episode is for you. Join us as we dive into the three pivotal keys that will help you transcend the limitations of conventional growth. Discover how to align your business with your highest vision and attract your ideal clients while staying true to your authentic self. This isn't just about numbers; it's about creating a movement that resonates with your core values. In this episode, we'll cover: The significance of embracing your unique gifts and sharing them with the world. How to establish a solid foundation that supports your growth, allowing you to scale with ease. Strategies for expanding your reach and influence while maintaining the integrity of your brand. Tune In To This Episode To Learn How To: Effortlessly scale your personal brand beyond seven figures. Align your business with your highest vision while attracting your ideal clients. Build an infrastructure that supports sustainable growth and impact. Don't miss these empowering insights that will inspire you to elevate your personal brand and step into your role as a New Earth leader! Tune in now to The Gold Standard Podcast and discover: Libsyn: https://jenniferlongmore.libsyn.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3KAqK4RuGonXt7PaLOf618 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-gold-standard-making-millions-with-mother-malia Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JenniferLongmoreSoulJourneys As you reflect on the insights shared, consider how you can integrate them into your spiritual and professional journey. If you feel called to dive deeper and embrace the abundance awaiting you, I invite you to connect with my team to explore working with me: media@mothermalia.com Let's craft a roadmap to scale your impact, your income, and your freedom. P.S. If you see yourself as a sovereign, new earth leader ready to generate five figures in MRR by creating new income streams beyond your business, come join the conversation in my new Facebook group.   —------------------------------------------------   About Our Host - Jennifer Longmore / 8 Figure Mentor, Founder of the #1 Akashic Record Training School & Clear Channel for Mother Malia   Jennifer is an award winning CEO, 12 time best selling author and built the #1 Akashic Record Training School in the world before shifting into becoming Mother Malia. Over the past 20 years, her school has certified over 100,000 consultants in over 100 countries and has been translated into 5 languages.   She is also a clear channel for Mother Malia: The Great Mother who comes to earth during times of great transition, like the collective ascension we are experiencing now. She is here to restore the original codes of The Land of The People, to reawaken the gold codes as they were intended, and support as many light leaders as possible elevate into their sacred mission and allow in millions to fuel the spread of their sacred gifts.   When she is not channeling and providing high level strategic guidance to light leaders, you can find her enjoying trips with her family, hikes with her dog, or tending to her 100+ rare plant collection.   Learn more:    Website: https://mothermalia.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferlongmore/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulPurposeExpert Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/souljourneyexpert

Most entrepreneurs think they're building a business… but often, they're just creating a fancy liability. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain. I'm giving you the 5 essential shifts to truly becoming the gold standard in your industry. I'm using my own journey as the example, so pay attention. Stop leaving money on the table and stop playing small.

As digital agency owners, we focus on growth. We scale teams, increase MRR, and serve clients at the highest level. However, what happens after the business succeeds? What's the end game? According to Dustin Heiner, founder of Master Passive Income, the goal isn't just profit. It's freedom. It's legacy. It's wealth. On the [...] The post From Profit to Passive Income with Dustin Heiner appeared first on Seven Figure Agency.

They say business is like a roller coaster…ups and downs and highs and lows…and “they” couldn't be more right.My guest in this chat, friend of the podcast, king of the Subscription Web Design model and founding member of Web Designer Pro Steve Schramm can also confirm.Recently, he shared a thoughtful, transparent and inspirational post in Pro about how he rebounded from a tough situation when he had over 6k+ in MRR drop within one week.At the same time, he also landed one of his biggest contracts to date…the emotional highs and lows of entrepreneurship truly are comical sometimes.But most importantly, we get into exactly WHAT he did when he had the week of 6k down and HOW he began to rebound quickly.Enjoy.Enjoy this chat and enjoy the ride of being a web design entrepreneur baby!Head to the show notes to get all links and resources we mentioned along with a full transcription of this episode at joshhall.co/372When you join Web Designer Pro™ (on any tier) you'll get instant access to the new private audio course feeds for:Web Design Business CourseMaintenance Plan CourseScale Your Way CourseJoin Web Designer Pro™ and enjoy instant access to these courses in audio format along with the full courses inside Pro!

Are you just making money, or are you mastering it? In this episode, Mother Malia unveils the three essential pillars of New Earth money stewardship—Create, Compound, and Cherish—so you can expand your income effortlessly and become fully resourced for your mission. Inside This Episode: ✨ How to shift from just creating money to expanding it exponentially ✨ Why compounding is the effortless way to financial sovereignty ✨ The biggest money traps keeping light leaders stuck and how to break free ✨ The importance of cherishing wealth to keep it circulating in your world ✨ Real-life examples of turning small amounts into massive financial growth  

In this episode of Referrals Done Right, host Scott Grates sits down with Pamela Dale, an expert in sales, marketing, and business automation. Pamela shares her unconventional journey, from struggling to get clients to building a thriving digital marketing business with Go High Level. She also dives into resilience, the power of failure, and how to create financial freedom through monthly recurring revenue (MRR).What You'll Learn in This Episode:The Truth About Failure: Why failure is necessary for success and how to shift your mindset to embrace it instead of fear it.Creating Recurring Revenue: How Pamela built a business that provides financial security and flexibility, and how you can do the same.Rejection as a Muscle: Why handling rejection is a skill that gets stronger the more you practice, and how to use it to your advantage.The Importance of Personal Branding: Why your online presence and social proof determine your credibility in today's world.Avoiding Burnout: Pamela's surprising take on why most people who think they're burned out are actually just overwhelmed and unstructured.This episode is a masterclass in resilience, sales, and business growth. Tune in to learn how to crack the client code and build a business that thrives in any economy!

In episode #271, I address a student question from TheSaaSAcademy.com. And that's billing pauses. How should we handle this with our revenue retention calculations? - Let's define a billing pause - Impact on your MRR schedule - Impact on GRR and NRR - Unpredictable revenue Be in the know! Join our SaaS community. https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout

Most entrepreneurs think they're building a business… but in reality, they're running a liability. In this powerful episode, Mother Malia breaks down why traditional business models keep entrepreneurs stuck in over-effort, why selling your time is one of the riskiest financial moves, and how to fortify your income streams so you can create, expand, and serve from a place of overflow.

What happens when you finda product with massive potential, but the marketing and growth aren't there yet? If you're Sanjana, you acquire it, grow it, and turn it into a success. In this episode, Sanjana shares his journey of acquiring CopyCopter, an AI-powered video generation tool. When he took over, the business was at $800 in monthly recurring revenue (MRR). He quickly scaled it to $32,000 in MRR—30x growth. Sanjana discusses the strategies he used to grow it, including Meta ads, influencer campaigns, and platform improvements. He also walks us through his acquisition process, including negotiations, due diligence, and why he had to sell the business due to liquidity issues. Tune in for valuable insights on acquiring and scaling startups, and learn how Sanjana turned Copycopter into a profitable business in record time. Sanjana's Insights Include:► How he recognized the opportunity in Copycopter and why he jumped on it.► The marketing strategies that helped him scale the product from $800 MRR to $32,000 MRR.► The importance of optimizing ads and having proper tracking in place for better ROI.► Key tips for anyone considering acquiring a startup or growing an existing one.Sanjana shares valuable insights for anyone looking to buy, grow, or sell their own business. Follow Sanjana's journey and stay updated on his next venture!▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬Be sure tosubscribe to see the newest acquisition stories every Tuesday and gain the knowledge to buy or sell your own online business → https://youtube.com/@acquiredotcom?sub_confirmation=1Want more stories? Access the past 50+ acquisition stories here → https://blog.acquire.com/tag/startup-acquisition-stories-podcast/ Thinking aboutselling your own startup? The number one question is always 'how much can I sell for' and we've got the answers in our biannual valuation multiples reportshere → https://blog.acquire.com/tag/acquire-coms-acquisition-multiples-report/ Thinking about buying a startup? Sign up for a free buyer account and browse all the live listings. Upgrade only when you find the right one that fits your acquisition criteria to engage. Get Started → https://acquire.com/buyers/▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬Follow the Guest: Sanjana Bandara ► https://x.com/sanjanabandarahttps://x.com/sanjanabandarahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjananuwan/?originalSubdomain=ae► https://www.instagram.com/sajja.eth/► https://copycopter.ai/ (SOLD) Follow the Host: Andrew Gazdecki ► https://twitter.com/agazdecki​► https://www.linkedin.com/in/agazdecki/​► https://acquire.com FollowAcquire.com ► https://twitter.com/acquiredotcom► https://www.linkedin.com/company/acquiredotcom► https://www.tiktok.com/@acquiredotcom▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬About Acquire.com:Acquire.com is the largest and most active acquisition marketplace for buying and selling online businesses. Acquire.com is the highest rated platform for both ease and quickness to match buyers and sellers.  We cater to all types of online, revenue-generating businesses while producing the highest success rates for SaaS and eCommerce/DTC businesses in the M&A industry.Join over 350,000 entrepreneurs making life-changing connections and deals every day.

#210 Unicorn Ideas | Samuel & Alex reden über die Tech-Szene und pitchen sich Geschäftsideen. Killt AI das SaaS Startup, wie wir es kennen? Wie schafft dieser Gründer 70.000 EUR Umsatz nach 2 Wochen? Und wir schicken 2 neue Geschäftsideen ins Rennen.Werbepartner dieser Folge: Qonto. Mit Gutschein-Code OPTIMISTEN 3 Monate gratis. Qonto ist das moderne Geschäftskonto. Klick hier: qonto.deMehr Geschäftsideen? Mach das 1-minütige Quiz und finde eine Geschäftsidee, die zu dir passt: digitaleoptimisten.de/quizKapitel:(00:00) Intro(02:30) Geschäftsideen für Familien mit Kindern(08:41) Bitcoin unter 80.000 Euro(09:50) AI = Tod von SaaS Startups?(24:45) Fundstück der Woche: 70.000 MRR in 2 Wochen(43:26) Geschäftsidee von Samuel: ContentRadar(53:43) Geschäftsidee von Alex: PetLifeMehr Infos:Geschäftsideen, Elternschaft, Nischenmärkte, Software as a Service, AI, Meta-Software, Airtable, SaaS, AI, Software-Tools, Peter Levels, One-Man-Startups, Spielentwicklung, Geschäftsmodelle, digitale Optimierung, Versicherungen, Geschäftsideen, Marketing, Handwerker, Content, Nahrungsergänzungsmittel, Hunde, TrendsKeywords:Geschäftsideen, Elternschaft, Nischenmärkte, Software as a Service, AI, Meta-Software, Airtable, SaaS, AI, Software-Tools, Peter Levels, One-Man-Startups, Spielentwicklung, Geschäftsmodelle, digitale Optimierung, Versicherungen, Geschäftsideen, Marketing, Handwerker, Content, Nahrungsergänzungsmittel, Hunde, Trends

This week, we'll explore the art of crafting exceptional product experiences with Nico Giraldo, the founder of 21Moves—a bootstrapped app that has surpassed 10 million downloads and generates $25K in monthly recurring revenue (MRR).Nico's journey is inspiring—from medical school interviews to becoming Head of Engineering at a Series B company in just three years and bootstrapping a puzzle app to over 10 million installs. He specializes in crafting intuitive, high-impact user experiences that drive growth.In this episode, Nico will share his unconventional approach to creating standout products, offering indie developers actionable insights on designing, refining, and scaling apps. Whether you're looking to enhance user engagement or streamline your product strategy, this is a conversation you won't want to miss!You will discover:-The challenges and triumphs of building a successful indie app-How to craft a great product experience that drives growth-Strategies to shorten the time to reach “AHA Moment” for usersLearn More:https://apps.apple.com/us/app/21moves-cube-puzzle-solver/id1533263247Book a consultation call: https://calendly.com/appmasters-alok/30min Work with us to grow your apps faster & cheaper: http://www.appmasters.com/Get training, coaching, and community: ⁠https://appmastersacademy.com/*********************************************SPONSORSLooking for the best alternative to Firebase Dynamic Links?The Airbridge DeepLink Plan is a smart, straightforward alternative to Firebase Dynamic Links.With ready-to-use expertise and no-code migration in just three steps, switching to Airbridge DeepLinks is simple and easy.Keep your customer journeys intact with essential deep linking and analytics. Make the switch before the deadline.Go to appmasters.com/airbridge.*********************************************Follow us:YouTube: ⁠AppMasters.com/YouTube⁠Instagram: ⁠@App MastersTwitter: ⁠@App MastersTikTok: ⁠@stevepyoung⁠Facebook: ⁠App Masters⁠*********************************************

This week, we'll explore the art of crafting exceptional product experiences with Nico Giraldo, the founder of 21Moves—a bootstrapped app that has surpassed 10 million downloads and generates $25K in monthly recurring revenue (MRR).Nico's journey is inspiring—from medical school interviews to becoming Head of Engineering at a Series B company in just three years and bootstrapping a puzzle app to over 10 million installs. He specializes in crafting intuitive, high-impact user experiences that drive growth.In this episode, Nico will share his unconventional approach to creating standout products, offering indie developers actionable insights on designing, refining, and scaling apps. Whether you're looking to enhance user engagement or streamline your product strategy, this is a conversation you won't want to miss!You will discover:-The challenges and triumphs of building a successful indie app-How to craft a great product experience that drives growth-Strategies to shorten the time to reach “AHA Moment” for usersLearn More:https://apps.apple.com/us/app/21moves-cube-puzzle-solver/id1533263247Book a consultation call: https://calendly.com/appmasters-alok/30min Work with us to grow your apps faster & cheaper: http://www.appmasters.com/Get training, coaching, and community: ⁠https://appmastersacademy.com/*********************************************SPONSORSLooking for the best alternative to Firebase Dynamic Links?The Airbridge DeepLink Plan is a smart, straightforward alternative to Firebase Dynamic Links.With ready-to-use expertise and no-code migration in just three steps, switching to Airbridge DeepLinks is simple and easy.Keep your customer journeys intact with essential deep linking and analytics. Make the switch before the deadline.Go to appmasters.com/airbridge.*********************************************Follow us:YouTube: ⁠AppMasters.com/YouTube⁠Instagram: ⁠@App MastersTwitter: ⁠@App MastersTikTok: ⁠@stevepyoung⁠Facebook: ⁠App Masters⁠*********************************************

SEO is dead! And it has been 15 times in the last 15 years. Don't listen to the bullshit. The effort you're putting into your website, SEO, and content is not going wasted. In this episode, we talk about how search is changing, the $7,000 MRR lead that came in from ChatGPT to an MSP client of ours, and specifically how to rank in the new world of SEO.Don't worry SEO is not dead or dying and in this episode we show proof :)Tired of boring MSP Content? What are you waiting for? Check out msp-camp.com and start a trial today!

Today I'm joined by Laura Sprinkle for a live coaching session on scaling her new affiliate-tracking SaaS, Rootabl, from $5,000 MRR to $25,000 MRR while maintaining the flexibility and freedom she values. Laura has deep expertise in affiliate launches and is now shifting into the software world - facing new challenges like churn, onboarding friction, and deciding which features to build first.We map out her next steps - from clarifying her ideal target customer and harnessing personal branding for trust, to using direct outreach as a repeatable engine for sustainable growth. You'll learn why concierge migrations can be a secret weapon, how to choose the right community integrations, and why narrowing your audience often leads to better results.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction01:14 Why Creator-Led SaaS Is Harder (Yet More Rewarding)02:39 How Laura Reached $5K MRR07:36 Tackling Churn and Onboarding Friction11:29 Using Personal Branding to Increase Conversions14:55 The Direct Sales Flywheel Explained19:48 Turning “Concierge Migrations” into a Competitive Advantage30:57 Choosing Your Integrations Wisely31:24 New Features vs. Doubling Down on Existing Ones37:17 Reducing Churn40:16 Narrowing Your Customer Profile for Faster Growth45:45 Using Outreach to Drive Predictable Revenue47:11 Introducing Tiered Pricing for Expansion50:26 Tracking Progress & Staying Focused51:52 The Power of Iteration in SaaS Growth01:02:54 Closing ThoughtsIf you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave us a review. We read every single one.Learn more about The Nathan Barry Show: https://nathanbarry.com/show Follow Nathan:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarry/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarry/ X: https://x.com/nathanbarry YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshow Website: https://nathanbarry.com Follow Laura:Website - https://laurasprinkle.com/ Rootabl (10% discount) - https://rootabl.com/special-offer/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/imlaurasprinkle/ Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/imlaurasprinkle/ Featured in this episode:- Rootabl: https://rootabl.com - Kit: https://kit.com - Mighty Networks: https://www.mightynetworks.com

Welcome to a new series on The Gold Standard Podcast with Mother Malia! In this episode, we're diving into the essential steps to create your New Earth income stream portfolio. Mother Malia shares her insights from 15 years of experience building multiple income streams and investing in mentorship. Key Topics: Shifting Your Relationship with Money: Learn how to break free from old programming and create a new, abundant relationship with money. The New Earth Mission: Understand the role of New Earth leaders in guiding humanity and the planet into a new era. Mastering Duality: Discover how to live fully in the present world while holding awareness of the bigger picture. The Importance of Presence: Explore the significance of being truly present in your mission and leadership. Setting Standards, Not Just Boundaries: Learn how to gatekeep your spaces and create financial abundance. Creating as Creator Beings: Reclaim your creator energy to manifest money, joy, and possibility. Serving the Light: Understand how even the dark serves the light and contributes to your growth. Embodying True Leadership: Step into your authentic leadership without needing external validation. Building Financial Resources: Learn why financial abundance is crucial for New Earth leaders. This episode lays the foundation for creating a sustainable and abundant New Earth economy. Mother Malia emphasizes the importance of mastering duality, presence, and setting high standards to achieve financial freedom and fulfill your mission. Tune in now to The Gold Standard Podcast and discover: Libsyn: https://jenniferlongmore.libsyn.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3KAqK4RuGonXt7PaLOf618 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-gold-standard-making-millions-with-mother-malia Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JenniferLongmoreSoulJourneys If this conversation is activating you to deepen your relationship with money and unlock the next level of your prosperity codes, I invite you to join me inside The Love Language of Money. Together, we'll release outdated money paradigms, dissolve distortions, and remember the original frequency of limitless creation. Inside this live experience, you'll receive 11 potent Prosperity Code Activations designed to help you: ✨ Shift from survival to possibility ✨ Expand your income streams with ease ✨ Raise your rates and increase your sales ✨ Create from neutrality while anchoring your highest prosperity timeline We begin March 17th in a private Telegram space, and Early Bird pricing is available now for $111 USD until March 10th (regular $444 USD).

Sam Shore is the co-founder of Typeshare, a writing platform made to create and publish text across the internet. Typeshare has made over $1m in revenue since it was started in 2021, with over 80,000 user, currently $34k MRR I'm speaking to Sam to find out how he started Typeshare as the first of 12 startups he was planning to build, and what made this stick.00:00 Intro01:10 Sam's entrepreneurial background02:03 Failed past projects03:31 12 startups in 12 months04:16 The idea for Typeshare05:38 Getting traction with Typeshare06:50 Getting to $15k MRR in 1 year with infuential partnerships09:52 How is Sam making sure he has fun with the business12:18 How to get better at writing online14:09 RecommendationsRecommendationsBook - Poor Charlie's AlmanackPodcast - ReworkIndie Hacker - Dmytro KrasunMy linksTwitterIndie Bites TwitterIndie Bites YouTubeJoin the membershipPersonal Website2 Hour Podcast CoursePodPanda (hire me to edit your podcast)This Indie Life PodcastSponsor - EmailOctopus

In this episode, Kate Syuma dives into a conversation with Marie Martens, co-founder of Tally, to explore the journey of building a profitable business around a product that is 99% free.Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.—This episode is brought to you by Amplitude — сheck new Guides and Surveys to deliver helpful, well-timed messages: https://amplitude.com/guides-and-surveys—One more special update for you

How Ryan James & Rocket SAAS Added 120k MRR in 24 months

In episode #267, I address the coveted MRR schedule. Done wrong, it causes a ton of headaches and can derail due diligence. - What is the MRR schedule? - Where do you source the data? - What systems house this data? Have you joined our SaaS community? https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout

As a web designer, you may eventually get to a point (or maybe you're there now) where you want to connect, support and continue to empower your clients in one place. One way to do that is by offering a customer membership or community. It's a great way to build MRR, stay top of mind, create powerful customer relationships, partnerships, etc.I get it, as a web designer, you didn't sign up to be a community builder BUT you might be sitting on a golden opportunity here so to dive into this subject, I'm excited to share a conversation I had with Carol Dunlop – a Web Designer Pro member and entrepreneur of over 30 years, recently on her podcast!While she interviews me in this one about online community building and about how to reignite HER customer marketing membership, everything we discuss can be implemented by you if you're considering having a customer membership of your own.We dive into:How a little change in her maintenance plan massively increased her MRR almost instantlyHow to build an online customer communityWhen to sell said community in the lifetime of a customerHow to balance community building and service workHow to price a customer communityAnd much more.Big thanks for letting me repurpose this chat with you and to Carol for having me on her show!Head to the show notes to get all links and resources we mentioned along with a full transcription of this episode at joshhall.co/367

What if poor financial management was the biggest risk to your SaaS business—not your competitors or even AI? In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains sits down with Dan DeGolier, founder of Ascent CFO Solutions, to dive deep into the financial strategies that separate thriving SaaS companies from those constantly struggling with cash flow, compliance, and scalability.If you're a SaaS founder, CFO, or executive looking to improve financial efficiency, cash flow visibility, and revenue recognition, this episode is packed with actionable insights you don't want to miss!Key Takeaways00:00 – Introduction: The biggest financial risks SaaS founders face02:45 – Why cash flow management can make or break your business06:20 – Revenue recognition: What SaaS founders need to know10:30 – When to hire a fractional CFO vs. a full-time CFO15:00 – Building financial systems right the first time20:20 – The biggest financial mistakes SaaS companies make25:40 – Metrics that matter: MRR, ARR, CAC, and more30:15 – Capital-efficient growth: Why it's replacing “growth at all costs”35:50 – Preparing for fundraising, M&A, or an exit40:00 – Financial forecasting & risk management45:20 – Next steps: How to optimize your SaaS financial strategy todayTweetable Quotes

In this episode, I break down the Ascension Model, a powerful strategy for turning low-ticket customers into high-ticket buyers while keeping your business lean and profitable. I share why engagement should be intentional, how to structure your offers to encourage natural progression, and the importance of focusing on revenue—not just community interaction. You'll learn how to stop wasting time on surface-level engagement and start using your audience as a sales vehicle that fuels long-term growth.In this episode, we discuss:[00:07] The power of the Ascension Model: Why low-ticket sales are just the beginning[00:49] How we shifted our Facebook group from an engagement tool to a sales machine[02:42] Why engagement for the sake of engagement doesn't grow your business[04:41] The importance of guiding engagement toward sales instead of random conversations[06:07] How to position yourself as the center of attention in your community[08:32] Creating a structured funnel that moves customers from entry-level offers to high-ticket programs[09:56] The difference between an offer and a product—and why it matters for funnel design[12:47] The structure of our main funnel and why we keep it simple[14:14] Breaking down our monthly recurring revenue (MRR) and how our funnel generates cash flow[16:53] How backend upgrades fuel higher-ticket sales and long-term retention[19:49] Using cross-sells and upsells to maximize lifetime customer value[22:42] Why starting with high-ticket offers gives you more leverage and financial flexibility[24:39] The biggest mistake new entrepreneurs make: Trying to scale low-ticket without capital[25:04] Closing thoughts: The fastest way to implement these strategies and start growing revenue----Thanks for listening! Here's what you need to do next

Justin Duke is the founder of Buttondown, a simple email tool he launched in 2017. Justin was last on the podcast 2 years ago when he'd hit $15k MRR and just left his role at Stripe to focus on Buttondown. I was struck by Justin's well thought through approach to building. He makes calculated risks and shares a lot of his learnings on his blog, Applied Cartography (which is an essential read for any indie hackers).This episode I catch up with Justin to hear how he's grown the team to 8 people and his approach to building a company he loves. This is a cut down version of an hour long catch up I had with Justin available on the Indie Bites membership which is available at indiebites.com/membership, where we discuss his personal blog, how he structures his time as a new parent and we go deeper into hiring high agency unicorns.Timestamps00:00 - Intro01:58 - Buttondown growth03:40 - How to build a company you don't hate07:16 - Marketing and positioning Buttondown11:17 - Buttondown's unique home page approach13:45 - Building a business you enjoy15:32 - RecommendationsMy linksTwitterIndie Bites TwitterIndie Bites YouTubeJoin the membershipPersonal Website2 Hour Podcast CoursePodPanda (hire me to edit your podcast)This Indie Life PodcastSponsor - EmailOctopus

Tom MacWright is a prolific contributor in the geospatial open source community. He made geojson.io, Mapbox Studio, and was the lead developer on the OpenStreetMap editor. He's currently on the team at Val Town. In 2021 he bootstrapped a solo business and created the Placemark mapping application. He acquired customers and found steady growth but after spending two years on the project he decided it was financially unsustainable. He open sourced the code and shut down the business. In this interview Tom speaks candidly about why geospatial is difficult, chasing technical rabbit holes, the mental impact of bootstrapping, and his struggles to grow a customer base. If you're interested in geospatial or the good and bad of running a solo business I think you'll enjoy this conversation with Tom. Related Links Tom's blog Placemark Play Placemark GitHub Placemark archive geojson.io Valtown Datawrapper (Visualization tool) Geospatial Companies mentioned Mapbox ArcGIS QGIS Carto -- Transcript You can help correct transcripts on GitHub. [00:00:00] Introduction Jeremy: Today I'm talking to Tom MacWright. He worked at Mapbox as a, a very early employee. He's had a lot of experience in the geospatial community, the open source community. One of his most recent projects was a mapping project called Placemark he started and ran on his own. So I wanted to talk to Tom about his experience going solo and, eventually having to, shut that down. Tom, thanks for agreeing to chat today. Tom: Yeah, thanks for having me. [00:00:32] Tools and Open Source at Mapbox Jeremy: So maybe to give everyone some context on, what your background was before you started Placemark. Um, let's talk a little bit about your experience at, at Mapbox. What did you work on there and, and what would you say are like the big things you learned from that experience? Tom: Yeah, so if you include the time that I was at Development Seed, which essentially turned into Mapbox, I kind of signed the paper to get fired from Development Seed and hired at Mapbox within the same 20 seconds. Uh, I was there for eight and a half years. so it was a lifetime in tech years. and the company really evolved from, uh, working for Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International and the World Bank and doing these small, little like micro websites to the point at which I left it. It had. Raised a lot of money, had a lot of employees. I think it was 350 or so when I left. and yeah, just expanded into a lot of different, uh, try trying to own more and more of the mapping stack. but yeah, I was kind of really focused on the creative and tooling side of it. that's kind of where I see a lot of the, the fun and programming is making these tools where, uh, they can give people the same kind of fun like interaction loop that programming has where you, you know, you do a little bit of math and you see the result and you're able to just play with, uh, what you're working on, letting people have that in other domains. so it was really cool to figure out how to get A map design tool where somebody changes the background color and it just automatically changes that in your browser. and it covered like data editing. It covered, um, map styling and we did, uh, three different versions of that tool over the years. and then Mapbox is also a company that was, it came from, kind of people who are working on the Howard Dean campaign. And so it was pretty ideological and part of the ideology was being pretty hardcore about open source. we hired a lot of people who were working on open source projects before and basically just paid them to work on the open source projects, uh, for their whole time there. And during my time there, I just tried to make as much of my work, uh, open as possible, which was, you know, at the time it was, it was pretty great. I think in the long term it's been, o open source has changed a lot. but during the time that we were there, we both kind of, helped things like leaflet and mapnik and openstreetmap, uh, but also made like some larger contributions to the open source world. yeah, that, that's kind of like the, the internal company facing side. And also like what I try to create as like a more of a, uh, enduring work. I think the open source stuff will hopefully have more of a, a long term, uh, benefit. [00:03:40] How open source has changed (value capture by large companies) Jeremy: When I was working on a project that needed offline maps, um, we couldn't use Google Maps or any of the, the other publicly available, cloud APIs. So yeah, we actually used a, a tool, called Tile Mill that I, I hadn't known that you'd worked on, but recently found out you did. So that actually let us pull in OpenStreetMap data and then use this style, uh, language called carto to, to basically let us choose what the colors would be and how the different, uh, the roads and the buildings would look. What's kind of interesting to me is that it being open source really let us, um, build something we otherwise wouldn't have been able to do. But like, at the same time, we also didn't pay Mapbox any money. (laughs) So I'm, I'm kind of curious, like, if it's changed, like what the thinking was in terms of, you know, we pay for people to build all these things. We make it open source. but then people may just not ever pay us, you know, for all these things we did. Tom: Yeah. Yeah. I think that the main thing that's changed since the era of tilemill is, the dominance of cloud platforms. Like back then, I think, uh, Mapbox was still using, we were using like a little bit of AWS but people were still just on like VPSs and, uh, configuring things in cPanel and sometimes even running their own servers. And the, the danger of people using the product for free was such a small thing for us. especially when tile Mill was also funded by the Knight Foundation, so, you know, that at least paid half of my salary for, or, well, sorry, probably, yeah, maybe half of my salary for the first year that I was there and half of three other people's salaries. but that, yeah, so like when we built Tile Mill, a few companies have really like built on those same tools. Uh, there's a company called Carto coincidentally, they had the same name as Carto CSS, and they built on a lot of the same stack they built on mapnik. Um, and it was, was... I mean, I'm not gonna say that it was all like, you know, sunshine and roses, but it was never a thing that we talked about in terms of like this being a brutal competition between us and these other startups. Mapbox eventually closed source some stuff. they made it a source available license. and eventually Mapbox Studio was a closed source product. Um, and that was actually a decision that I advocated for. And that's mostly just because at one point, Esri, Microsoft, Amazon, all had whitelisted versions of Mapbox code, which, uh, hurts a little bit on a personal level and also makes it pretty hard to think about. working almost like it. You don't want to go to your scrappy open source company and do unpaid labor for Amazon. Uh, you know, Bezos can afford to pay for the labor himself. that's just kind of my personal, uh, that I'm obviously, I haven't worked there in a long time, so I'm not speaking for the company, but that's kind of how it felt like. and it yeah, kind of changed the arithmetic of open source in this way that. It made it less fun and, more risky, um, for people I think. [00:07:11] Don't worry about the small free users Jeremy: Yeah. So it sounds like the thinking was if someone on a small team or an individual, they took the open source software and they used it for their own projects, that was fine. Like you expected that and didn't worry about it. It's more that when these really large organizations like a, a Microsoft comes in and, just like you said, white labels the software, and doesn't really contribute significantly back. That's, that's when it, the, the thinking sort of shifted. Tom: Yeah, like a lot of the people who can't pay full price in USD to use your product are great users and they're doing cool stuff. Like when I was working on Placemark and when I was like selling. The theme for my blog, I would get emails from like some kid in India and it's like, you know, you're selling this for a hundred dollars, which is a ton of money. And like, you know, why, why should I care? Why shouldn't I like, just send them the zip file for free? it's like nothing to me and a lot to them. and mapping tools are really, really expensive. So the fact that Mapbox was able to create a free alternative when, you know, ArcGIS was $500 a month sometimes, um, depending on your license, obviously. That's, that's good. You're always gonna find a way for, like, your salespeople are gonna find a way to charge the big companies a lot of money. They're great at that. Um, and that's what matters really for your, for the revenue. [00:08:44] ESRI to Google Maps with little in-between Jeremy: That's a a good point too about like the, my impression of the, the mapping space, and maybe this has changed more recently, but you had the, probably the biggest player Esri, who's selling things at enterprise prices and then there were, or there are like a few open source options. but they feel like the, the barrier to entry feels a little high. And so, and then I guess you have stuff like Google Maps, right? That's, um, that's very accessible, but it's pretty limited, so. There's this big gap, it feels like right between the, the Esri and the, the Google Maps and open source. It's, it's sort of like, there's almost like there's no sweet spot. guess May, maybe it's just because people's uses are so different, but I'm, I'm not sure, um, what makes maps so unique in that way Tom: Yeah, I have come to understand what Esri and QGIS do as like an extension of what CAD is like. And if you've used CAD software recently, it's just as crazy and as expensive and as powerful. and it's really hard to capture like the people who are motivated enough to make a map but don't want to go down the whole rabbit hole. I think that was one of the hardest things about Placemark was trying to be in the middle of those things and half of the people were mystified by the complexity and half the people wanted more complexity. Uh, and I just couldn't figure out how to get it to the right in between spot. [00:10:25] Placemark and its origins in geojson.io Jeremy: Yeah. So let's, let's talk a little bit about Placemark then, in terms of from its start. What was your, your goal with Placemark and, and what was the product itself? Tom: So the seed of the idea for Placemark, uh, is this website called geojson.io, uh, which is still around. And, Chris Fong (correction -- Whong) at, at Mapbox is still, uh, developing it. And that had become pretty useful for a lot of people who I knew in the industry who were in this position of managing geospatial data but not wanting to boot up ArcGIS uh, geojson.io is based on, I just tweeted, I was like, why? Why is there not a thing where you can edit data on a map and have a GeoJSON representation and just go Back and forth between the two really easily. and it started with that, and then it kind of grew to be a little bit more powerful. And then it was just a tool that was useful for everyone. And my theory was just that I wanted that to be more useful. And I knew just like anything else that you build and you work on for a long time, you know exactly how it could be so much better. And, uh, all the things that you would do better if you did it again. And I was, uh, you know, hoping that there was something where like if you make that more powerful and you make it something that's like so essential that somebody's using every day, then maybe there's some some value in that. And so Placemark kind of started as being like, oh, this is the thing where if you're tasking a satellite and you need a bounding box on a specific city, this is the easiest way to do that. Um, and it grew a little bit into being like a tool for collaborating because people were collaborating on it. And I thought that that would be, you know, an interesting thing to support. but yeah, I think it, it like tried to be in that middle of like, not exactly Google my Maps and certainly a lot, uh, simpler than, uh, QGIS or ArcGIS Jeremy: something I noticed, so I've actually used geojson.io as well when I was first learning how to put stuff on a map and learning that GeoJSON was a format that a lot of things were using, it was actually really helpful to, to be able to draw, uh, polygons and see, okay, this is how the JSO looks and all that stuff. And it was. Like just very simple. I think there's something like very powerful about, websites or applications like that where it, it does this one thing and when you go there, you're like, oh, okay, I, I, I know what I'm doing and it's, it's, uh, you know, it's gonna help me do the, this very specific thing I'm trying to do. [00:13:16] Placemark use cases (Farming, Transportation, Interior mapping, Satellite viewsheds) Jeremy: I think with Placemark, so, one question I would have is, you gave an example of, uh, someone, I think you said for a satellite, they're, are they drawing the, the area? What, what was the area specifically for? Tom: the area of interest, the area where they want the, uh, to point the camera. Jeremy: so yeah, with, with Placemark, I mean, were there, what were some of the specific customers or use cases you had in mind? 'cause that's, that's something about. Um, placemark as a product I noticed was it's sort of like, here's this thing where you can draw polygons put markers and there's all these like things you can do, but I think unless you already have the specific use case, it's not super clear, who uses it for what. So maybe you could give some examples of what you had in mind. Tom: I didn't have much in mind, but I can tell you what people, what some people used it for. so some of the more interesting uses of it, a bunch of, uh, farming oriented use cases, uh, especially like indoor and small scale farming. Um, there were some people who, uh, essentially had a bunch of flower farms and had polygons on the map, and they wanted to, uh, mark the ones that had mites or needed to be watered, other things that could spread in a geometric way. And so it's pretty important to have that geospatial component to it. and then a few places were using it for basically transportation planning. Um, so drawing out routes of where buses would go, uh, in Luxembourg. And, then there was also a little bit of like, kind of interesting, planning of what to buy more or less. Uh, so something of like, do we want to buy this tract of land or do we wanna buy this tract of land or do we wanna buy access to this one high speed internet cable or this other high speed internet cable? and yeah, a lot of those things were kind of like emergent use cases. Um, there's a lot of people who were doing either architecture or internal or in interior mapping essentially. Jeremy: Interior, you mean, inside of a building Tom: yeah. yeah. Jeremy: Hmm. Okay. Tom: Which I don't think it was the best tool for. Uh, but you know, people used it for that. Jeremy: Interesting. Yeah. I guess, would people normally use some kind of a CAD tool for that, or Tom: Yeah. Uh, there's CAD tools and there are a few, uh, companies that do just, there's a company that just does interior maps especially of airports, and that's their whole business model. Um, but it's, it's kind of an interesting, uh, problem because most CAD architecture work is done with like a local coordinate system, and you have like very good resolution of everything, and then you eventually place it in geo geospatial space. Uh, but if you do it all in latitude and longitude, you know, you're, you're moving a door and it's moving the 10th or 12th decimal point, and eventually you have some precision problems. Jeremy: So it's almost like if you start with latitude and longitude, it's hard to go the other way. Right? you have to start more specific and then you can move it into the, the geospatial, uh, area. Tom: Yeah. Uh, that's kind of why we have local projections for towns is that you can do a lot of work just in that local projection. And the numbers are kind of small 'cause your town's small, relatively. Jeremy: yeah, those are kind of interesting. So it sounds like just anytime somebody wants to, like you gave the example of transportation planning or you want to visually see where things are, like your crops or things like that, and that, that kind of makes sense. I mean, I think if you just think about paper maps, if somebody wants to sketch something out and, and sort of track the layout of something, this could serve the same purpose but be editable. and like you said, I think it's also. Collaborative so you can have multiple people editing the same, um, map. that makes sense. I think something that I believe I saw on your website is you said though that it was, it's like an editing tool, but it's not necessarily a visualization tool. Uh, I'm kind of curious what you, what you meant by that. [00:17:39] An editing tool that allows you to export data not a visualization tool Tom: Yeah, I, when you say a map, I think there's, people can interpret that as everything from raw data to satellite imagery and raster data. and then a lot of it is like, can I use this to make a choropleth map of the voter turnout in our, in my country? and that placemark did a little bit, but I think that it was, it was never going to be the, the thing that it did super well. and so, yeah, and also like the, the two things kind of, don't mesh all that well. Like if you have a scale point map and you have that kind of visualization of it and then you're editing the points at the same time and you're dragging around these like gigantic points because this point means a lot of population, it just doesn't really make that much sense. There are probably ways to square that circle and have different views, but, uh, I felt like for visualizations, I mean partly I just think data wrapper is kind of great and uh, I had already worked for observable at that point, which is also, which I think also does like great visualization work. Jeremy: Would that be the case of somebody could make a map inside a placemark and then they would take the GeoJSON and then import that into another visualization tool? Is that what you were kind of imagining people would do? Tom: Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Jeremy: And I could see from the customer's perspective, a lot of them, they may have that end, uh, visualization in mind. So they might look for a tool that kind of just does both. Right. Tom: Yeah. Yeah. Certain people definitely, wanted that. And yeah, it was an interesting direction to go down. I think that market was going to be a lot different than the people who wanted to manage and edit data. And also, I, one thing that I had in mind a lot, uh, was if Placemark didn't work out, how much would people be burned? and I think if I, if I built it in a way that like everyone was heavily relying on the API and embeds, people would be suffer a lot more, if I eventually had to shut it down. every API that you release is really a, a long-term commitment. And instead for me, like guilt wise, having a product where you can easily export everything that you ever did in any format that you want was like the least lock in, kind of. Jeremy: Yeah. And I imagine the, the scope of the project too, you're making it much smaller if you, if you stick to that editing experience and not try to do everything. Tom: Yeah. Yeah. I, the scope was already pretty big. as you can tell from the open source project, it's, it's bigger than I wish it was. the whole time I was really hoping that I could figure out some niche that was much more compact. there's, I forget the name, but there's somebody who has a, an application that's very similar to Placemark in. Technical terms, but is just a hundred percent focused on planning septic systems. And I'm just like, if I just did this just for septic systems, like would that be a much, would that be 10,000 lines of code instead of 40,000 lines of code? And it would be able to perfectly serve those customers. but you know, that I didn't do enough experimentation to figure that out. Um, I, that's, I think one thing that I wish I had done a lot more was, pivot and do experiments. Jeremy: that septic example, do you know if it's a, a business in and of itself where it can actually support one person or a staff of people? Or is it, is that market just too small? Tom: I think it's still a solo bootstrapped project. yeah. And it's, it's so hard to tell whether a company's doing well or not. I could ask the person over DM. [00:21:58] Built the base technology before going public Jeremy: So when you were first starting. placemark. You were, you were doing it as a solo, developer. A solo entrepreneur, reallyyou worked on it for quite a while, I think before you announced, right? Like maybe a year or so? Tom: Yeah, yeah. Almost, almost a year, I think, maybe, maybe 10 months in the dark. Jeremy: I think that there's, there was a lot of overlap between the different directions that I would eventually go in and. So just building a collaborative editor that can edit map data fairly quickly and checks all the boxes of being able to import and export things, um, that is, was a lot of work. and I mean also I, I was, uh, freelancing during part of it, so it wasn't a hundred percent of my time. Tom: But that, that core, I think even now if I were to build something similar, I would probably still use that work. because that, whether you're doing the septic planning application or you're doing a general purpose kind of map editor or some kind of social application, a lot of that stuff will be in common. Um, and so I wanted to really get, like, to figure out that problem space and get a few solutions that I could live with. Jeremy: The base. libraries or technologies you were gonna pick to get the map and have the collaborative aspect. Those are all things you wanted to get settled first. And then you figured, okay, once I have this base, then I can go find the, you know, the, the, the customers or, or find the specifics of what I'm gonna build. Tom: Yeah, exactly. Jeremy: I I think you had said that going forward when you're gonna work on another project, you would probably still start the same way. [00:23:51] Geospatial is a tough industry, no public companies Tom: if I was working on a project in the geospatial space, I would probably heavily reference the work that I already did here. but I don't know if I'll go back to, to maps again. It's a tough industry. Jeremy: Is it because of the, the customer base? Is it because like people don't really understand the market in terms of who actually needs the maps? I'm kind of curious what you feel makes it tough. Tom: I think, well there are no, there are no public mapping companies. Esri is I think one of the 10 largest private companies in the us. but it's not like any of these geospatial companies have ever been like a pure play. And I think that makes it hard. I think maps are just, they're kind of like fonts in a way in which they are this. Very deep well of complexity, which is absolutely fascinating. If you're in it, it's enough fun and engineering to spend an entire career just working on that stuff. And then once you're out of it, you talk to somebody and you're just like, oh, I work on this thing. And they're like, oh, that you Google maps. Um, or, you know, I work at a font type like a, you know, a type factory and it's like, oh, do you make, uh, you know, courier in, uh, word. It's really infrastructure, uh, that we mostly take for granted, which is, that's, that means it's good in some ways. but at the same time, I, it's hard to really find a niche in which the mapping component is that, that is that useful. A lot of the companies that are kind of mapping companies. Like, I think you could say that like Strava and Palantir are kind of geospatial companies, both of them. but Strava is a fitness company and Palantir is a military company. so if you're, uh, a mapping expert, you kind of have to figure out what, how it ties into the real world, how it ties into the business world and revenue. And then maps might be 50% of the solution or 75% of the solution, but it's probably not going to be, this is the company that makes mapping software. Jeremy: Yeah, it's more like, I have this product that I'm gonna sell and it happens to have a map as a part of it. versus I'm going to sell you, tools that, uh, you know, help you make your own map. That seems like a, a harder, harder sell. Tom: yeah. And especially pro tools like the. The idea of people being both invested in terms of paying and invested in terms of wanting to learn the tool. That's, uh, that's a lot to ask out of people. [00:26:49] Knowing the market is tough but going for it anyways Jeremy: I think the things we had just talked about, about mapping being a tough industry and about there being like the low end is taken care of by Google, the high end is taken care of by Esri with ArcGIS. Uh, I think you mentioned in a blog post that when you started Placemark you, you, you knew all this from the start. So I'm kind of curious, like, knowing that, what made you decide like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna go for it and, you know, do it anyways. Tom: uh, I, well, I think that having seen, I, like I am a co-founder of val.town now, and every company that I've worked for, I've been pretty early enough to see how the sausage is made and the sausage is made with chaos. Like every company doesn't know what it's doing and is in an impossible fight against some Goliath figure. And the product that succeeds, if it ever does succeed, is something that you did not think of two or three years in advance. so I looked at this, I looked at the odds, and I was like, oh, these are the typical odds, you know, maybe someday I'll see something where it's, uh, it's an obvious open blue water market opportunity. But I think for the, for the most part, I was expecting to grind. Uh, you know, like even, even if, uh, the odds were worse, I probably would've still done it. I think I, I learned a lot. I should have done a lot more marketing and business and, but I have, I have no regrets about, you know, taking, taking a one try at solving a very hard to solve problem. Jeremy: Yeah, that's a good point in that the, the odds, like you said, are already stacked against you. but sometimes you just gotta try it and see how it goes, Tom: Yeah. And I had the, like I was at a time where I was very aware of how my life was set up. I was like, I could do a startup right now and kind of burn money for a little while and have enough time to work on it, and I would not be abandoning an infant child or, you know, like all of the things that, all the life responsibilities that I will have in the near future. Um. So, you know, uh, the, the time was then, I guess, [00:29:23] Being a solo developer Jeremy: And comparing it to your time at Mapbox and the other startups and, and I suppose now at val.town, when you were working on Placemark, you're the sole developer, you're in charge of everything. how did that feel? Did you enjoy that experience or was it more like, I, I really wish I had other people to, you know, to kind of go through this with, Tom: Uh, around the end I started to chat with people who, like might be co-founders and I even entertained some chats with, uh, venture capital people. I am fine with the, the day to day of working on stuff alone of making a lot of decisions. That's what I have done in a lot of companies anyway. when you're building the prototype or turning a prototype into something that can be in production, I think that having, uh, having other people there, It would've been better for my mentality in terms of not feeling like it was my thing. Um, you know, like feeling detached enough from the product to really see its flaws and really be open to, taking more radical shifts in approach. whereas when it's just you, you know, it's like you and the customers and your email inbox and, uh, your conscience and your existential dread. Uh, and you know, it's not like a co-founder or, uh, somebody to work with is gonna solve all of that stuff for you, but, uh, it probably would've been maybe a little bit better. I don't know. but then again, like I've also seen those kinds of relationships blow up a lot. and I wanted to kind of figure out what I was doing before, adding more people, more complexity, more money into the situation. But maybe you, maybe doing that at the beginning is kind of the same, you know, like you, other people are down for the same kind of risk that you are. Jeremy: I'm sure it's always different trade offs. I mean, I, I think there probably is a power to being able to unilaterally say like, Hey, this is, this is what I wanna do, so I'm gonna do it. Tom: Yeah. [00:31:52] Spending too much time on multiplayer without a business case Jeremy: You mentioned how there were certain flaws or things you may not have seen because you were so in it. Looking back, what, what were some of those things? Tom: I think that, uh, probably the, I I don't think that most technical decisions are all that important, um, that it never seems like the thing that means life or death for companies. And, you know, Facebook is still on PHP, they've fought, fixed, the problem with, with money. but I think I got rabbit holed into a few things where if I had like a business co-founder, then they would've grilled me about like, why are we spending? The, the main thing that comes to mind, uh, is real time multiplayer, real time. It was a fascinating problem and I was so ready to think about that all the time and try to solve it. And I think that took up a lot of my time and energy. And in the long term, most people are not editing a map. At the same time, seeing the cursors move around is a really fun party trick, and it's great for marketing, but I think that if I were to take a real look at that, that was, that was a mistake. Especially when the trade off was things that actually mattered. Like the amount of time, the amount, the amount of data that the, that could be handled at. At the same time, I could have figured out ways to upload a one gigabyte or two gigabyte or three gigabyte shape file and for it to just work in that same time, whereas real time made it harder to solve that problem, which was a lot closer to what, Paying customers cared about and where people's expectations were? Jeremy: When you were working on this realtime collaborative functionality, was this before the product was public? Was this something you, built from the start? Tom: Yeah. I built the whole thing without it and then added it in. Not as like a rewrite, but like as a, as a big change to a lot of stuff. Jeremy: Yeah, I, I could totally see how that could happen because you are trying to envision people using this product, and you think of something like Google Docs, right? It's very powerful to be typing in a document and see the other cursors and, um, see other people typing. So, I could see how you, you would make that leap and say like, oh, the map should, should do that too. Yeah. [00:34:29] Financial pressures of bootstrapping, high COL, and healthcare Tom: Yeah. Yeah. Um, and, you know, Figma is very cool. Like the, it's, it's amazing. It's an amazing thing. But the Figma was in the dark for way longer than I was, and uh, Evan is a lot smarter than I was. Jeremy: He probably had a big bag of money too. Right. Tom: Yeah. Jeremy: I, I don't actually know the history of Figma, but I'm assuming it's, um, it's VC funded, right? Tom: Uh, yeah, they're, they're kind of famous for just having, I don't think they raised that much in the beginning, but they just didn't hire very much and it was just like the two co-founders, or two or three people and they just kept building for long time. I feel like it's like well over three years. Jeremy: Oh wow. Okay. I think like in your case, I, I saw a comment from you where you were saying, this was your sole source of income and you gotta pay for your health insurance, and so you have no outside investments. So, the pressures are, are very different I think. Tom: Yeah. Yeah. And that's really something to on, to appreciate about venture capital. It gives you the. Slack in your, in your budget to make some mistakes and not freak out about it. and sadly, the rent is not going down anytime soon in, in Brooklyn, and the health insurance is not going down anytime soon. I think it's, it's kind of brutal to like leave a job and then realize that like, you know, to, to be admitted to a hospital, you have to pay $500 a month. Jeremy: I'm, I'm sure that was like, shocking, right? The first time you had to pay for it yourself. Tom: Yeah. And it's not even good. Uh, we need to fix this like that. If there's anything that we could do to fix entrepreneurship in this country, it's just like, make it possible to do this without already being wealthy. Um, it was, it was a constant stress. [00:36:29] Growth and customers Jeremy: As you worked on it, and maybe especially as you, after you had shipped, was there a period where. You know, things were going really well in terms of customers and you felt like, okay, this is really gonna work. Tom: I was, so, like, I basically started out by dropping, I think $5,000 in the business bank account. And I was like, if I break even soon, then I'll be happy. And I broke even in the first month. And that was amazing. I mean, the costs were low and everything, but I was really happy to just be at that point and that like, it never went down. I think that probably somebody with more, uh, determination would've kept going after, after I had stopped. but yeah, like, and also The people who used Placemark, who I actually chatted with, and, uh, all that stuff, they were awesome. I wish that there were more of them. but like a lot of the customers were doing cool stuff. They were supportive. They gave me really informative feedback. Um, and that felt really good. but there was never a point at which like the, uh, the growth scale looked like, oh, we're going to hit a point at which this will be a sustainable business within a year. I think it, according to the growth when I left it, it would've been like maybe three years until I would've been, able to pay my rent and health insurance and, live a comfortable life in, in New York. Jeremy: So when you mentioned you broke even that was like the expenses into the business, but not for actually like rent and health insurance and food and all that. Okay. Okay. can you say like roughly how much was coming in or how many customers you had? Tom: Uh, yeah, the revenue initially I think was, uh, 1500 MRR, and eventually it was like 4,000 or so. Jeremy: And the growth was pretty steady. [00:38:37] Bootstrapping vs fundraising Tom: Um, so yeah, I mean, the numbers where you're just like, maybe I could have kept going. but it's, the other weird thing about VCs is just that I think I have this rich understanding of like, if you're, if you're running a business that will be stressful, but be able to pay your bills and you're in control of it, versus running a startup where you might make life changing money and then not have to run a business again. It's like the latter is kind of better. Uh, if stress affects you a lot, and if you're not really wedded to being super independent. so yeah, I don't know between the two ways of like living your life, I, I have some appreciation for, for both. doing what Placemark entailed if I was living cheaply in a, in a cheap city and it didn't stress me out all the time, would've been a pretty good deal. Um, but doing it in Brooklyn with all the stress was not it, it wasn't affecting my life in positive ways and I, I wanted to, you know, go see shows at night with my friends and not worry about the servers going down. Jeremy: Even putting the money aside, I think that's being the only person responsible for the app, right? Probably feels like you can't really take a vacation. Right. Tom: Yeah, I did take a vacation during it. Like I went to visit my partner who was in, uh, Germany at the time, and we were like on a boat, uh, between Germany, across the lake to Switzerland, and like the servers went down and I opened up my laptop and fixed the servers. It's just like, that is, it's a sacrifice that people make, but it is hard. Jeremy: There's, there's on call, but usually it's not just you 24 7. Tom: Yeah. If you don't pick up somebody else [00:40:28] Financial stress and framing money spent as an investment Jeremy: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I guess at what point, because I'm trying to think. You started in 2021 and then maybe wrapped up, was it sometime in 2024? Tom: Uh, I took a job in, uh, I, I mean I joined val.town in the early 2023 and then wrapped up in November, 2023. Jeremy: At what point did you really start feeling the, the stress? Like I, I imagine maybe when you first started out, you said you were doing consulting and stuff, so, um, probably things were okay, but once you kind of shifted away from that, is that kind of when the, the, the worries about money started coming in? Tom: Yeah. Um, I think maybe it was like six or eight months, um, in. Just that I felt like I wasn't finding, uh, like a, a way to grow the product without adding lots of complexity to it. and being a solo founder, the idea of succeeding, but having built like this hulking mess of a product felt just as bad as not succeeding. like ideally it would be something that I could really be happy maintaining for the long term. Uh, but I was just seeing like, oh, maybe I could succeed by adding every feature in QGIS and that's just not, not a, not something that I wanted to commit to. but yeah, I don't, I don't know. I've been, uh, do you know, uh, Ramit Sethie he's like a, Jeremy: I don't. Tom: an internet money guy. He's less scummy than the rest of them, but still, I. an internet money guy. Um, but he does adjust a lot of stuff about like, money psychology. And that has made me realize that a lot of what I thought at the time and even think now is kind of a rational, you know, like, I think one of the main things that I would do differently is just set a budget for Placemark. Like if I had just set away, like, you know, enough money to live on for a year and put that in, like the, this is for Placemark bucket, then it would've felt better to me then having it all be ad hoc, month to month, feeling like you're burning money instead of investing money in a thing. but yeah, nobody told me, uh, how to, how to think about it then. Uh, yeah, you only get experience by experiencing it. Jeremy: You're just seeing your, your bank account shrinking and there's this, psychological toll, right? Where you're not, you're not used to that feeling and it, it probably feels like something's wrong, Tom: Yeah, yeah. I'm, I think it, I'm really impressed by people who can say, oh, I invested, uh, you know, 50 or a hundred thousand dollars into this business and was comfortable with that risk. And like, maybe it works out, maybe it doesn't. Maybe you just like threw a lot of money down into that. and the people, I think with the healthy, productive, uh, relationship with it. Do think of it as like, oh, I, I paid for kind of a bet on a risk. and that's, that's what I was doing anyway. You know, like I was paying my rent and my health insurance and spending all my time working on the product instead of paying, uh, freelance work. but if you don't frame it that way, it doesn't feel like an investment. It feels like you're making a risky gamble. Jeremy: Yeah. And I think that makes sense to, to actually, I think, like you were saying, have a separate account or a separate thing set aside where you are like, this is, this is this money for this purpose. And like you said, look at it as an investment, which with regular investments can go down. Tom: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Jeremy: Yeah [00:44:26] In hindsight might have raised money or tried smaller bets Jeremy: Were there, there other things, whether technical or or business wise, that, that if you were to to do it again, you would do differently? Tom: I go back and forth on whether I should have raised venture capital. there are, there's kind of a, an assumption in venture capital that once you're on it, you have to go the whole way. You have to become a billion dollar company, uh, or at least really tell people that you're going to be a billion dollar company and I am not. yeah, I, I don't know. I've seen, I've seen other companies in my space, or like our friends of my current company who are not really targeting that, or ones who were, and then they had somewhere in between the billion dollar and the very small outcome. Uh, and that's a little bit of a point in the favor of accepting a big pile of money from the venture capitalists. I'm also a little bit biased right now because val.town has one investor and he's like the, the best venture capitalist that I have ever met. Big fan. don't quote me on that. If he sacks me in like a year, we'll see. Um, but uh, yeah, there, I, I think that I understand more why people take that approach. or I've understood more why people take like the venture capital but not taking $300 million from SoftBank approach. yeah, and I don't know, I think that, trying a lot of things also seems really appealing. Uh, people who do the same kind of. of Maybe 10 months, but they build four or five different products or three different products instead of just one. I think that, that feels, feels like a good idea to me. Jeremy: And in doing that, would that be more of a, like as a solo entrepreneur or you, you're thinking you would take investment and then say, I'm gonna try all these things with, with your money. Tom: Oh, I've seen both. I, that I, yeah, one friend's company has pivoted like four times between very different ideas and yeah, it, it's one way to do it, but I think in the long term, I would want to do that as a solo developer and try to figure out, you know, something. but yeah, I, I think, uh, so much of it is mindset, that even then if I was working on like three different projects, I think I. My qualifications for something being worth, really adopting and spending all my time doing, you just have to accept, uh, a lot of hits and a lot of misses and a lot of like keeping things alive and finding out how to turn them into something. I am really inspired by my friends who like started around the same time that I did and they're not that much further in terms of revenue and they're like still, still doing it because that is what they want to do in life. and if you develop the whole ecosystem and mindset around it, I think that's somewhere that people can stay and, and be happy. just trying to find, trying to find a company that they own and control and they like. Jeremy: While, while making the the expenses work. Tom: Yeah. Yeah. that's the, that's the hard part, like freelancing on the side also. I probably could have kept that up. I liked my freelance clients. I would probably still work with them as well. but I kind of just wanted the, I wanted the focus, I wanted the motivation of, of being without a net. Jeremy: Yeah, I mean, energy wise, do you think that that would've worked? I mean, I imagine that Placemark took a lot of your time when you were working full time, so you're trying to balance, you know, clients and all your customers and everything you're doing with the software. It just feels like it might be a lot. Tom: Yeah. Yeah. Maybe with different freelance clients. I, I loved my freelance clients because I, after. leaving config. I, I wanted to work on climate change stuff and so I was working for climate change foundations and that is not the way to max out your paycheck. It's the way to feel good about your conscience. And so I still feel great about those projects, but in the future, yeah, I would probably just work for, uh, you know, a hedge fund or something. [00:49:02] Marketing to developers but not potential customers Jeremy: I think something you mentioned in one of your posts is that you maybe could have spent more time or had a different approach with marketing. Maybe you could kind of say what you did do and then what maybe worked and what didn't. Tom: Yeah. So I like my sweet spot is writing documentation and blog posts and technical stuff. And so I did a lot of that and a lot of that like worked in a way that didn't matter. I am at this point, weirdly good at writing stuff that gets on Hacker News. I've written a lot of stuff that's gotten to the top of Hacker News and unfortunately, writing about your technical approach and your geospatial project for handling errors, uh, in your JavaScript code is not really a way to get customers. and I think doing a lot of documentation was also great, but it was also, I think that the, the thing that was missing is the thing that I think Mapbox does fairly well now, in which the homepage really pushes you toward use cases immediately. and I should have been saying to each customer who had anything compelling as a use case, like, let's write an article about you and what you're doing, and here's how you use this in your industry. and that probably would've also been like a good, a good way to figure out which of those verticals was the one that was most worth spending all the time on. yeah. So it, it was, it was a lot of good marketing to nerds. and it could have been better in terms of marketing to actual customers and to people who are making the buying decisions. Jeremy: Yeah. Looking at the, the Placemark blog, I can definitely see how as a developer, a lot of the posts are appealing to me, right? It's about how you worked on a technical challenge or decisions you made, but maybe less so to somebody who they wanna. Draw a map to manage their crops. They're like, I don't care about any of this. Right. Tom: Yeah, like the Mapbox blog used to be, just all that stuff as well. We would write about designing protocol buffer layouts, and it was amazing for hiring and amazing for getting nerds in the door. But now it's just, Toyota is launching with, Mapbox Maps or something like that. And that's, that's what you, you should do if you're trying to sell a product. Jeremy: Yeah. And I think the, the sort of technical aspect, it makes sense too. If you're venture funded and you are looking to hire, right? You wanna build your team and you just want to increase like, the amount of stuff you're building and not worrying so much about, am I gonna have a paycheck next Tom: Yeah. Yeah. I, I just kind of do it because it's fun, which is not the right reason to do it, but, Yeah, I mean, I still write my blog mostly just because it's, it's a fun thing to do, but it's not the best way to, um, to run a business. Jeremy: Yeah. Well, the fun part is important too though. Tom: Yeah. Yeah. That's, that's maybe the whole thing. May, that's maybe the most important thing, but you can't do it if you don't do the, the money part. [00:52:35] Most customers came from existing audience Jeremy: Right. So the people who did find you, was it mostly word of mouth from people who did identify with the technical posts, or were there places that surprised you, that people found you? Tom: Uh, a lot of it was people who were familiar with the Mapbox ecosystem or with, with me. and then eventually, yeah, a few of the users came in through, um, through Hacker News, but it was mostly, mostly word of mouth also. The geospatial community is like fairly tight and it's, and it's not too hard to be the person who writes the article about some geospatial challenge that everyone finds. Jeremy: Hmm. Okay. Yeah, that's a good point about like being in that community, especially since you've done so much work in geospatial and in open source that you have this little, this built-in audience, I guess. Tom: yeah. Which I appreciate. It makes me nervous, but yeah. [00:53:43] Val.town marketing to developers Jeremy: Comparing that to something like val.town, how is val.town marketing? How is it finding users? 'cause from what I can tell, it's, it's getting a lot of, uh, a lot of people coming in, right? Tom: Yeah. Uh, well, right now our, our kind of target user, or the user that we think of is a hobbyist, is somebody who's, sometimes a pro developer or somebody, sometimes just somebody who's really interested in the field. And so writing these things that are just about, you know, programming, does super well. Uh, but it, we have exactly the same problem and that that is kind of being revamped as we speak. uh, we hired somebody who actually knows marketing and has a good sense for it. And so a lot of that stuff is shifting to show you what you can do with val.town because it, it suffers from the same problem as well. It's an empty text field in which you can type, type script, code, and it runs. And knowing what you can do with that or what you should do with that is, is hard if you don't have a grasp of TypeScript and web applications. so pretty soon we'll have pages which are like, here's how to connect linear and GitHub with OW Town, or, you know, two nouns connect them, for all of those companies and to do automations and all these like concrete applications. I think that's, you have to do it. You have to figure it out. Jeremy: Just briefly for someone who hasn't heard of val.town, like what, what does it do? Tom: Uh, val.town is a social website, so it has comments and likes and all of that stuff. but it's for writing these little snippets of TypeScript and JavaScript code that run. So a lot of them are websites, some of them are automations, so they receive emails or send emails or connect one service to another. And yeah, it's, it's like combining some aspects of, GitHub or like a code platform, uh, but with the assumption that every time that you save, everything's instantly deployed. Jeremy: So it's maybe a little bit like, um, like a glitch, I guess? Tom: Uh, yeah. Yeah, it takes a lot of experience, a lot of, uh, inspiration from Glitch. Jeremy: And I, I think, like you had mentioned, you enjoy writing the, the technical blog posts and the documentation. And so at least with val.town, your audience is developers versus, the geospatial community who probably largely doesn't care about, TypeScript and the, the different technical decisions there. Tom: Yeah, it, it makes it easier, that's for sure. The customer is, is me. [00:56:30] Shifting from solo to in-person teams Jeremy: Nice. Yeah. Looking at, you know, you, you worked as a, a solo developer for Placemark, and then now you've got a team of, is it like maybe five Tom: Uh, it is seven at the moment. Jeremy: Seven people. Okay. Are you all in person or is it, remote Tom: We all sit around two tables in Brooklyn. It's very nice. Jeremy: So how did that feel? Like shifting from, I'm in, I don't know if you worked from home while you were working on Placemark or if you were in coworking spaces, but you're, you're shifting from I'm like in my own head space doing everything myself to, to, I'm in a room with all these people and we're like working on this thing together. I'm kind of curious like how that felt for you. Tom: Yeah, it's been a big difference. And I think that I was just talking with, um, one, one of our, well an engineer at, at val.town about how everyone kind of had, had been working remote for obvious pandemic world reasons. And this kind of privilege of just being around the same table, if that's what you like is, a huge difference in terms of, I just remember having to. Trick myself into going on a walk around the block because I would get into such a dark mental head space of working on the same project for eight hours straight and skipping lunch. and now there's a little bit more structure. yeah, it's, it's been, it's been a overall, an improvement. Some days I wish that I could go on a run at noon 'cause that's the warmest time of the day. but, uh, overall, like it makes things so much easier. just reading the emotions in people's faces when they're telling you stuff and being able to, uh, not get into discussions that you don't need to get into because you can talk and just like understand each other very quickly. It's, it's very nice. I don't wanna force everyone to do it, you know, but it it for the people who want it, they, they, uh, really enjoy it. Jeremy: Yeah. I think if you have the right set of people, it's definitely more enjoyable. And um, if you don't, maybe not so Tom: Yeah, we haven't hired any, like, extremely loud chewers yet or anything like that, but yeah, maybe my story will change. Jeremy: No, no one microwaving fish. Tom: No, there's, uh, yeah, thankfully the microwave is outside of the office. Jeremy: Do you live close to the office? Tom: Yeah. Yeah. Like most of the team is within a 20 or 30 minute walk of the office and it's very fortunate. I think there's been something of a mass migration to New York. A lot of us didn't live in New York before four years ago, and now all of us do. it's, it's, uh, it's very comfortable to be here. Jeremy: I think that makes, uh, such a big difference. 'cause I think the majority of people, at least within the US you know, you're, you're getting in your car, you're sitting in traffic. and I know people who, during the pandemic, they actually moved further, right? Because they went, oh, like, uh, I don't need to come into the office. but yeah, if you are close enough where you can walk, yeah, I think that makes a big difference. Tom: Oh yeah. If I had to drive to work, I think my blood pressure would be so much higher. Uh, especially in New York. Oh, I feel so bad for the people who have to drive, whereas I'm just walking with, you know, a bagel in hand, enjoying listening to the birds. Jeremy: Yeah. Yeah. well now they have, what is it, the congestion pricing in Tom: Yeah. Yeah. We're all in Brooklyn, so it doesn't affect us that much, but it's supposedly, it's, it's working great. Um, yeah. I hope we can keep it. Jeremy: I've never driven in New York and I, I wouldn't want to Tom: Yeah. It's only for the brave or the crazy. [01:00:37] The value of public writing and work Jeremy: I think that's probably a good place to, to wrap up, but is there any other thoughts you had or things you wanted to mention? Tom: No, I've just, uh, thank you so much. This has been, this has been a lot of fun. You're, you're very good at this as well. I feel like it's, uh, Jeremy: Thank you Tom: It's not easy to, to steer a conversation in a way that makes awkward people sound, uh, normal. Jeremy: I wouldn't say that, but um, what's been actually pretty helpful to me is, you have such a body of work, I guess I would say, in terms of your blogging and, just the amount that you write and the long history of projects that, that there's, you know, there's a lot to talk about and I'm sure it helps, helps your thought process as well. Tom: Yeah. I, I've been lucky to have a lot of jobs where people, where companies were like, cool with publishing everything, you know? so a lot of what I've done is, uh, is public. it's, it's, uh, I'm very, very thankful for like, early on that being a big part of company culture. Jeremy: And you can definitely tell, I think for people who look at the Placemark blog posts or, or now your, your val.town blog posts, like there's, there's a clear difference when somebody like is very intentional and, um, you know, it's good at writing versus you're doing it because, um, it's your corporate responsibility or whatever, like people can tell. Yeah. Tom: Yeah. You can't fake being interested. so you gotta work on things that are interesting. Jeremy: Tom, thanks again for, for agreeing to chat. This was fun. Tom: Yeah thank you so much.

Tired of starting at zero every single month in your business? In this episode, we dive into the power of monthly recurring revenue (MRR) and how subscriptions, retainers, and commitments can create stability, freedom, and abundance in your business! Drop us a message...Don't forget to share this episode and tag me @itscrissyconner on Instagram and @crissyconner on Facebook to be entered to win!

Tired of starting at zero every single month in your business? In this episode, we dive into the power of monthly recurring revenue (MRR) and how subscriptions, retainers, and commitments can create stability, freedom, and abundance in your business! Drop us a message...Don't forget to share this episode and tag me @itscrissyconner on Instagram and @crissyconner on Facebook to be entered to win!

Marketing isn't just about generating leads—it's about maximizing their potential. Join Michael Bartolomei as he reveals strategies to streamline your process, target smarter, and get more deals done using tools like Launch Control and proven follow-up techniques.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Fundamentals elements you should understand before launching any marketing campaign Strategies for reducing waste through better data tracking and follow-ups How to leverage tools to engage with potential sellers and improve lead conversion The value of retargeting "dead" leads and using tools like the nine-word email for re-engagement Benefits of analyzing past deals in your marketing approach   RESOURCES/LINKS MENTIONED Privy Prycd DealMachine Land Investing Online Close More Sales TWEETABLES “With any business you're building, there are certain steps that you need to take before you can have a sales funnel and a marketing system set up.” - Michael Bartolomei ABOUT MICHAEL BARTOLOMEI Michael is an experienced SaaS industry executive with a strong track record in big-picture planning, revenue generation, and hands-on program development across sales, marketing, customer support, and customer success. He specializes in working with companies on a fractional basis to build scalable processes, connect teams, and create seamless customer journeys that drive monthly recurring revenue (MRR) while minimizing churn. In his ongoing role at Launch Control, Michael focuses on maximizing media partnerships, producing and hosting the Deal Nation Podcast, and delivering strategic marketing solutions for the company's partners and growing subscriber base. His expertise lies in aligning strategy with execution to ensure sustainable growth and success for the businesses he supports. CONNECT WITH MICHAEL Website: Launch Control Podcast: Deal Nation Podcast | Apple Podcasts LinkedIn: Michael Bartolomei 

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup AI is changing the way brands approach creative marketing. In this episode, Braydon from Pilothouse dives into how AI tools—especially custom GPTs—are transforming landing pages, ad creative, and brand storytelling. Key Takeaways: AI-Driven CRO: How custom GPTs optimize landing pages section by section for higher conversion rates. AI for Subscription Growth: Why AI-powered page redesigns can dramatically improve MRR. Automating Ad Mashups: Using AI to remix top-performing ads for faster creative iteration. Voice AI in Ads: How 11 Labs speeds up ad production with high-quality voiceovers. Strategic AI Thinking: How AI can assist with brand-level strategy and audience segmentation. If you're looking for real-world AI applications in DTC marketing, this episode is packed with actionable insights. Timestamps: 00:00 - AI tools are evolving fast 02:05 - How ChatGPT enhances ad creative 04:30 - Optimizing landing pages with AI 07:15 - Using AI for voiceovers and trailers 10:45 - The power of humor in ads 14:00 - AI-generated mashups for top-performing ads 17:20 - AI for brand-level strategy and deep analysis 20:40 - AI agents and the future of automation Hashtags: #AIforMarketing #ChatGPT #DTCMarketing #AdCreative #EcommerceGrowth #AIcopywriting #PerformanceMarketing #CreativeStrategy #DigitalMarketing #Automation #MarketingTrends Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

JJ Reynolds from Mediauthentic, started working in the field of marketing as a videographer who would create marketing videos and other assets, but he quickly learned that organizations didn't really know what to do with these things once they had them. Now he focuses on assisting businesses in measuring and acting on their marketing data, understanding that being online takes a lot of work, so he helps eliminate the “Guess Work”. Reynolds helps his clients using Google Marketing Cloud, where he's able to predictably increase MRR while measuring each channel's step in the marketing journey. With his team, they take all of their clients Data from their CRM, Google Analytics, and cart platform, then turn it into a real-time data dashboard for you to take action. JJ believes that most digital businesses need is someone to provide reliable consistent data to take action. Connect with Jon Dwoskin: Twitter: @jdwoskin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.dwoskin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejondwoskinexperience/ Website: https://jondwoskin.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwoskin/ Email: jon@jondwoskin.com Get Jon's Book: The Think Big Movement: Grow your business big. Very Big!   Connect with JJ Reynolds: Website: visionlabs.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jjreynoldsjr/ *E – explicit language may be used in this podcast.

Just one year ago, my MRR was zero. I hadn't even considered the potential of recurring income through payment plans and memberships. Fast forward to today, and my MRR is just shy of $150,000 per month - without any active selling required on my part. If you want a piece of the action, this episode is for you.   Tune in today to discover strategies required to create explosive growth in your business. From changing how others perceive your brand to collapsing your timelines, I reveal the exact steps it takes to build true financial freedom as an entrepreneur. I also share the number one thing unsuccessful entrepreneurs do, and if you identify with this, you'll learn how to stop doing it immediately!   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.hellyescoachingonline.com/186   If you want 2025 to be your biggest, most successful year in business, you have to join us for Hell Yes Live. It's happening January 14-16, 2025 at the Four Seasons Resort in Miami, Florida. There has never been a better time to be in my world: https://hellyescoachingonline.com/hell-yes-live/