Arvid Kahl talks about starting and bootstrapping businesses, how to build an audience, and how to build in public.
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192: Colleen Schnettler — Stair-Stepping into SaaS
Today, I’m talking to Colleen Schnettler, co-founder of Hammerstone and build-in-public podcaster. We talk about getting bootstrapper-compatible funding, juggling way too many projects, and selling a business when you know it’s time to move on. Here’s Colleen.00:00:00 A lot of podcasts00:06:01 Building on Heroku00:12:25 Building on Marketplaces00:16:59 Dealing with support requests00:21:49 Pressure to sell?00:26:27 Hammerstone00:31:24 Business Value00:35:46 Value of value 00:41:11 The risks of having just a few big customers00:46:12 Getting bootstrapper fundingThe blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/colleen-schnettler-stair-stepping-into-saas/ The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/281dbe46The video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpcYTO5x3cY You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.comPodcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcastNewsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletterMy book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/My course Find your Following: https://findyourfollowing.comFind me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/This interview is sponsored by Acquire.com
191: Writing for Founders
Arvid shares what writing can bring to the founder table.Self-funded entrepreneurs can benefit from honing their writing skills, as it can be used to communicate ideas and thoughts clearly, attract attention, foster relationships, and build a personal brand. The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/writing-for-founders/The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/735924e4The video: https://youtu.be/1R5scFwM5XwYou'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.comPodcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcastNewsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletterMy book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/My course Find your Following: https://findyourfollowing.comFind me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/This episode is sponsored by Drata.
190: Hassan Osman — Writing on the Side
Today, I’m talking to Hassan Osman— he’s the host of Writer on the Side, and himself a prolific writer. We talk about crafting books that sell (and keep selling), self-publishing on Amazon, and how to write while having a full-time job. Here’s Hassan!00:00:00 Introduction to Hassan Osman00:05:59 Slowly shifting your perspective00:10:48 Do you update your books that you have written?00:17:24 How short-sighted publishers can be00:24:29 The importance of the time component in your book00:29:12 The ROI if a diverse range of topics00:34:47 Pick topics that are intersectional, not generic00:41:43 You don’t need to write a big book to be successful00:47:03 Using a marketplace vs doing it on your own00:52:15 Investing in yourself and your public brand00:56:22 Selling on Amazon and Udemy The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/writing-on-the-side-with-hassan-osman/The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/b67953c3The video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tsx78OkIiEkYou'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.comPodcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcastNewsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletterMy book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/My course Find your Following: https://findyourfollowing.comFind me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/This interview is sponsored by Acquire.com
189: Be The Kindest Person in the Room
Arvid talks about how applied kindness builds a brand and an audience.In a hostile world, many founders isolate themselves, but this isn't sustainable. Kindness changes the world, so be honest when self-promoting and set boundaries with hostility. Kindness can be seen in every aspect of life, creating a cycle of positive change.The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/be-the-kindest-person-in-the-room/The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/0f9109d5The video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY3xrnn82QgYou'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.comPodcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcastNewsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletterMy book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/My course Find your Following: https://findyourfollowing.comFind me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/
188: KP — Building an Authentic Personal Brand
KP talks about building in public, sharing your journey, and becoming a respected community member.Today, I’m talking to KP — the build-in-public guy. KP has been a pillar of the indie hacker community, and we talk about how to involve yourself, empower others, and eventually build a community around your personal brand and the things you care about. Here’s KP.00:00:00 KP’s founder hotline00:04:32 The struggle beneath success00:12:11 The connection between teacher and student00:16:26 Sharing what you know00:19:18 The importance of staying in the community00:23:28 Serial entrepreneurship is severely misunderstood00:29:46 An iterative approach to learning00:33:38 Removing yourself from your ask00:37:14 Sales and trust00:42:21 The fear of losing your market00:49:23 The importance of having a mindset of “I’m not the XYZ guy”00:55:12 Quality doesn't matter as much as we think- Building an Authentic Personal Brand with KP- Find your Following, my Twitter course — now including Find your Following Essentials, the 7-day Twitter crash course- Zero to Sold & The Embedded Entrepreneur, my books on entrepreneurshipThis episode is sponsored by MicroAcquire. You can also watch this episode as a video on YouTube.
187: Negative Reviews are Good for You
Negative reviews are an important part of the customer experience, as they provide valuable feedback to creators about how their product or service is being perceived. Reviews can be a source of frustration for founders, as they may not reflect the quality of the work, but rather the disconnect between the customer's expectation and the reality of the product. It is important for creators to stay mindful of how they position their products in the marketplace and ensure that their messaging aligns with the customer's experience.00:00:00 Negative Reviews00:01:11 Reality vs Expectation00:02:43 Positioning ErrorsThe blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/negative-reviews-are-good-for-you/The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/46b3421dThe video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fulkEU1JAVUYou'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.comPodcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcastNewsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletterMy book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/My course Find your Following: https://findyourfollowing.comFind me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/This episode is sponsored by Drata.
186: Brennan Dunn — Mastering Email Marketing
Brennan shares the secrets to using emails to build relationships and increase your revenue.Today, I’m talking to Brennan Dunn, the founder of Palladio, co-founder of RightMessage, and general email expert. As a newsletter author myself, I took to this opportunity to learn as much as possible about personalizing and optimizing my email strategy. You’ll also hear what most people get wrong in email marketing. Here’s Brennan.00:00:00 Brennan Dunn00:00:48 What is up with email clients?00:05:05 Integrating with large platforms00:08:34 Maybe build a competitor?00:12:12 Emails and metadata00:16:20 Email personalization and how it works00:22:07 How do you get started with this?00:25:28 Focusing time and effort on certain platforms00:31:24 The difference between an email list and a newsletter00:36:30 The importance of segmentation00:41:06 Use segmentation to increase your list00:48:56 Customer centric marketing00:54:24 Is email the right medium to de-risk?00:59:20 Don’t over-saturate- Mastering Email Marketing with Brennan Dunn - Find your Following, my Twitter course — now with Find your Following Essentials, the 7-day Twitter crash course- Zero to Sold & The Embedded Entrepreneur, my books on entrepreneurshipThis episode is sponsored by MicroAcquire. You can also watch this episode as a video on YouTube.
185: The Monkey and the Pedestal
To increase your chances of success as an entrepreneur, think outside the box and expand your opportunity surface. This can be achieved by embracing activities that don't scale, diversifying inputs, and taking small steps toward achieving your goals. These strategies will help you create valuable connections, build strong relationships and gain valuable insights that will lead to success.00:00:00 Laura's journey00:01:10 The parable of the monkey and the pedestal.00:02:28 A cultural problem00:03:36 Reflecting on the monkey- The Monkey and the Pedestal- Find your Following, my Twitter course — now with Find your Following Essentials, the 7-day Twitter crash course- Zero to Sold & The Embedded Entrepreneur, my books on entrepreneurshipIf you're interested in Descript, go and check it out here.You can also watch this episode as a video on YouTube.
184: Laura Elizabeth — Building Software Products As a Non-Technical Founder
Today, I’m talking to Laura Elizabeth. She co-hosts the Non-Tech Founders podcast and runs several products as a non-technical founder. We talk about outsourcing, trust, and building an audience around your business. Here’s Laura!00:00:00 Laura Elizabeth00:02:10 Running a non-technical founder podcast00:09:28 Hiring the right people00:12:14 Hiring people who can do something you can't00:17:27 Being able to do everything is both awesome and frightening 00:20:13 Experimenting with different modes of delegating00:25:45 Establishing an internal process for your business00:30:00 On Phrasing00:36:30 The importance of having a mentor00:42:04 Providing the fertile ground for luck to strike00:45:04 The hardest part is overcoming your inner demon00:52:56 Why it's good to have an expert for website personalization00:56:33 Where you can follow Laura- Building Software Products As a Non-Technical Founder With Laura Elizabeth- Find your Following, my Twitter course — now with Find your Following Essentials, the 7-day Twitter crash course- Zero to Sold & The Embedded Entrepreneur, my books on entrepreneurshipThis episode is sponsored by MicroAcquire. You can also watch this episode as a video on YouTube.
183: Expanding Your Opportunity Surface
To increase your chances of success as an entrepreneur, think outside the box and expand your opportunity surface. This can be achieved by embracing activities that don't scale, diversifying inputs, and taking small steps toward achieving your goals. These strategies will help you create valuable connections, build strong relationships and gain valuable insights that will lead to success.- Expanding Your Opportunity Surface- Find your Following, my Twitter course — now with Find your Following Essentials, the 7-day Twitter crash course- Zero to Sold & The Embedded Entrepreneur, my books on entrepreneurshipIf you're interested in Descript, go and check it out here.You can also watch this episode as a video on YouTube.
182: Daniel Fayle — Door-to-door to $2M ARR
Today, I’m talking to Daniel Fayle — co-founder of Chekkit, a business he and his team have boostrapped to $2mil in ARR. We’ll touch on finding the right vertical to get started, how to do things that don’t scale, and what choices need to be made to get a business to 7 figures. 00:00:00 Daniel Fayle00:05:35 Getting started with Chekkit00:09:00 Local marketing & picking verticals00:12:05 When to hire a team?00:17:25 Integrations00:22:33 Pricing choices00:25:32 How to be inspired by competition?00:29:54 The importance of customer support00:36:31 Setting limits on free trials00:41:55 Use the tech that your customers use00:47:15 How to stay on top of your game- Door-to-door to $2M ARR with Daniel Fayle- Find your Following, my Twitter course — now with Find your Following Essentials, the 7-day Twitter crash course- Zero to Sold & The Embedded Entrepreneur, my books on entrepreneurshipThis episode is sponsored by MicroAcquire. You can also watch this episode as a video on YouTube.
181: The Role of Trust in Remote Work
I was chatting with Marissa Goldberg about remote work this week, and she gave me several handy frameworks for founders who want to build remote-first businesses. At the center of any successful remote work relationship lies trust.And surprisingly, many businesses have a tough time trusting anyone once they can't see them at their desk in the office. Remote work is throwing a wrench in the time-honored tradition of butt-in-seat-hands-on-keyboard that so many managers consider to be the pinnacle of productivity.Remote work does away with this.00:00:00 Remote Work is Here to Stay00:01:28 Async is the New Default00:04:42 The Deep Work Zone00:06:17 Trust and Having Nowhere to Hide- The Role of Trust in Remote Work - Find your Following, my Twitter course — now with Find your Following Essentials, the 7-day Twitter crash course- Zero to Sold & The Embedded Entrepreneur, my books on entrepreneurshipYou can also watch this episode as a video on YouTube.
180: Marissa Goldberg — Running a Remote-First Business
Today, I’m talking to Marissa Goldberg. She’s an expert in remote work and guides companies and founders alike toward a future-proof workplace. We’ll talk about productivity, best practices for going remote, and setting up a remote team of all sizes. Here’s Marissa.00:00:00 Remote Work and Future Proof Workplaces00:02:03 What is Remote Work Prep?00:06:54 The right approach to go about remote work.00:11:00 Traditional hiring doesn’t work for remote teams.00:17:29 Integrating rest into your work.00:23:10 The perversion of productivity & responsiveness policies.00:27:27 Issues with video calls.00:31:02 The difference between a conversation and a phone call.00:37:12 How to transition from pandemic remote to normal remote.00:41:10 The culture of control and top-down decision-making.00:45:29 There’s no place to hide with remote work.00:51:58 How do you keep doing what you do?00:56:23 What is impostor syndrome? What is it and why does it exist?- Running a Remote-First Business with Marissa Goldberg- Find your Following, my Twitter course — now with Find your Following Essentials, the 7-day Twitter crash course- Zero to Sold & The Embedded Entrepreneur, my books on entrepreneurshipThis episode is sponsored by MicroAcquire. You can also watch this episode as a video on YouTube.
179: Founder Mental Health Pitfalls
This week I chatted with Patrick Campbell about his exit of ProfitWell to Paddle for $200 million. One of the most mind-blowing things that I experienced during that conversation was hearing Patrick tell me that he feels he needs to build something else to prove that his exit -$200 million- was not just a fluke.I did not expect that, but I should have because I feel the same way all the time. And the more founders I talk to, whatever stage of their journey they might be on, I hear them tell me the same story too. Whether they just started out or sold their business for millions a few years ago, they still struggle with who they are, what they should be doing, and proving themselves and their worth to others.00:00:00 Intro00:00:29 Sponsor00:01:44 Introduction00:02:50 Balancing Parenting & Business00:04:58 Overthinking00:06:22 Addictions00:08:03 Dealing with Failure00:09:45 Not delegating can lead to anxiety00:11:13 Burnout & Dreading Loss00:12:49 Navigating imposter syndrome when others appear successful00:14:44 Second-guessing decisions and dealing with incomplete data00:16:29 Underestimating and Judging Yourself00:18:14 Debilitating Shiny Object Syndrome 00:19:54 Feeling guilty for taking a break00:21:09 Underwhelming Sales00:24:03 Outro- Founder Mental Health Pitfalls- Find your Following, my Twitter course — now with Find your Following Essentials, the 7-day Twitter crash course- Zero to Sold & The Embedded Entrepreneur, my books on entrepreneurshipThis episode is sponsored by Senja.You can also watch this episode as a video on YouTube.
178: Patrick Campbell — Life After a $200mil Exit
Today, I’m talking to Patrick Campbell, founder of ProfitWell, a bootstrapped business that recently got acquired by Paddle for a whopping 200 million dollars.I talked to Patrick about getting acquired for 9 figures, finding your footing as a founder after such an incredible exit, where the online payment industry is heading, and how mental health challenges follow us wherever we go.00:00:00 Introduction00:01:04 Patrick's entrepreneurial journey00:03:10 A different approach to marketing00:06:23 Help Sells: providing free value and then selling00:13:53 Dealing with a $200mil exit00:15:55 Filming a documentary while exiting00:19:03 Keeping the company running during the sale00:24:42 Anxiety during the sale00:28:08 Anxiety AFTER the sale00:34:12 Jumping right back into work00:37:28 Building trust with your team00:41:49 Defining your role in a deal00:45:05 Will Patrick ever take a vacation?00:49:38 It never ends: mental health for founders00:54:05 The future of the payment industry- Life After a $200mil Exit with Patrick Campbell- Find your Following, my Twitter course — now with Find your Following Essentials, the 7-day Twitter crash course- Zero to Sold & The Embedded Entrepreneur, my books on entrepreneurshipThis episode is sponsored by MicroAcquire. You can also watch this episode as a video on YouTube.