Arvid Kahl talks about starting and bootstrapping businesses, how to build an audience, and how to build in public.
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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.
177: Diversify Your Creator Portfolio
As a creative entrepreneur, it is important to diversify your portfolio and have multiple projects in progress in order to reach a wider audience, stabilize income streams, and protect yourself from the risks associated with relying on any one platform. In order to do this, it is essential to own the means of communication with your audience, such as through a newsletter or blog, and to repurpose content for different formats. Additionally, it is important to collaborate with other creators, use social media to drive traffic to your own platform, and focus on building a community rather than just an audience. Finally, it is essential to regularly back up your work and data in order to protect yourself from being de-platformed.- Diversify Your Creator Portfolio- 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.
176: Jay Clouse — Creative Commitments
Today, I’m talking to Jay Clouse, a creative entrepreneur, and all-around amazing human being. We’re talking about keeping it all together as a solo creator, what makes a personal brand work, and how important authenticity is in building an audience. 00:00:00 What to do about all the attention-grabbing out there00:05:00 A trust-based paradigm for your work00:12:15 The importance of being a human being and not a brand00:18:11 Challenges of aligning all of your projects under one umbrella.00:23:02 Can you even find good names at the start?00:28:57 The importance of having a backlog of ideas.00:32:37 Will I ever get to this level of quality?00:37:05 Choosing priorities00:43:11 The mechanics of building community & building relationships with people00:46:15 Teaching sentient beings to do things that are good for them (and good for you)00:50:42 An audience is like an insurance policy- Creative Commitments with Jay Clouse- 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.
175: Realistic Building in Public for Introverted Founders
Sharing your work and process in public can be difficult for introverted entrepreneurs and creators, but it can help build credibility and trust with your audience, gather valuable feedback and insights, and even lead to new opportunities. Tips for sharing in public include reframing why you do it, taking it slow and steady, breaking it into small chunks, scheduling posts, and engaging in conversations. Setting specific goals for the amount of sharing you want to do each week or month can help you stay on track.- Realistic Building in Public for Introverted Founders- 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.
174: Ana Bibikova — The Introvert Superpower
Today, I’m talking to Ana Bibikova, a defender and cheerleader for introverts in entrepreneurship. Ana knows what it means to be skeptical of loud and salesy marketing tactics. They might work great for extroverts, but not so much for the quiet types. Today, we’ll talk about how you can build a public-facing brand without resorting to all the obnoxious and much-too in-your-face tactics. We’ll talk about being introverted, working with introverts, and serving introverts. Here’s Ana.00:00:00 Entrepreneurship and Introversion00:10:13 Growing up being introverted without knowing what it is00:16:57 A History of Introversion00:22:49 The loud and shouty approach to social media00:27:33 How do you stay quiet when you’re selling?00:34:07 You’re the magnet for signals from the people around you00:42:45 How to do self-promotion as an introvert vs. an extrovert00:49:03 You attract what you put out, not what you sayThis episode is sponsored by MicroAcquire. Here's the blog post for this episode.You can also watch this episode as a video on YouTube.
[Bonus] Sahil Lavingia — Gumroad’s Pricing Disaster
Yesterday, the creator economy learned that Gumroad, a platform where creators have been building their businesses by selling their services and products, increased their prices significantly. That caused a lot of backlash in the community, with people threatening to switch to other platforms and criticizing how the price hike was communicated. It’s been an intense topic of community discussion.Today, I am talking to Sahil, the CEO of Gumroad, about what prompted this change, what happened to cause such a stir, and where Gumroad is heading in the future. Here’s Sahil.You can find this conversation on YouTube.