Episode 755 | TinySeed Tales s4e4: Customer Interviews + Pivoting

In this episode of TinySeed Tales, Rob Walling checks in with Colleen Schnettler, co-founder of Hello Query, as she shares the latest developments in her startup journey. Colleen shares the insights gained from recent customer interviews that led to a significant pivot in their p … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 2 days ago

Episode 754 | Broken Freemium, SaaS Plateaus, and More Listener Questions (A Rob Solo Adventure)

In episode 754, join Rob Walling for a solo adventure as he tackles listener questions on a variety of topics. He discusses strategies for converting free users to paid customers, the implications of AI advancements on the SaaS landscape, and how to navigate platform risks when l … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 4 days ago

Episode 753 | TinySeed Tales s4e3: Co-Founder Conflicts + Renaming a Business

In this episode of TinySeed Tales, Rob Walling reconnects with Colleen Schnettler, co-founder of Hammerstone, as she shares the latest developments in their startup journey. Colleen opens up about the emotional challenges of co-founder conflicts with Aaron, highlighting the impor … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 9 days ago

Episode 752 | The State of SEO in 2025

In episode 752, Rob Walling interviews Lars Lofgren to discuss the current state of SEO. Lars shares insights on how SEO has drastically changed, especially with the rise of AI and the volatility brought on by Google’s evolving algorithm. They cover the challenges of ranking for … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 11 days ago

Episode 751 | TinySeed Tales s4e2: From Developer to Manager

In this episode of TinySeed Tales, Rob Walling catches up with Colleen Schnettler, co-founder of Hammerstone, about the progress her team has made since their initial check-in. Colleen describes the tough decision to focus on one product stack, and their recent pivot toward build … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 16 days ago

Episode 750 | Making Your First Hire, Testing Prices, And More Listener Questions (with Laura Roeder)

In episode 750, Rob Walling is joined by Laura Roeder, founder of Paperbell, to answer intermediate listener questions. They discuss making your first hire with limited funds, testing pricing models with existing customer bases, and more. Laura also provides some great advice on … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 18 days ago

Episode 748 | The Ins and Outs of Startup Investing

In episode 748, Rob Walling sits down with Einar Vollset, co-founder of TinySeed, to discuss the ins and outs of startup investing. They explore the differences between VC and angel investing, the importance of deal flow, and the challenges of valuation. Rob and Einar also highli … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 25 days ago

Episode 747 | Evolving SaaS Customer Success Over 7 Years (with Jane Portman)

In episode 747, Rob Walling interviews Jane Portman, co-founder of Userlist, to discuss the evolution of their SaaS customer success strategy. Jane shares the four stages of Userlist’s customer success journey, from the early days of trial and error to implementing done-for-you s … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 1 month ago

Episode 746 | 9 Startup Predictions for 2025

In episode 746, Rob Walling looks ahead to 2025 with nine startup predictions, exploring trends in no-code tools, search, autonomous vehicles, AI, and an increase in platform risk for bootstrapped founders. Topics we cover: (1:52) – Carrying forward predictions from 2024 (3:09) – … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 1 month ago

Episode 745 | Reflecting on 2024: Revisiting My Predictions, The Best Episodes, My Favorite Frameworks, and More (A Rob Solo Adventure)

In episode 745, Rob Walling goes solo to reflect on 2024. He revisits key concepts and frameworks introduced on the podcast, including the 2-20-200 Validation Framework, Orthogonal SaaS, and the eight levels of platform risk. Rob also looks back at his top five favorite episodes … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 1 month ago

Episode 744 | Bluesky, TinySeed is Raising, YC Backs Competitors, and More Hot Take Tuesday Topics

In episode 744, Rob Walling is joined by Tracy Osborn and Einar Vollset to give their hot takes on some recent news. They cover the recent rise of Bluesky, kicking off a 4-figure bet between Tracy and Einar. Then they discuss TinySeed’s third fund, YC Combinator backing competito … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 1 month ago

Episode 743 | How to Sell Your Business Without Regret

In episode 743, Rob Walling and Dr. Sherry Walling read the first chapter of their new book, Exit Strategy: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Selling Your Company Without Regret. They discuss the emotional and psychological challenges of selling a business, and why it’s often harder th … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 2 months ago

Episode 742 | Normalizing Hard Things, Facing Your Biggest Threat, and Making it Fast (A Rob Solo Adventure)

In episode 742, Rob Walling goes solo to explore normalizing doing hard things and facing your biggest threats. He also discusses a framework for founders looking to scale without cutting corners – making things work, making them right, and then making them fast. Exit Strategy Ki … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 2 months ago

Episode 741 | What Actually is Product Led Growth? (with Wes Bush)

In episode 741, Rob Walling talks to Wes Bush, CEO and Founder of ProductLed, about the nuances and misconceptions of product-led growth. Wes debunks common myths and explains how companies can leverage their product to drive user acquisition, engagement, and growth. They dive in … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 2 months ago

Episode 740 | My New Book! The Entrepreneur's Guide to Selling Your Business Without Regret

In episode 740, Rob Walling speaks with Dr. Sherry Walling about their new book, "Exit Strategy: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Selling Your Business Without Regret." They explore the emotional, psychological, and practical aspects of selling a business, emphasizing the universal ch … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 2 months ago

Episode 739 | Selling SaaS to Customers Who Don't Know They Have a Problem

In episode 739, Rob Walling interviews Andy Kim, co-founder of Trotto, about his unique journey into SaaS. Andy shares how “go links” work, and why they are so valuable for internal, enterprise use despite their relative obscurity. They also explore the marketing hurdles and cust … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 2 months ago

Episode 738 | Encouraging Word of Mouth, Educating a Market, and More Listener Questions (A Rob Solo Adventure)

In episode 738, join Rob Walling for a solo adventure as he answers listener questions. He explores how to target larger, enterprise deals after achieving product-market fit, and why word of mouth marketing can be great, yet is tricky to control. Rob also answers a later-stage qu … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 3 months ago

Episode 737 | Key Takeaways from MicroConf Europe 2024 (With Derrick Reimer)

In episode 737, Rob Walling is joined by Derrick Reimer to recap the experience from MicroConf Europe 2024 in Dubrovnik. They discuss the differences between MicroConf US and MicroConf Europe, some small programming tweaks over the years, and they revisit the highlights from the … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 3 months ago

Episode 736 | Founder Regrets, DIY vs. Hiring, Defining your ICP, and More Later Stage Listener Questions

In episode 736, join Rob Walling as he answers some later-stage listener questions in another solo adventure. He discusses common pitfalls in delegation, transitioning from one-time transactions to SaaS models, and when it makes sense to target multiple ICPs. Rob also warns about … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 3 months ago

Episode 735 | The 8 Levels of SaaS Platform Risk (A Rob Solo Adventure)

In episode 735, join Rob Walling for a solo adventure where he categorizes the different levels of SaaS platform risk. He introduces a framework with three key factors: Replacement, Customer Concentration, and Lead Flow. Rob then defines eight levels of risk according to these fa … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 3 months ago

Episode 734 | The 20 Year Bootstrapper (With Ian Landsman)

In episode 734, Rob Walling interviews Ian Landsman, founder of HelpSpot, about his 20-year bootstrapper journey. They discuss Ian's transition from on-prem software to SaaS, the challenges and benefits of each, and the early days of building the business. They wrap up by discuss … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 4 months ago

Episode 733 | Good vs. Bad Distractions, Weaknesses vs. Blind Spots, And Everyone Struggles (A Rob Solo Adventure)

In episode 733, join Rob Walling for a solo adventure where he covers several topics. In this episode he differentiates between good and bad distractions, weaknesses versus blind spots, and shares personal experiences of struggle. He concludes with actionable advice – uncover the … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 4 months ago

Episode 732 | Lessons Learned Bootstrapping to a $615M Exit

In episode 732, Rob Walling interviews Jeff, a mostly anonymous and retired founder, about his mostly bootstrapped business and subsequent exits. Jeff shares how he started the company in 2003 and how he persevered in the early, lonely years to achieve traction in the business. T … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 4 months ago

Episode 731 | How to Delegate as a Perfectionist, SaaS Partnerships, Planning Your Next Quarter, and More Listener Questions (with Derrick Reimer)

In episode 731, join Rob Walling and Derrick Reimer as they tackle some more advanced listener questions. They discuss delegation and giving up areas of control as a founder, including examples from their time together at Drip. Derrick describes how he approaches partnering with … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 4 months ago

Episode 730 | The SaaS Launchpad: The Ultimate Course for Launching Your Product

In episode 730, Craig Hewitt turns the table and interviews Rob Walling about releasing The SaaS Launchpad course. Craig, founder of Castos, asks Rob about the course's purpose and structure, which founders that it’s designed for, and why he made a course as opposed to a new book … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 5 months ago

Episode 729 | 9 Things I've Learned Investing in 170+ SaaS Companies

In episode 729, join Rob Walling as he shares insights from the 170+ SaaS investments he’s made through his B2B SaaS accelerator, TinySeed. Key patterns include the survivability of SaaS, the lucrative value of these companies, and commonalities across the ones that grow the fast … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 5 months ago

Episode 728 | Bootstrapping Gymdesk to a More Than $32.5M Exit

In episode 728, Rob Walling interviews Eran Galperin, founder of Gymdesk, about his incredible exit. Eran shares his journey of transforming Gymdesk from "Martial Arts on Rails" into a successful gym management software company. He discusses how they succeeded in a competitive ma … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 5 months ago

Episode 727 | Gymdesk Sells for More than $32.5 million, Hiring Gets Easier, and More Hot Take Tuesday Topics

In episode 727, Rob Walling is joined by Tracy Osborn and Einar Vollset to give their hot takes on some recent news. First they celebrate Gymdesk’s recent funding and evaluate what that means for TinySeed companies. Then, they weigh in on bootstrapper hiring, grappling with new c … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 5 months ago

Episode 726 | Selling 29,000 Copies, Information vs. Motivation, and Making Your First Level Last (A Rob Solo Adventure)

In episode 726, join Rob Walling for a solo adventure where he covers several topics. In this episode he reveals the sales details around “The SaaS Playbook” by sharing the volume and sales channel data. He explores the importance of motivation over mere access to information, pa … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 5 months ago

Episode 725 | SEO in the Age of AI, Freemium, When Brand Becomes Important, and More Advanced Listener Questions (with Ruben Gamez)

In episode 725, join Rob Walling and Ruben Gamez as they answer several more advanced listener questions. They discuss the challenges of pursuing freemium as a bootstrapper and make a suggestion that might surprise you. Rob and Ruben also talk about why building your business as … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 6 months ago

Episode 724 | Managing Managers, Breaking Through Plateaus, Thoughts on EOS, and More Later-Stage Listener Questions

In episode 724, join Rob Walling as he takes on some later-stage listener questions in another solo adventure. He provides several tips for managing managers, how to break through MRR plateaus, and how to think about SaaS versus agency work. Rob also offers his take on how he wou … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 6 months ago

Episode 723 | How to Be a Supercommunicator (and Why it Matters as a Bootstrapper) with Charles Duhigg

In episode 723, Rob Walling interviews Charles Duhigg, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author, about the significance of effective communication for founders. They discuss practical advice on recognizing different types of conversations, techniques for underst … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 6 months ago

Episode 722 | Bootstrapping a Vertical SaaS to 7-Figures in 18 Months

In episode 722, Rob Walling interviews James Mooring, co-founder of Astalty, a SaaS serving Australia's NDIS market. James reveals how they bootstrapped from zero to seven figures in just 18 months and then they explore the strategic decisions, clever pricing, and deep industry k … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 6 months ago

Episode 721 | 7 Key Takeaways from the 2024 State of Independent SaaS Report

In episode 721, Rob Walling and Asia Orangio analyze the results of MicroConf’s 2024 State of Independent SaaS Report. They share their key takeaways including the impact of business models on growth, requiring credit cards for free trials, and how the number of founders affects … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 7 months ago

Episode 720 | How to Prioritize Your Focus (In Both Your Startup and Personal Life)

In episode 720, Rob Walling is joined by Craig Hewitt to discuss the intricacies of prioritization in both business and in life. In addition to running Castos, Craig has started coaching founders in sales and marketing, and describes how he strives to focus on the right things. T … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 7 months ago

Episode 719 | How to Test Pricing, Lifetime Deals, and Building Something for Everyone (A Rob Solo Adventure)

n episode 719, join Rob Walling as he embarks on another solo adventure, tackling listener questions. He discusses how to test pricing, addresses the pitfalls of one-time payments vs. SaaS, and he reflects on “building something for everyone.” He wraps up with advice on making be … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 7 months ago

Episode 718 | When to Give Up, Open Source Competition, Painful Features, and More (with Derrick Reimer)

In episode 718, Rob Walling and Derrick Reimer tackle listener questions about giving up on ideas, competing in crowded markets, and developing painful features. They also chat about SavvyCal’s recent design refresh, finding founder-market fit, and whether Derrick has retired fro … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 7 months ago

Episode 717 | Bootstrapping to $1.3M ARR and 300,000 Free Users

In episode 717, Rob Walling interviews Marie Martin, co-founder of Tally. They discuss the company’s journey to $1.3M ARR and the unusual pricing strategy that got them there. Marie details how they keep their support volume low, how they differentiate Tally from other form build … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 8 months ago

Episode 716 | Positioning Against Incumbents, Changing Your H1, How Tech Stack Affects Valuation, and More Listener Questions

In episode 716, join Rob Walling for another solo adventure where he answers listener questions. He shares how he would position against incumbents, when to change an H1, and how choosing a tech stack affects your business valuation. Rob also weighs whether to skip a “Step 1” or … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 8 months ago

Episode 715 | Best Uses of the Internet, a Book about Selling Your Company, and a Circus Show

In episode 715, Rob Walling is joined by Dr. Sherry Walling to discuss a variety of topics. They chat about two recent and meaningful interactions made possible by the Internet, the motivations behind organizing and performing a circus show, and they chat about upcoming launches … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 8 months ago

Episode 714 | TRM not TAM, Acquiring a Competitor, and Finding a Developer Co-founder (A Rob Solo Adventure)

In episode 714, join Rob Walling for another solo adventure where he answers listener questions. He talks about what to expect when acquiring a competitor and how he might integrate their business. Rob also covers navigating HIPAA compliance as a bootstrapper, how to find a devel … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 8 months ago

Episode 713 | Our Top 5 Takeaways from MicroConf US 2024 (with Arvid Kahl)

In episode 713, Rob Walling is joined by Arvid Kahl to share their experience from MicroConf US 2024 in Atlanta. They each discuss their top 5 moments, ranging from Dr. Sherry Walling’s talk on motivation to Ben Chestnut’s chat with Rob onstage. They agree that there’s nothing qu … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 9 months ago

Episode 712 | Revisiting Burnout + Updates on My Progress in 2024 (A Rob Solo Adventure)

In episode 712, join Rob Walling for another solo adventure. He starts by revisiting past predictions and provides an update on how he successfully staved off full burnout. Rob then gives updates on this podcast, the progress of TinySeed and MicroConf, and teases two new books th … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 9 months ago

Episode 711 | Finding Early Customers, Horizontal vs. Vertical, Prosumer SaaS, and More Listener Questions (with Ruben Gamez)

In episode 711, join Rob Walling and Ruben Gamez as they answer listener questions. They chat about finding early customers without an audience, how to approach horizontal vs. vertical product spinoffs, and some considerations for No Code development. They also discuss the challe … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 9 months ago

Episode 710 | Is Coding Dead?, The "Right" Tech Stack, Funded Competition, and More Listener Questions

In episode 710, join Rob Walling for another solo adventure where he answers listener questions. He answers whether you need a burning passion to be successful in entrepreneurship, and how that relates to developing a product alongside a day job. Rob also discusses competing agai … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 9 months ago

Episode 709 | The 7 Greatest Investments of My Life

In episode 709, join Rob Walling for a solo adventure as he shares his story of growing his personal wealth over the past few decades. Selling companies was the major driver of wealth, but he also explores the role of cryptocurrency, running profitable companies, and angel invest … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 9 months ago

Episode 708 | Outsourcing Marketing, Competitive Markets, and More Listener Questions (with Derrick Reimer)

In episode 708, Rob Walling and Derrick Reimer tackle listener questions about building development skills vs. business skills and strategies for entering competitive markets. They also chat about building on top of AI services, addressing the risks of platform dependency and the … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 10 months ago

Episode 707 | Once.com, Open Source to FT Income, and More (Hot Take Tuesday)

In episode 707, Rob Walling, alongside guests Tracy Osborn and Einar Vollset, give their hot takes on some recent news in the world of SaaS. They discuss Once.com’s launch, liquidation preference nuances in startup buyouts, with moving from open source to full time income and mor … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 10 months ago