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 | 2 days 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 | 9 days 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 | 16 days 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 | 23 days 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 | 1 month 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 | 1 month 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 | 1 month 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 | 1 month 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 | 1 month 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 | 2 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 | 2 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 | 2 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 | 2 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 | 3 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 | 3 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 | 3 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 | 3 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 | 4 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 | 4 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 | 4 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 | 4 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 | 4 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 | 5 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 | 5 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 | 5 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 | 5 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 | 6 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 | 6 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 | 6 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 | 6 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 | 7 months ago

Episode 706.5 | Rethinking My Most Common Advice

In episode 706.5, join Rob Walling as he reconsiders some of his most common advice. He explores why lowering prices might make sense and discusses the benefits of a B2C business model. Rob also walks back his prior advice on bootstrapping two-sided marketplaces and launching mul … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 7 months ago

Episode 706.1 | MicroConf US Tickets Will Sell Out Soon!

MicroConf US in Atlanta is here in just a couple weeks, and this is your last call to buy tickets. We've sold more than 90% of the tickets, and we will sell this event out as we have for many years. The event is April 21st through the 23rd in Atlanta, Georgia at the amazing Starl … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 7 months ago

Episode 706 | 2/20/200 Validation, Prior Art, and Designing by Committee (A Rob Solo Adventure)

In episode 706, join Rob Walling for a solo adventure where he discusses a variety of topics. He starts with why it’s important to both consider and credit “prior art” in business. Rob outlines his 2/20/200 idea validation framework used to repeatedly evaluate ideas. He also cove … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 7 months ago

Episode 705 | From Bootstrapped to Mostly Bootstrapped

In episode 705, Rob Walling interviews Braden Dennis, co-founder and CEO of FinChat. They discuss Braden’s journey going from fully bootstrapped, all the way to taking venture capital as FinChat scaled. Braden shares his experience in initially launching to an audience, how they … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 7 months ago

Episode 704 | Landing Pages, Buying a SaaS, the Right Tech Stack, and More Listener Questions

In episode 704, join Rob Walling for another solo adventure where he answers listener questions. He weighs in on buying a SaaS, how to validate ideas using landing pages, and what tech stack to choose. Rob also provides guidance for those considering leaving their comfortable day … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 7 months ago

Episode 703 | The Accidental SaaS Entrepreneur

In episode 703, Rob Walling interviews Jordan Hansen, founder of Cobalt Intelligence. They dive into Jordan's unexpected journey into SaaS and the growth of his company, which specializes in business verification through API. Jordan reflects on quitting his job to pursue his star … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 8 months ago

Episode 702 | Revenue vs. Profit Multiples, When to Lower Prices, and More Listener Questions

In episode 702, join Rob Walling for another solo adventure where he answers listener questions. He answers how to introduce friends to bootstrapping, when to lower your prices, and addresses the difference in revenue and profit multiple valuations. Rob also offers advice when we … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 8 months ago

Episode 701 | The Long Journey to Product-Market Fit

In episode 701, Rob Walling interviews Matt Wensing, founder of Summit, a SaaS platform for lead scoring and qualification. Matt shares insights on finding product-market fit, the importance of following customer workflows to get there, and the challenges of marketing and positio … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 8 months ago

Episode 700 | Playing the Long Game

In episode 700, Rob goes solo to celebrate another milestone of Startups For the Rest of Us. He reflects on playing the long game and doing so publicly enough to create larger luck surface area. He also emphasizes building skills in the process, and highlights several founders wh … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 8 months ago

Episode 699 | How to Build Elegant, Scalable Software Products with Derrick Reimer

In episode 699, Rob Walling chats with fan favorite Derrick Reimer, the founder of SavvyCal, about scaling products tastefully. Derrick offers his perspective on maintaining a tidy UX and deciding which features to implement. They also cover best practices for maintaining knowled … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 8 months ago

Episode 698 | How to Launch a Million Dollar Business (With Noah Kagan)

In episode 698, Rob Walling interviews Noah Kagan, CEO of AppSumo. They discuss the importance of eliminating distractions, cover strategies that led to growth in Noah’s businesses, and share insights from growing YouTube channels. Noah also shares why he decided to write his new … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 9 months ago

Episode 697 | 7 Predictions for SaaS Bootstrappers in 2024

In episode 697, join Rob Walling for a solo adventure where he makes predictions for SaaS in 2024. His predictions focus on Vertical SaaS, emerging markets, the professionalization of No-Code, subscription fatigue,  AI and more. At the end of the episode, he evaluates predictions … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 9 months ago

Episode 696 | The Truth about Product-Market Fit + Doing Sales as an Introvert (With Ruben Gamez)

In episode 696, Rob Walling and Ruben Gamez cover a variety of topics. They discuss how product market fit is achieved across customer segments and use cases, not simply broadly. Ruben shares how he approaches effective decision making and sales as an introvert. They wrap up by s … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 9 months ago

Episode 695 | Ideal Customers, Moving from B2C to B2B, and More Listener Questions (with Asia Orangio)

In episode 695, Rob Walling and Asia Orangio answer listener questions. They take questions about ideal target customers, moving from B2C to B2B, and how to advertise for a product in a new space. They wrap up discussing the challenges of making freemium work while bootstrapping. … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 9 months ago

Episode 694 | 2023 In Review: Amazing Growth & Fighting Burnout

In episode 694, join Rob Walling as he recaps 2023. He reflects on growing TinySeed, MicroConf, the YouTube channel and this podcast. Rob also addresses his struggle with "arrival fallacy" and the continuous journey of success. Alongside the growth, he describes seeing burnout on … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 10 months ago

Episode 693 | Building a Mid-Six-Figure SaaS in Less Than 3 Years

In episode 693, Rob Walling interviews Grant McConnaughey, founder of Postpone, a social media scheduling tool. They discuss the app's growth from inception to mid six figures, early growth tactics, a successful price increase, and platform risks with Reddit and Twitter. Grant al … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 10 months ago

Episode 692 | Learn the Rules Like a Pro So You Can Break Them Like an Artist (A Rob Solo Adventure)

In episode 692, join Rob Walling for a solo adventure where he addresses a variety of topics. He stresses revisiting your onboarding to evaluate your product’s “minimum path to awesome” and warns of conducting “mirror research” instead of market research. Rob also tackles why bei … | Continue reading


@startupsfortherestofus.com | 10 months ago