@Kitze, a Serial indie hacker and entrepreneur, shares his journey through a landscape filled with multiple projects like Sizzy, a browser for developers, Benji, a productivity app, and a comprehensive full-stack video course. Kitze opens up about how his ADHD diagnosis has shaped his work ethic and productivity, revealing the personal motivations behind creating tools like Benji. True indie hacker fashion: he built a tool that he needed for himself. And that kickstarted a lot of other things. H...
Jul 03, 2024•45 min
What happens when the 'small bets' strategy leads to a big win, and you're not prepared for it? Well, you adapt! So that's what I'm working on this week: figuring out a way forward now that circumstances have shifted. This episode is sponsored by Podscan.fm The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/beyond-small-bets-embracing-the-big-play/ The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/332-beyond-small-bets-embracing-the-big-play Check out Podscan to get alerts when you're mentioned on pod...
Jun 28, 2024•11 min
Geoff Roberts (@GeoffTRoberts) is the co-founder of Outseta, and he's halfway there, 7 years in. Outseta —the SaaS starter kit and the business behind it— is built and operated on a multi-decade timeline, and it's not been easy to achieve profitability. Geoff shares the ups and downs of a long and painful story; what it means to think and operate both in the here and now as well as focusing on the birds-eye view when it comes to bootstrapping a SaaS business. We also dive into Outseta's choose-y...
Jun 26, 2024•36 min
This week was a duality of extremes for me. On one hand, I experienced an unprecedented growth spurt in my user numbers, while on the other hand, I stumbled into frustrating scarcity and infrastructure problems. That’s entrepreneurship for you: big wins while struggling to not lose control of the whole thing. The juxtaposition of these two experiences in a single week was both challenging and enlightening. Today, I want to share the story of navigating the good and the bad simultaneously. This e...
Jun 21, 2024•26 min
Generative AI used to be for early adopters. But now, Apple is bringing it to every iPhone. What does this mean for indie founders? This episode is sponsored by Acquire.com The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/ai-for-the-rest-of-us/ The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/329-ai-for-the-rest-of-us Check out Podscan to get alerts when you're mentioned on podcasts: https://podscan.fm Send me a voicemail on Podline: https://podline.fm/arvid You'll find my weekly article on my blog...
Jun 14, 2024•26 min
A few months ago, I raised a low 6-figure investment for Podscan. Here's the conversation between me and my investor, @tylertringas, that happened just before I signed the contract. You usually don't get to listen in for one of those. Today, you will. Tyler and I discuss how the Calm Company Fund navigates the alignment challenge between founders and investors, what makes a business like Podscan investable, and the risks of funding a portfolio of niche bootstrapped businesses. Tyler on X: https:...
Jun 12, 2024•55 min
This week, I almost lost access to my database, including all its backups. Also, a full-text index brought down my product. Neither were intended —obviously—, but both made me revisit my safety precautions and how I approach depending on platforms like AWS. Here's what happened, how I got out of there, and what there is to prevent this in the future. This episode is sponsored by Acquire.com The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/two-surprisingly-scary-tales-of-platform-risk/ The podca...
Jun 07, 2024•16 min
Zeno Rocha (@zenorocha) went through YC to build Resend, yet he still acts and thinks like a bootstrapper. In a world of polarized opinions about venture funding and not raising money, Zeno is both "one of us" and "one of them" — for both sides! Today, we talk about overcoming purism and embracing pragmatic entrepreneurship, starting with picking a niche Zeno truly understands: developers. We dive into how he's building an email platform that makes email fun again, what unexpected challenges a d...
Jun 05, 2024•41 min
"Everyone and their mother are talking about AI. Every founder releases their 500th GPT wrapper." "AI is all hype, no substance." Or is it? What if our collective perspective is really skewed, and our gathering places are to blame? Here's my take on why indie hackers have a dangerously biased view on what AI businesses are and should look like. This episode is sponsored by Acquire.com The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/indie-hackers-myopic-view-of-ai/ The podcast episode: https://...
May 31, 2024•15 min
Tim Schumacher (@TimSchu) , the mastermind behind SEDO and Adblock Plus, now leads the SaaS Group to new heights. With $60 million ARR, 20 thriving businesses, and 300 employees, Tim shares his incredible journey from a coder to an influential entrepreneur in scaling businesses. From his strategic focus on developer and online marketing tools to his forward-thinking perspective on the role of AI in reshaping the industry, we dive deep into the bootstrapping mindset and how it empowers founders t...
May 29, 2024•38 min
Today, you get a glimpse into an ongoing marketing experiment for Podscan.fm. What if I can frontload value for my future customers even before they sign up? Here's why I chose to create a Dream Customer List and how it will help me jumpstart customer acquisition. This episode is sponsored by Acquire.com The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/the-power-of-the-dream-customer-list The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/323-the-power-of-the-dream-customer-list Check out Podscan to ...
May 24, 2024•16 min
Noah Kagan (@noahkagan) has made AppSumo a massive success — and he's spilling the beans on how to launch, build, and grow a successful software business. Noah likes to keep things weird, and our conversation is proof of that: from Taco T-shirts to failing at entrepreneurship, we walk through the ups and down of a wild and intriguing founder journey. If you're looking for guidance that actually helps you find your footing, Noah's your man. 00:00:00 Lessons From Noah Kagan's Entrepreneurial Journ...
May 22, 2024•46 min
It started as a normal day — but then things started going wrong. And my stress levels rose. But I recently learned how to use that to my advantage. Here's how I wrangled with a SaaS founder's worst nightmare, what happened, and how I turned the tables. This episode is sponsored by Acquire.com The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/unexpected-downtime-stress-as-enhancement-vs-stress-as-panic The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/321-unexpected-downtime-stress-as-enhancement-vs-...
May 17, 2024•22 min
Dr. Jessica Gold (@blissscience) helps founders live an intentional and passionate life — which ultimately impacts their entrepreneurial success. She wants to put intentional self-care back on the map in a field obsessed with productivity and tracking metrics. In our conversation, we dive deep into vulnerable places: from romance, passion, and love to dealing with stressful interpersonal conflicts. Dr. Jessica exposes the do-it-(for)-yourself frameworks that can help founders to stay level-heade...
May 15, 2024•43 min
Earlier this week, I finally found time to work on a large code change. When I deployed it, things got worse quickly. Here's what happened, why it happened, and how this changed my approach to working on a complicated software project. One thing became apparent: while it may look like a waste of time to build something and revert back to "yesterday's version", I got massively interesting insights into my product and my process along the way. So today, we'll talk about setbacks, getting back up a...
May 10, 2024•20 min
Louie Bacaj ( @LBacaj ), once a Walmart engineer, made a bold career shift into the unpredictable world of venture capitalism and entrepreneurship. Now a co-leader of a thriving community for bootstrapped entrepreneurs, Louie reveals how the 'small bets' philosophy guides individuals toward financial freedom and fulfillment. Together with Daniel Vassallo, he has created a unique space that thrives on exclusivity and practicality, challenging the traditional go-big-or-go-home mentality. Reflectin...
May 08, 2024•40 min
It's been two months of running Podscan at full speed. Have I spent 6 figures of money yet? Well, you'll see in this week's update :) This episode is sponsored by Acquire.com The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podscan-2-months-and-1k-mrr-in/ The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/317-podscan-2-months-and-1k-mrr-in Check out Podscan to get alerts when you're mentioned on podcasts: https://podscan.fm Send me a voicemail on Podline: https://podline.fm/arvid You'll find my weekl...
May 03, 2024•21 min
Marybeth Alexander is the Chief Executive Owl at KnowledgeOwl, a SaaS that focuses on providing the most impactful knowledgebase you could possibly have. We talk about using knowledge management systems outside their "usual" domain of customer service: Marybeth teaches how you can employ a KB for marketing, sales, and even internal documentation purposes. We also tackle the topic of AI in knowledge management, how extremely simple pricing can be a growth lever, and we dive into the sustainabilit...
May 01, 2024•52 min
I went to MicroConf 2024 in Atlanta — here is what I learned. Literally. My brain just absorbed this. I recorded this episode minutes after waking up the day after the conference. And if you're wondering why my voice is so deep: I've been yelling SaaS stuff at nerds for 3 days straight. Enjoy. This episode is sponsored by Acquire.com The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/microconf-atlanta-my-biggest-learnings/ The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/315-microconf-atlanta-my-bigg...
Apr 26, 2024•19 min
Nicolai Klemke (@nicolaiklemke ) is an Indie Hacker with a PhD in Physics. Talk about a career change! Nicolai shares his founder journey from learning how to code to making waves in the music industry. We chat about carving out a niche in the bustling AI market, honing in on a customer segment that has a need (and a budget!), and building a team to turn a hobby into a profitable business. Nicolai on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicolaiklemke 00:00:00 Indie Hacker Journey to AI Product 00:11:15 ...
Apr 24, 2024•49 min
When you sell access to an API, what should you keep in mind? How would you protect your data but still make it easy to use? What product and legal repercussions does this all have? Those are questions I asked myself this week. And today, you get to listen to the process of exploring them and the answers I found. This episode is sponsored by Acquire.com The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/challenges-of-offering-an-api/ The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/313-challenges-of-...
Apr 19, 2024•24 min
Aaron Francis (@aarondfrancis) lost his job and gained a new outlook on life — or rather, he stepped into entrepreneurship for good. Aaron weighed his options, found old friends who were ready for new adventures and finally took the plunge that his supportive audience wanted to see him take. Building his platform in public got him here. The skills he developed along the way keep the customers coming. So, where will this journey take him? Aaron will share his approach, his fears, his hopes, and h...
Apr 17, 2024•49 min
This week, I share my journey to finding Ideal Customer Profile — live on air. In this episode, I share my framework for determining who I will build for, market to, and sell to. I have a few candidate, and I work through my steps to find the right one for Podscan.fm. This episode is sponsored by Acquire.com The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/finding-my-ideal-customer-profile/ The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/311-finding-my-ideal-customer-profile Check out Podscan to g...
Apr 12, 2024•20 min
Jessica Malnik (@jessicamalnik) deeply understands how remote work has changed the world of marketing and running a business. And fortunately, she's sharing her knowledge. In fact, we talk a lot about how to communicate right: with your customers, with your market, and even with your globally distributed remote employees. From preventing coworker burnout to customer engagement strategies and hiring for fractional roles, Jessica shares her valuable insights. And if you ever wondered how an introv...
Apr 10, 2024•46 min
Big news! Podscan.fm , my B2B SaaS that alerts you when your keywords or topics are mentioned in any podcast anywhere, has received bootstrapper-aligned funding from Calm Company Fund. Booya! I share why I, ever the solopreneur bootstrapper, said yes to venture money, what that enables, what risks I see, and just exactly how this kind of non-crazy funding works. Calm Company SEAL: https://calmfund.com/shared-earnings-agreement Calm Company 5-year learnings: https://calmfund.com/writing/five-year...
Apr 05, 2024•27 min
Mike Taylor ( @hammer_mt ) literally wrote the book on Prompt Engineering. He paints a vivid picture of a future where generative AI could make our traditional databases look like ancient relics, and the role of developers shifts dramatically. Instead of crafting code, they could be steering the helm of AI-generated software, potentially dealing with the whims of a virtual 'petulant child.' Our chat pushes us to ponder the changing value of code and the skills that will matter in the face of tec...
Apr 03, 2024•57 min
I’m a pretty okay developer, but when it comes to marketing and sales, I really need help. And for the longest time, I’ve held myself back. That ends today. My current SaaS business, Podscan, is at a point where some very important decisions need to be made. I’ve got something quite big in the works, and I’ll be talking about this next week in much more detail, but it made me think about the long-term needs a business like mine has, how I can personally fulfill them, and where I have skill gaps ...
Mar 29, 2024•20 min
Johannes Radig (@joradig) runs a SaaS from the Canary Islands — the most recent stop on a globe-spanning digital nomad trip. Johannes and I chat about building a software business for agencies, how hard it is to find just the right prices, and what traditional marketing efforts can do for indie hackers. We dive into Leadsie, the social media onboarding SaaS he co-founded, and how it is built as a calm and profitable business. Also, we both grew up in the same city. And now we live on opposites s...
Mar 27, 2024•54 min
“If this tech keeps developing as fast as it does right now, will I ever be able to catch up?” is a question on my mind and the minds of many founders I’ve been talking to recently. So, what about AI should we focus on? Where will this tech slow down, where will it speed up even more, and what should we focus on for our businesses? This episode is sponsored by Acquire.com The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/ai-hype-the-straight-line-bias-and-the-fear-of-not-keeping-up/ The podcast ...
Mar 22, 2024•22 min
Tyler Tringas (@tylertringas) invests in bootstrapped businesses. Wait… Aren't those supposed to NOT take investment money? What's going on here? Alignment is what's going on. Where traditional VC's often have very different goals from founders, funds like Tyler's Calm Company Fund focus on helping niche software businesses that don't chase hypergrowth. Instead, Tyler supports those who want to build calm and profitable ventures. You know, the regular kind of business. The one that focuses on ma...
Mar 20, 2024•1 hr 1 min
