Shows
The Dirt on FlowersEP 171: Transform Your Marketing with Expert Tips from Channing Muller Lyndsay and Shannon discuss marketing strategies for small businesses with Channing Muller, an award-winning marketing consultant and founder of DCM Communications. They explore the importance of keeping marketing efforts fresh and consistent without feeling overwhelmed. Channing shares insights on differentiating marketing from advertising, identifying ideal clients, and choosing the right social media platforms. The episode aims to equip small business owners, particularly in the farming and floral sectors, with actionable strategies to enhance their marketing efforts and drive sales.Learn more about our guest Channing Muller by visiting her Instagram , Website and FacebookIf you’re...2025-05-091h 09
15 Minute Founder014 - Channing Allen15-Minute Founder Presented by doola: Channing Allen is the co-founder of Indie Hackers, where he helps share the stories, business ideas, strategies, and revenue numbers from the founders of profitable online businesses. Originally started in 2016, Indie Hackers would go on to be acquired by Stripe in 2017. Then in 2023, Channing and his co-founder spun Indie Hackers out of Stripe to return to their roots as a truly indie business.#15MinuteFounderTIMESTAMPS:00:36 What is an Indie Hacker?01:29 Starting From Scratch03:13 Acquisition by Stripe05:15 Monetizing Media2024-10-0114 min
The Bootstrapped Founder268: Channing Allen — Myths and Realities of the Indie Hacking SceneChanning Allen (@channingallen) is the co-founder of Indie Hackers. Today, Channing and I uncover the secrets of thriving in the indie hacking scene from someone who is wrangling thousands of Indie Hackers every day. We delve into intriguing discussions that debunk the myth of the 'death of indie hacking' and guide you through the complexities of building a robust community where collaboration and competition coexist. Learn how constraints can inspire creative problem-solving, and the effects of social media on authentic communication. Discover the impact of minimalism and maximalism on indie hacking, and the choices Channing and his co-founder (and...2023-11-151h 15
Indie Hackers#283 – Making $8k/mo Targeting $100M/yr with Lukas and Liz Hermann of StageTimer.ioLukas (@_lhermann) and Liz Hermann (@lizmhermann) talk having ambition as an indie hacker, scratching other people's itches, having kids or spouses to help run your empire, making $8k/month from a simple idea, and charting a course to $100M/yr with (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2023-06-1549 minIndie Hackers#282 – Media vs Tech, Twitter Monsters, and Making Millions From Content with Steph Smith of a16zSteph Smith (@stephsmithio) talks making millions in content subscriptions, working at a16z, putting the AI genie back in the bottle, thread boys on Twitter, educational vs entertainment podcasts, and media companies that monetize aspiring entrepreneurs with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2023-06-031h 04Indie Hackers#281 – Seth Godin on Indie Hacking, Doing Hard Things, and Finding Significance in a Changing WorldSeth Godin (@ThisIsSethsBlog) talks indie hacking, finding new business ideas, meaningful jobs vs mechanized jobs, dealing with internet trolls, his secrets to productivity, freelancing vs bootstrapping, writing 9000 blog posts in 20 years, and finding significance in a changing world with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2023-05-2549 minIndie Hackers#280 – Replacing Yourself as CEO, Living on a Boat, and Crowdfunding to Survive with Alex MacCaw of ReflectAlex MacCaw (@maccaw) talks living on a boat, quitting his own 7-figure company, starting over with a lifestyle business, whether free will exists, crowdfunding from your own customers, and gaining a foothold in a crowded market with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2023-05-2052 minIndie Hackers#279 – Staying Indie vs Raising VC, Getting an MBA, and Disrupting the App Store with Emma Lawler of VelvetEmma Lawler (@emmaryanlawler) talks whether crypto is dead, VC vs bootstrapping, getting an MBA after a successful exit, why NYC beats SF, trading sleep for work, whether capitalism leads to perverse incentives, and how she plans to disrupt the App Store with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2023-05-121h 00Indie Hackers#278 – Growing a Portfolio of AI Products Past $300k After a 7-Figure Exit with Danny PostmaDanny Postma (@dannypostmaa) talks his rivalry with Pieter Levels, selling his AI startup, using SEO as a moat, how to be an AI first-mover, why he’s not allowed to use ChatGPT, and passing $300k in revenue with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2023-05-0553 min
Startups For the Rest of UsEpisode 659 | Indie Hackers' Newfound Independence + The SaaS Playbook with Courtland and ChanningIn episode 659, Rob Walling speaks with Courtland Allen and Channing Allen, the co-founders of Indie Hackers, to talk about their newfound independence since they are no longer owned by Stripe.
For the first half of the episode, they turn the tables and interview Rob about his new book, The SaaS Playbook.
They also share a bunch of theories about entrepreneurship and investing.
Topics we cover:
4:46 - About Rob’s new book - The SaaS Playbook
6:47 - Why did Rob hire a writing coach?
12:35 - Rob’s decision to launch a Kickstarter for his...2023-05-021h 10Indie Hackers#277 – Addictive Products, Embracing A.I., and Crossing $26k/mo with Lane Wagner of Boot.devLane Wagner (@wagslane) talks hitting $26k/mo in revenue, why A.I. disruption is a good thing, the ethics of addictive products, surviving after a first year of no traction, why most business writing sucks, and how to grow revenue by making your product smaller with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2023-04-2758 minIndie Hackers#276 – SaaS Trends, Crowdfunding a Book, and Life After Success with Rob Walling of TinySeedRob Walling (@robwalling) talks his new playbook on SaaS, why he launched on Kickstarter, the latest startup trends, how to have a winning mindset, and whether we should build a Kickstarter for Indie Hackers with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2023-04-201h 02Indie Hackers#275 – Love, Cohort-Based Courses, and Monetization Frameworks with Wes Kao of MavenWes Kao (@wes_kao) talks disrupting traditional education, what it's like to raise $25M, how to stay motivated as a founder, why cohorts are the gold standard of online learning, and how to apply the science of love to product-founder fit with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2023-04-1358 minIndie Hackers#274 – Indie Hackers is indie again!Indie Hackers is no longer a part of Stripe! Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen) talk about their history at Stripe, the process of spinning out the company, and future ideas for how to generate revenue now that they're indie hackers themselves starting at $0.2023-04-071h 00Indie Hackers#273 – The Threat of A.I., Building in Public vs Transparency, and Code vs No-Code with KPKP (@thisiskp_) talks about why building in public beats mere transparency, whether AI will be the end of no-code, why he's made more money from organizing community than anything else, and how he went from a 9-to-5 job to being a founder with multiple exits with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2023-03-291h 04Indie Hackers#272 – Escape Rooms, Side Project Marketing, and Getting to Ramen Profitable with Marc Lou of Habits GardenMarc Lou (@marc_louvion) talks living in Bali with a private chef, monetizing habit trackers, first date ideas, growing on Twitter, and building over 10 products in a year to finally reach ramen profitability with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2023-03-2252 minIndie Hackers#271 – Gamification, Digital Nomading, and Growing Sales to $41k/mo with Stas Kulesh of KarmaStas Kulesh (@stas_kulesh) talks about building internal tools as a great hack, why it takes 10 years to understand a new country, the challenging secret of enterprise sales, and slowly growing a SaaS business to $40k/month with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2023-03-1549 minIndie Hackers#270 – Exiting for Millions in Under a Year with Shaan Puri and Ben Levy of The Milk RoadShaan Puri (@ShaanVP) and Ben Levy (@benmlevy) talk making it big as a content creator, choosing the right business idea, creative ways to monetize, big boy vs small boy stuff, making friends as an adult, growing a newsletter brand, and exiting for millions in under a year with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2023-03-011h 07Indie Hackers#269 – Bouncing Back from Failure to Bootstrap Past $2M/Year with Josh Ho of Referral RockJosh Ho (@jlogic) talks raising kids, automating word-of-mouth growth, bouncing back from a previous failed business, and bootstrapping beyond $2M in annual revenue with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2023-02-221h 01Indie Hackers#268 – Trading Stocks, Quitting Amazon, and Making $20k/Month with Yahia Bakour of Stock AlarmYahia Bakour (@mynameisyahia) talks trading stocks, quitting a $250k/year job at Amazon to become an indie hacker, how to join an existing project as a late cofounder, marketing via SEO, being a night owl vs an early bird, and bootstrapping his revenue to $20k/month with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2023-02-1547 minIndie Hackers#267 – The Path to $3M in 3 Years as a Solopreneur with Justin WelshJustin Welsh (@thejustinwelsh) talks setting a high bar for yourself, releasing products without knowing how to code, growing on social media (esp. LinkedIn), selling courses, dealing with burnout, and growing his solopreneur empire to $3M in 3 years with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2023-02-0854 minIndie Hackers#266 – Lessons Learned Building a $37k/mo Business in 2.5 Years with Mat De Sousa of WideBundleMat De Sousa (@DsMatie) talks having million-dollar ambitions as a child, learning from numerous failed startups, why Shopify apps are great for indie hackers, the proper way to find a business idea, and growing from $0 to $37k/mo in 2.5 years with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2023-01-2538 min
Built to Sell RadioEp 366 The Inside Story of Stripe’s Acquisition of Indie Hackers with Co-Founder Channing AllenIn 2016 Channing Allen and his brother Courtland founded Indie Hackers, a blog and forum that encourages founders to transparently share their ideas and stories. After only eight months, the brothers had grown the business to $8,000 in revenue when they received an unexpected email from Patrick Collison (co-founder and CEO of Stripe), who was looking to acquire the company. Although tempted to keep building, Stripe’s offer was too good to refuse. The brothers agreed to be acquired by Stripe in March 2017.2022-12-021h 15Indie Hackers#265 – From Full-Time Job to $30k/Month with Damon Chen of TestimonialDamon Chen (@damengchen) talks failed side projects, validating your idea, charging higher prices than is comfortable, what makes for a good website testimonial, and growing a bootstrapped startup to $30k/mo with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2022-11-2340 minIndie Hackers#264 – Growing a 2-Person Business to $80k/Month with Eric Turner of Japan DevEric Turner (@_etdev) talks living in Japan as a foreigner and visiting Japan as a tourist, finding inspiration to start as an indie hacker, picking a lucrative market, and shares some tips growing a job board with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2022-10-3156 minIndie Hackers#263 – Starting a Profitable Business After a Life-Changing Exit with Laura Roeder of PaperbellLaura Roeder (@lkr) talks life coaching, starting multiple successful businesses (and selling one for millions), early growth via SEO, and designing a company to align with your lifestyle with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2022-10-1957 minIndie Hackers#262 – Bootstrapping to $100,000/mo in a Crowded Market with Marko Saric of PlausibleMarko Saric (@markosaric) talks living in Brussels, things he learned working in marketing, joining an existing project as a late co-founder, succeeding on Hacker News, surviving against a behemoth competitor, and learnings from bootstrapping an open-source project to over $1.2M in annual revenue with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2022-10-121h 03Indie Hackers#261 – Self-Funding, Pivoting to a Better Idea, and Growing Beyond $10M with Kapil Kale of TremendousKapil Kale (@kapil) talks AI-generated art, going through YC, buying out his investors to own 100% of the company, pivoting from an okay idea to a great idea, and growing a profitable business to 8-figures in annual revenue with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2022-09-2959 minIndie Hackers#260 – Growing Multiple Products to $18k/mo Revenue with Tony DinhTony Dinh (@tdinh_me) talks growing up in Vietnam, quitting his job working for the man, failed vs successful side projects, growing via Twitter, and managing multiple projects that add up to $18,000 in monthly revenue with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2022-09-211h 07Indie Hackers#259 – Dating, Hollow Abstractions, and Making Millions of Dollars with Liron Shapira of Relationship HeroLiron Shapira (@liron) talks relationship and dating advice, building a coaching business, marketing via Facebook groups, and growing his revenue to millions of dollars with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2022-09-1552 minIndie Hackers#258 – From $0 to $36k/Month in a Year with Dashiell Bark-Huss of WishTenderDashiell Bark-Huss (@DashBarkHuss) talks quitting the fashion industry, living in a van, learning to code, selling to sex workers, lucid dreaming, and growing her first-ever startup to $36k/mo with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen).2022-09-0846 minIndie Hackers#256 – Debate: Elon Musk, Billionaires, Ethics, and Role Models with Sahil Lavingia and Justin JacksonSahil Lavingia (@shl) and Justin Jackson (@mijustin) join Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen) for a special debate-style episode. It's four dudes talking about Elon Musk. What could go wrong?Follow Sahil on Twitter: https://twitter.com/shlCheck out Gumroad: https://gumroad.com/Follow Justin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mijustinCheck out Transistor.fm: https://transistor.fm/2022-06-151h 07Indie Hackers#255 – The Drive to Make Money, Defining Life Principles, and Courtland Wins $10k from Vincent Woo of CoderpadVincent Woo (@fulligin) sold his company for tens of millions of dollars. He joins the pod to talk to Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen) about advice for fledgling indie hackers trying to make money, the purpose of business, defining principles for one's life, and why he shouldn't have to pay Courtland for a $10,000 bet he lost.2022-05-2755 minIndie Hackers#254 – Getting Rich, Designing Your Life Afterwards, and Risk Management with Arvid Kahl and Daniel VassalloDaniel Vassallo (@dvassallo) and Arvid Kahl (@arvidkahl) have both already made it as indie hackers. They join Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen) to discuss making money as an indie hacker, designing your life after you reach financial freedom, avoiding risk, mitigating inflation, and whether or not college is worth it.Related episodes:#212 – Actionable Steps for Building the Right Business with Arvid Kahl#177 – Mastering the Lifestyle-First Approach to Indie Hacking with Daniel Vassallo#140 – Vital Learnings from Bootstrapping and Selling a $55k a Month Business with Arvid Kahl of FeedbackPanda2022-05-2240 minIndie Hackers#253 – Mother’s Day, Unscrupulous Cofounders, and Why You Should Never RetireLong-time listener, first-time guest — Courtland (@csallen) and Channing's (@ChanningAllen) mom, Eva, joins the pod to talk raising twins, buying gifts, selling computer parts, co-founder theft, an Indie Hackers quiz for moms, and why you should never retire.2022-05-1136 minIndie Hackers#250 – Italy, COVID, Indie Creators, and our A.I. Future with Channing Allen of Indie HackersMy twin brother Channing (@ChanningAllen) joins the show for the first time, for a casual chat about our recent trip to Italy, the best and worst parts of getting COVID, the future of media companies and indie creators, and DALL-E 2 and the future of AI.2022-04-2324 min
Allen At The MoviesEpisode 122: DogA story of Channing Tatum and a dog. That's really all there is to this movie. You like dogs? You like Channing Tatum? Well boy howdy do I have the movie for you!2022-02-1813 minIndie HackersRun With It: Courtland Allen Shares 3 Ideas for Indie Hackers to Build a Profitable BusinessI hopped on the Run With It podcast with Chris and Eathan to share 3 business ideas for indie hackers to run with in 2021. Two are brand new, and one was inspired by my recent episode on bundling with Tyler King. Subscribe to Run With It: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/run-with-it-business-ideas-from-successful-entrepreneurs/id14771335362021-01-0851 minIndie Hackers#185 – How Courtland Allen Built Indie Hackers, with Ben and David from AcquiredI've been procrastinating sharing my own story on the Indie Hackers podcast for years now. But when Ben and David (the co-hosts of the Acquired podcast) asked if they could interview me, it was impossible to put it off any longer. They're among the best podcast storytellers I know, so before you do anything, search for "Acquired" in your podcast player and subscribe to their excellent show! In this episode, Ben and David walk through my entire startup history, including my early childhood and college years. We talk about the creation of Indie Hackers, how I got it off...2020-12-171h 40Indie Hackers#169 – Thinking One Step Ahead to Grow Your Business through PR with Dmitry Dragilev of JustReachOut.ioJust because you built it doesn't mean people will come. And just because you got press for it doesn't mean the people who came will stay. As the founder of PR startup JustReachOut.io, Dmitry Dragilev (@dragilev) knows these lessons well. With his website, Dmitry helps early stage founders not only get PR wins, but capitalize on the gains for the long term. In this episode, Dmitry shares his knowledge of the most important things to do (and avoid) in your quest for press as a startup founder.2020-08-111h 05Indie Hackers#168 – Grinding It Out to Build a Million-Dollar Poker Business with Jonathan LittleJonathan Little (@JonathanLittle) got his start by making millions at the poker table, and then found a way to turn his favorite card game into an online coaching empire that brings in millions of dollars per year. His "secret" is a combination of consistency and love: Jonathan has authored countless books, YouTube videos, quizzes, webinars, podcast episodes, and more, and part of why he's able to work so hard is because he genuinely loves poker. In this episode, Jonathan and I talk about intentionally develop skills with a specific future in mind, how to find purpose in your career...2020-07-3050 minIndie Hackers#167 – The Most Sensible Debate on Hustle Culture and Work-Life Balance with Natalie Nagele and DHHIf you want to build a successful business, you have to be ready to work 24/7/365 to have a shot at success… or do you? Both Natalie Nagele and DHH bootstrapped their internet businesses to millions in revenue, yet they took different paths to get there, with DHH only putting in a small number of hours vs Natalie who ate, slept, and breathed her job as a founder in the early days. In this episode we discuss whether or not DHH's approach is truly repeatable for others trying to get their businesses off the ground, the limits to human productivity an...2020-07-241h 52Indie Hackers#166 – Writing Code to Sell $200,000/Month of Cookies with Sam Eaton of Crave CookieWhen Sam Eaton hears a new idea, it's all he can do to contain his excitement and dive right into the code. So when his sister told him she wanted to start a cookie delivery business, there was never any question that he'd apply his indie hacker skills to help out however he could. And to great effect — today they're selling hundreds of thousand of dollars worth of cookies every month. In this episode, Sam and I discuss the advantages of target your local community as a niche, ways to leverage scarcity and social proof to increase sales, and ho...2020-07-181h 00Indie Hackers#165 – The Power of Unbundling Communities with Greg IsenbergGreg Isenberg (@gregisenberg) has spent years practicing the art and and studying the science behind building hit viral products. Today he's using his skills to build a communities design firm called Late Checkout, based on his theory that the best products come from unbundling parts of much larger communities and social networks. In this episode, Greg and I discuss the work that goes into building viral products, how to use niches to gain an advantage as an indie hacker, and why the massive growth of large platforms like Twitter and Reddit has created a short window of time for...2020-07-0941 minIndie Hackers#164 – Facing Down an Existential Threat to Your Business with Scott Keyes of Scotts Cheap FlightsFrom tourism to transit, the travel industry has taken a bigger hit than any other during the coronavirus pandemic. Despite this, Scott Keyes (@smkeyes), the founder of Scott's Cheap Flights, has managed to stay optimistic. In this episode, Scott and I discuss the frightening state of the travel industry and the economy as a whole, why a curated product is superior to a comprehensive one, and the keys to building a 7-figure paid newsletter that's capable of weathering even the darkest of storms.2020-06-191h 27Indie Hackers#163 – Bootstrapping from an Investor’s Point of View with Rob Walling of TinySeedRob Walling (@robwalling) spent years bootstrapping successful SaaS businesses, and today he's helping others do the same as the founder of TinySeed, the first accelerator for bootstrappers. In this episode, Rob and I discuss common misconceptions around fundraising, how to succeed as a founder from an investor's point of view, and why now is the best time to be an indie hacker.2020-05-2859 min
Indie Hackers#162 – Building the House You Want to Live In with Steli Efti of CloseWe've heard a lot about what it's like to build a company from scratch, but what's life like after you've made it? In this episode, Steli Efti (@Steli) returns to the show for a casual chat about his experience being the CEO of a profitable and growing SaaS business for years. We talk about the importance of "building the house you want to live in," how to guide a company through its awkward teenage years, and how Steli is planning to get through the pandemic and the looming recession.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers...2020-05-181h 11
Indie Hackers#161 – How to Make Millions by Writing Online with Sam Parr of The HustleSam Parr (@theSamParr) returns to the podcast for the second time. You may remember his journey as the midwesterner that went from running a hot dog stand to creating an 8-figure ad-supported newsletter. In this episode, Sam shares how he's now on track to build an 8-figure paid newsletter — Trends.co — and how other indie hackers can do the same. We talk growth strategies for media businesses, advertising vs subscription revenue, and why learning to write persuasively is the most important skill any founder can have.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/161-sam-parr-of-the-hustle2020-05-0859 min
Indie Hackers#160 – Validating and Building Your Ideas Without Code with Bram Kanstein of No-Code MVPBram Kanstein (@bramk) has more experience validating, building, and launching online products than almost anyone, and more success than most. One of his earlier creations, Startup Stash, still retains its title as the most-upvoted Product Hunt submission of all time. Today, Bram spends just as much time teaching others as he does making himself. In this episode, Bram and I talk about the importance of being an early adopter, the best strategies for finding new ideas, and why "mindset" is the first thing he teaches in his new course, No-Code MVP.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https...2020-05-0143 min
Indie Hackers#159 – Storytelling, COVID-19, and Viral Startup Growth with Tomas Pueyo of Course HeroTomas Pueyo (@tomaspueyo) is the author of the the mega-viral article "Coronavirus: Why You Must Act Now," which was shared by over 40 million people in a single week after it was published in March. He also happens to be an expert on storytelling, and the VP of Growth at a unicorn startup called Course Hero. In this episode, Tomas and I discuss the universal structure of stories as problem-solving devices, why founders and makers should always think about problems first, and how he applied his storytelling and growth marketing skills to write one of the biggest articles of the...2020-04-2440 min
Indie Hackers#158 – Communicating During Crisis with Rand Fishkin of SparkToroRand Fishkin (@randfish) has been doing something a lot of founders are afraid to do: He's blogging about the coronavirus pandemic directly from his company website, for all his customers to see. And it's working! Not is he providing useful advice for founders and marketers, but he's also setting an example for how others can do this same. In this episode Rand and I sat down to discuss the changing nature of the online conversation around COVID-19, how founders and businesses can communicate effectively and empathetically in this environment, and the most important things to get right when preparing...2020-04-161h 07
Indie Hackers#157 – Listening to Users and Growing to $100,000 MRR with Baird Hall of WavveBaird Hall's (@BairdHall) first attempt at starting up didn't go so well. When all was said and done, he'd burned through his savings without finding a working business model, and he and his co-founder were forced to sell the business for parts. In other words: they were ready for round 2. In this episode, Baird explains why he can't stop bootstrapping businesses, why it's important to work together with a great team, and how listening to users helped him grow Wavve and Zubtitle to over $100,000/month in total recurring revenue.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers...2020-04-1052 min
Indie Hackers#156 – Surviving a Recession as an Indie Hacker with Amy Hoy of Noko and 30x500Amy Hoy (@amyhoy) didn't merely survive the 2008 recession: she built multiple profitable online businesses that grew to support her and, eventually, to generate over $1M in annual recurring revenue. Amy and I sat down for a casual conversation (which we livestreamed to YouTube) about the looming recession, how Amy made it through the last one, and how founders should be thinking about their businesses going forward.2020-04-011h 09
Indie Hackers#155 – Finding the Right Models for Growth with Brian Balfour of ReforgeEver since I came across his blog years ago, Brian Balfour (@bbalfour) has been one of the most influential people for how I think about growing online businesses. Not only is Brian a successful blogger, but he's also served as the VP of Growth at HubSpot and founded four companies. His most recent business, Reforge, generates millions in revenue helping tech professionals boost their skills. In this episode, Brian explains why it's crucial to have a visual model for growth, shares his models for growing Reforge, and discusses why sometimes the best thing you can do is the exact...2020-03-1951 min
Indie Hackers#154 – The Right Way to Talk to People About Your Business with Rob Fitzpatrick, Author of The Mom TestCustomers will lie to you. So will your friends and family. It's one of the most surprising things you discover when you talk to people about what you're building. Rob Fitzpatrick (@robfitz) should know. He spent years making a habit of talking to customers, only to learn the wrong lessons and have his startup flame out anyway. There had to be a better way. In his book, The Mom Test, Rob shares his strategies for talking to customers the right way, gathering accurate feedback, and even finding people to talk to in the first place. And in this episode...2020-03-131h 06
Indie Hackers#153 – Quick Chat with William Candillon of Start React NativeWilliam Candillon (@wcandillon) didn't plan to become an indie hacker when he first started making coding videos on YouTube. He just wanted to learn more efficiently and hold himself accountable. Three years later, he's built an audience of tens of thousands of viewers, and he's making over $6,000/month teaching what he's learned about React Native. In this episode, Will and I talk about why building in public, sharing transparently, and being vulnerable make it easier to succeed as an indie hacker.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/153-quick-chat-with-william-candillon2020-03-1048 min
Indie Hackers#152 – Picking the Right Market to Get Started In with Justin Jackson and Tyler TringasTransistor.fm founder Justin Jackson (@mijustin) goes head-to-head with Earnest Capital investor Tyler Tringas (@tylertringas) on the topic of picking the right market. The decisions you make when you're just getting started on a project carry the most weight and might affect your life for years to come. How big of a market should you target? How important of a problem should you solve? What does Justin mean when advises working on a "main dish" instead of a "side dish?" And how do a serial founder's views on this topic differ from an investor's?Transcript, speaker information...2020-03-051h 11
Indie Hackers#151 – Striking the Right Balance as an Indie Hacker with Sergio Mattei of MakerlogSergio Mattei (@matteing) might be the most energetic founder I've had on the podcast. After discovering the world of online maker communities, he built his own from scratch—Makerlog—and grew it into something special through his passion for sharing and celebrating others' achievements. In this episode, Sergio and I discuss the importance of finding balance in all things as a founder: gathering insights from users vs your personal vision; seeking feedback from the market vs chasing validation from other makers; and getting things done on a consistent basis without letting productivity hacks and hustle culture overshadow the people and...2020-02-2848 min
Indie Hackers#150 – Acquiring the Experience to Make It as a Solo Founder with Jen Yip of Lunch MoneyJen Yip (@lunchbag) is the founder of Lunch Money, a budgeting app that's going head-to-head with big names like Mint and YNAB. The catch? She's a solo founder, doing 100% of the work on her own. In this episode, Jen and I cover the wide breadth of experiences and skills she's gained in order to make this possible, her strategies for working hard enough to catch up with competitors but soft enough to avoid burning herself out, and why she's doing this all as a digital "snowmad" who works overseas during the winter.Transcript, speaker information, and more...2020-02-2553 min
Indie Hackers#149 – Generating Passive Income by Teaching What You Know with Greg Rog of LearnUXGreg Rog (@greg_rog) is one of the few indie hackers I know who's actually managed to build a passive income business. His website, LearnUX.io, makes over $10k per month, yet he spends less than a day each month updating the content and answering questions. His secret? A combination of hard work over a sustained period of time, obsessive focus on making a 10x better product, and embracing no-code tools to support automation despite knowing how to code himself. In this episode, Greg walks me through his story, his successes, and his failures, and we discuss why teaching...2020-02-191h 00
Indie Hackers#148 – Quick Chat with Nathan Rosidi of Strata ScratchNathan Rosidi has bootstrapped his side project, Strata Scratch, to 2500 users and over $1,500 in monthly recurring revenue. In this episode we discuss the lessons he's learned from past failures, how to prioritize what to work on when you're getting ideas from so many different people, and why it's both a blessing and a curse to be able to take things slowly as an indie hacker.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/148-quick-chat-with-nathan-rosidi2020-02-1228 min
Indie Hackers#147 – Having Fun on the Path to Independence with Cory Zue of Place Card MeCory Zue (@czue) made over $26,000 in profit from multiple side projects in 2019, including a printable place card business and a Django-powered SaaS template. In this episode Cory explains how his journey began by taking a sabbatical from work, he lays out his plan to reach financial independence by 2023, and he shares some tips for ensuring your indie hacker journey is an enjoyable one the whole way through.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/147-cory-zue-of-place-card-me2020-02-1253 min
Indie Hackers#146 – Refusing to Take No for an Answer with Alexandria Procter of DigsConnectAlexandria Procter (@alexprocter101) is the last person you would ever describe as timid. When the bureaucracy at her college in South Africa failed to address a massive student housing crisis, Alex taught took things into her own hands, learned to code, and created a startup to help. In this episode, Alex and I talk about the personality traits and the economic realities that drive people to take risks and solve problems. We attempt to answer the question, "What do founders in the developing world have that founders elsewhere do not, and vice versa?" Alex also shares the incredible story...2020-02-041h 08
Indie Hackers#145 – The Slow, Deliberate Process of Making a SaaS Business Work with Jane Portman of UserlistJane Portman (@uibreakfast) is no stranger to making money online. Not only has she run a successful consultancy for nearly a decade, but she's also published 4 books and become a leading authority on UX and product design. So when Jane decided to start a SaaS company—Userlist— she was surprised to learn just slow and difficult the process can be. In this episode, Jane and I discuss the variables that makes companies faster or slower to grow, the importance of nailing your customer messaging so people understand what it is that you do, and her tips for how other foun...2020-01-301h 03
Indie Hackers#144 – Putting People First as a Founder with Vlad Magdalin of WebflowVlad Magdalin (@callmevlad) might just be the most principled founder I've had on the podcast. "When it came to making hard decisions, I've leaned more on my morality rather than my business sense. That's what I regret the least." Sticking to his heart has paid off. Not only has he built a company that's changing and improving lives by the millions, but he's also grown it to millions in revenue and 155 employees. In this episode Vlad and I talk about the ups and downs of raising money from investors, the impact of building something that empowers your customers to...2020-01-241h 08
Indie Hackers#143 – Following Your Passion to Become an Indie Hacker with Pete Codes of No CS DegreePete Macleod (@petecodes) didn't have a cushy fallback plan when he set out to become an indie hacker. Eight months ago he was unemployed, and a few months after that he was working a minimum wage job with dangerous clientele. He knew figured his best bet would be to strike out on his own: "I don't really have anything to lose at this point, so I suppose I'll just go for it." Today he runs No CS Degree, a profitable online business that helps aspiring software engineers who don't have the stereotypical credentials. In this episode, Pete and I...2020-01-1855 min
Indie Hackers#142 – Building the Ultimate Lifestyle Business with Dmitry Dragilev of JustReachOut.ioWhen Dmitry Dragilev (@dragilev) looked at the personal lives of his business heroes, he didn't like what he found. "Horrible family lives. Just horrible personal relationships." He knew he wanted something different, so he made the conscious decision to prioritize his family life and build his business around that. In this episode, Dmitry and I talk about how he was able to bootstrap from $0 to $30,000/month in revenue working just 25 hours a week, as well as how his business JustReachOut.io helps indie hackers do PR with less time, effort, and money.Transcript, speaker information, and more...2020-01-1456 min
Indie Hackers#141 – Bootstrapping an App to Millions Through Sheer Persistence with Cesar Kuriyama of 1 Second EverydayWhen Cesar Kuriyama (@cesarkuriyama) first got started, he had nothing but a dream of freedom, an app idea, and a rapidly declining bank account. When every dev shop in New York City turned him down, things looked dire. But through sheer persistence and a penchant to seize every opportunity in front of him, Cesar managed to create an experience that people loved, give a talk on the TED main stage, launch a successful Kickstarter campaign, bootstrap his app to millions of dollars in revenue, and even get it featured in a Jon Favreau movie. In this episode we break...2020-01-021h 33
Indie Hackers#140 – Vital Learnings from Bootstrapping and Selling a $55k a Month Business with Arvid Kahl of FeedbackPandaIn the span of two years, Arvid Kahl (@arvidkahl) and his partner Danielle Simpson (@SimpsonDaniK) went from new idea, to $55k a month in revenue, to selling their business, all without hiring a single employee. In this episode Arvid and I discuss the ideal market size for indie hackers to target, the importance of building with a specific audience in mind, and the vital learnings from Arvid's past businesses that contributed to his recent success.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/140-arvid-kahl-of-feedbackpanda2019-12-161h 13
Indie Hackers#139 – Pursuing a Mission While Bootstrapping to Millions with John O'Nolan of GhostWhen John O'Nolan (@JohnONolan) set out to create Ghost, he made an unintuitive decision for a mission-driven founder: to use his skillset to tackle the *obvious* thing to work on, rather than chasing the most *interesting* thing to work on. But 8 years later, and perhaps as a direct result of that decision, Ghost finds itself in one of the most interesting places of any indie business I've had on the show: reinventing online publishing in the the midst of a crisis for journalism, and making close to $2M/year while doing it.Transcript, speaker information, and more...2019-12-131h 05
Indie Hackers#138 – Finding a Positive Feedback Loop to Profitability with Robert James Gabriel of HelperbirdRobert James Gabriel (@RobertJGabriel) never had it easy growing up. Before he was finally diagnosed with dyslexia at age 17, he had teachers counsel him to drop out of school and was told he would never amount to anything. But with some positive encouragement from a few helpful mentors and individuals, Robert found his way, learned to code, and became a prolific indie hacker. In this episode Robert and I discuss the psychological effects of being trapped inside both negative and positive feedback loops, his strategy for coming up with dozens of product ideas, and the story behind how he...2019-12-0936 min
Indie Hackers#137 – Creating an Ecosystem for Millions by Building for Yourself with Taylor Otwell of LaravelWhen Taylor Otwell (@taylorotwell) first sat down to create Laravel, he had no idea it would be the seed of an ecosystem that would revitalize an entire programming language. He was just building it for himself. In the years to come, his "build it for myself" strategy would continue to pay off, resulting in numerous million-dollar products such as Forge, Envoy, Spark, and Nova. In this episode Taylor and I discuss his strategy for turning his own problems into a source of product ideas; how to have extraordinary impact as a solo founder and self-described "regular guy;"and the...2019-11-271h 07
Indie Hackers#136 – Happy Customers, Happy Wife (and Co-CEO), Happy Life with Dave Sims of FloifyDave Sims (@floifydave) has bootstrapped two tech companies to millions of dollars in annual revenue, and with the help of his wife and co-CEO, he's running them both at the same time. With his latest business, Floify, he's proven that you don't have to know a ton about an industry to discover an opportunity and build a valuable idea… but you do have to learn, and learn rapidly. In this episode, we discuss exactly how Dave came up with his idea by keeping his eyes open to problems and opportunities in everyday life, how he built the right product by...2019-11-1859 min
Indie Hackers#135 – Quick Chat with Stefan EndressDespite running a successful design agency that caters to big-name clients like FKA Twigs, Stefan Endress (@stefanendress) has known for years that he wanted to build a product of his own and be an indie hacker. In this episode, Stefan and I dig into what it's like running an agency while developing a new product on the side, how to surmount the challenge of finding customers by focusing on people like yourself, and why bringing a unique style and brand to your business may be more important than having a unique product idea.Transcript, speaker information, and...2019-11-1527 min
Indie Hackers#134 – Code vs No-Code with Ben Tossell of Makerpad and Sahil Lavingia of GumroadThe no-code movement is picking up steam, with more people than ever building apps and businesses without knowing how to code themselves. Ben Tossell (@bentossell), the creator of Makerpad, is betting his business that no-code is the future of work. However, Sahil Lavingia (@shl), the founder of Gumroad, isn't so sure that code. In this episode, I hosted a lively discussion between these two thoughtful bootstrappers about code vs no-code. Which approach should a new indie hacker should take? What gaps in the market are opening up due to the changes in tooling landscape? And what does the future...2019-11-111h 05
Indie Hackers#133 – Quick Chat with Anne-Laure Le CunffAnne-Laure Le Cunff (@anthilemoon) is working at the intersection of neuroscience and entrepreneurship to produce content that inspires, educates, and sustains makers like you. In this episode, we talked about how Anne-Laure builds free products that are good for the world while monetizing related products, how she juggles multiple career paths simultaneously by maximizing overlap, and how to combine multiple interests into a single niche topic that's unique and differentiated.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/133-quick-chat-with-anne-laure-le-cunff2019-11-0829 min
Indie Hackers#132 – Niching Down to Find Product-Market Fit with Ryan Born of Cloud CampaignWhen Ryan Born (@_RyanBorn) first emailed me about becoming one of Cloud Campaign's early customers, I replied with a long list of reasons why I wasn't going to use it. Two years later, he's generating over $25,000/month in revenue and growing at 32% month-over-month! In this episode, Ryan shares how he found his way to product-market fit by interviewing hundreds of people to find out who is and who isn't his ideal customer. He also discusses the advantages of picking a niche, the ins and outs of running Facebook ads profitably, and how dipping his toe in the water of...2019-11-041h 02
Indie Hackers#131 – Funding for Indie Hackers with Tyler Tringas of Earnest CapitalTyler Tringas (@tylertringas) may not look like Tarzan, but that hasn't stopped him from expertly swinging from vine to vine. Since we last spoke in episode 10, Tyler transitioned from founder to investor, sold his SaaS business, and is helping to spearhead a whole new approach to funding indie hacker businesses. In this episode, Tyler and I discuss the existing VC model and why it doesn't work for bootstrappers, a new funding model that bootstrappers should all be paying attention to, and why he's betting that "90% of startups fail" should no longer be the accepted wisdom.Transcript, speaker...2019-11-0234 min
Indie Hackers#130 – Iterating Your Way to Founder-Product Fit with Zach Resnick of EasyPoint ConciergeZach Resnick (@TrumpetIsAwesom) began travel hacking as a broke college student looking for a way to see the world without spending thousands of dollars on flights. Today he's used his vast knowledge of the travel industry to create EasyPoint, a concierge service and that's generated almost $60K/month in revenue this year. In this episode, Zach emphasizes the criticality of product-founder fit, weighs in on the benefits of working with friends, and reflects on the winding path he's taken to build a business that customers both love and pay for.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www...2019-10-281h 11
Indie Hackers#129 – Quick Chat with Dominic Monn of MentorCruiseDominic Monn (@dqmonn) created a marketplace for mentors where none existed, and quickly grew it into a positive revenue stream. What's more, he did it while enduring a 3-hour commute and working a demanding internship. In this episode, we discuss how Dominic leaned heavily on cold outreach to populate his marketplace, the joy of reaching out to (and hearing back from!) satisfied users, and the importance of planning when most of your day is already booked with a full-time job.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/129-quick-chat-with-dominic-monn2019-10-2529 min
Indie Hackers#128 – Finding 22,000 Paying Customers Despite Stiff Competition with Tyler King of Less Annoying CRMWhen Tyler King (@tylermking) set out to build Less Annoying CRM, he knew he was entering a crowded market full of well-funded competitors focused on astronomical growth. So instead he took the slower, surer path to success, and bootstrapped his way to 22,000 paying customers and over $2.6MM in annual revenue. In this episode, Tyler and I discuss his insights for making it work in a crowded industry, why he went from avoiding customer service to prioritizing it over everything else, and how he makes the tough choices when facing dilemmas that don't have an obvious answer.Transcript...2019-10-211h 10
Indie Hackers#127 – Quick Chat with Ghyslain Gaillard of Indie LondonGhyslain Gaillard (@iamghyslain) of Indie London knew that he wanted to be at the heart of the indie startup scene in Europe, but when he couldn’t find his birds of a feather, he decided to start his own meetup from scratch. In this episode Ghyslain and I discussed the major benefits of getting energized with a group of like-minded indie hackers, why it's so worthwhile to ask others for help, and the practical value of cold outreach in growing your product.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/127-quick-chat-with-ghyslain-gaillard2019-10-1827 min
Indie Hackers#126 – Finding Success by Staying Optimistic with Ketan Anjaria of HireClubKetan Anjaria's (@kidbombay) path to success was paved with hardship. He was flying high in the 90s dot-com boom, until he lost his job in the crash. His funded startup won awards at TechCrunch Disrupt and earned him interviews with Time magazine, until it ran out of money and he had to shut it down. But despite the setbacks, Ketan always managed to rediscover his optimism and try a new path forward. In this episode, we discuss the importance of not giving up in accomplishing your goals, why community is an underrated foundation for building a business on top...2019-10-131h 19
Indie Hackers#125 – Quick Chat with Danielle Johnson of Leave Me AloneDanielle Johnson (@dinkydani21) is no stranger to the challenge of building an online business. So when she hit on a new idea for a product that could solve a problem better than the competition, she made sure to learn from her past mistakes and do things differently this time around. In this episode, Danielle and I chat about how she went from an idea to an MVP with 50 beta testers in just two weeks, her strategies for successfully launching her product multiple times, and why she and her co-founder are committed to building their business transparently.Transcript...2019-10-1138 min
Indie Hackers#124 – Talking to Customers and Growing to $50,000 a Month with Sarah Hum of CannySarah Hum (@SarahHum) got a job working at a big tech company, in part because she wanted to learn how create a startup of her own. But it didn't take her long to realize the truth: the best way to learn is to dive in head first. In this episode, Sarah shares how she went from employee to founder, why she chose to bootstrap her company and travel the world rather than staying in SF and raising money, and how she's steadily grown her revenue to over $50k/month.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers...2019-10-0756 min
Indie Hackers#123 – Quick Chat with Louis Nicholls of Sales for FoundersLouis Nicholls (@louisnicholls_) never intended to build the audience he server. He just wanted to help people, even if it meant doing it for free. Thousands of email subscribers later, he's been able to build a successful course teaching sales to founders, and he's made over $40,000 in its first three iterations. In this episode, Louis and I talk about SaaS vs info products, the importance on starting small and making incremental improvements, and why "be helpful on the Internet" is possibly the best advice for startup founders.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/123...2019-10-0534 min
Indie Hackers#122 – Filling a Gap and Bootstrapping to $1M with Josh Wood of HoneybadgerJosh Wood is living an indie hacker dream: from freelance developer to co-founder of Honeybadger, a monitoring tool for developers that generates over $1M a year in revenue. Even better, he only works 30 hours a week. Josh joined the show to talk about the reward of switching from selling his time to selling a product, how Honeybadger filled a gap left by declining incumbent players, and why building a customer-friendly low-churn business is a solid way to achieve long-term growth, even if sales and marketing aren't your strong suit.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers...2019-09-3057 min
Indie Hackers#121 – Quick Chat with Mubashar Iqbal of Pod HuntMubashar Iqbal (@mubashariqbal) has always been a maker first and an indie hacker second. That much is obvious from his track record of building 80+ side projects. But recently, he's taken his "work on things you love" mindset and applied it to a business of his own: Pod Hunt. In this episode, Mubs and I discuss strategies for crafting successful consumer-facing products and he shares his thoughts on why you should always prioritize product-founder fit.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/121-quick-chat-with-mubashar-iqbal2019-09-2834 min
Indie Hackers#120 – Seeking Truth as a Founder with Patrick Campbell of ProfitWellPatrick Campbell (@Patticus) grew up as farm boy from Wisconsin. But after getting tired of working in bureaucratic environments, he cashed out his 401k to bootstrap his own business in 2012. Patrick joined the show to discuss the importance of finding the root cause of problems in your startup, to talk about why pricing and churn are major levers of growth that shouldn't be ignored, and to share how he grew ProfitWell to over $10M/year in revenue.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/120-patrick-campbell-of-profitwell2019-09-241h 37
Indie Hackers#119 – Sales Tips Every Founder Should Know with Steli Efti of CloseSteli Efti (@Steli) knows more about sales than anyone else I know. He's also the founder of Close.com, a profitable all-in-one CRM tool doing many millions in revenue, so he's the perfect person to answer the question: What should founders know about sales? So in this episode, my goal was to extract as many founder-specific sales tactics as I could from Steli. Whether you're growing a business now, or it's something you hope to do in the future, Steli's advice isn't something you can afford to miss.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers.com...2019-09-2045 min
Indie Hackers#118 – The Magic of Choosing a Great Market with Justin Jackson of TransistorJustin Jackson (@mijustin) has spent a lifetime as an entrepreneur, working on products, hosting podcasts, running communities, creating courses, and more. But it wasn't until he created his newest business, Transistor, that he fully realized the power that comes from choosing the right market as a founder. Justin joined me on the podcast to talk about the advantages of solving a straightforward problem, the importance of finding the truth in the early days, and why it might be worth it to wait for the right idea for the right market.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www...2019-09-161h 06
Indie Hackers#117 – Becoming Indistractable as a Founder with Nir Eyal, Author of HookedBeing an indie hacker is the ultimate responsibility: If you don't get things done, nobody else will. It's up to you consistently execute well, day after day. But how exactly you do that? Nir Eyal (@nireyal) joined me on the podcast to answer that exact question. After years of research into what separates those of us who execute on what we commit to doing vs those of us who get distracted or lose motivation, he's broken down his findings into a process any founder can use to become "indistractable."Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers...2019-09-1338 min
Indie Hackers#116 – Exploring Ideas and Exploiting the Good Ones with Justin Mares of Kettle and FireJustin Mares (@jwmares) is the founder of not one but two companies in the health food space, each of which he's simultaneously bootstrapped to over $10,000,000 in annual revenue. In this episode we covered why you should avoid having a scarcity mentality when coming up with an idea to work on, how to alleviate market risk by running a smoke test, and how Justin was able to rapidly grow his businesses by bringing growth know-how from tech to the industry of consumer packaged goods.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/116-justin-mares-of-kettle-and-fire2019-09-101h 07
Indie Hackers#115 – Quick Chat with Harry Dry of Marketing ExamplesHarry Dry (@harrydry) is the founder of Marketing Examples, a fast-growing showcase of successful startup marketing stories. Since launching the site a few months ago, he's grown his email list to 5000 subscribers, won product of the week on Product Hunt, and is approaching $1,000 in monthly recurring revenue. Harry joined the show to talk about reducing the risks of being a founder, how to grow your Twitter following, and the importance of building the product that only you can build.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/115-quick-chat-with-harry-dry2019-09-0628 min
Indie Hackers#114 – The Business of Podcasting with Jeff Meyerson of Software Engineering DailyJeff Meyerson (@the_prion) is the host of Software Engineering Daily, a popular podcast that averages 20,000 downloads a day. It's also a successful business that generates close to $60,000/month in advertising revenue. Jeff joined the show to talk about the business of podcasting: What goes into producing an episode? How do you ask great questions? What's the best way to grow your listenership and land lucrative advertising deals? And what lessons from podcasting apply more broadly to all indie hackers?Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/114-jeff-meyerson-of-software-engineering-daily2019-09-0259 min
Indie Hackers#113 – Quick Chat with Ben Orenstein of TupleBen Orenstein (@r00k) is the founder of Tuple, a remote pair programming app for the Mac that fills the void left by ScreenHero's disappearance. Ben joined the show for a second time to catch us up on Tuple's progress as a profitable pre-launch business. We talked about the benefits of creating a public roadmap that you can share with customers, the importance of learning by selling, Ben's gameplan for Tuple's public launch, and why it's important to focus on growth long before launch day.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/113-quick-chat-with-ben-orenstein2019-08-3031 min
Indie Hackers#112 – From Side Project to Full-Time Founder with Tommy Griffith of ClickMindedWhat happens when the money you're making from your side project eclipses your salary from your full-time job? Tommy Griffith (@TommyGriffith) found out in the best way possible when he began generating six figures in revenue just a few years after he started teaching people everything he knew about SEO. Today his business, ClickMinded, generates over $40,000/month. In this episode we discuss the best ways to bootstrap an email list, why it takes 1000 days for a side project to replace your salary, and how a taste of freedom can make you unemployable.Transcript, speaker information, and more...2019-08-261h 05
Indie Hackers#111 – Quick Chat with Jessica Chan of Coder CoderJessica Chan (@thecodercoder) is the founder of Coder Coder, a collection of resources that help self-taught web developers learn to code the same way that she did. Jessica joined the show to share how she came up with her idea and got her first users, how she grew her Instagram account to 30k followers and her website to over 60k visits per month, and how she plans to make a living from her business as an indie hacker.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/111-quick-chat-with-jessica-chan2019-08-2329 min
Indie Hackers#110 – How to Prepare for Success From the Beginning With Chris Savage of WistiaWhen Chris Savage (@csavage) and his co-founder started their business, they were convinced that they'd be able to sell it within six months. They never would've guessed that 13 years later, not only would they still working on Wistia, but the business would be $17M in debt. In this episode we talk about pivoting from a bad idea to a good one, prioritizing long-term thinking from the very beginning, and how Wistia turned $500k in losses into $6M in profit in a single year.Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/110-chris-savage-of-wistia2019-08-191h 04