Shows
Rooted and ReachingBuilding Momentum: Kris Priemer on Community, Creativity, and EntrepreneurshipIn this episode of Rooted & Reaching, Marty speaks with Kris Priemer, a visionary entrepreneur whose passion for building community has helped shape South Bend’s entrepreneurial scene. Kris shares the story of his career journey and how it led to the creation of Momentum, a dynamic space designed to bring innovators and creators together. They talk about the challenges he faced along the way, the wins that made it worthwhile, and why collaboration and community are at the heart of every successful venture.Kris shares why creating inspiring spaces matters and how nurturing talent can spark long-term in...
2026-02-2056 min
Behind the RegionKris Priemer | Founder, Momentum Entrepreneurship HubSend a textGet an inside look at South Bend’s newest space for big ideas! In this episode, Kris Priemer, founder of the Momentum Entrepreneurship Hub, shares how he transformed a former Salvation Army building into a vibrant, collaborative space for entrepreneurs, creatives, and small business owners. Hear how his vision, inspired by other startup cities and his own journey, is bringing energy, opportunity, and innovation to the region—complete with a cafe, podcast studio, and more.
2025-07-1125 min
Standing in the FireThe SaaS Checkup: What You Should Audit Every Year (But Probably Don’t)Inspired by John’s real-life annual physical, this episode explores what it means to give your SaaS app its own annual checkup. What should you audit regularly to keep your app healthy?
The guys cover:
• 🩺 Auditing automated onboarding and transactional emails
• 🧪 Building a Customer Health Index to proactively reduce churn
• 📉 How and when to talk to customers—without annoying them
• 📬 Rethinking drip campaigns and newsletters so they actually get read
• 🛠️ Revisiting your content, SEO metadata, accessibility, and dependencies
• 💵 Why your pricing probably needs a tune-up
It’s packed with tactical insights and spicy opinions, like:
“If you reply to an email I clai...
2025-05-1347 minStanding in the FireStop drowning in tasks, start buying back your timeWhat if you could focus only on what truly moves the needle?
John and Kris dig into Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell and explore how founders can delegate smarter, systemize better, and scale faster.
Key Takeaways:
You can always get more money, but you can never get more time.
Outsource tasks that drain your energy and time.
Creating playbooks can streamline delegation and training.
Hiring should focus on finding the right fit through practical projects.
Energy and enthusiasm are contagious in leadership.
Setting clear metrics helps track progress and success.
Delegation is...
2025-03-2147 minStanding in the FireThe Art of Sharing Knowledge in TeamsHow does a growing SaaS company keep track of important knowledge? From server setups to customer success playbooks, every company builds a wealth of internal information—but too often, that knowledge is scattered, siloed, or locked away in someone’s head.
In this episode, John, Kris, and Garrett explore how to document and share company knowledge effectively. They discuss real-world challenges, like merging Rails apps and ensuring critical infrastructure knowledge isn’t lost, as well as how to balance text-based documentation with video walkthroughs.
Takeaways:
Company knowledge management is crucial for team efficiency.
Identifying challe...
2025-03-1028 min
IndieRailsGarrett Dimon - A Long Winding JourneyOur guest for this episode is Garrett Dimon. Garrett is a developer, author, conference speaker and multi time business owner. With some partners, he’s recently formed a company called “Very Good Software” where they own and operate several SaaS apps. Garrett Dimon is a seasoned software developer and entrepreneur with a passion for front-end development and Ruby on Rails. His journey began in 1998, experimenting with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript before earning a Computer Science degree from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2000. Over the next eight years, he honed his skills in front-end development and informa...
2025-03-0459 minStanding in the FireTech Wins & Hiring Woes: How to Communicate, Celebrate, and Find the Right PeopleCelebrating tech wins in a way that resonates with customers can be tricky—so how should SaaS companies do it? John, Kris, and Garrett break down how they approach communicating improvements, from backend optimizations to feature rollouts. They debate whether customers care about upgrades like Rails 6 and share ideas on writing updates that connect with both technical and non-technical users.
The conversation then shifts to hiring—how to evaluate developers, why trade-offs are crucial in the interview process, and the unique challenges of hiring remote vs. local talent. John shares insights from his GitHub hiring experience, Kris talk...
2025-02-0541 minStanding in the FireBlack Friday Reflections and New Year OpportunitiesThis episode tackles the highs and lows of Black Friday marketing and its relevance to SaaS businesses like Fireside. John, Kris, and Garrett discuss how customer-centric timing could outperform traditional holiday discounts, with ideas ranging from New Year podcasting pushes to conference-aligned offers.
The trio also delves into the backend challenges of modernizing software, balancing Rails upgrades with visible customer improvements, and finding psychological triggers to help customers start and sustain new initiatives. They share insights on turning performance boosts into happy customers and why community-building could hold the key to podcasting success.
Key Quotes
2025-01-0944 minStanding in the FireMastering Prioritization in SaaSThe art of prioritization takes center stage in Episode #3 of “Standing in the Fire.” John, Kris, and Garrett explore how they balance the demands of running multiple SaaS companies, tackling technical debt, strategizing marketing efforts, and avoiding burnout. From Rails upgrades to marketing plans and hard-stop productivity hacks, this conversation reveals how founders navigate the chaos to move their businesses forward. Tune in for relatable stories, practical tips, and a touch of humor about the realities of entrepreneurship.
Prioritization is a constant challenge for founders.
Balancing multiple projects requires clear focus and boundaries.
Customer satisfaction is tied to visi...
2024-12-2436 minStanding in the FireMaking Podcasting Less of a PainThe Standing in the Fire crew — John Nunemaker, Garrett Dimon, and Kristopher Priemer — returns with Episode #2, where they discuss:
Customer feedback on integrating video and YouTube for podcasts.
The friction points in podcast production, from editing to publishing.
Ideas for simplifying workflows with tools, automation, and potential Fireside.fm features.
Their recent development wins, including performance improvements and platform upgrades.
Whether you’re a podcaster or just curious about the behind-the-scenes of building a SaaS app, this episode offers insights into problem-solving, customer experience, and the future of podcasting.Links:Riverside: HD Podcast & Video Softwa...
2024-12-1725 minStanding in the FireDrinking Our Own ChampagneWelcome to the first episode of Standing in the Fire, where John Nunemaker, Garrett Dimon, and Kristopher Priemer share their journey as the new owners of Fireside.fm. This podcast isn’t just about running a SaaS business—it’s about living the Fireside experience as podcast hosts and users.
In this episode, we:
Introduce the team and their backgrounds in software, marketing, and entrepreneurship.
Explore the challenges and excitement of owning and improving a podcast hosting platform.
Discuss the importance of drinking your own champagne (aka eating your own dog food) and connec...
2024-11-0932 min