Shows
Out of Beta2023 Async — Progress (8 of 9)Even though the podcast took a publishing break in 2023, Matt and Peter kept recording. This is the story of Summit and Reform in 2023 — a year full of change.MattPeterSummitReform
2023-12-1835 minOut of Beta2023 Async — Experimentation (3 of 9)Even though the podcast took a publishing break in 2023, Matt and Peter kept recording. This is the story of Summit and Reform in 2023 — a year full of change.MattPeterSummitReform
2023-12-1844 minOut of Beta2023 Async — Suspense (2 of 9)Even though the podcast took a publishing break in 2023, Matt and Peter kept recording. This is the story of Summit and Reform in 2023 — a year full of change.MattPeterSummitReform
2023-12-1819 minOut of Beta2023 Async — Big goals (1 of 9)Even though the podcast took a publishing break in 2023, Matt and Peter kept recording. This is the story of Summit and Reform in 2023 — a year full of change.MattPeterSummitReform
2023-12-1851 minOut of Beta2023 Async — IntroEven though the podcast took a publishing break in 2023, Matt and Peter kept recording. This is the story of Summit and Reform in 2023 — a year full of change.MattPeterSummitReform
2023-12-1811 minOut of BetaWhy we’re taking a breakMatt feels the effects of going truly viral on Twitter and now half the internet thinks he is a Twitter 10x engineer (and half think he is a comedian). Peter’s Tailwind gig comes to a close so he’s thinking about what’s next with Reform. This episode also brings the current Out of Beta season to an end, as Matt and Peter take a short break. They’ll be back.Sponsor - RecastThank you to this month’s sponsor, Recast, a tool that helps podcasters turn long form video and audio content into short...
2022-12-0150 minOut of BetaWorking in BetsPeter finds he has 4 million test rows in his database and needs to do something about them without breaking everything, while he still tries to nail down how to position Reform. Who exactly is Reform for and how does he communicate that? Matt is bringing a series of bets to a close and making some important changes, such as a move away from usage-based pricing.Sponsor - RecastThank you to this month’s sponsor, Recast, a tool that helps podcasters turn long form video and audio content into short clips for social media, like Ti...
2022-11-1742 minOut of BetaWhy you need a boardPeter reflects on the new integration with Less Annoying CRM, how a potential new Reform website would look like and his plans to double down on SEO. Matt is also seeing how SEO is having a positive effect on his rankings for Summit, while he figures out some more use cases for the calculators. Matt rounds off talking about his potentially controversial opinion on why startups of all sizes should have boards.Sponsor - RecastThank you to this month’s sponsor, Recast, a tool that helps podcasters turn long form video and audio content in...
2022-11-1045 minOut of BetaUps and DownsPeter has been away in the States, and quite liked his co-founder Bjorn taking care of support. Matt, meanwhile, has not been feeling much of a spark this week but brainstormed some new ideas for distribution.Sponsor - RecastThank you to this month’s sponsor, Recast, a tool that helps podcasters turn long form video and audio content into short clips for social media, like TikTok, Instagram and Twitter. Import your podcast episode and select the part of the transcript you’d like to use, then, Recast will generate your clip for you.Re...
2022-11-0243 minOut of BetaNiches on the horizonMatt’s Summit Chrome extension is live, meaning you can now get a calculator in just a click, and so he’s exploring new calculators to use with it. Peter is still sick but is working through it by getting deep into customer research, figuring out the best customers for Reform. Both Matt and Peter have horizontal products, so they discuss how this both helps and hinders themSponsorInterested in sponsoring? Get in touch.LinksMatt on TwitterPeter on TwitterOut of Beta on TwitterSummit - Matt's startupReform - Peter's startupMatt’s Chrome ex
2022-10-2040 minOut of BetaThose vexing questionsAfter a brief break, Matt and Peter are back with the maker manager format. Matt’s been building more calculators for Summit while kicking up the gears for sales and marketing. Peter’s founder hiking retreat was a success and he is now instrategic thinking mode. What’s next for Reform?SponsorThank you to this month's sponsor, Eduflow (build internal courses for your company)! Eduflow makes it really easy to build out courses and training material for your employees, customers, and other collaborators. It's a great way to onboard a new team member or train yo...
2022-10-1350 minOut of BetaDistributionThis week, Peter is sick, but shows up to record the pod and talk Reform integrations, including one upcoming with Less Annoying CRM. Not being at 100% highlights why having a good cofounder can make a big difference. Matt is in the final stages of getting his Summit Chrome extension live, so is figuring out how he gets distribution for the app, which will include a Summit Free Calculator marketplace.SponsorThank you to this month's sponsor, Eduflow (build internal courses for your company)! Eduflow makes it really easy to build out courses and training material fo...
2022-09-2945 minOut of BetaKeep PushingThis week, Matt is working like a mad scientist to build a Chrome extension that will essentially eliminate onboarding for new Summit calculator users. Peter is running on low sleep, which is causing a bit of a creative bottleneck for Reform. He wants to keep the momentum after Reform's recent marketing wins and is sponsoring three newsletters in one week.SponsorThank you to this month's sponsor, Eduflow (build internal courses for your company)! Eduflow makes it really easy to build out courses and training material for your employees, customers, and other collaborators. It's a gr...
2022-09-1548 minOut of BetaPivoting and choosing a profitable path - The Eduflow Story part 3 of 3Thank you to this month's sponsor, Eduflow (build internal courses for your company)! Eduflow makes it really easy to build out courses and training material for your employees, customers, and other collaborators. It's a great way to onboard a new team member or train your sales team etc. Listeners of Out of Beta get 50% off Eduflow Pro for one year, by going to Eduflow.com/outofbeta.Interested in sponsoring? Get in touch.This is the third part of three, where we tell the story about Eduflow. It's a crazy startup story with many unexpected twists...
2022-09-0835 minOut of BetaEngineering GrowthMatt has recently been focusing on top of funnel traffic for Summit and his free example calculators have been doing that very job. He’s on the look out for more ideas (like the FIRE calculator). Peter is trying to figure out how to fix Reform’s growth plateau. It seems launching a few new features and a discounted annual deal has got things moving in the right direction.SponsorThank you to this month's sponsor, Eduflow (build internal courses for your company)! Eduflow makes it really easy to build out courses and training material for...
2022-09-0739 minOut of BetaThe launch episode (2022 version)It’s been a big launch week for Matt and Peter. Matt launched the new version of Summit with its new positioning, along with a different approach to their pricing model (goodbye unlimited freemium, hello usage-based). Peter has also been busy with Reform, shipping a host of new features that should take the product to the next level. Saving progress, CRM integrations and more means Reform can compete with the incumbents, while maintaining the minimalist aesthetic.SponsorThank you to this month's sponsor, Eduflow (build internal courses for your company)! Eduflow makes it really easy to...
2022-09-0150 minOut of BetaSoft LaunchThank you to this month's sponsor, Eduflow (build internal courses for your company)! Eduflow makes it really easy to build out courses and training material for your employees, customers, and other collaborators. It's a great way to onboard a new team member or train your sales team etc. Listeners of Out of Beta get 50% off Eduflow Pro for one year, by going to Eduflow.com/outofbeta.Interested in sponsoring? Get in touch.Matt and the Summit team have soft launched the new Summit website and the reception has been very positive. Besides getting ready for...
2022-08-1959 minOut of BetaWhat kills a startup?Thank you to this month's sponsor, Eduflow (build internal courses for your company)! Eduflow makes it really easy to build out courses and training material for your employees, customers, and other collaborators. It's a great way to onboard a new team member or train your sales team etc. Listeners of Out of Beta get 50% off Eduflow Pro for one year, by going to Eduflow.com/outofbeta.Interested in sponsoring? Get in touch.Peter is firing on all cylinders while also being aware that he's working more than is sustainable long term. Matt continues to find...
2022-08-1045 minOut of BetaGetting Google as a customer and joining YCombinator - The Eduflow Story part 2 of 3Thank you to this month's sponsor, Eduflow (build internal courses for your company)! Eduflow makes it really easy to build out courses and training material for your employees, customers, and other collaborators. It's a great way to onboard a new team member or train your sales team etc. Listeners of Out of Beta get 50% off Eduflow Pro for one year, by going to Eduflow.com/outofbeta.Interested in sponsoring? Get in touch.This is the first part of three, where we tell the story about Eduflow. It's a crazy startup story with many unexpected twists...
2022-08-0831 minOut of BetaFrom push to pullThank you to this month's sponsor, Eduflow (build internal courses for your company)! Eduflow makes it really easy to build out courses and training material for your employees, customers, and other collaborators. It's a great way to onboard a new team member or train your sales team etc. Listeners of Out of Beta get 50% off Eduflow Pro for one year, by going to Eduflow.com/outofbeta.Interested in sponsoring? Get in touch.Matt is starting to find serious traction with Summit's new positioning as a low-code tool to build calculators for sales and marketing teams...
2022-08-0350 minOut of BetaA 10x mousetrapThank you to this month's sponsor, Eduflow (build internal courses for your company)! Eduflow makes it really easy to build out courses and training material for your employees, customers, and other collaborators. It's a great way to onboard a new team member or train your sales team etc. Listeners of Out of Beta get 50% off Eduflow Pro for one year, by going to Eduflow.com/outofbeta.Interested in sponsoring? Get in touch.In this episode, Matt and Peter gets really into the weeds after reading Jason Cohen's latest essay The practical application of "Rocks, Pebbles...
2022-07-2753 minOut of BetaWhat to call itThank you to this month's sponsor, Eduflow (build internal courses for your company)! Eduflow makes it really easy to build out courses and training material for your employees, customers, and other collaborators. It's a great way to onboard a new team member or train your sales team etc. Listeners of Out of Beta get 50% off Eduflow Pro for one year, by going to Eduflow.com/outofbeta.Interested in sponsoring? Get in touch.The weather is hot in Texas and Denmark, but that's no excuse not to work on your positioning! In this episode, Matt and...
2022-07-2052 minOut of BetaScratching your own itch and starting a startup - The Eduflow Story part 1 of 3Thank you to this month's sponsor, Eduflow (build internal courses for your company)! Eduflow makes it really easy to build out courses and training material for your employees, customers, and other collaborators. It's a great way to onboard a new team member or train your sales team etc. Listeners of Out of Beta get 50% off Eduflow Pro for one year, by going to Eduflow.com/outofbeta.Interested in sponsoring? Get in touch.This is the first part of three where we tell the story about Eduflow. It's a crazy startup story with a lot of...
2022-07-1628 minOut of BetaFreeing up some runwayThank you to this month's sponsor, Eduflow (build internal courses for your company)! Eduflow makes it really easy to build out courses and training material for your employees, customers, and other collaborators. It's a great way to onboard a new team member or train your sales team etc. Listeners of Out of Beta get 50% off Eduflow Pro for one year, by going to Eduflow.com/outofbeta.Interested in sponsoring? Get in touch.Peter's got some big personal news this week that he just shared with his investors and ... Twitter! He's helping the Tailwind CSS team...
2022-07-1339 minOut of BetaPutting the Go in Go-To-MarketThank you to this month's sponsor, Eduflow (build internal courses for your company)! Eduflow makes it really easy to build out courses and training material for your employees, customers, and other collaborators. It's a great way to onboard a new team member or train your sales team etc. Listeners of Out of Beta get 50% off Eduflow Pro for one year, by going to Eduflow.com/outofbeta.Interested in sponsoring? Get in touch.Matt and the Summit team are close to the release date for all the stuff they've been working on with public-facing Summit apps...
2022-07-0645 minOut of BetaBack againInterested in sponsoring? Get in touch.Matt is back from France and Peter is back from Scotland. They are both eager to get back to work. Reform has soft-launched their ConvertKit integration and are planning to announce it very soon. Summit is getting closer to general admission where users will be able to launch public-facing apps and calculators on top of their Summit models.Links:Matt on TwitterPeter on TwitterOut of Beta on TwitterSummit - Matt's startupReform - Peter's startup
2022-06-2937 minOut of BetaQ&A with Matt & Peter pt. 2Thank you to this month's sponsor, Feature Upvote (Product feedback and upvoting tool)! Overwhelmed with too much customer feedback coming from too many channels? Centralize your feedback in one online board. Users add and upvote feedback directly. Get 20% off Feature Upvote here.Interested in sponsoring? Get in touch.Before heading off on vacation, Matt and Peter recorded a marathon Q/A session answering all the questions they got from the listeners on Twitter. In this episode, you'll hear their answers to:How to avoid overcomplicating a product early on?Has it become hard to...
2022-06-2239 minOut of BetaQ&A with Matt & Peter pt. 1Thank you to this month's sponsor, Feature Upvote (Product feedback and upvoting tool)! Overwhelmed with too much customer feedback coming from too many channels? Centralize your feedback in one online board. Users add and upvote feedback directly. Get 20% off Feature Upvote here.Interested in sponsoring? Get in touch.Before heading off on vacation, Matt and Peter recorded a marathon Q/A session answering all the questions they got from the listeners on Twitter. In this episode, you'll hear their answers to:What they would do differently if they were starting overWhat they would do...
2022-06-1545 minOut of BetaProduct Hunt And Product VelocityThank you to this month's sponsor, Feature Upvote (Product feedback and upvoting tool)! Overwhelmed with too much customer feedback coming from too many channels? Centralize your feedback in one online board. Users add and upvote feedback directly. Get 20% off Feature Upvote here.Interested in sponsoring? Get in touch.Peter launched Reform Free on Product Hunt and became the number two product of the day. A result that is better than he expected! However, the launch has left him exhausted.Matt is working through how all the latest Summit updates have impacted the positioning...
2022-06-0835 minOut of BetaOptimismThank you to this month's sponsor, Feature Upvote (Product feedback and upvoting tool)! Overwhelmed with too much customer feedback coming from too many channels? Centralise your feedback in one online board. Users add and upvote feedback directly. Get 20% off Feature Upvote here.Interested in sponsoring? Get in touch.Peter is optimistic about the early results of his SEO efforts and Reform's free plan, which has started to contribute a meaningful amount of traffic to Reform's website.Matt has had a busy period on the personal front, but the Summit team has been making...
2022-06-0239 minOut of BetaIt ClicksThank you to this month's sponsor, Whimsical (Docs, Flowcharts, Wireframes, Mind Maps, & Projects)! Get started for free. Sign up in seconds and start creating in Whimsical -- no credit card required. Create a free Whimsical account here.Interested in sponsoring? Get in touch.Peter is back from London where he went to MicroConf Local and attended the IndieBeers meet-up. Though the largest Reform customer recently churned, Peter has some optimistic news about Reform's churn. On the marketing front, Peter is working on SEO and an upcoming Product Hunt launch, while Bjørn is building a Co...
2022-05-251h 13Out of BetaNet Negative ChurnThank you to this month's sponsor, Whimsical (Docs, Flowcharts, Wireframes, Mind Maps, & Projects)! Get started for free. Sign up in seconds and start creating in Whimsical -- no credit card required. Create a free Whimsical account here.Interested in sponsoring? Get in touch.After getting slightly derailed by a home construction project, Matt is back in gear working on getting Summit ready for general access. Him and the Summit team has been on a shipping spree and Matt has noticed that more and more "founder-level" conversations are happening within the company without his direct involvement.
2022-05-1852 minOut of BetaHow is it going?Thank you to this month's sponsor, Whimsical (Docs, Flowcharts, Wireframes, Mind Maps, & Projects)! Get started for free. Sign up in seconds and start creating in Whimsical -- no credit card required. Create a free Whimsical account here.Interested in sponsoring? Get in touch.Matt and Ryan have been working on their investor update, including their new positioning for Summit. A seemingly simple question from one of his investors got Matt thinking more about the big picture of Summit's launch and go-to-market strategy.Things are going better for Peter. Trials are slightly up, and h...
2022-05-1153 minOut of BetaBye, RedisThank you to this month's sponsor, Whimsical (Docs, Flowcharts, Wireframes, Mind Maps, & Projects)! Get started for free. Sign up in seconds and start creating in Whimsical -- no credit card required. Create a free Whimsical account here.Interested in sponsoring? Get in touch.Peter has had a rough week with illness, broken Redis servers, and a toddler starting daycare. He and Bjørn finally were able to say "Bye, Redis" and rely on a simpler, more stable setup for the Reform queue infrastructure. On the business front, Peter is heads down with marketing where he's wo...
2022-05-051h 04Out of BetaNewsletters For FoundersThank you to this month's sponsor, SnapShooter (an awesome backup service)! Listeners get 50% off for 6 months when signing up with the coupon code "outofbeta".Thank you to our Show Notes sponsors:Mailman: Make your inbox, truly yours.Mailman allows you to control who can send you emails, and at what hours. Tame your inbox with Mailman - check out Mailman (and get 30% off the first year on annual plans).Interested in sponsoring? Get in touch.Peter is considering starting a newsletter so he invited Louis Nicholls, founder of Sparkloop, on...
2022-04-201h 05Out of BetaSetting The ToneThank you to this month's sponsor, SnapShooter (an awesome backup service)! Listeners get 50% off for 6 months when signing up with the coupon code "outofbeta". Patio11's two threads about Snapshooter.Thank you to our Show Notes sponsors:Mailman: Make your inbox, truly yours.Mailman allows you to control who can send you emails, and at what hours. Tame your inbox with Mailman - check out Mailman (and get 30% off the first year on annual plans).Interested in sponsoring? Get in touch.Peter is tired after a long night and day...
2022-04-131h 01Out of BetaReform FreeThank you to this month's sponsor, SnapShooter (an awesome backup service)! Listeners get 50% off for 6 months when signing up with the coupon code "outofbeta".Thank you to our Show Notes sponsors:Mailman: Make your inbox, truly yours.Mailman allows you to control who can send you emails, and at what hours. Tame your inbox with Mailman - check out Mailman (and get 30% off the first year on annual plans).Interested in sponsoring? Get in touch.Sorry for the poor audio quality in this episode - Peter is working on a...
2022-04-0642 minOut of BetaPlacing BetsThank you to this month's sponsor, SnapShooter (an awesome backup service)! Listeners get 50% off for 6 months when signing up with the coupon code mentioned in the episode.Thank you to our Show Notes sponsors:Mailman: Make your inbox, truly yours.Mailman allows you to control who can send you emails, and at what hours. Tame your inbox with Mailman - check out Mailman (and get 30% off the first year on annual plans).In this episode, Matt shares some big bets he's planning on making for Summit, including hiring an agency to design...
2022-03-3048 minOut of BetaGoing FreemiumMatt and Peter share some of the behind-the-scenes planning of the next iteration of Out of Beta. Peter updates Matt on the current status of Reform's upcoming freemium version and Matt is about to launch the ability to write formulas based on Summit's simulation output.
2022-03-0941 minOut of BetaPutting the Re in ReformMatt and Peter update the listeners on how things are going with Summit and Reform. Reform had its second-best month of trials, and Summit is adding engineering capacity behind the Summit API. Peter also shares his idea for an updated version of Reform's pricing, and Matt has an idea for how to put the "Re" in Reform.
2022-02-021h 02Out of BetaHow are you?Matt and the Summit team just pushed out a big update to improve user activation. Peter is struggling to find time to think strategic about the business with all the noise of a successful Product Hunt launch and life in general.SummitReformMatt on TwitterPeter on Twitter
2021-10-2054 minOut of BetaThe Launch EpisodeMatt and Peter both had big launches in the past week - Matt launched templates and a few other Summit updates and Peter launched Reform, which is now out of early access.
2021-08-0646 minOut of BetaOut of Early Access?Matt and Peter are back on the mics to update listeners on their two early access products, Summit and Reform. Matt considers all the ways to educate new Summit users, while Peter develops his product prioritization practice.Referenced in the show: Inspiring with a Product Vision by Netflix Director of Product, Ebi Atawodi
2021-06-3049 minOut of BetaMasterminding with Derrick ReimerMatt and Peter are joined by their mastermind buddy, Derrick Reimer of SavvyCal. Matt is working on Summit's SEL language, Derrick just shipped an Outlook integration for SavvyCal, and Peter is trying to balance customer development with shipping product.
2021-04-211h 24Out of BetaBig NewsMatt and Peter are back after an unscheduled break. Matt has started building out Summit's team and Peter has some big news about the future of Branch.
2021-03-031h 11Out of Beta2020 Season FinaleMatt and Peter wrap up 2020 with final updates episode. Peter and Bjørn push a major update to Branch and place WP Engine into focus. Matt pauses his efforts on Summit after reaching his finish line.
2020-12-2327 minOut of BetaAcceleration & SuspensePeter and Bjørn experience a breakthrough developing Branch as Peter puts his Q4 customer acquisition plans in motion. Matt pauses to consider the path forward with Summit.
2020-10-071h 05Out of BetaTaking the Long ViewMatt and Peter ponder the future of the podcast, and the remainder of 2020 for Summit and Branch. Matt wrestles with positioning. Peter selects a handful of customer acquisition channels to test in Q4.Intercom on Product: The Intersection of Company and Product Strategy
2020-09-021h 01Out of BetaTaking Bigger SwingsWith Summit signing up its 10th paid customer and Branch slowly finding product-user fit, both Matt and Peter are thinking about their next big bets. Matt prepares to develop the Summit language, while Peter considers a future hire to scale the education of Branch’s users.
2020-08-191h 12Out of BetaPartnerships and strategyWhile Matt is enjoying fly fishing and white water rafting in Colorado, Peter records with Simon Bennett from Snapshooter. It turns out Branch and Snapshooter has quite a few things in common.Simon on TwitterSnapshooterMatt on TwitterPeter on TwitterBranchSummit
2020-08-0552 minOut of BetaBranch’s PlaybookPeter reflects on the costs and risks of his go-to-market strategy. Meanwhile, Matt prepares to turn the ignition switch on Summit 2.0.Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on TwitterSummit Data Feeds on Loom (Video)
2020-07-0146 minOut of BetaPersistence, or ...Peter's consistent efforts with potential partners begins to pay off, or so he thinks. Summit v2 draws closer to release, raising excitement - and anxiety, for Matt.Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on TwitterSummit 2 - Short Demo Video (Loom)
2020-06-2444 minOut of BetaS2:E2 (That’s The Title)Matt stares down the final stretch of the Summit rewrite. Branch’s go-to-market strategy begins to bear fruit for Peter. Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on Twitter
2020-06-1744 minOut of BetaVikings with Scottish accentsPeter takes a deep breath and Matt's code Just Works. The two discuss the startup grind, getting to critical mass, and infusing delight into product development.Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm On TwitterMastery and delight in “How To Train Your Dragon”
2020-06-1055 minOut of BetaWater on My MillPeter builds trust with two hosts ready to distribute Branch. Matt's inner manager ekes out a partnership call while his maker begins the descent from peak effort. The two discuss the dangers of distributing a weak product.Insight by a16z Partner Alex RampellBranchSummitMatt on TwitterPeter on Twitter
2020-05-2757 minOut of BetaUpdates Five-O"Rewrite!" by DHH (Business of Software 2015)SummitBranchMatt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on Twitter
2020-05-2049 minOut of BetaWhy Rewrite?Matt ventures ever-deeper into the forest of rebuilding Summit; a friendly voice challenges the purpose of his quest. Peter celebrates the successful release of Branch's teams feature, opening the doors to his ideal customers.Matt on TwitterPeter on Twitter
2020-05-1348 minOut of BetaFreemium WhenMatt nears the completion of the first half of the Summit frontend rebuild. Elsewhere, Peter has abandoned Scotland to hunker down with family in Denmark for a new life chapter. Matt and Peter answer a listener question about the timing and application of freemium.Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on TwitterSummitBranchArticles and resources mentioned in this episode:Why $9/mo is Better than Freemium by Jane PortmanThe 7 Types of Freemium by Lincoln MurphyThe Penny Gap by Josh Kopelman (OG)The Penny Gap Revisited by First Round CapitalThe State of Freemium: Reducing CAC by Patrick CampbellA Primer...
2020-05-0653 minOut of Beta#Failwhale, COVID, and a Frontend RewritePeter wins the TinySeed #failwhale prize of the day, and COVID-19 continues to affect sales. Matt completes his first week of rebuilding the Summit frontend and wins back an active user.Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on Twitter
2020-04-2942 minOut of BetaPricing, Priorities, and ProductPeter updates Branch's pricing model based on feedback from his ideal customers. How should he prioritize his time between so many active threads? After his cool-down week, Matt leaps into the fire of a front-end rebuild for Summit using Vue, GraphQL and Tailwind.Articles referenced in this episode:"The Value Metric" by Patrick Campbell"Netflix and the Conservation of Attractive Profits" by Ben Thompson"It's Time to Build" by Marc Andreessen Tools referenced in this episode:Tailwind UI GraphQLHasura.ioThe hosts on Twitter:Matt WensingPeter SuhmAnd their startups:...
2020-04-2257 minOut of BetaCooling DownAfter a quiet Easter week, Peter’s ready to work on team access for Branch. Meanwhile, Matt survives an intense week for Summit, shipping a major improvement to its trendcasting engine and updating investors on business progress.Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on Twitter
2020-04-1546 minOut of BetaShaping & ShippingPeter shapes Branch for agencies, preparing to add access for teams, while cultivating partnerships with hosting companies. Matt stares down a week of deadlines and deliverables for Summit, including premium tier pricing analysis.Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on Twitter
2020-04-0838 minOut of BetaApril, May, and JuneAfter a productive mastermind, Peter and Matt share their goals and plans for the second quarter of 2020. Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on TwitterBranchSummit
2020-04-0138 minOut of BetaTwo Steps ForwardPeter is ready to get Branch out into the world, even as life in Scotland is on lockdown. Matt returns to work with a roadmap for the rest of the year, and key prospects on the cusp of conversion.Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on Twitter
2020-03-2551 minOut of BetaSpring Break 2020Peter returns to Scotland ahead of Denmark’s border closures. Matt’s family gets cozy at home as schools shutter in Texas. How are they keeping momentum—and perspective?NOTE: Matt chose the wrong mic for this recording—cave-like audio is the result.Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on Twitter
2020-03-1849 minOut of BetaProduct/user-fit & partnershipsMatt rebounds with a productive week focused on power users of, and new investors in, Summit. Peter ponders the best way to ask for value in exchange for Branch's product partnerships.Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on TwitterHire a CFO by Jeff JordanProduct-User Fit Comes Before Product-Market Fit by Peter Lauten and David UlevitchMike Maples: Living in the Future, The Knowledge Project Ep. #77 by Shane Parrish
2020-03-1156 minOut of BetaTravails and triumphA week of meetings pushes Matt's inner maker to the edge, eager to start a new week. Peter christens Branch's repositioning with a complete marketing site refresh.Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on TwitterBranchSummit"Investing in Summit" by Ed Freyfogle
2020-03-0448 minOut of BetaMomentumEngagement with Summit lifts Matt’s spirits—and aspirations. Peter and Bjørn enter a new phase of Branch’s development, positioning it for long-term success.Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on TwitterSummitBranch
2020-02-2635 minOut of BetaRecipes for GrowthWith fundraising behind them, Matt and Peter shift their makers back into gear. One of Summit's early adopters shares their requirements for becoming a customer. Meanwhile, Branch is primed for a major new release to ease and accelerate adoption.Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on TwitterSummitBranch
2020-02-191h 00Out of BetaThe Lending WavePeter lassos a new Branch investor, casting doubt on his co-host's neutrality. Branch product development hits high gear. Matt rides a new wave of interest in debt as he begins designing a financial product for sustainable startups.Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on TwitterDebt is Coming to Silicon Valley by Alex DancoIs Debt Coming to Tech? by Ali Hamed
2020-02-1256 minOut of BetaUpdates with Ben OrensteinThe Tuple co-founder takes a break from twitter to join Matt and Peter. Maker-manager updates and a mostly-friendly round of cross-examination ensue.Ben Orenstein on TwitterMatt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on TwitterTupleSummitBranch
2020-02-051h 11Out of BetaSummit and the New Asset ClassMatt has been tweeting in riddles lately and Peter demands a clarification from him. In between his busy tweeting, he's also been able to release the first version of his Stripe integration. Peter is onboarding Branch's employee #1, despite the flu.Matt on TwitterPeter on Twitter
2020-01-2948 minOut of BetaFundraising praxisRecent investor conversations and product progress help Matt push through, while Peter prepares to co-work in Spain with his first developer hire. The two discuss a pragmatic approach to fundraising.Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on TwitterBranchSummit"Recruiting and Hiring a Bad-Ass Team" by Mikey Trafton
2020-01-2250 minOut of BetaAcquiredMatt's December included the acquisition of his first company, Riskpulse. What was it like? And what does this mean for Summit?"How We Bootstrapped a Weather Startup" (Medium)"Bootstrapping Stormpulse, Part II" (Medium)"Buyout gives Austin startup Riskpulse nearly $23M, big backers like DHL" (Austin Business Journal)Matt Wensing (Twitter)Peter Suhm (Twitter)
2020-01-1544 minOut of BetaPlans and purpose, Q1 2020Matt and Peter share their goals for the first 90 days of 2020, and how their purpose for starting up runs deeper than their visions for Summit or Branch.Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on TwitterPlausible Hugeness by Matt Wensing
2020-01-081h 00Out of BetaRecruiting and the rise of freeAs the New Year approaches, Peter tests his ability to recruit talent for Branch. How should early stage companies approach delegation and hiring? And why does Peter think 2020 will be the year of freemium for bootstrappers?Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on Twitter
2019-12-2543 minOut of BetaThe Great ClearingThe bell of a self-service cash register rings as the fog over Branch lifts. Could this be it? Meanwhile, after eight months of product and customer development, Matt's ready to place a larger bet on Summit.Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on TwitterStarting Greatness - Mike Maples Jr’s podcast
2019-12-1836 minOut of BetaSearching for product/market-fitWhy aren’t more people adopting Branch the way Peter imagined, and why was it so much easier to find traction for WP Pusher? Matt and Peter sail into the Bermuda Triangle of product/market-fit and find no easy answers.Spotify on MVPsMatt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on Twitter
2019-12-1157 minOut of BetaOn freedomPeter takes a day to reflect on his challenges with Branch and returns with plans for delighting his early adopters. Matt stares down his shortening runway, sparking a discussion about freedom, optionality, and the trappings of monetizing too soon.Purple Cow by Seth GodinAcquired podcastProduct/Market-Fit podcast episode on AcquiredMatt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on TwitterSummitBranch
2019-12-0456 minOut of BetaProduct and pricing from the trenchesMatt digs into Stripe and Plaid after a setback with Bench. Peter discovers the importance of Branch's namesake: Branch is for branches! Matt explains how he offers fair prices to early adopters, sparking a discussion on segmentation.Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on TwitterBranchSummit
2019-11-2746 minOut of BetaSelect StartPeter's public release of Branch creates inbound interest from hosting providers, requiring him to upgrade his approach to business development. Matt breaks ground on accounting integrations, while allowing himself to experiment with a new mode for Summit.Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on TwitterSummitBranch
2019-11-2048 minOut of BetaPost-launch funnelsMatt and Peter review the 7 days since the launches of Branch and Summit to decide where to focus next. Peter upgrades Branch's onboarding flow, while Matt measures the number of users at each stage of activation. Matt describes his desire for a shared vocabulary for strategy at Summit.On the web:Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on TwitterSummitBranchMatt's Summit Strategy Must-Reads:Business Model Generation by Alex OsterwalderValue Proposition Design by Alex OsterwalderPlatform Revolution by Parker, Alstyne, and ChoudaryDelivering Profitable Value by Michael J. LanningAggregation Theory by Ben ThompsonWhat is a Flywheel by Eric...
2019-11-1337 minOut of BetaGoodbye, SimSaaSMatt and Peter reflect on their quiet, tandem launches, which required Matt to navigate a rebrand and domain change. Peter looks ahead to a heads-down, travel-free November, while Matt plans his premium offerings.Matt Wensing on TwitterPeter Suhm on TwitterSummit on TwitterSummit - Financial Planning Software as a ServiceBranch - Continuous Integration for WordPress
2019-11-0646 minOut of BetaThe Flywheel CompanyIn this almost-live episode of Out of Beta, Matt and Peter recap a conversation about flywheels and business strategy that they had in the hotel bar of Dubrovnik Palace. Why are they doing certain things in their businesses while ignoring others? Where are the leverage points that make their flywheels go faster? On Matt's transatlantic flight, he mapped out all of the business processes within SimSaaS, calling it "The Flywheel Company". Peter wonders if this is the modern-day version of the E-Myth.Flywheel Effect: Why Positive Feedback Loops are a Meta-Competitive AdvantageAdvantage FlywheelsLeverage Points: Places to Intervene in...
2019-10-3039 minOut of BetaLive from Croatia: TinySeed R2 and MicroConf EuropeMatt and Peter are in Dubrovnik, Croatia, for the 2nd TinySeed retreat and MicroConf Europe. On a rooftop overlooking the Adriatic Sea, they share their key takeaways from the retreat masterminds and give their weekly update on Branch and SimSaaS.Matt on TwitterPeter on Twitter
2019-10-2327 minOut of BetaCounting down to launch (... eventually)!Peter has had a disruptive week of road trips through the Highlands, with evenings of fine Scottish whiskies. A few thousand miles to the west, Matt is binge-coding day and night. Where have the mature versions of themselves gone? Also between them and launch: 8 days of travel to Croatia for the 2nd TinySeed retreat and MicroConf Europe.Matt on TwitterPeter on Twitter
2019-10-1642 minOut of BetaTurning goals into plansPeter has turned his Q4 objectives and key results (OKRs) into a financial forecast and growth plan in SimSaaS. He’ll need to at least 5x his number of signups in the coming quarter. Meanwhile Matt receives an uncomfortable message from Rob Walling himself while on air.Matt on TwitterPeter on Twitter
2019-10-0945 minOut of BetaFreemium pirates (AARRR!)Matt and Peter dive deep into their decisions to offer free plans for SimSaaS and Branch. Peter discusses their strategy session, and his formulation of his Q4 goals as objectives and key results (OKR’s), focusing on the acquisition and activation of new users.Matt on TwitterPeter on Twitter
2019-09-1840 minOut of BetaFeeling on the vergePeter’s freaking out—how can he really nail down what's working and what's not? Could a freemium model for Branch be the answer? Matt has joined Capital Factory for the second time, marking the end of his pre-seed fundraising for SimSaaS. Matt commits to send out invites to SimSaaS while Peter prepares for the launch of a hosting partner integration.Peter on TwitterMatt on Twitter
2019-09-1135 minOut of BetaWe hold these truths to be self-evident ...What starting up gets tough, what keeps you confident? Matt and Peter lay out the assumptions that support the opportunities behind Branch and SimSaaS. The two review their progress and look ahead to September.
Matt on Twitter
Peter on Twitter
2019-09-0435 minOut of BetaLean for momentum's sakeConversation:
Peter's employment creates extra hurdles for landing a flat.
Commentary on "The Art of Product" 100th episode.
Reading and sending acquisition signals.
Branch's 1st hosting company integration (Pantheon) is live.
Peter adjusts expectations for his developer intern.
Processes and focus within early stage startups.
How tools have made company-starting cheaper, more efficient.
Russell Panella gifts the simsaas.com domain to Matt.
External links:
Stripe Atlas
TinySeed
Matt on Twitter
Peter on Twitter
2019-08-2836 minOut of BetaTransparency, reducing cognitive load, and going to market
What's the purpose of the podcast? How much should be shared? What shouldn't?
Matt hires himself to do more product development.
Going faster by reducing cognitive load.
Matt hires an expert to define communication processes.
Matt weighs the potential of freemium.
Peter revises his company updates.
Peter doubles down on hosting platforms as go-to-market partners.
Peter and Matt consider the benefits of a dedicated tool for maker mode. (ex. Clubhouse)
Matt on Twitter
Peter on Twitter
2019-08-0736 minOut of BetaThe first TinySeed founder retreat
Matt and Peter mull over the "Out of Beta" name.
Peter recalls arriving in Minnesota and life as a funded startup. ;)
TinySeed founders got some high-quality time together.
The clarifying nature of goals.
Peter met with a new business partner while in Minneapolis.
Peter is delighted with a remix of Branch.
Matt missed the retreat, stayed heads-down on product.
SimSaaS has a brand new, very short screencast.
Matt found a new groove gliding between product and sales.
Matt hired a "personal coding trainer" to help him get into flow much faster.
Related Links:
Matt on Twitter
Peter on...
2019-07-3138 minOut of BetaWhat's it like being a second time founder?
Peter's vacation skills are put to the test as his excitement with Branch bubbles over.
Matt's maker efforts are exceeding his expectations after being busy as a manager last week.
Peter shares his thinking around the nature of a Branch trial and Matt likes it!
Matt's been invited to speak at the 2019 Business of Software conference.
Matt shares some of his thoughts on being a second time founder.
NOTE: Peter's audio is not great in this episode (it sounds like he's speaking into a pillow...), but it'll be better next week, when he's not recording from a tiny bedroom!
2019-07-2435 minOut of BetaThe first 10 customers & Matt's returnWith Matt back from the Canadian Rockies, he and Peter have a lot to talk about. The two share their weekly updates. Matt has been deep in Manager mode with sales meetings. Meanwhile, Peter is starting to onboard a new batch of people onto Branch. Matt also shares some enterprise sales wisdom, based on experience at his previous company, and Peter is making his own olives.
Out of Beta also has a release schedule now and new episodes will go out every Wednesday.
Matt on Twitter
Peter on Twitter
2019-07-1732 minOut of BetaTalking Userlist with Benedikt DeickeMatt is still on the road, so Peter invites a guest on the show: Benedikt Deicke, the co-founder of FemtoConf and Userlist. Peter and Benedikt share their weekly updates and talk about Peter's recent experience with setting up Userlist. Peter is excited and Benedikt is hoping he won't be disappointed.
Peter on Twitter
Matt on Twitter
Benedikt on Twitter
Userlist
FemtoConf
2019-07-0331 minOut of BetaPeter's solo podMatt is off to Yellowstone and Peter shares his updates from the past week of conferences and code refactoring.
Matt on Twitter
Peter on Twitter
2019-06-2810 minOut of BetaDefine the ProblemMatt and Peter discuss an article from Intercom about product development and update listeners on their progress for the week (working on SimSaaS and Branch).
Link to article: https://www.intercom.com/blog/great-product-managers-dont-spend-time-on-solutions/
Matt on Twitter
Peter on Twitter
2019-06-2232 minOut of BetaAsking for MoneyMatt and Peter discuss the ways they're asking for money from their early adopters and update listeners on their progress for the week (working on SimSaaS and Branch). Peter's headed to Berlin for WordCamp 2019.
- Matt on Twitter- Peter on Twitter
2019-06-1731 minOut of Beta1.1 (the nomenclature)Matt and Peter introduce themselves, how they met, and their startups (SimSaaS & Branch), which are are both part of the TinySeed 2019 remote accelerator program.
- Matt on Twitter- Peter on Twitter
2019-06-1727 min