Shows
Rogue StartupsRS348: Not Exactly White Hat AI-SEO with Lars LofgrenIn today’s episode, Craig sits down with AI-SEO expert Lars Lofgren to unpack the future of AI-SEO in a world dominated by artificial intelligence. They explore how to attract and retain traffic through both on-site and off-site strategies like Reddit, YouTube, LinkedIn, and beyond.
With AI rapidly reshaping the digital landscape, the traditional rules of content and inbound marketing are being rewritten. Should SEO still be your top focus? How do you build brand authority when search algorithms are changing every day?
Tune in for practical tips and bold insights on what’s working now—...2025-07-1653 minRogue StartupsRS347: How to Rank Any Brand In AI ResultsThis week on Rogue Startups, Craig chats with Mike Buckbee from Knowatoa about how AI is changing the game for brands. With tools like ChatGPT taking over the way we search and discover businesses, Mike breaks down what you need to do to get your brand noticed in the AI world. From content strategies to getting your site in front of the right eyes, this episode’s got the lowdown on how to stay ahead in an AI-driven world.
Michael is a serial entrepreneur and software developer who has founded multiple successful startups in the cybersecurity space. Wi...2025-07-0947 minRogue StartupsRS346: What 11 Years in SaaS Really Looks LikeIn this episode of the podcast, Craig sits down with longtime entrepreneur Colin Bartlett, cofounder of StatusGator, to explore what it really takes to build, and sustain, a SaaS business over the long haul. With more than a decade at the helm of a company that helps users monitor service outages, Colin shares hard-won insights from 12 years of entrepreneurship and 11 years of running StatusGator. The conversation dives into how founders’ perspectives evolve, especially in today’s turbulent tech landscape, and how to stay grounded and successful through all of that craziness.
Highlights from Craig and Colin’s conver...2025-07-0248 minRogue StartupsRS345: The State Of Search 2025- LLMs.txt article: https://www.quoleady.com/llm-txt-files/
- Craig's YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@thecraighewitt
Chapters
(00:00:01) - Rogue Startups: The Startup Podcast(00:00:07) - Content Marketing: Multimodal(00:03:37) - Is Content Necessary for Your Business?(00:06:23) - How to get a crawler to crawl your website for SEO(00:13:58) - Marketing Decoded: Content and Search(00:17:14) - Want to hear more of my ranting on AI?2025-06-1118 minRogue StartupsRS344: 12 Years to Overnight Success with Amar GhoseWhat does it really take to lead a company for over a decade—and still be growing?
In this episode, Craig chats with Amar Ghose, founder and longtime CEO of ZenMaid, about the challenges, lessons, and evolution that come from running a SaaS company for 12 years. From market leadership and internal conflict to personal growth and productivity, Amar shares candid insights into the realities of long-term entrepreneurship.
Whether you're scaling a startup, feeling stagnant in your leadership role, or just wondering if AI is going to eat your SaaS lunch, this conversation delivers.
...2025-06-0447 minRogue StartupsA Caffeine Infused DiatribeHello, remember me? Sorry that it's been 6 weeks, but I'm back.
In this episode I talk through what I've been up to recently, what's going on with Castos, with myself personally, and things I'm learning growing the business.
Towards the end, I share the lessons I learned from a recent 2-day Scaling Workshop with Alex and Leila Hormozi. The event was great, and really reframed how I am thinking about the business, and about being a business owner.
My YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@thecraighewitt - for sales, marketing, and founder-focused content like this.2025-05-2846 minRogue StartupsRS342: SaaS Survival Mode - AI, Niches & Navigating ChaosIn this episode of Rogue Startups, Craig chats with Jesse Hanley, marketer, self-taught developer, and founder of Bento, a powerful email marketing platform for modern teams. With today’s economy in flux and global events adding more pressure, Craig and Jesse dive into what it really means to run and grow a SaaS business in 2025.
They explore how entrepreneurs can protect their businesses and families in turbulent times, why niching down is more important than ever (but only for some), and how AI is transforming both Bento and Craig’s own company, Castos. From global living experiences to m...2025-04-2345 minRogue StartupsRS341: Microconf 2025 RecapCraig recaps his biggest takeaways from MicroConf 2025, reflecting on lessons in positioning, lead generation, conference ROI, and the power of going all in on what’s working. From tactical marketing insights to personal reflections, this episode delivers both strategic clarity and founder fuel.2025-03-2617 minRogue StartupsRS340: Is AI Killing SaaS w/ Tim SchumacherIn this episode of Rogue Startups, Craig sits down with founder and entrepreneur Tim Schumacher to discuss his insights on AI, the future of SaaS, and what makes a company successful.
In 2001, Tim co-founded Sedo.com, the world's largest domain marketplace. Since selling the company, he’s been active as an Entrepreneur and/or Investor in various start-ups, such as Eyeo (makers of Adblock Plus), Ecosia, Hitfox, Aklamio, Miomente, PiwikPro, BasicThinking, Home, Zolar, Joblift, SaaS.group, and others.
Highlights from Craig and Tim’s conversation:
The future of SaaS keeps founders up at night
Using...2025-03-1943 minRogue StartupsRS339: AI Skeptic, or BelieverIn today’s episode, Craig chats with Anthony Eden from DNSimple about how they use AI in their businesses and their personal lives. As early skeptics of AI, they do a deep dive into what made them change their minds, what AI does for them, and how it might actually be holding people back. Like the internet, AI is a powerful tool people can use to make their lives better.
They also chat about what it’s like to raise kids as entrepreneurs. Has their influence improved or hindered their children’s lives? Not to mention, how do they...2025-03-0547 minRogue StartupsRS338: Balancing Your Use of AI with Aaron FrancisEver wonder what's happening behind the scenes when your dev team says they're "leveraging AI"? As a non-technical founder, you don't need to understand every line of code, but knowing how AI is actually being used in your business is becoming essential.
Today I'm sitting down with Aaron Francis, who pulls back the curtain on AI in development work. We'll explore the surprising differences between how veterans and newcomers in the field are using these tools, the common pitfalls teams fall into, and the unexpected ways AI is transforming how products get built. Whether you're trying to...2025-02-2652 minRogue StartupsRS337: Building AI Native SaaS w/ Jordan GalToday, Craig chats with Jordan Gal from Rosie about starting a business centered solely on AI. While many of us use AI to help with our work tasks and streamline certain jobs, Jordan’s whole business is AI. They discuss how you and your customers can use AI, what it’s like to start a company right now, and what AI is doing to SaaS.
Rosie creates a new option for small businesses. Previously, the only way to handle phone calls during work hours was through voicemail or an answering service. Rosie offers a new option in that...2025-02-0548 minRogue StartupsRS336: Claude Project Deep Dive with Alison FrenchOn today’s episode of Rogue Startups, Craig continues his AI series with founder, marketer, and Claude-user Alison French. They discuss the hesitation creators feel when working alongside AI and what Alison did to overcome that hurdle. Since then, she’s taught herself how to use Claude.ai in her creative and professional work. AI is a tool that everyone has to learn how to use.
Watch on YouTube
If you feel our podcast has benefited you and might benefit someone else, please share it with them. Also, if you have a chance, please give Rogue...2025-01-2947 minRogue StartupsRS335: Evaluating AI Model Performance with Stuart GreyIn today’s episode of Rogue Startups, Craig sits down with AI expert Dr. Stuart Grey to discuss how AI is transforming both his personal and professional life. Dr. Grey also shares how he educates his students and clients on AI applications. He believes AI will play a pivotal role in all of our futures, and while there may be hesitations, AI can be harnessed to create high-quality content and drive innovation.
Watch on YouTube
Over the next few episodes, I’ll be chatting with folks about the real ways they’re using AI in t...2025-01-2247 minRogue StartupsRS334: How AI Saves Me 10 Hours A WeekToday, I’m kicking off a series on AI—how I’m using it personally and professionally to grow my business, make life easier, and operate at a higher level.
Over the next few episodes, I’ll be chatting with folks about the real ways they’re using AI in their businesses. If you’re interested in joining the conversation, hit me up (details below). But for now, here’s a breakdown of how I’m incorporating AI into my own work.
Key Ways I’m Using AI in My Business
Content Creation for Programmatic S...2025-01-0815 minRogue StartupsRS333: Grading My Business (and yours!)In this New Year's Eve 2024 episode, we dive into a framework for evaluating SaaS businesses across eight crucial criteria. Instead of doing a typical year-in-review or making predictions, we explore how to assess the fundamental strength and potential of your business.
Episode Highlights
Craig grades Castos (podcast hosting platform) across eight key criteria for evaluating SaaS businesses:
1. Pricing (6/10)- Core product (podcast hosting) averages $28/month - below ideal $50+ threshold- Production services start at $1,500/month- Enterprise clients pay tens of thousands annually- Mixed pricing model affects overall...2025-01-0122 minRogue StartupsRS332: Competing with Stripe and Hubspot (ft. Geoff Roberts)Hey everyone! Just had an awesome chat with Geoff Roberts from Outseta (outseta.com). They're doing something pretty wild - basically smashing together Stripe and HubSpot into one platform for subscription businesses. How cool is that?
Quick Hits:- Outseta is an all-in-one platform handling payments, auth, CRM, email, and help desk- They've got this unique setup where everyone makes $210k/year (pro-rated) and can work 1-5 days a week- Took them 4 years to really nail the product (hey, good things take time!)
Best Parts of the Convo:...2024-12-2539 minRogue StartupsRS331: I'm Still Here...After a 2+ month hiatus, we're back!
Watch on YouTube
Sorry for the pause in episodes, but thank you for tuning in this week.
In this episode I talk through why the forever long break in the podcast, what I've learned in that time, and where things are with me and the business.
But most of all, I want to hear from you...what do you want out of this podcast.
Hit me up on Twitter, LinkedIn or even Bluesky2024-12-1809 min
Rogue StartupsRS330: Product-Led Playbook with Wes BushWes Bush is a leading authority on product-led growth (PLG) and is here to guide Craig through the playbook for implementing product-led strategies in your business. This episode is invaluable for entrepreneurs eager to understand how product-led growth works, as well as those skeptical about its effectiveness. Listeners will gain insights into the product-led mindset and methodology that Wes employs for successful PLG implementation.
Watch on YouTube
Do you have any comments, questions, or topic ideas for future episodes? Send Craig an email at podcast@roguestartups.com. If you feel like our podcast has benefited...2024-10-0947 min
Rogue StartupsHow To Hire For GrowthIn this episode of Rogue Startups, I dug into several pressing questions from the community. From knowing when to pull the plug on a marketing channel to the debate around hiring for support versus sales, we covered ground that matters deeply to founders and entrepreneurs. Here’s a breakdown of the key takeaways that can help you level up your startup game.
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1. When Should You Know if a Channel is Working?
A common dilemma many founders face is determining whether a new marketing channel is working. If you’ve ever wond...2024-09-2514 min
Rogue StartupsRS328: Are you Productive or Effective as a founder?Running a business is both incredibly rewarding and exhausting. Over the years, I’ve experienced highs of motivation and productivity, but I’ve also hit those low points, battling burnout and loneliness. In this post, I want to share some of the habits, strategies, and mindset shifts that have helped me stay in the game and maintain the discipline and accountability necessary to keep moving forward. If you’re a founder—or on any long-term entrepreneurial journey—I hope these insights can help you do the same.
Watch on YouTube
The Isolation of Being a Founder2024-09-1814 min
Rogue StartupsRS327: 3 Traits Of Successful Founders w/ Rob Walling
Craig has TinySeed’s Rob Walling in the hot seat today. They’re chatting about defining, attaining, and maintaining success. What does success mean to you? How do focus, clarity, and execution fit into it? Rob, a leading founder and one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the SaaS industry, shares his expert advice and insights on achieving success.
Do you have any comments, questions, or topic ideas for future episodes? Send Craig an email at podcast@roguestartups.com. If you feel like our podcast has benefited you and it might benefit someone else, please share it with...2024-09-1144 min
Rogue StartupsRS326: 5 Things Most Founders Struggle With
Today’s a solo episode with Craig where he’s talking through the 5 common topics and themes that he helps most of his coaching clients through.
Whether it’s through his 1:1 coaching with private clients or in serving as Advisor In Residence at TinySeed, where he’s advised over 50 SaaS founders, a few common patterns have emerged.
These topics include:
Managing Uncertainty
Getting a Sanity Check On New Initiatives
Being An Accountability Partner
Navigating Financial Troubles
Sales & Marketing Strategy
Most important thing to remember from this is that being a founder is tough, but you...2024-09-0419 min
Rogue StartupsRS325: Stuck? Ask Yourself These 3 Questions
Are you a SaaS founder feeling stuck, unmotivated, or unsure about your next move? In this video, I dive into three powerful questions that can help you break through mental barriers and gain clarity on your business’s direction.
These thought-provoking questions will challenge you to confront hard truths, think like an outsider, and tap into your own wisdom. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling up, these insights will help you refocus and reinvigorate your entrepreneurial journey. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain a fresh perspective on your SaaS business!
2024-08-3010 min
Rogue StartupsRS324: $100 Million Bootstrapped SaaS with Adam Robinson
In this episode of the Rogue Startups podcast, Craig sits down with Adam Robinson to explore key topics such as founder psychology, overcoming self-limiting beliefs, and avoiding self-sabotage. They delve into how to identify and break free from the plateau and gradual decline that can occur when you believe you have achieved product-market fit but haven’t. Adam, who has built multiple successful businesses, shares his valuable insights and practical tips with Craig. Don’t miss out—tune in to gain actionable advice from an experienced entrepreneur!
Do you have any comments, questions, or topic ideas for future...2024-08-2141 min
Rogue StartupsRS323: Breaking Through Plateaus with Josh Ho
Today on the Rogue Startups Podcast, Craig chats with Josh Ho from Referral Rock about the peaks and valleys of being a founder. When is the right time to sell? Is there ever a right time? How do you break through a plateau in your business growth? How do you switch from wearing your visionary hat to your marketing and sales hat? They also do a deep dive into when and how you should go about delegating tasks so you can focus on more important things.
Josh built Referral Rock from the ground up. Referral Rock helps...2024-08-1451 min
Rogue StartupsRS322: Marketing, in 2 hours a week
In this episode Craig descirbes his current SaaS marketing approach. Balancing Active and Passive marketing, he’s got his marketing time down to just a few hours a week. Using a video-first, AI-assisted workflow he’s reaching his target market, educating his prospective customers, and building goodwill in the community.
2024-08-0716 min
Rogue StartupsRS321: B2B Lead Gen on LinkedIn
If there’s one thing Craig loves more than podcasting, it’s sales.
In this episode, he shares his enthusiasm with tech sales coach Peter Ahn. They discuss everything from bridging the gap between creating content and driving leads to the importance of being genuine and authentic.
Peter drops plenty of knowledge bombs, so grab a chair, take out a notebook, and jot down some great tips from this episode of the Rogue Startups podcast.
Highlights from Craig and Peter’s conversation:
Why are technical founders so scared of tech sales
...2024-07-3147 min
Rogue StartupsRS320: The Psychology of Sales
Clearly Design works in every aspect from branding to marketing, from product to promotion. Go to Clearly.Design for a discount on his monthly design subscription service. Tell him that Rogue Startups sent you.
What gets someone to buy our products or services? How do you make LinkedIn a meaningful sales channel? In today’s discussion, Craig speaks with LinkedIn expert Ryan Musselman on optimizing your LinkedIn presence. Ryan highlights the importance of focusing on and mastering a single platform for maximum impact. Understanding effective methods to connect with a broad audience is crucial for achieving your st...2024-07-2443 min
Rogue StartupsRS319: Mastering LinkedIn Video Content
Clearly Design works in every aspect from branding to marketing, from product to promotion. Go to Clearly.Design for a discount on his monthly design subscription service. Tell him that Rogue Startups sent you.
Danny DelVecchio joins Craig today to discuss creating, posting, and uploading video content on LinkedIn. In today’s conversation, you’ll discover how to overcome challenges in creating compelling video content, even if you lack confidence on camera. Uncover the essentials of selecting the right gear to kickstart your video journey and crafting timeless content across various platforms. Gain insights into balancing visual appe...2024-07-1750 min
Rogue StartupsRS318: LinkedIn Content That Converts
Clearly Design works in every aspect from branding to marketing, from product to promotion. Go to Clearly.Design for a discount on his monthly design subscription service.
Today Craig is chatting with Nemanja Zivkovic about conversion on LinkedIn. This is the crux of LinkedIn for a lot of us, as B2B SaaS founders, especially indie or bootstrapped businesses. So how do you find opportunities on LinkedIn for you? How do you use LinkedIn to drive more engagement, resulting in deals and dollars?
Do you have any comments, questions, or topic ideas for future episodes...2024-07-0344 min
Rogue StartupsRS317: Steal My LinkedIn Growth Strategy
This episode is sponsored by Clearly Design. Francois and his team at Clearly Design are absolute geniuses of UI, UX, and design. If you’re looking to level up your design, UI, and UX give Clearly Design a try
If you’re running a B2B business today, chances are that LinkedIn is a fantastic growth opportunity for you, and your business.
But if you’re looking at the vastness of how to grow your audience (and business) on LinkedIn, and feel overwhelmed, you’re in luck.
In this solo episode I’m breaking d...2024-06-1918 min
Rogue StartupsRS316: Getting 100k LinkedIn Followers
Optimize your company’s retention, and supercharge growth with Churnkey.
In today’s episode, Craig welcomes Sam Browne. They take a deep dive into the ever-evolving landscape of LinkedIn, the premier platform for professionals seeking to expand their network and amplify their influence.
With Sam’s expert advice and practical tips, they guide listeners through proven strategies for personal branding, lead generation, and relationship building. Tune in as they tackle pressing questions like content recycling, imposter syndrome, and the future of video on LinkedIn. Whether you’re a seasoned LinkedIn aficionado or a newcomer eager to make...2024-06-1243 min
Rogue StartupsRS315: $8 LinkedIn Ad Leads
Optimize your company’s retention, and supercharge growth with Churnkey.
In this episode Craig sits down with Matt Hayman from Linklo to talk through how we as SaaS founders can set up cost effective LinkedIn ads.
Matt has strong experience in building B2B lead flows for a variety of companies, and out of that experience saw the pain for a more customizable LinkedIn ads experience.
In the episode Matt breaks down his formula for a 3-step ad sequence that consistently gets him and his clients leads from LinkedIn for less than $8.
...2024-06-0546 min
Rogue StartupsRS314: The 8 Attributes Of A Perfect SaaS Business
Optimize your company’s retention, and supercharge growth with Churnkey.
Are you looking to build the perfect SaaS business? Discover the key elements for crafting a thriving SaaS venture in the latest Rogue Startups episode. Craig delves into the success story of Castos, dissecting eight crucial attributes essential for any SaaS business to flourish. Some of these are things Castos has nailed, and others are not. Craig candidly shares insights from personal and professional growth and extensive research.
Do you have any comments, questions, or topic ideas for future episodes? Send Craig an email at po...2024-05-2921 min
Rogue StartupsRS313: Unfair Advantages with Jason Cohen
This episode is sponsored by ChurnKey: Optimize your company’s retention and supercharge growth with Churnkey.
Are you looking to fuel your startup’s revenue growth? Jason Cohen, founder of WP Engine, joins Craig behind the mic on this episode of Rogue Startups. Join Jason and Craig as they delve into strategies for sustained revenue growth, even when certain metrics plateau. Discover the power of pricing strategies and delivering enhanced value propositions to justify premium prices. Learn how diversifying variables beyond product features can make your business highly desirable to your market.
Moreover, Jason emphasizes the...2024-05-2259 min
Rogue StartupsRS312: Hacking LinkedIn
In today’s episode, Craig is joined by Adam Shaw from Marketing for Founders to talk about precise and overarching marketing strategies. Adam’s expertise lies in navigating Reddit and LinkedIn, two social media platforms that B2B SaaS entrepreneurs often neglect. Together, they explore Adam’s techniques for Reddit, LinkedIn, and broader marketing principles. Should you focus on active marketing or passive marketing? How do you know how much time to put into marketing? What are good marketing strategies for new business owners? Check out this episode for the answers to these questions and more.
Do you ha...2024-05-1538 min
Rogue StartupsRS311: Does Your Business Pass The Test?
Join Craig as he chats with Dan Andrews, renowned cohost of the Tropical MBA, a weekly podcast dedicated to bootstrapping businesses and entrepreneurship. Dan is also the founder and brains behind Dynamite Circle and Remote First Recruiting.
Today, they’re dishing out some expert advice about podcasting, content creation, and strategies for acquiring customers. Tune in to explore Dan’s opinions on the rapid evolution of AI and his tips on building thriving ventures.
Do you have any comments, questions, or topic ideas for future episodes? Send Craig an email at podcast@roguestartups.com. If you...2024-05-0845 min
Rogue StartupsRS310: Stealing Customers
In this solo episode Craig talks through a few updates from Castos, how he’s thinking about growth, and where he’s focusing his attention and energy in the business.
Craig also gives an update on his personal content: this podcast, his Founder Insights newsletter (check it out at craighewitt.me/join ) and his new 1-on-1 coaching business.
Craig’s started coaching founders, 1-on-1, to help them grow, stay sane, and thrive in their business.
If you’re a SaaS founder and are looking for a sounding board, someone who’s seen a lot in bus...2024-05-0113 min
Rogue StartupsRS309: Growth Fundamentals Most Founders Get Wrong
Alison French joins Craig behind the mic today to talk about ICP and go-to-market strategy, as well as the challenges that bootstrap founders have. We can all overcome these struggles with the right tools, systems, outlook, and determination. She commiserates with Craig about what bootstrappers have to go through and also gives some great advice for new startups and entrepreneurs.
Alison runs a boutique sales and marketing consultancy all around B2B SaaS startups. She is the Marketing Gal who got bit by the revenue bug and became passionate about helping companies scale their revenue by focusing o...2024-04-2442 min
Rogue StartupsRS308: Programmatic SEO with Stuart Brameld
Creating content that will engage readers and appease the algorithm gods is a difficult task. That’s where Stuart Brameld comes in. He is here today to share his insights on growth, marketing, programmatic SEO, and content creation with Craig and the Rogue Startup listeners. He also talks about how Growth Method can help your company grow and gives tips on how to effectively use AI to help you create perfectly worded web content.
What is Growth Method? When should you use AI when creating content? What is programmable SEO?
Do you have any comments, qu...2024-04-1737 min
Rogue StartupsRS307: Doing Less and Doing It Better
Learning valuable lessons on your journey to success can take a while. Today, Craig shares his insights on this topic as it correlates to Castos and to his goal of creating 200 episodes in 2024. (Spoiler alert: things are going well for him.)
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to say no to something. As entrepreneurs and bootstrappers, we have ambitions and goals, but it’s not always feasible to say yes to everything you want to do. Those of us working in a micro-SaaS business can find more success by niching down and focusing all our efforts on...2024-04-1018 min
Rogue StartupsRS306: YouTube Growth Secrets w/ Aaron Francis
Making it big on any social media platform can be an arduous journey. You have to worry about your equipment. What looks good? What content is interesting right now? How do I get people to find me? YouTube has its own brand of problems too. How long do you make videos? What should the thumbnail look like? To script or not to script; that is one of many questions.
On today’s show, Craig welcomes Aaron Francis, software developer, content creator, and YouTube genius. Craig picks Aaron’s brain about his best practices when it comes to maki...2024-04-0342 min
Rogue StartupsRS305: Validating SaaS In An Enormous Market w/ Christopher Gimmer
Is there such a thing as the perfect SaaS business? How are you creating your opportunities? Are you focusing on your end goal for your business? Today, Craig is joined by Christopher Gimmer from Snappa and Good Metrics. Chris talks about his path, which led him to founding multiple businesses and a successful exit. He dives into his decision-making process and how he finds his next big opportunity. As entrepreneurs who have 100% bootstrapped their businesses, Craig and Chris talk about their processes, successes, and lessons they have learned on their journeys.
It can be hard to realize...2024-03-2740 min
Rogue StartupsRS304: What Is Google Doing?! (w/ Spencer Haws)
The world of SEO is changing at a rapid pace because of AI. How can we keep up? Can you still find, generate, and publish unique content online? The answer is yes. Google says that around 20% of online searches every day are ones they’ve never seen before. Here to talk about all that is SEO and keyword guru, Spencer Haws.
In this episode of the Rogue Startups Podcast, Spencer and Craig both talk about how they use AI and how human writers can work with AI-generated content. Spencer also gives his crystal ball prediction of what SE...2024-03-2045 min
Rogue StartupsRS303: After The Desert
In this solo episode, Craig talks through a recent mindset shift in the business.
https://youtu.be/vG0YKhAdPl0
Going from Zero to One you need to put out so many fires, and do so many things, and then in the growth phase you’re constantly trying new approaches, channels, messages, and levers. Here in the post-growth, calm phase, Craig’s found it a bit different to balance the Certainty and Uncertainty of running the business.
Craig’s also offering one-on-one founder coaching to SaaS founders looking to get from 0 to $3M ARR – head over to craig...2024-03-1413 min
Rogue StartupsRS302: Beyond Content Marketing with Doug Cunnington
Doug Cunnington is an affiliate marketing, SEO, AI, and content marketing expert. Today, Craig and Doug chat about their experiences as founders and with web content, in hopes that they can learn from each other and pass along some tidbits of info to listeners.
AI-generated content is everywhere these days. The content marketing industry is split down the middle: they either embrace it or are pushing back. Is it worth it? Craig and Doug deep dive into their opinions on AI content, how they use it, and what the future of content marketing looks like. They talk...2024-02-1953 min
Rogue StartupsRS301: Why Brands Grow with Marc Thomas
One of the biggest lessons Marc Thomas learned about creating engaging content was the importance of bringing in bits of his personality. Today, Craig talks with Marc Thomas about how he has made a name for himself in the world of content and brand growth. Marc emphasizes what some of us forgot: B2B content has a purpose and we have to know what that purpose is. They also talk about the effectiveness of marketing “best practices,” the importance of transparency, Podia’s biggest marketing push and how it worked, and competitor landing pages.
Marc Thomas is the Se...2024-01-3147 min
Rogue StartupsRS300: What’s Killing Google, and Exiting The Startup Phase
It’s the 300th episode of Rogue Startups, and it’s all about personal updates and professional improvements. Craig talks about where Rogue Startups started and what the future holds for this podcast and podcasting in general. What mediums will everyone gravitate toward this year? Who will win in this cage match between Google, YouTube, AI, SEO, and social media?
Craig also talks about where he wants to spend his time and energy in 2024. He has an ambitious but achievable goal of creating and publishing 200 videos on YouTube this year. Not to mention, he dives into this theo...2024-01-1922 min
Rogue StartupsRS299: YouTube Scripting Done Right with George Blackman
George Blackman joins Craig in this installment of the Rogue Startups YouTube series. They chat about scripting episodes and what you can do to prepare yourself for making successful videos. George has had years of experience working with successful YouTubers who have had millions of views on their videos, in part because of George’s scripts.
George and Craig also discuss why scripting is important, how to use a teleprompter, and the pros and cons of riffing versus being intentional and planning content. On the topic of AI, they focus on how he utilizes AI for title cre...2024-01-1249 min
Talking LeadersS4E1 Why Podcasting is Perfect for Leaders - Colin GrayIn the first episode of the 2023 season of podcasts from Talking Leaders, Paul Gisby speaks with Colin Gray of The Podcast Host.
A former University Lecturer, Colin became fascinated by the potential of podcasting. After teaching on the topic for several years, he decided to leave academia and set up The Podcast Host, a business dedicated to helping would-be podcasters with everything from an impressive library of blogs and guidance articles to AI based tools and a podcast production platform. In conversation Paul and Colin focus on the features of podcasting that can make it a particularly...2023-10-1248 min
Honest EcommerceBonus Episode: Refuting Your Email Alibis with Dave Rodenbaugh from RecaptureDave Rodenbaugh is the founder of Recapture.io, an abandoned cart and SMS/email marketing service for WooCommerce, Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento, Easy Digital Downloads, Restrict Content Pro and more. Founded in 2015, Recapture has processed over 1.9 billion in gross merchant volume (GMV) and recovered over $190,000,000 for stores worldwide. Email is Dave's middle name. Dave is also the co-host of the RogueStartups podcast and the WP Minute Ecommerce show. He now works exclusively on ecommerce and has a passion for making merchants of all kinds more successful with their stores. He truly loves emai...2022-07-2825 min
The First 10 Podcast#16 - Craig Hewitt on being a non-technical founder, communication and customer feedback.Send us a textOn this episode of The First 10 Podcast, I talk to Craig Hewitt, founder of podcast hosting and analytics service Castos, and host of the Rogue Startups Podcast.Key PointsYour business is your customers. Your business is not your product.Convincing a customer that their current solution could be better is easier than trying to take them all the way through a brand new conceptDon't be afraid to sell to people. If you have conviction in your heart that what you have is valuable to a specific person...2021-02-2231 min
Britstrapped83: Customer driven website contentThis week, Nick and Martin give an update on their projects and discuss different types of website content.
Referred to
Rogue Startups with Adii Pienaar: https://roguestartups.com/rs240-life-profitability-with-adii-pienaar/
Dan Martell's SAAS Academy: https://www.danmartell.com/saasacademy/
Chart Mogul: https://chartmogul.com/
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Nick: SEO Testing (https://seotesting.com/)
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2021-02-1531 min
WPMRR WordPress PodcastE116 - Managing 300% growth while raising $120K from TinySeed (Craig Hewitt, Castos)In today’s episode, Joe talks to Craig Hewitt, the founder of both Castos, a Wordpress plugin provider for easy podcast management and PodcastMotor where they provide turnkey, end-to-end podcast editing and production services. He’s also a co-host of RogueStartups Podcast. Joe and Craig discuss the early years of Castos and joining the TinySeed team, massive growth in the podcasting industry, profitability versus growth, and the 30-60-90 Day plan. Tune in for more business growth tips! Episode Resources Castos - Stay for the Audience Growth C...2020-10-1347 min
WP-Tonic | WordPress | SaaS | Bootstrap SaaS | Startups#472 WP-Tonic Show With Special Guest Craig Hewitt Founder of Castos#1 What lead you to want to develop Castos? #2 Why did you decide to use WordPress as your SaaS platform? #3 What have been some of the greatest things you learned through the process of building Castos? Today, I’m talking with Craig Hewitt, the Founder of both Castos, a company that provides beautifully simple podcast hosting, and PodcastMotor where they provide turnkey, end-to-end podcast editing and production services, and also the co-host of the RogueStartups Podcast. https://castos.com/ 50% percent for the first three months with coupon code wp...2020-02-2630 min
Bootstrapped#111: "Should I apply for TinySeed?" with Craig Hewitt, founder of CastosI'm joined by Craig Hewitt for the first of several episodes in which he is my cohost.
TinySeed is a "startup accelerator designed for bootstrappers." Craig was accepted into TinySeed's first cohort.
To help me answer the question, "Should I apply for TinySeed?", Craig tells me what it has been like for him. We discuss why he applied, how it has changed his business so far, and what unexpected benefits there are have been.
Links:
Castos: podcast hosting and analytics platform: https://castos.com/
Rogue Startups podcast: https://roguestartups.com/. I highly...2019-10-1832 min
Side Hustle Success PodcastEpisode 25 : Questions! Questions!In this episode we will be doing an extended Q and A with some questions that we have had building up.
My new book - The Path to Freedom: Starting a Business for the Reluctant Entrepreneur - is OUT NOW from Amazon as a paperback or Kindle ebook.
https://geni.us/thepathtofreedom
If you would like to read the book’s introduction and first chapter for FREE, you can sign up for my newsletter to get your FREE download from:
https://www.thepathtofreedombook.com
Stephen’s Yout...2019-07-1854 min
Matt ReportSaaS vs WordPress vs MicroConf vs WordCamp with RogueStartupsI love getting new perspectives on our “little” WordPress business world we live in.
Today, I’m happy to bring you Craig Hewitt and Dave Rodenbaugh of RogueStartups fame to help us distill the differences between the WordCamp go’ers and MicroConf business builders. How do two business owners living with one hand in the WordPress ecosystem and the other in the SaaS world look at the economy of plugins vs hosted software solutions?
From podcasting to freemium business models, to ideal customer acquisition channels this is a MUST LISTEN episode if you’re in the WordPr...2019-04-2335 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastGDPRmageddon: What U.S. Merchants Need to KnowAs of May 25th, 2018, the European Union requires companies of all sizes to take steps to help secure personal data rights and more generally protect that data.
(And if you don't comply, that'll be a 20 million euro fine.)
But what does it mean for US stores? You will hear about it, and it will impact you, but to what degree?
Joining us to decipher the law's impact on US merchants is Dave Rodenbaugh. Dave runs an email marketing service with European customers who necessitated he figure out GDPR fast or risk losing them.2018-05-2938 min
Rhodium Podcast | Online Business | Entrepreneurs | Marketing | Buying and Selling Websites1,000% Revenue Increase By Creating Awesome Customer Experiences With Dave Rodenbaugh (Podcast 009)Dave Rodenbaugh is the Founder of SupportVine, a customer support software for small businesses, and owner of two wordpress plugin businesses. Dave is truly a master at providing awesome customer experiences at scale and he’s used this ability to acquire and dramatically increase the revenue of wordpress plugin businesses.
In this episode:
Why Dave chose to buy an online business instead of starting one from scratch.
The one crucial step Dave missed in his due diligence on his first acquisition that resulted in dramatically lower revenue potential than he originally thought.
How Dave bought a wo...2015-07-0159 min