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Sean Sun And Andrew Askins

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Small Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsLouis Nicholls on the future of SaaS and the top 5 rom coms of all timeWe've got a special guest on the pod today! Louis from Sparkloop joins to share how they evolved from referrals to recommendations and sold to Kit! 🚀 Meanwhile Andrew gets Louis's take on MetaMonster's positioning struggles and they debate how and why the SaaS landscape is changing. Plus: the most detailed rom-com ranking you've ever heard, featuring hidden gems and heated debates about classics.Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/MetaMonster: https://metamonster.ai/Louis's Twitter: @louisnicholls_Sparkloop (newsletter recommendations platform): https://sparkloop.app/Grow your newsletter: https://www.growmynewsletter.com/For more...2025-06-201h 42Small Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsBlack Hat deadline madness, AI-powered content tactics, and the auth provider dilemmaSean survives on 1.5 hours of sleep while juggling Black Hat submissions and client launches! 😴 Andrew discovers a new MetaMonster content strategy and shows off the new grid UI that's generating page titles and scoring them for engagement. Plus: should you delegate your therapy homework to Claude (hint: no), auth provider decision paralysis, and why internal linking breaks the table concept.Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/MetaMonster: https://metamonster.ai/Sean’s Twitter: @seanqsunMiscreants: http://miscreants.com/Margins: http://margins.so/Sean's website: https://seanqsun.com/For more information about the podcast...2025-06-1244 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsWhen Webflow goes downPre-Black Hat crunch time hits Miscreants hard as brand audits pile up and Webflow goes down for half a day. Andrew's new MetaMonster grid shows AI's bipolar nature - brilliant one moment, baffling the next. 🤖 Plus: positioning challenges, category creation in the AI era, and why Poboy the cat makes a terrible hide-and-seek player.Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/MetaMonster: https://metamonster.ai/Sean’s Twitter: @seanqsunMiscreants: http://miscreants.com/Margins: http://margins.so/Sean's website: https://seanqsun.com/For more information about the podcast, check out https://www.smalleffortspod.com/.2025-06-0648 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsChasing taxis in the Canadian wildernessFresh from a techno festival, Andrew's planning an escape to Lion's Head National Park in Canada while working through therapy insights about procrastination. 🏕️ Plus he's thinking about how to reposition MetaMonster away from tools that might be seen as cheap. Meanwhile Sean's juggling multiple client launches and working on mapping the security operations of a bank to help other people on the Miscreants team understand what it's like to work in a security org. Also: Ferrari shots, cognitive distortions, and landing new clients!Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/MetaMonster: https://metamonster.ai/Sean...2025-06-0348 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsPool tables, positioning, and people opsAndrew and Sean talk about hiring tools, positioning MetaMonster, and Andrew's struggles to increase his publishing velocity. Meanwhile, Sean is slammed with inbound after RSA, is putting project management systems in place for Margins, and just got a pool table!  Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/MetaMonster: https://metamonster.ai/Sean’s Twitter: @seanqsunMiscreants: http://miscreants.com/Margins: http://margins.so/Sean's website: https://seanqsun.com/Apply to Miscreants: https://tally.so/r/nrWOlNFor more information about the podcast, check out https://www.smalleffortspod.com/.Transcript:00:01.27Sean2025-05-2253 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsMiscreants is growing fast! And Andrew is rebuilding MetaMonsterWhoops! Our last recording got botched halfway through and only Andrew's audio was saved. So we recapped what we talked about in the last podcast and got into some new stuff in today's episode. Sean is back from his busiest RSA yet and growing Miscreants like crazy! In fact, they're growing so fast that Andrew is hiring a full-time product designer to join the Miscreants team. Meanwhile Andrew is also rebuilding MetaMonster from the ground up (well, Austin is) and thinking about how to build products with AI at the core instead of just tacking it on. T...2025-05-151h 04Small Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsAI as the engine, not the add-on (rebuilding MetaMonster from the ground up)Sean is back from his busiest RSA conference yet, and is thinking about how to transfer the security-industry knowledge in his head to the rest of the team at Miscreants. Meanwhile Andrew is rebuilding MetaMonster, testing the Vercel AI SDK, and thinking about how architecture and user experiences are going to change in the age of AI. Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/MetaMonster: https://metamonster.ai/Sean’s Twitter: @seanqsunMiscreants: http://miscreants.com/Margins: http://margins.so/Sean's website: https://seanqsun.com/For more information about the podcast, check out https...2025-05-1446 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsYou can just record thingsAndrew is in Atlanta visiting friends and continuing to think about how to best integrate more AI features into MetaMonster to make the product stickier. Sean had his first demo of Margins and... everything broke! But that's okay!Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/MetaMonster: https://metamonster.ai/Sean’s Twitter: @seanqsunMiscreants: http://miscreants.com/Margins: http://margins.so/Sean's website: https://seanqsun.com/For more information about the podcast, check out https://www.smalleffortspod.com/.Transcript:00:00.93SeanThis is a new background. Where are you...2025-04-2536 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsOne week inAndrew and Sean have a bet to see who can write the best cold email copy for MetaMonster, and early results are in. Sean has a name and domain for his new product - Margins and is letting the Miscreants team handle the branding. Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/MetaMonster: https://metamonster.ai/Sean’s Twitter: @seanqsunMiscreants: http://miscreants.com/Margins: http://margins.so/Sean's website: https://seanqsun.com/For more information about the podcast, check out https://www.smalleffortspod.com/.Transcript:00:01.15SeanWhat up, w...2025-04-1847 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsThe MetaMonster launch, pricing, and naming a productAndrew just launched MetaMonster! Andrew and Sean dig into how the launch is going so far (spoiler alert: not great), whether the product is overpriced, and what to try next. Then the guys talk about the demo for Sean's new product and what to name it. Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/MetaMonster: https://metamonster.ai/Sean’s Twitter: @seanqsunMiscreants: http://miscreants.com/Sean's website: https://seanqsun.com/For more information about the podcast, check out https://www.smalleffortspod.com/.Transcript:00:00:00.75SeanWelcome back. How is ro...2025-04-141h 13Small Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsBonus episode: Robots, reveals and rev sharesIn this episode Sean is finally ready to reveal the new product Miscreants is building! Meanwhile Andrew's robotics team is getting dangerously close to qualifying for the World Championships, and the guys debate marketing new products. This episode was originally supposed to go out a couple weeks ago, but we're playing with our publishing schedule a bit. Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/MetaMonster: https://metamonster.ai/Sean’s Twitter: @seanqsunMiscreants: http://miscreants.com/Sean's website: https://seanqsun.com/For more information about the podcast, check out https://www.smalleffortspod.com...2025-04-141h 05Small Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsAndrew's launching MetaMonster soon??Andrew and Sean are trying different AI tools to vibe code/write more. Andrew's considering other features for the MetaMonster roadmap and his next steps with consulting.Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/MetaMonster: https://metamonster.ai/Sean’s Twitter: @seanqsunMiscreants: http://miscreants.com/Sean's website: https://seanqsun.com/For more information about the podcast, check out https://www.smalleffortspod.com/.2025-04-041h 02Small Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSean goes to MicroConfIn this episode Sean recaps his first ever trip to MicroConf, spoiler: he loved it. Meanwhile Andrew has a new favorite brick and mortar business, and has a date for the MetaMonster launch! Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/MetaMonster: https://metamonster.ai/Sean’s Twitter: @seanqsunMiscreants: http://miscreants.com/Sean's website: https://seanqsun.com/For more information about the podcast, check out https://www.smalleffortspod.com/.Transcript:00:00.78SeanWhat's up man? Why are you late? Just00:02.85Andr...2025-03-2654 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsChoosing to delay the launchAndrew and Sean talk about the high robotics team Andrew mentors, choosing to delay the MetaMonster launch, hiring updates from Miscreants, and muse on the pros and cons of adding a custom prompts feature to MetaMonster. Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/MetaMonster: https://metamonster.ai/Sean’s Twitter: @seanqsunMiscreants: http://miscreants.com/Sean's website: https://seanqsun.com/Stacked cookbook: https://www.amazon.com/Stacked-Perfect-Sandwich-Owen-Han/dp/0063330652For more information about the podcast, check out https://www.smalleffortspod.com/.Transcript:00:00:00.85SeanYo, yo.2025-03-131h 09Small Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSean built a new productAndrew is slowly crawling towards a beta release for MetaMonster, he's almost done with the signup/checkout flow and then has a few more things he wants to check off the list before launch. Sean has been playing with Lovable again, and has built a proof of concept for a Webflow changelog he wants for Miscreants (and is thinking about selling). The guys get a little technical talking through the challenges with Supabase edge functions and building with AI. Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/MetaMonster: https://metamonster.ai/Sean’s Twitter: @sean...2025-03-0141 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsLife changing sandwichesAndrew just made a life changing sandwich and is finally using Cursor (and it's living up to the hype). Meanwhile Sean has been working on cutting SaaS costs for Miscreants and gets nostalgic about Flask (the Python framework). Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/MetaMonster: https://metamonster.ai/Sean’s Twitter: @seanqsunMiscreants: http://miscreants.com/Sean's website: https://seanqsun.com/Stacked cookbook: https://www.amazon.com/Stacked-Perfect-Sandwich-Owen-Han/dp/0063330652For more information about the podcast, check out https://www.smalleffortspod.com/.Transcript:00:01.41SeanOh, I'm like...2025-02-1435 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSean's building a SaaS!In this episode Andrew talks about his recent struggles with ADHD and feeling like MetaMonster is moving too slowly. Meanwhile, Sean is planning to build a new SaaS product within Miscreants. The guys talk about the challenges of maintaining focus on a new product while running an agency, and how to set up the project for the best chance of success. Sean gets deeply uncomfortable, it's great!Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/MetaMonster: https://metamonster.ai/Sean’s Twitter: @seanqsunMiscreants: http://miscreants.com/Sean's website: https://seanqsun.com/For more info...2025-01-3054 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsWhen should you charge your first customers?In this episode, Sean's Shmoocon trip got spicy 🌶️ 🥵 and Andrew is riding the high of a great prospect call for MetaMonster. Sean gives feedback on the experience of using MetaMonster, and Andrew debates when (and how) to start charging early customers. Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/MetaMonster: https://metamonster.ai/Sean’s Twitter: @seanqsunMiscreants: http://miscreants.com/Sean's website: https://seanqsun.com/Worth Driving: https://worthdriving.com/For more information about the podcast, check out https://www.smalleffortspod.com/.Transcript:00:00.38SeanHow's your poop?...2025-01-1641 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSean's first impressions of MetaMonsterAndrew and Sean are back for Season 3!! Andrew's onboarding his first users to MetaMonster, and as alpha user #1 Sean has lots of thoughts. Meanwhile Sean actually took some time off??? And he used it to start writing. The guys talk MetaMonster, product design, and personal branding. Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/MetaMonster: https://metamonster.ai/Sean’s Twitter: @seanqsunMiscreants: http://miscreants.com/Sean's website: https://seanqsun.com/Worth Driving: https://worthdriving.com/For more information about the podcast, check out https://www.smalleffortspod.com/.Transcript:00:00.98Sean2025-01-1042 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsPrompt engineering and reflecting on 2024In this episode, Andrew talks about his recent deep dive on prompt engineering and the way the AI product landscape is shaking out. Sean talks about his recent trip to Philly for a cybersecurity marketing conference. Then the guys reflect on 2024 and their goals for 2025. Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/MetaMonster: https://metamonster.ai/Sean’s Twitter: @seanqsunMiscreants: http://miscreants.com/Sean's website: https://seanqsun.com/Worth Driving: https://worthdriving.com/For more information about the podcast, check out https://www.smalleffortspod.com/.Transcript:00:00:00.00Sean2024-12-191h 05Small Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsAlex Hillman: How your identity impacts your marketingIn this week's special guest podcast, Alex Hillman (of Stacking the Bricks and 30x500) joins Andrew to coach him on early stage marketing at MetaMonster. They talk through Andrew's recent failed launch (and why not to worry about it too much), what he's doing differently now, and how your identity as a founder can impact your marketing. Plus, what pro wrestlers get right about identity and storytelling and how to create great content when you aren't an expert in your niche.There's so much great info packed into this discussion, enjoy! By the way, check out Alex's...2024-12-121h 13Small Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsAndrew got roasted and Sean built a new websiteIn this episode, Andrew discusses feedback he received from Alex Hillman on his marketing efforts for MetaMonster, and how he plans to adjust his approach going forward. He's now focusing more on creating content and building anticipation rather than rushing to convert customers. Sean shares his thoughts on personal branding and how he's reworking his online presence. They also touch on the pros and cons of starter packs for growing following on BlueSky and the value of being an authentic, relationship-based creator versus optimizing for algorithms.Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/Me...2024-12-0648 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsEarly stage validation and the PMF spectrumIn this episode, Andrew talks about the rapid audience growth he's seeing on Bluesky and the challenges he's running into finding Founding Users for MetaMonster. The guys talk about the idea of product market fit as a spectrum and validation as a way to uncover where you might be on that spectrum, but without ever getting to 100% certainty. Then Sean talks through trying to find his next side project idea. Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/MetaMonster: https://metamonster.ai/ChartJuice: https://www.chartjuice.com/Sean’s Twitter: @seanqsunMiscreants: http://miscreants.com/Copy...2024-11-2254 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsHow to replace yourself in your agencyIn this episode, Sean talks about getting himself out of day-to-day client work at Miscreants, and Andrew provides an update on his slow progress with customer acquisition for MetaMonster. Andrew shares an idea for a side project and they talk about Dharmesh buying the chat.com domain and "flipping" it to OpenAI.Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/MetaMonster: https://metamonster.ai/ChartJuice: https://www.chartjuice.com/Sean’s Twitter: @seanqsunMiscreants: http://miscreants.com/CopyWork: https://copy.work/Wordpress to Webflow-ready CSV: https://contentgobl.in/For more information about the podcast, chec...2024-11-1457 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSean launches TWO free tools, and the guys brainstorm marketing ideasIn this episode, Andrew and Sean talk about Halloween plans and Sean's decision to kill Stackwise. Meanwhile, Sean has launched two new free tools in the last week! The guys talk about how he did it and what his goals are for both of them. Then they spend the rest of the episode brainstorming marketing ideas for MetaMonster.Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/MetaMonster: https://metamonster.ai/ChartJuice: https://www.chartjuice.com/Sean’s Twitter: @seanqsunMiscreants: http://miscreants.com/CopyWork: https://copy.work/Wordpress to Webflow-ready CSV: https://contentgobl.in/For...2024-10-3057 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSean has new momentum, and Andrew gets feedback on designsIn this episode, Sean discusses the challenges he is facing (and his new momentum) with his project Stackwise, including finding the right developer and getting the project scope defined. He talks about discovering a no-code tool called Subframe that has helped streamline his design process. Andrew shares his progress building the MetaMonster website with Astro and SpinalCMS, and gets feedback from Sean on the first round of MetaMonster wireframes. They also discuss pricing models and ideas for holding company names. Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/New MetaMonster website built with Astro: ht...2024-10-2557 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsHow to pick a CMS and the challenges of building part timeIn this episode Andrew tries to pick a CMS for the new MetaMonster website and talks about his dream solution. Then the guys talk about their ideal consulting businesses. Meanwhile Sean is feeling frustrated by how slow his projects are moving, and wishes he could focus on them fulltime for a bit. They also touch on the difficulties of balancing attention to design details versus just getting a product out the door quickly. Finally, Sean shares 3 businesses he loves. Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/MetaMonster: https://metamonster.ai/ChartJuice: https://www.ch...2024-10-171h 06Small Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSean's trip got ruined by dev work, and Andrew is getting traction with a new productSean just got back from two weeks in Korea and Japan. His trip got derailed when he had to jump in to put out fires and finish some Webflow dev work for a client. He and Andrew talk about the challenges of removing yourself from the day-to-day as an agency owner and how to balance work and time off.  Andrew gives an update on the client work he's doing with Miscreants, his decision to put ChartJuice on the backburner, and the traction he's seeing with a new product (MetaMonster) he's working on with a partner. MetaMonster helps S...2024-10-101h 05Small Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsGetting called out, finding new data sources, and how to interpret user researchIn this episode, Andrew and Sean got hit up by someone clearly using Podscan... again! They talk about it, then Andrew shares details about his recent trip to Mexico City, including highlights like a hot air balloon ride over the pyramids and an exciting Lucha Libre wrestling match.Sean provides an update on Stackwise, discussing the data sources they've uncovered and the challenges of building a comprehensive database. Meanwhile, Andrew delves into the validation process for his latest SEO-focused startup idea, weighing the pros and cons of targeting different user segments.Links:Andrew’s...2024-09-1652 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsFreemium and new goalsNote: This episode was supposed to come out a couple of weeks ago. But Andrew forgot to attach the audio file when he went to publish, so it's just been sitting in our podcast hosting software. Sorry about that.  In this episode, Andrew and Sean dig into Paul Graham's founder mode essay that has gone viral in the past couple of weeks. Spoiler alert: Andrew is not a fan. Sean talks about the challenges of evolving client demands with Miscreants, while Andrew recounts his experiences in Mexico City and his decision to pivot ChartJuice towards a...2024-09-1253 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsHow do you know when to quit?In this episode, Andrew talks about his upcoming trip to Mexico City, which started as a potential plan to live there but has evolved into a working vacation. Sean talks about recent challenges in his agency, including team members getting sick after conferences and some project misfires with smaller clients. Andrew then gives an update on the lukewarm progress he's seeing with ChartJuice (complete with raw metrics) and again ponders a freemium pivot. He's grappling with the question - how do you know when to give up on a SaaS product? They wrap up by...2024-08-231h 06Small Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsDefcon, apparel sales, and Google adsIn this episode, Sean gives a recap on shirt sales, his annual Korean BBQ dinner, and more from DEF CON. Andrew shares some feedback he got from the client project he's been working on, and dives into the early results he's seeing from running Google Ads for ChartJuice. Andrew reveals his latest mile times from his half marathon training, and the guys talk about how much impact you could make in congressional elections with some basic digital marketing chops. Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/ChartJuice: https://www.chartjuice.com/Sean’s Twit...2024-08-141h 09Small Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsHow much inbound is TOO much inbound?Sean is exhausted because he has so many inbound emails from prospective clients he doesn't have time to answer them all. Meanwhile, Andrew is trying to buckle down and get Stripe built into ChartJuice so he can start advertising and collecting payments. Sean and Andrew talk about how the consulting project is going, and Sean has to rain Andrew in as he contemplates repositioning ChartJuice again. As a bonus, find out how fast Andrew can run a mile and why he needs to run faster. Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/ChartJuice: ht...2024-08-0148 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsIt's so tempting to become a content goblinSeason 2: Episode 5In this episode Sean talks about being buried in client work at Miscreants and how to design trendy clothing that gets people hyped. Meanwhile, Andrew talks about making slow progress on ChartJuice and trying to fight the temptation to become an SEO content goblin. Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/ChartJuice: https://www.chartjuice.com/Sean’s Twitter: @seanqsunMiscreants: http://miscreants.com/StackWise: Coming soon...Cider: Coming soon...For more information about the podcast, check out https://www.smalleffortspod.com/.Transcript:00:02.21Sean2024-07-1155 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSean's new mobile app, marketing ChartJuice, and working together on a client projectSeason 2: Episode 4Did you know AI really loves the word delve? Sean and Andrew can't help starting the pod off with a little more AI talk. Then they get into Sean's new product he's working on. Meanwhile Andrew is putting aside his IDE and starting to shift his focus to marketing and selling ChartJuice. He talks about using Flow.club to focus and setting a goal of doing two hours of deep work every day. Sean asks Andrew if he would sell ChartJuice if someone made him an offer tomorrow. And Sean and Andrew talk about working...2024-06-2145 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsAndrew's dealing with bugs, and Sean is slammed with job applicationsSeason 2: Episode 3It's a Small Efforts Double Header! We were late getting this episode out, so we decided to go ahead and publish two weeks of episodes at once. In this episode Andrew is coming straight from a tattoo session, and talks about fighting bugs with ChartJuice. Meanwhile, Sean has gotten over 300 APPLICATIONS to his open job post, almost all from Dribbble. And he previews the consumer SaaS/community he's building on the side. Andrew and Sean discuss the strategy behind the new ConvertKit rebrand, and finally debate whether AI-generated book notes can be a good growth...2024-06-131h 08Small Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsDouble header: Expert beginnersSeason 2: Episode 2It's a Small Efforts Double Header! We were late getting this episode out, so we decided to go ahead and publish two weeks of episodes at once. In this episode Andrew talks about quietly pushing ChartJuice live, and raves about his new favorite podcast. Meanwhile Sean drops some knowledge about the intricacies of swag supply chains, and the guys discuss the trap of being an expert beginner vs a true expert. Finally, Sean talk about a leadership retreat he's going on soon. Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/Ch...2024-06-1346 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsWe're so backAndrew and Sean are back for Season 2! In Season 2 they'll get transparent about the highs and lows of building their businesses (with plenty of goofing around too). Same concept, new businesses. In this episode we recap WHERE THE HELL WE'VE BEEN FOR TWO YEARS. Plus we talk about the projects we're working on now, how to market and validate Andrew's new startup, and Sean's search for founder friends.  Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/ChartJuice: https://www.chartjuice.com/Sean’s Twitter: @seanqsunMiscreants: http://miscreants.com/For more information about...2024-05-301h 13Small Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsHow to voice and tone(0:24) This is officially a rock climbing podcast(8:15) Andrew and Sean's gardens have attracted guests(12:59) Sean lowkey needs another break(25:10) Miscreants is doing a collection drop at DEFCON(29:56) Rebranding is like creating a religion but without Kool-Aid Thanks for listening to Small Efforts, a podcast collaboration between Krit and Miscreants. Shoutout to the Hatch Team and Mary Vuong for producing and editing. Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/Chartkit: https://www.chartkit.io/Krit: https://www.krit.com/ Miscreants: https...2022-06-3043 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsScoring Sean's Twitter account(0:27) There’s a parallel universe where Andrew’s life revolves around photography(8:34) Sean is suspicious as hell(17:31) The real reason why so many CEOs are super fucking into meditation(26:31) Andrew and Sean’s bi-weekly book club chat(34:29) Your lawyer career doesn’t mean shit if you can’t work on your streetwear brand Thanks for listening to Small Efforts, a podcast collaboration between Krit and Miscreants. Shoutout to the Hatch Team and Mary Vuong for producing and editing. Links:Andrew’s Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAn...2022-06-1639 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsDC BAYBEE!(0:25) The difference between Andrew and Sean is that Sean is extra delusional (6:27) Sales feels like throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks (17:23) Either the channels depend on the day, or different channels work during different times(24:32) Giving constraints encourages creativity, not stifles it(34:21) Andrew and Sean are both traveling and bad at bowling Thanks for listening to Small Efforts, a podcast collaboration between Krit and Miscreants. Shoutout to the Hatch Team and Mary Vuong for producing and editing. Links:Andrew’s Twit...2022-06-0247 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsPeople and processes(0:22) Getting experience is all about putting in the reps(9:09) It’s easy judging a designer by their portfolio. A PM by their resume? Not so much.(18:58) It’s mad hard building a leadership team(27:12) Commission vs. Salary: We’re undecided on which one’s better(37:03) If Krit didn’t exist, Andrew would definitely have an SEO marketing agency Thanks for listening to Small Efforts, a podcast collaboration between Krit and Miscreants. Shoutout to the Hatch Team and Mary Vuong for producing and editing. Links:An...2022-05-0547 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsADHD and founder salaries(0:22) Sean was recently diagnosed with ADHD, and that’s OK(5:58) I’m not undisciplined, mom—I’m just wired differently (10:16) Wages as a CEO: How much should you compensate yourself?(20:21) Stocks are steady, but business is more rewarding(26:53) Sometimes, it’s the stupid risks that pay off (so go sponsor that esports team)(30:36) Personal note: Rest in peace, Mike Murray Thanks for listening to Small Efforts, a podcast collaboration between Krit and Miscreants. Shoutout to the Hatch Team and Mary Vuong for producing and editing. 2022-04-2133 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsNerding out about agency processes(0:27) It’s good to have a playbook in case you get hit by a bus tomorrow(6:19) You can’t have a great process if you don’t iterate or communicate(11:31) The more granular you get, the more you get bogged down by the rules(18:14) Awesome employees + no rules = chaos(23:17) The client does have the final decision, but it’s sad if you just act like a waiter(33:24) Miscreants don’t sponsor losers Thanks for listening to Small Efforts, a podcast collaboration between Krit and Miscreants. Shoutout to...2022-04-0740 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsWhat should your job be as a founder?(0:27) The Tale of Two Founders: the Technical One and the Sales and Marketing One(6:58) Sean is Andrew’s new therapist(13:39) Letting go of your Legos is harder than it looks(17:48) Hot Take: Social media memers don’t make for good marketing directors(23:32) Sean is like a laptop with too many Chrome tabs open: constantly getting drained(29:56) Relinquishing Perfectionism: It’s not that their version is worse—it’s just different(35:40) Miscreants is now an eSports sponsorThanks for listening to Small Efforts, a podcast collaboration between Kr...2022-03-2440 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsShould you adjust salaries for the cost of living?(0:27) Andrew got roped into volunteering with a local high school robotics team(4:12) It’s mad hard to hire a product designer(10:59) One does not simply get hired because one uses hamburger menus(20:22) There’s always a weird rift between international and domestic employees(28:38) How do you keep your employees happy when you can’t give them a ping pong table?(31:38) You can’t pay someone a shit salary just because they’re in Mexico(40:44) Hiring People: It’s like a transaction, so don’t be shitty Than...2022-03-1051 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSecurity Cybernet(0:27) Andrew got his first snow boots ever, and Sean is terrified of surfboarding(4:36) Sean wishes he had an office-office, and Andrew's looking to hire a product designer(10:14) Andrew’s new pitch: a low-cost, automated recruiting service with a flat fee(19:58) There are many great online job boards out there, but Ziprecruiter is not one of them(25:34) Coinbase's Super Bowl ad was a super clever campaign(30:02) Andrew and Sean play a game using Krit's data on cybersecurity product names(40:07) Sean’s new self-care regime: breathwork(45:32) It's hard...2022-02-2457 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsClosing the lead gap(0:27) Andrew’s never been to Disney World, and Sean’s surrounded by cat owners(5:18) Domain names are like gym memberships: you should take them seriously(10:38) People are scrambling to figure out how to close that lead gap, and that’s fair(15:40) A less boring alternative to white papers: interactive microsites(19:48) No time for microsites? Start a movement with other companies(24:33) What’s better than hosting competitions? Free swag.(28:19) Everyone loves free stuff—including existing customers(31:59) One does not simply close the lead gap by making marketing...2022-02-1035 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsUnderrated (and overrated) product design tactics(0:25) Andrew and Sean are going to play a game(2:57) Microcopy: the little bits of texts that can make a huge splash(7:48) Accessibility: it’s just good design(10:18) Andrew wants tooltip walk-throughs to burn in Hell(14:05) Not all product analytics is created equally(20:03) Why do people have a customer support robot when it takes hours to get a response?(23:19) Documentation is more scalable than customer support, but most people suck at it(32:47) Andrew’s quick correction Thanks for listening to Small Efforts, a pod...2022-01-2734 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsAndrew and Sean think about buying a Lambo(0:32) Andrew’s holiday break was so good, he had the Sunday scaries(4:59) Sean’s starting a vlog!(9:49) Krit might pit VCs against each other for spots on the VC List(15:22) There’s a reason why some people can get degrees in finance and others can’t(18:53) Hot Take: Filming yourself dumping money on people is like filming a monitoring game show(29:11) Positive incentives are healthy until you’re dangling Lambos (33:12) Andrew and Sean think about buying a Lambo Thanks for listening to Small Efforts, a p...2022-01-1348 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsAndrew and Sean’s final episode of 2021!(0:27) Andrew hopes he's resilient to SAD because he has plenty of other mental anguish(3:29) Culture and Business: Only having awesome culture doesn't put food on the table(15:58) Miscreants just launched three freaking projects back to back(19:09) Appealing to Emotions 101: Emphasize with pain(21:33) If you think figuring out your niche is hard, try finding someone else's(29:15) Standing out in a Commoditized Industry: Specifically show what you do(38:07) Krit and Miscreant's 2022 goals: Less chaos, more focus Thanks for listening to Small Efforts, a podcast collaboration b...2021-12-3053 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsDealing with the highs and lows, plus the future of the pod!(0:27) Running an agency is like leading geese while not knowing where you're going(5:45) Holidays While Remote: Having fun traditional office stuff is hard(9:11) Miscreants’ Black Friday merch sales were so high that Sean became a folding master(11:56) The hardest part of having a newsletter is making it(15:05) Krit learned some interesting things from testing their design audit process(19:30) And Miscreants is launching a YouTube channel(23:55) Andrew and Sean might share an Airbnb for RSA(26:43) If Greg's happy, Andrew's happy(29:30) Andrew and Sean and th...2021-12-1640 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsAndrew and Sean talk about SaaS security(0:27) Krit (sort of) got hacked (7:21) One does not simply tell employees and clients that one got hacked(13:23) Two Types of Recruiters: Those who “spam the shit out of everybody,” and those who build relationships(18:31) “Holidays are tough”(23:47) It’s hard juggling days off while pushing against stagnation(26:54) Selling butts in a seat is easier when you have a smaller team(30:27) Making Playbooks: Is it better to make it simple than have all the context in the world?(34:44) Krit just hit a major milestone!(39:37) Sean’s new...2021-12-0248 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsDropping out of high school with Andrew Morris, CEO of GreyNoise(0:27) Andrew, Sean, and another Andrew(7:24) Getting ahold of the people you want and don't want to get to(11:30) Crossing the chasm: Getting rid of collection bias and positioning yourself better(16:15) Leading people who work for the people who work for you (20:15) The Difference Between Therapists and Executive Coaches: One tells you to shut up and suck it up(23:09) Values vs principles(32:02) Andrew Morris's goal used to be to sell for $30M. Given that GreyNoise is valued at more than $30M today what are his goals now?2021-11-221h 29Small Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsAndrew wonders how fast is too fast, and Sean’s cold and stressed in LA(0:27) Andrew has a cat named Stevie Nicks, and Sean’s cold and stressed in LA(3:17) Krit has officially launched one of its non-security clients(5:47) Sean’s New Pitch: Soundtracks based on interviews(8:27) Remixing and Repurposing Old Content: Why build from scratch when you have a foundation?(11:22) Running Remotely: How do you make your company more transparent internally?(16:50) Sean might be hiring another PM!(17:59) Speed: How fast is too fast? (23:58) The Secret Key to Speed: Managing your client’s perception(29:18) Selling full-time equivalents is similar...2021-11-0447 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsAndrew and Sean's domain graveyard(0:21) The Yin and Yang of Running an Agency: How much can you control?(7:42) LinkedIn Marketing is free game(11:21) Onboarding Plans: Unexpectedly hard to develop(18:01) Andrew and Sean have a graveyard for domain names of projects they’ve abandoned(25:30) Some projects are very, very dead(30:57) And some were shot dead before they took off(35:04) You can’t expect prototype speed past the prototype stage(37:41) Development and Marketing: When do you go to the next stage?(41:12) Swag Ideas for Cons: Animal Crossing clothes and other virtual swag...2021-10-2154 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsAndrew has a new cat and Sean is still looking for a Project Manager(0:29) Andrew’s cat, Po’ Boy’s, new friend: a cat named Danger (work-in-title)(2:49) ​​Security Companies: Why so many ‘S’ names?(8:12) Hiring Notice: Sean’s still looking for a Project Manager(10:56) Hiring Notice: So, Sean’s really looking for a Producer/Project Manager(14:36) Getting referrals for Design People from Tech People isn’t the greatest(17:05) Andrew and Sean really appreciate Mike Privette (Return on Security)(22:02) Broadening Horizons: When do you work with people outside your niche?(26:41) Having an outside perspective in an industry isn’t always a bad thing(30...2021-10-0739 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsAndrew’s releasing an interview series and Sean’s looking at PM tools(0:27) Irvine's sunsets are crazy and Detroit's EDM scene is wild(4:50) ​​Andrew's kicking off his interview series Product People(7:41) Sean is a fanboy of Return on Security(10:20) It's not all about the VC outreach(12:19) Product Management is such a weird industry(19:50) There aren't many good online security communities for intermediates(23:47) There's a difference between having a fan base and having a community(29:01) Sean hypothesizes the history between lawyers and legal pads(31:52) Making or finding the perfect feedback tool: easier said than done(36:42) Our...2021-09-2338 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsAndrew sets goals and Sean's client gets acquired(0:27) Laptops and remote work go hand in hand(3:27) But Sean and Andrew are not about that digital nomad life(6:10) Setting the right goals is a constant struggle(8:24) Andrew's therapist is a surprisingly awesome business coach(11:35) Time Measurement: Think about your to-dos, but don't go super, super in detail(14:03) Andrew shares some of his goals(19:24) Life with a Co-Founder: No shared values? Good luck(24:49) Success is success(28:56) Sean’s latest pitch: A one-stop-shop service for all things swag(34:22) Sean drops some knowledge on...2021-09-0946 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsAndrew and Sean finally meet + thoughts from Black Hat and DEF CON(0:27) Sean doesn't know how to pronounce "Michelob"(1:12) Andrew and Sean’s Relationship: It’s been a long two years, man(4:37) Andrew and Sean are pretty much risking their lives to be at DEF CON(14:30) It can be mad hard to sell B2B tech products(17:57) Connections in Security: It can help with even the most unrelated things(20:43) Choosing Your Company’s Differentiator: Better data and better AI is not the answer(24:15) Choosing Your Company’s Differentiator: Less bad guy, more on making jobs easier(25:59) Reiterating pain poi...2021-08-2752 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsAndrew's in a funk and Sean's on TikTok(0:25) Getting out of a Funk: It's hard to stop feeling scattered(8:17) Zoom fatigue is real(9:22) Andrew's gotten really into rock climbing recently(13:12) Sean tries to pitch liquid chalk(16:28) Tensions Within Security Twitter: We need to express more empathy(20:15) The beverage and security industries are kinda related(23:34) Andrew pitches DART (working title)(30:02) There's surprising a lot of security content on TikTok(33:31) Media and Paid Ads: it's weird to get unrelated ads on unrelated topics(36:47) Our Small Efforts...2021-08-1241 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsMitre D3FEND + What makes a product... good?In episode 2, we talk about the new MITRE D3FEND framework and an internal project at Krit to answer the question, "What defines good design in InfoSec?" We also touch on marketing strategy, learning not to overcommit, expanding your team, camping, and exit plans.(0:21) Andrew is giving Sean major FOMO.(3:04) An empty office: You don’t know what you’re missing until it’s gone.(4:20) Only a part of us misses having an in-person team.(6:23) Hiring Notice: Sean’s looking for a project manager.(7:22) Our Take on the MITRE’s D3FEND F...2021-07-2943 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsAndrew's mom is his most active subscriber(0:22) Case Studies: Timing Case Studies can be mad hard.(1:57) What Andrew is doing for lead gen. (2:57) Hiring Notice: Andrew's looking to hire some accountability to keep his writing on track. (5:23) Connecting with people in security should be organic.(8:59) Someone owes me a Chick-Fil-A: Motivating your co-host by bribing them with Chick-Fil-A.(9:46) Misophonia and why Sean can’t listen to ASMR Mukbangs(11:01) Sean's UX in Cybersecurity Presentation: It's the little things that make a huge impact.(17:00) Krit has an awesome newsletter. Miscreants is working on a news...2021-07-1548 minSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsSmall Efforts - with Sean Sun and Andrew AskinsTrailerSmall Efforts is a podcast about cybersecurity, design, and the continuous small efforts it takes to build a business.Join hosts Sean Sun (founder of Miscreants) and Andrew Askins (founder of Krit) as they share the ups and downs of growing design agencies in the cybersecurity industry. Sean knows a lot about cybersecurity, Andrew knows a lot about running an agency. But they both have a lot to learn. 2021-06-1401 min