193: Stair-Stepping with Plugins: Platforms to Build On
The Bootstrapped Founder
02/24/23
•14m
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Stair-stepping into software entrepreneurship is a great way for developers to start their own businesses without taking on massive risks. Building a plugin on an established platform allows developers to leverage existing user bases and traffic to grow their business quickly, while also being aware of the risks associated with platform dependency, profit-sharing, and limited flexibility.
My interview with Collen Schnettler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpcYTO5x3cY
Rob Walling's Stair-Stepping: https://robwalling.com/2015/03/26/the-stair-step-method-of-bootstrapping/
Preetham Nath: https://www.preetamnath.com/blog/grow-shopify-micro-saas-to-25k-mrr-in-14-months
The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/stair-stepping-with-plugins-platforms-to-build-on/
The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/51643e63
The video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjOHqn4PJZM
You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com
Podcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcast
Newsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletter
My book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/
My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/
My course Find your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com
Find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/
This episode is sponsored by Drata.
Previous Episode
192: Colleen Schnettler — Stair-Stepping into SaaS
February 22, 2023
•53m
Today, I’m talking to Colleen Schnettler, co-founder of Hammerstone and build-in-public podcaster. We talk about getting bootstrapper-compatible funding, juggling way too many projects, and selling a business when you know it’s time to move on. Here’s Colleen.
00:00:00 A lot of podcasts
00:06:01 Building on Heroku
00:12:25 Building on Marketplaces
00:16:59 Dealing with support requests
00:21:49 Pressure to sell?
00:26:27 Hammerstone
00:31:24 Business Value
00:35:46 Value of value
00:41:11 The risks of having just a few big customers
00:46:12 Getting bootstrapper funding
The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/colleen-schnettler-stair-stepping-into-saas/
The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/281dbe46
The video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpcYTO5x3cY
You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com
Podcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcast
Newsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletter
My book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/
My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/
My course Find your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com
Find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/
This interview is sponsored by Acquire.com
Next Episode
194: Matt Wensing — Publish Your Juicy Thoughts
March 1, 2023
•69m
Today, I’m talking to Matt Wensing — the founder behind Summit and tweeter of many often controversial things. We talk about bootstrapping a financial SaaS, how to deal with integrations, and when to take funding. Here’s Matt.
00:00:00 An exchange of stories
00:04:54 What’s your strategy?
00:09:31 Writing long-form
00:15:05 Bridging the gap between invention and commercialization.
00:19:56 Creators and salespeople.
00:25:58 How a little bit of cash can change the trajectory of your business.
00:34:34 Bootstrapping is not a shot in the dark
00:41:48 The importance of trust (in the crypto space.)
00:47:55 Centralization has to occur for other people to benefit
00:54:58 How not to leave people behind
00:59:29 How do you look at platform risk from both sides?
00:1:05:06 The nature of platforms
The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/matt-wensing-publish-your-juicy-thoughts/
The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/f7deea33
The video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pBYsl1UxeY
You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com
Podcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcast
Newsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletter
My book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/
My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/
My course Find your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com
Find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahl/
This interview is sponsored by Acquire.com
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