In this episode of TinySeed Tales, Rob Walling checks in with Colleen Schnettler, co-founder of Hello Query, as she shares the latest developments in her startup journey.

Colleen shares the insights gained from recent customer interviews that led to a significant pivot in their product strategy. Hello Query is now focused on embedding custom reporting features within other SaaS applications and Colleen reflects on balancing product quality with minimal v1 features. Her excitement is building to get their solution into users' hands.

• (1:32) – Digging into customer interviews
• (3:54) – Filtering out the noise to achieve confidence
• (5:31) – Other competitors in the space
• (8:53) – How Colleen prepares for and sources customer conversations
• (12:11) – Is the technical implementation coming along?

• Invest in TinySeed
• Episode 748 | The Ins and Outs of Startup Investing
• Colleen Schnettler (@leenyburger) | X
• Colleen Schnettler (@leenyburger.bsky.social) | Bluesky
• Hello Query

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

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In episode 754, join Rob Walling for a solo adventure as he tackles listener questions on a variety of topics. He discusses strategies for converting free users to paid customers, the implications of AI advancements on the SaaS landscape, and how to navigate platform risks when larger players enter your market. Rob also shares insights on breaking through growth plateaus.

• (3:12) – When in doubt, don’t try freemium
• (6:44) – Different levers you can pull to make freemium work
• (8:53) – How will SaaS be affected by the exponential growth of AI?
• (14:09) – Big players launching features is a form of platform risk
• (17:24) – Should I spin out a portion of my product into a new product?
• (20:05) – Thinking through plateaus in your business growth

• MicroConf Connect Applications are open through Feb 5th
• Ask a Question on Startups For the Rest of Us
• TinySeed
• Episode 663 | 5 Insights SaaS Founders Should Know About A.I. (Ignore at Your Peril)
• Episode 735 | The 8 Levels of SaaS Platform Risk (A Rob Solo Adventure)
• MicroConf YouTube Channel

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

Subscribe & Review: iTunes | Spotify

In this episode of TinySeed Tales, Rob Walling reconnects with Colleen Schnettler, co-founder of Hammerstone, as she shares the latest developments in their startup journey.

Colleen opens up about the emotional challenges of co-founder conflicts with Aaron, highlighting the importance of communication and alignment in their partnership. They also discuss the significant pivot from their initial product offering to the newly rebranded Hello Query, a SaaS solution focused on internal reporting for teams.

• (0:59) – Breaking up with a co-founder
• (7:39) – How could this conversation have been different?
• (9:49) – Navigating a major pivot
• (14:37) – Changing the name
• (16:56) – Getting closer to finding product-market-fit
• (19:39) – Competing in a competitive market

• SaaS Institute
• TinySeed
• Colleen Schnettler (@leenyburger) | X
• Colleen Schnettler (@leenyburger.bsky.social) | Bluesky
• Aaron Francis (@aarondfrancis) | X
• Aaron Francis (@aaronfrancis.com) | Bluesky
• MicroConf Recap, Episode 59 – The Hammerstone Podcast
• Hello Query

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

Subscribe & Review: iTunes | Spotify