Do you disagree with any of these controversial takes about bootstrapping?

In episode 768, Rob Walling unpacks a series of semi-controversial beliefs about bootstrapping from ScrapingBee’s Pierre de Wulf. Rob evaluates each point from Pierre's tweet, discussing topics like rebranding your SaaS, the hidden problem of affiliate marketing, and the realities of scaling a SaaS business.

• (1:21) – Pierre’s semi-controversial bootstrapping beliefs
• (4:35) – Don’t waste time on a rebrand
• (7:24) – No one cares about your domain extension
• (9:06) – Affiliate marketing won’t fix your acquisition issues
• (11:51) – There is no silver bullet for growth
• (13:42) – Copy what works best
• (14:59) – Double down on acquisition channels that work
• (16:53) – Hire specialists
• (19:34) – Never offer a plan with unlimited features
• (20:22) – Don’t offer a cheap plan if you can’t support it
• (20:47) – Don’t add social logins to your signup page
• (21:27) – Read competitors’ reviews several times a year
• (21:59) – $10k MRR doesn’t guarantee $100k MRR
• (22:28) – You will get copied if you share success
• (23:02) – “Build this feature…”
• (24:10) – The Mom Test
• (24:56) – Provide value for your target demographic for free
• (25:47) – Don’t overthink Product Hunt
• (26:00) – You’ll never sell your SaaS for 10x

• MicroConf Growth Retreat in London
• Rob Walling (@robwalling) | X
• Pierre de Wulf (@PierreDeWulf) | X
• ScrapingBee (@ScrapingBee) | X
• ScrapingBee
• Pierre’s semi-controversial bootstrapping beliefs
• TinySeed
• Rob Walling.com
• Rob Walling | LinkedIn
• SaaS Institute
• Exit Strategy by Sherry Walling, PhD & Rob Walling
• Episode 705 | From Bootstrapped to Mostly Bootstrapped to Venture Backed
• The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick
• Deploy Empathy by Michele Hansen
• The SaaS Playbook by Rob Walling

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your questi...

Is product management more of an art, or a science?

In episode 767, Rob Walling is joined again by Brendan Fortune to answer listener questions focused on product management. They discuss identifying your ideal customer profile, prioritizing feature requests, and positioning against competitors. They also weigh in on how product managers should focus their time.

• (2:50) – Is your ideal customer always your highest paying one?
• (8:11) – Finding just one ICP can be difficult
• (14:56) – How do you prioritize feature requests?
• (19:24) – Product management is art and science
• (26:02) – Competing with competitors on value, not price
• (32:21) – How should product managers focus their time?
• (37:20) – How do PMs manage roadmaps and user feedback?

• Invest in TinySeed
• MicroConf Mastermind Applications close March 31st
• MicroConf Growth Retreat
• The SaaS Playbook
• Brendan Fortune | LinkedIn
• Customer.io
• Episode 756 | Why Great Product Management Is Critical for Your Startup
• Product Flywheel + Pricing + Org Strategy (Miro)
• Savio

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

How do you achieve both success and longevity in SaaS?

In episode 766, Rob chats with Steli Efti about growing Close.com to over $40 million in ARR. Steli shares insights into the importance of maintaining strong co-founder relationships over 12 years, navigating crises, and the importance of emotional resilience in entrepreneurship. They also dive into Close's recent pricing shift to introduce a lower entry-level plan.

• (2:08) – Reflecting on 12 years of SaaS at Close
• (3:50) – Strong co-founder relationships
• (11:24) – Longevity and consistently showing up
• (20:23) – Surviving moments of crisis
• (29:27) – Launching a more affordable pricing tier
• (34:40) – Getting back into the content game

• Exit Strategy by Sherry Walling, PhD & Rob Walling
• Close
• Close Sales Guides
• Episode 498 | Selling During a Pandemic with Steli Efti
• The 0 to $30 Million Blueprint
• Steli Efti (@Steli) | X
• Steli Efti | LinkedIn

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