Big episode! Brian shares the results of his launch of Instrumental Components (sales numbers, and how he's feeling). He also talks about his next project: helping devs and teams navigate how to use AI in software development and design. This episode was recorded live, with tons of folks joining us in the "panel" chat. Adam Wathan ended up joining us last-minute to talk about how he's changed is mind on AI and coding, and how AI is affecting Tailwind's business.

Timestamps:

• (02:50) - What is Instrumental Components and how has the launch been?
• (11:06) - Why not go for something big?
• (24:26) - What you hear online vs the reality of what's going on
• (29:24) - Pricing change for Instrumental Components
• (34:04) - Where Brian's going next
• (51:42) - Adam Wathan on how they're using AI
• (01:06:14) - Writing PRD for AI instead of prompt writing
• (01:09:39) - How is AI going to affect Adam's business?
• (01:24:03) - Vibe coding personal projects

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Links mentioned in this episode

• Instrumental Components - Brian's new product
• Clarity Flow - Brian's SaaS product
• Transistor.fm - Justin's company
• Integrate Open AI and Anthropic APIs into your Rails applications (video)
• Rob Walling's Stair Step approach
• Vercel's new V0 AI tool
• Thorsten Ball's article: How to build an agent
• Mostly Technical | 85: Screencasting.com Launch Failure
• The Steve Ballmer Interview: The Complete History and Strategy
• TaskMaster AI Solutions
• Claude Code Overview
• AI Video Editor
• Figma AI Creativity
• Rand Fishkin on Marketing

Justin just got back from a big trip to London UK for the podcast industry conference, and honestly, it's got him thinking about some big thoughts about the podcasting medium. This episode starts out with an honest chat between Brian and Justin: 'How are you feeling about the podcast so far?'

Timestamps:

• (00:06) - Just the two of us
• (01:06) - The struggle with guests on a podcast
• (10:33) - What if we did it live?
• (16:46) - What's Justin been up to?
• (20:28) - How does the shift in podcasting affect Transistor?
• (24:50) - Justin's universal theory about podcasting
• (39:51) - One reason Justin is hopeful
• (43:42) - The pipeline problem is a big one for startups
• (51:19) - How could Transistor work in a video podcast world
• (57:53) - Why Justin is hopeful about Apple Podcasts

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Links mentioned in this episode

• The Podcast Show
• Instrumental Components - Brian's new product
• Clarity Flow - Brian's SaaS product
• Transistor.fm - Justin's company

Justin and Brian talk about how Brian's launch for Instrumental Components went. "Some things are way harder now that I'm older." Brian describes some of the technical challenges faced during the launch. There's also a meaty section about how much AI to use in software development (and how Brian uses it). At the end, Justin provides some feedback on Brian's pricing and marketing strategy.

Timestamps:

• (00:05) - Introduction
• (02:00) - Brian's early access launch
• (04:15) - The fear that nobody is going to buy
• (06:45) - Sass vs product
• (09:43) - How does it feel to launch a product as a solo person?
• (13:11) - Hiring vs doing it yourself + AI
• (24:20) - Are we losing the shared experience?
• (37:20) - Why are you batching invites out?
• (46:23) - The pricing decision
• (51:13) - The importance of positioning
• (55:40) - Why should this be a subscription?
• (01:04:38) - The importance of getting other people telling your story
• (01:09:23) - How to ask for social support from your people
• (01:17:16) - What's Justin up to next

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Links mentioned in this episode

• Aaron Francis' tweet
• Adam Wathan
• How About Tomorrow?
• The REWORK Podcast
• Replit
• Statamic
• Gravity Forms
• Tailwind UI Components
• Radical Design Course
• Instrumental Components - Brian's new product
• Clarity Flow - Brian's SaaS product
• Transistor.fm - Justin's company

Justin is wrestling with strategic decisions for Transistor after hitting his initial "success goal," while Brian is two weeks away from launching a new Rails components product and grappling with how to reach his target audience.

Timestamps:

• (00:06) - What are we talking about in this episode?
• (01:41) - The importance of a founder or CEO
• (05:40) - Learning about marketing from politics
• (18:27) - Thinking about the next phase of Transistor
• (36:27) - Not knowing how a new product or service will be recieved until you launch it
• (48:34) - Being in motion in the direction you think you need to move
• (53:12) - Trying to figure out what makes me different
• (01:00:26) - Brian sharing his survey
• (01:09:35) - How do the rest of us reach people?
• (01:21:38) - SEO ideas in 2025

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Links mentioned in this episode

• Podcast Movement: The World’s Largest Podcasting Community | Events, Resources & More!
• Justin Jackson – SaaS, bootstrapping, marketing
• Jordan Gal Voice AI
• Marketing Automation
• Customer Engagement
• Email-First OS
• AI Video Editing
• AI Code Editor
• .NET & JavaScript Libraries
• Instrumental Products - Brian's company
• Clarity Flow - Brian's SaaS product
• Transistor.fm - Justin's company

Jordan Gal is breaking the mold with his new startup Rosie. He's targeting non-technical small business owners using consumer-style marketing rather than the B2B approaches most SaaS use. He talks about the opportunities and risks with AI-based startups, and how he's waiting for the "dam to break."

Timestamps:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (03:42) - Using what I want to listen to to guide what I create
• (12:10) - The advantage of finding your audience
• (16:26) - What kinds of experiments have you run lately?
• (23:28) - What is the marketing strategy for Rosie?
• (33:10) - Struggling with content creation
• (47:28) - It can be dangerous when your audience is also your customers
• (54:02) - Content is not the end goal
• (01:05:19) - Building a business on tradespeople

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Links mentioned in this episode

• Rosie - AI Call Answering Service
• Jordan Gal - Portland, Oregon, rallyon.com | about.me
• Post Purchase Offers
• Brian Casel
• Bootstrapped Web
• Wireframing Tools
• Instrumental Products - Brian's company
• Clarity Flow - Brian's SaaS product
• Transistor.fm - Justin's company

Adam Wathan sat down with Justin and Brian to talk about the challenge of staying motivated with your own business, even when you've "made it."

However successful you think a well-known product or founder might be, the truth is everyone's dealing with stresses and challenges and things that don't work and figuring out what to do next. That's what this episode is about.

The discussion also touches on the potential of video content and YouTube as a way of getting in motion and regaining motivation.

Timestamps:

• (00:06) - Intro
• (02:52) - Evaluating past efforts and losing confidence
• (27:27) - Do we try and get more of the same thing, or build to a new thing?
• (29:58) - Getting excited about building out a new space
• (37:51) - Publishing when you're inspired
• (59:11) - Are we too old?
• (01:03:23) - Finding inspiration in new locations

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Links mentioned in this episode

• Tailwind CSS - Adam's company
• Tailwind's YouTube channel
• Instrumental Products - Brian's company
• Clarity Flow - Brian's SaaS product
• Transistor.fm - Justin's company

Brian Casel hosts a candid conversation with Val Sopi and Christian Genco about the realities of launching new SaaS products in 2025. All three founders are at pivotal moments in their entrepreneurial journeys, wrestling with what products to build next, how to balance consulting work with product development, and finding the elusive "founder-product fit" that makes building a business sustainable and enjoyable. They share their strategies for validating ideas, dealing with competition, and defining what success truly means beyond just revenue targets.

The discussion delves into the unique challenges of the current SaaS landscape, from the impact of AI on product development to the importance of building products that genuinely excite you as a founder. Whether you're considering your next product launch or questioning your current direction, this episode offers valuable perspectives from bootstrappers who've been through multiple product cycles and are navigating their next moves.

Timestamps:

• (00:00) - Welcome
• (01:35) - Guest introduction
• (03:31) - Why are we considering a new Saas business in 2025?
• (12:07) - Have we thought about doing something else besides Saas?
• (22:09) - How do you convince yourself that your new idea is going to work?
• (28:15) - How do we view competition in Saas?
• (32:43) - Thinking about founder fit as much as market fit
• (37:43) - What is Christian thinking about for his own product?
• (44:07) - How to think about competition in 2025
• (52:29) - How do we stay excited about our products or projects?
• (59:09) - What does success look like for you this year?

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Links mentioned in this episode

• Instrumental Products - Brian's company
• Clarity Flow - Brian's SaaS product
• BlogMaker.app - Val's current SaaS
• FileInbox.com - Christian's SaaS
• Cursor - AI coding tool discussed in the episode
• Rails Components Library – Brian's new project
• Paddle - Payment processor Val mentioned for his new product
• Justin's MicroConf talk on founder-market fit
• Brett Victor - Human Computing

Marie Poulin and Aaron Francis join us to discuss the realities of building creator-driven businesses. We talked a lot about YouTube (they describe how each got traction there) and their current video making process. They also challenged conventional wisdom about sticking to one niche. For them, pivoting between projects keeps them fresh and prevents burnout, even when the traditional wisdom is to "just focus."

Chapters:

• (00:06) - Introduction
• (03:23) - What is happening in Marie Poulin's world?
• (07:32) - What is Aaron Francis up to at Try Hard Studios?
• (08:48) - Why is open source software important to be involved in?
• (11:20) - What is the marketing flow for Marie and Notion Mastery?
• (14:34) - The power of YouTube to find new people
• (16:52) - Personality as a brand vs a studio brand name
• (25:03) - The tensions of being a creator
• (33:49) - What is your month to month routine for your business?
• (39:16) - When does creative work feel like a grind?
• (01:00:47) - What negative attention have you recieved creating content?

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Links mentioned in this episode

• 💼 Notion Mastery
• 💪 Try Hard Studios
• Marie's YouTube channel
• Aaron's YouTube channel
• Screencasting.com - Aaron's upcoming project
• ChatGPT lists Marie as #1 Notion influencer
• 🧰 Instrumental Products
• 🎤 Transistor podcast hosting