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Going full time on my SaaS after 13 years

mattmazur.com

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Re: Going full time on my SaaS after 13 years

#121

Post by [deleted] »

bisRepetita wrote: post #115
Alex3917 wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> We need more examples highlighted of entrepreneurs leading the slow-burn (in a good way) types of ventures. There will be a lot more example of this in the coming years because the costs of keeping a pre-PMF webapp online have basically fallen to zero. Whereas when Zuckerberg started Facebook, if it didn't take off right away then you had no choice but to shut it down. When you hear VCs and other folks cast doubt o…

Even back then, you did not have to grow as fast as VC made you think. It was a choice by Zuck to grow fast and take a lot of investment, he did not have to grow that fast. This is Zuck's interview in 2005 in Stanford: >So, I mean when you’re 16 running a site and your core people are the kitchen table, your operating expenses are relatively low. >[...] we just kept our operating expenses low so far and by doing that…

[deleted]

Re: Going full time on my SaaS after 13 years

#122

Post by lotsofpulp »

bisRepetita wrote: post #115
Alex3917 wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> We need more examples highlighted of entrepreneurs leading the slow-burn (in a good way) types of ventures. There will be a lot more example of this in the coming years because the costs of keeping a pre-PMF webapp online have basically fallen to zero. Whereas when Zuckerberg started Facebook, if it didn't take off right away then you had no choice but to shut it down. When you hear VCs and other folks cast doubt o…

Even back then, you did not have to grow as fast as VC made you think. It was a choice by Zuck to grow fast and take a lot of investment, he did not have to grow that fast. This is Zuck's interview in 2005 in Stanford: >So, I mean when you’re 16 running a site and your core people are the kitchen table, your operating expenses are relatively low. >[...] we just kept our operating expenses low so far and by doing that…

If your strategy involves needing to take advantage of network effects, growing as fast as possible seems like a requirement. It is a winner take all dynamic.

Re: Going full time on my SaaS after 13 years

#123

Post by jordanmoconnor »

Awesome work! It takes a lot of guts to go out on your own and bet on yourself. I did that over two years ago and I'll never regret it - the amount of time I get to spend with my kids is incredible, and serving customers that use and love the tools you build is a great feeling.

Re: Going full time on my SaaS after 13 years

#124

Post by matt1 »

agentwiggles wrote: post #119

This is super inspiring. I just started working on a side project that I hope can one day be worth something. I'm also the sole breadwinner of a household with 2 (soon to be 3) kids and a wife depending on me, so it's really inspiring to see that the dream really can happen, even if it takes a decade plus to realize. Even if my thing never takes off, it's a tool I've wanted for a long time, so I'm motivated to keep g…

I should have said this in the post, but even if your startup doesn't take off, the skills you learn along the way are very valuable and will make you better at all of your future jobs.

I hope things work out for you and that they don't take as long as they did for me :).

Re: Going full time on my SaaS after 13 years

#125

Post by Alex3917 »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #122
bisRepetita wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even back then, you did not have to grow as fast as VC made you think. It was a choice by Zuck to grow fast and take a lot of investment, he did not have to grow that fast. This is Zuck's interview in 2005 in Stanford: >So, I mean when you’re 16 running a site and your core people are the kitchen table, your operating expenses are relatively low. >[...] we just kept our operating expenses low so far and by doing that…

If your strategy involves needing to take advantage of network effects, growing as fast as possible seems like a requirement. It is a winner take all dynamic.

> If your strategy involved needing to take advantage of network effects, growing as fast as possible seems like a requirement.

Not necessarily. Most businesses with network effects (including Facebook) follow the "come for the tool, stay for the network" approach.

Re: Going full time on my SaaS after 13 years

#126

Post by didgetmaster »

ricksunny wrote: post #55

Good on you; We need more examples highlighted of entrepreneurs leading the slow-burn (in a good way) types of ventures. Not every business activity fits the go-big-or-go-home Zuckerberg-esque meteoric rise archetype that the Techcrunch-led hype media attracts eyeballs for portraying.

It's not just SaaS or web based products that fall into this category. There are plenty of applications and systems that run stand-alone on a disconnected computer that can add real value and may take many years to develop for a sole engineer.

I have a data management system that I have been working on for many years. It is core technology that could eventually be used in a SaaS or web based model, but for now it runs on a single computer with no dependencies to the Internet (other than to download the beta software at https://www.Didgets.com).

Many of the features (file system imports, database tables, quick analytics, logging framework, indexing service, etc.) have come about one weekend or a series of evenings at a time.

Congrats to Matt for sticking with it for so long.

Re: Going full time on my SaaS after 13 years

#127

Post by matt1 »

jordanmoconnor wrote: post #123

Awesome work! It takes a lot of guts to go out on your own and bet on yourself. I did that over two years ago and I'll never regret it - the amount of time I get to spend with my kids is incredible, and serving customers that use and love the tools you build is a great feeling.

Thanks, I'm looking forward to the extra time with the family as well!

And since you didn't share your startup, I'll do it for ya: https://closet.tools/

Re: Going full time on my SaaS after 13 years

#128

Post by jordanmoconnor »

matt1 wrote: post #127
jordanmoconnor wrote: post #123

Awesome work! It takes a lot of guts to go out on your own and bet on yourself. I did that over two years ago and I'll never regret it - the amount of time I get to spend with my kids is incredible, and serving customers that use and love the tools you build is a great feeling.

Thanks, I'm looking forward to the extra time with the family as well! And since you didn't share your startup, I'll do it for ya: https://closet.tools/

Ha, thanks. My customers aren't here, only the people who will create a copycat this weekend

Re: Going full time on my SaaS after 13 years

#129

Post by matt1 »

jordanmoconnor wrote: post #128
matt1 wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks, I'm looking forward to the extra time with the family as well! And since you didn't share your startup, I'll do it for ya: https://closet.tools/

Ha, thanks. My customers aren't here, only the people who will create a copycat this weekend

Hopefully more than a weekend ;)

Re: Going full time on my SaaS after 13 years

#130

Post by jwmoz »

noname123 wrote: post #118

Hi Matt, thanks for sharing. Just a proof of my staying power, I saw your Preceden post on HN; and paid for a license 13 years ago promptly your v0.1 and I am still here. https://i.imgur.com/ejUm3Gh.png I had bought a license purely on a whim as I was browsing HN on company-time. I was in 20's, bored and ambitious with no concrete plans and I proceeded to play on company-time in my cubicle the rest of the day and pla…

Can you talk more about your trading bot? I've also done something similar the last year, mainly systematic trading and cross-sectional system.
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