Thanks for inspiration, I'm in! Will try and put something out by 8 Jan!!
Bootstrapping a SaaS Startup from Scratch
51–60 of 109 posts
Re: Bootstrapping a SaaS Startup from Scratch
#52"Instead of coding, the vast majority of your time is going to be spent marketing, selling, optimizing funnels, and providing support. Those are the things that get (and keep) customers. Those are the things that you do when you run a business. Not writing code." This is the best part of this article for me. A lot of solo bootstrappers don't get it. They struggle. But the fact is that you have to market and sell. Tal…
It goes both ways, but most SaaS entrepreneurs tend toward code for obvious reasons. I run a SaaS company now (ZenMaid) where I've focused entirely on the things listed and my partner focused entirely on code. Not everyone is so lucky though and most neglect my part.
We've started "outsourcing" more (hiring help really) but I intend to talk to all of our customers personally for as long as I can.
Re: Bootstrapping a SaaS Startup from Scratch
#53This is a good read, but I'm a bit concerned by his product Tamboo[1], which lets site owners track exactly what their users do on their sites. I was looking at competitors and found Smartlook[2], whose website asks "Is this super-awesome service even legal?" A better question might be, "is it ethical?" and generally when you're asking is it legal the answer to that question is no. [1]: https://gettamboo.com/ [2]: ht…
In my opinion, the legal aspect is unclear too. In case of brick and mortar stores, AFAIK, most jurisdictions require a noticeable sign revealing surveillance/videotaping. The law hasn't quite caught up online though. Regardless, I'd say it's ethical if they clearly tell users they're being watched. I bet no one would use the service if it was required.
Yeah, I'm not totally against the idea, but I know a lot of people have concerns around privacy online and how data about them is collected. I agree that you should let your users know you're tracking them in this way if you use something like this.
Re: Bootstrapping a SaaS Startup from Scratch
#54Earlier quoted context omitted.
If the downvoters please could provide just a couple of words of explanation why they think I'm wrong. Thanks.
Because I read it far more as "This is going to be fucking hard, it sucks. Welcome to the trenches." That's considerably different than "I just did this simple thing and then money fell from the sky." That, and the rest of the article goes on to focus on validating why your idea might not suck, or can at least be refined.
Your point is valid but if you read my comment I'm not arguing why the author is better or worse than the people he criticizes.
My point is that the author is using questionable rhetoric and is not being honest with his audience at best (and manipulative at worst) in his article. He could have easily made his point while not being any of that.
Re: Bootstrapping a SaaS Startup from Scratch
#55I agree with almost everything except advertising on FB and Twitter. I have worked at several startups that had ZERO return on thousands of advertising on FB. Our Google ads cost more but had an actual return. There is a reason that they cost more.
Re: Bootstrapping a SaaS Startup from Scratch
#56I agree with almost everything except advertising on FB and Twitter. I have worked at several startups that had ZERO return on thousands of advertising on FB. Our Google ads cost more but had an actual return. There is a reason that they cost more.
It's easy to waste money with Facebook. It's also easy to make money with it when using the right process.
Re: Bootstrapping a SaaS Startup from Scratch
#57And this is why , mom and dad, I don't start a company just because I know how to code. None of this stuff interests me.
This is really honest and I commend you for saying it. I think too many people don't think about all of the things that are involved before jumping into starting a company. I sure didn't.
It is not as sexy as the tech blogs, gurus and mainstream media make it out to be. Bootstrapped or not. Seems like there is this uptick lately with promoting bootstrapping. Don't get me wrong, it is the way I started and grew my businesses but it is hard. It is also soul crushing when something that you invested huge amounts of your own time into and most likely your own savings fails. You can't really blame anyone else but yourself.
I always felt that those of us that go down this path are a little crazy ;)
Re: Bootstrapping a SaaS Startup from Scratch
#58Earlier quoted context omitted.
Nobody on Indie Hackers has ever claimed to be an overnight success, and every interview is transparent about the details so that readers can see exactly how long it took.
To be fair, he has a point. The indyhackers Submit hub article is sub-titled: "Jason Grishkoff built a $55,000/mo SaaS business helping musicians promote their music, and he did it in under a year. Here's how."
Well, he started his business in November 2015, started charging in February 2016, and hit $55k/mo by November 2016. I don't see any hyperbole/dishonesty in saying he built his business in under a year given that he actually did so. Sometimes rapid growth happens!
Of course him being able to accomplish this feat stems from skills/knowledge he acquired earlier (his blog, music industry experience, learning to code, learning to design, etc), but that's true of any business. Nobody starts from scratch, and the interviews cover people's histories pretty thoroughly.
Re: Bootstrapping a SaaS Startup from Scratch
#59Right in the beginning: The stone cold truth of the matter is that most of the people pandering this advice are only doing so to build up their “guru” status ... They do this so that look up to them. They do this so that you talk about them (getting you to help them grow their audience). They do this so that you’ll feel like you’re somehow less than they are ... I promise I’m not going to do any of that to you. Reall…
Wow, I'm really sorry if it came across that way. Where I was coming from with this was that I was sick of seeing all of these posts and podcasts where they were saying things in a very humblebraggy way like "Yeah, I only got something like 3,000 signups for that but was able to launch anyway" or "Yeah, I did a soft launch to $25K MRR just to my Twitter followers" or "I spent a weekend ranking #1 for this keyword and…
> I wanted to write something that would have gotten my attention and would have made me stop and think and avoid wasting time. So that's what I wrote.
And that exactly what happened for me as a reader: I've read it because of this introduction. It was really eye-opening in a way ‑ it is so easy to forget how much work is behind the non-code side of a start-up project.
Re: Bootstrapping a SaaS Startup from Scratch
#60The whole series is painfully accurate; glad to see someone telling it like it is. That aside, article is actually not as anti-establishment as the author makes out -- unless your source of prevailing wisdom is from click-baity 4 Hour Work Weak style articles. But I doubt any serious founder puts any stock in that stuff. There's a lot of valuable info to be learned from high quality sources like Steve Blank's article…
I have mixed feelings about this. The 4 Hour Work Week created my "why" for me that's kept me going through thick and thin. I definitely realize that it's a ton more work than it's made out to be (and while Tim Ferriss simplifies what it takes, he doesn't downplay the amount of work involved).
My company is also at a point where my business partner and I could reasonably step away and spend 4 hours a week literally running the business but of course, that's not what business is about, it's about helping our customers and we work hard every day to do that.
Think my "issue" here is I was one of the people who only had that source of prevailing wisdom for a long time and while I can't say it helped me create the business, it did create the dream that led to me starting, and powering through, what I currently do.
(also, while my partner and I both work hard on the project we both happen to be on a tropical island in Thailand at the moment ... but it's 8 am and beautiful and I'm sitting here on HN :-D )