Today, I’ll dive into the difference between a trial user and a trial abuser and what you can do to invite the former and prevent the latter. This episode is sponsored by Paddle.com — if you're looking for a payment platform that works for you so you can focus on what matters, check them out. The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/free-trial-error/ The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/357-free-trial-error Check out Podscan to get alerts when you're mentioned on podcasts:...

Coding with AI changes everything. It changes how we design, test, and improve our software projects. Today, I’m talking to generative AI expert James Phoenix. He’s written the book on prompt engineering and shares his hard-earned AI insights freely on the show — including a crash course in developing effectively with the Cursor IDE. Are developers just AI wranglers now? Technical managers? Will we ever code again? You’ll find out today. This episode is sponsored by Paddle.com — if you're...

YouTube is both the best and the worst source of information — because we can watch it all, but no one will tell us what's REALLY worth watching. Here's how the gatekeepers have vanished, and what has taken their place. This episode is sponsored by Paddle.com — if you're looking for a payment platform that works for you so you can focus on what matters, check them out. The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/the-age-of-the-gatekeeper-is-over/ The podcast episode:...

The problem with having no boss is that there's no one to stop you from procrastinating. I'm challenged by this daily, and I have found a few ways to stay accountable. I'll share those with you today.This episode is sponsored by Paddle.com — if you're looking for a payment platform that works for you so you can focus on what matters, check them out. The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/the-art-of-productive-procrastination/ The podcast episode:...

I want new prospects to receive the maximum possible value the moment they register for Podscan, so I treat them as customers before they even come to the page for the very first time. Here's the Podscan Dream Customer strategy — from idea to execution. This episode is sponsored by Paddle.com — if you're looking for a payment platform that works for you so you can focus on what matters, check them out. The blog post:...

Yesterday, I shrunk the size of my production database from four terabytes to just under one terabyte. Something interesting happened last weekend that made me realize I needed to change how I think about scale. This episode is sponsored by Paddle.com — if you're looking for a payment platform that works for you so you can focus on what matters, check them out. The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/running-lean-at-scale/ The podcast episode:...

When a Podscan user got a bit "too general" with their keywords, all of a sudden, my email provider stopped sending emails. Whoops. Let's talk user error and founder foresight. This episode is sponsored by Paddle.com — if you're looking for a payment platform that works for you so you can focus on what matters, check them out. The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/from-overload-to-opportunity/ The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/351-from-overload-to-opportunity Check out...

SaaS founders are simultaneously tenants and landlords, renting the tools we need while offering our own services for subscription. It's a world where true ownership seems increasingly elusive, yet understanding its nature is crucial for building lasting value. This episode is sponsored by Paddle.com — if you're looking for a payment platform that works for you so you can focus on what matters, check them out. The blog post:...

Bootstrapping is all about dealing with constraints: no money, the day job, lack of experience, and having no distribution. If you want to know how I tackle the restricted resources I am building Podscan on, this one's for you. Today, we'll dive into what drives my priorities and how they find their way into a complex platform that juggles a lot of expensive operations. This episode is sponsored by Paddle.com — if you're looking for a payment platform that works for you so you can focus on...

“I didn’t see it coming.” I had to admit that to myself a few times recently. Over the last couple of weeks, I've been experiencing several issues with Podscan that only came to pass because I didn't really have any observability on my system. At least that’s what I know now. Today, let me share my early-stage learnings about system observability in this distributed, data-centric SaaS of mine. Even if you don't have a software business or don't operate with millions of data feeds every single...

AI is revolutionizing the way I work as a solopreneur. So why not share exactly how I use it? You'll hear how I use AI tools for everything from coding to marketing, and how they've become my secret weapon for punching above my weight. I also get into the nitty-gritty of the challenges and limitations of AI, and how I navigate them. If you're curious about how AI can supercharge your solo business, this episode's got you covered. And stick around for my thoughts on the future of AI in...

It started with a minor refactoring. It ended with an avalanche that almost caused an infrastructure explosion. From code to collapse — and a few weeks of frantic restoration. That's what Podscan was for the last 2 weeks. Here's why dealing with external data and its scale can be very dangerous for indie founders. This episode is sponsored by Podscan.fm The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/when-podcasts-attack-the-unexpected-challenges-of-external-data/ The podcast episode:...

Welcome to the weird world of web scraping in the AI age, where founders have to protect their data from hungry AI companies but also need to collect information from all kinds of (not so) public APIs. Today, I dive into a particularly confusing situation I am in with Podscan when it comes to scraping and keeping the web free and open. This episode is sponsored by Podscan.fm The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/crawl-or-be-crawled/ The podcast episode:...

Andrew Davies (@andjdavies) runs marketing for Paddle, the payment provider that powers several of my businesses. They also recently ran an AI launchpad accelerator, which massively impacted the trajectory of my business, Podscan. It's about time we chat more about money on the pod. Today, I get to talk to Andrew about all things payment, why a Merchant of Record is something way too few bootstrappers leverage, and what the future holds for online payments. This episode is sponsored by...

This week, instead of writing code, I delegated it — to AI. I've been doing this a lot lately. But does that mean I am losing my ability to code? And what about people learning how to code? Is AI serving them, or does it block them from learning the real thing? Here's what's happening in software development, if it's even worth bothering with, and what new coders should know about AI. This episode is sponsored by Podscan.fm The blog post:...

I gave up going to tech conferences. But that probably is an outdated opinion, particularly since as an entrepreneur, I benefit much more from hanging out with my peers. Here's what changed and why you should really consider going to these events if you're an indie founder. This episode is sponsored by Podscan.fm The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/should-indie-hackers-go-to-tech-conferences/ The podcast episode:...

Feeling the weight of success can be just as challenging as the climb to get there. At any point during your journey, you're confronted with having to make choices where the outcome is uncertain. I'm right in that position. So let's dive into a balancing act between the grand vision and the minutiae of running a business. This episode is sponsored by Podscan.fm The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/striking-a-balance/ The podcast episode:...

@kerollmops, the technical brain behind the open-source search engine Meilisearch, joins me for a nerdy chat about all things search. I’ve been using this blazing fast tech for my own business, podscan, and kero has helped me through a few challenges over the last few weeks. I really want to dive into the economics of building a business on top of an open-source piece of software. Let's chat about self-hosted search engines today! This episode is sponsored by Podscan.fm The blog post:...

Is it a good idea to guide your users through your app when they sign up? Or does it show that your interface is too convoluted? The answer is: yes. Both. And it depends on what you're building, who it's for, and what they expect. This episode is sponsored by Podscan.fm The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/does-your-saas-need-a-user-tour/ The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/339-does-your-saas-need-a-user-tour Check out Podscan to get alerts when you're mentioned on...

I ran into a pretty substantial question this week. Am I working in my business, or am I working on my business? I've been spending so much time building features, talking to customers, – it's operational work in the trenches. It’s taking small steps, looking at the ground, instead of dreaming of giant leaps while gazing at the stars. So, what can I do to get out of this? You'll hear it here today. This episode is sponsored by Podscan.fm The blog post:...

What happens when something that was good enough isn't good enough anymore? Unscalable hands-on experiments work great in the early stages of a business. But what if you run into the scale problem without wanting to? (And what do you do about it when everything explodes while you figure it out?) This episode is sponsored by Podscan.fm The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/doing-things-that-dont-scale-unintentionally/ The podcast episode:...

`Indie Hackers have sinned. They allowed the seven deadly sins into their founder lives. And now we must cast them out. Well, let's be a little bit less dramatic. We already have enough drama in our busy founder lives. Still, something about the seven deadly sins translates pretty well into how many indie hackers comport themselves. Here's where we find greed, sloth, pride, wrath, envy, gluttony, and lust in the world of SaaS entrepreneurship. And, more importantly, how we can avoid them...

These last weeks have been a bit much. What do they say? “Take a break before the break takes you?” Well, I got quite close to that this week. This episode is sponsored by Podscan.fm The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/tipping-over/ The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/355-tipping-over Check out Podscan to get alerts when you're mentioned on podcasts: https://podscan.fmSend me a voicemail on Podline: https://podline.fm/arvid You'll find my weekly article on my blog:...

Do you want to win the game or keep on playing? Today, I'll dive into a mentality shift I experienced recently while building Podscan: how about I just get rid of all the "professional posturing?" Here's to being sincere and not being too serious! This episode is sponsored by Podscan.fm The blog post :https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/sincere-not-serious/ The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/334-sincere-not-serious Check out Podscan to get alerts when you're mentioned on podcasts:...