Chasing Product » christopher.hawkins Moving out of consulting & into products Mon, 14 Jul 2014 21:40:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.6 The Chasing Product podcast helps consultants and freelancers transition from client work to releasing bootstrapped software products. If you want to get out of client work and in to product work, then you are Chasing Product. Christopher Hawkins no Christopher Hawkins [email protected] [email protected] (Christopher Hawkins) Helping developers transition from client work to launching products Chasing Product » christopher.hawkins /wp/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/Chasing-Product-Cover-1400.png Weekly Episode 17: Startup Realities w/Amy Hoy /episodes/episode-17-startup-realities-wamy-hoy /episodes/episode-17-startup-realities-wamy-hoy#comments Tue, 13 May 2014 17:50:17 +0000 christopher.hawkins /?p=270 This episode of Chasing Product features Amy Hoy, sharing her no-BS-allowed outlook on startup realities and growing a businesses. Bootstrapped Product Talking Points Why the businesses featured in “entreporn” are outliers, not startup realities How a steady stream of small wins is good for you & your customers Running a startup while dealing w/health issues

Read More

The post Episode 17: Startup Realities w/Amy Hoy appeared first on Chasing Product.

]]> /episodes/episode-17-startup-realities-wamy-hoy/feed 0 This episode of Chasing Product features Amy Hoy, sharing her no-BS-allowed outlook on startup realities and growing a businesses. Bootstrapped Product Talking Points Why the businesses featured in "entreporn" are outliers, not startup realities This episode of Chasing Product features Amy Hoy, sharing her no-BS-allowed outlook on startup realities and growing a businesses. Bootstrapped Product Talking Points Why the businesses featured in "entreporn" are outliers, not startup realities How a steady stream of small wins is good for you & your customers Running a startup while dealing w/health issues Why lots of hours aren't necessary to success Why letting go of certain tasks will not kill you Amy-related links: Unicorn Free - Amy's blog 30x500 - Amy's educational bootcamp for aspiring founders Freckle - Amy's time-tracking Saas app JavaScript Master Class - Amy's JavaScript training course Charm - Amy's (now defunct) customer support Saas app 37signals isn’t mythical, you’re not paying attention - Amy's article on one guy's attempt to emulate 37Signals Show-related links: AirBNB Brennan Dunn 37Signals Thomas Fuchs Kathy Sierra Lean Startup Alex Hillman Personal MBA 4-Hour Workweek The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World's Greatest Manufacturer Obliquity: Why Our Goals Are Best Achieved Indirectly SmallSpec - Painless Functional Specs, Christopher's Saas app-in-development Cogeian Systems - Christopher's consulting shop Christopher Hawkins no 87:15 Episode 16: Building a Software Business On The Road w/Mike Taber /episodes/episode-16-building-software-business-road-wmike-taber /episodes/episode-16-building-software-business-road-wmike-taber#comments Mon, 31 Mar 2014 22:29:41 +0000 christopher.hawkins /?p=259 Mike Taber of AuditShark shares his tale of building a software business while on the road as a consultant.  We talk about life as a consultant and a founder, the random nature of hits, and some common behaviors of successful bootstrappers. Bootstrapped Product Talking Points Why getting help is important to a solo founder The

Read More

The post Episode 16: Building a Software Business On The Road w/Mike Taber appeared first on Chasing Product.

]]> /episodes/episode-16-building-software-business-road-wmike-taber/feed 0 adwords,bootstrapped,consulting,development,Marketing,Saas,startup Mike Taber of AuditShark shares his tale of building a software business while on the road as a consultant.  We talk about life as a consultant and a founder, the random nature of hits, and some common behaviors of successful bootstrappers. Mike Taber of AuditShark shares his tale of building a software business while on the road as a consultant.  We talk about life as a consultant and a founder, the random nature of hits, and some common behaviors of successful bootstrappers. Bootstrapped Product Talking Points Why getting help is important to a solo founder The exigencies of the game market vs the market for business apps The depression of watching business start to crumble Recognizing market opportunities in what other companies leave behind Mike-related links: singlefounder.com auditshark.com moonriversoftware.com moonriverconsulting.com startupsfortherestofus micropreneuracademy.com microconf 2014   Show-related links: Pedestal Software Rovio - maker of Angry Birds Einstein Rob Walling - founder of HitTail and Drip Symantec GoogleAdWords Oprah Lifestyle Business Marie Forleo Cogeian Systems - my consulting firm SmallSpec - my startup - Painless Functional Specs (join the launch list!) Mike is an interesting dude.  He was successful at building a software business while still being a consultant, and he's done it alone.  Because of my strong aversion to partnering up, seeing a success story like the one Mike has is very important to me.  Through it all, he has been able to distill what he has learned in such a way that it makes sense when he explains it. We touch on Mike's history as a consultant and founder, discuss some examples of success that doesn't look like you expect it to, and even share a brutally honest moment with Mike as he recounts watching his business crater when the economy got rough.  This last moment is particularly interesting; it's rare for a founder to be so honest about the ugly side of running a business. Comments & feedback are welcome via Twitter or e-mail. Christopher Hawkins no 78:38 Episode 15: Perpetual Software Product Validation w/Alex Yumashev /episodes/episode-15-perpetual-software-product-validation-walex-yumashev /episodes/episode-15-perpetual-software-product-validation-walex-yumashev#comments Thu, 20 Mar 2014 21:14:29 +0000 christopher.hawkins /?p=162 Alex Yumashev (founder of JitBit) joins us to talk about growing into a small software firm with multiple products.  We also touch on how and why Alex is almost constantly doing software product validation for potential new products. Bootstrapped Product Talking Points Why being a programmer in a bank sucks How long Alex waited to jump

Read More

The post Episode 15: Perpetual Software Product Validation w/Alex Yumashev appeared first on Chasing Product.

]]> /episodes/episode-15-perpetual-software-product-validation-walex-yumashev/feed 0 Alex Yumashev (founder of JitBit) joins us to talk about growing into a small software firm with multiple products.  We also touch on how and why Alex is almost constantly doing software product validation for potential new products. Alex Yumashev (founder of JitBit) joins us to talk about growing into a small software firm with multiple products.  We also touch on how and why Alex is almost constantly doing software product validation for potential new products. Bootstrapped Product Talking Points Why being a programmer in a bank sucks How long Alex waited to jump to JitBit full-time What Alex thinks of "me-too" products Why avoiding existing competitors is dumb His system for friction-less software product validation and a whole bunch more. JitBit JitBit HelpDesk - hosted & on-premise help desk software Me-Too Products Are Fine - Alexs' article for the Business of Software conference Joel On Software forums Peldi Balsamiq - Rapid Wireframing Tools Rob Walling - founder of Drip and HitTail Andrey Butov - founder of Antair Software Ian Landsman - founder of UserScape Patrick McKenzie - founder of Appointmentreminder.org MikeTaber - founder of AuditShark Cogeian Systems - Christopher's custom .NET web apps and SQL Server consulting SmallSpec - Christopher's startup; painless web-based functional specs I really like Alex.  He's a true bootstrapper, having started way back in the days of download sites like Tucows.  One app at a time, he discovered with delight that he could sell software online, and he learned plenty along the way. One of the big things Alex learned is to constantly be engaged in software product validation.  Listen for this bit in the interview; he has a dirt-simple, zero-friction method of throwing ideas out there to discover if they have any natural traction. Sometimes I have joked that JitBit is the company that Cogeian Systems (my consulting firm) wants to be when it grows up, and it's true.  The small portfolio of eclectic apps that Alex has put together over the years gives JitBit a very unique flavor and, I suspect, makes it an interesting place to work.  Alex contends that there is a downside to this eclectic portfolio though - pay attention to this part of the episode, he tells you why and what he'd do differently. To cap it all off, Alex gives us the usual three action items I ask all the guests for.  Some of what Alex tells us reinforces what we commonly hear about startups, and some of it does not.  I will leave it up to you to listen and figure out what's what! Comments & feedback are welcome via Twitter or e-mail. Christopher Hawkins no 69:44 Episode 14: Copy Hacking for Conversions w/Joanna Wiebe /episodes/episode-14-copy-hacking-for-conversions-wjoanna-wiebe /episodes/episode-14-copy-hacking-for-conversions-wjoanna-wiebe#comments Tue, 25 Feb 2014 05:00:09 +0000 christopher.hawkins /?p=153 In Episode 14, Joanna Weibe (founder of CopyHackers) sets us all straight on what copy hacking (writing conversion copy for the web) is all about, and how it can help your startup.  We cover Joannas foundational years as a copywriter, then move on to what she’s learned about copy writing on the web.  Copy Hacking

Read More

The post Episode 14: Copy Hacking for Conversions w/Joanna Wiebe appeared first on Chasing Product.

]]> /episodes/episode-14-copy-hacking-for-conversions-wjoanna-wiebe/feed 0 Bootstrapper,consulting,conversion copy,copy hacking,drip campaign,freelancing,Marketing,marketing copy,saas app,seo,web copy In Episode 14, Joanna Weibe (founder of CopyHackers) sets us all straight on what copy hacking (writing conversion copy for the web) is all about, and how it can help your startup.  We cover Joannas foundational years as a copywriter, In Episode 14, Joanna Weibe (founder of CopyHackers) sets us all straight on what copy hacking (writing conversion copy for the web) is all about, and how it can help your startup.  We cover Joannas foundational years as a copywriter, then move on to what she's learned about copy writing on the web.  Copy Hacking Talking Points Why everything you learned about writing in high school & college is wrong What makes web copy/conversion copy unique Why the best person to do your copy hacking is you Why getting & keeping consistent web traffic is hard Why news stories about huge traffic spikes are garbage and a bunch of other topics that are near to my heart as an aspiring bootstrapper. @copyhackers - Joanna Weibe on Twitter CopyHackers - where startups learn to convert like mofos Intuit Lance Jones - Joannas husband, co-founder of Copyhackers Hacker News Page99Test Unbounce Swipe file - A swipe file is a collection of tested and proven advertising and sales letters. Keeping a swipe file (templates) is a common practice used by advertising copywriters and creative directors as a ready reference of ideas for projects. Drip campaign - Drip marketing is a communication strategy that sends, or "drips," a pre-written set of messages to customers or prospects over time. Squeeze page - A squeeze page is a landing page created to solicit opt-in email addresses from prospective subscribers. Portent - headline-generator SmallSpec - Christopher's startup; painless functional specifications Plus Joanna did a Tuesday Tear-Down of my SmallSpec page. To start the episode, I ranted like a crazy person about my soul-crushing winter, and revealed the extreme action I recently took regarding my product SmallSpec.  I now regret taking such extreme action, but don't see any way I could have avoided it. As a 10-year copywriter and 5-year CRO pro responsible for selling 30,000 eBooks and helping 100s of startups with blog posts that have reached an audience of 100,000+, Joanna is in a unique position to help startups with their copy hacking. We trace her journey from having a day job writing web copy all the way to her present work with startups. The interview covers the whys and hows of why copy hacking is not as accessible a skill as it may appear.  Joanna tells us how to make it more accessible, and what to do to maintain your momentum. The ethos of "do the work, then do the work again" applies heavily to copy hacking and web marketing in general. Joanna makes it clear that diligence is rewarded over the long-term when writing web copy.  We also talk about some of the common mistakes that beginning copy hackers make when it comes to their new app, site or landing page. To finish it all off, Joanna shares her three concrete action items for aspiring copy hackers to get started with writing conversion copy. Comments & feedback are welcome via Twitter or e-mail.     Christopher Hawkins no 84:17 Episode 13: Organic Product Development w/Josh Pigford /episodes/episode-13-organic-product-development-wjosh-pigford /episodes/episode-13-organic-product-development-wjosh-pigford#comments Tue, 04 Feb 2014 15:52:59 +0000 christopher.hawkins /?p=149 Josh Pigford, serial maker of things, joins me for this episode.  Josh has a wonderfully diverse portfolio of projects.  Starting as a designer and gradually transitioning into launching web products, Josh has had both successes and failures as a founder.  We talk about some freelancing issues, how to do organic product development, and the exigencies of

Read More

The post Episode 13: Organic Product Development w/Josh Pigford appeared first on Chasing Product.

]]> /episodes/episode-13-organic-product-development-wjosh-pigford/feed 0 design,development,Marketing,organic,recurring revenue,Saas,saas app,web app Josh Pigford, serial maker of things, joins me for this episode.  Josh has a wonderfully diverse portfolio of projects.  Starting as a designer and gradually transitioning into launching web products, Josh has had both successes and failures as a found... Josh Pigford, serial maker of things, joins me for this episode.  Josh has a wonderfully diverse portfolio of projects.  Starting as a designer and gradually transitioning into launching web products, Josh has had both successes and failures as a founder.  We talk about some freelancing issues, how to do organic product development, and the exigencies of freelancing for equity. Bootstrapped Product Talking Points What prompted Josh to make the leap to products The importance of filling your skill gaps when you can't outsource The most accessible go-to marketing techniques Josh has used Organic product development vs plucking a product idea from thin air Temper.io - Better Customer Service Over Time; measures how your customers feel about your business so you know what to improve PopSurvey - Create Surveys People Want to Take; PopSurveys are beautiful, easy to create and more importantly, fun to take Baremetrics - SaaS Analytics for Stripe PugSpot - The spot for pugs! Tiny Farmstead - Learning how to farm in the 'burbs! Fugitive Toys - an Urban Vinyl Toy Store Ruby on Rails Flippa The Apple Blog - Started by Josh, later acquired by GigaOm Track the Pack - Universal package-tracking app that Josh had to shutter Track the Pack Post-Mortem - fantastic account of the story behind Josh shutting down his app Package Fox - Stop losing money on late shipments Rovio - creator of Angry Birds Entrepornography - the overhyped productivity BS foisted on the startup community by the media SmallSpec - Christopher's product-in-development. Join the launch list! The organic product development idea is interesting to me, as someone who has struggled to come up with product ideas out of the blue.  There are probably more examples of organic product development out there, where a founder distills a product from an existing app or starts out with a pain point to solve.  But there are also a lot of "if you build it they will come" scenarios playing out, and those often end in ters for the founder in question. Josh also shares some of his biggest regrets about product development, and three action items for aspiring bootstrappers. Enjoy!       Christopher Hawkins no 59:08 Episode 12: Charge More for Your Product w/Patrick McKenzie /episodes/episode-12-charge-product-wpatrick-mckenzie /episodes/episode-12-charge-product-wpatrick-mckenzie#comments Thu, 09 Jan 2014 21:21:18 +0000 christopher.hawkins /?p=143 This time out, I talk with Patrick McKenzie about his journey through software entrepreneurship, and why “charge more for your product” is often the best thing you can do. Kalzumeus.com - Patricks blog Bingocardcreator.com - Patricks product Appointmentreminder.org - Patricks other product Lifecycleemails.com - Patricks other product patio11 – Patricks Twitter account Proper show notes will be up later.

The post Episode 12: Charge More for Your Product w/Patrick McKenzie appeared first on Chasing Product.

]]> /episodes/episode-12-charge-product-wpatrick-mckenzie/feed 0 This time out, I talk with Patrick McKenzie about his journey through software entrepreneurship, and why "charge more for your product" is often the best thing you can do. - Kalzumeus.com - Patricks blog - Bingocardcreator.com - Patricks product - This time out, I talk with Patrick McKenzie about his journey through software entrepreneurship, and why "charge more for your product" is often the best thing you can do. Kalzumeus.com - Patricks blog Bingocardcreator.com - Patricks product Appointmentreminder.org - Patricks other product Lifecycleemails.com - Patricks other product patio11 - Patricks Twitter account Proper show notes will be up later. Christopher Hawkins no Episode 11: Launching an App With a Full-Time Job w/David Raffauf /episodes/episode-11-launching-app-full-time-job-wdavid-raffauf /episodes/episode-11-launching-app-full-time-job-wdavid-raffauf#comments Mon, 30 Dec 2013 17:50:24 +0000 christopher.hawkins /?p=136 On Episode 11, I talk to David Raffauf, founder of Scoreboard, a Saas app that handles invoicing for freelancers and agencys.  David shares his story of launching an app, marketing, and doing business in the Saas world while holding down a full-time job. David’s blog can be found at http://davidraffauf.com/ and you can follow him

Read More

The post Episode 11: Launching an App With a Full-Time Job w/David Raffauf appeared first on Chasing Product.

]]> /episodes/episode-11-launching-app-full-time-job-wdavid-raffauf/feed 0 lifestyle business,Marketing,onboarding,Product Launch,saas app,starting a business,web apps On Episode 11, I talk to David Raffauf, founder of Scoreboard, a Saas app that handles invoicing for freelancers and agencys.  David shares his story of launching an app, marketing, and doing business in the Saas world while holding down a full-time job. On Episode 11, I talk to David Raffauf, founder of Scoreboard, a Saas app that handles invoicing for freelancers and agencys.  David shares his story of launching an app, marketing, and doing business in the Saas world while holding down a full-time job. David's blog can be found at http://davidraffauf.com/ and you can follow him on Twitter as @draffauf. WordPress ate my show notes, so this will have to do while I re-create them. Scoreboard - David's Saas app; Invoicing made fast & simple 37Signals Bidsketch Ruby On Rails Rob Walling Christopher Hawkins no 42:59 Episode 10: If At First You Don’t Succeed, Product Launch Again w/Tim Whitacre /episodes/episode-10-first-dont-succeed-product-launch-wtim-whitacre /episodes/episode-10-first-dont-succeed-product-launch-wtim-whitacre#comments Thu, 19 Dec 2013 17:48:53 +0000 christopher.hawkins /?p=133 In this episode, Tim Whitacre of Plain and Argyll Studios shares what he’s learned while transitioning out of freelancing and into products.  Tim is fearless, and freely shares the story of multiple non-thriving attempts at product launch, as well as the story of his newest product launch (which has since taken off!). Bootstrapped Product Talking

Read More

The post Episode 10: If At First You Don’t Succeed, Product Launch Again w/Tim Whitacre appeared first on Chasing Product.

]]> /episodes/episode-10-first-dont-succeed-product-launch-wtim-whitacre/feed 0 consulting,freelancing,Marketing,marketing plan,motivation,outsourcing,Saas,software product launch In this episode, Tim Whitacre of Plain and Argyll Studios shares what he's learned while transitioning out of freelancing and into products.  Tim is fearless, and freely shares the story of multiple non-thriving attempts at product launch, In this episode, Tim Whitacre of Plain and Argyll Studios shares what he's learned while transitioning out of freelancing and into products.  Tim is fearless, and freely shares the story of multiple non-thriving attempts at product launch, as well as the story of his newest product launch (which has since taken off!). Bootstrapped Product Talking Points Tim's comments on the tension between consulting revenue & investing in product the critical nature of pricing for your app what it feels like to sell off a product how to maintain the motivation & desire to try again You can follow Tim on Twitter or check out his blog for more info on Tim's work and the story of the startups he's been a part of. Barley - The Inline Editor for Everyone New! Barley for WordPress - Released after we recorded the podcast Presstaurant HostedNotes - Password Management Made Simple & Secure The show notes will be fleshed out later - for now, just check out the interview!  Tim talks about a side of product launch that most people shy away from, if not hide completely; what it looks like & feels like when a product launch "fails".  I put "fails" in quotes because as long as you learn something, it's not really a failure. Tim learned from every product launch experience, moved on, and now has a hit on his hands.  Learn from him! Christopher Hawkins no 47:24 Episode 9: Launching an App to Your Own Community w/Rachel Andrew /episodes/episode-9-launching-app-community-wrachel-andrew /episodes/episode-9-launching-app-community-wrachel-andrew#comments Fri, 15 Nov 2013 21:29:49 +0000 christopher.hawkins /?p=123 This episode features Rachel Andrew telling us her startup story.  Going from freelancer to launching an app, Rachel has created not just a product but a small suite of revenue-generating endeavors, including speaking & writing.   We spend a bit of time talking about the fallout of the “dot-com meltdown” and some of the motivations

Read More

The post Episode 9: Launching an App to Your Own Community w/Rachel Andrew appeared first on Chasing Product.

]]> /episodes/episode-9-launching-app-community-wrachel-andrew/feed 0 This episode features Rachel Andrew telling us her startup story.  Going from freelancer to launching an app, Rachel has created not just a product but a small suite of revenue-generating endeavors, including speaking & writing. This episode features Rachel Andrew telling us her startup story.  Going from freelancer to launching an app, Rachel has created not just a product but a small suite of revenue-generating endeavors, including speaking & writing.   We spend a bit of time talking about the fallout of the "dot-com meltdown" and some of the motivations for going solo, then get into the nitty-gritty of what makes launching an app work. Bootstrapped Product Talking Points the upsides of freelance work vs. a "regular" job, how Rachel recognized opportunity in the CMS market, thoughts on "vertical-izing" apps, why support should be a priority when launching an app We finish off with the usual can-do action items for your own bootstrapped product launch. Rachel will tell you what three things you can do right now that will not only move you closer to launching an app, but put you on better footing for success in the long term. GrabAPerch.com - Rachel's product, Perch CMS edgeofmyseat.com - Rachel's business site, featuring her writing and work rachelandrew.co.uk - Rachel's personal site GTD - Getting Things Done Web standards project 37 signals Wordpress Amy Hoy Omnifocus - quickly capture your thoughts and ideas Helpspot - Help Desk Software Made Flexible & Affordable BeSnappy - Customer Service, Simplified. TinyMCE Cogeian.com - my consulting firm SmallSpec.com - my bootstrapped product. Painless functional specs in minutes, guaranteed. Christopher Hawkins no 55:45 Episode 8: The Importance of Small Wins w/Ivan Lopez /episodes/episode-8-importance-small-wins-wivan-lopez /episodes/episode-8-importance-small-wins-wivan-lopez#comments Tue, 22 Oct 2013 08:31:45 +0000 christopher.hawkins /?p=198 Episode 8 features Ivan Lopez, founder of AB Press Optimizer and Project Conductor.  Ivan shares his tale of bootstrapping a large product, only to reconsider and do a smaller one instead.  By doing so, Ivan managed to get a small win quickly.  The momentum from that win bolstered his efforts to do a larger project.

Read More

The post Episode 8: The Importance of Small Wins w/Ivan Lopez appeared first on Chasing Product.

]]> /episodes/episode-8-importance-small-wins-wivan-lopez/feed 0 bootstrap,Marketing,Saas,small win Episode 8 features Ivan Lopez, founder of AB Press Optimizer and Project Conductor.  Ivan shares his tale of bootstrapping a large product, only to reconsider and do a smaller one instead.  By doing so, Ivan managed to get a small win quickly. Episode 8 features Ivan Lopez, founder of AB Press Optimizer and Project Conductor.  Ivan shares his tale of bootstrapping a large product, only to reconsider and do a smaller one instead.  By doing so, Ivan managed to get a small win quickly.  The momentum from that win bolstered his efforts to do a larger project. My friends, I must apologize - WordPress ate my show notes. I'm publishing the podcast without notes because Ivan's story is a good one and deserves to be heard.  The concept of shifting gears to earn a small win instead of committing to a huge project is one that's really catching on. Proper show notes will be re-created and  posted later. AB Press Optimizer - Ivan's small product; The Easy Way to Increase Conversion in WordPress Project Conductor - Ivan's larger product; Helping You Get Your Project In Tune   Christopher Hawkins no 66:57 Episode 7: Commit to Launching Product w/Ian Landsman /episodes/episode-7-commit-launching-product-wian-landsman /episodes/episode-7-commit-launching-product-wian-landsman#comments Tue, 15 Oct 2013 01:00:04 +0000 christopher.hawkins /?p=187 What are you prepared to do?  That’s the question Ian Landsman poses in Episode 7 as we talk about launching product.  Ian takes us from his start in retail all the way through learning to code and eventually launching product of his own. Bootstrapped Product Talking Points trial and error in the service of selecting

Read More

The post Episode 7: Commit to Launching Product w/Ian Landsman appeared first on Chasing Product.

]]> /episodes/episode-7-commit-launching-product-wian-landsman/feed 0 bootstrapping,hosted help desk,launching a product,launching product,Marketing,on-premise,Saas,seo What are you prepared to do?  That's the question Ian Landsman poses in Episode 7 as we talk about launching product.  Ian takes us from his start in retail all the way through learning to code and eventually launching product of his own. What are you prepared to do?  That's the question Ian Landsman poses in Episode 7 as we talk about launching product.  Ian takes us from his start in retail all the way through learning to code and eventually launching product of his own. Bootstrapped Product Talking Points trial and error in the service of selecting a product, pros, cons and opportunities of launching Saas apps vs on-premise apps, why podcasting in 2013 is like blogging in 2004, the role of youth & confidence vs age & wisdom when launching product, the importance of community We also talk a bit about the red ocean/blue ocean strategy, which was also addressed in Episode 6.  Ian is a big proponent of the "red ocean" strategy, and he tell us why.  He also addresses how the world of launching product has changed in the past 10 years; more tools, communities, and information are available to aspiring bootstrappers now than ever before.  We also take a detour into Curmudgeon-ville and talk about what it's like to launch as an older-than-college-age entrepreneur. We finish the show with three actionable bullet points for launching product.  As a 10-year veteran of running a successful bootstrapped business, Ian has been there and done that.  Stick around for the entire episode to see what three things are so important to launching product, Ian thinks you should do them right now.   UserScape - Ian's company HelpSpot - Ian's 1st product; Help Desk Software for Email/Web Customer Service Snappy - Ian's latest product; Customer Service, Simplified Bootstrapped.fm – Andrey’s bootstrapped product podcast Joel on Software Forums - where an entire generation of bootstrappers got their start Office Depot EngineHosting ZenDesk Laravel - the elegant PHP framework for web artisans Red Ocean strategy vs Blue Ocean strategy SmallSpec – painless functional specifications; join the launch list Christopher Hawkins no 72:27 Episode 6: Acquiring a Software Product w/Carl Diesing /episodes/episode-6-acquiring-software-product-wcarl-diesing /episodes/episode-6-acquiring-software-product-wcarl-diesing#comments Mon, 07 Oct 2013 05:00:42 +0000 christopher.hawkins /?p=178 In episode 6, Carl Diesing shares the story of how his consulting firm went about acquiring a software product (Saas app).  We talk about running a consultancy while building or buying a product, and the appeal of diversifying out of pure consulting.  Carl walks us through the process of acquiring a software productand tells us

Read More

The post Episode 6: Acquiring a Software Product w/Carl Diesing appeared first on Chasing Product.

]]> /episodes/episode-6-acquiring-software-product-wcarl-diesing/feed 0 acquire a saas app,acquire a software product,consulting,Marketing,saas app,seo In episode 6, Carl Diesing shares the story of how his consulting firm went about acquiring a software product (Saas app).  We talk about running a consultancy while building or buying a product, and the appeal of diversifying out of pure consulting. In episode 6, Carl Diesing shares the story of how his consulting firm went about acquiring a software product (Saas app).  We talk about running a consultancy while building or buying a product, and the appeal of diversifying out of pure consulting.  Carl walks us through the process of acquiring a software productand tells us what he had to pay attention to for it to work. Bootstrapped Product Talking Points why acquiring an existing product makes sense, what to do first after the acquisition, when to worry about ambitious consulting employees, the importance of making your product good before you promote it, how to keep your consulting practice running smoothly Acquiring a software product seems strange to many founders, but Carl thinks it really can be a great way to get right into the market. If you're already running a consultancy and can't devote too many resources to developing your own, an acquisition can be a huge leap toward having something to sell.  We also talk about general consulting topics, and how to make sure your consultancy is in good enough shape to diversify into products. We finish the show with Carl's three bullet points for bootstrappers.  Whether you're looking to acquire a software product or develop your own, you'll find Carl's advice helpful.  Are you looking to keep doing consulting or freelancing work?  Are you planning to just expand your efforts into product without leaving client work?  This episode will show you what that looks like. DNL Omnimedia - Carl's consulting company Expens'd - Simplified expense tracking online Ruby on Rails - Web application framework optimized for sustainable programming productivity Ian Landsman - founder of Helpspot and Snappy Andrey Butov - founder of Uberdeck Bootstrapped.fm - Andrey and Ian's podcast Patrick McKenzie - founder of Bingo Card Creator Brennan Dunn - founder of Planscope Rob Walling - founder of Drip Flippa - The #1 Marketplace for Buying and Selling Websites Red Ocean strategy vs Blue Ocean strategy SmallSpec - painless functional specifications; join the launch list Christopher Hawkins no 66:06 Episode 5: Product-izing Your Consulting Work w/Brennan Dunn /episodes/episode-5-product-izing-consulting-work-wbrennan-dunn /episodes/episode-5-product-izing-consulting-work-wbrennan-dunn#comments Tue, 01 Oct 2013 17:42:15 +0000 christopher.hawkins /?p=170 In this episode, Brennan Dunn talks about consulting work and the product business.  He shares some of the pitfalls of each, while teaching us what he learned as he moved from consulting work into launching bootstrapped product. Bootstrapped Product Talking Points how monthly retainers can put you in a product-selling mindset, finding people to support

Read More

The post Episode 5: Product-izing Your Consulting Work w/Brennan Dunn appeared first on Chasing Product.

]]> /episodes/episode-5-product-izing-consulting-work-wbrennan-dunn/feed 0 bootstrapped,consulting retainer,consulting work,infoproducts,Marketing,product-ize,Saas,stripe payments In this episode, Brennan Dunn talks about consulting work and the product business.  He shares some of the pitfalls of each, while teaching us what he learned as he moved from consulting work into launching bootstrapped product. In this episode, Brennan Dunn talks about consulting work and the product business.  He shares some of the pitfalls of each, while teaching us what he learned as he moved from consulting work into launching bootstrapped product. Bootstrapped Product Talking Points how monthly retainers can put you in a product-selling mindset, finding people to support & understand your endeavors, why it's important to understand the sales cycle, the importance of value transactions, and more, including the story of how Brennan's had his big "I have to get out consulting" moment, and what's going on with his newest info-products; how they flowed naturally from his consulting work. As always, we finish off with concrete, can-do action items for your own product launch. Brennan gives you three homework items that will move you closer to getting product out the door. Planscope - Brennan's Saas app for managing consulting work or general projects Double Your Freelancing Rate - Brennan's book for consultants The Blueprint - Brennan's system for getting more consulting clients Consultancy Masterclass - Brennan's workshop for leveling-up your consulting work Amy Hoy - creator of the 30x500 method for launching products Joel Spolsky Patrick McKenzie Nathan Barry Rob Walling Buffer Mastering Modern Payments Using Stripe w/Rails by Pete Keen RailsKit - Ready-made Rails code SmallSpec - Christopher's app for creating painless functional specs; join the launch list Christopher Hawkins no 63:32 Episode 4: Software Product Marketing & Design w/Brian Casel /episodes/episode-4-software-product-marketing-design-wbrian-casel /episodes/episode-4-software-product-marketing-design-wbrian-casel#comments Mon, 23 Sep 2013 23:59:06 +0000 christopher.hawkins /?p=84 Ready for more talk about bootstrapping? Brian Casel joins us for the 4th episode.  We talk about Brian’s experience developing and releasing 2 Saas apps (and more!). We also get to cover some practical aspects of keeping on track through a bootstrapped product launch. As if that weren’t enough, Brian and I also cover some

Read More

The post Episode 4: Software Product Marketing & Design w/Brian Casel appeared first on Chasing Product.

]]> /episodes/episode-4-software-product-marketing-design-wbrian-casel/feed 0 bootstrap,conversions,design,freelancing,Marketing,procedures,Saas,software product marketing & design,startup,systemizing Ready for more talk about bootstrapping? Brian Casel joins us for the 4th episode.  We talk about Brian's experience developing and releasing 2 Saas apps (and more!). We also get to cover some practical aspects of keeping on track through a bootstrappe... Ready for more talk about bootstrapping? Brian Casel joins us for the 4th episode.  We talk about Brian's experience developing and releasing 2 Saas apps (and more!). We also get to cover some practical aspects of keeping on track through a bootstrapped product launch. As if that weren't enough, Brian and I also cover some good nuts-and-bolts material regarding software product marketing & design, planning your work, and more. Bootstrapped Product Talking Points how Brian's new book can help bootstrappers understand - and benefit from - the marriage of software product marketing & design, the importance of planning your work and patience, allowing yourself to develop as a professional before going out on your own, why copywriting is absolutely critical to a bootstrapper the new direction Brian plans for his freelancing work Brian also shares 3 concrete action items that he recommends to aspiring bootstrappers looking to move measurably closer to their own bootstrapped product launch (and dovetail with your software product marketing needs). Speaking as an aspiring bootstrapper, I found Brian's interview answers really valuable.  In particular, Brian's dedication to planning his goals out ahead of time really speaks to me.  This is a practice I already use with my consulting projects, and for some odd reason I haven't fully applied this practice to my product endeavors.  Have you? Design for Conversions - Brian's new book about software product marketing & design ThemeJam - Brian's first bootstrapped product business; premium WP/e-mail/website themes Casjam.com - Brian's personal blog RestuarantEngine - Brian's bootstrapped product; a Saas site-builder for restaurants SweetProcess - Brian's other bootstrapped product; a Saas app for documenting your procedures and systemizing your business FreelanceSwitch - Freelance Advice and Freelance Jobs Mixergy - Learn from proven entrepreneurs Public Beta - an online learning community for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs StartupsForTheRestOfUs - Rob Walling's bootstrapper podcast Adii Ienaar - co-founder of WooThemes StudioPress - Premium WP themes Jason Shuller - Creator of Press75 Evernote The T-Shaped Web Marketer (via Moz) The Cascading To-Do List (how to get BIG things done) - how Brian makes things happen with his work SmallSpec - Christopher's bootstrapped product for painless functional specs; join the launch list Christopher Hawkins no 58:44 Episode 3: Mobile App Marketing and Double-Bootstrapping w/Andrey Butov /episodes/episode-3-mobile-app-marketing-double-bootstrapping-wandrey-butov /episodes/episode-3-mobile-app-marketing-double-bootstrapping-wandrey-butov#comments Sun, 15 Sep 2013 19:18:12 +0000 christopher.hawkins /?p=92 After two episodes of bootstrapped product founders with Saas apps, I went mobile! Episode 3 features a talk with Andrey Butov, the founder of Antair Software & creator of more than 2 dozen BlackBerry, Android and iOS apps. Plus we take part of the conversation all the way back to the old-school Joel on Software

Read More

The post Episode 3: Mobile App Marketing and Double-Bootstrapping w/Andrey Butov appeared first on Chasing Product.

]]> /episodes/episode-3-mobile-app-marketing-double-bootstrapping-wandrey-butov/feed 1 app store,bootstrapping,freelancing,lifestyle business,Marketing,mobile app marketing,mobile apps,Saas,web apps After two episodes of bootstrapped product founders with Saas apps, I went mobile! Episode 3 features a talk with Andrey Butov, the founder of Antair Software & creator of more than 2 dozen BlackBerry, Android and iOS apps. After two episodes of bootstrapped product founders with Saas apps, I went mobile! Episode 3 features a talk with Andrey Butov, the founder of Antair Software & creator of more than 2 dozen BlackBerry, Android and iOS apps. Plus we take part of the conversation all the way back to the old-school Joel on Software forums. Bootstrapped Product Talking Points the product strategy that is even worse than "build it and they will come" why Andrey had to bootstrap the same company twice the trade-offs of a huge early growth curve vs taking your time to grow why selling to small business is the same as selling to consumers why Andrey's latest product is a Saas app instead of a mobile app (although it does address mobile app marketing) We also talk about our shared hatred of the term "lifestyle business". Andrey has survived and thrived in an often brutal mobile app marketing environment.  Mobile app developers have little control of the customer relationship, and sometimes no way to contact customers directly.  Andrey shares what he has learned over the years, what he has realized about mobile app marketing and what he'd do differently now. We also talk a bit about how his latest product, Uberdeck, just might change the entire face of mobile app marketing.  That's an exciting prospect for a bootstrapper. As always, we finish the show with some action items for aspiring founders.  This is a tricky question to ask, and runs the risk of encouraging generic responses.  Andrey gives a reply that is clearly informed by his years of experience as a bootstrapper. Don't miss it! Uberdeck - Andrey's newest product; Send marketing campaigns and important notices directly to your mobile apps to serve as mobile app marketing. Antair Software - Andrey's long-running software company Bootstrapped.fm - Andrey's bootstrapped product podcast So You Want to Be a Wall Street Programmer - Andrey's book Joel On Software forums - where an entire generation of bootstrapped product founders got their inspirations Perfect Table Plan - founded by Andy Brice, back in the Joel On Software days Collectorz Andrey & I talked a bit longer than expected, but his story is so interesting I didn't want to edit too much out. Christopher Hawkins no 83:05 Episode 2: Delegating Your Bootstrapped Product Efforts w/Ruben Gamez /episodes/episode-2-delegating-bootstrapped-product-effort-wruben-gamez /episodes/episode-2-delegating-bootstrapped-product-effort-wruben-gamez#comments Tue, 10 Sep 2013 16:56:26 +0000 christopher.hawkins /?p=89 Ruben Gamez of Bidsketch joins me on this second episode.  We discuss his journey from freelancer to day job and on to product. We learn what Ruben did right from the very start.  We also learn what practices he’s developed over time.  There’s also some frank talk about the importance of delegating. Bootstrapped Product Talking

Read More

The post Episode 2: Delegating Your Bootstrapped Product Efforts w/Ruben Gamez appeared first on Chasing Product.

]]> /episodes/episode-2-delegating-bootstrapped-product-effort-wruben-gamez/feed 0 acquisitions,bootstrapped,bootstrapped product launch,copywriting,delegating,marketing for geeks,proposal,saas app,seo Ruben Gamez of Bidsketch joins me on this second episode.  We discuss his journey from freelancer to day job and on to product. We learn what Ruben did right from the very start.  We also learn what practices he's developed over time. Ruben Gamez of Bidsketch joins me on this second episode.  We discuss his journey from freelancer to day job and on to product. We learn what Ruben did right from the very start.  We also learn what practices he's developed over time.  There's also some frank talk about the importance of delegating. Bootstrapped Product Talking Points giving yourself time to develop your domain expertise, be it design or development what it takes to become good at delegating and outsourcing, and what you gain from it respecting your own value, and asking for the money the most important thing Ruben gained after acquiring a competitor how to pick the right writers for your content marketing efforts why "marketing first" was the right approach for Bidsketch And more, including how Ruben would do pricing differently, and why he avoided letting his personal identity get too deeply imprinted as the public face of his company (here's a hint: can your business stand on its own if you're not there?).   The theme of letting go & delegating comes up throughout this episode.  It's a practice that benefits Bidsketch as a bootstrapped product startup, and Ruben clearly feels strongly about it. Bidsketch - Ruben's bootstrapped product; create professional client proposals in minutes The Business of Software - Eric Sink's book that inspired an entire generation of bootstrappers Patrick McKenzie - author of many fantastic and educational marketing blog posts over at Kalzumeus Peldi's blog - founder of Balsamiq, all-around nice guy and fantastic marketer Christopher Hawkins no 52:03 Episode 1: From Freelancer to Bootstrapped Product Launch w/Rob Walling /episodes/episode-1-freelancer-bootstrapped-product-wrob-walling /episodes/episode-1-freelancer-bootstrapped-product-wrob-walling#comments Tue, 03 Sep 2013 04:51:33 +0000 christopher.hawkins /?p=43 I’m so grateful to announce that the first episode of Chasing Product is now live. In this episode, Rob Walling shares what he’s learned while making the transition from freelancing to launching bootstrapped products. We spend a bit of time talking about the mental game of a bootstrapper, then move on to marketing for engineers.

Read More

The post Episode 1: From Freelancer to Bootstrapped Product Launch w/Rob Walling appeared first on Chasing Product.

]]> /episodes/episode-1-freelancer-bootstrapped-product-wrob-walling/feed 0 adwords,bootstrapped,bootstrapped product launch,consulting,freelancing,marketing for geeks,saas app,seo I'm so grateful to announce that the first episode of Chasing Product is now live. - In this episode, Rob Walling shares what he's learned while making the transition from freelancing to launching bootstrapped products. I'm so grateful to announce that the first episode of Chasing Product is now live. In this episode, Rob Walling shares what he's learned while making the transition from freelancing to launching bootstrapped products. We spend a bit of time talking about the mental game of a bootstrapper, then move on to marketing for engineers. Bootstrapped Product Talking Points Rob's take on how long it took for him to "own" his bootstrapper-ship, finding people to support & understand your endeavors, coming to understand marketing from an engineering background, why your freelancer marketing skills probably aren't good enough even if you have some, and more, including the story of how Rob acquired (not built!) HitTail (a must for any aspiring bootstrapper who considers buying a bootstrapped product instead of building one) and what's going on with his latest bootstrapped product, GetDrip. We finish off with concrete, can-do action items for your own bootstrapped product launch. Would you like to walk away from this podcast with nuts-and-bolts actions you can take to move yourself closer to being able to validate or launch a bootstrapped product? Then hold on all the way through to the end, you'll definitely learn something. Proper show notes will be up later. Cogeian.com - my consulting firm SmallSpec.com - my bootstrapped product. Painless functional specs in minutes, guaranteed. SoftwareByRob.com - Rob Walling's bootstrapped product blog StartupsForTheRestOfUs.com - Rob Walling's bootstrapped product podcast GetDrip.com - Rob Walling's current bootstrapped product. Use email to convert more visitors to customers. HitTail.com - Rob Walling's other current bootstrapped product. Guaranteed to increase your organic search traffic. Getting this first episode out the door has been a lot of work, and I'm thankful to every guest who agreed to come on & record a show. Look forward to more great guests with more wisdom about releasing a bootstrapped product in the coming weeks. Christopher Hawkins no 53:02