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Podcast Notes: Happy Bootstrapping
Mon Oct 02 2023 14:00:12 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
cln8yk272000009l512uq8vkw
podcast-notes-happy-bootstrapping
programming, saas, podcast, business
💁
I will update this post if I have notes for new episodes.

By Andreas Lehr (🇩🇪) who is the founder of We Manage and also runs a newsletter allesnurgecloud.

My name is Andreas Lehr and in this podcast, I interview different entrepreneurs every week about their stories.

Bootstrapping, solopreneur, and indie hacker - what does that actually mean? "Bootstrapped" companies are usually self-financed and grow from revenues without any venture capital.

In "Happy Bootstrapping," I talk with founders about the ups and downs of bootstrapping and the unique aspects of this type of business formation.

I am fascinated by the inspiring stories and the constantly changing challenges that define such a founder's life. I want to share these experiences with you and inspire you to implement your own ideas.
(Translated with Hashnode AI)

ℹ
It is a German podcast 🇩🇪

Links

My Notes

ℹ
In the order I have listened to the epsides. Not full summaries but just my own personal notes

E21 – with Dominik Sobe of HelpKit.so

  • Several projects under Seven Degrees Labs

  • Twitter profile

  • Mistake: building something for 2-3 months and then launch and fail

  • Built MVP of HelpKit.so in 2 days at a hackathon

  • Founded LLC in the USA (with the help of another company); tax-wise in Portugal (Lisbon)

  • Uses Paddle because dealing with taxes worldwide is difficult with Stripe

  • Stack: Nuxt on Netlify, Stripe on Render, Paddle, Postgres on DigitalOcean (bad experience with DB on Render)

  • At launch, find your own product bad, otherwise launched too late

  • Built-in public is a good idea

  • Open Startup is only good at the beginning; quickly encourages imitators

  • Uses AI to improve the core product (HelpKit AI)

  • Solopreneur by conviction, no co-founders or employees

  • Uses "Engineering as Marketing": building small tools to promote products; on the same domain

  • For digital nomads: stay at least 3-6 months in one place, otherwise, you won't make progress

E24 – with Markus Biel of maildroppa.com

  • Email tool because there were already tools and it was verified that it is a relevant market -> existing tools can verify that there is a market

  • MVP is very difficult; it's necessary to understand the core, the main added value precisely; Markus Biel focused on sending emails and attracted spammers

  • Finding employees (including freelancers): have 3 do a task/project simultaneously and continue with the best one if it fits; separate at the first sign of not getting along; maintain the relationship during collaboration

  • Tech stack: React, Java, Quarkus, GitLab, MariaDB (wants Postgres), Docker, Digital Ocean

  • As low entry barrier as possible for customers: e.g., no credit card and not verifying email right away, but only when they really want to send

  • Free plan with low quota but all features

  • Tips from others can be a good starting point, but in the end, everything/everyone is individual and the market decides: e.g., actually, you shouldn't have a free plan, but it's common in the market and competitors offer it

  • Gamechanger: Record videos (like Loom); not just for communication with others but also for yourself

E2 – with Philipp Glöckler of Lollipod.de

  • Twitter profile

  • host of Doppelgänger TechTalk Podcast

  • Two businesses (Podcast and Podcast Ad-Platform) mutually support each other

  • Advantage of Corporate Job: You can make mistakes that others pay for

  • Little money promotes the development of creative solutions

E16 – with Michael Kamleitner of swat.io & walls.io

💡
From here on I add the actual "Snips" (audio excerpts) for some notes.

  • 2 companies (swat.io & walls.io) built in the social media marketing field

  • swat.io started as a Social Inbox; ~45 employees; M. Kamleitner no longer operationally active

  • walls.io offers social media walls (e.g. trade shows, etc.); ~20 employees

  • walls.io prototype was coded as a surprise for a birthday party

  • Tech Stack: React, PHP, NodeJS, Kubernetes, MySQL and Postgres

  • Product emerged from customer demand (🎧 Play snip - 1min️ (19:30 - 19:52))

  • Companies emerged from the agency and were then spun off

  • "Test" products within the company but keep teams clearly separated (🎧 Play snip - 1min️ (33:31 - 34:23))

  • Critical dependencies ("make or break", e.g., Twitter API) should be avoided (🎧 Play snip - 1min️ (01:01:15 - 01:02:25))

  • As a bootstrapper, you need to find a niche to compete with VC-funded companies. Undercutting prices is often not possible (🎧 Play snip - 1min️ (01:05:43 - 01:06:40))

  • Advantages of bootstrapping: making your own decisions, following your own path, setting your own pace, etc.

E38 - Dividend Calendar as a SaaS Solution - Johannes Kronmüller from divvydiary.com

E4 – with David Pohlmann of Billbee.io

  • Billbee: Swiss Army knife for everything post-sale (invoices, etc.) in eCommerce (primarily) for small businesses.

  • Created out of personal need (tool for use with Dawanda).

  • Developed alongside freelance work -> gradually shifted focus from freelancing to Billbee.

  • Small businesses haven't brought in much revenue, but they've been useful for spreading awareness 🎧 Play snip - 1min️ (16:05 - 17:25)

  • Initially only organic, no paid marketing.

  • The biggest benefit of bootstrapping: no one to answer to; the ability to prioritize employees over profits if needed (🎧 Play snip - 1min️ (40:30 - 41:21))

  • Strong emphasis on employee satisfaction (30h work week).