Startups For the Rest of Us

Rob Walling
  • 4.9 (66)
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Startups For the Rest of Us

The original podcast for bootstrapped and mostly bootstrapped startups, this show follow the stories of founders as they start, acquire, and grow SaaS companies. Hear when they fail, struggle, succeed, and take you with them through the tumultuous life of a SaaS founder. If you like Mixergy, This Week in Startups, or SaaStr, you’ll enjoy Startup for the Rest of Us.

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    Episode 759 | TinySeed Tales s4e6: Does AI + Pivot = Success?

    In this episode of TinySeed Tales, Rob Walling speaks with Colleen Schnettler, co-founder of Hello Query, as she shares her latest startup journey pivot. After reigniting her “shipping muscle” while briefly dabbling in an AI-based project, Colleen refocuses on her newest pivot of Hello Query. She shares the challenges of determining the market viability of an AI-assisted SQL report builder. She stands at a crossroads, torn between catering to internal BI teams or exploring marketing analytics. Topics we cover:  (1:25) – Reflecting on the co-founder breakup (2:42) – Trying a scratch-your-own-itch project (6:27) – Unfair advantages inform another pivot (15:07) – Respecting the “emotional runway”   (19:23) – Marketing insights vs. an internal BI tool (23:01) – The curse of the audience Links from the Show:  Applications for TinySeed are Open Through Feb 23rd Colleen Schnettler (@leenyburger) | X Colleen Schnettler (@leenyburger.bsky.social) | Bluesky Hello Query If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you! Subscribe & Review: iTunes | Spotify

    27 min

  2. 4 DAYS AGO

    Episode 758 | Do Free Trials Suck?, What Moves the Needle, and More Listener Questions (with Derrick Reimer)

    In episode 758, Rob Walling is joined by Derrick Reimer to tackle a variety of listener questions. They discuss strategies for entering a market with established competitors, including how to position your product without directly attacking rivals. They also reflect on the challenges of free trials, weighing the pros and cons of extending trial periods versus incentivizing onboarding. Episode Sponsor: Most marketing agencies promise growth but never move the needle. But Corey Haines and the team at Conversion Factory? They know how to deliver results.  Derrick Reimer said that "Under Corey's marketing leadership, SavvyCal broke into the market with a successful launch and steadily grew to several thousand customers." And Eunice Koo of Less Annoying CRM said that their “first A/B test with Conversion Factory, delivered a 20% increase in visitor to trial conversions within the first two months.” Imagine having a senior copywriter, designer, and web developer at your disposal to turn every marketing idea into a reality. Head to conversionfactory.co and mention this podcast when you book a call for $1,000 off your first month.  Topics we cover:  (1:18) – How to launch a SaaS product in a market with an established competitor (6:21) – Do I call out competitors by name? (14:24) – How do you really identify what moves the needle in your Saas? (19:59) – Breaking down the “one thing” (23:32) – Selling and marketing SaaS before building (30:36) – What is the goal of your free trial? (39:10) – On the fence between B2B, B2C Links from the Show:  TInySeed Applications are open until Feb 23rd Derrick Reimer (@derrickreimer) | X Derrick Reimer (@derrickreimer.com) | Bluesky SavvyCal 757 | TinySeed Tales s4e5: Founder Breakups, Crushing Failures, and the Future TinySeed MicroConf Connect SaaS Institute Start Marketing The Day You Start Coding by Rob Walling Start Small Stay Small by Rob Walling If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you! Subscribe & Review: iTunes |

    45 min

  3. 13 FEB

    Episode 757 | TinySeed Tales s4e5: Founder Breakups, Crushing Failures, and the Future

    In this episode of TinySeed Tales, Rob Walling chats with Colleen Schnettler, co-founder of Hello Query, as she navigates the complexities of her startup journey.  After a challenging period with her co-founder Aaron, Colleen reflects on their decision to part ways and the emotional toll it has taken on her. She shares her feelings of crushing failure, the uncertainty of moving forward alone, and the realization that their initial product vision may not align with market needs.  Topics we cover:  (0:49) – Colleen and Aaron make a tough decision (4:09) – Voice memo, “Crushing Failure” (7:59) – What if you hadn’t raised money? (11:44)  – Colleen weighs her remaining options Links from the Show:  Applications for TinySeed are Open Through Feb 23rd Colleen Schnettler (@leenyburger) | X Colleen Schnettler (@leenyburger.bsky.social) | Bluesky Hello Query If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you! Subscribe & Review: iTunes | Spotify

    15 min

  4. 11 FEB

    Episode 756 | Why Great Product Management Is Critical for Your Startup

    In episode 756, Rob Walling interviews Brendan Fortune, Director of Product Management at Customer.io, to explore the skills and frameworks for effective product management. Brendan shares his journey and discusses the importance of understanding customer behavior to drive product decisions. They delve into the concept of the flywheel and how it can be leveraged to enhance user success and optimize pricing strategies. Topics we cover:  (2:46) – What does a product manager do? (10:36) – When should a SaaS company designate a full time product manager? (15:33) – Pricing and and creating a flywheel (22:41) – Deciding on your “fair” value metric (30:01) – Pricing experimentation in the early days Links from the Show:  Applications for TinySeed Spring 2025 are Open! Invest in TinySeed Ask a product question on Startups For the Rest of Us Brendan Fortune | LinkedIn Customer.io Product Flywheel + Pricing + Org Strategy (Miro) Your Pricing is WRONG (even Sam Altman Made This Mistake) If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you! Subscribe & Review: iTunes | Spotify

    43 min

  5. 6 FEB

    Episode 755 | TinySeed Tales s4e4: Customer Interviews + Pivoting

    In this episode of TinySeed Tales, Rob Walling checks in with Colleen Schnettler, co-founder of Hello Query, as she shares the latest developments in her startup journey.  Colleen shares the insights gained from recent customer interviews that led to a significant pivot in their product strategy. Hello Query is now focused on embedding custom reporting features within other SaaS applications and Colleen reflects on balancing product quality with minimal v1 features. Her excitement is building to get their solution into users' hands. Topics we cover:  (1:32) – Digging into customer interviews (3:54) – Filtering out the noise to achieve confidence (5:31) – Other competitors in the space (8:53) – How Colleen prepares for and sources customer conversations (12:11) – Is the technical implementation coming along? Links from the Show:  Invest in TinySeed Episode 748 | The Ins and Outs of Startup Investing Colleen Schnettler (@leenyburger) | X Colleen Schnettler (@leenyburger.bsky.social) | Bluesky Hello Query If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you! Subscribe & Review: iTunes | Spotify

    16 min

  6. 4 FEB

    Episode 754 | Broken Freemium, SaaS Plateaus, and More Listener Questions (A Rob Solo Adventure)

    In episode 754, join Rob Walling for a solo adventure as he tackles listener questions on a variety of topics. He discusses strategies for converting free users to paid customers, the implications of AI advancements on the SaaS landscape, and how to navigate platform risks when larger players enter your market. Rob also shares insights on breaking through growth plateaus. Topics we cover:  (3:12) – When in doubt, don’t try freemium (6:44) – Different levers you can pull to make freemium work (8:53) – How will SaaS be affected by the exponential growth of AI? (14:09) – Big players launching features is a form of platform risk (17:24) – Should I spin out a portion of my product into a new product? (20:05) – Thinking through plateaus in your business growth Links from the Show:  MicroConf Connect Applications are open through Feb 5th Ask a Question on Startups For the Rest of Us TinySeed Episode 663 | 5 Insights SaaS Founders Should Know About A.I. (Ignore at Your Peril) Episode 735 | The 8 Levels of SaaS Platform Risk (A Rob Solo Adventure) MicroConf YouTube Channel If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you! Subscribe & Review: iTunes | Spotify

    25 min

  7. 30 JAN

    Episode 753 | TinySeed Tales s4e3: Co-Founder Conflicts + Renaming a Business

    In this episode of TinySeed Tales, Rob Walling reconnects with Colleen Schnettler, co-founder of Hammerstone, as she shares the latest developments in their startup journey. Colleen opens up about the emotional challenges of co-founder conflicts with Aaron, highlighting the importance of communication and alignment in their partnership. They also discuss the significant pivot from their initial product offering to the newly rebranded Hello Query, a SaaS solution focused on internal reporting for teams. Topics we cover:  (0:59) – Breaking up with a co-founder (7:39) – How could this conversation have been different? (9:49) – Navigating a major pivot (14:37) – Changing the name (16:56) – Getting closer to finding product-market-fit (19:39) – Competing in a competitive market Links from the Show:  SaaS Institute TinySeed Colleen Schnettler (@leenyburger) | X Colleen Schnettler (@leenyburger.bsky.social) | Bluesky Aaron Francis (@aarondfrancis) | X Aaron Francis (@aaronfrancis.com) | Bluesky MicroConf Recap, Episode 59 – The Hammerstone Podcast Hello Query If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you! Subscribe & Review: iTunes | Spotify

    23 min

  8. 28 JAN

    Episode 752 | The State of SEO in 2025

    In episode 752, Rob Walling interviews Lars Lofgren to discuss the current state of SEO. Lars shares insights on how SEO has drastically changed, especially with the rise of AI and the volatility brought on by Google’s evolving algorithm. They cover the challenges of ranking for terms, the impact of AI content, and the rise of "parasite SEO."  Topics we cover:  (2:16) – SEO traffic that generates $7.2M annual revenue (4:54) – Changes in Google’s algorithm (9:46) – How to approach SEO as a bootstrapper (15:45) – SEO has changed considerably (19:48) – AI and SEO (25:54) – The advent of AI Overviews (31:19) – Parasite SEO and the importance of brands Links from the Show:  Get Your Tickets for MicroConf US by Jan 31st Larslofgren.com Lars Lofgren (@LarsLofgren) | X Lars Lofgren at MicroConf TinySeed.com MicroConf YouTube Channel If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you! Subscribe & Review: iTunes | Spotify

    36 min
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4.9
out of 5
66 Ratings

About

The original podcast for bootstrapped and mostly bootstrapped startups, this show follow the stories of founders as they start, acquire, and grow SaaS companies. Hear when they fail, struggle, succeed, and take you with them through the tumultuous life of a SaaS founder. If you like Mixergy, This Week in Startups, or SaaStr, you’ll enjoy Startup for the Rest of Us.

Information

  • Creator
    Rob Walling
  • Years Active
    2010 - 2025
  • Episodes
    329
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023 Startups For the Rest of Us
  • Show Website
    Startups For the Rest of Us

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