The Bootstrapped Founder Arvid Kahl

Today, you get a glimpse into an ongoing marketing experiment for Podscan.fm. What if I can frontload value for my future customers even before they sign up?
Here's why I chose to create a Dream Customer List and how it will help me jumpstart customer acquisition.
This episode is sponsored by Acquire.com
The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/the-power-of-the-dream-customer-list 
The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/323-the-power-of-the-dream-customer-list
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: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com
Podcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcast
Newsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletter
My book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/
My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/
My course Find Your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com
Here are a few tools I use. Using my affiliate links will support my work at no additional cost to you.- Notion (which I use to organize, write, coordinate, and archive my podcast + newsletter): https://affiliate.notion.so/465mv1536drx- Riverside.fm (that's what I recorded this episode with): https://riverside.fm/?via=arvid- TweetHunter (for speedy scheduling and writing Tweets): http://tweethunter.io/?via=arvid- HypeFury (for massive Twitter analytics and scheduling): https://hypefury.com/?via=arvid60- AudioPen (for taking voice notes and getting amazing summaries): https://audiopen.ai/?aff=PXErZ- Descript (for word-based video editing, subtitles, and clips): https://www.descript.com/?lmref=3cf39Q- ConvertKit (for email lists, newsletters, even finding sponsors): https://convertkit.com?lmref=bN9CZw

Noah Kagan (@noahkagan) has made AppSumo a massive success — and he's spilling the beans on how to launch, build, and grow a successful software business. Noah likes to keep things weird, and our conversation is proof of that: from Taco T-shirts to failing at entrepreneurship, we walk through the ups and down of a wild and intriguing founder journey.
If you're looking for guidance that actually helps you find your footing, Noah's your man.
00:00:00 Lessons From Noah Kagan's Entrepreneurial Journey00:12:54 Overcoming Fear of Asking for Help00:17:56 Importance of Asking and Repeating Messaging00:26:25 Business Development and Patience in Entrepreneurship00:30:26 Entrepreneurial Insights on Book Launches00:37:07 Building Relationships for Business Growth
Noah on Twitter: https://x.com/noahkagan
This episode is sponsored by Acquire.com
The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/noah-kagan-early-stage-founder-hurdles-how-to-jump-them
The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/322-noah-kagan-early-stage-founder-hurdles-how-to-jump-them
The video: https://youtu.be/MolxsU1csKc
You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com
Podcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcast
Newsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletter
My book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/
My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/
My course Find Your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com
Here are a few tools I use. Using my affiliate links will support my work at no additional cost to you.- Notion (which I use to organize, write, coordinate, and archive my podcast + newsletter): https://affiliate.notion.so/465mv1536drx- Riverside.fm (that's what I recorded this episode with): https://riverside.fm/?via=arvid- TweetHunter (for speedy scheduling and writing Tweets): http://tweethunter.io/?via=arvid- HypeFury (for massive Twitter analytics and scheduling): https://hypefury.com/?via=arvid60- AudioPen (for taking voice notes and getting amazing summaries): https://audiopen.ai/?aff=PXErZ- Descript (for word-based video editing, subtitles, and clips): https://www.descript.com/?lmref=3cf39Q- ConvertKit (for email lists, newsletters, even finding sponsors): https://convertkit.com?lmref=bN9CZw

It started as a normal day — but then things started going wrong. And my stress levels rose.
But I recently learned how to use that to my advantage. Here's how I wrangled with a SaaS founder's worst nightmare, what happened, and how I turned the tables.
 This episode is sponsored by Acquire.com
The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/unexpected-downtime-stress-as-enhancement-vs-stress-as-panic
The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/321-unexpected-downtime-stress-as-enhancement-vs-stress-as-panic
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: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com
Podcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcast
Newsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletter
My book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/
My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/
My course Find Your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com
Here are a few tools I use. Using my affiliate links will support my work at no additional cost to you.- Notion (which I use to organize, write, coordinate, and archive my podcast + newsletter): https://affiliate.notion.so/465mv1536drx- Riverside.fm (that's what I recorded this episode with): https://riverside.fm/?via=arvid- TweetHunter (for speedy scheduling and writing Tweets): http://tweethunter.io/?via=arvid- HypeFury (for massive Twitter analytics and scheduling): https://hypefury.com/?via=arvid60- AudioPen (for taking voice notes and getting amazing summaries): https://audiopen.ai/?aff=PXErZ- Descript (for word-based video editing, subtitles, and clips): https://www.descript.com/?lmref=3cf39Q- ConvertKit (for email lists, newsletters, even finding sponsors): https://convertkit.com?lmref=bN9CZw

Dr. Jessica Gold (@blissscience) helps founders live an intentional and passionate life — which ultimately impacts their entrepreneurial success. She wants to put intentional self-care back on the map in a field obsessed with productivity and tracking metrics.
In our conversation, we dive deep into vulnerable places: from romance, passion, and love to dealing with stressful interpersonal conflicts. Dr. Jessica exposes the do-it-(for)-yourself frameworks that can help founders to stay level-headed when challenges seem insurmountable.
Dr. Jessica Gold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/blissscience
(00:00) Navigating Business and Personal Relationships(12:28) Balancing Work and Pleasure in Founding(18:04) Balancing Work and Pleasure for Success(28:00) Importance of Body-Informed Therapy
This episode is sponsored by Acquire.com
The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/dr-jessica-gold-emotional-resilience-and-self-care-for-founders/
The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/320-dr-jessica-gold-emotional-resilience-and-self-care-for-founders
The video: https://youtu.be/-3MGGrldnIM
You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com
Podcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcast
Newsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletter
My book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/
My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/
My course Find Your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com
Here are a few tools I use. Using my affiliate links will support my work at no additional cost to you.- Notion (which I use to organize, write, coordinate, and archive my podcast + newsletter): https://affiliate.notion.so/465mv1536drx- Riverside.fm (that's what I recorded this episode with): https://riverside.fm/?via=arvid- TweetHunter (for speedy scheduling and writing Tweets): http://tweethunter.io/?via=arvid- HypeFury (for massive Twitter analytics and scheduling): https://hypefury.com/?via=arvid60- AudioPen (for taking voice notes and getting amazing summaries): https://audiopen.ai/?aff=PXErZ- Descript (for word-based video editing, subtitles, and clips): https://www.descript.com/?lmref=3cf39Q- ConvertKit (for email lists, newsletters, even finding sponsors): https://convertkit.com?lmref=bN9CZw

Earlier this week, I finally found time to work on a large code change. When I deployed it, things got worse quickly. Here's what happened, why it happened, and how this changed my approach to working on a complicated software project.
One thing became apparent: while it may look like a waste of time to build something and revert back to "yesterday's version", I got massively interesting insights into my product and my process along the way.
So today, we'll talk about setbacks, getting back up again, and how we can judo a failure into making progress.
This episode is sponsored by Acquire.com
The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/my-saas-server-exploded-how-i-salvaged-it/
The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/319-my-saas-server-exploded-how-i-salvaged-it
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: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com
Podcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcast
Newsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletter
My book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/
My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/
My course Find Your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com
Here are a few tools I use. Using my affiliate links will support my work at no additional cost to you.- Notion (which I use to organize, write, coordinate, and archive my podcast + newsletter): https://affiliate.notion.so/465mv1536drx- Riverside.fm (that's what I recorded this episode with): https://riverside.fm/?via=arvid- TweetHunter (for speedy scheduling and writing Tweets): http://tweethunter.io/?via=arvid- HypeFury (for massive Twitter analytics and scheduling): https://hypefury.com/?via=arvid60- AudioPen (for taking voice notes and getting amazing summaries): https://audiopen.ai/?aff=PXErZ- Descript (for word-based video editing, subtitles, and clips): https://www.descript.com/?lmref=3cf39Q- ConvertKit (for email lists, newsletters, even finding sponsors): https://convertkit.com?lmref=bN9CZw

Louie Bacaj (@LBacaj), once a Walmart engineer, made a bold career shift into the unpredictable world of venture capitalism and entrepreneurship. Now a co-leader of a thriving community for bootstrapped entrepreneurs, Louie reveals how the 'small bets' philosophy guides individuals toward financial freedom and fulfillment. Together with Daniel Vassallo, he has created a unique space that thrives on exclusivity and practicality, challenging the traditional go-big-or-go-home mentality.
Reflecting on our shared transition from engineer to entrepreneur, we explore how small yet strategic side projects, a safety net of real estate investments, and the monetization of expertise can provide a mosaic of possibilities for those on the verge of leaving their day jobs. 
Join us as we uncover how integrating AI tools like GPT and Claude Opus helps our community members elevate content creation and make a difference. With inspiration from Sam Walton's step-by-step success, we see how impactful small bets can be. This journey isn't just about building businesses—it's about creating lives that align with our values. Tune in to hear great stories, strategies, and successes!

00:00:00 From Engineer to Entrepreneur
00:11:43 Transition From Engineering to Entrepreneurship
00:20:27 Diverse Business Strategies and AI Implementation
00:25:31 Advancing AI in Business Operations
00:31:25 Building Success Through Small Bets
00:39:48 Supporting Founder's Podcast and Books

This episode is sponsored by Acquire.com
The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/louie-bacaj-betting-small-to-win-big/
The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/318-louie-bacaj-betting-small-to-win-big
The video: https://youtu.be/-c_Nh5_RbTg
You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com
Podcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcast
Newsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletter
My book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/
My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/
My course Find Your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com
Here are a few tools I use. Using my affiliate links will support my work at no additional cost to you.- Notion (which I use to organize, write, coordinate, and archive my podcast + newsletter): https://affiliate.notion.so/465mv1536drx- Riverside.fm (that's what I recorded this episode with): https://riverside.fm/?via=arvid- TweetHunter (for speedy scheduling and writing Tweets): http://tweethunter.io/?via=arvid- HypeFury (for massive Twitter analytics and scheduling): https://hypefury.com/?via=arvid60- AudioPen (for taking voice notes and getting amazing summaries): https://audiopen.ai/?aff=PXErZ- Descript (for word-based video editing, subtitles, and clips): https://www.descript.com/?lmref=3cf39Q- ConvertKit (for email lists, newsletters, even finding sponsors): https://convertkit.com?lmref=bN9CZw