60 episodes
Metacast: Behind the scenes metacast.app
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- Business
Metacast is a podcast app for podcast aficionados. We are building a powerful tool that helps you get the most out of podcasts. Auto-generated transcripts allow you to quickly skim episodes, search for content, and bookmark segments. Automated playlists, listening history & stats, and much more is coming.
On this podcast, co-founders of Metacast talk about building the company and the product.
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56. We're back!
We're back and this is a massive update on what we've been up to since our last episode!
Get Metacast at metacast.app.
Join the r/metacastapp subreddit.
Segments
[00:24] We're back[03:23] Tangent about our names[05:00] First full-team offsite in Florida[08:27] We made Android cool again![12:44] Paid app subscriptions with RevenueCat[16:04] Reflection on working in person vs. WFH[21:01] Seeing alligators in the Everglades[24:08] How we got an intern/contractor to build a website[27:33] We've applied to YC for the third time[28:13] Filing corporate taxes for 2023[31:41] What we're listening, reading and watchingShow notes
Software
Next.jsVercelOutstaticFondoGustoPodcasts
Microsoft episode on AcquiredTetragrammaton with Rick Rubin: Edward Norton, Jon Kabat-ZinnBooks
Three-Body Problem by Cixin LiuDune by Frank HerbertRevolutionary Road by Richard YatesWherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-ZinnMovies
Three-Body Problem series on NetflixDune, Dune 2Star WarsRevolutionary RoadGet in touch
🚀 Get the Metacast podcast app: https://metacast.app👥 Join our subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/metacastapp/✉️ Subscribe to Metacast newsletter: https://www.metacastpodcast.com👋 Send feedback or say hi: hello@metacastpodcast.com📕 Get our book! The Pragmatic Podcaster: a step-by-step guide to starting an amazing podcast: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFPMT8WW👚 Metacast merch: https://merch.metacastpodcast.com -
55. Leaving Google and Amazon to bootstrap Metacast (rerun of ep. 24)
We took a leap of faith and left our jobs at Google and Amazon to jump into the unknown. It wasn't easy and required quite a bit of planning. This is a rerun of June 2023 episode where we talk about how we did it.
Get Metacast at metacast.app.
Join the r/metacastapp subreddit.
Links
Show notes for part 1 and part 2 can be found on our website.Get in touch
🚀 Get the Metacast podcast app: https://metacast.app👥 Join our subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/metacastapp/✉️ Subscribe to Metacast newsletter: https://www.metacastpodcast.com👋 Send feedback or say hi: hello@metacastpodcast.com📕 Get our book! The Pragmatic Podcaster: a step-by-step guide to starting an amazing podcast: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFPMT8WW👚 Metacast merch: https://merch.metacastpodcast.com -
54. How we chose the market to go after
We got asked how we were thinking about product-market-fit, potential revenue, and entering a market that already has strong players. We’re giving a full breakdown of our thought process.
Get Metacast at metacast.app.
Join the r/metacastapp subreddit.
Segments
[01:35] Ilya's “fun” interview with Google (tangent)
[05:52] How we chose the market to go after
[21:42] Our financial model approach
[27:06] Thinking about the company size early on
[31:09] How much money do we personally want to make
[35:33] Non-financial motivation
[38:51] The value of an MBA
[41:03] Books, podcasts and movies recommendations
Links
Metacast
Get Metacast for iOS and Android
r/metacastapp subreddit
The Pragmatic Podcaster book by Ilya
Podcasts
Earned Secrets on the a16z podcast (August 4, 2018)
21 Brutally Honest Lessons About Life - Alex Hormozi on Chris Williamson’s podcast
Controversial Truths You Need To Hear - Pt.1 (on the Modern Wisdom Podcast) | Ep 673 on the The Game w/ Alex Hormozi podcast
Books
The Science of Interstellar by Kip Thorne
Dune by Frank Herbert
Children of Dune by Frank Herbert
Bone by Jeff Smith
Movies
Interstellar
Harry Potter
Get in touch
🚀 Get the Metacast podcast app: https://metacast.app
👥 Join our subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/metacastapp/
✉️ Subscribe to Metacast newsletter: https://www.metacastpodcast.com
👋 Send feedback or say hi: hello@metacastpodcast.com
📕 Get our book! The Pragmatic Podcaster: a step-by-step guide to starting an amazing podcast: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFPMT8WW
👚 Metacast merch: https://merch.metacastpodcast.com -
53. How we launched Metacast in beta
We broke Metacast just before launching it in open beta. Ouch.
On this episode, we talk about the launch, how it went, and what we’ve learned.
Get Metacast at metacast.app.
Join the r/metacastapp subreddit.
Segments
[02:13] Get The Pragmatic Podcaster book for free
[03:33] We broke Metacast just before launch
[08:39] How we fixed the problem
[14:04] The other way we broke the app
[16:27] Publishing to Apple and Google
[20:04] Marketing for open beta
[24:10] Business metrics
[30:38] This is just the beginning
[34:20] Podcast and book recommendations
Links
Metacast
Get Metacast for iOS and Android
r/metacastapp subreddit
The Pragmatic Podcaster book by Ilya
Open beta launch content and mentions
Reddit post
LinkedIn post
Pod News mention
Tools
Tramline - CI/CD for mobile apps
Podcasts
Metacast Ep. 40 - Automating mobile app releases with Tramline founders
Builders Gonna Build
Podcast Marketing Trends Explained
We Tried the Apple Vision Pro + Can Congress Protect Kids Online? + Cruise’s Crash on the Hard Fork podcast
The Vision Pro Reviews Are Here on the Techmeme Ride Home podcast
Zuckerberg on the Vision Pro vs. Quest (video)
How the Acquired podcast grew, and why they switched to Transistor on the Build Your SaaS podcast
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang on the Acquired podcast
Charlie Munger on the Acquired podcast
Books
Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Children of Dune by Frank Herbert
Get in touch
🚀 Get the Metacast podcast app: https://metacast.app
👥 Join our subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/metacastapp/
✉️ Subscribe to Metacast newsletter: https://www.metacastpodcast.com
👋 Send feedback or say hi: hello@metacastpodcast.com
📕 Get our book! The Pragmatic Podcaster: a step-by-step guide to starting an amazing podcast: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFPMT8WW
👚 Metacast merch: https://merch.metacastpodcast.com -
52. Our first existential startup crisis
We had our first existential crisis when Apple announced that they're adding transcripts to Apple Podcasts. We panicked for a few minutes, regrouped, and decided to ship Metacast in open beta ASAP.
On the episode, Arnab, Ilya and Jennie discuss the whole ordeal as it was happening.
Get Metacast at metacast.app.
Join the r/metacastapp subreddit.
Segments
[01:09] Launch stages at Google and Amazon
[07:21] Our secret sauce
[13:00] Why we decided to start talking about the app openly
[17:22] Our first existential crisis
[31:07] Re-evaluation of priorities
[34:35] Building a community on Reddit
[38:03] Books and podcasts recommendations
Links
Metacast
Get Metacast for iOS and Android
r/metacastapp subreddit
Podcasts
Interview with Christian Selig on Builders Gonna Build
Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness
The Game w/ Alex Hormozi
Books
Broken Code: Inside Facebook and the Fight to Expose Its Harmful Secrets by Jeff Horwitz
The Wanderer by Sharon Creech
The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. & E. B. White
Learn Spanish with Paul Noble for Beginners by Paul Noble
Next Steps in Spanish with Paul Noble for Intermediate Learners by Paul Noble
Bone by Jeff Smith
Sandman by Neil Gaiman
Dog Man by Dav Pilkey
We Are Legion (We Are Bob): Bobiverse, Book 1 by Dennis E. Taylor
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Shows
Queer Eye on Netflix
Get in touch
🚀 Get the Metacast podcast app: https://metacast.app
👥 Join our subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/metacastapp/
✉️ Subscribe to Metacast newsletter: https://www.metacastpodcast.com
👋 Send feedback or say hi: hello@metacastpodcast.com
📕 Get our book! The Pragmatic Podcaster: a step-by-step guide to starting an amazing podcast: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFPMT8WW
👚 Metacast merch: https://merch.metacastpodcast.com -
51. Post vacation guilt, writing docs, new podcast
We took a break from the startup for the holiday season and were welcomed back to work by a warm embrace of guilt. Should we feel guilt when building a startup?
Today we also discuss the launch of our new podcast Builders Gonna Build and how we made the decision to start it. We talk about writing a doc, just like in the good ol’ days at Amazon.
Listen to Builders Gonna Build
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- YouTube
- Substack
Segments
[02:57] Snowmaggedon in Vancouver
[09:04] Post-vacation guilt
[21:32] Not building a unicorn
[24:30] Introducing Builders Gonna Build
[32:15] When in doubt, write a doc
[38:07] Readers gonna read
Get in touch
🚀 Get the Metacast podcast app: https://metacast.app
✉️ Subscribe to Metacast newsletter: https://www.metacastpodcast.com
👋 Send feedback or say hi: hello@metacastpodcast.com
📕 Get our book! The Pragmatic Podcaster: a step-by-step guide to starting an amazing podcast: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFPMT8WW
👚 Metacast merch: https://merch.metacastpodcast.com