Rogue Startups

RogueStartups
  • 4.9(23개의 평가)
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Rogue Startups

On Rogue Startups we share the journey of startup founders as they're growing their businesses. We feature experts in the fields of sales, marketing, and product development to hear how they're growth hacking their productized services and SaaS products. If you're on the journey of an entrepreneur then tune and hear how we're tackling some of the same obstacles you may be facing, and how we're winning in the game of business. Listeners of Startups for the Rest of Us, My First Million, Mixergy, and Bootstrapped Web will love checking out our show.

  1. 2월 5일

    RS337: Building AI Native SaaS w/ Jordan Gal

    Today, Craig chats with Jordan Gal from Rosie about starting a business centered solely on AI. While many of us use AI to help with our work tasks and streamline certain jobs, Jordan’s whole business is AI. They discuss how you and your customers can use AI, what it’s like to start a company right now, and what AI is doing to SaaS. Rosie creates a new option for small businesses. Previously, the only way to handle phone calls during work hours was through voicemail or an answering service. Rosie offers a new option in that market: an AI can answer the phone for you and handle the tasks needed for these calls, whether it’s taking messages, sending messages out, or talking to clients. Highlights from Craig and Jordan’s conversation: Non-technical CEOs sympathize more with customers Jordan views his engineering company as customers see their product Because of this, he knows how Rosie helps businesses run better Using AI to help the customer understand their data vs building a product that was not possible before AI Create milestones for the team when creating a brand-new product Jordan tells his team to work as if they are onboarding 100 customers a day Dealing with customers that have different knowledge bases of your type of product Remove marketing fluff to speak plainly to possible customers If you provide the customer with something they truly need and get value from, they will find ways to deal with those roadblocks Conversion versus usage numbers: how to avoid churn Freemium and usage-based trials What AI has done to SEO: people are led to video and YouTube Software in the AI era Now is a good time to bootstrap; it is not a good time to raise money Everything you do has to have leverage Takeaways and Vision: Everything in technology is time-sensitive because tech improves and evolves so fast. Rosie shows us that AI can do much more than just answer questions, run some numbers, and analyze data. Whether you’re using AI to help your business run better, or if you’re creating the next AI tool, now is the time to embrace this technology. Resources and Links from This Episode: Rosie   Jordan on Twitter/X

    48분

  2. 1월 29일

    RS336: Claude Project Deep Dive with Alison French

    On today’s episode of Rogue Startups, Craig continues his AI series with founder, marketer, and Claude-user Alison French. They discuss the hesitation creators feel when working alongside AI and what Alison did to overcome that hurdle. Since then, she’s taught herself how to use Claude.ai in her creative and professional work. AI is a tool that everyone has to learn how to use.  Watch on YouTube If you feel our podcast has benefited you and might benefit someone else, please share it with them. Also, if you have a chance, please give Rogue Startups a review on iTunes. We’ll see you next week! Highlights from Craig and Alison’s conversation: How creatives can use AI to improve their professional and personal lives How to fine-tune Claude’s tone of voice: Add files to the specific project only You have to feed the machine with information that matters Over time, working within the same project, Claude will tune itself to your prompts How to have Claude see references and change the tone or voice Separate and break down transcripts by prompt to hone in on specifics Claude is like a junior copywriter: work with it and nurture it, and it will help your work go faster so you can focus on the important things. Craig’s creative process when creating content: Get examples/models, templates, and ideas to input into your AI program of choice. Break your content up into different functions. Go in once a week to pull out topics. Put the time and energy into refining one meaty piece of content that you can use over and over again. You have to focus on what makes you credible to your audience How does your team embrace and respond to AI because at the surface it’s a risk for all of us? How do we educate our youth now, for a future with AI? Takeaways and Vision Balancing the importance of human connection with the ability to express your individuality and be yourself is even more possible in this AI era. Adopting and embracing technology and AI in your personal and professional lives can help save you time and free up some creative energy for being social, innovative, and expressing yourself. AI will give you the time to do the work to open yourself up to having personal experiences. Resources and Links from This Episode   Alison French on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frenchalison/  LTO:

    48분

  3. 1월 22일

    RS335: Evaluating AI Model Performance with Stuart Grey

    In today’s episode of Rogue Startups, Craig sits down with AI expert Dr. Stuart Grey to discuss how AI is transforming both his personal and professional life. Dr. Grey also shares how he educates his students and clients on AI applications. He believes AI will play a pivotal role in all of our futures, and while there may be hesitations, AI can be harnessed to create high-quality content and drive innovation.   Watch on YouTube Over the next few episodes, I’ll be chatting with folks about the real ways they’re using AI in their businesses. If you’re interested in joining the conversation, hit me up (details below). But for now, here’s a breakdown of how I’m incorporating AI into my own work. Highlights from Craig and Stuart’s conversation: What it’s like to teach AI and machine learning at the university level Comparing AI prompts across different platforms and analyzing results Stuart’s AI Rules of Thumb for efficient content generation Ethical considerations when using AI technologies A glimpse into the near future of AI in everyday life and business The two primary types of AI-driven content creation How to turn basic AI-generated content into exceptional material Takeaways and Vision AI is integrating into our daily lives and everyone needs to learn how to leverage this powerful technology to save time and enhance productivity. Whether you’re just starting or an established professional, understanding how to work alongside AI-powered tools is key to staying ahead in your career. Resources and Links from This Episode Stuart Grey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartgrey/  Stuart Grey on X: https://x.com/stugrey  Stuart Grey’s website: https://www.stugrey.com/  Castos Free Tools: castos.com/tools Email me: podcast@roguestartups.com Find me on Twitter: @TheCraigHewitt Want to Share Your AI Story? I’m looking for guests to share how they’re using AI in their businesses. If you’ve got some great examples or unique insights, reach out to me:

    47분

  4. 1월 8일

    RS334: How AI Saves Me 10 Hours A Week

    Today, I’m kicking off a series on AI—how I’m using it personally and professionally to grow my business, make life easier, and operate at a higher level. Over the next few episodes, I’ll be chatting with folks about the real ways they’re using AI in their businesses. If you’re interested in joining the conversation, hit me up (details below). But for now, here’s a breakdown of how I’m incorporating AI into my own work. Key Ways I’m Using AI in My Business Content Creation for Programmatic SEO Using OpenAI and Claude to create use case pages for Castos. Built a process to programmatically generate 100+ SEO landing pages using Google Sheets and templates. Example use case: Why Startups Should Start a Podcast for Thought Leadership. Custom GPT for YouTube Scripts Created a custom GPT workflow to script our Castos YouTube videos. Process: Provide a topic, feed it examples, and let GPT draft outlines and scripts. Outcome: High-performing, 90%-ready scripts I tweak and personalize. Building Free Marketing Tools Leveraging tools like Replit and Cursor to develop free tools for Castos (e.g., podcast name generator, social post creator). Focus: Engineering as marketing to drive traffic and lead generation. Documenting Internal Processes Using Loom to record workflows (e.g., triaging support tickets). Leveraging AI to convert videos into detailed step-by-step process documentation (aka playbooks). Automating Low-Level Tasks (Future Plans) Exploring tools like Make and Airtable for automating repetitive processes (e.g., email tagging, Slack notifications). Goal: Free up mental energy for high-value activities like sales, marketing, and strategy. Takeaways and Vision AI is transforming the way we work, and I’m all in on finding ways to integrate it into every aspect of my business. It’s not just about saving time; it’s about leveling up and creating systems that make the impossible possible. I’m inspired by the idea of building something like an 8-person, $10M business with AI at its core. That’s where I’m headed—and I want to bring you along. Resources and Links from This Episode Castos Free Tools: castos.com/tools VidIQ (for YouTube insights): vidiq.com Replit (for building free tools): replit.com Cursor (for coding support): cursor.com Loom (for recording processes): loom.com Email me: podcast@roguestartups.com Find me on Twitter: @TheCraigHewitt Want to Share Your AI Story? I’m looking for guests to share how they’re using AI in their businesses. If you’ve got some great examples or unique insights, reach out to me: Twitter: @TheCraigHewitt LinkedIn: Craig Hewitt Email: podcast@roguestartups.com Let’s level up together!

    16분

  5. 1월 1일

    RS333: Grading My Business (and yours!)

    In this New Year's Eve 2024 episode, we dive into a framework for evaluating SaaS businesses across eight crucial criteria. Instead of doing a typical year-in-review or making predictions, we explore how to assess the fundamental strength and potential of your business. Episode Highlights Craig grades Castos (podcast hosting platform) across eight key criteria for evaluating SaaS businesses: 1. Pricing (6/10)- Core product (podcast hosting) averages $28/month - below ideal $50+ threshold- Production services start at $1,500/month- Enterprise clients pay tens of thousands annually- Mixed pricing model affects overall score 2. Churn (9/10)- Extremely low churn rate- Attributes success to: - WordPress integration- Premium pricing (no free tier) - Strong technical reliability 3. Payment Processing Integration (4/10)- Offers multiple monetization options: - Castos Ads - Castos Commerce - Donations - Paid subscriptions - Private podcasting- Limited adoption of direct monetization features- Most customers monetize indirectly through business growth 4. Switching Costs (6/10)- Technically easy to switch providers- High retention due to ongoing necessity- Perceived switching cost higher than actual 5. Technical Advantages- WordPress integration provides unique value- Core functionality similar to competitors- Important lesson: Customer needs often simpler than assumed 6. Expansion Revenue (3/10)- Limited expansion opportunities- Most customers stay at $19/month- Working to add upgrade opportunities- Identified as major growth limitation 7. Established Market Need (10/10)- Clear market position- Well-understood service category- Strong product-market fit 8. Customer Acquisition (6/10)- Success with content marketing, SEO, partnerships- Struggling with paid acquisition- Limited by low price point- Working on improving paid channels Key Takeaways - Overall Business Grade: B (maybe 80/100)- Growth Ceiling: Business could potentially double but unlikely to become a $50M/year company- Main Limitations: - Low initial price point ($19/month for most customers) - Limited expansion revenue - Restricted marketing channels due to unit economics Looking Forward Future episodes will mix personal insights about founding and running a business with interviews featuring successful founders.

    22분

  6. 2024. 12. 25.

    RS332: Competing with Stripe and Hubspot (ft. Geoff Roberts)

    Hey everyone! Just had an awesome chat with Geoff Roberts from Outseta (outseta.com). They're doing something pretty wild - basically smashing together Stripe and HubSpot into one platform for subscription businesses. How cool is that? Quick Hits:- Outseta is an all-in-one platform handling payments, auth, CRM, email, and help desk- They've got this unique setup where everyone makes $210k/year (pro-rated) and can work 1-5 days a week- Took them 4 years to really nail the product (hey, good things take time!) Best Parts of the Convo:- Jeff got real about marketing struggles (who hasn't been there?)- Turns out ChatGPT is actually sending them customers now - wild!- We had a great debate about whether SaaS is still the golden ticket (spoiler: it's way more competitive now)- Talked about why sometimes it's better to stick with a "pretty good" business than chase the next unicorn Where They're Headed:- Aiming for $10M in revenue with a lean team of about 20 people- Shifting from being super product-focused to really pushing growth- Geoff's been at it for 8 years and plans to keep going for 7 more Real talk: This episode is perfect if you're building a SaaS company or thinking about bundling multiple tools together. Geoff drops some serious knowledge about what it's actually like in the trenches. Check them out at outseta.com if you want to see what they're building! #SaaS #Startups #Entrepreneurship

    39분

  7. 2024. 12. 18.

    RS331: I'm Still Here...

    After a 2+ month hiatus, we're back!  Watch on YouTube Sorry for the pause in episodes, but thank you for tuning in this week.  In this episode I talk through why the forever long break in the podcast, what I've learned in that time, and where things are with me and the business. But most of all, I want to hear from you...what do you want out of this podcast. Hit me up on Twitter, LinkedIn or even Bluesky

    9분
  8. RS330: Product-Led Playbook with Wes Bush

    2024. 10. 09.

    RS330: Product-Led Playbook with Wes Bush

    Wes Bush is a leading authority on product-led growth (PLG) and is here to guide Craig through the playbook for implementing product-led strategies in your business. This episode is invaluable for entrepreneurs eager to understand how product-led growth works, as well as those skeptical about its effectiveness. Listeners will gain insights into the product-led mindset and methodology that Wes employs for successful PLG implementation. Watch on YouTube Do you have any comments, questions, or topic ideas for future episodes? Send Craig an email at podcast@roguestartups.com. If you feel like our podcast has benefited you and it might benefit someone else, please share it with them. If you have a chance, give Rogue Startups a review on iTunes. We’ll see you next week! Highlights from Craig and Wes’ conversation: Differences and Similarities Between Product-Led Growth (PLG) and Self-Service SaaS How to Leverage PLG as a Marketing Tool Internal to External Growth Loops (e.g., Canva) Providing Value and Education to Empower Customers Overcoming the Fear of Change and Embracing Creative Destruction The Product-Led Implementation Program and Wes Bush’s New Book From Contender to Leader: Navigating Your Market Castos: A Case Study in Product-Led Growth A Little About Wes: Wes is an entrepreneur, author, and product-led coach. Over 500,000 people have read his Product-Led Growth book and listened to the ProductLed Podcast. Links & Mentions from This Episode: Wes on LinkedIn Product-Led “Why Nations Fail” by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson Rogue Startups Resources: Follow Craig on Twitter/X Craig on LinkedIn Castos Founder Insights

    48분
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4.9
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On Rogue Startups we share the journey of startup founders as they're growing their businesses. We feature experts in the fields of sales, marketing, and product development to hear how they're growth hacking their productized services and SaaS products. If you're on the journey of an entrepreneur then tune and hear how we're tackling some of the same obstacles you may be facing, and how we're winning in the game of business. Listeners of Startups for the Rest of Us, My First Million, Mixergy, and Bootstrapped Web will love checking out our show.

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    RogueStartups
  • 방송 연도
    2014년 - 2025년
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    © 2023 RogueStartups
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