Startups For the Rest of Us

• Episode 778 | Pricing Pilot Projects, Niching Down, Skipping Stairsteps, and More Listener Questions (A Rob Solo Adventure)

  How do you price pilot projects and niche down without hedging your bets? In this episode, Rob Walling answers listener questions about pricing pilots, choosing niches, and skipping steps on his Stair Step Method of Bootstrapping.  Want to get your question answered? Drop them here. Topics we cover:  (3:25) – Feedback on Season 4 of TinySeed Tales (8:55) – How do you price pilot projects? (15:11) – How to niche down and de-risking a new SaaS? (22:40) – What does it really take to build a hit open-source tool? (29:53) – Can you skip straight to SaaS or is that a trap? Links from the Show:  MicroConf Connect: Online community of SaaS founders TinySeed Tales Podcast Startup Stories Podcast Stair Step Method of Bootstrapping 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

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• Episode 777 | Why Retiring Might Be the Worst Goal for Entrepreneurs

  What if the traditional dream of retirement is actually a trap for entrepreneurs? In this episode, Rob Walling talks with Derek Coburn, author of Let’s Retire Retirement: How to Enjoy Life to the Fullest, to challenge the long-held belief that early retirement is the ultimate goal. They explore why many entrepreneurs feel unfulfilled after retiring and how shifting toward purpose-driven work can create more freedom, meaning, and longevity. Topics we cover:  (2:17) – Why traditional retirement often leads to boredom and regret (6:44) – How working longer can drastically reduce your savings burden (11:05) – The power of $50K moments and appreciating time with loved ones (17:03) – Prioritizing health and well-being as a long-term strategy (21:42) – Smarter and more flexible alternatives to full retirement Links from the Show:  MicroConf Europe – September 28–30 · Istanbul, Türkiye TinySeed – Invest Let’s Retire Retirement – Book on Amazon Derek Coburn’s Website Derek Coburn | LinkedIn Derek Coburn (@cadredc) | X 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

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• Episode 776 | How Bootstrapping Led to a Life-Changing $90M SaaS Exit

  What’s it take to bootstrap a niche SaaS to $90M without raising a dime? In this episode, Kevin Wagstaff joins Rob Walling to share how he and his brother bootstrapped Spectora from a scrappy MVP to a $90M valuation. It’s a masterclass in finding traction in unsexy markets, building with empathy, and making smart bets like embedded payments. Topics we cover:  (4:39) – The surreal moment Kevin and his brother became multimillionaires (9:14) – Why a mobile-first approach won in an outdated, overlooked niche (17:39) – How adding payments created a second revenue stream and bigger valuation (20:36) – The early hustle: trade shows, 6 AM demos, and Facebook group tactics Links from the Show:  SaaS Launchpad Course MicroConf Kevin Wagstaff | LinkedIn Kevin Wagstaff (@KevinWagstaff3) | X Spectora Kevin’s Built to Sell Radio Episode 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

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• Episode 775 | A.I. Coding Tools, User Experience, Racking Your Own Servers, and More Listener Questions (with Derrick Reimer)

  What shortcuts are actually worth taking when you're building a SaaS? In this episode, Rob Walling and fan favorite Derrick Reimer delve into listener questions about startup development. They discuss the impact of AI coding tools on building minimum viable products (MVPs) and the importance of user experience (UX) with advice on balancing UX investment based on the product's nature.  You’ll also hear a breakdown of the real costs of leaving the cloud, plus tips on email deliverability and validation. Throughout, they highlight how validating ideas through user feedback and research is still critical, no matter how fast you build. Episode Sponsor: This podcast is brought to you by Mercury. I've been banking with Mercury for years and whenever I set up a new account, I'm reminded why traditional banking feels stuck in the past.  When our previous bank faced solvency issues, we needed to spin up new accounts quickly that could handle millions in funds across multiple businesses. Mercury had us up and running almost immediately. I manage half a dozen different Mercury accounts across a wide range of companies – from my personal, single-member LLC to MicroConf, our 7-figure global events and education platform, to TinySeed, our venture fund and accelerator. Mercury easily handles them all. The interface is elegantly simple for daily banking, paying invoices, and sending and receiving international wires, yet powerful enough to handle the multi-step approval processes we needed to put in place when funding founders with large transfers.  Anytime founders ask me who they should set up their accounts with, I send them to mercury.com. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC. Topics we cover:  (4:55) – How AI coding tools are changing the MVP timeline (16:11) – When UX design actually matters (and when it doesn’t) (23:47) – Should you ditch cloud hosting for your own servers? (32:38) – Pro tips on email deliverability and keeping out of spam folders Links from the Show:  SaaS Launchpad Course MicroConf Remote | May 21, 2025 Windsurf AI Editor SavvyCal Derrick Reimer | LinkedIn Derrick Reimer (@derrickreimer) | X 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

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• Episode 774 | How a Non-Technical Founder Bootstrapped to Millions in Revenue

  In this episode, Rob Walling sits down with Noah Tucker, the non-technical founder behind Social Snowball, an affiliate marketing SaaS built for Shopify. Noah bootstrapped the company to $5M+ in ARR, navigating technical roadblocks, team-building hurdles, and a crumbling codebase, while leveraging bold growth tactics like influencer partnerships to scale fast. Topics we cover:  (3:26) – Spotting the gap in affiliate tools for creators (7:09) – The agency MVP failure and early dev misfires (11:15) – Losing a CTO to priesthood  (16:33) – How influencer partnerships fueled fast early growth (30:12) – Hiring a world-class CTO and engineering team Links from the Show:  Discretion Capital MicroConf Remote | May 21, 2025 TinySeed Noah Tucker | LinkedIn Noah Tucker (@noatuck) | X 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

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