I used to think all self-promotion was wrong — at all times. Being raised in Germany, I developed a severe case of tall poppy syndrome — the phenomenon of people holding back so they wouldn't stand out from the rest. It's an eclectic mix of jealousy and self-limitation, and I have realized just how destructive … Continue reading Selfish vs. Selfless: Self-Promotion in Communities
Author: Arvid Kahl
Arvid Kahl is a software engineer turned entrepreneur. He co-founded and ran FeedbackPanda, an online teacher productivity SaaS company, with his partner Danielle Simpson. They sold the business for a life-changing amount of money in 2019, two years after founding the business.
Arvid writes on TheBootstrappedFounder.com because bootstrapping is a desirable, value- and wealth-generating way of running a company.
He has written the best-selling book Zero to Sold and is currently writing The Embedded Entrepreneur.
In over a decade of working in startup businesses of all sizes, Arvid has learned a thing or two about what works, what doesn't, and how to increase the chances of building a successful business.
Properties of an Interesting Problem
Let's look at what makes a problem interesting enough to note it down in our search for the perfect business opportunity. Different people will define the word "problem" differently. I think that a "problem" is anything that stands in the way of people accomplishing their goals. If they feel some sort of pain you can … Continue reading Properties of an Interesting Problem
The Line Between Stealing and Being Inspired
This week, a Twitter friend reached out to me and asked this question: "where's the line between being inspired by the competition and stealing?" That got me thinking. We don't have a clear code of conduct for this in our community. You often hear phrases like "ideas are worth nothing, execution is everything," suggesting that … Continue reading The Line Between Stealing and Being Inspired
Audience-Building and Relatable Content
When you're building an audience, people will resonate with your content differently over time. In the beginning, when you don't have too many followers, your reputation within the community may not yet be established enough to get away with controversial manifests and content that claims to be the end-all of knowledge on any particular topic. … Continue reading Audience-Building and Relatable Content
Platform Risk and the Three Kinds of Audiences
Imagine waking up one morning only to find your Twitter account suspended. If you're trying to build an audience on Twitter, this is your worst nightmare. And it's an entirely possible scenario. It happened to Jack Butcher just a few weeks ago: Twitter suspended all of his brand accounts, including @visualizevalue and @value, the visual … Continue reading Platform Risk and the Three Kinds of Audiences
Impostor Syndrome and Building Capital
There will be days when you feel like you have nothing to say. You might wonder why you should be the one talking about anything when there are people out there who are much more experienced than you. You feel like you're acting more knowledgeable than you truly are. I have been there. Even now, … Continue reading Impostor Syndrome and Building Capital
Entrepreneurship, Job Security, and Wealth Creation
Being a founder is hard. It's a well-known trope in the business world that giving up a comfortable job with a reliable salary is a risky move. Whenever I talk about how entrepreneurship is a desirable way of creating wealth, I find someone responding that "some people just prefer security over risk." It's all about … Continue reading Entrepreneurship, Job Security, and Wealth Creation
Accountability Systems for Founders
Some days, I don't feel like doing anything entrepreneurial at all. It's not that I'm burned out or disinterested, not at all. But there are those days where all I want to do is curl up on the couch and read a good book. Often, I take the day off and indulge in whatever distraction … Continue reading Accountability Systems for Founders
All That Glitters Is Not Gold: Navigating Bootstrapping Advice
A few years ago, I was spending three hours a day sitting on a train, zooming through Germany, commuting from my home to work and back. During those days, I would consume a lot of podcasts, books, and blog posts. I was looking for advice. I wanted to learn everything there was about starting and … Continue reading All That Glitters Is Not Gold: Navigating Bootstrapping Advice
SaaS, Self-Talk, and Many Small Bets
I often find myself trapped in the stories I tell myself. This week, I switched out the payment system of my SaaS PermanentLink. This is a critical part of my business, so I expected the actual coding part to be a high-pressure activity. After all, if I mess up the account management logic, paying customers … Continue reading SaaS, Self-Talk, and Many Small Bets
