There's this famous saying by Paul Graham from one of his most well-known essays: a command to all founders and startup operators to "do things that don't scale." Graham explains that at the beginning of starting a business, there are things you should do as a founder that you know will never work once you … Continue reading Doing Things that Don’t Scale …Unintentionally
Author: Arvid Kahl
I write about bootstrapping, audience-building, and building in public at The Bootstrapped Founder.
Formerly FeedbackPanda (exit/2019)
Wrote Zero to Sold, The Embedded Entrepreneur, and made Find your Following.
The 7 Deadly Sins of Indie Hacking
In case you missed it over the last 335 episodes, I’m a huge nerd. I was listening to a miniature painting podcast recently where two of my favorite wargaming creators talked about the 7 Deadly Hobby Sins — and it inspired me to think of the manifestations of these challenges in the indie hacking world. … Continue reading The 7 Deadly Sins of Indie Hacking
Tipping Over
These last weeks have been a bit much. What do they say? “Take a break before the break takes you?” Well, I got quite close to that this week. https://share.transistor.fm/s/736a01c0 I've been quite active working on Podscan in many different ways, and it has been overwhelming at times. I found a way to cope with … Continue reading Tipping Over
Sincere, not Serious
Recently, I've been pondering the difference between being sincere and being serious, especially in the context of entrepreneurship. This reflection was sparked by an article I read about how the most successful people are sincere but not overly serious. It's a fascinating concept that ties into the idea of playing the infinite game versus the … Continue reading Sincere, not Serious
Kitze — Juggling Projects, ADHD, and the Indie Hacker Lifestyle
@Kitze, a Serial indie hacker and entrepreneur, shares his journey through a landscape filled with multiple projects like Sizzy, a browser for developers, Benji, a productivity app, and a comprehensive full-stack video course. Kitze opens up about how his ADHD diagnosis has shaped his work ethic and productivity, revealing the personal motivations behind creating tools like … Continue reading Kitze — Juggling Projects, ADHD, and the Indie Hacker Lifestyle
Beyond Small Bets — Embracing the Big Play
I'm at an interesting stage of my entrepreneurial journey, seeing several of my worlds colliding. The frameworks I've been using to get where I am are both working really well and starting to show their limitations. For years, I operated under the paradigm of having many small bets, a framework popularized by Daniel Vassallo in … Continue reading Beyond Small Bets — Embracing the Big Play
Geoff Roberts — Playing the Long Game
Geoff Roberts (@GeoffTRoberts) is the co-founder of Outseta, and he's halfway there, 7 years in. Outseta —the SaaS starter kit and the business behind it— is built and operated on a multi-decade timeline, and it's not been easy to achieve profitability. Geoff shares the ups and downs of a long and painful story, what it means … Continue reading Geoff Roberts — Playing the Long Game
50% New Users Overnight… and a Burning Server
This week was a duality of extremes for me. On one hand, I experienced an unprecedented growth spurt in my user numbers, while on the other hand, I stumbled into frustrating scarcity and infrastructure problems. That’s entrepreneurship for you: big wins while struggling to not lose control of the whole thing. The juxtaposition of these … Continue reading 50% New Users Overnight… and a Burning Server
“AI For The Rest of Us”
Earlier this week Apple announced that it will introduce artificial intelligence into their devices, their operating systems and all apps. As founders, we know the potential of AI and are realistic about its limits, but how will consumers react when they have access to this tool on their phones? And what does that mean for … Continue reading “AI For The Rest of Us”
Negotiating Bootstrapper Funding with Tyler Tringas
A few months ago, I raised a low 6-figure investment for Podscan. Here's the conversation between me and my investor, @tylertringas, that happened just before I signed the contract. You usually don't get to listen in for one of those. Today, you will. Tyler and I discuss how the Calm Company Fund navigates the alignment … Continue reading Negotiating Bootstrapper Funding with Tyler Tringas