∀𝑦∃𝑥 ≠ ∃𝑥∀𝑦: The Dangerous Misconception Founders Have About Their Market

(The mathematical notation in the title means “’For all 𝑦 there exists a 𝑥’ is not the same as ‘There exists an 𝑥 for all 𝑦”.) We’re always on the hunt for the silver bullet. The Golden Ticket. The quick fix. Even when writing resumes. We tinker, we optimize, and we look for services to … Continue reading ∀𝑦∃𝑥 ≠ ∃𝑥∀𝑦: The Dangerous Misconception Founders Have About Their Market

ChatGPT: Goldmine or Minefield for Indie Hackers?

Everybody in the indie founder community is talking about ChatGPT. Some founders discover how powerful it is as a writing tool, others have it build their products, and some entrepreneurs are even building businesses on top of OpenAI's conversational chat-based AI. Beyond that, it's a meme now: everyone is talking about how everyone is talking … Continue reading ChatGPT: Goldmine or Minefield for Indie Hackers?

Find Business Ideas on Social Media

In my conversation with Daniel Vassallo this week, I learned that Daniel uses social media —Twitter in particular— to find inspiration for his own work as a teacher and content creator. Intentionally doomscrolling Twitter to come up with writing prompts and business ideas? Why not! If we consider this a strategic effort, not just wasting our … Continue reading Find Business Ideas on Social Media

Market Analysis for Calm SaaS Businesses

Few fundamental choices impact the trajectory of your business as much as choosing the market you’ll be operating in. If you get this wrong, it will mean pivots, corrections, and many stressful days. If you get this right, you will spend your energy on better things: growing your business, improving the product, and reaching new … Continue reading Market Analysis for Calm SaaS Businesses

Don’t blame the market; blame your marketing

Many unsuccessful founders believe their business failed because of a "market problem." They think it's "the market" that wasn't ready for their product or that "the market" made the wrong choice. This line of thinking is a dangerous —and most of the time completely false— perspective to take. It's not a market problem. It's a … Continue reading Don’t blame the market; blame your marketing

Competition Isn’t Always a Business

When founders do market research, they are well-advised to look for competition. But many entrepreneurs have a very limited understanding of what "competition" means and therefore overlook many interesting — and often critical — competitors in their chosen markets. It usually goes like this: a founder spots a niche in the market they're interested in. … Continue reading Competition Isn’t Always a Business

Continuous Validation: Staying in Touch with Your Market

I first felt that we truly had a validated business when we had our very first yearly subscriber. That level of commitment for a young product such as FeedbackPanda two months into our existence showed us that people wanted what we made and were ready to put their money on it. However, validation is always … Continue reading Continuous Validation: Staying in Touch with Your Market