Sometimes software founders are a weird bunch. They've built their businesses on open source software and the contributions of people who've done a lot of work for free. They've benefited at great length from infrastructure and tooling built on open standards that facilitate free exchange of data and ideas. Yet when it comes to their … Continue reading The Case Against Vendor Lock-In: Why Easy Exit Means Better Retention
Category: Product
Vibe Coding Won’t Kill SaaS
I really want to clean up a little bit when it comes to vibe coding and software as a service businesses, because I think there's a lot of confusion, a lot of hype, and a lot of complaints about the imminent demise of software as a service solutions. And I think it's time that we … Continue reading Vibe Coding Won’t Kill SaaS
How Your Data Model Shapes Your Product
My dear friend Jack Ellis is an unending source of founder inspiration. Not only has he recently started embracing AI agentic coding—something he's been holding back on for quite a bit. I think I've mentioned several times on this podcast alone how he and I seem to have quite opposing views on embracing this technology. … Continue reading How Your Data Model Shapes Your Product
Building for the Age of AI Consumers
I think we're at the precipice of a pretty significant change in how we build software products. Obviously, the recent ascent of vibe coding and all the agentic coding tools that we find very useful and highly effective shows a difference in how we approach building products. But there's another change - not just in … Continue reading Building for the Age of AI Consumers
The Hidden Cost of Being First
Here's a story that every founder needs to hear, because it reveals something fundamental about markets, competition, and the hidden costs of being first. https://share.transistor.fm/s/22175561 In the world of Python programming, there's been a tool called pip that has dominated package installation for years. pip has been the de facto way to install Python packages … Continue reading The Hidden Cost of Being First
Your API Documentation is Not For Developers Anymore
I had this really interesting experience with a customer of Podscan recently. They reached out saying they were having trouble integrating our API. Now, this wasn't unusual - we get these requests occasionally. But what happened next completely changed my perspective. https://share.transistor.fm/s/19047fdd I did what I usually do: recorded a quick Loom video walking through … Continue reading Your API Documentation is Not For Developers Anymore
Deleting Your Backlog: A Founder’s Guide to Feature Pruning
A few weeks ago, I came across an intriguing tweet by Jack Ellis about deleting your backlog. He shared how getting rid of this "mental technical debt" — not even real technical debt, but the illusionary kind — had been one of the most useful things he'd done. The idea resonated with me: a backlog … Continue reading Deleting Your Backlog: A Founder’s Guide to Feature Pruning
Product-Market Fit & Time-to-First-Value
The journey to product-market fit is always fascinating, and my experience with Podscan has been particularly enlightening — and challenging. While we're not yet profitable, we're getting closer every month, and I want to share some insights about how we're finding our way there. https://share.transistor.fm/s/35c4c5b3 From the start, I struggled with clarity about what Podscan … Continue reading Product-Market Fit & Time-to-First-Value
Does Your SaaS Need a “User Tour?”
I recently came across a tweet by Nikita Bier about onboarding in software products that made me reflect on my own choices for the first touches that my customers have with my product. It also got me thinking about the general expectations we have for software products we use for all kinds of purposes. In … Continue reading Does Your SaaS Need a “User Tour?”
Payment Platforms for Solopreneurs
Making money is hard, and for solo founders, even taking money is hard. Let’s look at how to best handle payments today. We’ll talk about the impact of payment providers during your acquisition later, too. Let’s dive into the selection of the right payment system for solopreneurs, with a focus on those who are building … Continue reading Payment Platforms for Solopreneurs