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The original podcast for bootstrapped and mostly bootstrapped startups, this show follow the stories of founders as they start, acquire, and grow SaaS companies. Hear when they fail, struggle, succeed, and take you with them through the tumultuous life of a SaaS founder. If you like Mixergy, This Week in Startups, or SaaStr, you’ll enjoy Startup for the Rest of Us.
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Follow a tech startup on its journey from nascent idea to embryonic product, to triumphant launch. "Launch" follows Rob Walling and Derrick Reimer as they take email marketing startup Drip from the first days of inception through the agonizing months of writing code, talking to customers, and the never-ending uncertainty of whether anyone will ever use what they are building. From the honeymoon period of "green field" development to the sleepless nights of database failures, "Launch" capture ...
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Episode 811 | When to Delegate the "Core Four SaaS Skills," Freemium Retention Rates, and More Listener Questions (A Rob Solo Adventure)
34:15
How do you step back from daily decisions without losing control of your SaaS? In this episode, Rob Walling answers listener questions about when to delegate key founder skills, whether great founders can succeed with any idea, and the limits of no-code or “vibe-coded” apps. To help answer one question, he calls up Ruben Gamez to get his insights o…
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Episode 810 | The Best A.I. Coding Stack, Shipping Fast, and More Listener Questions (With Derrick Reimer)
53:41
How much design polish is really enough? In this episode, Rob Walling is joined by fan favorite Derrick Reimer for a new round of listener questions. They dig into the best AI coding stacks right now, how to ship fast without losing polish, whether AI is changing the kind of risk founders face, and when to start taking security seriously. Episode S…
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What are the can't-miss AI tools for SaaS founders? In this episode, Rob Walling sits down with Craig Hewitt, founder of Castos, to dive deep into Craig’s “100 Days of AI” YouTube series. They discuss the lessons learned from exploring the latest AI tools for founders, why ChatGPT might not be the best option for SaaS entrepreneurs, and which AI pl…
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Is it time to sell, autopilot, or double down on your plateaued SaaS business? In this episode, Rob Walling tackles listener questions and shares practical frameworks for what to do when your product hits a plateau, explains why “autopilot” often leads to decline, and outlines when founders should seriously consider SOC 2 compliance. Rob also talks…
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Episode 807 | The "Core Four" SaaS Skills and Knowing When You Should Find a Co-founder (A Rob Solo Adventure)
33:40
Is hiring a sales and marketing co-founder the secret sauce for technical SaaS founders? In this solo episode, Rob Walling tackles a fresh batch of listener questions, starting with one of the most common dilemmas for technical founders: should you hire a sales and marketing co-founder or go it alone? He introduces his “Core Four” mental model, the…
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Can a small team really bootstrap to $8M ARR in a crowded SaaS market? In this episode, Rob Walling chats with Philippe Lehoux about how he and his co-founders bootstrapped Missive, a collaborative email and team inbox tool. They deep dive into landing early customers, unique horizontal positioning, content-driven growth, enterprise sales, and how …
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Episode 805 | Gatekeeping vs. Paying Dues, Raw Material, and Surrounding Yourself with the Right People (A Rob Solo Adventure)
24:47
How much does your startup idea matter compared to your execution? In this solo episode, Rob Walling covers several founder-focused topics: the difference between gatekeeping and paying your dues, why raw material beats polish, and why successful people don't mind others winning. He also shares a listener's exit story, discusses optimism in founder…
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Episode 804 | Positioning, Inventing a Category, Marketing Globally, and More Listener Questions (A Rob Solo Adventure)
35:30
Can bootstrapped founders really invent a new category with AI or is it a trap? In this solo episode, Rob Walling answers a fresh batch of listener questions covering SaaS marketing, global expansion, and strategic positioning. He shares advice on whether inventing a new product category is ever worth it and the nuances of updating your positioning…
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What's it really like to attend MicroConf? In this episode, Rob Walling and Laura Sprinkle, founder of Rootabl, recap MicroConf Europe 2025 in Istanbul. They discuss the MicroConf vibe, standout talks on AI, affiliate marketing, and SaaS growth, as well as the value of networking and connecting while getting outside the conference room. Topics we c…
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Episode 802 | Marketing Not Scaling, Where to Publish Content, and More Listener Questions (A Rob Solo Adventure)
32:59
Where’s the best place to publish if you’re starting content from scratch? In this episode, Rob Walling flies solo, answering your questions on marketing and audience building. He covers what to do when your channels stop scaling, where to publish early on, and the "media company first" approach. Episode Sponsor: Are you a non-technical founder wit…
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