I talk a bit about what business was like in 2008. Besides some personal struggles, 2008 was also a time when individuals and businesses were clamping down on spending. So what can you do if you are freelancing through that?
My interview with @Mixergy is live. Check it out here: https://t.co/fvxio9FArN
It's great. We cover 15 years of business.
I like getting tactical on podcasts. I know Andrew likes it too. I missed some spots. So here are 5 tips I wish I shared during the interview.
🧵👇
I talk a bit about what business was like in 2008. Besides some personal struggles, 2008 was also a time when individuals and businesses were clamping down on spending. So what can you do if you are freelancing through that?
This was part of what encouraged us to focus on membership sites.
!!!
We weren't tracking it. The membership sites we helped launched had reporting built in showing $$$.
There were already a couple established membership plugins for WP when PMPro launched.
We didn't try to recreate the affiliate networks they had already set up.
We focused on becoming the best free membership plugin available on the https://t.co/d1AEC5iAwa repository.
When I told Andrew about the frustrations of dealing with 3rd parties changing their APIs when trying to grow WineLog, he asked "Do you have to deal with that kind of thing with PMPro?"
Yes! We do. What's different? Focus.
We didn't have the energy, time, or desire to pivot and try something new.
If you have other active projects, you can turn to them for what seems like easier progress.
But if you only have one project to focus on, you HAVE to make it work...
Stopping work on WineLog, InvestorGeeks, and the other side projects we had back around 2010, gave us the time and attention needed to make PMPro a success.
When we made the switch from consulting to 100% products-based revenue, we turned down $90k in new work over 3 months to focus on a PMPro relaunch.
The relaunched PMPro 4x'd revenue immediately. Focus.
https://t.co/iX5eyPiHcq
I glossed over that one to talk about other add ons, but ARC is pretty cool. The idea behind it is insightful even if you don't use PMPro.
They maybe want access to something right away, but don't really see the benefit in extending membership another month or year.
Auto-Renewal Checkbox tries to address these customers.
You see this kind of UI all the time when donating online.
However, if you notice this pattern on your site, you should try some things.
Think about how you could create a separate 1-time-payment product. Maybe your subscription is giving TOO MUCH value, and you should break part of it off into a separate product.
I talk more about timing and pricing here:
https://t.co/klD0HkRXy7
I said it was easier to step away from work in a products company vs a services company.
Andrew said, "Yeah? What's the longest you stepped away?" Maybe hoping for a great sabbatical story, but I had none.
I'd say 4 days in the minimum to really get away. Shoot for 7. More could be better.
If you haven't done that in a while, work it out.
If you can, watch the interview anyway. Like it on the site. Ask a comment there. It really helps to show Andrew you're listening.
https://t.co/fvxio9FArN
https://t.co/x67YCk5v1o
More from Startups
💪 And we're down to the last 48 hours until the biggest live-streamed startup event hosted by @thepatwalls & @shipstreams kicks off!
With this, let's get motivated with some curated readings & posts by fellow #24hrstartup participants & indie makers. Check them out below!
✍️ Andrew Parrish wrote - "Why I'm Participating in the 24 Hour Startup Challenge".
@makersup's takeaway - Makers love possibilities, the joy of building. Any aspiring maker should experience the end of lurking on forums & reading @wip's to-dos.
Read:
👩💻 @anthilemoon created a list of @women_make_ members participating in the #24hrstartup challenge. Do let her know if she missed anyone!
More at: https://t.co/zYKVZEq8aq
😺 We can't forget one of the key platforms in shipping indie, can we, @ProductHunt?
Check out @ProductHunt's guide to launching at: https://t.co/VB6WgGx6sa.
In addition, it would be wise to prepare for the launch. Fine tune your assets and post at
🚢 Well, we definitely can't leave out the man behind all of this, @thepatwalls!
Launching isn't easy, but know what you'll be facing even before coding. Check out @thepatwalls' "words of shipping" at:
With this, let's get motivated with some curated readings & posts by fellow #24hrstartup participants & indie makers. Check them out below!
✍️ Andrew Parrish wrote - "Why I'm Participating in the 24 Hour Startup Challenge".
@makersup's takeaway - Makers love possibilities, the joy of building. Any aspiring maker should experience the end of lurking on forums & reading @wip's to-dos.
Read:
👩💻 @anthilemoon created a list of @women_make_ members participating in the #24hrstartup challenge. Do let her know if she missed anyone!
More at: https://t.co/zYKVZEq8aq
Creating a list of @women_make_ members participating in the #24hrstartup challenge this weekend \u2013 please let me know if I missed anyone! \U0001f469\u200d\U0001f4bb #womenmake pic.twitter.com/Kh7O7fKv7h
— \U0001d400\U0001d427\U0001d427\U0001d41e-\U0001d40b\U0001d41a\U0001d42e\U0001d42b\U0001d41e \U0001d40b\U0001d41e \U0001d402\U0001d42e\U0001d427\U0001d41f\U0001d41f (@anthilemoon) November 14, 2018
😺 We can't forget one of the key platforms in shipping indie, can we, @ProductHunt?
Check out @ProductHunt's guide to launching at: https://t.co/VB6WgGx6sa.
In addition, it would be wise to prepare for the launch. Fine tune your assets and post at
🚢 Well, we definitely can't leave out the man behind all of this, @thepatwalls!
Launching isn't easy, but know what you'll be facing even before coding. Check out @thepatwalls' "words of shipping" at:
There are some amazing founders and indie hackers that have made 🤯-worthy progress this last year.
The stuff you can do in a year is seriously astounding 👇
👉 @TransistorFM reaching $22k MRR in one year: https://t.co/BuKmXEeEtH
I was one of their first customers and the progress @mijustin and @jonbuda have made working mostly part-time has been crazy.
Now both are full-time. Follow them on @buildyoursaas
👉 @talk2oneup reaching $10k MRR in one year: https://t.co/SOoGkKA19r
@daviswbaer joined as a co-founder and through many different marketing tactics, pricing changes, and product updates, they've managed to carve out a niche market in a really competitive industry.
👉 @hostifi_net $9k MRR in one year: https://t.co/TknroGZWoK
After getting fired from his full-time job, @_rchase_ embarked on a year focused on building products to replace his salary in a year.
The dude seriously SHIPS and even took investment from @earnestcapital
👉 @ClosetTools $11k MRR WHILE WORKING FULL-TIME AND WITH A FAMILY: https://t.co/pKQ7pFvpZY
With a strong product, continuous improvement, and SEO, @unindie has really been inspirational.
There are no excuses.
The stuff you can do in a year is seriously astounding 👇
👉 @TransistorFM reaching $22k MRR in one year: https://t.co/BuKmXEeEtH
I was one of their first customers and the progress @mijustin and @jonbuda have made working mostly part-time has been crazy.
Now both are full-time. Follow them on @buildyoursaas
👉 @talk2oneup reaching $10k MRR in one year: https://t.co/SOoGkKA19r
@daviswbaer joined as a co-founder and through many different marketing tactics, pricing changes, and product updates, they've managed to carve out a niche market in a really competitive industry.
👉 @hostifi_net $9k MRR in one year: https://t.co/TknroGZWoK
After getting fired from his full-time job, @_rchase_ embarked on a year focused on building products to replace his salary in a year.
The dude seriously SHIPS and even took investment from @earnestcapital
1/ "Hardcore Year" (https://t.co/cjx7HfGeEK)
— Reilly Chase\u2601\ufe0f\u2601\ufe0f\u2601\ufe0f (@_rchase_) July 31, 2019
MRR in July:
\u2593\u2593\u2593\u2593\u2593\u2593\u2593\u2593\u2593\u2593\u2593\u2593\u2593\u2593\u2593\u2593 $9,109 of $8,333 goal (109%)
Totals@hostifi_net $8,463@ghostifi_net $361@locklinnetworks $125@captifi_net $147@patreon $13
I reached my goal for the year! \U0001f942\U0001f37e
Details in thread \U0001f447 pic.twitter.com/cUEeiADDAk
👉 @ClosetTools $11k MRR WHILE WORKING FULL-TIME AND WITH A FAMILY: https://t.co/pKQ7pFvpZY
With a strong product, continuous improvement, and SEO, @unindie has really been inspirational.
There are no excuses.
This year is flying by. How am I doing a July report already? Here it is: Closet Tools' July open stats:
— Jordan O'Connor (@unindie) August 1, 2019
MRR: $11106.28 (+11.43%)
Organic Search: 3958 (+20.45%)
New Trials: 154 (-8.33%)
Less trials, more revenue (churn is going down!). The focus for July was feature stability. pic.twitter.com/4YRpkPvKxo
if you are a software engineer, this is your call to arms 👇
when we put our Fast Checkout button on websites LOTS of people start using it to buy things
our goal is to put out Fast button on EVERY website in the world
the speed of our growth is primarily limited by our engineering resources
we already have some of the best in the world, our VP of engineering built much of Apples identity infrastructure before building Uber's new commerce stack
we engineers who have spent decades among the earliest engineers at LinkedIn, Nest, Google, Cisco, Lyft, Uber & more
our team have built identity, commerce and payment systems that support BILLIONS of people, and they are now building the next platform to do that: @fast
we have a chance to fix commerce, to fix the way the internet works, for BILLIONS of people
we need more help, we need your help
there is not often an opportunity as big as this, make the best career decision of your life and get ready for huge professional growth
reach out to us:
@domm @PeterGrassi1
[email protected]
[email protected]
let me pitch why you need to join 🚀
when we put our Fast Checkout button on websites LOTS of people start using it to buy things
our goal is to put out Fast button on EVERY website in the world
the speed of our growth is primarily limited by our engineering resources
we already have some of the best in the world, our VP of engineering built much of Apples identity infrastructure before building Uber's new commerce stack
we engineers who have spent decades among the earliest engineers at LinkedIn, Nest, Google, Cisco, Lyft, Uber & more
our team have built identity, commerce and payment systems that support BILLIONS of people, and they are now building the next platform to do that: @fast
we have a chance to fix commerce, to fix the way the internet works, for BILLIONS of people
we need more help, we need your help
there is not often an opportunity as big as this, make the best career decision of your life and get ready for huge professional growth
reach out to us:
@domm @PeterGrassi1
[email protected]
[email protected]
let me pitch why you need to join 🚀
