Indie Bites How Justin Duke is building Buttondown into the perfect bootstrapped business
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Feb 7, 2025 Justin Duke, the founder of Buttondown, shares his journey of building a bootstrapped email tool. He discusses how he grew the team to eight while maintaining a passion for his work. Justin emphasizes the importance of calculated risks and sees competition as an opportunity for growth. He talks about his unique marketing strategies and focuses on catering to technical users. Finally, he reflects on balancing passion, innovation, and sustainability in business as he navigates his entrepreneurial path.
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Buttondown's Growth and Team Expansion
- Justin Duke reflects on Buttondown's growth since his last podcast appearance two years prior.
- He discusses the transition from solo founder to building a team and the challenges of maintaining enjoyment while scaling.
Building a Company You Love
- Focus on tasks you enjoy and delegate or eliminate those you dislike.
- Avoid creating a job for yourself that you end up hating.
Hiring High-Agency Individuals
- Justin Duke prioritizes hiring individuals who are comfortable with ambiguity and can wear multiple hats.
- He believes the best product work comes from employees who can connect the dots between customer feedback, design, and engineering.
