Episode 768 | Reacting to Controversial Startup Advice

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Apr 1, 2025

Dive into a thoughtful critique of controversial bootstrapping advice that challenges common startup beliefs. Discover why rebranding may not be worth your time and how affiliate marketing won't magically solve your growth problems. Learn about the importance of focusing on effective acquisition channels and the traps of unlimited feature plans. Hear insights on the reality of SaaS scaling, the necessity of specialization in hiring, and the valuable lessons from competitors’ reviews. Buckle up for a groundbreaking discussion!

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ADVICE

Rebranding Advice

Don't rebrand if your product is making less than $2,000/month.
Consider rebranding if your brand hinders sales or doesn't convey the right message.

INSIGHT

Domain Extensions

A ".com" domain is ideal, but other extensions are acceptable.
Prioritize getting the correct brand name over the domain extension.

ADVICE

Affiliate Marketing

Don't rely on affiliate marketing to solve acquisition problems.
Building a strong network is more effective than building an audience.

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The SaaS Playbook

Jason Cohen

Jessie Kwak

Rob Walling

This book provides actionable strategies and frameworks for building a successful SaaS business. It covers critical areas such as market selection, mindset, team building, marketing, pricing, and key metrics. Rob Walling shares his extensive experience and insights from years of running and advising SaaS companies, emphasizing the importance of understanding your market, engaging with customers, and leveraging recurring revenue. The book is designed to help founders avoid common pitfalls and achieve success without relying on venture capital.

The mom test

How to talk to customers and learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you

Rob Fitzpatrick

This book emphasizes the importance of asking the right questions to customers to gather genuine data and avoid wasting resources. It advises entrepreneurs to focus on understanding customers' problems and current solutions rather than pitching their own ideas. The book provides practical advice on how to conduct effective customer conversations, avoid biased feedback, and transition into sales. It is widely recommended for entrepreneurs seeking product market fit and is used in various educational and entrepreneurial programs[3][4][5].

Deploy Empathy

A Practical Guide to Interviewing Customers

Michele Hansen

Deploy Empathy is a comprehensive guide that teaches the skill of empathetic customer interviewing. The book emphasizes the importance of entering the customer's world, understanding their perspective, and suspending judgment to uncover new information. It provides tactical advice on phrasing questions, using validating statements, mirroring and summarizing customer responses, and avoiding biases. The book includes real-life examples, templates for pre- and post-interview interactions, and additional resources to help practitioners conduct effective customer interviews. It is highly recommended for entrepreneurs, product developers, and anyone looking to improve their customer interaction skills[2][4][5].

Do you disagree with any of these controversial takes about bootstrapping?

In episode 768, Rob Walling unpacks a series of semi-controversial beliefs about bootstrapping from ScrapingBee’s Pierre de Wulf. Rob evaluates each point from Pierre's tweet, discussing topics like rebranding your SaaS, the hidden problem of affiliate marketing, and the realities of scaling a SaaS business.

Topics we cover:

(1:21) – Pierre’s semi-controversial bootstrapping beliefs
(4:35) – Don’t waste time on a rebrand
(7:24) – No one cares about your domain extension
(9:06) – Affiliate marketing won’t fix your acquisition issues
(11:51) – There is no silver bullet for growth
(13:42) – Copy what works best
(14:59) – Double down on acquisition channels that work
(16:53) – Hire specialists
(19:34) – Never offer a plan with unlimited features
(20:22) – Don’t offer a cheap plan if you can’t support it
(20:47) – Don’t add social logins to your signup page
(21:27) – Read competitors’ reviews several times a year
(21:59) – $10k MRR doesn’t guarantee $100k MRR
(22:28) – You will get copied if you share success
(23:02) – “Build this feature…”
(24:10) – The Mom Test
(24:56) – Provide value for your target demographic for free
(25:47) – Don’t overthink Product Hunt
(26:00) – You’ll never sell your SaaS for 10x

Links from the Show:

MicroConf Growth Retreat in London
Rob Walling (@robwalling) | X
Pierre de Wulf (@PierreDeWulf) | X
ScrapingBee (@ScrapingBee) | X
ScrapingBee
Pierre’s semi-controversial bootstrapping beliefs
TinySeed
Rob Walling.com
Rob Walling | LinkedIn
SaaS Institute
Exit Strategy by Sherry Walling, PhD & Rob Walling
Episode 705 | From Bootstrapped to Mostly Bootstrapped to Venture Backed
The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick
Deploy Empathy by Michele Hansen
The SaaS Playbook by Rob Walling

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

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