Episode 574 | The Deep Need to Be a Software Entrepreneur
Nov 2, 2021
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Andrew Fiebert, a software entrepreneur and podcaster, shares his transformative journey from developer to marketer. He dives into the challenges of launching his newest software, Lasso, and discusses the intricacies of monetizing a podcast. Fiebert reveals his experience with UI/UX hurdles and the importance of product pricing. He reflects on perseverance in the face of past failures and the emotional rollercoaster of entrepreneurship, offering insights on navigating the complexities of building a successful software business.
Andrew Fiebert's journey highlights the importance of adaptability and continuous learning as key factors for success in entrepreneurship.
Lasso's development underscores the necessity of effective user experience design and responsive pricing strategies to enhance customer satisfaction and engagement.
Deep dives
Andrew Feibert's Entrepreneurial Journey
Andrew Feibert's path from software developer to entrepreneur exemplifies a transformative career journey marked by reinvention. Initially, he launched a personal finance podcast, Listen Money Matters, which became successful despite early monetization challenges. This experience catalyzed a series of ventures, leading him and his wife to co-found an affiliate site called Gift Lab, which thrived after analyzing market opportunities. Throughout this process, Andrew showcased resilience and adaptability, evolving from a developer into a multi-faceted entrepreneur proficient in marketing and business strategy.
Launch of Lasso: Addressing Affiliate Link Management
In 2019, Andrew and Laura launched Lasso, an innovative WordPress plugin aimed at streamlining affiliate link management. The plugin was developed to address their own needs, as managing numerous affiliate links across multiple sites proved cumbersome. Initially launched as a hobby project, Lasso quickly gained traction among other affiliate marketers, leading to significant user adoption. The ability to monitor broken links, find new affiliate opportunities, and create engaging product displays has positioned Lasso as an essential tool for WordPress users in the affiliate marketing space.
The Importance of User Experience and Pricing Strategy
Lasso's journey involved significant learning about user experience (UX) and effective pricing strategies. After an initial launch that faced user confusion due to poor interface design, Andrew prioritized refining the UX based on user feedback, which significantly improved customer satisfaction. Furthermore, a strategic pricing adjustment from $49 to $19 revealed that the revised pricing resonated better with their target audience, leading to increased user engagement. The iterative process demonstrated the critical role of responsive design and sensible pricing in maintaining customer loyalty and driving growth.
Challenges Faced and Overcoming Entrepreneurial Hurdles
Andrew encountered numerous challenges while growing Lasso, including the difficult breakup with co-founder Matt, which initially left him to manage everything on his own. This period tested his resilience as he faced overwhelming support requests and technical issues while maintaining product quality. Over time, his commitment to persistent improvement allowed for significant troubleshooting, ultimately steering the company toward stabilization and success. His experience emphasizes that entrepreneurship is replete with challenges that often require grit, flexibility, and a willingness to learn from both successes and failures.
In Episode 574, Rob Walling chats with Andrew Fiebert, a founder who just couldn't get away from software. He's a software developer, turned podcaster, turned marketer, and now he's a software entrepreneur and on this episode, they discuss his success and struggles while building Lasso.
The topics we cover
[2:40] Introductions
[4:15] WordPress plugin with an annual subscription
[5:51] Starting a podcast
[8:00] Experiments with monetizing a podcast
[13:26] Starting Giftlab.co
[15:08] Starting another software business
[16:35] Building Lasso
[21:23] Launching without the right pricing/product
[23:32] Discovering the sticking points in the UI/UX
This episode of Startups for the Rest of Us is sponsored by Software Promotions. Get better results from Google.
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!