Indie Bites

Sabba Keynejad, co-founder and CEO of VEED.io, talks about the challenges and successes of managing customer service, scaling a team, and meeting user demands. They discuss the origins and unique features of VEED, decision-making in the early stages, and the importance of having co-founders. Additionally, they explore marketing strategies, growth tactics, and provide valuable advice for founders.

Gilbert Pellegrom, co-founder and CTO of Lemon Squeezy, discusses the value of side projects for learning, creativity, and overcoming challenges. He shares his journey in the WordPress space and the conception of Nivo Slider. Gilbert explains starting Lemon Squeezy as a side project, transitioning to full-time work, and his habit of launching side projects. He emphasizes the importance of intention and purpose in project creation and provides recommendations for inspiration and support.

Jeffrey Bunn, co-founder of Clearful and previously co-founded Mealime, shares his journey of building a successful meal planning app, utilizing app stores for growth, selling to private equity, and learning software engineering. Topics include starting Mealime, reducing prices, app store growth, post-exit plans, frustration with product features, Clearful growth, and financial challenges.

Michael Christofides, founder of PgMustard, shares his unique approach to the indie lifestyle and the reasons behind his commitment to his product despite slow growth. They discuss the importance of picking a market, their early experiences, and customer acquisition strategies. They also explore the advantages of slow and steady growth, finding contentment in your current state, and working with small indie companies and experienced founders.

Arvid Kahl runs The Bootstrapped Founder, a podcast, newsletter and educational resource to help founders grow successful bootstrapped businesses. He’s also written two books, Zero to Sold and The Embedded Entreprenuer. Arvid is a returning guest, having previously been on the show almost 3 years ago, to talk about his exit from FeedbackPanda, which he grew to $55k MRR with his partner, Danielle.In this episode we talk about life as a creator and solopreneur, how Arvid is scratching his SaaS itch and how people can leave their jobs to work on their side projects.👉 Get the full 55 minute conversation here.Timestamps00:00 Intro01:45 Turning hobbies into business02:51 Structuring how you spend your time05:14 Revenue for The Bootstrapped Founder07:13 Why do consulting when you have runway08:30 Scratching the coding itch12:07 How to make a side project a main project15:52 RecommendationsRecommendations(Prev. the mom test, IH pod and Sergio Mattei)Book: The SaaS PlaybookPodcast: The Greatest GenerationIndie Hacker: Tony DihnMy linksTwitterIndie Bites TwitterIndie Bites YouTubeJoin the membershipPersonal Website2 Hour Podcast CoursePodPanda (hire me to edit your podcast)This Indie Life PodcastSponsor - EmailOctopus 🐙EmailOctopus is an independently owned email marketing platform, built to support other small growing businesses. With a focus on affordability and ease of use, EmailOctopus contains all of the features you need to reach and grow your audience. You can start today, with their industry leading free plan where you can contact up to 2,500 subscribers without paying a penny.

Harvey Carpenter, founder of Growform, talks about quitting his job and taking a £20k loan to pursue his indie business. He shares the benefits of picking a niche and growth tactics. He also discusses his future goals and the importance of taking recreation seriously for mental well-being.

Charlie Ward, founder of Ramen Club, shares insights on building a successful community while achieving Ramen profitability. Topics include rebranding, community building advice, founder tips on starting and growing products, and the value of research in product development and marketing.

Jonathan Bull and Tom Evans from EmailOctopus, a bootstrapped email platform, share their journey to over $3m ARR. They discuss losing 99% of their users, competing on price in a crowded market, and their commitment to staying bootstrapped. They also explore their decision to launch for free, improving customer service, differentiating their product, and the urge to build and tinker as developers.

Justin Jackson, co-founder of Transistor, MegaMaker and more, joins the show to discuss building a financial engine for indie businesses. They cover managing finances, building profitability, challenges faced when things don't go well, and practical tips for success.

Rob Walling, a veteran entrepreneur in the bootstrapping and indie scene, discusses his journey in the industry and the importance of building great businesses. He reflects on his decision to stop pursuing SaaS projects, shares insights on the audience-first approach, and provides recommendations for books, podcasts, and founders to follow.