Author: 👋 Bryan

Happy Sunday Saturday!

It’s so good to be back this week. I took a break last week, and it felt amazing. I was close to burnout, and I really needed just one day without all the hustle. Unfortunately, that happened to be the day I put together this newsletter, but so many of you reached out in support. I am so grateful for you all.

How are you doing in terms of burnout? Especially those of you trying to get something started on the side? Make sure you listen to your mind and your body and take a day if you need it. In the long run, it won’t make or break your success.

Now, back to the show!

Launches

🚀  Do you have something you’ve launched and would like to share with the world? Reply to this email and let me know! Let’s share with out little community here!

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Happy Sunday!

Welcome to your weekly edition of the SaaS Founder Gems Newsletter from @PocketBryan!

In this newsletter, we’re going with quality over quantity. Each item listed below has been vetted and reviewed by me, to ensure it’s not a waste of your time and that there is something actionable to apply to your SaaS, as a fellow founder.

Here we go!

Videos

• Reaching the Top of Product Hunt with Derrick Reimer MicroConf Remote 2021
  There is a lot of talk lately on Twitter about either upcoming Product Hunt launch plans, or how to launch your product there and get the best results. If you’re considering launching on Product Hunt, you need to watch this video first. It provides solid, practical, and (best of all) specific advice on how to prepare for your launch to maximize your chance of success.
• 3 Cutting Edge SaaS Marketing Strategies That Work In 2021
  I admit that this video looks and feels like an infomercial, but give it a chance. Dan Martell knows his stuff, and shares three unique marketing strategies you should consider. I can see how they would work with nearly any B2B SaaS, so give it some thought.
  
  Can you tell my mind has been on marketing lately? 😅 

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Happy Sunday!

Welcome to your weekly edition of the SaaS Founder Gems Newsletter from @PocketBryan!

In this newsletter, we’re going with quality over quantity. Each item listed below has been vetted and reviewed by me, to ensure it’s not a waste of your time and that there is something actionable to apply to your SaaS, as a fellow founder.

Here we go!

Podcasts

• 🎉  Introducing The Indie Dads Podcast!
  I am excited to announce the launch of the Indie Dads podcast, co-hosted by me and Malcom Jack! Why “yet another podcast”? We think we have a fun and unique angle that isn’t discussed enough: raising a family and starting an indie business at the same time. Being family-first, pushing hard to also make your business succeed, and maintaining a balance.
  
  You can find us on your favorite podcast app, YouTube, or at IndieDads.com
• Growing a 7-figure business with SEO
  I really enjoyed listening to Paulina Masson‘s approach to building, growing, and marketing her SaaS businesses. She’s sold a “low seven-figure” business by working backwards from her goal and putting together an SEO strategy that got her there, incrementally and deliberately. 

Continue reading

Happy Sunday!

Welcome to your weekly edition of the SaaS Founder Gems Newsletter from @PocketBryan!

In this newsletter, we’re going with quality over quantity. Each item listed below has been vetted and reviewed by me, to ensure it’s not a waste of your time and that there is something actionable to apply to your SaaS, as a fellow founder.

Here we go!

Articles

Interesting and actionable articles, worth your time.

• Building in Public Definitive Guide
  If you’re building in public, great! I think more people should. You should do it because you want to share what you learn, learn from others, and celebrate your successes. Even if you don’t have a ton of time to dedicate to your project, you’ll find that people will cheer you on, support you, and offer to help when possible. It’ll also help you realize that you’re not alone. This guide is definitely worth a read, even if you just casually #buildinpublic. Read it over once and keep these tips in the back of your mind as you post. 

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Happy Sunday!

Welcome to your weekly edition of the SaaS Founder Gems Newsletter from @PocketBryan!

👉  This week, I’m going to try a different format: Rather than simply include a list of articles and brief summary, I’m going to include what I specifically learned (and that you may as well).

Ready? Here we go!

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Articles

Interesting and actionable articles, worth your time.

• The Good Enough Launch
  Written in 2016 by Amy Hoy, this is still 100% valid. It’s a quick, fun, and thought-provoking read.
  ✍️  What I learned:
  • If you’re really building something that people crave, they’re willing to put up with more rough edges that you think they are. This is a good litmus test for whether you’re sinking time into something that people will actually want and use.
  • One question/doubt I still have: I’m launching into an existing market with established competitors and a clear baseline (minimum features) that users are expecting. Can I still launch earlier than I’m comfortable with (as she recommends)? If not, maybe I’m not differentiating myself enough.

Books and Courses

• Marketing for Developers
  I bought and read this book a couple of years ago, and loved it. It helped me get over the “marketing/sales is icky” feeling that I felt as a developer. I ran across it recently in my bookmarks, and I will be reading it again (and recommend you do too)
  ✍️. What I learned:
  • Marketing isn’t about trying to convince someone to buy something they don’t want — it’s about getting in front of as many 👀 eyeballs as possible, so that you can find the people that do want what you’ve built. The Internet is enormous, so you cannot (I repeat cannot) expect people to just stumble upon your product and suddenly want to buy it. You have to get in front of them (sometimes multiple times, because people are busy), and this book talks about how to do that, what you should be thinking about, and when.
• Best Startup Growth Books, by Product Hunt
  I have an addiction to books, and especially books about entrepreneurship and startups. There is so much to be learned from people that have succeeded or failed before, so long as you can sift through the fluff and motivational nonsense to find the real gems. This list of upvoted books could help do just that!
  ✍️  What I learned:
  • I had this bookmarked from a couple of years ago, and it now has a completely new list of books (many that I had never heard of). I need to bookmark this and come back to it about once a month for more awesome SaaS/Marketing/Startup tactics and knowledge 🤤

Tools, Tips, and Code

• Favico.js
  I’m saving (and sharing) this for later. This little JavaScript library allows you to add a badge or indicator (like for unread notifications) in your favicon.
  ✍️  What I learned:
  • Although I’m sure I’ve seen it, I didn’t realize just how dynamic a favicon could be. Hmm… I wonder what other things I can do with it 🤔
• Freelance Rates Explorer
  So many of us freelance or do side-gigs, and one of the hardest things (aside from finding clients in the first place) is knowing how much to charge. Bonsai put together this tool that aggregates the data their users charge their clients for, to give you an idea of what the going market rates are like. Even though Bonsai is (or will be) a competitor, I’m not too proud to admit this is a pretty great tool!
  ✍️  What I learned:
  • I could (should) be charging close to double what I have always been. How about you?
• Amazon Web Services in Plain English
  Even while working at Amazon, I couldn’t stay on top of all of the AWS products, what they did, and how I might use them. This guide is awesome (and I wish I had seen it earlier). It has a “should have a been called” column for each product, which is spot on. If you’re using AWS (or would like to), start here to understand what each service does.
• Gorgeous Wallpapers
  This has absolutely nothing to do with being a SaaS founder, but who doesn’t love a gorgeous new wallpaper? This site has a beautiful selection of space/planet-themed wallpapers without annoying ads or popups. Seriously, they’re gorgeous.
  🌇. My pick (which I just set my desktop to) is this Martian landscape

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Interesting Twitter Threads from this week

(Click to see original)

What is your best advice for acquiring your first customers?

PS: answer only if you tried something that worked

— Victor 🤙🦙🦄 (@Lamacorn20) August 1, 2021

If you consider yourself a community leader, you need to read the replies. https://t.co/8bnuHBjghp

— 📙 Alex Hillman (@alexhillman) July 28, 2021

Jeff Bezos once said:

"The No. 1 thing that has made us successful by far is obsessive compulsive focus on the customer."

Money is secondary. Your primary job is to make the customers' life better.

— Aadit Sheth 👋 (@aaditsh) July 31, 2021

Interested in learning about startup acquisitions? I got you covered.

– Valuations
– Due diligence
– Legal docs
– Deal structures
– Transferring assets
– Financing
– More

Download all of @microacquire's eBooks and videos entirely free.https://t.co/0fAmCC2snc

— Andrew Gazdecki (@agazdecki) August 1, 2021

If you don't know what Product-User fit is, read @peter_lauten's awesome article here: https://t.co/qdzvbHibZP

— Peter Suhm (@petersuhm) July 29, 2021

How to Grow Your Online Audience

Key Lessons from the Fantastic Webinar by @APompliano ("Pomp") and @david_perell

If Building your own Online Empire by yourself is something you are interested in

Read this

👇👇

[THREAD] pic.twitter.com/gV2NvjvAsT

— Eddy Quan (@waronweakness) June 20, 2020

I never thought of myself as a writer.

So why do I now write one million words per year?

Because I discovered writing is a superpower.

Here are 67 benefits of writing.

👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/lcbSV53mps

— Sean McCabe (@seanwes) February 22, 2021

🥂 That’s it for this week!

What did you think of the new format this week? Should I keep it or go back to how it was last week? Let me know!

Welcome to your weekly edition of the SaaS Founder Gems Newsletter from @PocketBryan!

The #1 criteria for anything included below is it must be actionable. No fluff, hollow inspirational silliness, or platitudes (empty feel-good content) are allowed. Every item mentioned below is worth your time (IMHO)

Ready? Here we go!

Articles

I’ve read through dozens of articles and picked out the best and most actionable ones that are worth your time.

Continue reading

Welcome to your weekly edition of the SaaS Founder Gems Newsletter from @PocketBryan!

The #1 criteria for anything included below is it must be actionable. No fluff, hollow inspirational silliness, or platitudes (empty feel-good content) are allowed. Every item mentioned below is worth your time (IMHO)

Ready? Here we go!

Articles

A few of the most actionable and interesting articles that I ran across this week:

Continue reading