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Startups For the Rest of Us

Rob Walling
Saas
Entrepreneurship
Microconf
B2B Saas
Tinyseed
Product Market Fit
Marketing
Bootstrapping
Startups
Outboundsync
Artificial Intelligence
Hello Query
Savvycal
SEO
Tiny Seed
Product-Market Fit
Saas Companies
Freemium Model
Pricing Strategy
Saas Customer Success

The original podcast for bootstrapped and mostly bootstrapped startups, this show follow the stories of founders as they start, acquire, and grow SaaS companies. Hear when they fail, struggle, succeed, and take you with them through the tumultuous life of a SaaS founder. If you like Mixergy, This Week in Startups, or SaaStr, you’ll enjoy Startup for the Rest of Us.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes329Founded16 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EntrepreneurshipBusinessMarketing

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Artwork for Startups For the Rest of Us

Latest Episodes

How do you onboard a hire onto a codebase you built alone?

In this episode, Derrick Reimer joins Rob to tackle four listener questions. They cover hiring and onboarding your first developer as a bootstrapped founder, then move into the temptation to... more

YouTube

Ever gotten a vague cease and desist from a competitor and wondered if you actually did something wrong?

This week I tackle four listener questions: how seriously to take competitor terms of service threats, whether AI is really a platform risk (or ... more

YouTube

Does validation still matter when AI has made building software almost free?

In this solo episode, Rob breaks down the origin story of Liquid Death, the canned water company now valued at over a billion dollars, and pulls out the mental models that ... more

YouTube

Would you spend a year on distribution for a product that doesn't exist yet?

In this solo episode, Rob answers listener questions about how second and third-time founders think differently, from filtering a dozen good ideas down to one, to why distr... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Kyle Schmidt
Founder of Field Logic Labs, FloorSync
Field Logic Labs
Episode: Episode 849 | Legal Threats, AI as Platform Risk, Building Confidence, and More Listener Questions (Rob Solo)
Brian Henderson
Co-founder of Wash-Dry-Fold POS
Wash-Dry-Fold POS
Episode: Episode 844 | Building a $1M+ ARR SaaS for Laundromats
Julien Marzouk
Former SaaS founder and SaaS coach
SaaS Institute (TinySeed)
Episode: Episode 843 | Success Patterns of $1M+ SaaS Founders
Nick Francis
Co-founder of Help Scout
Help Scout
Episode: Episode 839 | The Journey Growing Help Scout to $35M ARR
Taylor Hendricksen
SaaS Institute coach and performance marketer with extensive ad spend experience
SaaS Institute
Episode: Episode 835 | The Right Way to Use AI in Your Startup Marketing
Eric Ries
Founder of The Lean Startup
The Lean Startup
Episode: Episode 834 | Eric Ries Revisits The Lean Startup and Discusses How to Become Incorruptible
Einar Vollset
Founder of Discretion Capital, co-founder of TinySeed
Discretion Capital
Episode: Episode 827 | The Founder's Guide to Selling Your SaaS for What It's Actually Worth
Adam Wathan
Co-founder of Tailwind CSS
Tailwind Labs
Episode: Episode 825 | Talking Tailwind CSS and Founder Fitness (with Adam Wathan)
Tracy Osborn
Head of Product of TinySeed and of MicroConf
TinySeed, MicroConf
Episode: Episode 823 | Hot Take Tuesday: Is A.I. Killing B2B SaaS?, ChatGPT Ads, OpenClaw

Host

Rob Walling
Host and founder-focused SaaS entrepreneur and educator; runs programs and communities for bootstrappers (e.g., MicroConf, TinySeed ecosystem).

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 1.6k ratings
  • Just a sales pitch for his networks and product

    This was once a helpful podcast for me. But it has just evolved into a show that just keeps selling tiny seed and other products Rob has. Just now for me.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    rethink
    United States2 months ago
  • Good early entrepreneur podcast

    I love Rob’s insights about starting a business, what matters, and how to navigate common and critical decisions. His regular guests are great.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Bobarewski
    United States4 months ago
  • My favorite tech / startup podcast

    Been listening for a couple years. It’s really great. Rob is unassuming, low ego, and a good interviewer. I like the mix of solo episodes and interesting guests. Most other podcasts in this space just seem like one long ad for something.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Murphycj
    United States8 months ago
  • Great content

    I am a solopreneur with a small business and Rob’s podcast is so helpful and inspiring and empathic. 5 stars.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MicXXCCC
    Italya year ago
  • I don’t want to give it 5 stars

    I rather gate keep this and keep all this info goodness to myself, only reason i am giving it 5 stars and writing this review is because i feel i need to repay them for all the no bs down to earth realistic info on how to build a SaaS. Even in the age of AI this podcast is very valuable. Keep it up! I look forward to every episode.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Sashogs
    Australiaa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Fans value consistent cadence and real-world founder stories.
Some critique for perceived self-promotion and promotional segments.
Listeners praise practical, down-to-earth advice and actionable tactics.
Many comment on high-quality guests and robust question-driven episodes.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Episode 849 | Legal Threats, AI as Platform Risk, Building Confidence, and More Listener Questions (Rob Solo)
Q: Is AI as platform risk a real concern, and how should a founder mitigate the risk?
AI platform risk is real, but the bigger issue is whether your customers will rely on AI to replace your product. Focus on being a system of record with unique data, plan for potential downtime or price changes by having backups, and consider pilots or phased adaptation to learn and adapt without overcommitting.
Episode 846 | Snail Mail, Cold Calling, Regulating Your Nervous System, and More Listener Questions (Rob Solo)
Q: How can one overcome the hurdle that comes with cold-calling strangers in an industry you're unfamiliar with?
Start with building a frame of reference by consuming trusted content from mentors and reputable sources, then practice in low-risk ways: study how experts like Steli Efti approach cold calling, leverage tools and communities (Tiny Seed mentors, MicroConf masterminds), and gradually try a first call to gain real experience, adjusting based on feedback.
Episode 841 | One-time Payments, Growing a Step 2 Business, Positioning, and More Listener Questions (Rob Solo)
Q: How should a Shopify app with custom development work price and positioning? Should there be a low price plus consulting, or a high price with direct customization, or some mix?
I'd favor a tiered approach, typically a lower-priced recurring plan (e.g., $49/month) for the tool with an upfront project fee for the custom work, and a higher agency/enterprise tier (e.g., $249/month) to justify dedicated support and closer collaboration. The key is clear differentiation between tiers, ensuring the higher tier delivers meaningful value beyond the base product, and being prepared to set boundaries if one tier cannibalizes the other. If your high-end tier can't be justified with ongoing value, consider adjusting pricing or replacing the tier with better-feature differentiation.
Episode 841 | One-time Payments, Growing a Step 2 Business, Positioning, and More Listener Questions (Rob Solo)
Q: What is your take on using a one-time purchase as a validation step before transitioning to a subscription, and can you ever run both at the same time without cannibalizing revenue?
My view is that you can test demand with a subscription and gather real customer feedback by having people pay recurring, which tends to yield deeper insights than a one-time payment. A one-time approach can work in very specific cases (e.g., high upfront value and strong marketing reach like AppSumo), but in general I'd avoid it for SaaS that requires ongoing delivery; if you do run both, you need clear differentiation and an understanding that the one-time option is a temporary experiment rather than a core model.
Episode 840 | 5 PM Revisited, Starting Over After Failure, Never Shipping, and More Listener Questions (Rob Solo)
Q: Hi Rob, where should I focus next to grow this business (event-based B2C SaaS)?
Steve, the host is skeptical about easy wins with paid ads for very low-LTV products and leans toward focusing on core value channels like SEO and organic growth, and evangelizing use cases that scale beyond a single event; long-term growth likely comes from expanding use cases (pub trivia hosts, corporate trainings) and checking whether there is a viable B2B angle for recurring revenue rather than chasing short-term paid strategies.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
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Location
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Frequently Asked Questions About Startups For the Rest of Us

What is Startups For the Rest of Us about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A practical, founder-focused show that centers on bootstrapped SaaS, sustainable growth, pricing experiments, and real-world pathing from idea to traction. Episodes frequently tackle pricing strategies, product-market fit signals, go-to-market tradeoffs, and bootstrapping challenges, often featuring questions from listeners and stories from solo founders and small teams. Noteworthy is the consistent emphasis on tangible tactics over hype, with discussions ranging from pricing models and AI adoption to customer engagement, M&A considerations, and building durable product systems. The format tends to blend solo insights with guest perspectives from experienced founders and coaches, making it a reliable resource for hands-on entrepreneurs seek... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Startups For the Rest of Us?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Startups For the Rest of Us:

1. The Startup Ideas Podcast
2. REWORK
3. My First Million
4. The Official SaaStr Podcast: SaaS | Founders | Investors
5. Y Combinator Startup Podcast

How many episodes of Startups For the Rest of Us are there?

Startups For the Rest of Us launched 16 years ago and published 329 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Startups For the Rest of Us?

Recent guests on Startups For the Rest of Us include:

1. Kyle Schmidt
2. Brian Henderson
3. Julien Marzouk
4. Nick Francis
5. Taylor Hendricksen
6. Eric Ries
7. Einar Vollset
8. Adam Wathan

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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