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Startups For the Rest of Us

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

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
BusinessMarketingEntrepreneurship

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Artwork for Startups For the Rest of Us

Latest Episodes

Is your SaaS actually protected from AI disruption, or are acquirers walking away without even looking?

In this episode, Rob Walling talks with Einar Vollset of Discretion Capital for a front-lines SaaS M&A market report, covering how the acquisitio... more

Are you using AI in your marketing because it's actually good, or just because it's fast?

In this episode, Rob Walling sits down with Taylor Hendricksen, a performance marketer who has managed tens of millions of dollars in ad spend across Meta and ... more

YouTube

Is AI actually making your build-measure-learn cycle faster, or just making your work more average?

In this episode, Rob Walling talks with Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup, to revisit what's held up in Lean Startup thinking 15 years on, why AI... more

YouTube

What do Nobel Prize winners and successful bootstrappers have in common?

In this solo episode, Rob Walling shares the story of how a TinySeed company went from near-zero revenue to $10,000-$20,000 a month almost overnight, breaks down Claude Shannon... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

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
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
Einar Vollset
Co-founder at TinySeed and Managing Partner at Discretion Capital
TinySeed, Discretion Capital
Episode: Episode 823 | Hot Take Tuesday: Is A.I. Killing B2B SaaS?, ChatGPT Ads, OpenClaw
Jay Clouse
Founder of Creator Science, an educational media company helping content creators improve
Creator Science
Episode: Episode 821 | How to Do Founder-Led Marketing (with Jay Clouse)
Jason Cohen
Founder of WP Engine and SmartBear
SmartBear
Episode: Episode 817 | Bootstrapping in the Age of AI with Jason Cohen
Craig Hewitt
Founder of Castos and experienced in AI-driven tools.
Castos
Episode: Episode 809 | What I Learned Diving into A.I. for 100 Days (with Craig Hewitt)
Philippe Lehoux
Co-founder of Missive and expert in email collaboration solutions
Missive
Episode: Episode 806 | Bootstrapping Missive to $8M ARR Over 10 Years
Laura Sprinkle
Founder of Rootabl, specializing in affiliate management
Rootabl
Episode: Episode 803 | 8 Key Takeaways from MicroConf Europe 2025

Host

Rob Walling
Host of Startups For the Rest of Us; frequent host and primary moderator focused on bootstrapped SaaS and founder-led growth.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 1.6k ratings
  • 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 Statesa month 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 States4 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
    Italy8 months 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
    Australia9 months ago
  • Rob's podcast is THE manual for bootstrapping a startup

    I've been a listener for several years now. Rob Walling produces an amazingly informative and brilliant podcast discussing startups, bootstrapping a startup, and the journey of others who have bootstrapped their companies. He and guests are transparent about mistakes they made and will discuss options in realtime to weigh pros and cons. Listener question episodes and "Rob solo adventure" episodes are an excellent. I can't believe this doesn't have hundreds of 5 star reviews tbh. Highly recommend... more

    Audible
    5
    Anonymous
    United States10 months ago

Listeners Say

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

The show is a go-to resource for founders seeking real-world guidance rather than hype.
Listeners praise practical, down-to-earth advice and actionable takeaways.
The host is seen as honest, focused, and credible; some note increased self-promotion over time.
Guests are consistently high-quality and relevant to bootstrapped SaaS.

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 834 | Eric Ries Revisits The Lean Startup and Discusses How to Become Incorruptible
Q: First question before we dive into Lean Startup is, what motivated you to write this book?
Ries explains his ongoing work and experiences with the Long-Term Stock Exchange and other ventures, emphasizing the desire to rethink 'best practices' and propose new, durable governance ideas.
Episode 832 | Going Full-time, When to Pivot, Building With Young Kids, and More Listener Questions (Rob Solo)
Q: When is it worth auditing design or scaling elements as a startup grows?
Audits should be triggered by actual friction: if design causes confusion or customer frustration, or if the product roadmap shows scaling risks, consider a targeted redesign rather than waiting for a revenue milestone; sometimes mid-range revenue (e.g., around tens of thousands per month) is a good time to reassess.
Episode 832 | Going Full-time, When to Pivot, Building With Young Kids, and More Listener Questions (Rob Solo)
Q: How should one approach TAM calculation for a step-one business in a marketplace like Shopify?
TAM is often less important than the ability to rank and capture real demand. Focus on term ranking, market visibility, and practical signals like traffic and early customer interest rather than chasing an exact TAM number.
Episode 832 | Going Full-time, When to Pivot, Building With Young Kids, and More Listener Questions (Rob Solo)
Q: What is the best approach to reduce risk when deciding to go full-time with a startup?
The advice centers on building financial optionality, reducing lifestyle inflation, saving aggressively, and creating a runway (e.g., enough to cover multiple years) so you can transition without risking your financial stability; if the business proves traction, you can then commit fully.
Episode 828 | Am I Building a SaaS?, Serving Both B2C and B2B, Pricing, and More Listener Questions (Rob Solo)
Q: Leanna asks about pricing a B2B and B2C hybrid tool (job search management) to balance mission with sustainability.
Rob recommends a blended strategy that may include a free or low-cost option with an honor-system or need-based tier alongside a paid B2B tier. He emphasizes sustainability, the potential for a higher-priced B2B tier, and the importance of ultimately aligning pricing with the value delivered and the ability to fund ongoing development.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

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 delivers actionable guidance for bootstrapped SaaS and small software businesses. Episodes blend founder journeys, realistic growth tactics, pricing, marketing, and product decisions with hands-on frameworks and real-world anecdotes. Listeners tend to value down-to-earth advice, honest assessments of challenges, and tactical takeaways they can apply to their own ventures. The show frequently features experienced bootstrappers and operators who share lessons from building sustainable, long-running software companies. Noteworthy is the emphasis on pragmatic economics, customer-focused pricing, and founder health and sustainability as components of long-term success.

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How many listeners does Startups For the Rest of Us get?

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How many subscribers and views does Startups For the Rest of Us have?

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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. Y Combinator Startup Podcast
3. My First Million
4. Moneywise
5. REWORK

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.

How do I contact Startups For the Rest of Us?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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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. Eric Ries
2. Adam Wathan
3. Tracy Osborn
4. Einar Vollset
5. Jay Clouse
6. Jason Cohen
7. Craig Hewitt
8. Philippe Lehoux

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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