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Artwork for Startups For the Rest of Us

Startups For the Rest of Us

Rob Walling
Saas
Microconf
Product-Market Fit
Boot.dev
Remote Team Engagement
Bootstrapping
Backend Development
UX Design
Sales and Marketing
Saas Playbook
Company Culture
Asynchronous Communication
Homeowners Associations
Email Marketing
Customer Feedback
Property Management
Idea Validation
Freemium Model
Software Development
Competition

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.

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes329Founded16 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EntrepreneurshipBusinessMarketing

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Artwork for Startups For the Rest of Us

Latest Episodes

How do you step back from daily decisions without losing control of your SaaS?

In this episode, Rob Walling answers listener questions about when to delegate key founder skills, whether great founders can succeed with any idea, and the limits of no-... more

How much design polish is really enough?

In this episode, Rob Walling is joined by fan favorite Derrick Reimer for a new round of listener questions. They dig into the best AI coding stacks right now, how to ship fast without losing polish, whether ... more

YouTube

What are the can't-miss AI tools for SaaS founders?

In this episode, Rob Walling sits down with Craig Hewitt, founder of Castos, to dive deep into Craig’s “100 Days of AI” YouTube series. They discuss the lessons learned from exploring the latest AI... more

YouTube

Is it time to sell, autopilot, or double down on your plateaued SaaS business?

In this episode, Rob Walling tackles listener questions and shares practical frameworks for what to do when your product hits a plateau, explains why “autopilot” often le... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

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
Colin Bartlett
Co-founder of StatusGator
StatusGator
Episode: Episode 798 | Lessons From 10 Years of SaaS Growth Without a Hockey Stick
Harris Kenny
Founder of OutboundSync
Episode: Episode 797 | TinySeed Tales s5e5: Should I Raise More Funding?
Zamir Khan
Founder of VidHug, a video compilation service
VidHug
Episode: Episode 794 | From Struggling Side Project to Life-Changing SaaS Exit
Yaniv Bernstein
Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Violet, former VP of Engineering and COO
Violet
Episode: Episode 790 | From Scrappy to Scalable: Evolving Your Role as a Founder
Braden Dennis
Co-founder of fiscal.ai and previously of FinChat, focused on financial data solutions
fiscal.ai
Episode: Episode 787 | "We Shut Down a $1.5M Product, and Raised $10M Instead"
Nick Maggiulli
Author of The Wealth Ladder and COO of Ritholtz Wealth Management
Of Dollars and Data, Ritholtz Wealth Management
Episode: Episode 784 | The Wealth Ladder: Six Levels of Financial Freedom

Host

Rob Walling
Host and founder known for his insights on bootstrapped startups and software development. He shares personal experiences and actionable advice gleaned from years in the industry.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 1.6k ratings
  • 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
    Italy2 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
    Australia3 months ago
  • 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 States4 months ago
  • Lol. You got me.

    But! In fact, it is an excellent exercise to argue and go deep on the opposite of anything you're working on. I think lawyers do this when they're preparing for a trial. It really helps hone your original vision and strategies

    Podcast Addict
    5
    M4int
    a year ago
  • I’m not a saas entrepreneur, but the content is relatable

    So yeah, I’m not a saas entrepreneur, but I find that the content is relatable, insightful, down to earth, and does NOT sound super scripted. 10/1/24 podcast I think would resonate with any entrepreneur, just great content.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    lsvorn
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

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

Feedback indicates that the show fosters a strong sense of community among bootstrapped entrepreneurs.
The honest discussions of both successes and failures resonate well with the audience's experiences as founders.
Criticism includes occasional feelings of excessive promotion in some episodes, which detracts from the main content.
Many find the show to be a crucial source of inspiration and practical strategies for building their SaaS companies.
Listeners appreciate the down-to-earth, realistic advice provided on entrepreneurship.

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 810 | The Best A.I. Coding Stack, Shipping Fast, and More Listener Questions (With Derrick Reimer)
Q: How much should founders think about security as their business grows?
Derrick suggests that security concerns should begin at a smaller scale than many might think and become increasingly critical as more employees and systems are involved.
Episode 810 | The Best A.I. Coding Stack, Shipping Fast, and More Listener Questions (With Derrick Reimer)
Q: Do you think with AI we are seeing a shift from market risk to feasibility risk?
Derrick believes while AI influences feasibility concerns, high-quality SaaS applications will continue to hold value, and opportunities for new software remain significant.
Episode 810 | The Best A.I. Coding Stack, Shipping Fast, and More Listener Questions (With Derrick Reimer)
Q: How does Derrick balance shipping fast with maintaining design polish in solo projects?
Derrick emphasizes that maintaining design polish while shipping fast is a learned skill requiring intuition, judgment calls, and context about what level of polish matters for each feature.
Episode 808 | A $500k "Step 1" Business, When to Consider SOC2, and More Listener Questions
Q: When do you think startups should start thinking about compliance?
Rob suggests that founders shouldn't worry about compliance until it's necessary, arguing that initiating it too early distracts from building and selling.
Episode 808 | A $500k "Step 1" Business, When to Consider SOC2, and More Listener Questions
Q: What are your thoughts about ideas as far as how I should be thinking about this and questions I should be asking myself?
Rob emphasizes the importance of assessing whether to continue investing in the current business or pursue new ideas, suggesting a focus on motivation and energy for the business.

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?

The content focuses on the challenges and successes faced by bootstrapped and independent startup founders as they navigate the often tumultuous world of Software as a Service (SaaS). Episodes frequently highlight personal stories and real-world experiences, providing listeners with insights into effective strategies for starting, acquiring, and growing SaaS companies. Noteworthy discussions delve into topics such as fundraising dilemmas, strategic marketing, product positioning, and key entrepreneurial skills necessary for success. In addition to expert guest insights, the relatable, candid style encourages a community-focused approach, reinforcing values of perseverance throughout the entrepreneurial journey.

Where can I find podcast stats for Startups For the Rest of Us?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Startups For the Rest of Us. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Startups For the Rest of Us and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

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

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Startups For the Rest of Us, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Startups For the Rest of Us?

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

To see how many followers or subscribers Startups For the Rest of Us has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

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. The Official SaaStr Podcast: SaaS | Founders | Investors
4. My First Million
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.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Startups For the Rest of Us?

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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. Craig Hewitt
2. Philippe Lehoux
3. Laura Sprinkle
4. Colin Bartlett
5. Harris Kenny
6. Zamir Khan
7. Yaniv Bernstein
8. Braden Dennis

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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