Are common SaaS myths sabotaging your success?

In this episode, Rob Walling sits down with SaaS growth expert (and TinySeed Institute coach) Marc Thomas to break down ten persistent and damaging myths believed by many SaaS founders and why challenging them is key to scaling smart.

• (4:52) – “I’m not good at marketing” is a lie
• (8:48) – Top-of-funnel obsession
• (13:12) – Lifetime affiliate payouts = profit killers
• (18:21) – Hiring a marketing team too soon
• (21:52) – Chasing new markets too early
• (25:08) – Fear of sending more email
• (27:36) – Chasing shiny growth hacks like programmatic SEO
• (31:14) – Dismissing sales in favor of only self-serve
• (35:10) – Avoiding competitor content out of fear

• MicroConf Europe – September 28–30 · Istanbul, Türkiye
• TinySeed SaaS Institute
• Marc Thomas (@iammarcthomas) | X
• Marc Thomas | LinkedIn
• Marc Thomas’ LinkedIn post on 10 SaaS Myths

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

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How do you price pilot projects and niche down without hedging your bets?

In this episode, Rob Walling answers listener questions about pricing pilots, choosing niches, and skipping steps on his Stair Step Method of Bootstrapping. Want to get your question answered? Drop them here.

• (3:25) – Feedback on Season 4 of TinySeed Tales
• (8:55) – How do you price pilot projects?
• (15:11) – How to niche down and de-risking a new SaaS?
• (22:40) – What does it really take to build a hit open-source tool?
• (29:53) – Can you skip straight to SaaS or is that a trap?

• MicroConf Connect: Online community of SaaS founders
• TinySeed Tales Podcast
• Startup Stories Podcast
• Stair Step Method of Bootstrapping

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

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What if the traditional dream of retirement is actually a trap for entrepreneurs?

In this episode, Rob Walling talks with Derek Coburn, author of Let’s Retire Retirement: How to Enjoy Life to the Fullest, to challenge the long-held belief that early retirement is the ultimate goal. They explore why many entrepreneurs feel unfulfilled after retiring and how shifting toward purpose-driven work can create more freedom, meaning, and longevity.

• (2:17) – Why traditional retirement often leads to boredom and regret
• (6:44) – How working longer can drastically reduce your savings burden
• (11:05) – The power of $50K moments and appreciating time with loved ones
• (17:03) – Prioritizing health and well-being as a long-term strategy
• (21:42) – Smarter and more flexible alternatives to full retirement

• MicroConf Europe – September 28–30 · Istanbul, Türkiye
• TinySeed – Invest
• Let’s Retire Retirement – Book on Amazon
• Derek Coburn’s Website
• Derek Coburn | LinkedIn
• Derek Coburn (@cadredc) | X

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

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What’s it take to bootstrap a niche SaaS to $90M without raising a dime?

In this episode, Kevin Wagstaff joins Rob Walling to share how he and his brother bootstrapped Spectora from a scrappy MVP to a $90M valuation. It’s a masterclass in finding traction in unsexy markets, building with empathy, and making smart bets like embedded payments.

• (4:39) – The surreal moment Kevin and his brother became multimillionaires
• (9:14) – Why a mobile-first approach won in an outdated, overlooked niche
• (17:39) – How adding payments created a second revenue stream and bigger valuation
• (20:36) – The early hustle: trade shows, 6 AM demos, and Facebook group tactics

• SaaS Launchpad Course
• MicroConf
• Kevin Wagstaff | LinkedIn
• Kevin Wagstaff (@KevinWagstaff3) | X
• Spectora
• Kevin’s Built to Sell Radio Episode

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

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What shortcuts are actually worth taking when you're building a SaaS?

In this episode, Rob Walling and fan favorite Derrick Reimer delve into listener questions about startup development. They discuss the impact of AI coding tools on building minimum viable products (MVPs) and the importance of user experience (UX) with advice on balancing UX investment based on the product's nature.

You’ll also hear a breakdown of the real costs of leaving the cloud, plus tips on email deliverability and validation. Throughout, they highlight how validating ideas through user feedback and research is still critical, no matter how fast you build.

This podcast is brought to you by Mercury. I've been banking with Mercury for years and whenever I set up a new account, I'm reminded why traditional banking feels stuck in the past.

When our previous bank faced solvency issues, we needed to spin up new accounts quickly that could handle millions in funds across multiple businesses. Mercury had us up and running almost immediately.

I manage half a dozen different Mercury accounts across a wide range of companies – from my personal, single-member LLC to MicroConf, our 7-figure global events and education platform, to TinySeed, our venture fund and accelerator. Mercury easily handles them all.

The interface is elegantly simple for daily banking, paying invoices, and sending and receiving international wires, yet powerful enough to handle the multi-step approval processes we needed to put in place when funding founders with large transfers.

Anytime founders ask me who they should set up their accounts with, I send them to mercury.com.

Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC.

• (4:55) – How AI coding tools are changing the MVP timeline
• (16:11) – When UX design actually matters (and when it doesn’t)
• (23:47) – Should you ditch cloud hosting for your own servers?
• (32:38) – Pro tips on email deliverability and keeping out of spam folders

• SaaS Launchpad Course
• MicroConf Remote | May 21, 2025
• Windsurf AI Editor
• SavvyCal
• Derrick Reimer | LinkedIn
• Derrick Reimer (@derrickreimer) | X

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

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In this episode, Rob Walling sits down with Noah Tucker, the non-technical founder behind Social Snowball, an affiliate marketing SaaS built for Shopify. Noah bootstrapped the company to $5M+ in ARR, navigating technical roadblocks, team-building hurdles, and a crumbling codebase, while leveraging bold growth tactics like influencer partnerships to scale fast.

• (3:26) – Spotting the gap in affiliate tools for creators
• (7:09) – The agency MVP failure and early dev misfires
• (11:15) – Losing a CTO to priesthood
• (16:33) – How influencer partnerships fueled fast early growth
• (30:12) – Hiring a world-class CTO and engineering team

• Discretion Capital
• MicroConf Remote | May 21, 2025
• TinySeed
• Noah Tucker | LinkedIn
• Noah Tucker (@noatuck) | X

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

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In this episode, Rob Walling and Maja Voje, author of Go to Market Strategist, dive into early customer profiles (ECPs) and why they matter more than ideal customer profiles (ICPs) early on. They explore practical, scrappy marketing tactics for B2B SaaS founders and share real-world advice on customer acquisition, community building, and staying authentic while growing.

Episode Sponsor:

This podcast is brought to you by Mercury. I've been banking with Mercury for years and whenever I set up a new account, I'm reminded why traditional banking feels stuck in the past.

When our previous bank faced solvency issues, we needed to spin up new accounts quickly that could handle millions in funds across multiple businesses. Mercury had us up and running almost immediately.

I manage half a dozen different Mercury accounts across a wide range of companies – from my personal, single-member LLC to MicroConf, our 7-figure global events and education platform, to TinySeed, our venture fund and accelerator. Mercury easily handles them all.

The interface is elegantly simple for daily banking, paying invoices, and sending and receiving international wires, yet powerful enough to handle the multi-step approval processes we needed to put in place when funding founders with large transfers.

Anytime founders ask me who they should set up their accounts with, I send them to mercury.com.

Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC.

• (3:02) – What Go-to-Market actually means for bootstrapped founders
• (7:14) – Early Customer Profile (ECP) vs. Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
• (10:30) – Common mistakes founders make when choosing their ECP
• (13:48) – Real-world B2B SaaS examples of successful ECP launches
• (18:29) – Why GTM actions must come before GTM motions for scrappy startups
• (21:52) – Warm outreach and fishing in the right forums: practical tactics for early traction

• MicroConf Growth Retreat | London, UK - May 14-16, 2025
• Invest in TinySeed
• Maja Voje | LinkedIn
• GTM Strategist
• Go-To-Market Strategist: (Maja's book)

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

Subscribe & Review: iTunes | Spotify

How do you position your SaaS for success?

In episode 772, Rob Walling talks with Anthony Pierri of Fletch about a proven approach to product positioning. They discuss key lessons from 400+ startups, focusing on workflows, competitive alternatives, and why narrowing your audience matters.

• (6:59) – What is positioning, really?
• (11:16) – Why your homepage matters more than your pitch deck
• (14:17) – Workflow-based segmentation vs. firmographics
• (17:39) – Positioning against competitive alternatives
• (31:13) – The #1 mistake founders make with positioning

• MicroConf Growth Retreat | London, UK - May 14-16, 2025
• Invest in TinySeed
• Get Access to Anthony’s MicroConf New Orleans Talk
• Anthony Pierri (@anthonypierri) | LinkedIn
• Anthony Pierri (@apierriPMM) | X
• Fletch

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

Subscribe & Review: iTunes | Spotify