Ben Kuhn drops by the pod.
\n\nCheck out his great blog! https://www.benkuhn.net/
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","summary":"Aaron Francis (Tuple's Marketing Engineer) drops by for advice on his non-Tuple project, a query builder for Rails and Laravel called Refine.","date_published":"2022-07-27T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/c3ef76af-54e3-48ba-a737-ae823339ec7b.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":49989553,"duration_in_seconds":3074}]},{"id":"fa0a7631-b88f-483e-9759-3a8c9fac66cf","title":"216: Penelopers, Penelopers, Penelopers","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-216","content_text":"Penelope Phippen drops by and encourages Ben to set, like, even a single goal.","content_html":"Penelope Phippen drops by and encourages Ben to set, like, even a single goal.
","summary":"Penelope Phippen drops by and encourages Ben to set, like, even a single goal.","date_published":"2022-07-20T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/fa0a7631-b88f-483e-9759-3a8c9fac66cf.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":75176005,"duration_in_seconds":3130}]},{"id":"abe7e0e1-98a3-4e74-b95c-f06f5088b408","title":"215: Mental Health with Dr. Sherry Walling","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-215","content_text":"Talking with Dr. Sherry Walling about dealing with mental health personally and how to help people around you who may be struggling. ","content_html":"Talking with Dr. Sherry Walling about dealing with mental health personally and how to help people around you who may be struggling.
","summary":"Talking with Dr. Sherry Walling about dealing with mental health personally and how to help people around you who may be struggling. ","date_published":"2022-07-11T08:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/abe7e0e1-98a3-4e74-b95c-f06f5088b408.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":34617503,"duration_in_seconds":2113}]},{"id":"912a8c6b-a85e-4668-a252-40fd36f0aed4","title":"214: Another week, another Wathan","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-214","content_text":"","content_html":"","summary":"","date_published":"2022-07-06T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/912a8c6b-a85e-4668-a252-40fd36f0aed4.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":54029278,"duration_in_seconds":3326}]},{"id":"3ec0aab8-5e3e-41b2-8872-845f936a8759","title":"213: Powered by Debt","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-213","content_text":"Tuple launched a new marketing experiment this week. Derrick is continuing work on migrating SavvyCal to new hosting infrastructure.","content_html":"Tuple launched a new marketing experiment this week. Derrick is continuing work on migrating SavvyCal to new hosting infrastructure.
The Tuple team had their first filming session for the meta-documentary about their marketing experiments. Derrick is awaiting results from the latest SavvyCal funnel experiments.
","summary":"The Tuple team had their first filming session for the meta-documentary about their marketing experiments. Derrick is awaiting results from the latest SavvyCal funnel experiments.","date_published":"2022-06-22T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/f92e86e0-facc-430c-8385-3e3ad03c93c7.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":37596377,"duration_in_seconds":2299}]},{"id":"7a45ddbb-d812-47d8-9423-0d0b6f05b527","title":"211: This Is Not A Bad Reality","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-211","content_text":"Ben and Derrick catch up on all things Tuple and SavvyCal. Ben recently raised prices for Tuple. Derrick is experimenting with major funnel changes for SavvyCal.","content_html":"Ben and Derrick catch up on all things Tuple and SavvyCal. Ben recently raised prices for Tuple. Derrick is experimenting with major funnel changes for SavvyCal.
","summary":"Ben and Derrick catch up on all things Tuple and SavvyCal. Ben recently raised prices for Tuple. Derrick is experimenting with major funnel changes for SavvyCal.","date_published":"2022-06-15T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/7a45ddbb-d812-47d8-9423-0d0b6f05b527.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":24749740,"duration_in_seconds":1496}]},{"id":"c17af016-8391-48ae-886b-7e47bb002c7e","title":"210: Talk To Your Customers","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-210","content_text":"Derrick is launching a bunch of SavvyCal features this month, including a Close integration and meeting polls. \nBen has had good experiences lately talking to customers. ","content_html":"Derrick is launching a bunch of SavvyCal features this month, including a Close integration and meeting polls.
\nBen has had good experiences lately talking to customers.
Stripe's Technical Advisor to the CTO, Penelope Phippen stops by and Ben tries to get her to divulge company secrets.
","summary":"Stripe's Technical Advisor to the CTO stops by and Ben tries to get her to divulge company secrets.","date_published":"2022-05-11T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/4b0b1971-496c-4d52-8ee7-156b93f2eb98.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":49328628,"duration_in_seconds":3033}]},{"id":"46703011-5b8d-4fcd-b809-eb07d8114fd3","title":"208: Prime Foot-Shooting Material","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-208","content_text":"Ben and Derrick chat through a cool new feature Tuple is shaping up. They also discuss Tuple's ambitious marketing bets.","content_html":"Ben and Derrick chat through a cool new feature Tuple is shaping up. They also discuss Tuple's ambitious marketing bets.
","summary":"Ben and Derrick chat through a cool new feature Tuple is shaping up. They also discuss Tuple's ambitious marketing bets.","date_published":"2022-05-04T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/46703011-5b8d-4fcd-b809-eb07d8114fd3.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":41712145,"duration_in_seconds":2367}]},{"id":"db64e196-a3ba-4156-a4ac-e6468f73482e","title":"207: Musings on Advice","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-207","content_text":"Ben and the Tuple team have hit a good shipping stride lately. Derrick and team are nearing completion on a few large SavvyCal initiatives. The guys reflect on MicroConf and the nature of dispensing advice.","content_html":"Ben and the Tuple team have hit a good shipping stride lately. Derrick and team are nearing completion on a few large SavvyCal initiatives. The guys reflect on MicroConf and the nature of dispensing advice.
","summary":"Ben and the Tuple team have hit a good shipping stride lately. Derrick and team are nearing completion on a few large SavvyCal initiatives. The guys reflect on MicroConf and the nature of dispensing advice.","date_published":"2022-04-20T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/db64e196-a3ba-4156-a4ac-e6468f73482e.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":40658898,"duration_in_seconds":2303}]},{"id":"ccfc6c74-07c5-471d-abd0-a06f05826f2c","title":"206: IRL at MicroConf","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-206","content_text":"Derrick and Ben share updates from the Castos recording booth at MicroConf Growth.","content_html":"Derrick and Ben share updates from the Castos recording booth at MicroConf Growth.
","summary":"Derrick and Ben share updates from the Castos recording booth at MicroConf Growth.","date_published":"2022-04-06T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/ccfc6c74-07c5-471d-abd0-a06f05826f2c.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":30231796,"duration_in_seconds":1652}]},{"id":"004702de-50cb-4bf4-a10d-d05813e51968","title":"205: Wathan Stops By","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-205","content_text":"Our favorite Canadian drops by to talk mobility, fancy A/V setups, what's next for Tailwind UI, and how we'll never find peace of mind.","content_html":"Our favorite Canadian drops by to talk mobility, fancy A/V setups, what's next for Tailwind UI, and how we'll never find peace of mind.
","summary":"Our favorite Canadian drops by to talk mobility, fancy A/V setups, what's next for Tailwind UI, and how we'll never find peace of mind.","date_published":"2022-03-30T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/004702de-50cb-4bf4-a10d-d05813e51968.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":57189091,"duration_in_seconds":3336}]},{"id":"ae6b05eb-4df4-4ea6-9940-099aa0e417d8","title":"204: Miscellanea","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-204","content_text":"Ben and Derrick riff on a variety of topics, including coffee brewing, retreats, MicroConf, design, finding business ideas, and interesting subreddits.\n\nLinks:\n\n\nSweet Maria's\nMicroConf\nFinding My Next Bootstrapped Business Idea\nThe Stair Step Approach to Bootstrapping\nfatFIRE\nOneBag - The Art of Minimalist Travel\n","content_html":"Ben and Derrick riff on a variety of topics, including coffee brewing, retreats, MicroConf, design, finding business ideas, and interesting subreddits.
\n\nLinks:
\n\nThe Tuple team has recently grown by three team members! Ben is looking forward to getting the Linux client out the door in the next month. Derrick is staying busy moving SavvyCal forward and bringing his new developer into the app.
","summary":"The Tuple team has recently grown by three team members! Ben is looking forward to getting the Linux client out the door in the next month. Derrick is staying busy moving SavvyCal forward and bringing his new developer into the app.","date_published":"2022-03-16T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/0ef1b2f4-4997-4983-b1ed-0ffa516a3ad5.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":42366731,"duration_in_seconds":2410}]},{"id":"4b6e9156-0d00-4b59-beb4-59903148a4d3","title":"202: The Art and Pain of Design","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-202","content_text":"Ben talks to Brian Lovin, a designer, podcaster, writer, and software tinkerer.","content_html":"Ben talks to Brian Lovin, a designer, podcaster, writer, and software tinkerer.
","summary":"Ben talks to Brian Lovin, a designer, podcaster, writer, and software tinkerer.","date_published":"2022-03-09T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/4b6e9156-0d00-4b59-beb4-59903148a4d3.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":60170404,"duration_in_seconds":3523}]},{"id":"31f9f695-b8e5-4d97-9f33-da7360875408","title":"201: Getting Things Done with Stephen Dolan","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-201","content_text":"Ben and Derrick chat with Tuple's Chief of Staff and GTD expert, Stephen Dolan. They discuss Stephen's path from programming to sales to his current role and nerd out over methods for staying productive.","content_html":"Ben and Derrick chat with Tuple's Chief of Staff and GTD expert, Stephen Dolan. They discuss Stephen's path from programming to sales to his current role and nerd out over methods for staying productive.
","summary":"Ben and Derrick chat with Tuple's Chief of Staff and GTD expert, Stephen Dolan. They discuss Stephen's path from programming to sales to his current role and nerd out over methods for staying productive.","date_published":"2022-03-02T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/31f9f695-b8e5-4d97-9f33-da7360875408.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":70536597,"duration_in_seconds":4170}]},{"id":"4361137a-ff2f-419c-8361-e4b3b6143ce4","title":"200: The 200th Episode!","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-200","content_text":"Ben recently had a Tuple team retreat. He is still in hiring mode. The Tuple product team is progressing on their Linux integration. \n\nDerrick ran a product-market fit survey for SavvyCal, and the results are... \ntune in to find out. He's pondering how to approach a freemium play.","content_html":"Ben recently had a Tuple team retreat. He is still in hiring mode. The Tuple product team is progressing on their Linux integration.
\n\nDerrick ran a product-market fit survey for SavvyCal, and the results are...
\ntune in to find out. He's pondering how to approach a freemium play.
Ben & Derrick chat with Courtland Allen from Indie Hackers. They discuss the challenges of building a community and finding fulfillment in work, among a variety of other topics.
\n\nResources:
\n Indie Hackers
\nSavvyCal
\nTuple
Derrick and Ben catch-up about what's going on at Tuple and SavvyCal. Derrick had a fun customer experience on Twitter last week. Ben is still in hiring mode.
","summary":"Derrick and Ben catch up about what's going on at Tuple and SavvyCal. Derrick had a fun customer experience on Twitter last week. Ben is still in hiring mode.","date_published":"2022-01-26T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/c1379e65-e6ba-4e13-8934-b9ada6fee155.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":35573722,"duration_in_seconds":1985}]},{"id":"100798e3-6542-4382-844f-90387c5fb38d","title":"197: Growth Mindset","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-197","content_text":"Derrick & Ben catch up after a few weeks away for the holidays. Ben is still in hiring mode. He's considering ways to do more teaching (something he used to do a lot when he was a programmer by trade). Derrick is planning to be more intentional in fostering a growth mindset this year in business and life.","content_html":"Derrick & Ben catch up after a few weeks away for the holidays. Ben is still in hiring mode. He's considering ways to do more teaching (something he used to do a lot when he was a programmer by trade). Derrick is planning to be more intentional in fostering a growth mindset this year in business and life.
","summary":"Derrick & Ben catch up after a few weeks away for the holidays. Ben is still in hiring mode. He's considering ways to do more teaching (something he used to do a lot when he was a programmer by trade). Derrick is planning to be more intentional in fostering a growth mindset this year in business and life.","date_published":"2022-01-12T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/100798e3-6542-4382-844f-90387c5fb38d.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":35342242,"duration_in_seconds":1971}]},{"id":"e3e9620a-6192-4073-891d-4343c630e75f","title":"196: The Hedonic Treadmill","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-196","content_text":"Ben & Derrick chat about doing what you love versus doing what the business needs.","content_html":"Ben & Derrick chat about doing what you love versus doing what the business needs.
","summary":"Ben & Derrick chat about doing what you love versus doing what the business needs.","date_published":"2021-12-22T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/e3e9620a-6192-4073-891d-4343c630e75f.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":37483318,"duration_in_seconds":2105}]},{"id":"c2b0c49c-735d-4847-b2ee-cebbf6b7c454","title":"195: Metric Obsession","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-195","content_text":"Ben and Derrick catch up after a holiday break. Ben chats about his recent design hire and Stephen's promotion to Chief of Staff at Tuple. Derrick ran a successful Black Friday promo for SavvyCal and is hard at work on the Stripe integration.","content_html":"Ben and Derrick catch up after a holiday break. Ben chats about his recent design hire and Stephen's promotion to Chief of Staff at Tuple. Derrick ran a successful Black Friday promo for SavvyCal and is hard at work on the Stripe integration.
","summary":"Ben and Derrick catch up after a holiday break. Ben chats about his recent design hire and Stephen's promotion to Chief of Staff at Tuple. Derrick ran a successful Black Friday promo for SavvyCal and is hard at work on the Stripe integration.","date_published":"2021-12-08T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/c2b0c49c-735d-4847-b2ee-cebbf6b7c454.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":38158097,"duration_in_seconds":2147}]},{"id":"e135c48c-5bc3-44f5-ab46-e29f252e0cec","title":"194: The Future of AoP","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-194","content_text":"Ben and Derrick plan for the future of the podcast.","content_html":"Ben and Derrick plan for the future of the podcast.
","summary":"Ben and Derrick plan for the future of the podcast.","date_published":"2021-12-01T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/e135c48c-5bc3-44f5-ab46-e29f252e0cec.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":39322562,"duration_in_seconds":2220}]},{"id":"4d22663a-2ec6-4d71-af5c-289778bfb9a9","title":"193: Feeling Ambitious","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-193","content_text":"Ben and Derrick chat about their ambitions for building their companies and planning for the new year.","content_html":"Ben and Derrick chat about their ambitions for building their companies and planning for the new year.
","summary":"Ben and Derrick chat about their ambitions for building their companies and planning for the new year.","date_published":"2021-11-17T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/4d22663a-2ec6-4d71-af5c-289778bfb9a9.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":38105424,"duration_in_seconds":2143}]},{"id":"405b4f0c-a1b6-4417-9318-fe1ba7cc2abd","title":"192: This Is Not A Fire Drill","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-192","content_text":"Ben tells the story about a recent Tuple incident in production. The guys discuss how they're putting planning into action after last week's chat with Adam about Shape Up. Derrick gives an update about growth efforts for SavvyCal.","content_html":"Ben tells the story about a recent Tuple incident in production. The guys discuss how they're putting planning into action after last week's chat with Adam about Shape Up. Derrick gives an update about growth efforts for SavvyCal.
","summary":"Ben tells the story about a recent Tuple incident in production. The guys discuss how they're putting planning into action after last week's chat with Adam about Shape Up. Derrick gives an update about growth efforts for SavvyCal.","date_published":"2021-11-10T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/405b4f0c-a1b6-4417-9318-fe1ba7cc2abd.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":46835398,"duration_in_seconds":2689}]},{"id":"22931a10-78e9-4793-922f-5dce3f6a62d3","title":"191: Shaping Up with Adam Wathan","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-191","content_text":"Ben and Derrick talk to Adam about how to effectively plan and organize work.","content_html":"Ben and Derrick talk to Adam about how to effectively plan and organize work.
","summary":"Ben and Derrick talk to Adam about how to effectively plan and organize work.","date_published":"2021-11-03T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/22931a10-78e9-4793-922f-5dce3f6a62d3.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":67282239,"duration_in_seconds":3967}]},{"id":"8bf06617-3b52-46fc-a133-cd51ae713963","title":"190: Unpacking Stripe, Continued","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-190","content_text":"Penelope Phippen is back on the show to continue the conversation from Episode 180 about how Stripe does with it does.","content_html":"Penelope Phippen is back on the show to continue the conversation from Episode 180 about how Stripe does with it does.
","summary":"Penelope Phippen is back on the show to continue the conversation from Episode 180 about how Stripe does with it does.","date_published":"2021-10-20T08:15:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/8bf06617-3b52-46fc-a133-cd51ae713963.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":52991635,"duration_in_seconds":3074}]},{"id":"4ed0e174-b2ce-4606-bf37-11ab47bbc908","title":"189: Back In The Saddle","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-189","content_text":"Ben is back home from the Vineyard and Derrick is back to 100%. Tuple is hiring a Product Designer and considering adding a bit more structure to their product planning process. Derrick recently shipped a new marketing site update","content_html":"Ben is back home from the Vineyard and Derrick is back to 100%. Tuple is hiring a Product Designer and considering adding a bit more structure to their product planning process. Derrick recently shipped a new marketing site update
","summary":"Ben is back home from the Vineyard and Derrick is back to 100%. Tuple is hiring a Product Designer and considering adding a bit more structure to their product planning process. Derrick recently shipped a new marketing site update","date_published":"2021-10-13T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/4ed0e174-b2ce-4606-bf37-11ab47bbc908.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":39791808,"duration_in_seconds":2249}]},{"id":"5b0b3b05-1225-4f4d-ba73-6727c958c627","title":"188: Priorities, Priorities","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-188","content_text":"Ben and Derrick strategize about how to allocate time and energy and staying in tune with customers.","content_html":"Ben and Derrick strategize about how to allocate time and energy and staying in tune with customers.
","summary":"Ben and Derrick strategize about how to allocate time and energy and staying in tune with customers.","date_published":"2021-10-06T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/5b0b3b05-1225-4f4d-ba73-6727c958c627.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":40715265,"duration_in_seconds":2307}]},{"id":"0bb16ef1-e242-478b-8acb-a191151af117","title":"187: Wait, There Are How Many Time Zones?!","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-187","content_text":"Ben and team are preparing to officially designate Tuple 1.0! Derrick is working on embedding SavvyCal more deeply in customers' workflows and is digging more moats around time zone handling.","content_html":"Ben and team are preparing to officially designate Tuple 1.0! Derrick is working on embedding SavvyCal more deeply in customers' workflows and is digging more moats around time zone handling.
","summary":"Ben and the team are preparing to officially designate Tuple 1.0! Derrick is working on embedding SavvyCal more deeply in customers' workflows and is digging more moats around time zone handling.","date_published":"2021-09-22T14:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/0bb16ef1-e242-478b-8acb-a191151af117.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":43870417,"duration_in_seconds":2504}]},{"id":"e3a7d578-82f6-4f25-adbd-0ce24a7ed0a0","title":"186: Investing In The Core","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-186","content_text":"Ben is back on Martha's Vineyard enjoying some partial days off. The Tuple team just shipped a major overhaul of the app internals with better performance and less CPU usage. Derrick has been doing a bit of housekeeping & maintenance work to make the core SavvyCal offering even smoother.","content_html":"Ben is back on Martha's Vineyard enjoying some partial days off. The Tuple team just shipped a major overhaul of the app internals with better performance and less CPU usage. Derrick has been doing a bit of housekeeping & maintenance work to make the core SavvyCal offering even smoother.
","summary":"Ben is back on Martha's Vineyard enjoying some partial days off. The Tuple team just shipped a major overhaul of the app internals with better performance and less CPU usage. Derrick has been doing a bit of housekeeping & maintenance work to make the core SavvyCal offering even smoother.","date_published":"2021-09-15T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/e3a7d578-82f6-4f25-adbd-0ce24a7ed0a0.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":39062746,"duration_in_seconds":2204}]},{"id":"6e9c190d-1832-43b4-b741-64edf917280c","title":"185: Incremental Improvements","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-185","content_text":"Ben is hanging out with two new team members in the office this week. The Tuple team is preparing to ship some big performance upgrades. Derrick launched the SavvyCal iCloud integration on Product Hunt","content_html":"Ben is hanging out with two new team members in the office this week. The Tuple team is preparing to ship some big performance upgrades. Derrick launched the SavvyCal iCloud integration on Product Hunt
","summary":"Ben is hanging out with two new team members in the office this week. The Tuple team is preparing to ship some big performance upgrades. Derrick launched the SavvyCal iCloud integration on Product Hunt","date_published":"2021-09-01T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/6e9c190d-1832-43b4-b741-64edf917280c.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":28616281,"duration_in_seconds":1551}]},{"id":"a55a0c13-a9ec-40ae-a8de-d7482c297fd4","title":"184: Delete Your Backlog?","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-184","content_text":"Ben and Derrick have been recharging with some vacation time the last few weeks. Ben is excited to onboard his new sales hire. Derrick shipped a Fastmail calendar integration and released a Zapier integration. The guys discuss the merits of having and tending to a backlog.\n\nDerrick could use your help getting to 50 active Zapier integrations! Create a Zap here","content_html":"Ben and Derrick have been recharging with some vacation time the last few weeks. Ben is excited to onboard his new sales hire. Derrick shipped a Fastmail calendar integration and released a Zapier integration. The guys discuss the merits of having and tending to a backlog.
\n\nDerrick could use your help getting to 50 active Zapier integrations! Create a Zap here
","summary":"Ben and Derrick have been recharging with some vacation time the last few weeks. Ben is excited to onboard his new sales hire. Derrick shipped a Fastmail calendar integration and released a Zapier integration. The guys discuss the merits of having and tending to a backlog.\r\n\r\nDerrick could use your help getting to 50 active Zapier integrations! ","date_published":"2021-08-25T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/a55a0c13-a9ec-40ae-a8de-d7482c297fd4.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":49377773,"duration_in_seconds":2848}]},{"id":"ba082451-b0fb-4e21-b2d1-bbce61e915a7","title":"183: Soaking In Nature","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-183","content_text":"Ben is excited to onboard a new team member to help with sales and customer success. Derrick shipped iCloud integration for SavvyCal and is continuing the shipping spree. Both have recently had the opportunity to spend some time in nature on lakes and rivers.","content_html":"Ben is excited to onboard a new team member to help with sales and customer success. Derrick shipped iCloud integration for SavvyCal and is continuing the shipping spree. Both have recently had the opportunity to spend some time in nature on lakes and rivers.
","summary":"Ben is excited to onboard a new team member to help with sales and customer success. Derrick shipped iCloud integration for SavvyCal and is continuing the shipping spree. Both have recently had the opportunity to spend some time in nature on lakes and rivers.","date_published":"2021-08-11T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/ba082451-b0fb-4e21-b2d1-bbce61e915a7.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":39552411,"duration_in_seconds":2424}]},{"id":"be47dcd4-11ef-4ae3-9c42-c004cdc9bfd2","title":"182: Cutting Churn","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-182","content_text":"Ben hired a new engineer to help with technical support and learn the ropes on native development. Derrick is thinking about strategies for reducing churn.","content_html":"Ben hired a new engineer to help with technical support and learn the ropes on native development. Derrick is thinking about strategies for reducing churn.
","summary":"Ben hired a new engineer to help with technical support and learn the ropes on native development. Derrick is thinking about strategies for reducing churn.","date_published":"2021-07-28T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/be47dcd4-11ef-4ae3-9c42-c004cdc9bfd2.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":27726275,"duration_in_seconds":1684}]},{"id":"a34fd751-e292-44ea-bd59-19874361caf6","title":"181: On A Shipping Spree","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-181","content_text":"At last, Ben found someone for the sales/customer success role at Tuple. Derrick is on a shipping spree with SavvyCal.","content_html":"At last, Ben found someone for the sales/customer success role at Tuple. Derrick is on a shipping spree with SavvyCal.
","summary":"At last, Ben found someone for the sales/customer success role at Tuple. Derrick is on a shipping spree with SavvyCal.","date_published":"2021-07-21T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/a34fd751-e292-44ea-bd59-19874361caf6.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":36420272,"duration_in_seconds":2228}]},{"id":"d7c44907-c74d-41ed-92c8-e373cad8575d","title":"180: Unpacking Stripe with Penelope Phippen","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-180","content_text":"Ben & Derrick chat with Penelope Phippen all about how Stripe continues to relentlessly ship high-quality software. P.S. Stripe is hiring!","content_html":"Ben & Derrick chat with Penelope Phippen all about how Stripe continues to relentlessly ship high-quality software. P.S. Stripe is hiring!
","summary":"Ben & Derrick chat with Penelope Phippen all about how Stripe continues to relentlessly ship high-quality software. P.S. Stripe is hiring!","date_published":"2021-07-14T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/d7c44907-c74d-41ed-92c8-e373cad8575d.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":57407309,"duration_in_seconds":3539}]},{"id":"6866c402-681c-4112-b2f3-e08fd5c799a6","title":"179: Riffing on Reform ","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-179","content_text":"Derrick is joined by Peter Suhm, founder of Reform, to share some updates and do some masterminding.","content_html":"Derrick is joined by Peter Suhm, founder of Reform, to share some updates and do some masterminding.
","summary":"Derrick is joined by Peter Suhm, founder of Reform, to share some updates and do some masterminding.","date_published":"2021-06-30T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/6866c402-681c-4112-b2f3-e08fd5c799a6.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":42484797,"duration_in_seconds":2607}]},{"id":"5e608cdb-b14d-42cb-a7cb-0ea4c31fe580","title":"178: Why Build A Business At All?","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-178","content_text":"Ben & Derrick have an impromptu chat with Adam Wathan about all things business.","content_html":"Ben & Derrick have an impromptu chat with Adam Wathan about all things business.
","summary":"Ben & Derrick have an impromptu chat with Adam Wathan about all things business.","date_published":"2021-06-23T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/5e608cdb-b14d-42cb-a7cb-0ea4c31fe580.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":52714099,"duration_in_seconds":3246}]},{"id":"a5fd299d-dc80-4726-9008-22e93d259419","title":"177: On The Frontier","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-177","content_text":"Ben and Derrick discuss shifting roles as their companies grow and evolve.","content_html":"Ben and Derrick discuss shifting roles as their companies grow and evolve.
","summary":"Ben and Derrick discuss shifting roles as their companies grow and evolve.","date_published":"2021-06-16T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/a5fd299d-dc80-4726-9008-22e93d259419.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":43649138,"duration_in_seconds":2680}]},{"id":"a8c454b4-7775-40e6-a03f-e839718d464b","title":"176: Making the Rounds","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-176","content_text":"Derrick has been sharing his story on various podcasts lately. Ben is continuing to refine his hiring process for the sales role at Tuple. Derrick is onboarding his first support hire and working on a delegated access feature for SavvyCal.","content_html":"Derrick has been sharing his story on various podcasts lately. Ben is continuing to refine his hiring process for the sales role at Tuple. Derrick is onboarding his first support hire and working on a delegated access feature for SavvyCal.
","summary":"Derrick has been sharing his story on various podcasts lately. Ben is continuing to refine his hiring process for the sales role at Tuple. Derrick is onboarding his first support hire and working on a delegated access feature for SavvyCal.\r\n","date_published":"2021-06-09T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/a8c454b4-7775-40e6-a03f-e839718d464b.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":37990089,"duration_in_seconds":2327}]},{"id":"7b6bf8c1-b36b-48c7-b8e6-ed3528707f8c","title":"175: Ben's Meetings","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-175","content_text":"Derrick & Ben share updates on where they are spending their time moving their businesses forward.","content_html":"Derrick & Ben share updates on where they are spending their time moving their businesses forward.
","summary":"Derrick & Ben share updates on where they are spending their time moving their businesses forward.","date_published":"2021-05-26T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/7b6bf8c1-b36b-48c7-b8e6-ed3528707f8c.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":24803407,"duration_in_seconds":1502}]},{"id":"c757c333-cc07-4fab-b75a-05b05cdd9cb7","title":"174: Everything Is A Vision Quest","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-174","content_text":"Ben and Derrick discuss the nature of making decisions in the businesses and growing their teams.","content_html":"Ben and Derrick discuss the nature of making decisions in the businesses and growing their teams.
","summary":"Ben and Derrick discuss the nature of making decisions in the businesses and growing their teams.\r\n","date_published":"2021-05-19T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/c757c333-cc07-4fab-b75a-05b05cdd9cb7.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":37527593,"duration_in_seconds":2148}]},{"id":"d2c30516-db7b-4009-b3f8-e07fa5a210b2","title":"173: Shreyas Doshi on Product Management","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-173","content_text":"Shreyas Doshi (Stripe, Twitter, Google) joins Ben and Derrick for a wide-ranging discussion on product management.","content_html":"Shreyas Doshi (Stripe, Twitter, Google) joins Ben and Derrick for a wide-ranging discussion on product management.
","summary":"Shreyas Doshi (Stripe, Twitter, Google) joins Ben and Derrick for a wide-ranging discussion on product management.","date_published":"2021-05-12T09:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/d2c30516-db7b-4009-b3f8-e07fa5a210b2.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":25004093,"duration_in_seconds":1514}]},{"id":"134a0845-5fd9-4b92-af34-8e1c796c650c","title":"172: Markidan on Marketing","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-172","content_text":"Ben interviews Len Markidan, CMO at Podia about hiring a Head of Marketing for Tuple. Job description: https://tuple.app/jobs/head-of-marketing","content_html":"Ben interviews Len Markidan, CMO at Podia about hiring a Head of Marketing for Tuple. Job description: https://tuple.app/jobs/head-of-marketing
","summary":"Ben interviews Len Markidan, CMO at Podia about hiring a Head of Marketing for Tuple. Job description: https://tuple.app/jobs/head-of-marketing","date_published":"2021-05-07T03:15:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/134a0845-5fd9-4b92-af34-8e1c796c650c.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":40907646,"duration_in_seconds":2556}]},{"id":"2117c292-8f1e-4ac4-81a1-600756a5c32b","title":"171: Humans Have A Lot of Drawbacks","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-171","content_text":"Ben and Derrick discuss hiring support engineers and philosophies around customer support in general. They go deep on the topic of investing in your business, diversification, and allocating assets.","content_html":"Ben and Derrick discuss hiring support engineers and philosophies around customer support in general. They go deep on the topic of investing in your business, diversification, and allocating assets.
","summary":"Ben and Derrick discuss hiring support engineers and philosophies around customer support in general. They go deep on the topic of investing in your business, diversification, and allocating assets.","date_published":"2021-04-28T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/2117c292-8f1e-4ac4-81a1-600756a5c32b.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":55699060,"duration_in_seconds":3243}]},{"id":"b364da26-58e9-4c11-9c24-fa8ca261e762","title":"170: Beautifully, Wonderfully Dissatisfied Customers","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-170","content_text":"The Tuple team is close to shipping true 3-player mode without host & observer role limitations. Derrick launched the Outlook integration this week and is working on a bunch of smaller tasks that have been accruing the past month. ","content_html":"The Tuple team is close to shipping true 3-player mode without host & observer role limitations. Derrick launched the Outlook integration this week and is working on a bunch of smaller tasks that have been accruing the past month.
","summary":"The Tuple team is close to shipping true 3-player mode without host & observer role limitations. Derrick launched the Outlook integration this week and is working on a bunch of smaller tasks that have been accruing the past month. ","date_published":"2021-04-21T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/b364da26-58e9-4c11-9c24-fa8ca261e762.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":37533201,"duration_in_seconds":2107}]},{"id":"d08cbd7c-bd9e-4c94-ad00-4d7854f49b55","title":"169: The Startup Rollercoaster","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-169","content_text":"Ben & Derrick chat about dealing with ups & downs in business, finding enough, decoupling fulfillment from business metrics, knowledge archival, dealing with feature requests, and slew of other topics.","content_html":"Ben & Derrick chat about dealing with ups & downs in business, finding enough, decoupling fulfillment from business metrics, knowledge archival, dealing with feature requests, and slew of other topics.
","summary":"Ben & Derrick chat about dealing with ups & downs in business, finding enough, decoupling fulfillment from business metrics, knowledge archival, dealing with feature requests, and slew of other topics.","date_published":"2021-04-14T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/d08cbd7c-bd9e-4c94-ad00-4d7854f49b55.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":39989936,"duration_in_seconds":2261}]},{"id":"1e367c02-1a1f-4579-b79e-a0e455b5cf6b","title":"168: I'd Rather Commit Sins of Overambition","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-168","content_text":"Ben & Derrick brainstorm a \"rooms\" feature for Tuple. Derrick is getting close to wrapping up the SavvyCal Outlook integration. Ben shares highlights from their latest team retreat and teases some new plans for later this year.","content_html":"Ben & Derrick brainstorm a "rooms" feature for Tuple. Derrick is getting close to wrapping up the SavvyCal Outlook integration. Ben shares highlights from their latest team retreat and teases some new plans for later this year.
","summary":"Ben & Derrick brainstorm a \"rooms\" feature for Tuple. Derrick is getting close to wrapping up the SavvyCal Outlook integration. Ben shares highlights from their latest team retreat and teases some new plans for later this year.","date_published":"2021-04-07T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/1e367c02-1a1f-4579-b79e-a0e455b5cf6b.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":67427120,"duration_in_seconds":2649}]},{"id":"db50e211-89a7-4d01-b9ce-a459d7747541","title":"167: Crossing $10k","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-167","content_text":"SavvyCal crossed an important SaaS milestone this week. Ben is continuing to delegate more responsibilities to his team and redefine his role with the company. The guys talk about Gumroad's recent crowdfunding and Derrick's recent experience with Stripe Capital.","content_html":"SavvyCal crossed an important SaaS milestone this week. Ben is continuing to delegate more responsibilities to his team and redefine his role with the company. The guys talk about Gumroad's recent crowdfunding and Derrick's recent experience with Stripe Capital.
","summary":"SavvyCal crossed an important SaaS milestone this week. Ben is continuing to delegate more responsibilities to his team and redefine his role with the company. The guys talk about Gumroad's recent crowdfunding and Derrick's recent experience with Stripe Capital.","date_published":"2021-04-01T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/db50e211-89a7-4d01-b9ce-a459d7747541.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":36765514,"duration_in_seconds":2060}]},{"id":"d0e4f933-cba2-4819-bceb-4b62676c81d5","title":"166: Hello from Linux","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-166","content_text":"The Tuple team made their first \"Hello world\" audio call from the new Linux client. Ben and Derrick talk through complex team billing structures. Derrick had a stressful couple of days when the Google Calendar API started misbehaving and daylight saving time rolled over.","content_html":"The Tuple team made their first "Hello world" audio call from the new Linux client. Ben and Derrick talk through complex team billing structures. Derrick had a stressful couple of days when the Google Calendar API started misbehaving and daylight saving time rolled over.
","summary":"The Tuple team made their first \"Hello world\" audio call from the new Linux client. Ben and Derrick talk through complex team billing structures. Derrick had a stressful couple of days when the Google Calendar API started misbehaving and daylight saving time rolled over.","date_published":"2021-03-25T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/d0e4f933-cba2-4819-bceb-4b62676c81d5.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":36968714,"duration_in_seconds":2070}]},{"id":"73c16400-367f-4b2e-a506-8517686139a5","title":"165: The Art of Negotiation","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-165","content_text":"Ben and Derrick chat about tools for collaboration and their recent experiences with negotiating deals. Ben wants to level up this year on the marketing front. Work is underway on the SavvyCal integration with Outlook Calendar.","content_html":"Ben and Derrick chat about tools for collaboration and their recent experiences with negotiating deals. Ben wants to level up this year on the marketing front. Work is underway on the SavvyCal integration with Outlook Calendar.
","summary":"Ben and Derrick chat about tools for collaboration and their recent experiences with negotiating deals. Ben wants to level up this year on the marketing front. Work is underway on the SavvyCal integration with Outlook Calendar.","date_published":"2021-03-18T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/73c16400-367f-4b2e-a506-8517686139a5.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":36747386,"duration_in_seconds":2057}]},{"id":"6b7a1ba8-0873-4f0d-bf01-fd146602b26d","title":"164: We Love A Good Null Constraint","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-164","content_text":"Ben and Derrick chat about joy of shipping features quickly that customers love. They also discuss architecting software to minimize painful changes in the future. The Tuple team is making progress on the Linux client and SavvyCal is working on an Outlook integration.","content_html":"Ben and Derrick chat about joy of shipping features quickly that customers love. They also discuss architecting software to minimize painful changes in the future. The Tuple team is making progress on the Linux client and SavvyCal is working on an Outlook integration.
","summary":"Ben and Derrick chat about joy of shipping features quickly that customers love. They also discuss architecting software to minimize painful changes in the future. The Tuple team is making progress on the Linux client and SavvyCal is working on an Outlook integration.","date_published":"2021-03-11T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/6b7a1ba8-0873-4f0d-bf01-fd146602b26d.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":31217371,"duration_in_seconds":1713}]},{"id":"c6360736-23e2-4384-a003-7c428e3c79b0","title":"163: Catching Up With Paul Jarvis","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-163","content_text":"Ben and Derrick hang out and talk shop with Paul Jarvis, co-founder of Fathom Analytics.","content_html":"Ben and Derrick hang out and talk shop with Paul Jarvis, co-founder of Fathom Analytics.
","summary":"Ben and Derrick hang out and talk shop with Paul Jarvis, co-founder of Fathom Analytics.","date_published":"2021-03-04T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/c6360736-23e2-4384-a003-7c428e3c79b0.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":52461405,"duration_in_seconds":3038}]},{"id":"f9075f50-d410-4be2-9707-389e22883b16","title":"162: Do You Even Clubhouse?","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-162","content_text":"Ben is working on refining the Tuple company operating system. Derrick reflects on the kind of company he hopes to build and the merits of growing & managing a team vs staying tiny. The guys share their take on Clubhouse.","content_html":"Ben is working on refining the Tuple company operating system. Derrick reflects on the kind of company he hopes to build and the merits of growing & managing a team vs staying tiny. The guys share their take on Clubhouse.
","summary":"Ben is working on refining the Tuple company operating system. Derrick reflects on the kind of company he hopes to build and the merits of growing & managing a team vs staying tiny. The guys share their take on Clubhouse.","date_published":"2021-02-25T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/f9075f50-d410-4be2-9707-389e22883b16.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":37656633,"duration_in_seconds":2115}]},{"id":"f5f2e627-1d13-486f-bdc8-c109b12f54b9","title":"161: The Podia Operating System","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-161","content_text":"This week, Ben chats with Spencer Fry, CEO and Founder of Podia. Spencer's smart. You should probably listen to him.","content_html":"This week, Ben chats with Spencer Fry, CEO and Founder of Podia. Spencer's smart. You should probably listen to him.
","summary":"This week, Ben chats with Spencer Fry, CEO and Founder of Podia. They discuss the processes they've evolved to run a swiftly-growing, successful company.","date_published":"2021-02-18T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/f5f2e627-1d13-486f-bdc8-c109b12f54b9.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":40378319,"duration_in_seconds":2285}]},{"id":"d8f77928-fdd9-43a2-865d-b59afdb50f56","title":"160: Digging Moats","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-160","content_text":"The Tuple team is releasing a batch of nice improvements and gearing up for taking on the Linux client project. Ben touched some code recently. Derrick is knocking out a swath of small features that customers have been requesting and is getting closer to building more calendar integrations.","content_html":"The Tuple team is releasing a batch of nice improvements and gearing up for taking on the Linux client project. Ben touched some code recently. Derrick is knocking out a swath of small features that customers have been requesting and is getting closer to building more calendar integrations.
","summary":"The Tuple team is releasing a batch of nice improvements and gearing up for taking on the Linux client project. Ben touched some code recently. Derrick is knocking out a swath of small features that customers have been requesting and is getting closer to building more calendar integrations.","date_published":"2021-02-04T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/d8f77928-fdd9-43a2-865d-b59afdb50f56.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":29568547,"duration_in_seconds":1610}]},{"id":"c121f760-af73-44d7-a284-a7fe7d9cf45f","title":"159: Does Tuple Ever Crash?","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-159","content_text":"Tuple's latest release is the least crashy of them all! The team is gearing up for the Linux client and feeling energized to take on the challenge. SavvyCal is now officially Derrick's highest grossing independent SaaS endeavor. They are launching a \"buy out your annual Calendly subscription\" campaign this week.","content_html":"Tuple's latest release is the least crashy of them all! The team is gearing up for the Linux client and feeling energized to take on the challenge. SavvyCal is now officially Derrick's highest grossing independent SaaS endeavor. They are launching a "buy out your annual Calendly subscription" campaign this week.
","summary":"Tuple's latest release is the least crashy of them all! The team is gearing up for the Linux client and feeling energized to take on the challenge. SavvyCal is now officially Derrick's highest grossing independent SaaS endeavor. They are launching a \"buy out your annual Calendly subscription\" campaign this week.","date_published":"2021-01-28T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/c121f760-af73-44d7-a284-a7fe7d9cf45f.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":34767849,"duration_in_seconds":1935}]},{"id":"e69d7ac3-9006-41aa-a6ac-f3e69dfd786b","title":"158: There's Nothing Like a Sharp Knife","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-158","content_text":"Derrick & Ben chat about health, hobbits, and habits. Derrick reveals more numbers from the Product Hunt launch and talks through upcoming plans for the product.\n\nLinks:\nSweet Maria's\nKen Onion Knife Sharpener\nProduct Hunt listing","content_html":"Derrick & Ben chat about health, hobbits, and habits. Derrick reveals more numbers from the Product Hunt launch and talks through upcoming plans for the product.
\n\nLinks:
\nSweet Maria's
\nKen Onion Knife Sharpener
\nProduct Hunt listing
The SavvyCal launch on Product Hunt was a success! Derrick chronicles the story of the launch and some early results. The Tuple team wrapped up their retreat and has decided to build a Linux client in 2021.
\n\nThis podcast won Best Podcast from the SaaS Podcast Awards! Thank you to all our listeners who supported us!
","summary":"The SavvyCal launch on Product Hunt was a success! Derrick chronicles the story of the launch and some early results. The Tuple team wrapped up their retreat and has decided to build a Linux client in 2021.\r\n\r\nThis podcast won Best Podcast from the SaaS Podcast Awards! Thank you to all our listeners who supported us!","date_published":"2021-01-14T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/b824a373-cc8d-46f8-94cd-b0299e84d796.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":30284453,"duration_in_seconds":1654}]},{"id":"0c94a1ad-c680-4a77-b82f-ce32d691ecfa","title":"156: Reflections on 2020","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-156","content_text":"Ben & Derrick reflect on their journeys the past year and their plans for 2021.","content_html":"Ben & Derrick reflect on their journeys the past year and their plans for 2021.
","summary":"Ben & Derrick reflect on their journeys the past year and their plans for 2021.","date_published":"2021-01-07T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/0c94a1ad-c680-4a77-b82f-ce32d691ecfa.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":48432872,"duration_in_seconds":2787}]},{"id":"2c597c40-6214-4fdc-8de7-69d9dd9cc6f9","title":"155: How Do You Buy A New Habit?","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-155","content_text":"Ben wants to build a meditation habit and is considering ways to facilitate that. Tuple is still searching for a product designer. Derrick & Ben both saw success with their year-end annual upgrade promotions. Derrick is planning a Product Hunt launch in early January.","content_html":"Ben wants to build a meditation habit and is considering ways to facilitate that. Tuple is still searching for a product designer. Derrick & Ben both saw success with their year-end annual upgrade promotions. Derrick is planning a Product Hunt launch in early January.
","summary":"Ben wants to build a meditation habit and is considering ways to facilitate that. Tuple is still searching for a product designer. Derrick & Ben both saw success with their year-end annual upgrade promotions. Derrick is planning a Product Hunt launch in early January.","date_published":"2020-12-31T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/2c597c40-6214-4fdc-8de7-69d9dd9cc6f9.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":39689216,"duration_in_seconds":2242}]},{"id":"2bef1208-738a-4e77-964c-a364810a4993","title":"154: Courtland Allen Must Be Stopped","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-154","content_text":"We're nominated for the SaaS Podcast Awards - go vote! The guys muse about the clever marketing behind the awards and their fellow nominee Courtland Allen's unfair charm & good looks. Ben talks through a shared clipboard feature he is shaping for Tuple. Derrick shipped a bunch of marketing projects this past week.","content_html":"We're nominated for the SaaS Podcast Awards - go vote! The guys muse about the clever marketing behind the awards and their fellow nominee Courtland Allen's unfair charm & good looks. Ben talks through a shared clipboard feature he is shaping for Tuple. Derrick shipped a bunch of marketing projects this past week.
","summary":"We're nominated for the SaaS Podcast Awards - go vote! The guys muse about the clever marketing behind the awards and their fellow nominee Courtland Allen's unfair charm & good looks. Ben talks through a shared clipboard feature he is shaping for Tuple. Derrick shipped a bunch of marketing projects this past week.","date_published":"2020-12-17T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/2bef1208-738a-4e77-964c-a364810a4993.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":42068650,"duration_in_seconds":2388}]},{"id":"e7e36377-50f5-412c-b0c9-37ec8e300cd7","title":"153: The Value of Coaching","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-153","content_text":"The Tuple team is finishing up 3-player mode. Ben is continuing to derive value out of coaching (this time with video games). Derrick shipped a 7-day free trial for SavvyCal and competitor comparison pages.","content_html":"The Tuple team is finishing up 3-player mode. Ben is continuing to derive value out of coaching (this time with video games). Derrick shipped a 7-day free trial for SavvyCal and competitor comparison pages.
","summary":"The Tuple team is finishing up 3-player mode. Ben is continuing to derive value out of coaching (this time with video games). Derrick shipped a 7-day free trial for SavvyCal and competitor comparison pages.","date_published":"2020-12-10T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/e7e36377-50f5-412c-b0c9-37ec8e300cd7.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":32155642,"duration_in_seconds":1771}]},{"id":"b1baeca4-b47e-476c-9d4c-28b47ff5d891","title":"152: Default Alive By Spring","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-152","content_text":"Ben opened up a job listing for Senior Product Designer at Tuple. The Tuple team is working on full-featured multi-participant calls. Derrick shipped embedding SavvyCal links on websites and is working on a number of website updates with Corey. Derrick hopes to achieve default alive state by spring through a combination of marketing efforts.","content_html":"Ben opened up a job listing for Senior Product Designer at Tuple. The Tuple team is working on full-featured multi-participant calls. Derrick shipped embedding SavvyCal links on websites and is working on a number of website updates with Corey. Derrick hopes to achieve default alive state by spring through a combination of marketing efforts.
","summary":"Ben opened up a job listing for Senior Product Designer at Tuple. The Tuple team is working on full-featured multi-participant calls. Derrick shipped embedding SavvyCal links on websites and is working on a number of website updates with Corey. Derrick hopes to achieve default alive state by spring through a combination of marketing efforts.","date_published":"2020-11-26T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/b1baeca4-b47e-476c-9d4c-28b47ff5d891.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":37270126,"duration_in_seconds":2091}]},{"id":"cbd35ce6-ddfe-4aa6-bfe5-a79e32d21da7","title":"151: The One Comma Club","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-151","content_text":"Derrick reached an important revenue milestone for SavvyCal. Ben is looking forward to an upcoming Tuple retreat.","content_html":"Derrick reached an important revenue milestone for SavvyCal. Ben is looking forward to an upcoming Tuple retreat.
","summary":"Derrick reached an important revenue milestone for SavvyCal. Ben is looking forward to an upcoming Tuple retreat.","date_published":"2020-11-19T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/cbd35ce6-ddfe-4aa6-bfe5-a79e32d21da7.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":27472663,"duration_in_seconds":1479}]},{"id":"fbb14ef5-bf34-40d4-831d-b70174604753","title":"150: It's Like The Vinyl Of Telling Time","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-150","content_text":"Ben and Derrick discuss some recent instances of founder CEOs stepping down from their posts. Derrick is shipping a unique feature this week. Ben is trying (but failing) to avoid getting into antique watches.","content_html":"Ben and Derrick discuss some recent instances of founder CEOs stepping down from their posts. Derrick is shipping a unique feature this week. Ben is trying (but failing) to avoid getting into antique watches.
","summary":"Ben and Derrick discuss some recent instances of founder CEOs stepping down from their posts. Derrick is shipping a unique feature this week. Ben is trying (but failing) to avoid getting into antique watches.","date_published":"2020-11-12T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/fbb14ef5-bf34-40d4-831d-b70174604753.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":33671030,"duration_in_seconds":1867}]},{"id":"a48232f0-ef36-47a5-86a3-e4fce2b56339","title":"149: Check Your Business Privilege","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-149","content_text":"Derrick has found a new groove working in public again. Ben is polishing a job posting for a Senior Product Designer role at Tuple. The guys discuss long-term visions and harvesting profits vs. reinvesting in the business.","content_html":"Derrick has found a new groove working in public again. Ben is polishing a job posting for a Senior Product Designer role at Tuple. The guys discuss long-term visions and harvesting profits vs. reinvesting in the business.
","summary":"Derrick has found a new groove working in public again. Ben is polishing a job posting for a Senior Product Designer role at Tuple. The guys discuss long-term visions and harvesting profits vs. reinvesting in the business.","date_published":"2020-11-05T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/a48232f0-ef36-47a5-86a3-e4fce2b56339.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":43118676,"duration_in_seconds":2457}]},{"id":"87847e4c-712f-4c31-9cd1-5e45d92c3004","title":"148: No Design Survives Contact With The DOM","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-148","content_text":"Ben is enjoying working on marketing activities. Tuple is beginning their experiment of offering pairing coaching calls to customers. Derrick shipped a differentiating feature and received very positive response. A new part-time head of marketing is starting with SavvyCal in November. The guys opine about specialists vs. generalists.","content_html":"Ben is enjoying working on marketing activities. Tuple is beginning their experiment of offering pairing coaching calls to customers. Derrick shipped a differentiating feature and received very positive response. A new part-time head of marketing is starting with SavvyCal in November. The guys opine about specialists vs. generalists.
","summary":"Ben is enjoying working on marketing activities. Tuple is beginning their experiment of offering pairing coaching calls to customers. Derrick shipped a differentiating feature and received very positive response. A new part-time head of marketing is starting with SavvyCal in November. The guys opine about specialists vs. generalists.","date_published":"2020-10-29T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/87847e4c-712f-4c31-9cd1-5e45d92c3004.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":36480401,"duration_in_seconds":2042}]},{"id":"72a40493-4f47-43f1-9c67-f93b402a1362","title":"147: Incremental Shipping","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-147","content_text":"Derrick shipped the next part of team functionality, which opened the door for expansion revenue. Ben is zeroing in on hiring a pairing coach for Tuple customers. In his down time, Ben is taking up playing the piano - something his childhood self would be appalled about.","content_html":"Derrick shipped the next part of team functionality, which opened the door for expansion revenue. Ben is zeroing in on hiring a pairing coach for Tuple customers. In his down time, Ben is taking up playing the piano - something his childhood self would be appalled about.
","summary":"Derrick shipped the next part of team functionality, which opened the door for expansion revenue. Ben is zeroing in on hiring a pairing coach for Tuple customers. In his down time, Ben is taking up playing the piano - something his childhood self would be appalled about.","date_published":"2020-10-22T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/72a40493-4f47-43f1-9c67-f93b402a1362.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":32646211,"duration_in_seconds":1802}]},{"id":"1bd15da7-230a-414f-987b-cf7c86c94e19","title":"146: Growing Teams","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-146","content_text":"The Tuple team is contracting with Thoughtbot for pairing and leveling up their Rails skills. Derrick is working on team permissions and thinking about working with a marketer after wrapping up most of the work around the StaticKit sale.","content_html":"The Tuple team is contracting with Thoughtbot for pairing and leveling up their Rails skills. Derrick is working on team permissions and thinking about working with a marketer after wrapping up most of the work around the StaticKit sale.
","summary":"The Tuple team is contracting with Thoughtbot for pairing and leveling up their Rails skills. Derrick is working on team permissions and thinking about working with a marketer after wrapping up most of the work around the StaticKit sale.","date_published":"2020-10-15T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/1bd15da7-230a-414f-987b-cf7c86c94e19.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":31992818,"duration_in_seconds":1762}]},{"id":"ad08fca3-4a6e-438f-a372-cc7bb253b15a","title":"145: What's Next for StaticKit","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-145","content_text":"Derrick is joined by Cole Krumbholz to talk about Formspree's acquisition of StaticKit. They delve into Cole's history as a bootstrapped founder, dealing with competition, defining success, how the deal came together, and what's next for both products.","content_html":"Derrick is joined by Cole Krumbholz to talk about Formspree's acquisition of StaticKit. They delve into Cole's history as a bootstrapped founder, dealing with competition, defining success, how the deal came together, and what's next for both products.
","summary":"Derrick is joined by Cole Krumbholz to talk about Formspree's acquisition of StaticKit. They delve into Cole's history as a bootstrapped founder, dealing with competition, defining success, how the deal came together, and what's next for both products.","date_published":"2020-10-08T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/ad08fca3-4a6e-438f-a372-cc7bb253b15a.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":30629036,"duration_in_seconds":1676}]},{"id":"bb602045-b3cb-45ff-93e7-049d36aa6d3a","title":"144: Launching SavvyCal","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-144","content_text":"SavvyCal is officially launched! Derrick talks through how the launch went and how he's managing his freshly-restocked information pipeline. The Tuple team is nearing the finish line on their large upcoming release and recorded a \"peek behind the curtains\" screencast for customers.","content_html":"SavvyCal is officially launched! Derrick talks through how the launch went and how he's managing his freshly-restocked information pipeline. The Tuple team is nearing the finish line on their large upcoming release and recorded a "peek behind the curtains" screencast for customers.
","summary":"SavvyCal is officially launched! Derrick talks through how the launch went and how he's managing his freshly-restocked information pipeline. The Tuple team is nearing the finish line on their large upcoming release and recorded a \"peek behind the curtains\" screencast for customers.","date_published":"2020-09-24T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/bb602045-b3cb-45ff-93e7-049d36aa6d3a.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":39678353,"duration_in_seconds":2242}]},{"id":"30abca93-9f49-4e42-a102-0dddfa44eea8","title":"143: Networking Thoughts","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-143","content_text":"Ben is trying out Roam for organizing his notes. He shares some tips for engineers applying for jobs. After manually onboarding customers for a few weeks, Derrick is soft-launching SavvyCal to accelerate his learning from real-world customers.","content_html":"Ben is trying out Roam for organizing his notes. He shares some tips for engineers applying for jobs. After manually onboarding customers for a few weeks, Derrick is soft-launching SavvyCal to accelerate his learning from real-world customers.
","summary":"Ben is trying out Roam for organizing his notes. He shares some tips for engineers applying for jobs. After manually onboarding customers for a few weeks, Derrick is soft-launching SavvyCal to accelerate his learning from real-world customers.","date_published":"2020-09-17T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/30abca93-9f49-4e42-a102-0dddfa44eea8.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":35086234,"duration_in_seconds":1955}]},{"id":"d6627a35-35a5-4d52-8676-63149fbee0a2","title":"142: A Savvy Rebrand","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-142","content_text":"Ben reflects on their latest all-hands meeting and a major upcoming release that will improve the Tuple internals. Derrick recounts the Mighty Cal rebrand to SavvyCal.","content_html":"Ben reflects on their latest all-hands meeting and a major upcoming release that will improve the Tuple internals. Derrick recounts the Mighty Cal rebrand to SavvyCal.
","summary":"Ben reflects on their latest all-hands meeting and a major upcoming release that will improve the Tuple internals. Derrick recounts the Mighty Cal rebrand to SavvyCal.","date_published":"2020-09-10T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/d6627a35-35a5-4d52-8676-63149fbee0a2.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":35476630,"duration_in_seconds":1979}]},{"id":"59535343-24f0-4753-bbc2-e833625c2f00","title":"141: Hiring Optimally","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-141","content_text":"Derrick is continuing to manually onboard Mighty Cal users and is incorporating their feedback into the product. He is driving towards optimizing self-service onboarding to enable opening up signups more broadly. Ben is considering hiring a someone to optimize trial conversions. They discuss OKRs and what skills this person might need.","content_html":"Derrick is continuing to manually onboard Mighty Cal users and is incorporating their feedback into the product. He is driving towards optimizing self-service onboarding to enable opening up signups more broadly. Ben is considering hiring a someone to optimize trial conversions. They discuss OKRs and what skills this person might need.
","summary":"Derrick is continuing to manually onboard Mighty Cal users and is incorporating their feedback into the product. He is driving towards optimizing self-service onboarding to enable opening up signups more broadly. Ben is considering hiring a someone to optimize trial conversions. They discuss OKRs and what skills this person might need.","date_published":"2020-08-27T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/59535343-24f0-4753-bbc2-e833625c2f00.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":40925134,"duration_in_seconds":2319}]},{"id":"990b29c1-251d-4087-8f5f-45647a52a78c","title":"140: We Have Customers","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-140","content_text":"Ben is looking to hire a WebRTC expert to prepare Tuple for multi-way calls and continue improving performance. Derrick has onboarded a handful of paying Mighty Cal customers and is rapidly iterating on their feedback. Oh, and Ben has groceries now.","content_html":"Ben is looking to hire a WebRTC expert to prepare Tuple for multi-way calls and continue improving performance. Derrick has onboarded a handful of paying Mighty Cal customers and is rapidly iterating on their feedback. Oh, and Ben has groceries now.
","summary":"Ben is looking to hire a WebRTC expert to prepare Tuple for multi-way calls and continue improving performance. Derrick has onboarded a handful of paying Mighty Cal customers and is rapidly iterating on their feedback. Oh, and Ben has groceries now.","date_published":"2020-08-13T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/990b29c1-251d-4087-8f5f-45647a52a78c.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":30890936,"duration_in_seconds":1692}]},{"id":"981e6849-aa88-4309-9f57-dbc5b27d9444","title":"139: Efficiency Starts With Groceries","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-139","content_text":"Ben is taking his first day off in a while to recharge. He's experimenting with clustering calls on specific days to allow for more focus time on other days. Derrick finished the Zoom integration for Mighty Cal and experienced the joy (and sorrow) of onboarding his first outside user.","content_html":"Ben is taking his first day off in a while to recharge. He's experimenting with clustering calls on specific days to allow for more focus time on other days. Derrick finished the Zoom integration for Mighty Cal and experienced the joy (and sorrow) of onboarding his first outside user.
","summary":"Ben is taking his first day off in a while to recharge. He's experimenting with clustering calls on specific days to allow for more focus time on other days. Derrick finished the Zoom integration for Mighty Cal and experienced the joy (and sorrow) of onboarding his first outside user.","date_published":"2020-07-30T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/981e6849-aa88-4309-9f57-dbc5b27d9444.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":29547779,"duration_in_seconds":1608}]},{"id":"8701c3de-8a9e-4b5a-a6e8-508c4caa6cd1","title":"138: That's Not How Cults Work","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-138","content_text":"Derrick has officially begun using Mighty Cal for his own scheduling needs. He plans to start onboarding early users this week. The Zoom integration is underway. Ben is considering ways to compensate and incentivise Tuple hires. As Tuple keeps growing quickly, Ben continues to navigate decision fatigue and transitioning from individual contributor to business operator.","content_html":"Derrick has officially begun using Mighty Cal for his own scheduling needs. He plans to start onboarding early users this week. The Zoom integration is underway. Ben is considering ways to compensate and incentivise Tuple hires. As Tuple keeps growing quickly, Ben continues to navigate decision fatigue and transitioning from individual contributor to business operator.
","summary":"Derrick has officially begun using Mighty Cal for his own scheduling needs. He plans to start onboarding early users this week. The Zoom integration is underway. Ben is considering ways to compensate and incentives Tuple hires. As Tuple keeps growing quickly, Ben continues to navigate decision fatigue and transitioning from individual contributor to business operator.","date_published":"2020-07-23T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/8701c3de-8a9e-4b5a-a6e8-508c4caa6cd1.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":38583018,"duration_in_seconds":2173}]},{"id":"b70bc2ab-42ab-49fc-9470-19da05feb58c","title":"137: Approved!","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-137","content_text":"Mighty Cal received Google API verification this week, which was a critical blocker to onboarding users. Derrick worked on scheduling link personalization this week. The Tuple team revamped their call feedback form and are now receiving a broader spectrum of messages from customers.","content_html":"Mighty Cal received Google API verification this week, which was a critical blocker to onboarding users. Derrick worked on scheduling link personalization this week. The Tuple team revamped their call feedback form and are now receiving a broader spectrum of messages from customers.
","summary":"Mighty Cal received Google API verification this week, which was a critical blocker to onboarding users. Derrick worked on scheduling link personalization this week. The Tuple team revamped their call feedback form and are now receiving a broader spectrum of messages from customers.","date_published":"2020-07-16T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/b70bc2ab-42ab-49fc-9470-19da05feb58c.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":33468158,"duration_in_seconds":1854}]},{"id":"c3940754-5137-493c-9012-6783c8fed872","title":"136: Feedback Is Everything","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-136","content_text":"Ben ran his first all-hands meeting this week. Tuple got featured in a Stripe blog post about the customer portal feature that Tuple was beta testing. Ben has some observations about how Stripe approaches product development. Derrick reached his goals this week with Mighty Cal and is now working toward onboarding the first customers.","content_html":"Ben ran his first all-hands meeting this week. Tuple got featured in a Stripe blog post about the customer portal feature that Tuple was beta testing. Ben has some observations about how Stripe approaches product development. Derrick reached his goals this week with Mighty Cal and is now working toward onboarding the first customers.
","summary":"Ben ran his first all-hands meeting this week. Tuple got featured in a Stripe blog post about the customer portal feature that Tuple was beta testing. Ben has some observations about how Stripe approaches product development. Derrick reached his goals this week with Mighty Cal and is now working toward onboarding the first customers.","date_published":"2020-07-09T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/c3940754-5137-493c-9012-6783c8fed872.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":35766990,"duration_in_seconds":1997}]},{"id":"5661fb41-dcdd-446b-98e9-2eb5826fbcd7","title":"135: Do We Really Need An Office?","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-135","content_text":"Derrick is driving toward the first milestone of using Mighty Cal for his own scheduling and is facing the reality of setting ambitious goals for the week. The Tuple team moved into their new office, which spurred on a healthy conversation about the value of working in-person and accessing the remote talent pool.","content_html":"Derrick is driving toward the first milestone of using Mighty Cal for his own scheduling and is facing the reality of setting ambitious goals for the week. The Tuple team moved into their new office, which spurred on a healthy conversation about the value of working in-person and accessing the remote talent pool.
","summary":"Derrick is driving toward the first milestone of using Mighty Cal for his own scheduling and is facing the reality of setting ambitious goals for the week. The Tuple team moved into their new office, which spurred on a healthy conversation about the value of working in-person and accessing the remote talent pool.","date_published":"2020-07-02T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/5661fb41-dcdd-446b-98e9-2eb5826fbcd7.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":34779373,"duration_in_seconds":1936}]},{"id":"8eb13ab0-8aa2-47f6-b3d7-bbcdc47d331e","title":"134: Introducing Mighty Cal","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-134","content_text":"Derrick details the launch of the landing page for his new scheduling app, Mighty Cal. The Tuple team took a retreat and did a feedback exercise modeled after the Great CEO Within. Tuple is officially moving into their first office.","content_html":"Derrick details the launch of the landing page for his new scheduling app, Mighty Cal. The Tuple team took a retreat and did a feedback exercise modeled after the Great CEO Within. Tuple is officially moving into their first office.
","summary":"Derrick details the launch of the landing page for his new scheduling app, Mighty Cal. The Tuple team took a retreat and did a feedback exercise modeled after the Great CEO Within. Tuple is officially moving into their first office.","date_published":"2020-06-25T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/8eb13ab0-8aa2-47f6-b3d7-bbcdc47d331e.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":34348956,"duration_in_seconds":1909}]},{"id":"337beaca-e586-4860-81d8-c613b9973978","title":"133: Perfect Is The Enemy Of Good","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-133","content_text":"Derrick is dangerously close to shipping his MVP, but is also lamenting how long it's taking. He's committed to naming a public ship date by next recording time. Ben is on the hunt for an executive coach. The Tuple Boston team is eyeing their first real office space outside of Joel's condo.","content_html":"Derrick is dangerously close to shipping his MVP, but is also lamenting how long it's taking. He's committed to naming a public ship date by next recording time. Ben is on the hunt for an executive coach. The Tuple Boston team is eyeing their first real office space outside of Joel's condo.
","summary":"Derrick is dangerously close to shipping his MVP, but is also lamenting how long it's taking. He's committed to naming a public ship date by next recording time. Ben is on the hunt for an executive coach. The Tuple Boston team is eyeing their first real office space outside of Joel's condo.","date_published":"2020-06-18T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/337beaca-e586-4860-81d8-c613b9973978.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":33991441,"duration_in_seconds":1886}]},{"id":"673547f7-6e4d-4d6a-bf1d-67316d4cd86c","title":"132: Digging a Moat","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-132","content_text":"We're back! The Tuple client redesign shipped and Derrick is going to help out with an overhaul of the Tuple onboarding process. Ben asked for users to record their first-run experience in exchange for a discount and has learned a ton about what could be improved. The Tuple team is considering how best to plan out their roadmap this quarter.","content_html":"We're back! The Tuple client redesign shipped and Derrick is going to help out with an overhaul of the Tuple onboarding process. Ben asked for users to record their first-run experience in exchange for a discount and has learned a ton about what could be improved. The Tuple team is considering how best to plan out their roadmap this quarter.
","summary":"We're back! The Tuple client redesign shipped and Derrick is going to help out with an overhaul of the Tuple onboarding process. Ben asked for users to record their first-run experience in exchange for a discount and has learned a ton about what could be improved. The Tuple team is considering how best to plan out their roadmap this quarter.","date_published":"2020-06-11T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/673547f7-6e4d-4d6a-bf1d-67316d4cd86c.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":30095071,"duration_in_seconds":1642}]},{"id":"7ad8c4af-699b-4437-8110-cb5d3cc807eb","title":"131: Making Calculated Bets","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-131","content_text":"Derrick had a productive maker week and is (hopefully) a few weeks out from onboarding his first customers for the new product. He is becoming well-acquainted with the Google Calendar API. The Tuple team hired a full-time Mac OS engineer. Ben is thinking about opportunities to innovate with Tuple and taking inspiration from Bezos' shareholder letters.","content_html":"Derrick had a productive maker week and is (hopefully) a few weeks out from onboarding his first customers for the new product. He is becoming well-acquainted with the Google Calendar API. The Tuple team hired a full-time Mac OS engineer. Ben is thinking about opportunities to innovate with Tuple and taking inspiration from Bezos' shareholder letters.
","summary":"Derrick had a productive maker week and is (hopefully) a few weeks out from onboarding his first customers for the new product. He is becoming well-acquainted with the Google Calendar API. The Tuple team hired a full-time Mac OS engineer. Ben is thinking about opportunities to innovate with Tuple and taking inspiration from Bezos' shareholder letters.","date_published":"2020-05-21T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/7ad8c4af-699b-4437-8110-cb5d3cc807eb.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":36116948,"duration_in_seconds":2018}]},{"id":"96bcffdb-6862-423f-8278-38f5cf19cbcb","title":"130: Certainty Isn't The Goal","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-130","content_text":"Tuple hired a firm for QA testing and is gradually ramping them up. Derrick is exploring how best to approach architecting the initial version of his new product (still in stealth mode) and is taking inspiration from Ryan Singer and Jason Fried's recent Rework episode on product strategy.","content_html":"Tuple hired a firm for QA testing and is gradually ramping them up. Derrick is exploring how best to approach architecting the initial version of his new product (still in stealth mode) and is taking inspiration from Ryan Singer and Jason Fried's recent Rework episode on product strategy.
","summary":"Tuple hired a firm for QA testing and is gradually ramping them up. Derrick is exploring how best to approach architecting the initial version of his new product (still in stealth mode) and is taking inspiration from Ryan Singer and Jason Fried's recent Rework episode on product strategy.","date_published":"2020-05-14T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/96bcffdb-6862-423f-8278-38f5cf19cbcb.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":32945595,"duration_in_seconds":1821}]},{"id":"b07586bc-e711-4a7e-b954-9f8686a4bc88","title":"129: Remember When Software Came on Floppy Disks?","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-129","content_text":"Derrick explores the difference between the craft of software development and the building minimum-viable products (and why it's good to exercise both). Ben explores hiring a QA testing firm. They reflect on the nature of shipping software and the differences between web apps and native, cross-platform apps.","content_html":"Derrick explores the difference between the craft of software development and the building minimum-viable products (and why it's good to exercise both). Ben explores hiring a QA testing firm. They reflect on the nature of shipping software and the differences between web apps and native, cross-platform apps.
","summary":"Derrick explores the difference between the craft of software development and the building minimum-viable products (and why it's good to exercise both). Ben explores hiring a QA testing firm. They reflect on the nature of shipping software and the differences between web apps and native, cross-platform apps.","date_published":"2020-04-30T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/b07586bc-e711-4a7e-b954-9f8686a4bc88.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":29764390,"duration_in_seconds":1622}]},{"id":"21720942-ed4f-41cb-872c-d42b933d80e6","title":"128: One Day At A Time","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-128","content_text":"Derrick is enjoying work the last week by taking joy in setting and achieving small goals each day. The Tuple redesign project is nearing completion and has been a welcome distraction from the pandemic. Ben is hiring a full-time Mac OS engineer and an accountant to help with managing the money side of the business.","content_html":"Derrick is enjoying work the last week by taking joy in setting and achieving small goals each day. The Tuple redesign project is nearing completion and has been a welcome distraction from the pandemic. Ben is hiring a full-time Mac OS engineer and an accountant to help with managing the money side of the business.
","summary":"Derrick is enjoying work the last week by taking joy in setting and achieving small goals each day.","date_published":"2020-04-23T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/21720942-ed4f-41cb-872c-d42b933d80e6.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":34103458,"duration_in_seconds":1891}]},{"id":"0653f64f-f2ae-456d-b96f-815cda064b3b","title":"127: A Tuple Growth Spurt","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-127","content_text":"The Tuple team is growing as Ben kicks up sales efforts with help of an industry veteran and the engineering team onboards a new team member. Derrick is continuing to work in stealth mode on a new product and is bringing in some cash flow from a consulting project with...tune in to find out.","content_html":"The Tuple team is growing as Ben kicks up sales efforts with help of an industry veteran and the engineering team onboards a new team member. Derrick is continuing to work in stealth mode on a new product and is bringing in some cash flow from a consulting project with...tune in to find out.
","summary":"The Tuple team is growing as Ben kicks up sales efforts with help of an industry veteran and the engineering team onboards a new team member. Derrick is continuing to work in stealth mode on a new product and is bringing in some cash flow from a consulting project with...tune in to find out.","date_published":"2020-04-09T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/0653f64f-f2ae-456d-b96f-815cda064b3b.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":27253411,"duration_in_seconds":1654}]},{"id":"5c393a53-0558-4893-bd72-c1b3a74d3c82","title":"126: Tuple Takes Over","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-126","content_text":"Ben and Derrick hang out with Tuple co-founders Spencer and Joel and talk shop. They discuss what it's really like to work with Ben, how they approach learning deeply technical things, ways they are preparing for a new engineering hire, and that time they hard-coded user IDs into Tuple.","content_html":"Ben and Derrick hang out with Tuple co-founders Spencer and Joel and talk shop. They discuss what it's really like to work with Ben, how they approach learning deeply technical things, ways they are preparing for a new engineering hire, and that time they hard-coded user IDs into Tuple.
","summary":"Ben and Derrick hang out with Tuple co-founders Spencer and Joel and talk shop. ","date_published":"2020-04-02T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/5c393a53-0558-4893-bd72-c1b3a74d3c82.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":41320226,"duration_in_seconds":2344}]},{"id":"c180604d-35ba-4709-a8b4-80ca37bc8cd4","title":"125: Keeping Things in Perspective","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-125","content_text":"Ben and Derrick are doing their best to focus right now with so much going on in the world. Ben is spending less time on Twitter these days. Derrick is working on hedging his opportunity bets by doing jobs-to-be-done interviews in the scheduling space.","content_html":"Ben and Derrick are doing their best to focus right now with so much going on in the world. Ben is spending less time on Twitter these days. Derrick is working on hedging his opportunity bets by doing jobs-to-be-done interviews in the scheduling space.
","summary":"Ben and Derrick are doing their best to focus right now with so much going on in the world. Ben is spending less time on Twitter these days. Derrick is working on hedging his opportunity bets by doing jobs-to-be-done interviews in the scheduling space.","date_published":"2020-03-26T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/c180604d-35ba-4709-a8b4-80ca37bc8cd4.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":29713915,"duration_in_seconds":1619}]},{"id":"30abd42c-42bd-4395-b5f2-6c80941cd3e0","title":"124: Back After A Break","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-124","content_text":"Suntans and sunburns aside, Derrick’s winter escape to Mexico provided meaningful ideas and perspective on StaticKit. By reading, Competing Against Luck, Derrick’s goal is to be innovative and gain traction in product/market fit by asking customers the right questions and identifying jobs to be done. \n\nBen recommends reading, Schlep Blindness by Paul Graham. It describes how startup ideas remain a painful process instead of a phenomenon. Also, Ben announced that Tuple wants to hire a part-time remote developer with Mac iOS and C++ experience. Recently, Ben realized that writing is better than talking when it comes to business communication and conversations. ","content_html":"Suntans and sunburns aside, Derrick’s winter escape to Mexico provided meaningful ideas and perspective on StaticKit. By reading, Competing Against Luck, Derrick’s goal is to be innovative and gain traction in product/market fit by asking customers the right questions and identifying jobs to be done.
\n\nBen recommends reading, Schlep Blindness by Paul Graham. It describes how startup ideas remain a painful process instead of a phenomenon. Also, Ben announced that Tuple wants to hire a part-time remote developer with Mac iOS and C++ experience. Recently, Ben realized that writing is better than talking when it comes to business communication and conversations.
","summary":"Suntans and sunburns aside, Derrick’s winter escape to Mexico provided meaningful ideas and perspective on StaticKit. By reading, Competing Against Luck, Derrick’s goal is to be innovative and gain traction in product/market fit by asking customers the right questions and identifying jobs to be done. ","date_published":"2020-03-19T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/30abd42c-42bd-4395-b5f2-6c80941cd3e0.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":43665614,"duration_in_seconds":2492}]},{"id":"a79b029a-e6d6-4aa3-8fdf-37b7095f380e","title":"123: Customer Service as a Competitive Advantage","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-123","content_text":"Ben put big and new priorities to the side to cover support for Tuple. By doing so, he discovered different opportunities to reduce the number of support requests received. It’s challenging to work on the right things in a smart order. \n\nDerrick knows how support is one of the best ways to identify pain points with your product. He describes how founders often follow their passion instead of their priorities. With StaticKit, Derrick is expanding his focus to align tools that he’s building to meet niche market demand. However, less is more when it comes to outreach and emails. ","content_html":"Ben put big and new priorities to the side to cover support for Tuple. By doing so, he discovered different opportunities to reduce the number of support requests received. It’s challenging to work on the right things in a smart order.
\n\nDerrick knows how support is one of the best ways to identify pain points with your product. He describes how founders often follow their passion instead of their priorities. With StaticKit, Derrick is expanding his focus to align tools that he’s building to meet niche market demand. However, less is more when it comes to outreach and emails.
","summary":"Ben put big and new priorities to the side to cover support for Tuple. By doing so, he discovered different opportunities to reduce the number of support requests received. It’s challenging to work on the right things in a smart order. ","date_published":"2020-02-27T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/a79b029a-e6d6-4aa3-8fdf-37b7095f380e.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":36801625,"duration_in_seconds":2063}]},{"id":"4300f46d-d767-48d3-8223-5b04d16f8a63","title":"122: SaaS Sales with Matt Wensing","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-122","content_text":"Even if a product, such as Tuple, is good and people don’t need to be convinced to buy it, there’s still plenty of work to be done. It involves communication, coordination, and collaboration. Ben’s perfect sales pitch and ultimate goal: Sell once, revenue forever.\n\nBen picks his guest co-host’s brain about big deals with major companies. Luckily, Matt Wensing is willing to share his enterprise sales experience, including setting price points, hiring salespeople, and developing documentation. Matt is the founder and CEO of Summit, Out of Beta podcast host, and Riskpulse founder. ","content_html":"Even if a product, such as Tuple, is good and people don’t need to be convinced to buy it, there’s still plenty of work to be done. It involves communication, coordination, and collaboration. Ben’s perfect sales pitch and ultimate goal: Sell once, revenue forever.
\n\nBen picks his guest co-host’s brain about big deals with major companies. Luckily, Matt Wensing is willing to share his enterprise sales experience, including setting price points, hiring salespeople, and developing documentation. Matt is the founder and CEO of Summit, Out of Beta podcast host, and Riskpulse founder.
","summary":"Even if a product, such as Tuple, is good and people don’t need to be convinced to buy it, there’s still plenty of work to be done. It involves communication, coordination, and collaboration. Ben’s perfect sales pitch and ultimate goal: Sell once, revenue forever.","date_published":"2020-02-20T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/4300f46d-d767-48d3-8223-5b04d16f8a63.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":42966554,"duration_in_seconds":2448}]},{"id":"6f95cdc6-16c9-4fdb-a86a-e54f1996e3b2","title":"121: Futureproofing Your Business","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-121","content_text":"Ben never wants to stop working on his startup company, Tuple. Despite some stress, it’s successful and satisfying. However, team members may be added to take over some of Ben’s responsibilities. Based on the book, The Great CEO Within, Ben continues to provide feedback and to document standard operating procedures, policies, and other information to handle the challenge of knowledge management. \n\nDerrick emphasizes the importance of documentation, support, and smooth transitions. You don’t know what other people don’t know. Derrick wants to be doing what he’s doing with his startup, StaticKit, but is feeling weary and may be willing to eventually step aside. While attending a TinySeed Retreat, he was reminded of how face-to-face meetings are worthwhile, and it’s good to surround yourself with successful people who share similar experiences. ","content_html":"Ben never wants to stop working on his startup company, Tuple. Despite some stress, it’s successful and satisfying. However, team members may be added to take over some of Ben’s responsibilities. Based on the book, The Great CEO Within, Ben continues to provide feedback and to document standard operating procedures, policies, and other information to handle the challenge of knowledge management.
\n\nDerrick emphasizes the importance of documentation, support, and smooth transitions. You don’t know what other people don’t know. Derrick wants to be doing what he’s doing with his startup, StaticKit, but is feeling weary and may be willing to eventually step aside. While attending a TinySeed Retreat, he was reminded of how face-to-face meetings are worthwhile, and it’s good to surround yourself with successful people who share similar experiences.
","summary":"Ben never wants to stop working on his startup company, Tuple. Despite some stress, it’s successful and satisfying. However, team members may be added to take over some of Ben’s responsibilities. Based on the book, The Great CEO Within, Ben continues to provide feedback and to document standard operating procedures, policies, and other information to handle the challenge of knowledge management. ","date_published":"2020-02-13T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/6f95cdc6-16c9-4fdb-a86a-e54f1996e3b2.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":33285919,"duration_in_seconds":1841}]},{"id":"573d7c47-989f-4ecc-9c52-35c67970ca62","title":"120: Product Pricing with Adam Wathan","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-120","content_text":"When’s the last time you read a manual or document to know how to use product features and functions? Ben’s new mantra: Write it down! Rather than repeat expertise, reuse content. Currently, Tuple’s most unreliable part is its online users list. Beat the competition by doing what others can’t do\n\nBen and special guest, Adam Wathan, address product pricing and licensing questions. Adam hosts Full Stack Radio, created Tailwind CSS, and authored Refactoring UI. He encourages writing simple and succinct stories despite complex information. Also, Adam describes how products on the market look sexy, but may not work well under the hood.","content_html":"When’s the last time you read a manual or document to know how to use product features and functions? Ben’s new mantra: Write it down! Rather than repeat expertise, reuse content. Currently, Tuple’s most unreliable part is its online users list. Beat the competition by doing what others can’t do
\n\nBen and special guest, Adam Wathan, address product pricing and licensing questions. Adam hosts Full Stack Radio, created Tailwind CSS, and authored Refactoring UI. He encourages writing simple and succinct stories despite complex information. Also, Adam describes how products on the market look sexy, but may not work well under the hood.
","summary":"When’s the last time you read a manual or document to know how to use product features and functions? Ben’s new mantra: Write it down! Rather than repeat expertise, reuse content. Currently, Tuple’s most unreliable part is its online users list. Beat the competition by doing what others can’t do","date_published":"2020-02-06T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/573d7c47-989f-4ecc-9c52-35c67970ca62.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":69709113,"duration_in_seconds":4117}]},{"id":"075684f0-dbb4-4400-b2f8-cf62a97aac3b","title":"119: Undoing a Twitter Addiction","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-119","content_text":"If you’re spending too much time on Twitter, Ben shares some helpful advice. Fully lock and block it by setting parental controls and content restrictions. While attending Big Snow Tiny Conf, Ben’s awareness of his Twitter addiction could no longer be denied. He successfully resisted being lured back into the app. Also, Tuple launched its Apple Pro Display XDR stand giveaway. So far, a sense of humor has generated a positive brand impression and collected more than 900 email addresses.\n\nDerrick describes how StaticKit started as a form provider for static sites, but he continues to build out its functionality by offering tooling to collect payments via Stripe. He discovered that trying to force payments in a form model posed many challenges. He decided to offer the same type of functionality as functions, instead of forms. Derrick is feeling content and confident with where the product stands relative to reinventing the model and changing the original vision.","content_html":"If you’re spending too much time on Twitter, Ben shares some helpful advice. Fully lock and block it by setting parental controls and content restrictions. While attending Big Snow Tiny Conf, Ben’s awareness of his Twitter addiction could no longer be denied. He successfully resisted being lured back into the app. Also, Tuple launched its Apple Pro Display XDR stand giveaway. So far, a sense of humor has generated a positive brand impression and collected more than 900 email addresses.
\n\nDerrick describes how StaticKit started as a form provider for static sites, but he continues to build out its functionality by offering tooling to collect payments via Stripe. He discovered that trying to force payments in a form model posed many challenges. He decided to offer the same type of functionality as functions, instead of forms. Derrick is feeling content and confident with where the product stands relative to reinventing the model and changing the original vision.
","summary":"If you’re spending too much time on Twitter, Ben shares some helpful advice. Fully lock and block it by setting parental controls and content restrictions. While attending Big Snow Tiny Conf, Ben’s awareness of his Twitter addiction could no longer be denied. He successfully resisted being lured back into the app. Also, Tuple launched its Apple Pro Display XDR stand giveaway. So far, a sense of humor has generated a positive brand impression and collected more than 900 email addresses.","date_published":"2020-01-30T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/075684f0-dbb4-4400-b2f8-cf62a97aac3b.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":31319522,"duration_in_seconds":1720}]},{"id":"3d82df8c-8b82-41ed-96ef-35494bd08aeb","title":"118: Reliability and Minimalism","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-118","content_text":"Ben’s back from Tuple’s ski trip retreat, where survey responses were reviewed for strategic planning purposes. Turns out that those who value pair programming actively use Tuple. What’s Tuple doing well? Latency and low friction. What can be added, changed, or improved? Free text, and make the basics a bit more stable and reliable. Ben knows it’s expensive and annoying to run tests all the time, but it’s also possible to mess something up that’s good. \n\nFrom building Level, Derrick understands how minor deviations to features can become major annoyances for customers. However, he’s still on track with his goal to be intentional with the material he consumes by reading Digital Minimalism. Derrick’s feeling zen and reaping the benefits of dumbing down his devices but not getting sucked back in. Plus, he continues to make progress with StaticKit and has moved from prototype to production. Stay tuned! ","content_html":"Ben’s back from Tuple’s ski trip retreat, where survey responses were reviewed for strategic planning purposes. Turns out that those who value pair programming actively use Tuple. What’s Tuple doing well? Latency and low friction. What can be added, changed, or improved? Free text, and make the basics a bit more stable and reliable. Ben knows it’s expensive and annoying to run tests all the time, but it’s also possible to mess something up that’s good.
\n\nFrom building Level, Derrick understands how minor deviations to features can become major annoyances for customers. However, he’s still on track with his goal to be intentional with the material he consumes by reading Digital Minimalism. Derrick’s feeling zen and reaping the benefits of dumbing down his devices but not getting sucked back in. Plus, he continues to make progress with StaticKit and has moved from prototype to production. Stay tuned!
","summary":"Ben’s back from Tuple’s ski trip retreat, where survey responses were reviewed for strategic planning purposes. Turns out that those who value pair programming actively use Tuple. What’s Tuple doing well? Latency and low friction. What can be added, changed, or improved? Free text, and make the basics a bit more stable and reliable. Ben knows it’s expensive and annoying to run tests all the time, but it’s also possible to mess something up that’s good. ","date_published":"2020-01-16T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/3d82df8c-8b82-41ed-96ef-35494bd08aeb.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":35778922,"duration_in_seconds":1998}]},{"id":"0a4fa9b5-917f-424b-bd48-35b073381b81","title":"117: Our 2020 Roadmap","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-117","content_text":"New Year’s Resolutions? Ben’s goal is to drink less coffee and get a survey out to Tuple customers. What do they want in the future for Tuple features? Are people using Tuple for reasons other than original core assumptions? Ben is looking forward to collecting customer insights to determine if they are on the same product development roadmap. \n\nDerrick came up with trends, themes, and habits that he hopes to cultivate and aspire to in 2020. He wants to exhibit intentionality with how he spends his time and not be a slave to Slack, Twitter, and other channels. Does Derrick have adequate self-control, or a suitable replacement? Self-control takes time, energy, and money. However, spending free time letting his mind wander helped Derrick develop a deliberate API design around payments for StaticKit. ","content_html":"New Year’s Resolutions? Ben’s goal is to drink less coffee and get a survey out to Tuple customers. What do they want in the future for Tuple features? Are people using Tuple for reasons other than original core assumptions? Ben is looking forward to collecting customer insights to determine if they are on the same product development roadmap.
\n\nDerrick came up with trends, themes, and habits that he hopes to cultivate and aspire to in 2020. He wants to exhibit intentionality with how he spends his time and not be a slave to Slack, Twitter, and other channels. Does Derrick have adequate self-control, or a suitable replacement? Self-control takes time, energy, and money. However, spending free time letting his mind wander helped Derrick develop a deliberate API design around payments for StaticKit.
","summary":"New Year’s Resolutions? Ben’s goal is to drink less coffee and get a survey out to Tuple customers. What do they want in the future for Tuple features? Are people using Tuple for reasons other than original core assumptions? Ben is looking forward to collecting customer insights to determine if they are on the same product development roadmap. ","date_published":"2020-01-09T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/0a4fa9b5-917f-424b-bd48-35b073381b81.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":37001389,"duration_in_seconds":2071}]},{"id":"691431ed-bdaa-4ab2-92c5-d4c26116c8a9","title":"116: Should We Be Setting Annual Goals?","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-116","content_text":"In the last episode of 2019, Derrick and Ben focus on reflections and projections. Should they set goals for the coming year when it comes to Tuple and StaticKit? After all, nobody can predict the future, and hard work doesn’t always lead to perfect products and startups. But it’s been an amazing year for Tuple, which went from zero to hundreds of customers. What’s next? Adding cross-platform operating systems and going with freemium pricing model? Always looking ahead, how good are Tuple founders at predicting the future? Time will tell, once they receive their delay emails. \n\nDerrick describes how goals can lead to unhealthy behavior. Recently, he spent time with TinySeed mentor, Dr. Sherry Walling, talking about burnout and other mental health aspects for founders of startups. What are the early signs of burnout? Burning the candle at both ends. So, Derrick’s goal is to be less stressed by having more fun and enjoying the journey. Next year is going to be an interesting one for both Derrick and Ben! ","content_html":"In the last episode of 2019, Derrick and Ben focus on reflections and projections. Should they set goals for the coming year when it comes to Tuple and StaticKit? After all, nobody can predict the future, and hard work doesn’t always lead to perfect products and startups. But it’s been an amazing year for Tuple, which went from zero to hundreds of customers. What’s next? Adding cross-platform operating systems and going with freemium pricing model? Always looking ahead, how good are Tuple founders at predicting the future? Time will tell, once they receive their delay emails.
\n\nDerrick describes how goals can lead to unhealthy behavior. Recently, he spent time with TinySeed mentor, Dr. Sherry Walling, talking about burnout and other mental health aspects for founders of startups. What are the early signs of burnout? Burning the candle at both ends. So, Derrick’s goal is to be less stressed by having more fun and enjoying the journey. Next year is going to be an interesting one for both Derrick and Ben!
","summary":"In the last episode of 2019, Derrick and Ben focus on reflections and projections. Should they set goals for the coming year when it comes to Tuple and StaticKit? After all, nobody can predict the future, and hard work doesn’t always lead to perfect products and startups. But it’s been an amazing year for Tuple, which went from zero to hundreds of customers. What’s next? Adding cross-platform operating systems and going with freemium pricing model? Always looking ahead, how good are Tuple founders at predicting the future? Time will tell, once they receive their delay emails. ","date_published":"2019-12-26T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/691431ed-bdaa-4ab2-92c5-d4c26116c8a9.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":30378658,"duration_in_seconds":1661}]},{"id":"c4365921-38ea-4135-a64b-9b4c7e175b9d","title":"115: Debunking the Arrival Fallacy","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-115","content_text":"Ben has turned out to be a terrific tweeter about Tuple on Twitter. So far, more than 750k impressions have been made regarding his post about the enterprise sales process. He also shared that Tuple’s scaling issues appear to be resolved and fixed. He gave a shout out to the team at You Need A Budget (YNAB) for consistent and concise support. Plus, Ben has started using Anki flashcards to spark his memory and recall names via mnemonics. \n\nDerrick reminds us that the last ‘S’ in SaaS is service. He describes how to prevent and combat arrival fallacy and enjoy the journey. So, should he set goals, plan ahead, and look forward to the future of StaticKit? Or, is that too stressful? Will arrival points and milestones bring him happiness? No matter what, Derrick is looking forward to sharing insight about being a skeptic of frontend static Web pages by presenting at ZEIT’s Backendless Conf. ","content_html":"Ben has turned out to be a terrific tweeter about Tuple on Twitter. So far, more than 750k impressions have been made regarding his post about the enterprise sales process. He also shared that Tuple’s scaling issues appear to be resolved and fixed. He gave a shout out to the team at You Need A Budget (YNAB) for consistent and concise support. Plus, Ben has started using Anki flashcards to spark his memory and recall names via mnemonics.
\n\nDerrick reminds us that the last ‘S’ in SaaS is service. He describes how to prevent and combat arrival fallacy and enjoy the journey. So, should he set goals, plan ahead, and look forward to the future of StaticKit? Or, is that too stressful? Will arrival points and milestones bring him happiness? No matter what, Derrick is looking forward to sharing insight about being a skeptic of frontend static Web pages by presenting at ZEIT’s Backendless Conf.
","summary":"Ben has turned out to be a terrific tweeter about Tuple on Twitter. So far, more than 750k impressions have been made regarding his post about the enterprise sales process. He also shared that Tuple’s scaling issues appear to be resolved and fixed. He gave a shout out to the team at You Need A Budget (YNAB) for consistent and concise support. Plus, Ben has started using Anki flashcards to spark his memory and recall names via mnemonics. ","date_published":"2019-12-19T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/c4365921-38ea-4135-a64b-9b4c7e175b9d.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":26722702,"duration_in_seconds":1431}]},{"id":"ece4f490-3f20-4d4f-8fd9-52383b053c99","title":"114: Building Today For Tomorrow's Growth","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-114","content_text":"Ben describes how a recent Tuple tweet led to thousands of impressions and mentions, as well as possibly increased free trial sign-ups. Ben is experiencing the enterprise sales process where he could make a good deal of money from a large company, if he chooses to meet its numerous demands. Also, Tuple is making progress with scaling challenges by addressing related Heroku and Ruby issues. Tuple’s smallness is a strength! \n\nDerrick’s been working on API design for StaticKit’s payments plug-in, especially to handle European customer authentication regulations that Stripe is moving toward. However, complex and flexible API design can’t be rushed to meet requirements. Derrick hopes to move StaticKit’s interface to his Next.js application. Constantly learning new technologies is critical to know his customer base. So, Derrick was pleased to be invited to present at ZEIT’s Backendless Conf.","content_html":"Ben describes how a recent Tuple tweet led to thousands of impressions and mentions, as well as possibly increased free trial sign-ups. Ben is experiencing the enterprise sales process where he could make a good deal of money from a large company, if he chooses to meet its numerous demands. Also, Tuple is making progress with scaling challenges by addressing related Heroku and Ruby issues. Tuple’s smallness is a strength!
\n\nDerrick’s been working on API design for StaticKit’s payments plug-in, especially to handle European customer authentication regulations that Stripe is moving toward. However, complex and flexible API design can’t be rushed to meet requirements. Derrick hopes to move StaticKit’s interface to his Next.js application. Constantly learning new technologies is critical to know his customer base. So, Derrick was pleased to be invited to present at ZEIT’s Backendless Conf.
","summary":"Ben describes how a recent Tuple tweet led to thousands of impressions and mentions, as well as possibly increased free trial sign-ups. Ben is experiencing the enterprise sales process where he could make a good deal of money from a large company, if he chooses to meet its numerous demands. Also, Tuple is making progress with scaling challenges by addressing related Heroku and Ruby issues. Tuple’s smallness is a strength! ","date_published":"2019-12-12T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/ece4f490-3f20-4d4f-8fd9-52383b053c99.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":30239298,"duration_in_seconds":1650}]},{"id":"ab7b2265-8cf6-4683-a3ad-93e4e28c4699","title":"113: Rounding out the Product Roadmap","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-113","content_text":"Derrick shipped a few things for StaticKit, including Mailchimp and ConvertKit integrations. What’s next? Stripe integration. For now, Derrick is targeting more technical users comfortable with code. At some point, he will involve “no-code” users who can easily drop-in Derrick’s plug-in. He’s done all the hard work for them. Check out new content he created, such as guides and features-specific landing page for opt-in forms. \n\nBen decided to take some time off and away from Tuple during the Thanksgiving holiday. It’s just one of the lifestyle perks of being part of a startup. Ben finally settled on transitioning away from Drip to Customer.io for Tuple’s transactional emails. However, Tuple continues to deal with scaling issues on the infrastructure side. Are problems due to capacity? Memory? Something’s wrong, but not sure what and why...TBD. Yet, November proved to be Tuple’s best month so far with record-breaking growth! ","content_html":"Derrick shipped a few things for StaticKit, including Mailchimp and ConvertKit integrations. What’s next? Stripe integration. For now, Derrick is targeting more technical users comfortable with code. At some point, he will involve “no-code” users who can easily drop-in Derrick’s plug-in. He’s done all the hard work for them. Check out new content he created, such as guides and features-specific landing page for opt-in forms.
\n\nBen decided to take some time off and away from Tuple during the Thanksgiving holiday. It’s just one of the lifestyle perks of being part of a startup. Ben finally settled on transitioning away from Drip to Customer.io for Tuple’s transactional emails. However, Tuple continues to deal with scaling issues on the infrastructure side. Are problems due to capacity? Memory? Something’s wrong, but not sure what and why...TBD. Yet, November proved to be Tuple’s best month so far with record-breaking growth!
","summary":"Derrick shipped a few things for StaticKit, including Mailchimp and ConvertKit integrations. What’s next? Stripe integration. For now, Derrick is targeting more technical users comfortable with code. At some point, he will involve “no-code” users who can easily drop-in Derrick’s plug-in. He’s done all the hard work for them. Check out new content he created, such as guides and features-specific landing page for opt-in forms. ","date_published":"2019-12-05T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/ab7b2265-8cf6-4683-a3ad-93e4e28c4699.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":32478024,"duration_in_seconds":1791}]},{"id":"3a0e4184-8163-4e4e-87a2-3601a7c5a063","title":"112: The Evolution of Product Positioning","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-112","content_text":"Ben announced the release of a new version of Tuple. The app includes improvements to its Webcam feature and requires less CPU usage and bandwidth. Also, Ben decided to turn off payment notifications from Stripe. Thankfully, too many emails created too much noise. He understands the value of not sending lots of emails, but the right emails to educate Tuple’s target market. Tuple’s pricing page and corporate swag will be released soon. \n\nAs a Superhuman user, Ben offered Derrick advice on implementing it via Chrome or Electron, as well as a setting to remove badges. In addition to Zapier, Derrick’s working on a Mailchimp integration for StaticKit. He stresses the importance of evolving product positioning to make compelling marketing. Yet, Derrick describes TinySeed’s growth goal that he got as ambitious and unlikely to be achieved.","content_html":"Ben announced the release of a new version of Tuple. The app includes improvements to its Webcam feature and requires less CPU usage and bandwidth. Also, Ben decided to turn off payment notifications from Stripe. Thankfully, too many emails created too much noise. He understands the value of not sending lots of emails, but the right emails to educate Tuple’s target market. Tuple’s pricing page and corporate swag will be released soon.
\n\nAs a Superhuman user, Ben offered Derrick advice on implementing it via Chrome or Electron, as well as a setting to remove badges. In addition to Zapier, Derrick’s working on a Mailchimp integration for StaticKit. He stresses the importance of evolving product positioning to make compelling marketing. Yet, Derrick describes TinySeed’s growth goal that he got as ambitious and unlikely to be achieved.
","summary":"Ben announced the release of a new version of Tuple. The app includes improvements to its Webcam feature and requires less CPU usage and bandwidth. Also, Ben decided to turn off payment notifications from Stripe. Thankfully, too many emails created too much noise. He understands the value of not sending lots of emails, but the right emails to educate Tuple’s target market. Tuple’s pricing page and corporate swag will be released soon. ","date_published":"2019-11-21T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/3a0e4184-8163-4e4e-87a2-3601a7c5a063.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":32404887,"duration_in_seconds":1785}]},{"id":"d8971958-fc92-4b39-bb83-fe864158982d","title":"111: Continuous Improvement for Growth","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-111","content_text":"Derrick shipped a revamped version of StaticKit’s homepage and plans to add a payments section soon. He’s eager to conduct another round of customer development calls. If you want to chat about your experience with static sites and help shape product direction for StaticKit, schedule a call with Derrick on Calendly. \n\nBen already utilizes a checkout option for Tuple and shares some of its challenges. Also, Ben announced and shipped the release of a highly requested and expected Tuple feature—ability to start a Tuple session without sharing your screen. Despite Tuple’s burst of free trial signups, Ben described a decreased conversion rate to paying customers. Both Ben and Derrick share how design matters, especially when upgrading or switching browsers and operating systems that make your app look like a scam and sketchy! ","content_html":"Derrick shipped a revamped version of StaticKit’s homepage and plans to add a payments section soon. He’s eager to conduct another round of customer development calls. If you want to chat about your experience with static sites and help shape product direction for StaticKit, schedule a call with Derrick on Calendly.
\n\nBen already utilizes a checkout option for Tuple and shares some of its challenges. Also, Ben announced and shipped the release of a highly requested and expected Tuple feature—ability to start a Tuple session without sharing your screen. Despite Tuple’s burst of free trial signups, Ben described a decreased conversion rate to paying customers. Both Ben and Derrick share how design matters, especially when upgrading or switching browsers and operating systems that make your app look like a scam and sketchy!
","summary":"Derrick shipped a revamped version of StaticKit’s homepage and plans to add a payments section soon. He’s eager to conduct another round of customer development calls. If you want to chat about your experience with static sites and help shape product direction for StaticKit, schedule a call with Derrick on Calendly. ","date_published":"2019-11-14T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/d8971958-fc92-4b39-bb83-fe864158982d.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":27071416,"duration_in_seconds":1454}]},{"id":"3b16fc3a-fab6-4482-b48d-2aa3909ed856","title":"110: The Importance of Mentors","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-110","content_text":"Derrick shipped config file for StaticKit’s UI migration and shifted his focus to other areas of the product. He plans to deliberately and consistently test email messages to determine which generate response and interest in StaticKit. He continues to connect with TinySeed mentors. \n\nBen understands the value mentors offer in helping entrepreneurs easily avoid bad ideas and pursue good ones. Also, he’s working on writing content for his October advisor update. What’s the next step following Tuple’s free trial? T-shirt? Should Ben think bigger and Shape Up? ","content_html":"Derrick shipped config file for StaticKit’s UI migration and shifted his focus to other areas of the product. He plans to deliberately and consistently test email messages to determine which generate response and interest in StaticKit. He continues to connect with TinySeed mentors.
\n\nBen understands the value mentors offer in helping entrepreneurs easily avoid bad ideas and pursue good ones. Also, he’s working on writing content for his October advisor update. What’s the next step following Tuple’s free trial? T-shirt? Should Ben think bigger and Shape Up?
","summary":"Derrick shipped config file for StaticKit’s UI migration and shifted his focus to other areas of the product. He plans to deliberately and consistently test email messages to determine which generate response and interest in StaticKit. He continues to connect with TinySeed mentors. ","date_published":"2019-11-07T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/3b16fc3a-fab6-4482-b48d-2aa3909ed856.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":32549160,"duration_in_seconds":1793}]},{"id":"1fb60e4e-e06b-45d8-8abb-82da2e87127a","title":"109: Split Test = Optimization","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-109","content_text":"Some podcasts present terrible sound quality, yet garner tons of listeners. Ben and Derrick are professionals, and care about the sound quality of their AoP podcast episodes. \n\nDespite audio difficulties, Ben and Derrick are back. They sound good, and they’re ready to rock their updates on StaticKit and Tuple! \n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nShould you test? Trust weak data? Split-test customer email messaging tools should push you to test as default path\n(Not) Steady State of New Trials: Email blast offering free Tuple trial to everybody\nTuple T-shirt Prototype: Take the next step in funnel to pay for Tuple to get T-shirt\nStructure and Process: Sense of energy from Tuple’s stand ups and status updates \nTuple to handle classic startup chaos by reading, Shape Up: Stop Running in Circles and Ship Work that Matters by Ryan Singer\nStaticKit Solopreneur: Derrick’s suffering from decision fatigue, struggling to juggle multiple tasks, and balancing building a great product and connecting with customers \n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nStaticKit\n\nTinySeed\n\nUsing Tailwind CSS with Next.js \n\nLevel\n\nAudio-Technica ATR2100 USB\n\nDrip\n\nShape Up\n\nJAMstack Conf\n\nSlack","content_html":"Some podcasts present terrible sound quality, yet garner tons of listeners. Ben and Derrick are professionals, and care about the sound quality of their AoP podcast episodes.
\n\nDespite audio difficulties, Ben and Derrick are back. They sound good, and they’re ready to rock their updates on StaticKit and Tuple!
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\n\n\n\n\nUsing Tailwind CSS with Next.js
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"Some podcasts present terrible sound quality, yet garner tons of listeners. Ben and Derrick are professionals, and care about the sound quality of their AoP podcast episodes. \r\n\r\nDespite audio difficulties, Ben and Derrick are back. They sound good, and they’re ready to rock their updates on StaticKit and Tuple! ","date_published":"2019-10-31T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/1fb60e4e-e06b-45d8-8abb-82da2e87127a.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":30337618,"duration_in_seconds":1655}]},{"id":"d289e4a0-0471-42b1-a4ec-6e7cb8408647","title":"108: Getting Back to Growth Planning","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-108","content_text":"Derrick returned from JAMstack Conf with a jolt of energy and excitement thanks to face-to-face conversations and strategic connections with potential StaticKit customers. \n\nBen expressed interest in once again speaking at developer conferences. After all, he has plenty of worthwhile information and lessons learned to share about Tuple. \n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nFrontend and Backend: Considerations for implementation/migration with StaticKit \nMain Objective at JAMstack: Market validation, not to make sales to customers\nFuture Feature: Allows people to configure StaticKit account via config file\nPrevent UI Creep and Wall of Fields: Keep it elegant, but flexible and customizable\nInstant Gratification and Relief: Numbers are rising again after Tuple’s sign-up fluctuation\nTuple Trick: Free, two-week trial for submitting email via invite box; stabilization and scaling are serious concerns due to more customers\nBen’s optimism leads to deleted tweet about Tuple T-shirts\nHow much MMR is enough? Never enough; bigger, brighter, more interesting future \n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nStaticKit\n\nTinySeed\n\nUsing Tailwind CSS with Next.js \n\nJAMstack Conf\n\nMicroConf\n\nSlack\n\nNetlify\n\nWordPress\n\nDrupal\n\nJSON\n\nDrip\n\nJustin Jackson\n\nShopify\n\nRob Walling\n\nPaul Jarvis\n\nJason Fried","content_html":"Derrick returned from JAMstack Conf with a jolt of energy and excitement thanks to face-to-face conversations and strategic connections with potential StaticKit customers.
\n\nBen expressed interest in once again speaking at developer conferences. After all, he has plenty of worthwhile information and lessons learned to share about Tuple.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\n\n\n\n\nUsing Tailwind CSS with Next.js
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"Derrick returned from JAMstack Conf with a jolt of energy and excitement thanks to face-to-face conversations and strategic connections with potential StaticKit customers. \r\n\r\nBen expressed interest in once again speaking at developer conferences. After all, he has plenty of worthwhile information and lessons learned to share about Tuple. ","date_published":"2019-10-24T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/d289e4a0-0471-42b1-a4ec-6e7cb8408647.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":39183437,"duration_in_seconds":2211}]},{"id":"40d516cb-0699-44e5-b3a6-e50178f480b7","title":"107: Becoming a Multi-Product Company (with Amir Salihefendić)","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-107","content_text":"Derrick and Ben welcome Amir Salihefendić, founder and CEO of Doist. Ben was able to break away from Slack and uses Doist’s Twist app at Tuple for team communication. \n\nAlso, Ben and Derrick share updates and experiences about their businesses that spark familiarity and advice from Amir based on his entrepreneurial adventures.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nFounder Therapy: Derrick helped talk Ben off the ledge and figure things out with Tuple\nLive and Learn: An entrepreneur starting a business is on a psychology rollercoaster\nBen’s path forward to break past lull via positive momentum and mood \nShort-and-Simple Answer: Derrick should only focus on long-term goals for StaticKit\nLooking forward to new release of Todoist in a few weeks? New features added with emphasis on improving existing design and workflow\n360 Review: Stop doing development, and focus time on CEO role and responsibilities\nBalancing Act: Difficult to start companies and launch multiple products; but worth long-term investment and effort\nUnless your target audience is college students and you enjoy fighting churn, Doist’s pricing strategy isn’t recommended\nSynchronous vs. Asynchronous: Working remotely may impact your mental health\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nDoist\n\nTwist\n\nTodoist\n\nSuccess Ten Years in the Making with Amir Salihefendic of Doist\n\nSlack\n\nRob Walling\n\nFooled by Randomness\n\nTyler Tringus\n\nNathan Barry \n\nMicroConf\n\nDrip\n\njQuery\n\nAdam Wathan\n\nWeWork\n\nOut of Beta Podcast\n\nBootstrapped Web Podcast\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nStaticKit\n\nTinySeed\n\nUsing Tailwind CSS with Next.js \n\nLevel","content_html":"Derrick and Ben welcome Amir Salihefendić, founder and CEO of Doist. Ben was able to break away from Slack and uses Doist’s Twist app at Tuple for team communication.
\n\nAlso, Ben and Derrick share updates and experiences about their businesses that spark familiarity and advice from Amir based on his entrepreneurial adventures.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSuccess Ten Years in the Making with Amir Salihefendic of Doist
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\n\n\n\n\nUsing Tailwind CSS with Next.js
\n\n","summary":"Derrick and Ben welcome Amir Salihefendić, founder and CEO of Doist. Ben was able to break away from Slack and uses Doist’s Twist app at Tuple for team communication. \r\n\r\nAlso, Ben and Derrick share updates and experiences about their businesses that spark familiarity and advice from Amir based on his entrepreneurial adventures.","date_published":"2019-10-17T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/40d516cb-0699-44e5-b3a6-e50178f480b7.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":29680578,"duration_in_seconds":1617}]},{"id":"3cfee91c-0ab2-4262-952e-5209ac7045ca","title":"106: Creating Growth Key Metrics","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-106","content_text":"Derrick spent his birthday at the north shore of Lake Superior to disconnect and getaway. Yet, he found some time to brainstorm and problem solve for StaticKit. \n\nBen’s back from Martha’s Vineyard, only to experience less positive updates for Tuple. For the first time, Tuple is shockingly “in the red” financially. So, he feels guilty about going away. \n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nSlow Growth: Substantially fewer Tuple trial signups than previous time periods\nMarketing and Sales Strategy: From being the new tool on the block to steady state where Ben has to earn new Tuple customers\nBullseye Framework: Derrick re-read his go-to startup guide to select StaticKit’s repeatable traction channels\nTuple’s Q4 objectives and key results (OKRs): Fill top of funnel to increase new email subscribers and trials to continue to grow\nBen’s future plans to gather marketing and sales information/intelligence by advertising and appearing on dev-related podcasts \nDesign Matters: Impacts people’s perception of product and builds trust \n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nStaticKit\n\nUsing Tailwind CSS with Next.js \n\nLevel\n\nSlack\n\nZoom\n\nUpcase by Thoughtbot\n\nTraction: A Startup Guide to Getting Customers by Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares \n\nRuby on Rails\n\nHubSpot\n\nRob Walling\n\nDrip\n\nAdam Wathan\n\nFull Stack Radio\n\nSyntax.fm\n\nSteve Schoger\n\nElixir\n\nRecurly\n\nChargify","content_html":"Derrick spent his birthday at the north shore of Lake Superior to disconnect and getaway. Yet, he found some time to brainstorm and problem solve for StaticKit.
\n\nBen’s back from Martha’s Vineyard, only to experience less positive updates for Tuple. For the first time, Tuple is shockingly “in the red” financially. So, he feels guilty about going away.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\n\n\nUsing Tailwind CSS with Next.js
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTraction: A Startup Guide to Getting Customers by Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"Derrick spent his birthday at the north shore of Lake Superior to disconnect and getaway. Yet, he found some time to brainstorm and problem solve for StaticKit. \r\n\r\nBen’s back from Martha’s Vineyard, only to experience less positive updates for Tuple. For the first time, Tuple is shockingly “in the red” financially. So, he feels guilty about going away. ","date_published":"2019-10-10T08:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/3cfee91c-0ab2-4262-952e-5209ac7045ca.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":36763276,"duration_in_seconds":2057}]},{"id":"558bbff1-08da-44a9-946e-09deb163450b","title":"105: Exploring Freemium","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-105","content_text":"Ben is living his best life with walks on the beach and wonderful weather. On the Tuple side, he shipped some code, got a pull request (PR) merged, and is now on the devise authentication gem.\n\nDerrick’s been busy, too. StaticKit’s official integration with ZEIT went live. ZEIT is one of two major hosting providers in the static site ecosystem. Also, an initiative with Zapier is in the works. \n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nDerrick did it his way: Integrations can be a powerful marketing channel\nZapier Integration: Derrick’s waiting on approval to be listed publicly in its directory\nPositive Pace: Derrick invests his previous product efforts with marketing impact\nPricing Pros and Cons: Free vs. paid tiers for forms or submissions per Website\nPersonal Response: Derrick receives notification when someone new signs up with StaticKit to offer support\nDerrick joined TinySeed, a startup accelerator that helps bootstrappers grow their company faster through funds\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nStaticKit\n\nUsing Tailwind CSS with Next.js \n\nLevel\n\nDevise Authentication Gem\n\nZEIT\n\nZapier\n\nNetlify\n\nFormKeep\n\nSalesforce\n\nSlack\n\nAdam Wathan\n\nSuperhuman\n\nDrip\n\nTinySeed\n\nJAMstack Conf","content_html":"Ben is living his best life with walks on the beach and wonderful weather. On the Tuple side, he shipped some code, got a pull request (PR) merged, and is now on the devise authentication gem.
\n\nDerrick’s been busy, too. StaticKit’s official integration with ZEIT went live. ZEIT is one of two major hosting providers in the static site ecosystem. Also, an initiative with Zapier is in the works.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\n\n\nUsing Tailwind CSS with Next.js
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"Ben is living his best life with walks on the beach and wonderful weather. On the Tuple side, he shipped some code, got a pull request (PR) merged, and is now on the devise authentication gem.\r\n\r\nDerrick’s been busy, too. StaticKit’s official integration with ZEIT went live. ZEIT is one of two major hosting providers in the static site ecosystem. Also, an initiative with Zapier is in the works. ","date_published":"2019-10-03T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/558bbff1-08da-44a9-946e-09deb163450b.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":27188326,"duration_in_seconds":1461}]},{"id":"8e2b3d7c-cc79-48cc-9de3-a13630e17416","title":"104: Tiny Conferences, and Business Growth Challenges","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-104","content_text":"Ben is finding it easier to plan meetings to talk about challenges, and how he appreciates consistency. He describes his recent experiences with NanoConf and TupleConf.\n\nDerrick understands how perspectives shift as a business goes through different stages. Everyone wants financial security, but they always have complicated problems to solve. \n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nMini Mastermind Conferences: Growth Strategy for building rapport and trust while bringing in new people for new perspectives \nLessons Learned: Capture what went well, what should change in the future\nTupleConf: Ben, Joel, and Spencer discussed high-level questions and risk of co-founder issues and ambitions\nHow to Deal with Conflict: Know your strengths, weaknesses, and personality type\nPlanning and Prioritization: How to clarify and activate energy to do lower/smaller tasks\nStaticKit Milestones: Derrick achieved expansion revenue, additional customers, and annual renewals\nPricing Structure, Tiers, and Upgrades: Monthly vs.yearly subscriptions with no surprises\nDerrick shares future vision of StaticKit beyond static forms for positive user experience\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nStaticKit\n\nUsing Tailwind CSS with Next.js \n\nLevel\n\nBig Snow Tiny Conf\n\nBuild Your SaaS Podcast\n\nCartHook\n\nBrian Casel\n\nWordPress\n\nGatsby\n\nJekyll\n\nDrip\n\nNetlify\n\nStripe\n\nGitHub","content_html":"Ben is finding it easier to plan meetings to talk about challenges, and how he appreciates consistency. He describes his recent experiences with NanoConf and TupleConf.
\n\nDerrick understands how perspectives shift as a business goes through different stages. Everyone wants financial security, but they always have complicated problems to solve.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\n\n\nUsing Tailwind CSS with Next.js
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"Ben is finding it easier to plan meetings to talk about challenges, and how he appreciates consistency. He describes his recent experiences with NanoConf and TupleConf.\r\n\r\nDerrick understands how perspectives shift as a business goes through different stages. Everyone wants financial security, but they always have complicated problems to solve. ","date_published":"2019-09-26T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/8e2b3d7c-cc79-48cc-9de3-a13630e17416.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":35299527,"duration_in_seconds":1968}]},{"id":"c88625fb-40e5-4e1a-b705-49b56e854445","title":"103: Code Quality and Balancing TDD","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-103","content_text":"Ben’s been adding variety to work by biking to breakfast and the beach, while working in-between during his stay on Martha’s Vineyard. He’s feeling lucky to work remotely, and still be able to connect with co-founders!\n\nDerrick enjoys a change of scenery from time-to-time during workdays, especially to kickstart his blood flow during an afternoon lull or breaking point. \n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nWriting code is like riding a bike: Tuple moving forward with adding single sign-on\nCaring about Code Quality: Ben’s higher level tests prove more valuable, less coupled\nEvolution of Testing: Derrick’s progress from test-driven development (TTD) to practical testing for StaticKit’s structure and features\nDevise Deal Breaker: Digested passwords in Tuple database wouldn’t need to be reset\nPair programming proves powerful in preventing mistakes and being blocked\nMarketer? Developer? Sales? Ben’s possible future role and responsibilities with Tuple \nHockeystick Metrics: First-paying StaticKit customer leads to 200% growth increase\nContent Marketing: Using Tailwind CSS with Next.js spikes StaticKit sign ups\nSelf-serve Engine: Easily upgrade and deploy StaticKit from sandbox to live mode\nPrioritize Priorities: Ben encourages Derrick to focus on forms for StaticKit \nAoP Podcast: Is fanbase willing to pay for extra-special content? Share ideas with Ben and Derrick via Twitter\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nStaticKit\n\nUsing Tailwind CSS with Next.js \n\nLevel\n\nAoP Episode 22: Finishing the Year Strong\n\nTailwind CSS\n\nNext.js\n\nRob Walling\n\nDrip\n\nSecurity Assertion Markup Language (SAML)\n\nRuby on Rails\n\nThoughtbot\n\nRubyGems\n\nDevise\n\nDigitalOcean\n\nJSON","content_html":"Ben’s been adding variety to work by biking to breakfast and the beach, while working in-between during his stay on Martha’s Vineyard. He’s feeling lucky to work remotely, and still be able to connect with co-founders!
\n\nDerrick enjoys a change of scenery from time-to-time during workdays, especially to kickstart his blood flow during an afternoon lull or breaking point.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\n\n\nUsing Tailwind CSS with Next.js
\n\n\n\nAoP Episode 22: Finishing the Year Strong
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSecurity Assertion Markup Language (SAML)
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"Ben’s been adding variety to work by biking to breakfast and the beach, while working in-between during his stay on Martha’s Vineyard. He’s feeling lucky to work remotely, and still be able to connect with co-founders!\r\n\r\nDerrick enjoys a change of scenery from time-to-time during workdays, especially to kickstart his blood flow during an afternoon lull or breaking point. \r\n","date_published":"2019-09-12T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/c88625fb-40e5-4e1a-b705-49b56e854445.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":37707380,"duration_in_seconds":2119}]},{"id":"df379bd5-263b-4a42-880e-c54206a13ebd","title":"102: Single Sign On (SSO) for Tuple?","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-102","content_text":"The true life of an entrepreneur! From backgrounds to beards, change is in the air for both Ben and Derrick. Ben is a 36-year-old man who is back living with his parents temporarily to save some cash. Ben considered himself a minimalist, until he realized just how much stuff he had to move. So, he hired movers. \n\nDerrick describes the importance of documenting lessons learned and accumulating knowledge. As a result, he got his first paying customer for StaticKit. A meager $10 in revenue is greater than zero. \n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nTuple: All for One, or One for All? Ben seeks advice on whether to make significant changes to app to satisfy single prospect that requires single sign-on (SSO) support\nAuthentication and Security Schemes: Increasing scope intimidates and impacts legacy engineering decisions\nBig Decisions equal Big Bucks: Good but challenging problem to have in business \nFree to paid options for Derrick’s StaticKit turns into inflexible data model \nGot one, get more: Freemium customer converts to first StaticKit paid subscriber\nDerrick’s Next Step with StaticKit: Default state of being sustainable and breaking even on personal expenses \nSolo Founder: Tricky to find good fit of founder to do everything and grow quickly\nKeep Shipping Away: Set weekly goals to achieve and celebrate wins \n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nStaticKit\n\nLevel\n\nG Suite\n\nSecurity Assertion Markup Language (SAML)\n\nBasecamp Shape Up\n\nThoughtbot\n\nRubyGems\n\nRuby on Rails\n\nDrip\n\nStripe\n\nReact","content_html":"The true life of an entrepreneur! From backgrounds to beards, change is in the air for both Ben and Derrick. Ben is a 36-year-old man who is back living with his parents temporarily to save some cash. Ben considered himself a minimalist, until he realized just how much stuff he had to move. So, he hired movers.
\n\nDerrick describes the importance of documenting lessons learned and accumulating knowledge. As a result, he got his first paying customer for StaticKit. A meager $10 in revenue is greater than zero.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSecurity Assertion Markup Language (SAML)
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"The true life of an entrepreneur! From backgrounds to beards, change is in the air for both Ben and Derrick. Ben is a 36-year-old man who is back living with his parents temporarily to save some cash. Ben considered himself a minimalist, until he realized just how much stuff he had to move. So, he hired movers. \r\n\r\nDerrick describes the importance of documenting lessons learned and accumulating knowledge. As a result, he got his first paying customer for StaticKit. A meager $10 in revenue is greater than zero. \r\n","date_published":"2019-09-05T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/df379bd5-263b-4a42-880e-c54206a13ebd.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":42861745,"duration_in_seconds":1627}]},{"id":"14eb3bec-2087-494a-bd8f-f71d4194acee","title":"101: Mentorship Momentum with Matt Wensing of SimSaaS","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-101","content_text":"While Ben’s on vacation, Derrick welcomes Matt Wensing, founder of SimSaaS and co-host of the Out of Beta podcast. Matt was also the co-founder and CEO of Stormpulse. \n\nDerrick credits Matt for giving him great advice to make the winding down of Level less daunting. Now, Derrick’s on the upswing of rebuilding his confidence, despite challenging cluster headaches and stress cannibalising productivity. \n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nOut of Beta: Matt’s new podcast where he publicly discusses projects and products\nMentorship Momentum: Seek help to sharpen software as a service (SaaS) skills \nMatt’s focused on marketing efforts to get work done and sales to gain access\nWhat is launching? Get started for free!\nTinySeed, Big Benefits: Solo business can’t do it alone; community plays a big role\nFruitful Conversations: StaticKit update involves JavaScript, APIs, and Markup (JAMStack)\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nMatt Wensing on Twitter\n\nMatt Wensing on LinkedIn\n\nSimSaaS\n\nRiskpulse\n\nOut of Beta Podcast\n\nStormpulse\n\nSimSaaS on TinySeed\n\nMicroConf\n\nMicroConf Europe\n\nBrian Casel\n\nRob Walling\n\nJason Cohen\n\nCompany of One by Paul Jarvis\n\nSlack\n\nHeroku\n\nCI/CD for WordPress with Peter Suhm of Branch CI\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nStaticKit\n\nLevel\n\nLevel Retrospective\n\nLevel Manifesto","content_html":"While Ben’s on vacation, Derrick welcomes Matt Wensing, founder of SimSaaS and co-host of the Out of Beta podcast. Matt was also the co-founder and CEO of Stormpulse.
\n\nDerrick credits Matt for giving him great advice to make the winding down of Level less daunting. Now, Derrick’s on the upswing of rebuilding his confidence, despite challenging cluster headaches and stress cannibalising productivity.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCI/CD for WordPress with Peter Suhm of Branch CI
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"While Ben’s on vacation, Derrick welcomes Matt Wensing, founder of SimSaaS and co-host of the Out of Beta podcast. Matt was also the co-founder and CEO of Stormpulse. \r\n\r\nDerrick credits Matt for giving him great advice to make the winding down of Level less daunting. Now, Derrick’s on the upswing of rebuilding his confidence, despite challenging cluster headaches and stress cannibalising productivity. ","date_published":"2019-08-29T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/14eb3bec-2087-494a-bd8f-f71d4194acee.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":34801652,"duration_in_seconds":1936}]},{"id":"775e2ce3-62da-4749-96b0-63e0025d2548","title":"100: A Cool 100th Episode: Celebrating With Our Past Guests","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-100","content_text":"One of the benefits of having a podcast is being able to interview interesting people. Being a podcast guest is the best gig in the universe. Spew some knowledge, or just ramble. \n\nIt’s time to celebrate the 100th episode of the Art of Product (AoP) podcast by catching up with previous guests to share updates and what’s next. Thanks for listening! \n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nJulian Shapiro: Running the growth agency, Bell Curve, was not rewarding but stressful; pivoted to Demand Curve to offer training to grow companies and teams\nJason Cohen: Busy because of WP Engine’s multiple acquisitions, including buying Flywheel; he describes how acquisition accelerates or de-risks successful strategies \nRob Walling: TinySeed continues to thrive and fun to work with ambitious and motivated founders building things; MicroConf moves from Vegas to Minneapolis in April 2020\nPaul Jarvis: Re-recording videos and audio for MailChimp course and rebuilding Fathom\nRahul Vohra: Superhuman achieved Series B and added employees; working on mental health and wellness by getting a super-sweet and super-dependent puppy\nSteve Schoger: Recycled redesigned Tuple site at Laracon and now working on Tailwind UI with Adam Wathan \n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nAoP Episode 61: Unconventional Growth Tactics with Julian Shapiro\n\nJulian Shapiro\n\nDemand Curve\n\nBell Curve\n\nY Combinator\n\nAoP Episode 69: Sound, Actionable Advice with Jason Cohen \n\nWP Engine\n\nFlywheel\n\nJason Cohen - Designing the Ideal Bootstrapped Business\n\nSmartBear\n\nA Smart Bear Blog\n\nAoP Episode 66: TinySeed Updates with Rob Walling \n\nRob Walling\n\nTinySeed\n\nStartups for the Rest of Us\n\nMicroConf\n\nOut of Beta Podcast: The first TinySeed founder retreat \n\nAoP Episode 93: Company of One with Paul Jarvis\n\nPaul Jarvis\n\nCompany of One\n\nMailChimp Course\n\nFathom\n\nCamtasia\n\nAoP Episode 91: Feeling Superhuman with Rahul Vohra\n\nSuperhuman\n\nHeadway\n\nAoP Episode 70: Refactoring UI: Concept to Launch \n\nSteve Schoger - Refactoring UI: Tuple \n\nLaracon\n\nJustin Jackson’s Transistor\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nStaticKit\n\nLevel\n\nLevel Retrospective\n\nLevel Manifesto","content_html":"One of the benefits of having a podcast is being able to interview interesting people. Being a podcast guest is the best gig in the universe. Spew some knowledge, or just ramble.
\n\nIt’s time to celebrate the 100th episode of the Art of Product (AoP) podcast by catching up with previous guests to share updates and what’s next. Thanks for listening!
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nAoP Episode 61: Unconventional Growth Tactics with Julian Shapiro
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAoP Episode 69: Sound, Actionable Advice with Jason Cohen
\n\n\n\n\n\nJason Cohen - Designing the Ideal Bootstrapped Business
\n\n\n\n\n\nAoP Episode 66: TinySeed Updates with Rob Walling
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOut of Beta Podcast: The first TinySeed founder retreat
\n\nAoP Episode 93: Company of One with Paul Jarvis
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAoP Episode 91: Feeling Superhuman with Rahul Vohra
\n\n\n\n\n\nAoP Episode 70: Refactoring UI: Concept to Launch
\n\nSteve Schoger - Refactoring UI: Tuple
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"One of the benefits of having a podcast is being able to interview interesting people. Being a podcast guest is the best gig in the universe. Spew some knowledge, or just ramble. \r\n\r\nIt’s time to celebrate the 100th episode of the Art of Product (AoP) podcast by catching up with previous guests to share updates and what’s next. Thanks for listening! ","date_published":"2019-08-22T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/775e2ce3-62da-4749-96b0-63e0025d2548.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":64055907,"duration_in_seconds":3763}]},{"id":"499fba98-4228-479d-b3c5-01c5d28db717","title":"99: The Binge Is Real, Countdown to the 100th Episode","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-99","content_text":"There’s no need to ask them who they are, what they do, businesses and products they built because listeners know them through their stories. After a lot of random, but worthwhile conversations, they’re getting good at being podcast co-hosts. \n\nHow long does it take to listen to all episodes of Ben and Derrick’s Art of Product (AoP) podcast? Who knew it would be binge-worthy? One more down, one to go before they reach Episode 100!\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nTuple 1.0: App is available, despite instant self-serve checkout setback \nTuple customers are expanding their use, but there’s still room for more users\nOne-time lump sum: Tuple pricing model that makes sense\nStaticKit Beta: Start small with kernel of a product to keep funnel constrained \nMarketing Research and Product Risk: StaticKit to stand on its own or grow \nDrip and Deleted Emails: Save copies to maintain confidence in critical path\nNegative Churn: Influence users to upgrade pricing for expansion revenue\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nStaticKit\n\nLevel\n\nLevel Retrospective\n\nLevel Manifesto\n\nGiant Robots Podcast\n\nSteve Schoger\n\nUserlist \n\nAdam Wathan on Twitter\n\nTailwind CSS\n\nProduct Hunt\n\nRay Ozzie\n\nWordPress\n\nDrip\n\nRefactoring Rails","content_html":"There’s no need to ask them who they are, what they do, businesses and products they built because listeners know them through their stories. After a lot of random, but worthwhile conversations, they’re getting good at being podcast co-hosts.
\n\nHow long does it take to listen to all episodes of Ben and Derrick’s Art of Product (AoP) podcast? Who knew it would be binge-worthy? One more down, one to go before they reach Episode 100!
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"There’s no need to ask them who they are, what they do, businesses and products they built because listeners know them through their stories. After a lot of random, but worthwhile conversations, they’re getting good at being podcast co-hosts. \r\n\r\nHow long does it take to listen to all episodes of Ben and Derrick’s Art of Product (AoP) podcast? Who knew it would be binge-worthy? One more down, one to go before they reach Episode 100!","date_published":"2019-08-15T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/499fba98-4228-479d-b3c5-01c5d28db717.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":28346761,"duration_in_seconds":1534}]},{"id":"6c8bdab0-4650-4cf0-8f68-6bd7df242dde","title":"98: Adam Covers for Derrick","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-98","content_text":"Derrick’s short notice about not co-hosting this episode because of being on a plane, and Ben not knowing or planning what to discuss, who and what’s left? \n\nUpdates and reports on Tuple and Tailwind. Welcome back Adam Wathan! \n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nToday’s Trend: Advisor/investor/founder journals and reports of accomplishments\nServes as a way to stay in touch, build relationships, ask questions, and get feedback \nThree Tuple Reports Later: Things are still going good\nProgramming meets Business: Gary Bernhardt commits to being future podcast guest \nSuccessful Tuple Shipments: Significant use of Webcam feature\nPricing Options: Ben expresses concern over free trials or pre-paid plans to capture credit cards and emails\nInvite-only vs. Public Launch: Continue as is, or open Tuple up to all\nTuple Update: Revenue is growing quickly, receiving 70-100 support tickets weekly, and room to add customers\nTailwind Update: Adam launched first set of videos for Tailwind CSS course\nTailwind Subscription/Price Structure: Yet to be determined \nAdam’s Prediction: Education and documentation determine open source winner \n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nAdam Wathan on Twitter\n\nFull Stack Radio\n\nTailwind CSS\n\nRefactoring UI by Adam Wathan and Steve Schoger\n\nSteve Schoger\n\nTyler Tringas on Twitter\n\nBrian Casel\n\nGary Bernhardt on Twitter\n\nExecuteProgram.com\n\nDavid Heinemeier Hansson (DHH) on Twitter\n\nGiant Robots Episode 26: Deep into the psyche of Gary Bernhardt\n\nGiant Robots Episode 27: Fabulous new mistakes with Joe Ferris\n\nGiant Robots Episode 28: Farther, further, faster with David Heinemeier Hansson\n\nNode.js\n\nReact\n\nRuby on Rails\n\nZoom\n\nSuperhuman\n\nScreenhero\n\nSlack\n\nGitHub\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nStaticKit\n\nLevel\n\nLevel Retrospective\n\nLevel Manifesto","content_html":"Derrick’s short notice about not co-hosting this episode because of being on a plane, and Ben not knowing or planning what to discuss, who and what’s left?
\n\nUpdates and reports on Tuple and Tailwind. Welcome back Adam Wathan!
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRefactoring UI by Adam Wathan and Steve Schoger
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDavid Heinemeier Hansson (DHH) on Twitter
\n\nGiant Robots Episode 26: Deep into the psyche of Gary Bernhardt
\n\nGiant Robots Episode 27: Fabulous new mistakes with Joe Ferris
\n\nGiant Robots Episode 28: Farther, further, faster with David Heinemeier Hansson
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"Derrick’s short notice about not co-hosting this episode because of being on a plane, and Ben not knowing or planning what to discuss, who and what’s left? \r\n\r\nUpdates and reports on Tuple and Tailwind. Welcome back Adam Wathan! ","date_published":"2019-08-08T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/6c8bdab0-4650-4cf0-8f68-6bd7df242dde.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":39452581,"duration_in_seconds":2227}]},{"id":"f994c230-0212-43f3-afbe-1dbc14feeea1","title":"97: To Build, or Not to Build - Jane Portman of Userlist","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-97","content_text":"While Ben’s on vacation, Derrick welcomes another podcast host who can commiserate with him about email automation. \n\nJane Portman is a UI/UX expert and consultant who hosts the UI Breakfast Podcast and co-founded Userlist.io. She describes what it takes to create a customer messaging tool. \n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nProduct Priorities: Slow, steady, and quality \nLifestyle Business: Overall goal is to replace consulting with SaaS recurring revenue\nChallenges: Limited development time and resources; slow growth rate to adopt mission-critical product\nTo Build, or Not to Build: Avoid feature creep by focusing on what to add or improve \nPlaybook Post: 10 steps to successfully position a product\nLaunch Process: People are waiting for the right time for the right tool for their business\nCustomer Conversations: Pre-product interviews about problem to be solved; followed by product demos to grant access to beta version for feedback \nFinding Customers: Landing page, updates, stories, sign-ups, mailing list, and more\nWe’re out of Beta! Simple and straight-forward product launch plan and strategy \nGeneric Illustrations: Product design trend that has to end\nEmail Experiences: Educate people on how to ethically use email to serve their business\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nUser Onboarding: The Ultimate Guide for SaaS Founders\n\nUI Breakfast Podcast\n\nUserlist.io\n\nUI Breakfast on Twitter\n\nUserlist.io on Twitter\n\nBehind the Scenes of Our Upcoming Public Launch\n\nHow We Used April Dunford’s 10-Step Method to Overhaul Positioning at Userlist\n\nAoP Episode 91: Feeling Superhuman with Rahul Vohra\n\nProduct Hunt\n\nHacker News\n\nDrip\n\nMailChimp\n\nHumans of Flat Design on Twitter \n\nPaul Jarvis\n\nMicroConf\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nStaticKit\n\nLevel\n\nLevel Retrospective\n\nLevel Manifesto","content_html":"While Ben’s on vacation, Derrick welcomes another podcast host who can commiserate with him about email automation.
\n\nJane Portman is a UI/UX expert and consultant who hosts the UI Breakfast Podcast and co-founded Userlist.io. She describes what it takes to create a customer messaging tool.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nUser Onboarding: The Ultimate Guide for SaaS Founders
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBehind the Scenes of Our Upcoming Public Launch
\n\nHow We Used April Dunford’s 10-Step Method to Overhaul Positioning at Userlist
\n\nAoP Episode 91: Feeling Superhuman with Rahul Vohra
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHumans of Flat Design on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"While Ben’s on vacation, Derrick welcomes another podcast host who can commiserate with him about email automation. \r\n\r\nJane Portman is a UI/UX expert and consultant who hosts the UI Breakfast Podcast and co-founded Userlist.io. She describes what it takes to create a customer messaging tool. ","date_published":"2019-08-01T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/f994c230-0212-43f3-afbe-1dbc14feeea1.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":31345774,"duration_in_seconds":1720}]},{"id":"866ec1db-9d6b-48d6-80be-37208482ca67","title":"96: Tuple Official Launch and Taking Time to Unplug","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-96","content_text":"Is something bugging you? Need to get away from everything? Derrick can’t wait to once again ride rugged waters on Minnesota’s many lakes. Not unlike startups, it isn’t always easy to stay afloat when under pressure. \n\nHeeelllloooo! Are you there? Still interested? Ask and you shall receive. Ben shipped a major feature for Tuple. Drumroll please…video support. I’ll Tuple you!\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nSensible Deprivation: Some suffering can be good; makes you appreciate things more\nGet Over It, and Gain Confidence: Design and develop video support prototype\nOfficial Launch Date for Tuple: Some time in August; Ben’s still trying to shake the perception he’s charging people for beta product\nSecurity Vulnerabilities Happen: Ben’s reaction to recent issues with Zoom and Slack\nMistakes Ben Might Make: Free Tuple trial to increase conversion and expansion\nDerrick’s Building Product: Initial version of StaticKit and form collection component\nSecurity ROI: Short-circuiting pushback with strong write-up for SOC 2 and ISO 27001 \n3+ Tuple team? Someday, Ben wants to hire a part-time designer and developer\n\n\nLinks and resources:\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nStaticKit\n\nLevel\n\nLevel Retrospective\n\nLevel Manifesto\n\nOutward Bound\n\nZoom\n\nSuperhuman\n\nSlack\n\nAdam Watham\n\nSteve Schoger\n\nLaracon\n\nElm\n\nReact\n\nJekyll\n\nDrip\n\nIS0 27001\n\nSOC 2\n\nHackerOne","content_html":"Is something bugging you? Need to get away from everything? Derrick can’t wait to once again ride rugged waters on Minnesota’s many lakes. Not unlike startups, it isn’t always easy to stay afloat when under pressure.
\n\nHeeelllloooo! Are you there? Still interested? Ask and you shall receive. Ben shipped a major feature for Tuple. Drumroll please…video support. I’ll Tuple you!
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\nArt of Product on Twitter
Derrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"Is something bugging you? Need to get away from everything? Derrick can’t wait to once again ride rugged waters on Minnesota’s many lakes. Not unlike startups, it isn’t always easy to stay afloat when under pressure. \r\n\r\nHeeelllloooo! Are you there? Still interested? Ask and you shall receive. Ben shipped a major feature for Tuple. Drumroll please…video support. I’ll Tuple you!","date_published":"2019-07-25T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/866ec1db-9d6b-48d6-80be-37208482ca67.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":35242826,"duration_in_seconds":1964}]},{"id":"0fb94188-94d5-4edb-9709-2f2cd997946e","title":"95: What Really Happened to Screenhero","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-95","content_text":"While Derrick is away, Ben welcomes Don Goodman-Wilson, who was the first hire at Screenhero in 2013. \n\nDon shares his version of Screenhero’s incredible journey, its migration to Slack, and Tuple coming to the rescue. Better late than never! \n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nWork Ethic/Culture: Doctorate in philosophy requires logic and dedication\nEngineering Challenges: Learning low-level C/C++ code in Screenhero product\nMicrosoft Windows and Apple Mac: Harmonizing code bases\nWeb Application Programming: User interface (UI), reliability, latency, quality, and billing\nProduct/Market Fit: Quick growth, adoption, and implementation of Screenhero\nPair Programming: Personal and professional sharing and collaboration\nSecond Day at First Expo: Atlassian’s interest, followed by Slack’s acquisition\nPlatform of Choice: Who’s the best partner to work with to achieve Screenhero’s goals?\nIn and Out of the Sandbox: Screenhero’s prone to crashing and uses private APIs\nSlack destroyed Screenhero: Expectations and compromises created culture clash \nHeartbreaking, Rational Reality: Removal of remote screen control in Slack calls\nMaintainerati’s Mission: Understand challenges and offer solutions for maintaining open source software\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nDon Goodman-Wilson \n\nDon Goodman-Wilson on LinkedIn\n\nMaintainerati\n\nScreenhero\n\nY Combinator\n\nSlack\n\nThe Screenhero Story - The Screenhero Blog\n\nRemoval of remote screen control in Slack calls\n\nAtlassian\n\nHipChat\n\nWebRTC\n\nRedis\n\nPython\n\nStripe\n\nRactive.js\n\nRuby-Grape Rack\n\nRuby on Rails\n\nDropbox\n\nGoogle Hangouts\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nMaintainerati on Twitter\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nStaticKit\n\nLevel\n\nLevel Retrospective\n\nLevel Manifesto","content_html":"While Derrick is away, Ben welcomes Don Goodman-Wilson, who was the first hire at Screenhero in 2013.
\n\nDon shares his version of Screenhero’s incredible journey, its migration to Slack, and Tuple coming to the rescue. Better late than never!
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDon Goodman-Wilson on LinkedIn
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Screenhero Story - The Screenhero Blog
\n\nRemoval of remote screen control in Slack calls
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"While Derrick is away, Ben welcomes Don Goodman-Wilson, who was the first hire at Screenhero in 2013. \r\n\r\nDon shares his version of Screenhero’s incredible journey, its migration to Slack, and Tuple coming to the rescue. Better late than never! ","date_published":"2019-07-11T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/0fb94188-94d5-4edb-9709-2f2cd997946e.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":45993706,"duration_in_seconds":2636}]},{"id":"692d686b-7674-4225-86a4-f02a7c4a752f","title":"94: Seeking Clarity","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-94","content_text":"Summer is in full swing. Ben spent a fun and productive day talking about work at a Red Sox game. It was an own-your-own business startup moment.\n\nDerrick can see clearly now, thanks to SMILE laser eye surgery. But he’s still seeking clarity on whether to make the masses happy, or stick to core concerns to attract specific customers when creating a new product.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nTuple Grows Up: New version of marketing site getting ready to launch\nCha Ching: Confirmation of biggest single Tuple invoice sent for payment\nHow much wisdom is there in the crowd? Can you trust it? \nRemote Control: Tuple customers give up control to use driver/navigator pairing \nSelf-serve Sign-up: Tuple strives for automation, learning, and feedback\nTime for a Truce: Trash talking, name calling stops for Slack to send customers to Tuple\nSoon to be released: Derrick’s StaticKit, a modern approach for embedding dynamic forms onto static sites\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nStaticKit\n\nArt of Product Podcast Episode 91: Feeling Superhuman with Rahul Vohra\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nLevel\n\nLevel Retrospective\n\nLevel Manifesto\n\nJekyll\n\nMiddleman\n\nGatsby\n\nHugo\n\nNext\n\nReact\n\nSuperhuman Product-Market Fit Survey\n\nDrip\n\nSteve Schoger\n\nStripe\n\nMicroConf\n\nSlack\n\nRemoval of remote screen control in Slack calls\n\nScreenhero\n\nNetlify\n\nZeit\n\nMailchimp\n\nConvertKit\n\nJSON\n\nZapier\n\nFormKeep\n\nHeroku\n\nRuby on Rails\n\nMedium\n\nPhoenix","content_html":"Summer is in full swing. Ben spent a fun and productive day talking about work at a Red Sox game. It was an own-your-own business startup moment.
\n\nDerrick can see clearly now, thanks to SMILE laser eye surgery. But he’s still seeking clarity on whether to make the masses happy, or stick to core concerns to attract specific customers when creating a new product.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nArt of Product Podcast Episode 91: Feeling Superhuman with Rahul Vohra
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSuperhuman Product-Market Fit Survey
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRemoval of remote screen control in Slack calls
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"Summer is in full swing. Ben spent a fun and productive day talking about work at a Red Sox game. It was an own-your-own business startup moment.\r\n\r\nDerrick can see clearly now, thanks to SMILE laser eye surgery. But he’s still seeking clarity on whether to make the masses happy, or stick to core concerns to attract specific customers when creating a new product.","date_published":"2019-07-04T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/692d686b-7674-4225-86a4-f02a7c4a752f.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":36905524,"duration_in_seconds":2068}]},{"id":"9f98a3ca-0a2e-4c7c-bdcf-18e967d7b38b","title":"93: Company of One with Paul Jarvis","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-93","content_text":"After a QuickTime error eradicated Paul Jarvis’s conversation with Ben and Derrick for an Art of Product episode, he’s back with an update on his recently published book, Company of One. \n\nShould Paul strike while the iron is hot? Despite the book’s success and being encouraged to write another one, Paul wants to take a necessary break before proposing a new book idea. \n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nLegally Binding Thumbs-up Emoji: How Paul sold rights for book to be in 13 languages\nBreak between Building: Frustration of figuring things out, replaced with hammock thinking and relaxation \nPaul’s writing process fills fountain of ideas; ready to do a book on digital privacy \nSlack Support Group: Help yourself and others\nLevel Failure Leads to Filtering Idea Criteria: Shouldn’t be mission-critical product; require more than a few decision makers; and native apps shouldn’t be a minimum requirement\nCompany of One: Doesn’t necessarily refer to one person, but mindset\nBalance between technology you know and learning curve for something you don’t\nSoftware as a Service (SaaS) Business: Scale up or stay small?\nDerrick describes Company of One as what he aspires toward, but is open to possibility of co-founders \nNothing Lasts Forever: Question growth, not stagnation\nSeek and scale support, especially when using third-party software\nDrumroll, Please: Ben announced plans for public launch of Tuple in August 2019\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nPaul Jarvis\n\nCompany of One\n\nCompany of One (Co1) Academy\n\nCompany of One Podcast\n\nFathom\n\nPaul Jarvis on Twitter\n\nPaul Jarvis’s WPComplete Plugin\n\nIngenx\n\nThe Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs\n\nSlack\n\nScreenhero\n\nRob Walling\n\nDrip\n\nFinding My Next Bootstrapped Business Idea \n\nDigitalOcean\n\nHeroku\n\nRuby on Rails\n\nPhoenix\n\nSuperhuman\n\nHacker News\n\nArt of Product Podcast Episode 91: Feeling Superhuman with Rahul Vohra\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nTuple\n\nLevel\n\nLevel Retrospective\n\nLevel Manifesto","content_html":"After a QuickTime error eradicated Paul Jarvis’s conversation with Ben and Derrick for an Art of Product episode, he’s back with an update on his recently published book, Company of One.
\n\nShould Paul strike while the iron is hot? Despite the book’s success and being encouraged to write another one, Paul wants to take a necessary break before proposing a new book idea.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPaul Jarvis’s WPComplete Plugin
\n\n\n\nThe Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFinding My Next Bootstrapped Business Idea
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nArt of Product Podcast Episode 91: Feeling Superhuman with Rahul Vohra
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"After a QuickTime error eradicated Paul Jarvis’s conversation with Ben and Derrick for an Art of Product episode, he’s back with an update on his recently published book, Company of One. ","date_published":"2019-06-27T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/9f98a3ca-0a2e-4c7c-bdcf-18e967d7b38b.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":49904067,"duration_in_seconds":2928}]},{"id":"f7f03fe1-a129-4b20-8407-f71120804b4b","title":"92: Slack Leaves the Market","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-92","content_text":"The world received amazing news in the form of a great gift: Slack is making a major change in the market—it’s leaving! \n\nBen and Derrick share their thoughts on Slack’s reasonable and rational decision to remove remote control functionality. What happens now? Try Tuple! Just sayin’, actually that’s what Tuple customers are suggesting.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nImprove Slack Calls: Reason for removing rarely used remote control feature\nKicking marketing machine into gear: Customers’ kind words generated surge in requests for access to Tuple\nSlack and Screenhero Saga: Complete story of acquisition and pair programming will probably never be told\nKeep shipping, swinging, and taking shots by increasing luck surface area and learning from previous successes and failures\nDear Dvorak user, is it time to switch? Tuple’s shipping international keyboard support\nBig deals keep coming in for Ben; it’s great to sometimes say, “No”\nDerrick’s writing cadence continues; flattered by onslaught of positivity from people\nProduct/Founder Fit: Be passionate about product or business before building it\nPressure to be Perfect: Don’t sweat the small stuff, just the details\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nJust Keep Shipping by Derrick Reimer\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nLevel\n\nLevel Retrospective\n\nSlack\n\nRemoval of remote screen control in Slack calls\n\nScreenhero\n\nDrip\n\nZoom\n\nGitHub\n\nThe Dvorak Keyboard\n\nAdam Watham","content_html":"The world received amazing news in the form of a great gift: Slack is making a major change in the market—it’s leaving!
\n\nBen and Derrick share their thoughts on Slack’s reasonable and rational decision to remove remote control functionality. What happens now? Try Tuple! Just sayin’, actually that’s what Tuple customers are suggesting.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nJust Keep Shipping by Derrick Reimer
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRemoval of remote screen control in Slack calls
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"The world received amazing news in the form of a great gift: Slack is making a major change in the market—it’s leaving! \r\n\r\nBen and Derrick share their thoughts on Slack’s reasonable and rational decision to remove remote control functionality. What happens now? Try Tuple! Just sayin’, actually that’s what Tuple customers are suggesting.","date_published":"2019-06-20T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/f7f03fe1-a129-4b20-8407-f71120804b4b.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":32861460,"duration_in_seconds":1813}]},{"id":"e63ba136-0f85-43db-987d-65bf54360a55","title":"91: Feeling Superhuman with Rahul Vohra","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-91","content_text":"Derrick’s feeling “superhuman.” Fortunately, he’s a user and lover of the Superhuman product. Maybe that’s why today’s guest is Rahul Vohra, co-founder and CEO of Superhuman.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nReason for Superhuman still being invite-only is not to increase user demand \nSustainable Word-of-Mouth Growth Engine: If you don’t pick the users, you can’t responsibly work on their feedback\nPurpose of Product and Target Audience: Email is work, and work is email; designed to be meaningful and life changing for high-volume email senders\nStartup Details: Deliberately think through and consider everything deeply from scratch\nDon’t turn down money when bootstrapping to find perfect product market/customer fit \nKnack for knowing what people want, before they know they want something; and helping people realize they want something \nWithout active or spending money on marketing, Superhuman’s waitlist keeps growing\nSuperhuman’s Values: Create delight, be intentional, and remarkable quality\nBest founders, including Rahul, are unstoppable forces of nature; they leave debris and destruction in their wake\nTime tracking a day in the life of Rahul: 40% managery; 20% recruiting; 14% fundraising; and 11% product, community engagement, and deep thoughts\nSuperhuman’s pricing is low, but generates high value; big fan of round numbers\nBusiness and product metrics: Activation, seat churn, net dollar churn, speed, and reliability rates\nObjective: Refine entire Superhuman experience to exhibit remarkable levels of quality through three key results - ARR, hiring, and product sentiment\nGenerate roadmap and find balance to maintain lead over market and continue to grow\nStartup Growth: Pick weekly growth rate; you don’t have to grow faster than you want to \n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nSuperhuman\n\nRahul Vohra on LinkedIn\n\nRahul Vohra on Twitter\n\nRahul Vohra’s Email\n\nSuperhuman Product-Market Fit Survey\n\nRahul Vohra on This Week in Startups with Jason McCabe Calacanis\n\nRapportive\n\nTechCrunch\n\nProduct Hunt\n\nHacker News\n\nGoogle Docs\n\nGitHub\n\nStartup = Growth - Paul Graham\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nLevel Retrospective\n\nLevel Manifesto\n\nTuple","content_html":"Derrick’s feeling “superhuman.” Fortunately, he’s a user and lover of the Superhuman product. Maybe that’s why today’s guest is Rahul Vohra, co-founder and CEO of Superhuman.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSuperhuman Product-Market Fit Survey
\n\nRahul Vohra on This Week in Startups with Jason McCabe Calacanis
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nStartup = Growth - Paul Graham
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"Today’s guest is Rahul Vohra, co-founder and CEO of Superhuman.","date_published":"2019-06-13T08:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/e63ba136-0f85-43db-987d-65bf54360a55.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":43116847,"duration_in_seconds":2504}]},{"id":"851e8975-4eda-4b06-bf15-a1f2e5a5e414","title":"90: The Mom Test with Rob Fitzpatrick","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-90","content_text":"Ben and Derrick welcome Rob Fitzpatrick, author of The Mom Test: How to talk to customers and learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you. It’s not your typical non-fiction business book, but short and straight to the point. It should be a mandatory prerequisite for anyone embarking on the startup journey. \n\nDerrick’s Level Retrospective describes how Rob’s book had a major impact on his most recent startup experience. People want to be supportive, so it’s difficult to get unbiased feedback during customer validation. Derrick already knew this to be correct, but underestimated the degree to which everyone lies. So, he felt betrayed by early validation efforts proved to be radically different from reality.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nDon’t ask anyone if your business is a good idea because everyone is biased\nBurden of truth should be put on yourself, not your customers\nEntrepreneur’s Superpower: Getting support before it’s deserved because passion pollutes feedback\nFounder Fit: Does your business idea merge with your product and lifestyle goals? \nFounder Centric: Cashflow-positive education and training agency for startups\nProduct-Market Fit: People share their problems via a proposed solution; when customers send feature requests, get to root of the problem \nStatistical significance of sample size is a trap; reach point of diminishing returns to move forward with product, and focus on number of/hours spent on conversations\nEntrepreneurs and customers think every problem matters, but they don’t \nWhat to do next to pivot in the right direction and niche down\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nThe Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick\n\nRob Fitzpatrick\n\nThe Workshop Survival by Rob Fitzpatrick\n\nFounder Centric\n\nSteve Blank\n\nPaul Graham\n\nSkype\n\nSlack\n\nHacker News\n\nSuperhuman Product-Market Fit Survey\n\nSongkick\n\nSpin Selling by Neil Rackham\n\nDrip\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nLevel Retrospective\n\nLevel Manifesto\n\nTuple","content_html":"Ben and Derrick welcome Rob Fitzpatrick, author of The Mom Test: How to talk to customers and learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you. It’s not your typical non-fiction business book, but short and straight to the point. It should be a mandatory prerequisite for anyone embarking on the startup journey.
\n\nDerrick’s Level Retrospective describes how Rob’s book had a major impact on his most recent startup experience. People want to be supportive, so it’s difficult to get unbiased feedback during customer validation. Derrick already knew this to be correct, but underestimated the degree to which everyone lies. So, he felt betrayed by early validation efforts proved to be radically different from reality.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nThe Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick
\n\n\n\nThe Workshop Survival by Rob Fitzpatrick
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSuperhuman Product-Market Fit Survey
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"Ben and Derrick welcome Rob Fitzpatrick, author of The Mom Test: How to talk to customers and learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you. It’s not your typical non-fiction business book, but short and straight to the point. It should be a mandatory prerequisite for anyone embarking on the startup journey. \r\n\r\nDerrick’s Level Retrospective describes how Rob’s book had a major impact on his most recent startup experience. People want to be supportive, so it’s difficult to get unbiased feedback during customer validation. Derrick already knew this to be correct, but underestimated the degree to which everyone lies. So, he felt betrayed by early validation efforts proved to be radically different from reality.","date_published":"2019-05-30T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/851e8975-4eda-4b06-bf15-a1f2e5a5e414.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":48853053,"duration_in_seconds":2863}]},{"id":"85793877-51f5-4397-ac52-09bfd2940de3","title":"89: Go Big, or Stay Small?","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-89","content_text":"Ben announced a medium-sized step forward for Tuple. A bug where the video portion would freeze at the start of or during a call was replicated and resolved. It was a double bonus: Fixed the bug and made the Tuple app faster.\n\nDerrick’s contemplative mode continued as he tried to figure out the future of Level. He retreated to think and disconnect. He sought clarity on what to do and is confident that he has made the best decision. \n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nDynamic Duos: Problem solving doesn’t require understanding of programming language\nFear not! Tuple continues to consistently update dependencies and perform QA \nTuple’s dashboard of latest version of call quality rating is highest so far\nStory of Level: How it started; goals, processes, and mistakes made; and what resources are available or needed to make it sustainable and successful\nDerrick’s Decision: Not the right path for him to be on, so it’s the end of the road for Level\nGo big, or stay small? Launch something valuable that you can charge your market for, then you can expand from there\nProduct Market Founder Fit: Is the business the way you want to shape your life?\nDo No Disturb Derrick: Convinced to cultivate a capability to slow down and carry on\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nDrip\n\nRuby\n\nZoom\n\nWebRTC\n\nCompany of One by Paul Jarvis\n\nRob Walling’s Stairstep Approach to Bootstrapping\n\nSuperhuman Product Market Fit Survey","content_html":"Ben announced a medium-sized step forward for Tuple. A bug where the video portion would freeze at the start of or during a call was replicated and resolved. It was a double bonus: Fixed the bug and made the Tuple app faster.
\n\nDerrick’s contemplative mode continued as he tried to figure out the future of Level. He retreated to think and disconnect. He sought clarity on what to do and is confident that he has made the best decision.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRob Walling’s Stairstep Approach to Bootstrapping
\n\nSuperhuman Product Market Fit Survey
","summary":"Ben announced a medium-sized step forward for Tuple. A bug where the video portion would freeze at the start of or during a call was replicated and resolved. It was a double bonus: Fixed the bug and made the Tuple app faster.\r\n\r\nDerrick’s contemplative mode continued as he tried to figure out the future of Level. He retreated to think and disconnect. He sought clarity on what to do and is confident that he has made the best decision. ","date_published":"2019-05-23T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/85793877-51f5-4397-ac52-09bfd2940de3.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":37237935,"duration_in_seconds":2137}]},{"id":"56ce3b38-9e80-4fe8-885b-889ca2c2bb68","title":"88: Will They Make the Jump?","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-88","content_text":"Recently, Ben felt gloriously empty and described how nice it was to have nothing going on. In his stomach, that is. He successfully finished a 48-hour fast. It was difficult, but pleasurable. Now, he’s back to craving calories, eating, and work! \n\nDerrick had a challenging week with feelings of uncertainty. He invited more people to try Level, but got similar results. He fears that people may not progress with the product. Will people actually make the jump to Level?\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nApril showered Ben with 66 sign ups of paid trials for Tuple\nMagic Number is 3: Multiple developers mean Tuple will soon ship multiway calls feature \nDerrick’s going back to customer development roots to proactively learn and listen\nTactical errors with validation to confirm assumptions about how to solve Slack problem\nDerrick’s envyable or dire position? Worst-case scenario and what’s next\nStartups fail, the struggle is real, and the pivot is time honored for a reason\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nDerrick’s Level Manifesto\n\nTuple\n\nThe Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick","content_html":"Recently, Ben felt gloriously empty and described how nice it was to have nothing going on. In his stomach, that is. He successfully finished a 48-hour fast. It was difficult, but pleasurable. Now, he’s back to craving calories, eating, and work!
\n\nDerrick had a challenging week with feelings of uncertainty. He invited more people to try Level, but got similar results. He fears that people may not progress with the product. Will people actually make the jump to Level?
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick
","summary":"Recently, Ben felt gloriously empty and described how nice it was to have nothing going on. In his stomach, that is. He successfully finished a 48-hour fast. It was difficult, but pleasurable. Now, he’s back to craving calories, eating, and work! \r\n\r\nDerrick had a challenging week with feelings of uncertainty. He invited more people to try Level, but got similar results. He fears that people may not progress with the product. Will people actually make the jump to Level?","date_published":"2019-05-09T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/56ce3b38-9e80-4fe8-885b-889ca2c2bb68.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":32147874,"duration_in_seconds":1770}]},{"id":"c6e06566-d104-4c78-9e89-06bb79982099","title":"87: Meta Podcasting","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-87","content_text":"Ben boldly admitted to doing a “weird” thing. He started listening to “us.” Not necessarily for quality control, but to spark his memory about topics Derrick and he talked about in previous AoP episodes. As a result, Ben’s become addicted to listening to people building companies podcasts. Unfortunately, there’s just not that many of them.\n\nDerrick also admitted to listening regularly to previous AoP episodes. But more so during the early days of the podcast, when he was apprehensive about his own ability on the microphone and wanted to find ways to improve. \n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nCool Podcast with Cold Open: Hit “Play” and start talking\nAutophagy: Putting a twist-tie on snack cabinet sucks, but benefits your body and brain\nTuple’s most requested feature: Multi-way calls\nSuccessful Meta-habit: Surveys serve as way to get feedback on product features \nPotential strategies for setting a launch date for Tuple\nArt of Building a Product and Company: Word-of-mouth, referrals, affiliate programs \nDerrick’s Level Launch: Warm email reminder to whet people’s appetite\nMini-funnel Metrics for Level Launch: \n500 given access to Level via email\n70% open rate for email\n182 created user account \n41 created a team\nOnboarding Process for Level: \nStep 1: Create user account \nStep 2: Demo account is activated\nFork in the Road: Optimize each phase and equip people to make it through funnel to get feedback on Level\nDerrick’s Top 2 Priorities for Level: Documentation and more manual outreach\nDerrick gets Ben “Pricing” Orenstein’s advice on who needs Level the most\nDerrick’s Plan for Level: Repeat, refine, and resend\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple\n\nThe Art of Product: Episode 78 - Ultraworking with Sebastian Marshall\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nDerrick’s Level Manifesto\n\nDrip\n\n113: Justin Jackson - Growing Transistor to $10,000/month\n\nGitHub\n\nClearbit","content_html":"Ben boldly admitted to doing a “weird” thing. He started listening to “us.” Not necessarily for quality control, but to spark his memory about topics Derrick and he talked about in previous AoP episodes. As a result, Ben’s become addicted to listening to people building companies podcasts. Unfortunately, there’s just not that many of them.
\n\nDerrick also admitted to listening regularly to previous AoP episodes. But more so during the early days of the podcast, when he was apprehensive about his own ability on the microphone and wanted to find ways to improve.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Art of Product: Episode 78 - Ultraworking with Sebastian Marshall
\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\n\n\n\n\n113: Justin Jackson - Growing Transistor to $10,000/month
\n\n\n\n","summary":"Ben boldly admitted to doing a “weird” thing. He started listening to “us.” Not necessarily for quality control, but to spark his memory about topics Derrick and he talked about in previous AoP episodes. As a result, Ben’s become addicted to listening to people building companies podcasts. Unfortunately, there’s just not that many of them.\r\n\r\nDerrick also admitted to listening regularly to previous AoP episodes. But more so during the early days of the podcast, when he was apprehensive about his own ability on the microphone and wanted to find ways to improve. ","date_published":"2019-05-02T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/c6e06566-d104-4c78-9e89-06bb79982099.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":48337224,"duration_in_seconds":2831}]},{"id":"6d5ef2a2-1873-4fcb-aab4-3cb55e7f1a41","title":"86: The Importance of Paying Customers in Product Feedback","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-86","content_text":"Ben had another good week. He signed up 25 new trials and about five conversions for Tuple. Are you one of the 500 chosen by Derrick to get access to Level? Be sure to check your Inbox on Monday for an email from him to find out. \n\nAlso, Ben and Derrick welcome Adam Wathan as a co-host for this episode. Adam’s working on getting release 1.0 of Tailwind out the door with awesome documentation.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nHappiness vs. Harassment: Tuple’s paid trial process\nWill people pay for Level? Get free feedback first or make them pay upfront?\nDemo Option: Click around, view dummy posts to get sense of how Level works \nRefactoring UI: Could it be a perennial seller?\nHow much should you share about your startup in your tweets? \nFocus on being best option; don’t brag about your success\nTrying to sell a theme via Tailwind; adding vs. creating new products\nHoly Grail of Software Business: Rob Walling’s stairstep approach to recurring revenue\nGrowth rate required to stay alive? Keep product relevant to what market wants\nSaaS is definitely not all roses!\nSuper Fast Email Services/Features: Snippets, Superhuman, Help Scout, and Shortcuts \n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nAdam Wathan on Twitter\n\nRefactoring UI by Adam Wathan and Steve Schoger\n\nSteve Schoger\n\nStripe\n\nJason Cohen - Designing the Ideal Bootstrapped Business\n\nPerennial Seller: The Art of Making and Marketing Work that Lasts\n\nMicroConf\n\nTailwind CSS\n\nBootstrap\n\nJustin Jackson Playing with Tailwind CSS\n\nJustin Jackson’s MegaMaker Club\n\nPatreon\n\nRob Walling’s Stairstep Approach to Bootstrapping\n\nUpcase by Thoughtbot\n\nPaul Jarvis\n\nHeroku Dynos\n\nRuby on Rails\n\nElixir\n\nSuperhuman\n\nHelp Scout\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple","content_html":"Ben had another good week. He signed up 25 new trials and about five conversions for Tuple. Are you one of the 500 chosen by Derrick to get access to Level? Be sure to check your Inbox on Monday for an email from him to find out.
\n\nAlso, Ben and Derrick welcome Adam Wathan as a co-host for this episode. Adam’s working on getting release 1.0 of Tailwind out the door with awesome documentation.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nRefactoring UI by Adam Wathan and Steve Schoger
\n\n\n\n\n\nJason Cohen - Designing the Ideal Bootstrapped Business
\n\nPerennial Seller: The Art of Making and Marketing Work that Lasts
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJustin Jackson Playing with Tailwind CSS
\n\nJustin Jackson’s MegaMaker Club
\n\n\n\nRob Walling’s Stairstep Approach to Bootstrapping
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n","summary":"Ben had another good week. He signed up 25 new trials and about five conversions for Tuple. Are you one of the 500 chosen by Derrick to get access to Level? Be sure to check your Inbox on Monday for an email from him to find out. \r\n\r\nAlso, Ben and Derrick welcome Adam Wathan as a co-host for this episode. Adam’s working on getting release 1.0 of Tailwind out the door with awesome documentation.","date_published":"2019-04-25T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/6d5ef2a2-1873-4fcb-aab4-3cb55e7f1a41.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":52582701,"duration_in_seconds":3096}]},{"id":"912ff7a0-7ff8-45d0-97ac-d0092b5c25ae","title":"85: The Hype Is Real","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-85","content_text":"The hype about Tuple is real! Ben’s been busy adding a bunch of new customers. He’s selling and delivering the dream. \n\nDerrick is back after mentally struggling in the midst of moving, which meant a week of zero productivity on Level. Now, he’s in a better place, mentally and literally.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nLudicrous Mode: Full-resolution, uncompressed video stream option added to Tuple\nTuple’s lack of scaling challenges due to peer-to-peer connections \nTuple’s conversion rate for email list \nBen’s “I’m bad at sales” email message and demo video\nThings to do and features to add in the future for Tuple\nTuple achieves semi-milestone of customer renewals\nBen’s fear of public availability to post Tuple’s pricing \nBandwidth forces AoP podcast back to one episode per week\nDerrick ships fun and addictive emoji reactions feature in Level\nInviting more people to increase Level’s sample size and address skepticism\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple\n\nHeroku Dynos\n\nSpaceballs\n\nAdam Wathan on Twitter\n\nRuby on Rails Action Cable Server\n\nTechnical Debt - Our Approach to Building Cool Tech Profitably\n\nSteve Schoger - Refactoring UI: Tuple \n\nDrip\n\nSoapbox from Wistia\n\nSuperhuman\n\nJason Fried","content_html":"The hype about Tuple is real! Ben’s been busy adding a bunch of new customers. He’s selling and delivering the dream.
\n\nDerrick is back after mentally struggling in the midst of moving, which meant a week of zero productivity on Level. Now, he’s in a better place, mentally and literally.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRuby on Rails Action Cable Server
\n\nTechnical Debt - Our Approach to Building Cool Tech Profitably
\n\nSteve Schoger - Refactoring UI: Tuple
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"The hype about Tuple is real! Ben’s been busy adding a bunch of new customers. He’s selling and delivering the dream. \r\n\r\nDerrick is back after mentally struggling in the midst of moving, which meant a week of zero productivity on Level. Now, he’s in a better place, mentally and literally.","date_published":"2019-04-18T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/912ff7a0-7ff8-45d0-97ac-d0092b5c25ae.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":34885221,"duration_in_seconds":1990}]},{"id":"6e687bb2-4e78-40c5-8ada-816169925d3c","title":"84: Developer Mindset with Brian Casel","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-84","content_text":"Who’s the mystery voice that only gets better as you listen to this episode? Actually, you’re probably already familiar with the work of the man behind the microphone. \n\nDerrick is busy moving to a new home, so Ben’s co-host is Brian Casel of BootstrappedWeb, ProcessKit, Audience Ops, and Sunrise KPI.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nBen and Brian just got back from MicroConf; it’s an annual gathering of “all our people”\nSome talks were among their favorites, but others were mediocre and missed the mark\nBrian’s goal was to meet 5-10 new people doing interesting things, and reconnect and catch up with others he’s known for years\nBrian is an Art of Product (AoP) podcast listener and wants Ben and Derrick to not hold back, dig in, challenge each other, and ask more questions\nAre more people listening to Ben and Derrick’s podcast? Fireside metrics reveal that a lot of Tuple or Level customers come from listening to it\nMore bootstrappers need to start a podcast and find friends to share ups and downs\nWhat happened when Ben pushed Brian to learn how to code? ProcessKit - best thing Brian’s built on the Web\nPhenomenon of how programmers love complexity\nProcessKit pricing and customer research; Ben’s advice to get people to buy/use it\nTuple Update: App is great; Ben’s been emailing list, and people are buying it\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nBrian Casel\n\nBootstrappedWeb Podcast\n\nProcessKit\n\nBrian Casel on Product Hunt\n\nAudience Ops\n\nOps Calendar\n\nBig Snow Tiny Conf\n\nSunrise KPI\n\nArt of Product Podcast Episode 58 with Brian Casel: Evolving Roles as a Startup Founder\n\nMicroConf\n\nMicroConf Recap\n\nChris Savage: How an Offer to Sell Wistia Inspired Us to Take On $17M in Debt\n\nJason Fried: Q+A with Jason Fried\n\nPatrick Campbell: Pricing\n\nJoanna Wiebe: Money Words: Seven of the words and phrases we use most often in high-converting copy\n\nFireside\n\nTransistor\n\nCastos\n\nBlubrry\n\nAJAX JavaScript\n\nTailwind CSS\n\nHoneybadger\n\nReact\n\nRuby on Rails\n\nVue.js\n\nStimulus JavaScript\n\nVanilla JavaScript\n\nFollowUp.cc\n\nSuperhuman\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide","content_html":"Who’s the mystery voice that only gets better as you listen to this episode? Actually, you’re probably already familiar with the work of the man behind the microphone.
\n\nDerrick is busy moving to a new home, so Ben’s co-host is Brian Casel of BootstrappedWeb, ProcessKit, Audience Ops, and Sunrise KPI.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nArt of Product Podcast Episode 58 with Brian Casel: Evolving Roles as a Startup Founder
\n\n\n\n\n\nChris Savage: How an Offer to Sell Wistia Inspired Us to Take On $17M in Debt
\n\nJason Fried: Q+A with Jason Fried
\n\n\n\nJoanna Wiebe: Money Words: Seven of the words and phrases we use most often in high-converting copy
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
","summary":"Who’s the mystery voice that only gets better as you listen to this episode? Actually, you’re probably already familiar with the work of the man behind the microphone. \r\n\r\nDerrick is busy moving to a new home, so Ben’s co-host is Brian Casel of BootstrappedWeb, ProcessKit, Audience Ops, and Sunrise KPI.","date_published":"2019-04-11T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/6e687bb2-4e78-40c5-8ada-816169925d3c.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":42832585,"duration_in_seconds":2438}]},{"id":"d61ef0f5-4148-46b0-8127-a20abcabd989","title":"83: The Biggest Lever to Pull in Your Business","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-83","content_text":"Ben and Derrick are back from MicroConf. There were plenty of solid talks and takeaways to help them think, theorize, and hypothesize about moving forward with their products.\n\nAlso, Ben presented two Starter Edition sessions: Q & A with Rob Walling and Idea to Validation to Launch: The First 365 Days of Tuple.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nBen stuck to plan of not going to many talks; made connections and socialized\nGrowth-adjacent trend of not buying tickets to conference, but hanging out with others\nBen crushed it when MCing Starter Edition; being part of conference at organization level\nMicroConf’s Unofficial Mantra: Charge more; pricing is powerful lever to pull for ROI, and businesses know they should do it, but don’t; if they do, it’s too small\nTuple has stabilized, and it’s time to generate revenue; started emailing list \nRetro on financial situation; nothing to worry about yet, but not feeling rich\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nMicroConf\n\nMicroConf Recap\n\nBen Orenstein at MicroConf\n\nHoneybadger\n\nWistia\n\nJason Cohen\n\nHiten Shah\n\nChris Gimmer\n\nRuby on Rails\n\nDrip\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple","content_html":"Ben and Derrick are back from MicroConf. There were plenty of solid talks and takeaways to help them think, theorize, and hypothesize about moving forward with their products.
\n\nAlso, Ben presented two Starter Edition sessions: Q & A with Rob Walling and Idea to Validation to Launch: The First 365 Days of Tuple.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n","summary":"Ben and Derrick are back from MicroConf. There were plenty of solid talks and takeaways to help them think, theorize, and hypothesize about moving forward with their products.\r\n\r\nAlso, Ben presented two Starter Edition sessions: Q & A with Rob Walling and Idea to Validation to Launch: The First 365 Days of Tuple.","date_published":"2019-04-04T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/d61ef0f5-4148-46b0-8127-a20abcabd989.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":34529680,"duration_in_seconds":1918}]},{"id":"551ae26e-5f16-4e1d-974b-537aea9b619d","title":"82: Idea to Validation to Launch: MicroConf 2019","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-82","content_text":"Derrick and Ben have descended upon Las Vegas for MicroConf and an audience hungry for valuable tips on how to successfully start and grow a business.\n\nBen will have two Starter Edition sessions: Q & A with Rob Walling and Idea to Validation to Launch: The First 365 Days of Tuple.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nMicroConf Goals: Connect with people, spend quality time with friends; don’t feel guilty or FOMO about not going to all talks\nBen’s seeking a designer to replace super-successful Steve Schoger\nOptimism to Realism: Derrick’s shift in mindset about Level at 2018 vs. 2019 MicroConf \nSharing wisdom and giving advice - all of the fun, and none of the hard work\nNot knowing what makes someone a good fit for Level; let people vote with their dollars\nGetting more founders into therapy to help their mental health\nDerrick’s mentor role for TinySeed: The Startup Accelerator Designed for Bootstrappers \nTuple’s theme of recurring and expansion charges, but also one churn so far\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nMicroConf\n\nBen Orenstein at MicroConf\n\nRob Walling\n\nSteve Schoger\n\nDrip\n\nSam Harris\n\nWistia Soapbox\n\nTinySeed\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple","content_html":"Derrick and Ben have descended upon Las Vegas for MicroConf and an audience hungry for valuable tips on how to successfully start and grow a business.
\n\nBen will have two Starter Edition sessions: Q & A with Rob Walling and Idea to Validation to Launch: The First 365 Days of Tuple.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n","summary":"Derrick and Ben have descended upon Las Vegas for MicroConf and an audience hungry for valuable tips on how to successfully start and grow a business.\r\n\r\nBen will have two Starter Edition sessions: Q & A with Rob Walling and Idea to Validation to Launch: The First 365 Days of Tuple.","date_published":"2019-03-28T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/551ae26e-5f16-4e1d-974b-537aea9b619d.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":27138612,"duration_in_seconds":1506}]},{"id":"6b5949df-6512-4882-944d-88ff0e3e236d","title":"81: Sane and Sustainable Growth with Ben Curtis from Honeybadger","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-81","content_text":"Derrick is still traveling. So, Ben’s co-host for this episode is Honeybadger Co-founder Ben Curtis. Honeybadger offers an application health monitoring tool featuring an easy-to-use platform with exception, uptime, and check-in monitoring.\n\nSince its creation about seven years ago, Honeybadger’s three founders - Curtis along with Starr Horne and Joshua Wood - cranked out all the work. However, the company added a marketing person a few months ago and recently hired its first developer.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nHoneybadger has kept headcount low to optimize profit-per-employee; eventually needed help with marketing and other tasks\nDownside of contractors is they’re not committed to being around for very long; wanted someone who was dedicated to making Honeybadger more successful\nBringing new people in is risky, but Curtis kind of wishes they would’ve done it sooner\nDocumenting processes is essential to transfer knowledge to new team members and discover opportunities for improvement and automation\nSetting expectations regarding time; Curtis makes conscious choice to only work 20-30 hours per week in Honeybadger’s relaxed and asynchronous office environment\nHoneybadger took about three years to achieve a stable infrastructure, where things weren’t regularly blowing up and breaking \nMoment Honeybadger Made It: Able to offer health insurance and living the dream by getting paid well to do exactly what they want to do and exactly how they want to do it\nWhat can you afford to pay yourself when starting a business? Establish schedule and roadmap to set goal to pay yourself regularly, even if amount is meager\nHoneybadger’s biggest costs are for hosting, health insurance, and salaries; company has grown through word-of-mouth, not paid marketing and advertising\nGorilla Marketing: Free marketing and fantastic response rate for Honeybadger’s T-shirt giveaway to get customers’ credit card numbers; Burger Bus was also a success\nBe authentic to create brand recognition; you’re your target audience - what do you like?\nHoneybadger’s mission is to give developers the best tools, so they can have a better day; customer service is one of the company’s core guiding principles\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nHoneybadger\n\nStarting & Sustaining Podcast Episode with Ben Curtis, Co-founder of Honeybadger\n\nNotion\n\nTwitch\n\nTropical MBA Podcast\n\nMicroConf\n\nRailsConf\n\nPostmark\n\nPrintfection\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple","content_html":"Derrick is still traveling. So, Ben’s co-host for this episode is Honeybadger Co-founder Ben Curtis. Honeybadger offers an application health monitoring tool featuring an easy-to-use platform with exception, uptime, and check-in monitoring.
\n\nSince its creation about seven years ago, Honeybadger’s three founders - Curtis along with Starr Horne and Joshua Wood - cranked out all the work. However, the company added a marketing person a few months ago and recently hired its first developer.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nStarting & Sustaining Podcast Episode with Ben Curtis, Co-founder of Honeybadger
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n","summary":"Derrick is still traveling. So, Ben’s co-host for this episode is Honeybadger Co-founder Ben Curtis. Honeybadger offers an application health monitoring tool featuring an easy-to-use platform with exception, uptime, and check-in monitoring.\r\n\r\nSince its creation about seven years ago, Honeybadger’s three founders - Curtis along with Starr Horne and Joshua Wood - cranked out all the work. However, the company added a marketing person a few months ago and recently hired its first developer.","date_published":"2019-03-25T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/6b5949df-6512-4882-944d-88ff0e3e236d.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":43985252,"duration_in_seconds":2510}]},{"id":"1f5ec816-7597-420d-9dcd-746d1187f13a","title":"80: Rediscovering Deep Work","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-80","content_text":"Derrick’s been traveling and finding inspiration from re-reading Deep Work, a kind of manifesto of what Level stands for. He’s discovering how to position and market Level, as well as recognize things in his own work patterns that need to change.\n\nBen’s been feeling anxiety and thinking about Tuple’s broader mission and impact on the world. He believes deep work can be accomplished through the powerful practice of pair programming.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nEmbracing Boredom: Derrick removed Twitter and email client from his phone as dependence on distraction\nRecruiting next wave of paying customers; reminding people what Level is and why they should care about it\nLearning is a valid category of work you can do during the day; productive use of time \nAbility to go deep and focus is a skill most people have lost; getting back into the mindset\nTuple’s mission and onboarding campaign; selling a solution to an underlying problem\nApprenticeship: Learn and gain expertise from peers\nDerrick’s main piece of content for Level may not be about specific tool to achieve mindful workplace\nCelebrating call quality feedback feature in Tuple; customized CRM to close the deal\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nDeep Work by Cal Newport\n\nThe Challenger Sale by Matthew Dixon\n\nHeroku\n\nScreenhero\n\nRuby on Rails\n\nPodcast Motor\n\nClearbit\n\nBrennan Dunn’s Double Your Freelancing","content_html":"Derrick’s been traveling and finding inspiration from re-reading Deep Work, a kind of manifesto of what Level stands for. He’s discovering how to position and market Level, as well as recognize things in his own work patterns that need to change.
\n\nBen’s been feeling anxiety and thinking about Tuple’s broader mission and impact on the world. He believes deep work can be accomplished through the powerful practice of pair programming.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\n\n\nThe Challenger Sale by Matthew Dixon
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBrennan Dunn’s Double Your Freelancing
","summary":"Derrick’s been traveling and finding inspiration from re-reading Deep Work, a kind of manifesto of what Level stands for. He’s discovering how to position and market Level, as well as recognize things in his own work patterns that need to change.\r\n\r\nBen’s been feeling anxiety and thinking about Tuple’s broader mission and impact on the world. He believes deep work can be accomplished through the powerful practice of pair programming.","date_published":"2019-03-21T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/1f5ec816-7597-420d-9dcd-746d1187f13a.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":31482084,"duration_in_seconds":1777}]},{"id":"e9147dfa-2233-44ae-88fd-b22bc134641e","title":"79: Moving out of Alpha","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-79","content_text":"Ben shares that Tuple is now out of alpha and into beta, which is an arbitrary marker of stability and feature ability. The move is working as planned by serving as a way for customers to choose to opt in or out, depending on if they want it now or wait until it’s launched.\n\nDerrick choose to steer away from such labels with Level, but understands they might have been beneficial to clearly denote the product’s progress. \n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nBen’s in onboarding mode with Tuple; spent February selling, people pre-pay first month\nWhere are these people coming from? Inbound interest via email list\nDerrick’s next high-level thing to do is proactively recruit key teams, but how?\nNo more free trials for Level; Derrick has no qualms about asking people to pay for it\nTuple’s always testing new pricing, so some prices were tweaked recently\nTwo New Tuple Things: Ability to control resolution of call from guest side, and retrospective added to discuss how product and company are better than last week\nNotifications feature in Level finally shipped on Friday; Derrick’s responding to feedback\nLevel’s Potential Golden Metric: Switching rate from Slack\nIf it’s not worth paying for, why not? Feeling ready and right, not forcing a decision\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple\n\nDrip\n\nClearbit Enrichment\n\nPatrick McKenzie on Twitter\n\nBrian Casel on Twitter","content_html":"Ben shares that Tuple is now out of alpha and into beta, which is an arbitrary marker of stability and feature ability. The move is working as planned by serving as a way for customers to choose to opt in or out, depending on if they want it now or wait until it’s launched.
\n\nDerrick choose to steer away from such labels with Level, but understands they might have been beneficial to clearly denote the product’s progress.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"Ben shares that Tuple is now out of alpha and into beta, which is an arbitrary marker of stability and feature ability. The move is working as planned by serving as a way for customers to choose to opt in or out, depending on if they want it now or wait until it’s launched.\r\n\r\nDerrick choose to steer away from such labels with Level, but understands they might have been beneficial to clearly denote the product’s progress. \r\n","date_published":"2019-03-18T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/e9147dfa-2233-44ae-88fd-b22bc134641e.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":30897118,"duration_in_seconds":1691}]},{"id":"010fcb7a-b4c0-4a53-b3b7-68982f8c8093","title":"78: Ultraworking with Sebastian Marshall","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-78","content_text":"We all freak out about things from time to time. Ben becomes neurotic about feedback, but fellow Tuple team members have different triggers that put them into a tailspin. Fortunately, Ben has found ways to better handle stress. \n\nIn this episode, Ben and Derrick are joined by Sebastian Marshall, co-founder of Ultraworking. In previous episodes, Ben has mentioned Ultraworking and how he has benefitted from it.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nUsing what he learned about monthly planning from Ultraworking, Ben did March for Tuple\nBen met meditation goal via Ultraworking’s Lights spreadsheet, accountability partners\n10 to 10: Ben’s theme for March; wants to win the night and beginning of the day by going to bed at the right time and developing a morning routine to be more alert and energetic\nBen’s doing Tuple demos and getting positive feedback; promising things are happening\nDerrick decided to move forward with notifications feature for Level; shipping it soon\nNote about Level’s performance improvement offers positive sentiment and sanity check\nHow much do you trust your own emotional memory, if you feel like you’re making progress or not? Do a data-driven review of week to assess and analyze headway\nTrack where your time is spent using start and end time; only track most important work\nDefining wasted vs. leisure time; aren’t they the same? Depends on how you feel afterwards? Good or bad?\nTwo categories of “bad” time: Neurotic flow and regret agreeing to something\nAverage day in the life of Sebastian at Ultraworking; what makes or breaks his week\nBuilding a company and keeping it alive; Ben’s “duh” moment about delegating\nUltraworking’s Work Cycles: Doing work (creative, technical, etc.) in structured way\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple\n\nUltraworking\n\nUltraworking: Monthly Planning\n\nUltraworking: Cycles Template\n\nUltraworking: Lights Spreadsheet\n\nRoguelike by Sebastian Marshall\n\nGitLab\n\nBench\n\nDrip\n\nExtreme Productivity by Robert Pozen","content_html":"We all freak out about things from time to time. Ben becomes neurotic about feedback, but fellow Tuple team members have different triggers that put them into a tailspin. Fortunately, Ben has found ways to better handle stress.
\n\nIn this episode, Ben and Derrick are joined by Sebastian Marshall, co-founder of Ultraworking. In previous episodes, Ben has mentioned Ultraworking and how he has benefitted from it.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nUltraworking: Monthly Planning
\n\n\n\nUltraworking: Lights Spreadsheet
\n\nRoguelike by Sebastian Marshall
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nExtreme Productivity by Robert Pozen
","summary":"We all freak out about things from time to time. Ben becomes neurotic about feedback, but fellow Tuple team members have different triggers that put them into a tailspin. Fortunately, Ben has found ways to better handle stress. \r\n\r\nIn this episode, Ben and Derrick are joined by Sebastian Marshall, co-founder of Ultraworking. In previous episodes, Ben has mentioned Ultraworking and how he has benefitted from it.\r\n","date_published":"2019-03-14T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/010fcb7a-b4c0-4a53-b3b7-68982f8c8093.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":48178347,"duration_in_seconds":2821}]},{"id":"f650280b-b3b9-46f7-ad42-69fbefaabc2a","title":"77: Reset Your Perspective","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-77","content_text":"Ben’s been checking in with Tuple users to find out how things are going. Things aren’t working perfectly with the product. Before this feedback, he was feeling pretty good about things. It’s not the feedback’s fault, but Ben focusing too much on it.\n\nDerrick can empathize with Ben because of his experience with Level. It takes just one negative outcome to have an irrational impact on your mental state. Reset your perspective!\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nConsidering additional indicators within Tuple to gain feedback\nReady to buy another seat? Tuple’s first expansion revenue \nHaving a healthy level of stress vs. being in a state of complacency or false optimism\nAs a coping mechanism, Ben reached his goal to mediate every day for a month \nDon’t let negativity infect everything else; improvement and growth are important\nOnboarding process and positive changes between original and revised product versions\nOh no! Say it isn’t so; Tuple’s using Slack for feedback dialogue\nLack of sleep didn’t stop Derrick from shipping performance improvements to Level\nDerrick expresses gratitude for open source technology that he’s using to build Level\nTuple team finally getting a paycheck, a well-earned achievement; Derrick did the opposite and transferred a bucket of cash into Level’s account\nGetting to the next level of swag; trials and T-shirts to put credit card on file\nProduct advice and ideas for notifications and posts in Level’s Inbox\nSelling annual deals to specific people, companies; we’re in this together for the long haul \nTrying to find time to write and talk about journey of starting a new product and company\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple\n\nZoom\n\nDataLoader\n\nWaking Up with Sam Harris\n\nElixir\n\nElm\n\nStripe\n\nHoneybadger\n\nHeroku\n\nJason Cohen\n\nMicroConf\n\nBrian Casel","content_html":"Ben’s been checking in with Tuple users to find out how things are going. Things aren’t working perfectly with the product. Before this feedback, he was feeling pretty good about things. It’s not the feedback’s fault, but Ben focusing too much on it.
\n\nDerrick can empathize with Ben because of his experience with Level. It takes just one negative outcome to have an irrational impact on your mental state. Reset your perspective!
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"Ben’s been checking in with Tuple users to find out how things are going. Things aren’t working perfectly with the product. Before this feedback, he was feeling pretty good about things. It’s not the feedback’s fault, but Ben focusing too much on it.\r\n\r\nDerrick can empathize with Ben because of his experience with Level. It takes just one negative outcome to have an irrational impact on your mental state. Reset your perspective!","date_published":"2019-03-07T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/f650280b-b3b9-46f7-ad42-69fbefaabc2a.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":61901249,"duration_in_seconds":3625}]},{"id":"73bda6f5-9bc0-40e8-bcb4-84e4ac77eb18","title":"76: The Scotch Budget","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-76","content_text":"Derrick’s been on a startup roller coaster. It’s been one of those weeks for him. So, he’s grateful for Scotch! He just factors it into Level’s budget.\n\nAlong the same lines, Tuple bought lunch today for its staff. It feels free, but Ben doesn’t think you can write off such expenses, even if you talk about business between bites.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nBoring numbers stuff and stress of assembling financials for 2018 taxes\nBen’s goal to meditate every day in February to feel centered in the startup world\nSpotify surfacing new music helps re-energize Derrick’s work day\nTuple’s Goals: Focus on stability in February; onboard additional teams and return to feature development in March\nDon’t assume; ask users what they want and make sure you clearly understand them\nDerrick shares Level updates on Startups for the Rest of Us podcast\nDo metrics matter? Derrick’s on an information diet to uncloud his brain\nNo Twitter for Ben before noon because it’s too much of a distraction\nPerformance overhaul and interface update to improve users’ impression of Level\nTuple’s recent improvements include proxy server support and a feedback button\nBen’s Tuple Onboarding Calls: Fun to show people the product for the first time\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick’s Level Manifesto\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple\n\nWaking Up with Sam Harris\n\nHeadspace\n\nNaughty Professor on Spotify\n\nEpisode 429: Building a Launch List of 5,900 and Grinding Out Customer Development\n\nDrip\n\nRuby on Rails","content_html":"Derrick’s been on a startup roller coaster. It’s been one of those weeks for him. So, he’s grateful for Scotch! He just factors it into Level’s budget.
\n\nAlong the same lines, Tuple bought lunch today for its staff. It feels free, but Ben doesn’t think you can write off such expenses, even if you talk about business between bites.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEpisode 429: Building a Launch List of 5,900 and Grinding Out Customer Development
\n\n\n\n","summary":"Derrick’s been on a startup roller coaster. It’s been one of those weeks for him. So, he’s grateful for Scotch! He just factors it into Level’s budget.\r\n\r\nAlong the same lines, Tuple bought lunch today for its staff. It feels free, but Ben doesn’t think you can write off such expenses, even if you talk about business between bites.\r\n","date_published":"2019-02-28T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/73bda6f5-9bc0-40e8-bcb4-84e4ac77eb18.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":30801123,"duration_in_seconds":1735}]},{"id":"98508cf2-6c85-435e-9d6b-3c0beade50f9","title":"75: Lots to Be Grateful For","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-75","content_text":"Ben is thankful for Tuple’s success so far. It is helping companies improve efficiency and countries improve the quality of their residents’ lives. \n\nDerrick also expresses gratitude for companies being interested in his product, Level. He is setting up a specific team in Level and addressing concerns to convert them.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\nPeople want to work at Tuple, and specifically for Ben; it’s flattering, but Tuple is not hiring\nTuple beat out a competitor during a company’s trial use\nTuple will be given to Watsi, a non-profit that does crowdfunding for medical procedures in third-world countries and is developing a platform for countries to manage healthcare\nCore Competency: Keep your brain sane during challenges and changes\nVice vs. Virtue: Coach and convince champions that Level may not be immediately gratifying, but a virtuous and better way to work\nTuple is no longer offering free trials; pain of purchase and pre-qualification put up front\nCalls to action, connections, and surveys help identify ideal prospects and leads\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nWatsi\n\nYNAB\n\nUltraworking\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick’s Level Manifesto\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple","content_html":"Ben is thankful for Tuple’s success so far. It is helping companies improve efficiency and countries improve the quality of their residents’ lives.
\n\nDerrick also expresses gratitude for companies being interested in his product, Level. He is setting up a specific team in Level and addressing concerns to convert them.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nPeople want to work at Tuple, and specifically for Ben; it’s flattering, but Tuple is not hiring
\nTuple beat out a competitor during a company’s trial use
\nTuple will be given to Watsi, a non-profit that does crowdfunding for medical procedures in third-world countries and is developing a platform for countries to manage healthcare
\nCore Competency: Keep your brain sane during challenges and changes
\nVice vs. Virtue: Coach and convince champions that Level may not be immediately gratifying, but a virtuous and better way to work
\nTuple is no longer offering free trials; pain of purchase and pre-qualification put up front
\nCalls to action, connections, and surveys help identify ideal prospects and leads
Links and resources:
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n","summary":"Ben is thankful for Tuple’s success so far. It is helping companies improve efficiency and countries improve the quality of their residents’ lives. \r\nDerrick also expresses gratitude for companies being interested in his product, Level. He is setting up a specific team in Level and addressing concerns to convert them.\r\n","date_published":"2019-02-21T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/98508cf2-6c85-435e-9d6b-3c0beade50f9.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":37202073,"duration_in_seconds":2135}]},{"id":"6fedec97-b4c9-408d-a6e4-5df2b08f5b0d","title":"74: The Only Way To Learn","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-74","content_text":"Do you lack energy or motivation at work? Ben tried a new service called, Work Gym from Ultraworking. He found it worthwhile and got a lot of work done on Tuple that he had been putting off for quite awhile. Tuple is about to reach a major milestone - recent PR deployments mean no more global list of online users.\n\nDerrick has also been addressing how to set up companies, teams, and individual users interested in trying Level. So, he hasn’t intentionally built any billing model into the backend of Level, yet\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nPrioritizing tasks and trying to be comfortable with the lack of knowing everything\nBen and Derrick find value in sales and onboarding calls, although the take up time\nDoesn’t matter if something isn’t right, right now; keep experimenting, learning, and testing to figure out what works\nPeople are willing to pre-pay to be placed on the newly created Tuple trials wait list\nTuple Status: Stability is going up, bugs are being fixed, and crashing occurs less often\nTuple plans to deploy a fix where users don’t have to enter a keychain password every time to update the app and support for them to choose which display they want to share\nResults from Superhuman Product Market Fit Survey sent to Tuple users\nBen’s Bad Idea: He decided not to do Habits for Hackers due to lack of pricing and bids\nDerrick continues to do onboarding calls with Level users and reach out to those who were invited and pre-paid, but have not scheduled a demo\nDerrick shipped an integration for users to post a message to an endpoint that will be directly posted to a channel or another person in Level to centralize relevant notifications\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nUltraworking\n\nUltraworking’s Cycles Template\n\nZoom\n\nSuperhuman Product Market Fit Survey\n\nHabits for Hackers\n\nZapier\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple","content_html":"Do you lack energy or motivation at work? Ben tried a new service called, Work Gym from Ultraworking. He found it worthwhile and got a lot of work done on Tuple that he had been putting off for quite awhile. Tuple is about to reach a major milestone - recent PR deployments mean no more global list of online users.
\n\nDerrick has also been addressing how to set up companies, teams, and individual users interested in trying Level. So, he hasn’t intentionally built any billing model into the backend of Level, yet
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nUltraworking’s Cycles Template
\n\n\n\nSuperhuman Product Market Fit Survey
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n","summary":"Do you lack energy or motivation at work? Ben tried a new service called, Work Gym from Ultraworking. He found it worthwhile and got a lot of work done on Tuple that he had been putting off for quite awhile. Tuple is about to reach a major milestone - recent PR deployments mean no more global list of online users.\r\n\r\nDerrick has also been addressing how to set up companies, teams, and individual users interested in trying Level. So, he hasn’t intentionally built any billing model into the backend of Level, yet.\r\n","date_published":"2019-02-07T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/6fedec97-b4c9-408d-a6e4-5df2b08f5b0d.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":36959796,"duration_in_seconds":2119}]},{"id":"001e15cb-6f82-4786-8922-d749c205b136","title":"73: Helping Early Access Customers Get Value Quickly","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-73","content_text":"Ben has been experiencing a mix of emotions. Thanks to Tuple, his calendar is packed, and he’s getting more emails, people, and trials. It feels nuts, but it feels like things are working with the new product. It’s a crazy spot to be in, but it feels good. Every day, Tuple gains a little steam.\n\nDerrick feels the same way. He has started doing onboarding calls for Level. Now that he has done the Level demo a few times, his anxiety has subsided. Overall, people seem impressed with the product and interested in trying it. \n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\nDeveloping a call to action and pricing process to follow the product demo\nTrials vs. Pay-Up-Front: Ideal customers expect to try it, before they pay for it\nInstrumentation put in place to test Level; ship solutions in a speedy manner \nUsers are changing their behavior and using Level in a meaningful or experimental capacity to find a balance between it and Slack\nBig Surprise: Derrick’s relief about a mobile client not being a big deal, right now\nPower of Customer Development: You won’t know the most valuable points of a product, until you let people use it\nPeople are pretty forgiving; when they offer feedback, be responsive and try to fix bugs\nRevision of auction for Habits for Hackers; bidding started, but may not be high enough\nPros and cons of slowing down growth or allowing it to speed up; it’s hard to improve product without feedback\nSuperhuman Product Market Fit Survey: How disappointed would you be, if you had to stop using Tuple?\nKeeping people educated on all the things your product can do\nTrying to not over-engineer things; looking for the simplest solutions and integrations\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple\n\nHabits for Hackers\n\nDrip\n\nJustin Jackson\n\nSuperhuman Product Market Fit Survey\n\nZapier\n\nSegment\n\nJSON\n\nRand Fishkin’s Lost and Founder Book","content_html":"Ben has been experiencing a mix of emotions. Thanks to Tuple, his calendar is packed, and he’s getting more emails, people, and trials. It feels nuts, but it feels like things are working with the new product. It’s a crazy spot to be in, but it feels good. Every day, Tuple gains a little steam.
\n\nDerrick feels the same way. He has started doing onboarding calls for Level. Now that he has done the Level demo a few times, his anxiety has subsided. Overall, people seem impressed with the product and interested in trying it.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nDeveloping a call to action and pricing process to follow the product demo
\nTrials vs. Pay-Up-Front: Ideal customers expect to try it, before they pay for it
\nInstrumentation put in place to test Level; ship solutions in a speedy manner
\nUsers are changing their behavior and using Level in a meaningful or experimental capacity to find a balance between it and Slack
\nBig Surprise: Derrick’s relief about a mobile client not being a big deal, right now
\nPower of Customer Development: You won’t know the most valuable points of a product, until you let people use it
\nPeople are pretty forgiving; when they offer feedback, be responsive and try to fix bugs
\nRevision of auction for Habits for Hackers; bidding started, but may not be high enough
\nPros and cons of slowing down growth or allowing it to speed up; it’s hard to improve product without feedback
\nSuperhuman Product Market Fit Survey: How disappointed would you be, if you had to stop using Tuple?
\nKeeping people educated on all the things your product can do
\nTrying to not over-engineer things; looking for the simplest solutions and integrations
Links and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSuperhuman Product Market Fit Survey
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRand Fishkin’s Lost and Founder Book
","summary":"Ben has been experiencing a mix of emotions. Thanks to Tuple, his calendar is packed, and he’s getting more emails, people, and trials. It feels nuts, but it feels like things are working with the new product. It’s a crazy spot to be in, but it feels good. Every day, Tuple gains a little steam.\r\n\r\nDerrick feels the same way. He has started doing onboarding calls for Level. Now that he has done the Level demo a few times, his anxiety has subsided. Overall, people seem impressed with the product and interested in trying it. \r\n","date_published":"2019-01-31T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/001e15cb-6f82-4786-8922-d749c205b136.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":39614423,"duration_in_seconds":2422}]},{"id":"0c57de6b-d683-42e8-a5c9-f20a15e2cb22","title":"72: How to Know If a Product Is Ready","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-72","content_text":"Derrick set Jan. 21 as the date to start onboarding some pre-order people for Level. He is trying to keep things in perspective when it comes to both positive and negative feedback. So, he is preparing answers to address questions and concerns about the product’s features and functions, or lack of. \n\nBen’s thirsty for more feedback, customers, and interaction. Fortunately, overall feedback for Tuple has been strongly positively. However, any negativity can be brutal. It’s a mental game. So, he tries to not fear feedback or let it derail progress. Instead, he focuses on celebrating successes. \n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nHow to know if a product is ready - present it to people\nLevel’s Onboarding Goals: Introduce them to product via a demo/training, get their account created, and set up game plan for the future\nOvercoming hurdles and getting people to do stuff\nCalendly Calls: Preparing for and performing them is more exhaustive than writing code\nLast-minute list of Level features Derrick wants to include and reconcile\nTag Team Mouse Mode: Hand-off feature change made for Tuple \nMaking assumptions, instead of the simplest solution\nInteresting 4G experience onboarding Tuple team member in India\nBen asks for Derrick’s forgiveness and understanding for starting a Slack group to get feedback on Tuple\nEnterprise Sales Process and Pricing: Customer easily spends $5,000, but it takes 5 weeks - keep the ball rolling\nMiddle-ground Approach: Make Tuple available to those who want it, can have success\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple\n\nRob Walling\n\nJason Cohen\n\nCalendly\n\nJohn Gruber\n\nDrip","content_html":"Derrick set Jan. 21 as the date to start onboarding some pre-order people for Level. He is trying to keep things in perspective when it comes to both positive and negative feedback. So, he is preparing answers to address questions and concerns about the product’s features and functions, or lack of.
\n\nBen’s thirsty for more feedback, customers, and interaction. Fortunately, overall feedback for Tuple has been strongly positively. However, any negativity can be brutal. It’s a mental game. So, he tries to not fear feedback or let it derail progress. Instead, he focuses on celebrating successes.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"Derrick set Jan. 21 as the date to start onboarding some pre-order people for Level. He is trying to keep things in perspective when it comes to both positive and negative feedback. So, he is preparing answers to address questions and concerns about the product’s features and functions, or lack of. \r\n\r\nBen’s thirsty for more feedback, customers, and interaction. Fortunately, overall feedback for Tuple has been strongly positively. However, any negativity can be brutal. It’s a mental game. So, he tries to not fear feedback or let it derail progress. Instead, he focuses on celebrating successes. \r\n","date_published":"2019-01-24T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/0c57de6b-d683-42e8-a5c9-f20a15e2cb22.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":47145066,"duration_in_seconds":2756}]},{"id":"674ddf39-1c61-442d-9c50-63862dc0de58","title":"71: Beyond Alpha","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-71","content_text":"Ben has been busy. The alpha launch date for Tuple was Jan. 7. He was nervous about it, but so far, it’s going well. One participant said, “I’m sort of surprised you’re calling this an ‘alpha,’ because everything seems to work!” Ben was glad to hear it, but admits that’s not totally true. He’s still far from where he wants to be with Tuple, but is definitely on the right track. \n\nDerrick has been hard at work, too. He continues to develop Level and knows that there will be ups and downs with customers, functionality, etc. But, he continues to move forward and strives to help others solve problems associated with team communication. \n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nImportance of manually onboarding people via calls about product\nSetting expectations and communication efforts for a rolling roll out\nUsers understand that bugs will happen and offer friendly feedback\nExperimenting with pricing models for product’s current and future releases\nTuple’s performance dashboard displays key details; caring about things that matter\nBandwidth: Do fewer things and do them well to be able to compete\nLevel’s future strategies and goals regarding customers and feedback \nIf a product can solve a user’s problem, then it’s good enough to give to them \nPoor execution and explanation of Drip’s price increase\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple\n\nDrip\n\nCalendly\n\nScreenhero\n\nMicroConf\n\nSuperhuman\n\nJason Fried\n\nJason Cohen\n\nBrian Casel","content_html":"Ben has been busy. The alpha launch date for Tuple was Jan. 7. He was nervous about it, but so far, it’s going well. One participant said, “I’m sort of surprised you’re calling this an ‘alpha,’ because everything seems to work!” Ben was glad to hear it, but admits that’s not totally true. He’s still far from where he wants to be with Tuple, but is definitely on the right track.
\n\nDerrick has been hard at work, too. He continues to develop Level and knows that there will be ups and downs with customers, functionality, etc. But, he continues to move forward and strives to help others solve problems associated with team communication.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"Ben has been busy. The alpha launch date for Tuple was Jan. 7. He was nervous about it, but so far, it’s going well. One participant said, “I’m sort of surprised you’re calling this an ‘alpha,’ because everything seems to work!” Ben was glad to hear it, but admits that’s not totally true. He’s still far from where he wants to be with Tuple, but is definitely on the right track. \r\n\r\nDerrick has been hard at work, too. He continues to develop Level and knows that there will be ups and downs with customers, functionality, etc. But, he continues to move forward and strives to help others solve problems associated with team communication. \r\n","date_published":"2019-01-17T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/674ddf39-1c61-442d-9c50-63862dc0de58.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":45072742,"duration_in_seconds":2575}]},{"id":"5e383a93-ad9e-472a-ae32-a44958fc18b5","title":"70: Refactoring UI: Concept to Launch","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-70","content_text":"If you listen regularly to the Art of Product podcast, then you’re probably familiar with the ongoing joke: How long does it take before we mention Steve Schoger and Adam Wathan? Well, today is your lucky day because not only do Derrick and Ben mention them, but Adam is once again their special guest. \n\nAdam is a software developer, writer, speaker, and entrepreneur. Also, he is the creator of Nitpick CI, host of the Full Stack Radio podcast, and author of Refactoring UI and Refactoring to Collections. He describes the process of successfully making, promoting, and selling courses on the Internet. Plus, Steve makes a special appearance to share his side of the story!\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nConcept and Collaboration: How Adam and Steve work together to create courses\nBe genuinely helpful by offering free, good content for people to know, like, and trust you\nBuild an audience/authority on a topic to make people want to learn from you\nUnderstand difference between what you care about vs. what your audience cares about \nCare about quality and effort put into all aspects; utilize Steve’s design tips on Twitter\nSignals and validation that your content resonates with and is helpful to your audience \nWhat Makes a Successful Partnership: Similar values, but complementary skills \nPromotion via email, newsletter, social media, case studies, and screencasts to grow number of subscribers/followers\nCourses: Parts and Pieces (Books, Videos, and More) and Pricing to Make ROI\nLaunching Products and Surpassing Sales Expectations\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nAdam Wathan\n\nNitpick CI\n\nRefactoring UI\n\nRefactoring to Collections\n\nFull Stack Radio Podcast\n\nAdam Wathan’s MicroConf Presentation\n\nAdam Wathan on GitHub\n\nAdam Wathan’s Email\n\nAdam Wathan on Twitter\n\n7 Practical Tips for Cheating at Design\n\nSteve Schoger\n\nSteve Schoger on YouTube\n\nHeroicons\n\nSteve Schoger on Twitter\n\nWes Bos\n\nBootstrap\n\nStripe\n\nAn eBook pricing model that resulted in $100,000 in sales\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple","content_html":"If you listen regularly to the Art of Product podcast, then you’re probably familiar with the ongoing joke: How long does it take before we mention Steve Schoger and Adam Wathan? Well, today is your lucky day because not only do Derrick and Ben mention them, but Adam is once again their special guest.
\n\nAdam is a software developer, writer, speaker, and entrepreneur. Also, he is the creator of Nitpick CI, host of the Full Stack Radio podcast, and author of Refactoring UI and Refactoring to Collections. He describes the process of successfully making, promoting, and selling courses on the Internet. Plus, Steve makes a special appearance to share his side of the story!
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAdam Wathan’s MicroConf Presentation
\n\nAdam Wathan on GitHub
\n\nAdam Wathan’s Email
\n\nAdam Wathan on Twitter
\n\n7 Practical Tips for Cheating at Design
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAn eBook pricing model that resulted in $100,000 in sales
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n","summary":"If you listen regularly to the Art of Product podcast, then you’re probably familiar with the ongoing joke: How long does it take before we mention Steve Schoger and Adam Wathan? Well, today is your lucky day because not only do Derrick and Ben mention them, but Adam is once again their special guest. \r\n\r\nAdam is a software developer, writer, speaker, and entrepreneur. Also, he is the creator of Nitpick CI, host of the Full Stack Radio podcast, and author of Refactoring UI and Refactoring to Collections. He describes the process of successfully making, promoting, and selling courses on the Internet. Plus, Steve makes a special appearance to share his side of the story!\r\n","date_published":"2019-01-10T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/5e383a93-ad9e-472a-ae32-a44958fc18b5.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":75878823,"duration_in_seconds":4552}]},{"id":"8a5aadc5-221d-4c08-830d-981def9357a1","title":"69: Sound, Actionable Advice with Jason Cohen","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-69","content_text":"Derrick is away, so Ben welcomes Jason Cohen, CTO of WP Engine and four-time entrepreneur. Jason knows a thing or two about startups and mentoring them to achieve profitability and growth. \n\nJason is a straight talker and tells it like it is to get to solutions sooner. He encourages bootstrap founders to find an advisor who aligns with their goals. You need to know how to take advice and use advice that is right for you and your business. Even if you get great advice, think for yourself!\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nAdvice is not enough; luck, execution, and other pieces are involved\nBe honest and know what qualities investors want\nJason characterizes a company as a learning machine that’s constantly failing, not doing the right thing, and has no resources; but has agility to learn and react quickly\nEmbrace your humanity and smallness; don’t lie about being big\nShare the good and bad about your startup journey for others to feel connected to and support it\nWhen making decisions, apply filters to cut out things; constraints are useful\nUniversal Rule of Success: You’re all in and apply a lot of energy; makes you more productive and fulfilled\nMany paths lead to success and failure; pick ones that naturally fit you\nA good engineer can build features (not risky), but can they do everything else - probably not (risky); identify how a company’s priorities need to change to address risk\nTo be sustainable, get help and became an expert in something - not everything\nProduct success depends on use cases and maturity of company (convince customers how good it is now and will get even better); if product isn’t good, then business won’t last \nJason shares ideas and options regarding Ben’s Tuple product\nWhen bootstrapping, getting money is challenging because you’re not on people’s radar\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nWP Engine\n\nA Smart Bear Blog\n\nCan you bootstrap a company on the side? (Part 1 with Jason Cohen)\n\nJason Cohen - Designing the Ideal Bootstrapped Business\n\nCapital Factory\n\nPaul Graham\n\nSmartBear\n\nPeter Thiel\n\nAdwords\n\nSlack\n\nHangouts\n\nMarco\n\nSilicon Valley Successes Podcast\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple","content_html":"Derrick is away, so Ben welcomes Jason Cohen, CTO of WP Engine and four-time entrepreneur. Jason knows a thing or two about startups and mentoring them to achieve profitability and growth.
\n\nJason is a straight talker and tells it like it is to get to solutions sooner. He encourages bootstrap founders to find an advisor who aligns with their goals. You need to know how to take advice and use advice that is right for you and your business. Even if you get great advice, think for yourself!
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\n\n\nCan you bootstrap a company on the side? (Part 1 with Jason Cohen)
\n\nJason Cohen - Designing the Ideal Bootstrapped Business
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSilicon Valley Successes Podcast
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n","summary":"Derrick is away, so Ben welcomes Jason Cohen, CTO of WP Engine and four-time entrepreneur. Jason knows a thing or two about startups and mentoring them to achieve profitability and growth. \r\n\r\nJason is a straight talker and tells it like it is to get to solutions sooner. He encourages bootstrap founders to find an advisor who aligns with their goals. You need to know how to take advice and use advice that is right for you and your business. Even if you get great advice, think for yourself!\r\n","date_published":"2018-12-27T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/8a5aadc5-221d-4c08-830d-981def9357a1.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":71735736,"duration_in_seconds":4243}]},{"id":"76536b5a-449c-4b13-a790-bf9f5d4d2d56","title":"68: Creating Differentiating Features","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-68","content_text":"Derrick continues to make progress and work toward his self-imposed deadline for Level. He was able to implement and ship batched notifications for the product, which replaces the instantaneous push notifications you would get from a chat tool. It’ll probably be one of the key features to sell as part of the “Level” way. But he’s wondering how to leverage interesting features in marketing.\n\nBen has been thinking about the same thing with Tuple. He wants to make some features of his product be a seperate, discrete entity that deserves its own spotlight. Capitalize on features!\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\nCraft a narrative around “why we did this and the choices we made” for features\nTuple offers two modes: Navigator and Copilot\nAvoid labeling every single feature as a big deal; strike a careful balance\nDerrick’s working on reactions feature for Level; encourages thoughtful responses \nDifference between like and acknowledge notifications; making them stateful\nDerrick closed pre-orders for Level on Dec. 14 and figuring out pricing paradigm\nDerrick plans to do individual onboarding to set users up for success with Level\nPeople are willing to pre-pay; optimize for meaningful engagement and feedback\nWhen something is not going well and you don’t know how to fix it, know you’re not alone\nBen’s Bad Day: Pairing session revealed bugs and latency issues with Tuple\nCoping strategies for dealing with catastrophes; don’t freak out, blow out of proportion\nTuple’s Week: Added 200 to mailing list, chasing leads, and improving product\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple\n\nStripe\n\nScreenhero\n\nSlack\n\nBasecamp\n\niOS\n\nSuperhuman\n\nDrip","content_html":"Derrick continues to make progress and work toward his self-imposed deadline for Level. He was able to implement and ship batched notifications for the product, which replaces the instantaneous push notifications you would get from a chat tool. It’ll probably be one of the key features to sell as part of the “Level” way. But he’s wondering how to leverage interesting features in marketing.
\n\nBen has been thinking about the same thing with Tuple. He wants to make some features of his product be a seperate, discrete entity that deserves its own spotlight. Capitalize on features!
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nCraft a narrative around “why we did this and the choices we made” for features
\nTuple offers two modes: Navigator and Copilot
\nAvoid labeling every single feature as a big deal; strike a careful balance
\nDerrick’s working on reactions feature for Level; encourages thoughtful responses
\nDifference between like and acknowledge notifications; making them stateful
\nDerrick closed pre-orders for Level on Dec. 14 and figuring out pricing paradigm
\nDerrick plans to do individual onboarding to set users up for success with Level
\nPeople are willing to pre-pay; optimize for meaningful engagement and feedback
\nWhen something is not going well and you don’t know how to fix it, know you’re not alone
\nBen’s Bad Day: Pairing session revealed bugs and latency issues with Tuple
\nCoping strategies for dealing with catastrophes; don’t freak out, blow out of proportion
\nTuple’s Week: Added 200 to mailing list, chasing leads, and improving product
Links and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"Derrick continues to make progress and work toward his self-imposed deadline for Level. He was able to implement and ship batched notifications for the product, which replaces the instantaneous push notifications you would get from a chat tool. It’ll probably be one of the key features to sell as part of the “Level” way. But he’s wondering how to leverage interesting features in marketing.\r\n\r\nBen has been thinking about the same thing with Tuple. He wants to make some features of his product be a seperate, discrete entity that deserves its own spotlight. Capitalize on features!\r\n","date_published":"2018-12-20T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/76536b5a-449c-4b13-a790-bf9f5d4d2d56.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":32569620,"duration_in_seconds":1845}]},{"id":"6b772ea0-923d-45e3-a8cc-371ebdb70ff9","title":"67: Refining Level Notifications and Tuple Alpha Users","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-67","content_text":"Derrick had an interesting week with Level. He focused on important features that will be a part of the product, including notifications dependent on team members’ jobs. Some may want more asynchronous and unobtrusive notifications than others. Level distinguishes configurable notifications based on different roles on a team. Notification policies seem simple on the surface, but are actually very complicated.\n\nBen announced that November was Tuple’s best month ever for marketing! But now, he is approaching the alpha for Tuple and will focus his attention on product management. Ben wants to figure out what works and what doesn’t. After all, when you can see the wrong thing, the right thing becomes so much easier.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nDerrick gained clarity on how things should work in Level by writing code and playing with different ideas\nWhen in doubt about design, Derrick takes a screenshot of Level to put on Twitter and get feedback; keeps people invested in the process\nDerrick is developing a thick skin and trying to not be defensive about design comments\nLevel will offer opt-ins and education that help users protect their time and priorities \nBen plans to pair with people using Tuple to identify UX annoyances\nTuple is about to crack the 3,000 people milestone on its mailing list\nLevel received new refers and spikes in traffic; awareness is building\nHow to continue to grow your tribe? Opportunities to have an audience when you’re doing interesting stuff\nLevel’s content strategy will focus on high-quality content, not high-volume content; Derrick plans to commit to cadence of consistency\nCan spend time on something, and years later, people still go to it as a valuable reference\nBen wants to open up sales for the Habits for Hackers course, but limit the number of spots available; he’s considering a reverse auction\nDerrick’s been considering creative ways to structure pre-orders and pre-sales for Level; trying to decide whether to turn off pre-orders \n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple\n\nHabits for Hackers\n\nSteve Schoger\n\nAdam Wathan\n\n103: Steve Schoger - Design Q&A + Refactoring UI Details\n\nSlack\n\nDense Discovery\n\nSitePoint\n\nProduct Hunt\n\nHacker News\n\nRob Walling\n\nPaul Jarvis\n\nBrian Casel\n\nCode that says why it does","content_html":"Derrick had an interesting week with Level. He focused on important features that will be a part of the product, including notifications dependent on team members’ jobs. Some may want more asynchronous and unobtrusive notifications than others. Level distinguishes configurable notifications based on different roles on a team. Notification policies seem simple on the surface, but are actually very complicated.
\n\nBen announced that November was Tuple’s best month ever for marketing! But now, he is approaching the alpha for Tuple and will focus his attention on product management. Ben wants to figure out what works and what doesn’t. After all, when you can see the wrong thing, the right thing becomes so much easier.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n103: Steve Schoger - Design Q&A + Refactoring UI Details
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"Derrick had an interesting week with Level. He focused on important features that will be a part of the product, including notifications dependent on team members’ jobs. Some may want more asynchronous and unobtrusive notifications than others. Level distinguishes configurable notifications based on different roles on a team. Notification policies seem simple on the surface, but are actually very complicated.\r\n\r\nBen announced that November was Tuple’s best month ever for marketing! But now, he is approaching the alpha for Tuple and will focus his attention on product management. Ben wants to figure out what works and what doesn’t. After all, when you can see the wrong thing, the right thing becomes so much easier.","date_published":"2018-12-13T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/6b772ea0-923d-45e3-a8cc-371ebdb70ff9.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":37980612,"duration_in_seconds":2183}]},{"id":"a11b693f-b877-4b33-89e4-db1384a371b7","title":"66: TinySeed Updates with Rob Walling","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-66","content_text":"Ben and Derrick are joined by Rob Walling to share updates - their favorite part of most podcasts!\n\nIt’s been a good week in Tuple marketing land. Thanks to Ben’s tweet announcing the release date for its alpha, his launch list goal was reached. He was surprised by how willing people were to help out when he asked them to do it. \n\nRob is working on TinySeed, a startup accelerator for bootstrappers. \n\nDerrick provided a pre-order update on Level and plans to do direct outreach to those who ordered it to determine their level of interest for validation.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nManaging Mental State: Jubilation followed by fear; developers tend to turn something positive into a negative \nBen’s customized onboarding experience with Superhuman to be set up for success\nTinySeed takes a sane approach to work and build stuff that everyone can benefit from\nBelieving in and making a big commitment to your startup; if it fails, that’ll be a bummer\nFrequent Feedback: Know where you’re going\nAngel investing has given Rob a specific skill set from how to pick founders/companies to being their advisor \nMore money doesn’t make you move faster, especially when it comes to SaaS startups\nTinySeed follows the dividends/cash for equity approach when milestones are met to align everybody; forced accountability through meetings \nDerrick is working on Level’s onboarding flow and laying a foundation for future tutorials for users to embrace a different way of working\nDerrick’s addressing the legal side of Level, such as privacy policies/terms of service\nChat is junk food - it’s a bad thing, but you still want it; Level is more like the vegetables and what you actually need\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nRob Walling\n\nStartups for the Rest of Us\n\nDrip\n\nBrian Casel\n\nChad Fowler\n\nSuperhuman\n\nBusiness of Software\n\nThe Product Market Fit Engine\n\nReportive\n\nTinySeed\n\nMicroConf\n\nHubSpot\n\nSparkToro\n\nPaul Graham\n\nJoanna Wiebe\n\nSnapterms\n\nStripe Atlas\n\nSlack\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple","content_html":"Ben and Derrick are joined by Rob Walling to share updates - their favorite part of most podcasts!
\n\nIt’s been a good week in Tuple marketing land. Thanks to Ben’s tweet announcing the release date for its alpha, his launch list goal was reached. He was surprised by how willing people were to help out when he asked them to do it.
\n\nRob is working on TinySeed, a startup accelerator for bootstrappers.
\n\nDerrick provided a pre-order update on Level and plans to do direct outreach to those who ordered it to determine their level of interest for validation.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n","summary":"Ben and Derrick are joined by Rob Walling to share updates - their favorite part of most podcasts!\r\n\r\nIt’s been a good week in Tuple marketing land. Thanks to Ben’s tweet announcing the release date for its alpha, his launch list goal was reached. He was surprised by how willing people were to help out when he asked them to do it. \r\n\r\nRob is working on TinySeed, a startup accelerator for bootstrappers. \r\n\r\nDerrick provided a pre-order update on Level and plans to do direct outreach to those who ordered it to determine their level of interest for validation.\r\n","date_published":"2018-12-06T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/a11b693f-b877-4b33-89e4-db1384a371b7.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":46585824,"duration_in_seconds":2721}]},{"id":"4b30ecad-def6-43f9-b1b5-c8f98c8e1312","title":"65: Effectively Managing Launch Day","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-65","content_text":"Ben launched Habits for Hackers, a workshop that cultivates habits that lead to an impressive and fulfilling dev career. He incorporates books written by others and makes that content applicable to participants. He’s going to figure out the rest of the details for the course while flying by the seat of his pants. For now, Ben’s just bathing in the dopamine of watching numbers happen!\n\nDerrick has been doing some launching, too. He announced that the end of January will be the beginning of the Level launch and Level can now be pre-ordered (generated about $2,000 so far). Derrick admits that he’s always derailed pretty heavily on launch days. He doesn’t even think about trying to get much productive stuff done.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nTuple had a good week and useful coaching call; find and reach out to experts via useful blog posts and mailing lists\nBen’s team has experienced some wins when working on reducing the latency of Tuple, but discovered reducing latency and reducing perceived latency are about the same \nBen and Derrick are recognizing areas where they will some day shift their focus\nDerrick recognizes the revenue potential due to who is signing up for Level (teams vs. entire companies); shipped an improved call to action - save your place in line\nHow Derrick determined the price point for Level; pricing is relative and psychology\nBen is reluctant to commit to pricing for Tuple; always trying new numbers to gauge tolerance on how much people are willing to pay for it\nAfter a launch, Derrick and Ben feel wiped out because then it’s time to do the hard stuff; create a prioritized list and set a deadline to avoid distractions\nBen picked a date for Tuple’s alpha to start - Jan. 7; rather than just take someone’s money, he wants to make sure they are the right fit and would offer worthwhile feedback \n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nLevel Manifesto\n\nThe Level Journal\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nHabits for Hackers\n\nAtomic Habits\n\nDeep Work\n\nJason Fried\n\nDrip\n\nSlack\n\nHow Superhuman Built an Engine to Find Product/Market Fit\n\nTailwind\n\nSteve Schoger\n\nAdam Wathan\n\nSketch\n\nMod&dot","content_html":"Ben launched Habits for Hackers, a workshop that cultivates habits that lead to an impressive and fulfilling dev career. He incorporates books written by others and makes that content applicable to participants. He’s going to figure out the rest of the details for the course while flying by the seat of his pants. For now, Ben’s just bathing in the dopamine of watching numbers happen!
\n\nDerrick has been doing some launching, too. He announced that the end of January will be the beginning of the Level launch and Level can now be pre-ordered (generated about $2,000 so far). Derrick admits that he’s always derailed pretty heavily on launch days. He doesn’t even think about trying to get much productive stuff done.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHow Superhuman Built an Engine to Find Product/Market Fit
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"Ben launched Habits for Hackers, a workshop that cultivates habits that lead to an impressive and fulfilling dev career. He incorporates books written by others and makes that content applicable to participants. He’s going to figure out the rest of the details for the course while flying by the seat of his pants. For now, Ben’s just bathing in the dopamine of watching numbers happen!\r\n\r\nDerrick has been doing some launching, too. He announced that the end of January will be the beginning of the Level launch and Level can now be pre-ordered (generated about $2,000 so far). Derrick admits that he’s always derailed pretty heavily on launch days. He doesn’t even think about trying to get much productive stuff done.\r\n","date_published":"2018-11-29T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/4b30ecad-def6-43f9-b1b5-c8f98c8e1312.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":33860652,"duration_in_seconds":1926}]},{"id":"78df0f8a-2789-45d3-b0bb-5b52bc3f0e9c","title":"64: Habits for Hackers","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-64","content_text":"Derrick shipped Level’s Daily Digest feature, which includes a summary of unread/read posts, sampling of posts/replies, and call to action. Also, thanks to Derrick killing it on Twitter, Art of Product’s social media presence is now legit!\n\nBranding and awareness of Ben’s Tuple pair programming tool has garnered interest from well-known companies. So, it’s time to set a deadline for Tuple’s alpha.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nUps and downs of building a feature\nGood Brain Hacking: Know yourself and have a strategy; try something from your toolbox to change your perspective\nBen designed the Habits for Hackers course; the experience was 50% amazing and 50% arduous - getting better at design through a trial-and-error method\nBen’s Design Tips: Copy existing things, read design tweets and watch refactoring UI videos from Steve Schoger, and have friends who will tell you when something isn’t good\nYour success is a lagging indicator of your habits; Ben wants to be held accountable for practicing good development/work habits\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nArt of Product on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nLevel Manifesto\n\nThe Level Journal\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nHabits for Hackers\n\nPostmark\n\nRuby on Rails\n\nGitHub\n\nElixir\n\nTailwind\n\nSteve Schoger\n\nSteve Schoger’s Refactoring UI\n\nAdam Wathan\n\nSketch\n\nThe Bike Shed\n\nAtomic Habits","content_html":"Derrick shipped Level’s Daily Digest feature, which includes a summary of unread/read posts, sampling of posts/replies, and call to action. Also, thanks to Derrick killing it on Twitter, Art of Product’s social media presence is now legit!
\n\nBranding and awareness of Ben’s Tuple pair programming tool has garnered interest from well-known companies. So, it’s time to set a deadline for Tuple’s alpha.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSteve Schoger’s Refactoring UI
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"Derrick shipped Level’s Daily Digest feature, which includes a summary of unread/read posts, sampling of posts/replies, and call to action. Also, thanks to Derrick killing it on Twitter, Art of Product’s social media presence is now legit!\r\n\r\nBranding and awareness of Ben’s Tuple pair programming tool has garnered interest from well-known companies. So, it’s time to set a deadline for Tuple’s alpha.\r\n","date_published":"2018-11-21T00:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/78df0f8a-2789-45d3-b0bb-5b52bc3f0e9c.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":24810260,"duration_in_seconds":1311}]},{"id":"41e24f6f-ee04-4f22-b90f-efade1da5da1","title":"63: Running Successful Early Access Programs","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-63","content_text":"Ben and Derrick were hoping to share a great conversation they had with author, designer, and consultant Paul Jarvis. But, without warning, all was lost when Paul’s audio for the episode could not be saved. The plan is to have Paul back on the show in a few weeks.\n\nEverything else is going pretty well for Derrick, who provides an update on Level. He met his goal and launched the Level Early Access Program two weeks ago. When it comes to testing Tuple, Ben plans to prioritize people early on who have good bandwidth and help guide them to be successful when using the tool.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nTakeaway and Wake-up Call: Derrick has 6 teams in the early access program; some are using Level a lot, some are not - people are busy and running their own business\nQuality feedback for Level testing; offers unknowns, guidance, and clarifications\nDerrick’s working on a feature to make sure users remember to check back into Level because it’s designed to be unobtrusive and not bother you\nMake a good first impression; capture users’ vision and maintain their interest \nDerrick addressed people’s questions about how Level works and will solve their problems via storytelling with concrete, mechanical product details\nDerrick is battling perfection, but wants to generate pre-order revenue and set a rolling launch deadline for Level - ideally in January, to highlight new tools in the new year\nBen is doing a podcast tour to promote Tuple, which had its best week for sign ups so far \nTuple also experienced a technical breakthrough - it crushed latency; trust your team to get things done\nTuple adventure is predicated on a value proposition that Tuple can be better than off-the-shelf products because of its key differentiators\nBen is not your everyday developer; recently took a leap and hit the bigtime being a backup singer for Josh Groban!\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nPaul Jarvis\n\nTrello\n\nElixir\n\nSlack\n\nMicroConf\n\nDrip\n\nCodeNewbie Podcast\n\nBits and Trees Podcast\n\nFull Stack Radio Podcast\n\nRuby Testing Podcast\n\nBootstrapped Web Podcast\n\nSwift\n\nJSON\n\nPostmark\n\nScreenhero\n\nJosh Groban\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nLevel Manifesto\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide","content_html":"Ben and Derrick were hoping to share a great conversation they had with author, designer, and consultant Paul Jarvis. But, without warning, all was lost when Paul’s audio for the episode could not be saved. The plan is to have Paul back on the show in a few weeks.
\n\nEverything else is going pretty well for Derrick, who provides an update on Level. He met his goal and launched the Level Early Access Program two weeks ago. When it comes to testing Tuple, Ben plans to prioritize people early on who have good bandwidth and help guide them to be successful when using the tool.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
","summary":"Ben and Derrick were hoping to share a great conversation they had with author, designer, and consultant Paul Jarvis. But, without warning, all was lost when Paul’s audio for the episode could not be saved. The plan is to have Paul back on the show in a few weeks.\r\n\r\nEverything else is going pretty well for Derrick, who provides an update on Level. He met his goal and launched the Level Early Access Program two weeks ago. When it comes to testing Tuple, Ben plans to prioritize people early on who have good bandwidth and help guide them to be successful when using the tool.\r\n","date_published":"2018-11-15T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/41e24f6f-ee04-4f22-b90f-efade1da5da1.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":36899244,"duration_in_seconds":2066}]},{"id":"75cc0706-d2e9-4484-9e3c-9e656d66b852","title":"62: Avoiding Negativity","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-62","content_text":"Derrick had a productive week with Level. His deadline of late October to have alpha users try it was looming. So, he has been a bit stressed out. But thanks to relaxation techniques that work for him, Derrick was able to talk himself off the edge!\n\nBen understands the needs for coping techniques. When little things in his personal life aren’t under control, it’s much harder for him to be productive at work. Every thing’s interconnected.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nBattle between work and personal life\nWhat makes you happy? Avoid negativity and realize things are going to be ok \nBen’s Failure State: When he doesn’t know what to do for a goal\nMake list of known ingredients needed and check off tasks to push you through\nBen’s team did a retrospective for Tuple; marketing is going well and additions have been made to the Tuple Pair Programming Guide\nLimiting handle reservations and duplicate updates/emails to opt in or opening up handle reservations that cost something\nWho’s serious about your product? Is filtering the funnel good? \nCreating sales or a sales team for Level; how Drip did it\nSuffering from and dealing with Imposter Syndrome \n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nEfficiency Starts with a Haircut\n\nElm\n\nSteve Schoger\n\nAdam Wathan\n\nDrip\n\nRob Walling\n\nPatrick McKenzie\n\nStripe\n\nMicroConf\n\nSherry Walling of ZenFounder\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide","content_html":"Derrick had a productive week with Level. His deadline of late October to have alpha users try it was looming. So, he has been a bit stressed out. But thanks to relaxation techniques that work for him, Derrick was able to talk himself off the edge!
\n\nBen understands the needs for coping techniques. When little things in his personal life aren’t under control, it’s much harder for him to be productive at work. Every thing’s interconnected.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nEfficiency Starts with a Haircut
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
","summary":"Derrick had a productive week with Level. His deadline of late October to have alpha users try it was looming. So, he has been a bit stressed out. But thanks to relaxation techniques that work for him, Derrick was able to talk himself off the edge!\r\n \r\nBen understands the needs for coping techniques. When little things in his personal life aren’t under control, it’s much harder for him to be productive at work. Every thing’s interconnected.\r\n","date_published":"2018-11-08T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/75cc0706-d2e9-4484-9e3c-9e656d66b852.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":39601074,"duration_in_seconds":2285}]},{"id":"c415bfed-c2e7-4244-b884-dec3c80fa8a5","title":"61: Unconventional Growth Tactics with Julian Shapiro","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-61","content_text":"Ben is working on marketing plans for Tuple and it’s associated Pair Programming Guide. So, what does someone he admires think of his growth and content marketing plans? \n\nIn this episode, Ben’s special guest is Julian Shapiro, who shares lesser known growth tactics he has used in his content marketing to be successful.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nWrite content that’s best for your target audience; what do you want them to get out of it? \nGoal: To have people read your content or buy your product\nContent marketing in the form of in-depth guides is effective in building a presence and getting people to trust you to pay a high price for your product\nAn audience is an asset; you can identify how much they can be monetized for whatever you want to build in the future\nContent needs to be more than good; establish credibility, awareness, and knowledge\nFocus on getting new email subscribers or prepare for the launch of Tuple? Capture people’s interest when you have it\nTuple’s Approach to Growth: Release product to a small group to get feedback, release to another group for further testing, repeat, and then expand scope of growth efforts\nPush content to address objections; why customers need/should care about something\nHow do you apply growth marketing to a giant piece of content? Ads don’t work; A/B test to optimize content; pitch a product, but don’t jeopardize your integrity \nNon-paid promotion of content - get on Hacker News; never ask someone to upvote, but use a title that expresses deep annoyance and grief about the state of tech \nSEO is easier with small pieces of content; don’t go for low-hanging fruit, but head turns\nPart of the magic of Tuple - making it fast to address latency and not feel like a hack\nGrowth should be a core competency of any startup\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nJulian Shapiro\n\nJulian Shapiro on Twitter\n\nBell Curve\n\nBell Curve Training\n\nGary Vaynerchuk\n\nTim Ferriss\n\nHacker News\n\nTechCrunch\n\nScreenhero\n\nSuperhuman\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide","content_html":"Ben is working on marketing plans for Tuple and it’s associated Pair Programming Guide. So, what does someone he admires think of his growth and content marketing plans?
\n\nIn this episode, Ben’s special guest is Julian Shapiro, who shares lesser known growth tactics he has used in his content marketing to be successful.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
","summary":"Ben is working on marketing plans for Tuple and it’s associated Pair Programming Guide. So, what does someone he admires think of his growth and content marketing plans? \r\nIn this episode, Ben’s special guest is Julian Shapiro, who shares lesser known growth tactics he has used in his content marketing to be successful.","date_published":"2018-11-01T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/c415bfed-c2e7-4244-b884-dec3c80fa8a5.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":72736311,"duration_in_seconds":4355}]},{"id":"baa73460-a5b2-4b05-9e5d-d508bcc075fc","title":"60: Celebrating the Small Wins","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-60","content_text":"The feeling of accomplishment you get from doing hard things has become Derrick’s way of living recently. Building a startup like Level is hard, but he feels good when he makes small wins. It’s rewarding when he makes progress.\n\nBen is on a roll right now with Tuple. He’s making progress and getting stuff done. His Pairing Programming Guide is turning people into Tuple subscribers. \n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nHave people with high standards read and review your writing to get feedback\nBen’s article, The Case for Pair Programming, was on the front page of Hacker News\nBen’s marketing efforts for Tuple have increased its number of subscribers\nDerrick has a unique challenge of prioritization, so he set a deadline\nDerrick used Postgres to build a rudimentary search into Level\nBy the end of October, Derrick should have people/teams to test and use Level \nProduct Task List: After you launch, that’s not the end, it’s the beginning\nBalancing personal finances with no income; set the bar high, but don’t sell yourself short \n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nThe Case for Pair Programming\n\nUpcase\n\nIndie Hackers","content_html":"The feeling of accomplishment you get from doing hard things has become Derrick’s way of living recently. Building a startup like Level is hard, but he feels good when he makes small wins. It’s rewarding when he makes progress.
\n\nBen is on a roll right now with Tuple. He’s making progress and getting stuff done. His Pairing Programming Guide is turning people into Tuple subscribers.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"The feeling of accomplishment you get from doing hard things has become Derrick’s way of living recently. Building a startup like Level is hard, but he feels good when he makes small wins. It’s rewarding when he makes progress.\r\nBen is on a roll right now with Tuple. He’s making progress and getting stuff done. His Pairing Programming Guide is turning people into Tuple subscribers.\r\n","date_published":"2018-10-25T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/baa73460-a5b2-4b05-9e5d-d508bcc075fc.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":28533894,"duration_in_seconds":1593}]},{"id":"942566e7-2d97-4f39-92e5-811756a83955","title":"59: Pros and Cons of Working Alone on a Product","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-59","content_text":"Adam Wathan, a software developer, writer, speaker, and entrepreneur joins Ben and Derrick on this episode. Adam is also the creator of Nitpick CI, author of Refactoring to Collections, and host of the Full Stack Radio podcast.\n\nUsually isolated and working alone, Adam enjoys the opportunity to chat with others about what everyone is working on. It’s like a mastermind session that’s fun and rewarding! \n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nBen launched Tuple’s Pair Programming Guide earlier than expected at learntopair.com\nBen continues to focus on marketing for Tuple, while other team members are developing the product\nDerrick feels a sense of guilt when working, but not sharing; once you get out of the habit of working in public, it might be difficult to return to it\nDerrick is up against his deadline of having a deliverable by the end of October\nPros and cons of working alone or with partners to handle tasks/responsibilities \nRails vs. Laravel Battle? No, PHP as a language battles with no one\nAdam is working on a refactoring UI book/design survival kit; chapters are independent and pricing still needs to be established\nWhat are digital vs. physical perks you could offer to those who purchase a product first?\nDerrick has been getting Level ready for alpha users and spending time, more than he wants, to get file uploads to work on it\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nAdam Wathan\n\nNitpick CI\n\nRefactoring to Collections\n\nFull Stack Radio Podcast\n\nAdam Wathan on GitHub\n\nAdam Wathan’s Email\n\nAdam Wathan on Twitter\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple\n\nPair Programming Guide\n\nProduct Hunt\n\nExtreme Programming Book\n\nLaravel\n\nRuby on Rails\n\nSteve Schoger\n\nColorbox by Lyft\n\nTailwind CSS","content_html":"Adam Wathan, a software developer, writer, speaker, and entrepreneur joins Ben and Derrick on this episode. Adam is also the creator of Nitpick CI, author of Refactoring to Collections, and host of the Full Stack Radio podcast.
\n\nUsually isolated and working alone, Adam enjoys the opportunity to chat with others about what everyone is working on. It’s like a mastermind session that’s fun and rewarding!
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAdam Wathan on GitHub
\n\nAdam Wathan’s Email
\n\nAdam Wathan on Twitter
\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"Adam Wathan, a software developer, writer, speaker, and entrepreneur joins Ben and Derrick on this episode. Adam is also the creator of Nitpick CI, author of Refactoring to Collections, and host of the Full Stack Radio podcast.\r\nUsually isolated and working alone, Adam enjoys the opportunity to chat with others about what everyone is working on. It’s like a mastermind session that’s fun and rewarding! \r\n","date_published":"2018-10-18T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/942566e7-2d97-4f39-92e5-811756a83955.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":44155026,"duration_in_seconds":2518}]},{"id":"2f2f50ba-647b-4a46-9032-a9ae33f1f5ce","title":"58: Evolving Roles as a Startup Founder","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-58","content_text":"Ben and Derrick are joined by Brian Casel, podcaster, cofounder of Big Snow Tiny Conf, and known as “Mr. Process.” The three are fans of podcasts and conferences because they offer time to build relationships with people and talk deeply about things.\n\nIn this episode, they share their updates and thoughts on involving others in their day-to-day processes. It brings everyone together to learn from each other, as well as build a community and consensus.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nHosting and handling logistics for smaller conferences and retreats\nBen shipped his Pair Programming Guide that offers tips, tutorials, and resources\nGuide to serve as top of funnel for Tuple; build an audience, establish expertise, get people together who care about it, and offer them a tool\nFlipping into different modes (writing, marketing, programming, etc.); in startup mode, you’re trying to make progress and doing everything - even when you have partners\nMore people are live streaming their coding sessions, writing processes, and other tasks - documenting the creation and development of a product or service\nBuild trust with a group of people to build referrals and have them talk about your product; but giving fans access to your product and building a community can be challenging \nBuilding a new product; spend money to hire someone to do it fast or take it slow and learn to do it yourself but don’t get paid for your time\nWhen building a company or product, it can be fun and frustrating; these days you should know a bit about all the pieces to it - teaching infrastructure is now an industry \nCoaches and friends can give you advice and let you know just what you need to know\nPractice Project vs. Real Product Mindsets: Perfecting something that you know won’t be perfect out of the gate, making it as good as possible, or plan first and then execute\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nBrian Casel on Twitter\n\nProductize & Scale\n\nBig Snow Tiny Conf\n\nBootstrappedWeb\n\nProcessKit\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\n\nBen Orenstein Website\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\n\nLevel\n\nTuple\n\nMicroConf\n\nStartups for the Rest of Us\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide\n\nPairing with Ben Orenstein on the Tuple Pairing Guide (with Adam Wathan)\n\nJason Fried\n\nLaravel\n\nMackenzie Child\n\nDrift and David Cancel\n\nRuby on Rails","content_html":"Ben and Derrick are joined by Brian Casel, podcaster, cofounder of Big Snow Tiny Conf, and known as “Mr. Process.” The three are fans of podcasts and conferences because they offer time to build relationships with people and talk deeply about things.
\n\nIn this episode, they share their updates and thoughts on involving others in their day-to-day processes. It brings everyone together to learn from each other, as well as build a community and consensus.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTuple’s Pair Programming Guide
\n\nPairing with Ben Orenstein on the Tuple Pairing Guide (with Adam Wathan)
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","summary":"Ben and Derrick are joined by Brian Casel, podcaster, cofounder of Big Snow Tiny Conf, and known as “Mr. Process.” The three are fans of podcasts and conferences because they offer time to build relationships with people and talk deeply about things.\r\n\r\nIn this episode, they share their updates and thoughts on involving others in their day-to-day processes. It brings everyone together to learn from each other, as well as build a community and consensus.\r\n","date_published":"2018-10-11T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/2f2f50ba-647b-4a46-9032-a9ae33f1f5ce.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":54454611,"duration_in_seconds":3398}]},{"id":"23c91243-cf8b-4263-8641-fe9ba2d5ae26","title":"57: Finding the Right Marketing/Product Balance","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-57","content_text":"Ben recently returned from an entrepreneur retreat that featured sessions and activities focused on various topics, from projects people were working on to troubles with cofounders. Attendees were able to be honest, open, and transparent with each other. Ben had the opportunity to demo Tuple during the retreat. Feedback was that there are too many people working on its development, so he should focus on marketing. \n\nDerrick emphasized the importance of keeping in mind the cost of getting someone caught up to speed on a project. He has thought about hiring a contractor to help with the development of Level, but decided that his single brain was enough.\n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\n\nBen is working on a website to host the best pair programming guide on the Internet\nNot getting on the content marketing treadmill, but coming out with 1 or 2 solid, comprehensive pieces of content that draw in people\nCascading style sheets (CSS) make your website site look good; should you hire a designer or learn the basics on your own?\nCreate a good network; know people who know about things, and ask for help \nDerrick pushed a license update for Level’s code base; justified reasons why he should or shouldn’t make it an open source product and garner legal protection\nDerrick’s original end-of-October people testing goal for Level is still possible; using Trello to list and clarify tasks\nFinding a balance between making progress and doing other things that keep a product in people’s minds \nTuple’s team is starting to adopt more foundational processes to address tasks\nFeedback from Listeners: More interaction and question-asking between Derrick and Ben, as well as bring people into their podcast process\n\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nDerrick Reimer Website\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter\nBen Orenstein Website\nBen Orenstein on Twitter\nLevel\nTuple\nThoughtbot\nBig Snow Tiny Conf\nMicroConf\nJulian.com\nTailwind\nRedis\nTrello","content_html":"Ben recently returned from an entrepreneur retreat that featured sessions and activities focused on various topics, from projects people were working on to troubles with cofounders. Attendees were able to be honest, open, and transparent with each other. Ben had the opportunity to demo Tuple during the retreat. Feedback was that there are too many people working on its development, so he should focus on marketing.
\n\nDerrick emphasized the importance of keeping in mind the cost of getting someone caught up to speed on a project. He has thought about hiring a contractor to help with the development of Level, but decided that his single brain was enough.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\nBen Orenstein Website
\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\nLevel
\nTuple
\nThoughtbot
\nBig Snow Tiny Conf
\nMicroConf
\nJulian.com
\nTailwind
\nRedis
\nTrello
Ben is back from retreat #2 for Tuple. It may not have been as good as the first retreat, but was still above baseline productivity. The team worked on refactoring the app. Then, he went to CocoaHeads, which is for MacOS X and iOS developers to discuss Apple's Cocoa and CocoaTouch.
\n\nDerrick will be speaking about Level at the local Elixir meetup. He is excited to dive deeper into using Elixir and reading books about it. Then, he plans to share what he learns and encourage others to not be intimidated by more powerful concepts in Elixir.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\nBen Orenstein Website
\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\nLevel
\nTuple
\nCocoaHeads
\nElixir
\nThoughtbot
\nDiscourse
\nDocker
Derrick is in Washington for ElixirConf. Like Elixir, he is becoming more comfortable with stability, as opposed to constant churn and new stuff all the time. He knows you have to show restraint to try and not solve every problem. While at the conference, Derrick wants to make connections with people and hopes Level will one day be a good use case example for the Elixir community.
\n\nBen is discovering that startups are not easy. There are a lot of ups and downs. While other people were enjoying Labor Day, Ben was actually being a boss and getting work done. He may not have worked on the highest priority, but on a task that was satisfying to work on.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\nBen Orenstein Website
\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\nLevel
\nThe Level Journal
\nTuple
\nElixirConf
\nRubyConf
\nHeroku
\nRichard Feldman
\nSvbtle
Ben has been focusing on MacOS development and writing code. There’s so much he doesn’t know. But that’s ok. He strives to regularly learn things - just keep making progress for it to feel less intimidating.
\n\nDerrick has the same mindset. It’s ok to not know everything. Start with the basics, and keep going. You’ll figure things out eventually.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\nBen Orenstein Website
\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\nLevel
\nDerrick’s Manifesto
\nTuple
\nElm
\nBasecamp
\nDrip
Today’s guest, Justin Jackson, just launched a podcast platform called, Transistor.fm. Justin describes the time he spent working with co-founder Jon Buda to get it ready to go live. Launching involves a lot of energy and emotion with ups and downs.
\n\nWhether working on your own or with someone else, Justin encourages you to take time away to work on something to focus on it and make significant progress.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\nBen Orenstein Website
\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\nLevel
\nDerrick’s Manifesto
\nTuple
\nBuild Your SaaS Podcast
\nMegaMaker
\nJustin Jackson Newsletter
\nThe Importance of Trust with Your Audience with Justin Jackson
\nTransistor.fm
\nLaracon
\nTuple Native App and Level Inbox Workflows
\nProduct Hunt
\nRob Walling
\nTim Ferriss
Ben is back from a productive retreat with his Tuple co-founders. It was deep concentration work that didn’t feel like a chore, but a feeling of joy. They experienced a milestone - scrapped the electron-based version of their app to work on a native functional prototype. There’s a ton more to do, but it basically works. The pieces are coming together.
\n\nDerrick understands the foundation required to pretty much get anything done with a new product. He is considering a future retreat, but wondering if the benefits are worth it to go off somewhere as a solo founder. Or, would it be more productive to be just sitting at his desk at home? The most critical item on his radar and one of the biggest unknowns he continues to battle is how the mechanics of Level’s Inbox will work. If it doesn’t function well, then the whole promise of the app breaks down.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\nBen Orenstein Website
\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\nLevel
\nDerrick’s Manifesto
\nTuple
\nCodetree
\nBasecamp
\nGitHub Issues
\nDrip
Ben is out of town on a retreat with his Tuple co-founders, and Derrick is deep into building Level. So, this episode features Derrick as a recent guest on the Startups for the Rest of Us podcast. Rob Walling interviews Derrick about Level - what inspired the idea and how he went about trying to validate it.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\nBen Orenstein Website
\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\nLevel
\nDerrick’s Manifesto
\nTuple
\nFostering a Culture of Creativity with Rob Walling
\nExploring the Open Source Business Model
\nStartups for the Rest of Us: How Derrick Reimer is Validating His Ambitious Third Saas
\nApplication
\nDrip
\nCodetree
\nMicroConf
Derrick continues to reinvent himself with his new product, Level, and sporting a, “I work for myself beard.” He took a vacation to canoe and camp instead of code. It’s always a refreshing experience for him to get away from work from time to time. Now, Derrick is back to writing code and organizing tasks in Levelland.
\n\nBen also went on vacation, but before doing so, he realized no sales for Tuple had come in that week. So, he made an effort to call prospective clients and was able to sell six annual licenses. Now, like Derrick, he is working on things that are hard to achieve. But if they can make them happen, then they will be really good.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\nBen Orenstein Website
\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\nLevel
\nTuple
\nHill Charts on Basecamp
\nTrello
\nDrip
\nRob Walling
\nSketch
\nGiant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
\nMicroconf
Derrick continues to code to make progress on things he will need to build at some point for his product, Level. Also, he spent a lot of time in Elm land for refactoring and additions. Will Elm code work for scaling necessary for Level? Derrick is still trying to decide.
\n\nBen’s team at Tuple has transitioned from C++ to Swift, a newer and friendlier language. Also, Tuple hired a consultant as a sanity check and to be pointed in the right direction for building a native app on Mac. Initially, the consultant will help step up and build with dependencies needed.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\nBen Orenstein Website
\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\nLevel
\nTuple
\nElm
\nRichard Feldman on YouTube
\nSwift
\nDerrick Reimer on Startups for the Rest of Us
\nDerrick Reimer on Full Stack Radio
\nBen Orenstein’s Code Quality Challenge
\nBen Orenstein’s Shell Tricks Post
\nShoe Dog
\nFounder to CEO
Derrick was hoping to finish mock-ups for communication flows inside Level to get feedback, but that turned out to be a lofty goal that he is still working on. The process of designing Level has generated more questions than answers and minute details that Derrick needs to address. This is the real work happens.
\n\nCongrats to Ben, who finally crossed 10,000 followers on Twitter. He uses Twitter as a way to provide value, be useful, and build relationships. Also, he launched the Code Quality Challenge sign-ups and a private podcast to share information with people who are interested in Tuple.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\nBen Orenstein Website
\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\nLevel
\nTuple
\nDrip
\nBriefs podcasting service
\nMicroconf
\nRob Walling
Despite being in the process of building new companies and products, Derrick and Ben understand the importance of sustainable pace - being able to unplug and get some rest to make smart decisions. So, Derrick just got back from vacation, and Ben plans to take some days off soon. It’s about the mental component of mastering your brain.
\n\nDerrick is getting back into the swing of things and trying to finish the mock-ups for communication flows inside Level. Ben has been focusing on filling up Tuple’s alpha and booking substantial pre-pays. Also, Ben shipped his landing page and already has about 12,000 subscribers.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\nBen Orenstein Website
\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\nLevel
\nTuple
\nDerrick Reimer on Full Stack Radio - Designing a Calmer Team Communication Platform
\nElectron
Today’s episode features guest Justin Jackson, who is building a new podcasting startup called, Transistor.fm, and runs MegaMaker training and books for SaaS and indie software companies. He’s discovering that it’s a lot of work to build something.
\n\nDerrick and Ben know how he feels. For Derrick, it’s been a fun week in the land of Level. He’s been working on his new landing page and landing new sign-ups for the pre-launch list. Ben has pre-sold $700 worth of Tuple accounts and raised $500 worth of verbal “Yeses.” Contact Ben if you want to be a part of Tuple. They share their ups and downs, fears and triumphs!
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\nBen Orenstein Website
\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\nJustin Jackson
\nJustin Jackson on Twitter
\nLevel
\nBuild Your Saas podcast
\nTransistor.fm
\nMicroConf
\nJason Fried
\nSeth Godin
\nRightMessage
\nHow We’ve Taken FOMO 20k to 80k by Justin Mares
He’s back! Ben returns from traveling to Hong Kong. He shared his rails knowledge by helping someone who is building a business and using a rails app. He made performance improvements and refactored items. Derrick is also doing some Vim tutoring. Learning something new does not take long or a lot of money, and gets easier.
\n\nOf course, both Ben and Derrick continue to work on their new products, as well. Derrick is creating Level, an open source team communication and management tool. Ben is starting Tuple, a pair programming tool alternative for Screenhero.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\nBen Orenstein Website
\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\nVim
\nCtrlP
\nYour First vimrc Should be Nearly Empty
\nThoughtbot
\nMicroConf
\nMomentum
\nMathias Meyer
\nReboot Podcast - How You Walk Through the World with Seth Godin
Rob Walling, co-founder at Drip, MicroConf organizer, and host of the Startups For the Rest of Us podcast, continues to co-host with Derrick while Ben is in Hong Kong. Rob is becoming a believer in 3 to 6 hour work days; he is more productive and has more motivation to get things done.
\n\nAs for Derrick, he read an article titled, After 5 years and $3M, here’s everything we’ve learned from building Ghost, which relates to the business model he is following for his Level product. Ghost is using the open source core product and it’s bootstrapped, which can be difficult. in this episode, Derrick pulls out a few pieces of the article that are relevant to share.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nRob Walling on Twitter
\nStartups for the Rest of Us
\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\nBen Orenstein Website
\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\nMicroConf
\nDrip
\nAfter 5 years and $3M, here’s everything we’ve learned from building Ghost
\nBuild Your Saas Podcast
\nSaaStr
Rob Walling joins Derrick once again as a guest co-host while Ben is traveling in Hong Kong. Rob was Derrick's co-founder at Drip, runs MicroConf, and hosts the Startups For the Rest of Us podcast.
\n\nDerrick and Rob discuss the latest Level updates and strategize how best to approach previewing product mockups to potential customers. They discuss how the early phase of a startup is very fulfilling because you can be very creative, but also stressful because of risk and uncertainty. Rob gets Derrick's feedback about offering one-on-one founder consulting in his spare time.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nRob Walling on Twitter
\nStartups for the Rest of Us
\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\nMicroConf
\nBen Orenstein Website
\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\nLevel Live #3: A Fireside Chat with Rob Walling
\nDrip
\nTwist
\nBasecamp
\nSoylent
Ben is away, so Derrick invited a special guest for this episode. Rob Walling was the co-founder of Drip and is the co-host of MicroConf. Rob recently removed Slack from his phone, and is waiting for Derrick’s Level product.
\n\nLevel is an open source team communication tool that Derrick hopes will replace Slack among software teams. Others are looking forward to Level, as well, and wondering how many clients Level is going to be available on: Mobile, desktop...As Derrick continues to work on Level, the two also reminisce about their days together at Drip.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nIf you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nRob Walling on Twitter
\nStartups for the Rest of Us
\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\nMicroConf
\nBen Orenstein Website
\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\nElectron
\nPhoneGap
\nTwist
\nWorkLife podcast
\nGusto
\nZenefits
\nThe Pixar Touch
\nLost and Founder by Rand Fishkin
Ben and Derrick are recovering from days of being in Las Vegas for MicroConf. They spent time reconnecting with old friends, and making new friends. Knowledge floats around, and you can soak it all in. MicroConf has a culture of extreme transparency, helpfulness, friendliness, and wealth of value. Talks at the conference generated actionable items for and awe from attendees.
\n\nDerrick especially enjoyed copywriting and injecting humor sessions. Ben was impressed, too. His favorite talk was from Justin Mares on “How We’ve Taken FOMO 20 to 80k MRR in 18 Months,” where Mares talked about a difficult task and what worked and didn’t.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nIf you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\nMicroConf
\nDrip
\nWebRTC
Ben and Derrick are together again, at MicroConf and working on their new products and businesses. From making T-shirts to thinking about finding funds, things are continuing to move forward.
\n\nDerrick is focusing on Level, an open source team communication and management tool. Ben is considering the name, Tuple, for his pair programming tool alternative for Screenhero. He is focusing on all things business-related, from equity to entity options.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nIf you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\nAngel Funds
\nMicroConf
\nWebRTC
\nAndrew Culver
Derrick discovered his marketing and promotional tasks were eating up too much of his time and mind, so he took a break from them. He shifted his focus to the actual development of his product, Level. He made some forward strides on the product’s design.
\n\nBen decided to give notice and leave his current job for an opportunity to develop a Screenhero alternative. Screenhero is a pair programming tool that has a rough history with Slack. So, he has a co-founder, new technology findings from Stanford, and encouragement from original developers. Could anything be more aligned?! Ben’s alternative and Derrick’s Level is a match made in heaven.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nIf you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\nTailwind CSS
\nThe Bootstrap Blog
\nDrip
\nGitHub
\nSteve Schoger
\nScreenhero
\nMicroConf
\nThoughtbot
\nRuby on Rails
Derrick is still moving in the right direction with the product he is developing called, Level. He used Product Hunt’s Ship to set up a landing page. He plans to promote his upcoming product and control its launch.
\n\nAlso, Derrick published a blog post titled, Building Level #2: The Tech Stack. It summarizes his rationale and reasons why he chose specific technologies. Plus, he posted his and Ben’s conversation, Live Level #2: Branding and GraphQL Mutations, and created a Twitter handle for Level.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nDerrick plans to create bite-sized content to engage customers and build trust
\nFake videos and info products and other shenanigans
\nDerrick has been splitting his time writing backend code and nailing down design
\nGetting feedback on mockups
\nBe aggressive by charging and collecting pre-payments
\nBen will be going to MicroConf; taking a plane ride with leg room
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\nBuilding Level #2: The Tech Stack
\nLive Level #2: Branding and GraphQL Mutations
\nPowered By Level on Twitter
\nSteve Schoger
\nProduct Hunt’s Ship
\nLevel on Product Hunt
\nDrip
\nCodetree
\nMicroConf
Ben is now a Level contributor! Ben has paired with Derrick and his team communication and management tool called, Level - which is officially open source.
\n\nAlso, Derrick recorded himself building a Level feature and posted it on YouTube for feedback. It draws in people to see how an expert does things and share opinions and knowledge. It’s a win-win for everyone!
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLeveraging various networks to share information and provide value
\nBuilding a brand and putting capital in the bank
\nImpacts of stress on productivity
\nEngaging and sharing with interested parties; building relationships
\nPossible Milestone: Establish cadence of publishing frequency and balance of allocating time
\nProposed Product Milestone: Use Level to track the work on Level
\nUtilizing GitHub to track tasks on To Do lists
\nFinalizing logo and identifying domain for Level
\nValue of retros
\nPrioritizing tasks and making progress on important, but not urgent work
\nWhether to focus on processes or engineering
\nProduct roadmap and associated expectations/productivity
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\nLevel Live #1: Listing groups within spaces
\nLevel on GitHub
\nSteve Schoger
\nDrip
Derrick continues to talk with customers and gain insights about a team communication and management tool he is developing called, Level. Derrick is developing personal connections with people interested in his mission, and his conversations with customers is reinforcing patterns.
\n\nToday, he shares the main problems with “Chat” functionality and why people are frustrated with the tools they use today. He is exploring possible solutions for Level to replace Slack and other tools. What issues do you experience?
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nFalse sense of urgency; Derrick’s tool would allow you to filter notifications on whether they are urgent or not; and let users view messages at their own pace
\nChat is like a conveyor belt; if you don’t pick things up, they are going to fall or you are going to miss them
\nLack of Decent Threading: People do not find threads useful and difficult to encourage appropriate use of them
\nNo Mechanism for Tracking State of Conversation: Everything needs to be reviewed to find information and decisions; should offer Open, Closed, Request Review, and On Hold, and other statuses
\n3 Ways to Structure Messages: 1) Subject and body; 2) Body; or 3) Very small message in infinite timeline
\nDerrick is clear on problems with existing tools, but less clear on exact solutions
\nSimple nuances can make a tool friendlier and easier to use - it’s all in the details
\nDerrick kicked off the Building Level series
\nBen and Derrick strategize on the best approach to getting teams to try Level
\nDerrick is trying to make the barriers to using Level for low
\nLevel will most likely be an open source product with a commercially hosted version to generate revenue
\nBen and Derrick discuss when it is the best time to start developing Level publicly
\nBen decided to say “No” to speaking at MicroConf this year; saying “No” to something, is saying “No” to one thing, saying “Yes” to something is saying “No” to everything else
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nBen Orenstein Website; Twitter
\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nBuilding Level #1: Idea Validation
\nTwist
\nDrip
\nHipChat
\nStartup Stories Podcast
\nStripe
\nClearbit’s Reveal
\nDerek Sivers
\nMicroConf
As part of his new business journey, Derrick requested that customers schedule time to talk with him about Level, a team communication and management tool he is developing. Luckily, about 40 people signed up, and he has completed 14 of these calls. What are his customers saying? They confirm main pains they feel with current tools and are very willing to share their frustrations with existing tools. Derrick has not been surprised yet about their answers.
\n\nIn Ben’s world, he is spending time on slinging and reading about Haskell. He is full of questions. Both Ben and Derrick are learning a lot every day, which is fulfilling and exciting.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nLevel will not be a project management tool, but may have some project management capabilities
\nDerrick’s list of initial questions for customers: What is their company and role within it; the size of their team; what tools they use and when they adopted them; and the balance between chat, email, and project management in their organization
\nDerrick also asks customers: Why are they interested in Level? What problems do they want it to solve? What’s working well for them with Slack, and what’s not? What aspects of Slack do they use and don’t use?
\nIdeas for improvement have come from Derrick’s customers
\nContinuous integration is the clear winner for usefulness
\nGauging willingness to switch to another tool, such as Level
\nCustomers expressed using Level on a pilot basis for specific teams or projects and in coordination with at least one other tool
\nBeing unable to post asynchronous, long-form discussions is a pain point for some customers
\nPaying for a tool would not be a big deal
\nDerrick plans to kick off his building Level series and build mock-ups for customers to view
\nPositive use of minimalist user interfaces
\nDebating whether to offer a pre-payment option for Level
\nBen uses Ansible for the deployment of Haskell code
\nBen is seeking a Dev Ops person to hire - must have strong opinions and can fix stuff
\nSaaS Renaissance? More developers are starting SaaS companies - a trend already on the way out?
\nLevel will be SaaS but with an open source core
\nTools SaaS companies will want to have and buy
\nNot Built Here Syndrome: Engineers who outsource non-essential parts to someone else
\nPricing Pages as a Service: Shopify’s checkout page feels natural but still represents the company
\nAvoid rebuilding stuff
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nBen Orenstein Website; Twitter
\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nBasecamp and Getting Real
\nHaskell
\nProgramming in Haskell book
\nC Programming Language by Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie (K&R for C)
\nRuby on Rails
\nAnsible
\nDrip
\nSalesforce
\nProduct Hunt
\nGitLab and Discourse
\nStripe Atlas
\nAndrew Culver’s Bullet Train
\nAdam Savage: One Day Builds
\nMicroConf 2018
It’s a Snow Day for Ben, and Derrick shares his woes about setting up his home office with two new, Dell monitors and his MacBook Pro featuring only two USB-C ports for a hub. You would think that laptops would offer more of a variety of ports. Other than that, things are going great for Derrick.
\n\nOn March 5, Derrick pushed out his manifesto via Twitter. In response, people shared, retweeted, and posted supportive thoughts and messages. Developers resonated with his message. And of course, there were a few skeptics who wondered how Derrick’s ideas were different from other team communication and management options. There will always be multiple tools that can be used, but Derrick has a particular approach to what he offers.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nMaker vs. Manager: A good way to draw a line between how different people feel about a tool
\n“This is people problem, not a tool problem” There are a lot of people who just don’t get it.
\nTools help guide the way users use the product and how your team works
\nSome tools generate stress and interruptions rather than constructive work progress
\nGoal: Communication centralized in one place
\nEmail is now a black hole, and no longer for actionable items
\nImportant information can get lost in all the noise created by some tools
\nDerrick plans to keep his email subscriber list warm by not over-emailing them without a product available yet
\nDerrick has received 400 emails so far as a result of his Twitter push and plans to do outreach, development, and validation with customers
\nAttribution Tracking App: Ben encouraged Derrick to request pre-pay for future products, like for the app he was thinking about building; pre-payments offers validation
\nDerrick has not determined a price plan or how to sell the dream yet
\nDerrick plans to keep thinking through product decisions on pen and paper
\nDeliver on the promise of the tool guiding people to use good communication patterns
\nTools need to maintain connectedness
\nEntrepreneurship Porn: Share your thoughts, ideas, process, and journey with others
\nEngagement and Authenticity: A give-and-take between you and your subscribers
\nJournal milestones; the more chronicling, the better
\nDerrick’s prototype includes Phoenix, Elixir, and GraphQL
\nBen shares his experience with Haskell vs. Elm; he has more questions than answers at this point
\nHaskell has a chance of being the gateway drug of functional programming languages
\nAttend meet-ups and conferences to learn more about Haskell and Elm
\nWith programming languages, you need to be willing to make some sacrifices
\nBen is beginning to appreciate aspects of project management and positively influencing processes
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nBen Orenstein Website; Twitter
\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nBasecamp
\nTwist
\nDrip
\nCalendly
\nJason Fried
\nStartup Stories Podcast
\nGraphQL
\nElixir
\nPhoenix
\nHaskell; Programming in Haskell book
\nElm
\nRuby on Rails
\nThoughtbot
Derrick recounts his last day at Drip - from being locked out, the elevator breaking, turning in parking passes, wearing a shirt saying “Quit Your Day Job,” to happy hour.
\n\nAlthough he has a feeling of being free now, he is bummed about not seeing his co-workers every day. However, he is excited to share his plans and personal mission for the near future - a project called, Level, based on balance, not chaos.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nDerrick’s Manifesto: What he is now doing and thinking
\nBuilding a prototype to get rid of Slack in the workplace
\nWants to develop ways to improve team communication
\nParts of Slack are awesome, while others are not
\nChat is not an effective communication mode for teams
\nImportant conversations can get lost in the chatter
\nSnoozing is stressful; can be taken negatively and feel like being ignored
\nInbox should be included and organized by threads
\nAnything that is important and needs to be addressed should be in a thread
\nSlack is not meant for actionable items, but people use it for that
\nDerrick’s tool will have both sync and async, which can be married; will be difficult to misuse it
\nSome tools become addictive and disruptive to human nature
\nPushing through notification barriers and specifying priority; a list that prioritizes items and deadlines
\nStep 1 to creating such a tool: Do your homework by talking to teams of developers
\nBen’s March will consist of meditating, squats, and handstands - while working on goals; Derrick wants to achieve reading and personal fitness goals every day, as well as shipping something open source
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nThe War on Developer Productivity (And How I Intend to Win It)
\nDrip
\nSlack
\nThoughtbot
\nRob Walling
\nThe Entrepreneur's Guide to Keeping Your S**t Together by Sherry Walling
\nZero to One book
\nBen Orenstein Website
Some significant changes are going on in our professional lives and today is full of updates.
\nBen shares some of the details of his new job at Mackey Research Management Software. It’s providing him with structure, people, team interaction, and new problems, as well as a distance from some other problems. Mackey is a company that makes a note-taking app for hedge funds and features a connection to databases of public companies. Derrick is moving on and away from Drip. While he knows the time is right to move on, there is emotional attachment especially since he was there from the start. Derrick wants to go from leading to doing, again. He’s leaving his “baby” that he co-founded in the best state possible. Derrick is putting together a manifesto about possible upcoming plans.
Today’s Topics Include:
\n\nReasons for moving away from Rails
\nRide the wave of different languages
\nProjects based on learning vs. productive; never stop learning to be relevant
\nChange in pace and work environment is positive for Ben
\nFlexibility is a benefit, but it is not for everyone
\nStress level difference between working at a job or running your own company
\nIf Ben likes Haskell, he’ll want to talk and teach about it
\nHaskell has some brain-bender, mind-expander aspects
\nWith Haskell, it feels more like play than work for Ben - and you get paid for it
\nDerrick has learned to delegate over the years; no longer a bottleneck
\nNew chief technology officer with top-level experience being hired to continue to grow Drip
\nDerrick will post a manifesto on his website about his upcoming plans
\nDerrick has been going through administrative tasks required as he transitions away from Drip
\nDerrick says, even during the dead of winter, that he plans to stay in Minnesota
\nA logo is being created for Art of Product; and Derrick is working on establishing a brand identity related to his new ventures
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nMackey
\nHaskell
\nSherry Walling Mental Health for Startup Founders - Art of Product episode
\nThe 30-Day Code Quality Challenge
\nRefactoringRails.io
\nDrip
\nDerrick Reimer Website
\nBen Orenstein Website
Today’s special episode features guest Sherry Walling, author of The Entrepreneur's Guide to Keeping Your S**t Together, to be released February 21, 2018. Sherry explains how her book came to life and her experience self-publishing. We also talk about the common mental health issues for entrepreneurial founders in the community today.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nMental health within the Founders community
\nSherry’s new book and her writing process
\nStruggles during the publishing process
\nTraditional versus self publishing on Amazon
\nStrengths and ‘shadows’ of entrepreneurs
\nPersonality self-knowledge and introversion/extraversion
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nThe Entrepreneur's Guide to Keeping Your S**t Together by Sherry Walling
\nZen Founder
\nZen Founder Podcast
\nQuiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
\nMicroConf
\nThe 30-Day Code Quality Challenge
\nRefactoringRails.io
\nDrip
Ben has moved into his new apartment and had an interesting discussion about fitness with the movers. Derrick got back is Bod Pod results and is formulating his precise fitness goals for fat loss and muscle gain. Ben is still on the job market and had an interview last week. Ben and Derrick discuss successful interview techniques and experiences they’ve had in the past.
\n\nIn Drip news, Drip recently got a brand refresh, including a new logo, marketing site, color palette, new messaging, app skin, and more. They are working on focusing their marketing efforts to position Drip in the market as an Ecommerce CRM. Listen in as Derrick discusses the Drip refresh and the thinking behind it.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nFitness and Derrick’s fitness goals
\nDrip’s recent brand refresh
\nMarket positioning in Ecommerce
\nBen’s job search progress and interview tactics
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nThe 30-Day Code Quality Challenge
\nRefactoringRails.io
\nDrip
Ben and Derrick welcome the New Year with this first episode of 2018. Derrick provides an update on his fitness goals for the first quarter of 2018 and plans his Bod Pod evaluation this week. Derrick also shares his strategy improving and maintaining Drip software features.
\n\nBen is launching the second cohort of The 30-Day Code Quality Challenge this week, and this cohort is even larger than the first. He shares how this cohort will be different, and thoughts on adding a fee to increase accountability and participation. He is also thinking about future extensions of the challenge into a monetized product.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\n2018 Q1 Goal updates
\nThe 30-Day Code Quality Challenge second cohort launch
\nIncreasing accountability in the Challenge
\nMonetization strategies for courses following a free challenge
\nDrip software and features
\nNavigation-driven development and app workflows
\nRuby losing popularity
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nNike Training Club App
\nBod Pod
\nPrecision Nutrition
\nRuby Rogues Episode 342: Interview with DHH
\nThe 30-Day Code Quality Challenge
\nRefactoringRails.io
\nDrip
Ben is having a successful push for the new cohort of The 30-Day Code Quality Challenge. He is also looking to improve future iterations of the challenge and is preparing to move to a new home outside of Boston.
\n\nBen and Derrick discuss their quarterly personal goals on this episode and the philosophy behind goal setting: developing habits versus achieving specific results. Each list their specific goals for the first quarter of 2018, including fitness, mindfulness, reading, professional projects and career choices.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nSecond cohort of The 30-Day Code Quality Challenge
\nAnnual versus quarterly goals
\nEffective goal setting: forming habits versus achieving goals
\nBen and Derrick’s specific goals for Q1 2018
\nReturning to the tech workforce
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nThe 30-Day Code Quality Challenge
\nRefactoringRails.io
\nDrip
\nProper Cloth
\nJames Clear - Habits Guide
Ben is entering the last week of The 30-Day Code Quality Challenge. He has enjoyed getting the challenges out each day and seeing participants engage with the content. In the future he is deciding whether to personalize the programming languages or to remain language agnostic. The next cohort of the Challenge will start January 3, 2018, and Ben’s looking forward to iterating and improving each cohort of the Challenge. He also discussed a connection he made with Discourse, and explores options for forum management in the future.
\n\nDrip is working on their visual email builder with the help of their new Elm developer. The team has just completed several product structure tests using a prototype, which was a greatly helpful experience to the developers. Ben and Derrick discuss their experiences with product usability testing.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nApproaching the end of The 30-Day Code Quality Challenge
\nChallenge results and stats on participation
\nThe next Challenge cohort begins January 3, 2018
\nPositive customer experience with Discourse
\nDrip’s visual email builder project
\nProduct usability testing
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nThe 30-Day Code Quality Challenge
\nDiscourse
\nSteve Schoger @steveschoger
\nFull Stack Radio podcast 78: Ben Orenstein - Our All-Time Favorite Refactorings
\nRefactoringRails.io
\nDrip
Drip successfully sailed through Black Friday and Cyber Monday unscathed with no queue backups or problems. Derrick has been thinking about shifting the Drip team structures after Black Friday weekend and is considering adopting more efficient workflows and processes. Ben and Derrick discuss different team structures, including those at Basecamp and Spotify. They also talk about team size, communication overhead, and growing revenue versus growing team size in business.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nDrip’s Black Friday success
\nTeam structure and restructuring teams at Drip
\nWork processes and discussing article Running in Circles by Ryan Singer
\nMutable requirements and engineering feedback
\nUphill Strategies and task deadlines
\nSpotify “squads” and team structures
\nCommunication overhead with large teams
Be sure to stick around at the end of the episode for Ben and Derrick’s post-show chat.
\n\nIf you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nHQ Trivia App
\nRunning in Circles by Ryan Singer
\nThe 30-Day Code Quality Challenge
\nRefactoringRails.io
\nDrip
Ben introduces The 30-Day Code Quality Challenge and updates us on the progress of his first cohort. He has been receiving positive feedback and participants are engaging with the exercises and community forums. They discuss his work on the project and the future of Ben’s business and his audience moving forward.
\n\nDerrick has hired an Elm engineer at Drip and they discuss the adoption of the Elm programming language in the industry. He also shares the hiring and pairing interview process of the candidate. Derrick attended an interesting invite-only conference, Chaos Engineering Day, and discusses Chaos Engineering and the implications for his business. This week Drip is focused on and fully prepped for Black Friday and shares his team wins surrounding the lead-up.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nThe 30-Day Code Quality Challenge first cohort launch and progress
\nDiscourse versus Slack discussion channels
\nCommunity building and managing a group
\nPlans for future challenge cohorts and Ben’s business
\nDerrick’s successful hiring process for an Elm engineer
\nAdopting Elm programming language in the industry
\nChaos Engineering and testing
Be sure to stick around at the end of the episode for Ben and Derrick’s post-show chat.
\n\nIf you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nThe 30-Day Code Quality Challenge
\nDiscourse
\nPerennial Seller by Ryan Holiday
\nPrinciples of Chaos Engineering
\nRefactoringRails.io
\nDrip
Ben and Derrick are joined by guest Adam Wathan, an esteemed software developer, writer, speaker and entrepreneur from Ontario, Canada. He is the creator of Tailwind CSS, author of Refactoring to Collections and host of the Full Stack Radio podcast. Listen in as he shares how he built his own products over time and became an independent entrepreneur, and talks about his new project Tailwind CSS.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nStarting his first side projects and products
\nAdam’s successful marketing channels and strategies
\nLessons learned from past product launches
\nExperience with pricing plans and tiers
\nAdam’s current projects and products, including Tailwind CSS
\nCSS programming, utility and presentation
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nTailwind CSS
\nTest-Driven Laravel
\nRefactoring to Collections
\nFull Stack Radio
\nAdam on Twitter @adamwathan
\nThe 30-Day Code Quality Challenge
\nRefactoringRails.io
\nDrip
Ben keeps us posted on the Refactoring Rails course launch progress and shares his continuing sales metrics and marketing strategies. He is considering experimenting with free samples, bundling and cross-promoting going forward.
\n\nFor his next project, Ben is creating a new course called The 30-Day Code Quality Challenge, which goes live on November 13, 2017. He has received a lot of feedback on the idea and is iterating on the outline, including content and pricing strategies for the future. He shares his plans for the course and Derrick gives his advice on the project.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nRefactoring Rails launch progression and marketing strategies
\nBen’s new project: The 30-Day Code Quality Challenge
\nComparing course formats and iterating on ideas using targeted feedback
\nThe power of building your audience and list
\nLead generation versus sales value
\nProgramming language agnostic course strategy
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nTiny Marketing Wins course
\nThe 30-Day Code Quality Challenge
\nRefactoringRails.io
\nDrip
Ben’s course sales are still going strong, and he shares his updated sales metrics and the purchasing trends of his customers. He also spoke on the Ruby on Rails podcast recently to discuss the course and his experience making it. Ben is scheduled to give a talk at the DC Ruby Users Group on February 16, 2018. He is now trying to think of what’s next for himself in the big picture.
\n\nDerrick and the Drip team are preparing for Black Friday. They built models to predict peak hours and optimize their servers. As a result they had a super successful test send at over 4,000 emails per second, putting them in a great position leading up to the big day. The team is still working on load testing to search for more unknown factors in simulation to shore up the system even more.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nScreenhero shutting down
\nRefactoring Rails launch progress
\nSelling products versus services
\nWork-life balance and project madness
\nSalaried jobs and optimizing work experience
\nDrip prep for Black Friday
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nUse together - Screen Sharing Tool
\nRuby on Rails: Episode 236 featuring Ben Orenstein
\nSeeking Wisdom: Episode 95 featuring Brad Stulberg
\nThe Tropical MBA Podcast
\nSendGrid
\nRefactoringRails.io
\nDrip
Ben has officially launched his course Refactoring Rails. He is pleased with his choice of back-end tools including Gumroad for fulfillment. Ben shares his course launch metrics including email success rate, sales numbers and revenue. Early feedback has been positive and the Ruby community has been very supportive. He also discusses his expectations and take away lessons from the overall launch. Ben will be continuing his Ruby tour in the coming weeks.
\n\nDerrick announces Drip’s new project teased last episode: a visual email editor. Due to Drip’s widening customer base, there is an increased demand for visual and polished marketing emails. Their designer has been working on mockups and the team is analyzing the current tools available and have some great ideas for improving usability. Drip is still looking for a front-end engineer with Elm experience to help build the tool.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nRefactoring Rails launch and email strategy
\nBen’s launch metrics
\nRuby speaking tour
\nThe new visual email editor project at Drip
\nBuilding out a new project
\nLearning new skills as a developer
\nChoosing programming languages
\nDerrick’s review of Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code Editor
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nGumroad
\nHeroku
\nElm
\n"Teaching Elm to Beginners" by Richard Feldman
\nMicrosoft’s Visual Studio Code Editor
\nRefactoringRails.io
\nDrip
Ben is set to launch his course and is using the looming deadline as an efficiency booster. He recently spoke at Rocky Mountain Ruby, and spent time prepping the talk with a friend at a beach house but unfortunately lost his data due to a hardware malfunction. The talk was still a great success, but a very stressful experience. The next week he spoke at Southeast Ruby in Nashville and it was a much smoother experience. Otherwise he is finishing up launch strategy details and looking forward to shipping the project.
\n\nDrip.com is now live after a long process, and the Drip team is thrilled. Derrick has also found an opportunity to use Elm at Drip, and is looking forward to implementing it in a new project he can’t yet discuss. Drip is currently looking for a front-end engineer in the Minneapolis area, with Elm experience if possible. Derrick has been travelling recently and even had a flight cancelled due to the California wildfires.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nDeadline pressure and work efficiency
\nBen’s recent speaking engagements
\nLast minute details for Ben’s course release
\nTime-pressure and discount strategies for launch
\nDrip.com domain acquisition
\nElm programming language
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nHow we structure our work and teams at Basecamp by Jason Fried
\nElm
\nRefactoringRails.io
\nDrip
This week Ben Orenstein is interviewing guest Avdi Grimm, Founder of RubyTapas, which is a subscription service that provides screencasts of “gourmet” ruby programming. Avdi discusses the topic of his talk at Southeast Ruby in Nashville, which was the value of avoiding code and strategies to bypass the need to write unnecessary coding. Join us as he shares his advice on optimizing workflows and his experiences building RubyTapas.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nThe value of avoiding code
\nHidden complexity in building out content platforms
\nUsing Wordpress for publishing content
\nCode as a liability
\nEpisode production and future of RubyTapas
\nFinding leverage in business and creative work
\nDelegating workflows
\nViews on side-hustling and product development
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nRubyTapas
\nWordPress
\nSpacemacs, Emacs, Vim, Neovim
\nSide-hustle mindset versus product-business mindset by Avdi Grimm
\nAvdi.codes
\nVirtuousCode.com
\nRefactoringRails.io
Ben has finalized the logo for his Refactoring Rails course and is currently getting the intro/outro animations and the sales site designed. He also finished the notes for all the videos and was very pleased with the final edit quality. The launch date for RefactoringRails.io is October 16th, 2017. He is still considering options for his post-launch speaking tour.
\n\nAt Drip, Derrick is deep in the backend scaling challenges with a lot of attention towards Black Friday for their ecommerce customers. They are looking to historical data in order to anticipate peak volumes and simulate high loads. One particular initiative they’re working on is “fair queuing” to improve Drip’s user experience under periods of high load.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nRefactoring Rails course development
\nScaling challenges and Black Friday volume
\nHigh-load simulations
\nAmazon auto-scaling groups
\nFair queuing
\nOpen source libraries
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nElm
\nBoston Elm Meetup
\nRefactoring Rails course logo
\nGumroad
\nRocky Mountain Ruby
\nGraphQL
\nNarro.co
\nDrip
\nRefactoringRails.io
Ben is coming back from a restorative vacation in Martha’s Vineyard and loves the vibe there. He is enjoying his Vitamix blender and the Dr. Rhonda Patrick micronutrient smoothie. In Refactoring Rails news, Ben is committing to a launch date of October 16th. He is also scheduled to speak at three different conferences before the launch, and is looking forward to the challenge. He got feedback regarding a premium course tier, and is weighing his options on developing these materials. He has a proposal for the design element work and is close to wrapping up on the content.
\n\nDerrick attended ElixirConf in Seattle and now feels more confident to use the language in Drip in the future. He’s feeling the pain of running a large Ruby application and is looking for a higher power language. They are heading into using auto-scaling groups and other ways of optimizing the system. He was also interested in the code formatter that Elixir is developing.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nHealth and nutrition in smoothies
\nElixirConf and the state of the Elixir language
\nErlang Programming language
\nScaling Drip, speed and hosting costs
\nCode formatters
\nLaunch of Refactoring Rails
\nPremium tier survey and material options
\nHiring a designer for the course graphics
\nBen’s upcoming speaking engagements: Rocky Mountain Ruby, Southeast Ruby Conference and Boulder Ruby Group
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nVitamix Blenders
\nDr. Rhonda Patrick micronutrient smoothie
\nElixirConf
\nElixir
\nErlang
\nRocky Mountain Ruby
\nSoutheast Ruby
\nBoulder Ruby Group
\nDrip
\nRefactoringRails.io
Ben and Derrick are back from vacation this week are feeling refreshed. Ben tweeted something that went viral and has dealt with some people’s misinterpretation and bias. He is working on hiring a designer for some of the course finishing touches and is honing in on the premium tier offerings. Ben also has two side projects, Briefs and Trail Mix, that he is thinking of doing a tour about. RefactoringRails.io is set to launch the end of September.
\n\nDrip has been onboarding a new developer onto the core-product team and Derrick discusses his interview and hiring process. He also shares how Drip is doing as a customer-driven product team, inspired by David Cancel’s top ten criteria in a recent Conversion Cast episode.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nGoing viral and dealing with public reaction
\nBen’s side projects, Briefs and Trail Mix
\nFinishing and preparing to launch Ben’s course RefactoringRails.io
\nHiring process at Drip
\nAllocating time for housekeeping tasks to avoid ‘noise’
\nDavid Cancel’s top ten items to determine if you’re doing well in a customer-driven product team
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nRefactoringRails.io
\nBriefs
\n"Trail Mix
\nDrip
\nConversion Cast - Episode with David Cancel
\nDrift
This week Ben is on vacation and Derrick is here to share some fresh knowledge behind the scenes at Drip. They’re experimenting at Drip with how to scale the system to handle more customers and what changes are needed to make the architecture support all their customers and future large customers in the sales pipeline. Derrick goes over his team’s recent brainstorming session and plans to repeat the exercise for more subsystems at Drip.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nThe many seasons of scaling a SaaS business
\nStarting with simplistic architecture
\nArriving at bottlenecks and incremental evolution of the system
\nHow to have brainstorming sessions with engineers
\nReevaluating assumptions and tradeoffs
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\n","summary":"This week Ben is on vacation and Derrick is here to share some fresh knowledge behind the scenes at Drip. They’re experimenting at Drip with how to scale the system to handle more customers and what changes are needed to make the architecture support all their customers and future large customers in the sales pipeline. Derrick goes over his team’s recent brainstorming session and plans to repeat the exercise for more subsystems at Drip. ","date_published":"2017-08-31T06:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/6fccc249-743a-4298-a664-d8d863346db9/dcf3d52d-f1b4-4764-ae3a-1f7fdb4c1f9e.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mp3","size_in_bytes":7704964,"duration_in_seconds":411}]},{"id":"6144d5a6-6dd2-4a85-8404-1aeacf63ea8a","title":"14: The Power of Simplicity","url":"https://artofproductpodcast.com/episode-14","content_text":"This week Ben has been managing his projects and to-do list with OmniFocus, which helps as his business and stress level continue to increase. He has outlined and will be recording his last video about form objects and is glad to be approaching the finish line on the course. He also experimented with adding a Call to Action button in his emails but wants to get more data comparing metrics to get the best strategy with different email clients. \n\nDerrick has been in the trenches working on scaling Drip this week by strategizing on architecture with the backend team. They have onboarded one of their biggest customers and are working with them to segment and filter subscribers to be more efficient. He discussed the importance of legacy code base and how it is re-invented and improved over time. While their backend has become more complicated and fast-paced, he and his team are committed to keeping high quality and continue shipping things out quickly. \n\nToday’s Topics Include:\n\nWorking around a schedule and dealing with notifications\nEmail data metrics and call to action tests\nScaling backend architecture \nBrain-dumping to address issues\nDefining legacy in a code base and continuous re-evaluation\nConsistency in a code base\nMoving fast and increasing complexity while maintaining high quality\n\nIf you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.\n\nLinks and resources:\n\nRefactoringRails.io\nDrip\nOmnifocus\nPocket\nFinal Cut Pro\nGithub\nAdBlock","content_html":"This week Ben has been managing his projects and to-do list with OmniFocus, which helps as his business and stress level continue to increase. He has outlined and will be recording his last video about form objects and is glad to be approaching the finish line on the course. He also experimented with adding a Call to Action button in his emails but wants to get more data comparing metrics to get the best strategy with different email clients.
\n\nDerrick has been in the trenches working on scaling Drip this week by strategizing on architecture with the backend team. They have onboarded one of their biggest customers and are working with them to segment and filter subscribers to be more efficient. He discussed the importance of legacy code base and how it is re-invented and improved over time. While their backend has become more complicated and fast-paced, he and his team are committed to keeping high quality and continue shipping things out quickly.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nWorking around a schedule and dealing with notifications
\nEmail data metrics and call to action tests
\nScaling backend architecture
\nBrain-dumping to address issues
\nDefining legacy in a code base and continuous re-evaluation
\nConsistency in a code base
\nMoving fast and increasing complexity while maintaining high quality
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nRefactoringRails.io
\nDrip
\nOmnifocus
\nPocket
\nFinal Cut Pro
\nGithub
\nAdBlock
This past week Ben has hit a mental slump in the final phase of his course. However, he is moving through it and will be recording another video today towards the new final goal of 8 total course videos. He is tentatively scheduling the course launch for the first week of September. He has also scheduled his first Meetup event of his tour, on September 13th at the Atlanta Ruby Users Group.
\n\nDerrick brings up a recent Giant Robots podcast episode with Seth Godin, which talks about the dips experienced in business, “crossing the chasm” by moving from innovators into the mass market, and the personal transparency of the host Chad Pytel. Derrick relates what he heard to the phase Drip is in at the moment, and where he wants it and himself to go in the future.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nFinishing a project and psychological momentum
\nBen’s Ruby Meetup tour and launch sequence
\nGiant Robots podcast episode with Seth Godin
\nBeing real and transparent as a podcaster
\nReflecting on business and choosing what market you want to serve
\nDrip’s current stage and market
\nDeciding the way you want to work while growing a company
\nInnovation versus mass market
\nAdmin and internal dev tools
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nRefactoringRails.io
\nDrip
\nAtlanta Ruby Users Group
\nGiant Robots podcast Seth Godin Episode
\nThoughtbot
\nCrossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore
\nScaling SaaS
This week Ben discusses his experiment live-streaming a practice recording of his next video. He received helpful feedback and saw a spike in email subscribers, so it was very successful. He now has six videos done in the course and is considering a multiple tiered pricing model for his course release. On a personal note he has decided to move from his apartment in downtown Boston and will soon relocate to a hip area outside of the city. His goal this month is to finish and launch the course before the move and start his Meetup tour in September.
\n\nDerrick has been working on the Drip free trial to help clarify the product plans. He debated split testing this move, but in talking to his team they decided to just go for it. There was a bit of user confusion during the onboarding workflow for the free plan so this should clear things up. On the backend, this week the team is upgrading to Rails 5 and working to replace Capistrano with Amazon’s CodeDeploy. Derrick is also reviewing his code review processes and Ben weighs in on his thoughts on this problem.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nRegular yoga practice and posture
\nBen’s live-stream experience and results
\nRelocating living space and minimalist lifestyles
\nMultiple tiered course pricing models
\nChanges to the Drip free trial program
\nKeeping up with Rails versions
\nAmazon CodeDeploy
\nCode review processes
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nRefactoringRails.io
\nDrip
\nTwitch
\nRuby on Rails
\nCapistrano
\nAmazon CodeDeploy
\nHeruko
Derrick is coming back from a much-needed vacation in San Francisco and enjoyed walking tours thanks to the Detour app. He returns refreshed and was able to get back into the swing of things and even into his yoga classes. It was also officially announced this week that Clay Collins, Founder and CEO of LeadPages is stepping down and will be replaced by former COO John Tedesco. Clay had a great amount of self-awareness in his announcement and this brings up the topic of The Founder’s Dilemma and best management practices for startups.
\n\nLast week Ben published a new sample course video on speeding up slow test suites. He is improving his recording and editing processes using Final Cut Pro. He is now working on the fifth video and nearing the halfway point on the course. He is also going to try live streaming the practice run of his next video and incorporating early feedback into the final recording. To market the course, he is looking forward to traveling the country and speaking at Ruby meetups.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nTaking real vacations and disconnecting from work in order to recharge
\nThe restorative power of yoga
\nCompany history and leadership changes at Leadpages
\nThe Founder’s Dilemma and knowing what you are optimizing for
\nFreedom, wealth and ambition as a startup founder
\nOutsourcing and the value of having a personal assistant
\nVideo editing processes, software and live streaming
\nRuby meetup tours as a marketing tool
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nRefactoringRails.io
\nDrip
\nDetour - guided walking tour app
\nLeadpages
\nThe Founder’s Dilemma by Noam Wasserman
\nRich vs. King in the Real World: Why I sold my company by Jason Cohen
\nDon’t Build a Business Because You Want Freedom by Jeff Goins
\nStartups for the Rest of Us podcast
\nFinal Cut Pro
Today Ben’s guest is Brennan Dunn, co-founder of RightMessage, a tool that allows you to personalize your website based on user information and behavior. This allows you to customize your messaging to each user’s unique story and needs. Brennan explains the value of customer targeting, shares his ambition for Right Message, his personal journey and advice for other software startups along the way.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nBrennan’s experiences and genesis of RightMessage
\nTargeting with ads and website content
\nTechnical details on customer targeting
\nMost profitable targeting activity
\nOnboarding hesitant customers with course material
\nCurrent status and future plans for RightMessage
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nRightMessage
\nDouble Your Freelancing
\nDrip Pro Tools
\nMaster Drip Email Automation Course - Brennan Dunn
\nBounce Exchange
\nWebpack
\nPlanscope
\nChurn Buster
\nBaremetrics Open Startups
This week Ben is adjusting to jet-lag from his travels to Las Vegas and Martha’s Vineyard last week. He did however manage to release another episode of his sample campaign that was recorded before his vacation, so he is making good progress with the course. He has a welcome to the mailing list campaign featuring the three sample videos, and has nailed down a pacing and difficulty level for recording each video. He will finish a fourth video in the next few days and is thinking of pre-launching the course once at least half has been recorded.
\n\nDerrick is celebrating and reflecting on the one year anniversary of the Drip acquisition. They have gone from 3 to 10 engineers in the last year, and have really hit their stride in productivity. Their free plan has launched, which has only been feasible since receiving funding, and it has been a successful market strategy. Overall he has been a bit stressed at managing the large scale use of their platform while planning for future growth.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nFalling out of good routines while traveling
\nReleasing evergreen content instead of broadcasts
\nThinking about non-native English speaking viewers when recording videos
\nCelebrating the Drip one year anniversary of acquisition
\nManaging current workloads while scaling and also planning for growth
\nScaling challenges in SaaS businesses
\nKeeping mental and physical health up during stressful times
\nGetting used to using the Amazon Echo
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nRefactoringRails.io
\nDrip
\nScaling SaaS
\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
This episode Ben is on vacation and we have a guest, Ian Nance, a Drip team member here to talk about his backstory and how he got into software development. Ian has an interesting story about how he started programming later in life and his work experiences. Join us as he shares his journey and some great advice for beginners in the field.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nIan’s background and start in programming
\nGoing from online and in-person courses to working on the job
\nTroubleshooting customer problems and on-the-job learning
\nContinuing education and keeping up with technology
\nAdvice to beginners in the programming world
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\nDrip
\nUdacity
\nElm
\nElixir
This week Ben has been trying new productivity techniques and studying different systems of workflow. He finished a new course video on Page Objects, and has sketched out a second video to hit his pre-vacation goal. He also released a re-edit of his first video, and is strategizing on how much material to drip out in promoting the course. He’s thinking of approaching his course videos similar to how he would approach giving a talk, and giving each one more practice before going live.
\n\nDerrick had a technical issue over the weekend, which his team worked out and stabilized. He has decided to adopt a “blameless post-mortem” approach to problem-solving going forward. The incident ended up turning into a learning exercise and they are going to focus on building a playbook as a resource in the future.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nTesting work productivity methods
\nPlanning a drip release of a video course
\nImproving video recording prep and practice
\nPacing and speed of course videos
\nA “blameless post-mortem” approach to problem solving
\nBuilding documentation to help teams respond to technical issues
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nDeep Work by Cal Newport
\nRefactoringRails.io
\nRefactoring from Good to Great - Aloha Ruby Conference talk by Ben Orenstein
\nBlameless post-mortems
On today’s episode we discuss Ben’s release of the first video in his Refactoring Rails course, on the benefits of following Rest in Rails applications. He goes over how he produced the video, sent it out and the feedback he got on his initial release. He now knows the rough format he wants to follow for the course, and he is still figuring out how many modules that would include. He is getting ready to release a final polished version, and has ordered some better audio recording equipment for future videos. His goal for next week is to release two more videos.
\n\nDerrick has been shipping even more this week, and has seen a huge improvement in his workflow by reducing the notifications on GitHub. His team is adjusting to a more efficient way of working instead of push notifications. He shipped out a widget to embed sharable workflows within a website that includes affiliate links. He and his team have also been strategizing about their back-end infrastructure and scaling their Drip delivery system.
\n\nToday’s Topics Include:
\n\nBen’s Refactoring Rails course first course video release and feedback
\nThe goals for the course format, length and possible supplementary materials
\nThe tools and skills included in the video course that could be expanded
\nReleasing his video to a mailing list and ways to get more traffic
\nReflecting on doing the course solo and how he’s liking the co-working space
\nDerrick’s improving work clarity by reducing GitHub notifications by unwatching of main drip repository
\nCreating a new system for the team to be most productive
\nSharable workflows and the new embed widget
\nImproving scale for Drip delivery system and looking for new infrastructure systems
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\n\nRefactoringRails.io
\nWorking Effectively with Legacy Code by Michael Feathers
\nTest-Driven Rails course on Upcase
\nSpring
\nUpcase courses
\nAudio-Technica ATR2100
\nDrip
\nAmazon DynamoDB
\nSendGrid
\nAmazon API Gateway
\nHow I Built This podcast by NPR
Today we talk about how Ben just launched his new landing page and set up the domain for his new Rails video course. Ben’s also feeling pretty good about being committed to the first thing and now it’s full steam ahead with the video course. Now it is time to put together a marketing and list-building plan and start organizing the content and getting feedback. Ben feels it will be a compelling video course and plans to go after pre-orders.
\n\nDerrick has been shipping stuff this week. He just rediscovered the pulse tab on GitHub which gives a nice summary of what they have done over the week. They are making improvements to the subscriber page, and they have added global snippets. They have more refinements coming such as search when there are many items in a drop-down list. Derrick has had a lot going on, so he is turning off some of his notifications to avoid overload when he is trying to work.
\n\nToday’s topics include:
\n\nBen is beginning to focus on Rails in particular for his new video course.
\nThe next step is driving as many people to the page as possible to collect emails.
\nThen he is putting together a working table of contents and getting feedback on that by reaching out to people who are interested.
\nGoing after teams for video course projects.
\nPossible ways to structure things to appeal to teams that would purchase the course.
\nHow it’s nice to have someone else you know nearby while working and the benefits of sharing co-working space.
\nDerrick has been making a lot of programming improvements and refinements to Drip.
\nConvenience and flexibility of using plugins.
\nPreventing things from getting lost in the noise.
\nDealing with notification overload and letting go a little bit.
If you’re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.
\n\nLinks and resources:
\nDrip
\nRefactoringRails.io
\nFormKeep
\nGitHub/Pulse
In this episode, Derrick is broadcasting from California as he visits his family. Ben went to Vermont last week and quickly realized how relaxing it is to be outside and see greenery. Such a different feel from the tension in the city.
\n\nBen has been chatting with a couple of people about consulting as a revenue officer. He had an interesting chat with someone but their visions just weren’t aligned in terms of value and compensation. Also it turned out this person wasn’t the decision maker, and the founder wasn’t as agreeable to Ben’s terms. Lesson learned - always talk to the decision maker. Ben is also struggling with whether he really wants to be involved in consulting. He may want to just focus on his product. Enjoy the show.
\n\nToday’s topics include:
\n\nBuying Apple laptops and how tricky it can be.
\nWhen interviewing and making offers it’s always a good idea to talk to the decision maker.
\nLaunching info products and being smart about the automation and marketing.
\nBen’s idea for a SaaS starter kit has been getting positive feedback.
\nDerrick shipped a new Drip feature called sharing workflows.
\nThere will be a gallery with workflows that people can just click on and use.
\nDerrick is making good progress and writing less code, so that he won’t be the bottleneck on his team.
\nIt’s motivating to have people focused on their area of expertise.
\nChallenges of getting new hires and team members up to speed.
Links and resources:
\n\nDrip
\nLeadpages
\nThoughtbot
\nWWDC2017
\nSunSpider JavaScript Benchmark Test
\nBrennan Dunn
\nHow to exit the Vim editor
\nPodcast Motor
Updates and pricing strategies highlight today’s episode. Ben did yoga this morning, and he is feeling relaxed as he is settling in with his new lifestyle. Next week Ben is closing his first part-time chief revenue officer engagement. Now it’s time to come up with a contract and a pricing strategy.
\n\nDerrick is looking at different pricing strategies and markets for Drip. There are so many opportunities for positioning and marketing. The extended trial free plan has created a full pipeline that converts at a healthy rate. Derrick also spent his Memorial Day weekend playing with the programming language Elixir and learning some cool new data manipulation techniques. Enjoy the show.
\n\nToday’s topics include:
\n\nThe startup life ups and downs and the brain body connection.
\nDoing work as an independent creative professional and how contracts help get freelancers paid.
\nHow reaching out to your email list can lead to interesting opportunities.
\nPricing for services and how to price based on value.
\nDifferent pricing packages with tiers and bundling strategies.
\nProblems with offering free plans and support and scale issues.
\nWhen product features increase so do support obligations.
\nPeople being nice on the Internet.
\nContent hubs or Websites.
\nLearning Elixir.
Links and resources:
\n\nPodcast Motor
\nF*ck You, Pay Me by Mike Monteiro
\nPatrick McKenzie @Patio11
\nDrip
\nJulian Shapiro
\nElixir
\nPhoenix Framework
\nProgramming Phoenix
Welcome to the Art of Product podcast. Derrick is rocking his “I ♥ yoga” shirt because he started practicing yoga at a studio down the street. He also gives us an update on new changes and features at Drip. Derrick was inspired by Ben’s newsletter and decided to work on his own newsletter, which gave him a great opportunity to use his own product.
\n\nBen is discovering that unemployment is a roller coaster. His stress level has been about 5X his normal baseline stress level. He started working at the co-working space and attending mixer events. He is emailing people on his list and sharing his ideas to get feedback for possible products for him to work on. Ben has been reflecting on how people and relationships make him shine and is considering finding a co-founder for his product.
\n\nToday’s topics include:
\n\nHow the metabolic rate of connective tissue is a 5th of muscle tissue.
\nDrip has refreshed their marketing page and is working on adding product.
\nHow responsive the people at Drip are with feature requests and customer inquiries.
\nBen’s top 3 ideas are refactoring his “From Good to Great” talk into a course, a book called The Tiny Book for Faster Rails, and a Rails starter kit.
\nHow it is difficult to plan out everything that is going to happen in the future.
\nWays to find support for Ben’s work and projects.
\nBeing open to changing your mind.
\nHow awesome and supportive Ben’s online community has been.
Links and resources:
\n\nBen’s Newsletter
\nDrip
\nLeadpages
\nThoughtbot
\nFrom Good to Great a talk by Ben Orenstein
\nSherry Walling
Welcome to the Art of Product podcast. This is episode 1, and just the beginning of the journey. This is a show with Ben Orenstein formerly from thoughtbot and Drip co-founder Derrick Reimer. Ben recently quit his job at thoughtbot, and is now focusing on what he is going to do next. Stay tuned. This is going to be a fun journey.
\n\nBen and Derrick talk about venturing out on one’s own and starting a new business. Ben has found a new co-working space in Boston. He is even trying a shared desk for interaction with people and to avoid the work-at-home isolation. Keeping focused and staying on task are important issues. Hopefully Omnifocus will help with that. Derrick is excited about the future and growth of Drip.
\n\nToday’s topics include:
\n\nHow to stay focused when setting up a new business and do more than just the fun things.
\nThe importance of having built-in structure when working on your own business.
\nHow work can creep into your entire life without the luxury of a set schedule.
\nPutting travel off while getting established. Going from income rate to a burn rate.
\nHaving a financial buffer to provide flexibility with establishing a new business.
\nBrennan Dunn just spoke at Leadpages, he also happened to be Drip user number 5 and he pushed the product with his innovator feedback.
\nDerrick enjoyed talking with a power user like Brennan.
\nHow Drip is scaling and hiring with the backend and the core product or feature team.
Links and resources:
\n\nCIC Boston
\nOmnifocus
\nDrip
\nLeadpages
\nThoughtbot
\nBrennan Dunn
![Refactoring Rails course logo](\"http://www.benorenstein.com/images/rr-logo.png\"){kind=link}