Bootstrapped Web

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We have some big news coming up the following weeks. Brian discussed his recent experience with Facebook ads and the pros and cons of marketing on the platform. Jordan shares his found  his new found security in his business. We are really excited about the new rewrites and product launches and we talk about it all!

Marketing needs to make that promise and then the product needs to deliver on that promise. – Jordan

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Here are today’s conversation points:

• Brian’s Facebook ads and the results.
• Jordan’s new confidence in Carthook.
• Tweaking the Calendar app for beta testers.
• Brian’s new service Audience Ops Express.
• The reasons people leave Audience Ops.
• How Audience Ops Express would change those reasons.
• Carthook’s new release.
• How to move into a self serve business model.
• Audience Op’s Calendar gets a new name.
• Gearing up for Microconf. Las Vegas.

We’ll do all the extra leg work to get it proofread, polished… whatever needs to happen. – Brian

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Resources Mentioned Today:

Carthook

Audience Ops

Ops Calendar

MicroConf. Las Vegas

As always, thanks for tuning in. Head here to leave a  review in iTunes.

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Welcome back to Bootstrapped Web. On today’s episode we cover a lot of subjects that are both business and personal nature. We update you on Brian’s Calendar product and Jordan tells us about a talk he gave to his accelerator group.

We also discuss Brian’s experience with Facebook ads and how Facebook is helping him get the word out about Audience Ops. He shares some tools he has found useful  while creating these ads. If you are looking for some easy to use tools for your ads you might find this episode interesting.

For now the goal is to drive more leads through a funnel for the content service and keep that engine turning.- Brian

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Here are our conversation points:

• Jordan’s talk with Portland’s Starve Ups.
• How Brian uses Facebook ads to promote Audience Ops.
• What is a Facebook lead ad?
• Creating ad campaigns with Facebook.
• Jordan’s problems with Facebook Pixel.
• Our discussion about public school and it’s lack of individuality.
• Brian’s update on the calendar project.
• Why working with people in person is useful.

We have become the default recovery app for subscription businesses. We own that market. – Jordan

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Resources Mentioned Today:

Starve Ups

Animoto

Beacon.by

Audience Ops

Carthook

Facebook

As always, thanks for tuning in. Head here to leave a  review in iTunes.

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We talk about Big Snow Tiny Conf and team growth today. Brian had a great time up at Vermont’s Big Snow Tiny Conf and has some awesome take-a-ways to share. Jordan is growing his team and is getting ready for a big marketing push.

We both have some useful insights into team management and creating a successful product funnel. This is a good episode to see what goes into a product launch and how a project has several launches.

It’s amazing that something that you hate and weighs on you, just get it done and everything feels better. – Jordan

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Here are today’s conversation points:

• Big Snow Tiny Conf
• Kara Swisher on Tim Ferriss’ podcast.
• Tax season for Startups.
• Jordan’s new developer.
• Ways to structure team management.
• Josh Pigford’s latest blog post.
• Why we stopped consuming business advice.
• When we consume new business advice.
• Brian’s new developer.
• The benefits of hiring new team members.
• Brian’s advice for marketing to Jordan.
• Jordan’s Stave Ups talk.

Frankly, I don’t think there are enough podcasts that are using the model we’re using here. – Brian

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Resources Mentioned Today:

Audience Ops Calendar

Audience Ops Training Program

Carthook

Starve Ups

Big Snow Tiny Conf

Tim Ferriss Podcast

The Startup Echo Chamber is Making You Deaf, by: Josh Pigford

As always, thanks for tuning in. Head here to leave a  review in iTunes.

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Hello there! We are back at Bootstrapped Web after a month long hiatus. Brian spent some time overseas with his family. Jordan did the same state side. On today’s episode we talk about what is going on with our respective companies and how those developments are going to change the podcast.

We also discuss the status of the Audience Op’s calendar and other projects in the pipeline.

I think transparency in general is great. It’s great for the community and helping us all grow and learn together. – Brian

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Here are today’s conversation points:

• Brian’s family visit.
• The challenges of working abroad.
• What Jordan was up to during the hiatus.
• Working to improve Carthook’s Shopify checkout.
• The problem with transparency.
• How Bootstrapped Web is going to move away from transparency.
• Josh Pigford’s recent blog post.
• Getting ready for Big Snow Tiny Conf.
• An update about Audience Op’s Calendar.
• Brian’s plans for webinars.
• The problem with webinars.
• How video can help a demo.
• How webinars and demos have changed.
• Jordan’s Starve Ups experience.

“It is becoming a little bit more dangerous for me to talk about a lot of things transparently.” — Jordan

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Resources Mentioned Today:

Carthook

Getting out of the Startup Rat Race, by: Josh Pigford

Big Snow Tiny Conf.

Audience Ops Calendar

Starve Ups

As always, thanks for tuning in. Head here to leave a  review in iTunes.

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Well, 2016 is coming to an end. Today we’ll compare our goal lists from last year and reflect back on what went wrong  and what went right.   Carthook and Audience Ops have both grown and changed so let’s sit down and take a look at our 2016 results. We will also discuss our goals for 2017 and how we plan to make them happen.

This will be our last episode for 2016, and we’ll pick up next year.

I think another way to think bigger is to think long term and not short term. – Brian

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Here’s today’s conversation points:

• Why Jordan wasn’t able to bring Carthook into profitability.
• Brian’s goal for Audience Ops and finding organic leads.
• How to think bigger.
• The problems Jordan had pivoting away from cart abandonment.
• Audience Ops is diversifying its product line.
• Beta users will be getting the Audience Ops Calendar.
• Wanting 2017 to be a breakout year.
• Why Brian went back to sales.
• When to raise prices?
• Working with kids in the house.
• Working with teams during the holidays.
• Jordan’s 2017 goals.
• Brian’s 2017 goals.
• When to give yourself a raise.

Have a Happy Holidays everybody and we’ll see you next year!

My goal is to have a more balanced 2017. – Jordan

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Resources Mentioned Today:

Carthook

Audience Ops

Audience Ops Calendar

ProfitWell

As always, thanks for tuning in. Head here to leave a  review in iTunes.

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Today’s Bootstrapped Web is going  to be an up-date episode. We both have a lot to talk  about with what we’re working at the moment. Audience Ops and Carthook have new products and we discuss what is working for our sales respectively.

We talk about transparency and some resources that will help you improve your sales game.  So tune in for the latest developments in Carthook and Audience Ops and what you can expect in the coming months.

Force the demo and you will get fewer sign-ups, but you will get into a lot of conversations. – Jordan

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Here are today’s conversation points:

• Why we don’t see the point to total transparency.
• When to ask for the credit card during a sign-up.
• Brian’s plans to redesign the Audience Ops website.
• Getting ideas from Ruben Gamez from Bidsketch.
• Jordan’s lessons from demos.
• Tweaking Audience Ops for a Resource Hub pivot.
• Brian’s plan for launching Calendar for beta testers.

I feel like I can’t launch anything else, until I have the new site up and running. –  Brian

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Resources Mentioned Today:

Audience Ops

Carthook

Securing the Five Figure Sale, by: Ian Landsman

Product Demos that Sell: How to Deliver Winning SAAS Demos, by: Steli Efti

Audience Ops Calendar

As always, thanks for tuning in. Head here to leave a  review in iTunes.

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Hey we’ve got a party episode with Rob and Sherry Walling from the podcast ZenFounder. We are going to discuss how to balance life with kids and entrepreneurship. We explore the common problems with living  with kids and keeping a business going. We also discuss how entrepreneurship affects marriage.

Rob and Sherry share how they are able to keep their communication open. We also discuss how we ourselves cope with the struggles of keeping family and entrepreneurship in a fair balance.

Working for a boss was not even a possibility when you see that & you know entrepreneurship as the default. – Jordan

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Here are today’s conversation points:

• The issues we have the public school systems.
• How to encourage entrepreneurship with your kids.
• How entrepreneurship affects marriage.  
• How to leave work behind at the end of the day.
• Why spouses aren’t necessarily the best person to vent to or use as a soundboard.
• How kids change your goals and motivations.
• How to deal with burnout.
• How to make the shift from work time to family time.
• How to plan your week beforehand.
• The importance of giving your spouse non-kid time.

I find a lot more value in having Mastermind groups and friends and advisors to talk about real issues. – Brian

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Resources Mentioned Today:

Rob Walling on Twitter

Sherry Walling on Twitter

ZenFounder

MicroConf Vegas

As always, thanks for tuning in. Head here to leave a  review in iTunes.

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Welcome back to Bootstrapped Web. Our guest today is Ruben Gamez, the founder of Bidsketch.com. We are talking to Ruben today because Bidsketch is getting ready to launch a new product. Since we both are launching new products we thought it would be good to compare notes.

Bidsketch’s main product has been a proposal tool. Now they want to add a signature app to their brand. Today we discuss how to research for a new product and how to handle expanding when there are competitors.

We compare notes about our own product lines and how to get the customers to notice.

I think there are plenty, well established competing companies who just have feature bloat. – Brian

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Here are today’s topics:

• How to find positioning and distribution for a new product.
• Why begin a separate product line.
• Finding the “why” when people don’t use your product.
• How to focus on two product lines.
• Creating a good elevator pitch.
• Finding your hook.
• Asking the right questions of new customers.
• How to reach people outside of your network.
• Ruben’s timeline.
• How to find the gaps in your competitor’s products.
• Why you shouldn’t copy just to copy a competitor.

If you are interested in Bidsketch and their new product, you can go to bidsketch.com or find Ruben on Twitter.

There is all this lead up that goes into it [switching apps] that you don’t see it beneath the surf. – Jordan

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Resources Mentioned Today:

Audience Ops Calendar

Bidsketch

Carthook

Ruben Gamez’s Twitter

As always, thanks for tuning in. Head here to leave a  review in iTunes.

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Today’s episode is an update episode. Jordan tells us about finding his customer base for the funnel tool. Brian discusses how he is working with his developers on a new training product he is planning.

We discuss when to allow custom jobs and when to say no. We also discuss what challenges a young bootstrapped company needs to expect. Building your company is so much harder, than it sounds. If you are just starting out as a bootstrapped business, then maybe this episode will help you get an idea of what you’re getting into and the other challenges.

We need to shift into a more diversified product line with software and training. – Brian

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Here are today’s conversation points:

• Our reactions to the Presidential election.
• Jordan’s new custom job, and how he’s preparing for it.
• How to fill gaps in your business.
• Brian’s new training program.
• Building a good foundation ladder.
• The challenges of bootstrapping.
• Jordan’s time at Tanner Larson’s Mastermind.
• Brian’s planning discussions with his developers.
• Advice about pricing and how to decide it.

We are not giving up on short-term stuff but it is nice to start thinking in terms of the next few weeks. – Jordan

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Resources Mentioned Today:

Audience Ops

Carthook’s Ecommerce Checkout Funnel

As always, thanks for tuning in. Head here to leave a  review in iTunes.

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On today’s episode, we welcome Craig Hewitt and Justin Jackson to the podcast. Jordan is having some time away. On today’s episode Craig, Justin, and Brian all discuss how to build and keep a company on track. We discuss what drives us and what we’re working on at the moment. If you want to know how to plan a product or just try to set a trajectory for your business, this is the episode for you!

Craig is the CEO of Podcast Motor, a podcast editing and production service. Justin is the host of his own podcast Mega Maker 3000 and a teacher of marketing for developers. We all have great insights to growing a company and how we’ve been able to stay on track.

I just really want to have a comfortable lifestyle, but also build valuable assets. – Brian

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Here are today’s conversation points:

• Justin relaunch of Marketing for Developers.
• Brian’s update on Audience Ops.
• Craig’s update on Podcast Motor.
• The lessons we’ve learned from starting and maintaining our businesses.
• Our long term goals.
• The disadvantages of working solo.
• Why businesses choose to keep their companies small.
• Justin belief in doing something uncomfortable for growth.
• How you can over-plan.
• Why you need to look at the bigger picture.
• The importance of visibility and building relationships.
• How to use evergreen content.
• How we use automation in our businesses.
• What keeps our ambition going?

You can never retreat too much in working because you have to maintain a certain amount of visibility. – Justin

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Resources Mentioned Today:

Market for Developers

Podcast Motor

Audience Ops

Carthook

Rogue Startups Podcast

Justin’s website

As always, thanks for tuning in. Head here to leave a review in iTunes.