Product Habits - How HubSpot grew so fast early on

Nothing Is Going To Magically Change

Brad Feld reflects on how 2022 felt like 2000 in the tech world when the massive bubble burst. He puts into perspective that this past year was likely the beginning of a multi-year cycle, and we all need to prepare ourselves for it. Nothing is going to magically and suddenly change for the better, but the decisions you make now will prepare you to ride the inevitable waves that are coming. 

Going Full-Time on SaaS After 13 Years

I read this article about Matt Mazur, who started his SaaS company a while ago. Exactly 13 years later, Matt is transitioning to working at his company full-time. He experienced slow growth and felt comfortable leaping once he replaced most of his income with the startup. His journey is a good reminder that change doesn't always happen fast, but with a great idea and consistent execution, it can occur over time. Be patient.

How To Validate an Idea

While I don't think you can truly validate an idea until you've worked on it long enough to experience sustainable growth, it helps to set yourself up for success during the first few months post-launch. This is an inspiring read about how one entrepreneur launched a product online and made about $3k over the first two months. 

Things You Weren't Taught About Software Engineering

This is a helpful list of reminders for all engineers, whether new or seasoned. Some points I found most insightful are: Code is secondary to business value, assume everything has bugs, and write documentation more than you think you should. Check out the complete list here. Which ones resonate the most for you?
 

How To Address Tech vs. Product vs. Business Debt

Every division of a company has its pain points. The more aligned the company, the less often teams will resent each other for the accumulation of their "debt." The key is avoiding communication breakdowns and prioritizing tasks across your company in the most effective way possible. 

How HubSpot Grew So Fast

HubSpot pioneered many of the B2B marketing tactics that are widely used by so many SaaS companies today. This was an insightful thread about the eight best strategies they used to scale fast. Email virality and getting your early pitch right are a few that are particularly potent. 

A Marketing Habit for Solopreneurs

When you're a solopreneur, you must do a little bit of everything—at least for the first period of time. I come across many product-first people who don't love marketing but know they have to do it. If you're one of them, this is a must-read. It walks you through a simple strategy you can use to make marketing work feel a little bit less painful. 

How Template Libraries Unlock Growth for B2B Startups

Here's a statistic that surprised me: Seven of the ten fastest-growing apps use template strategies as part of their growth plan. Most of these are considered product-led companies. This article explains the five levels of strategy that deliver broad benefits and require deeper integration across functions.