Messages
11/5/2022
8 : 4
“you’re being overly pessimistic”
hey, here's a few thoughts from today Howdy, Thanks to everyone who replied to my last email (over 33 of you!). People were overwhelmingly supportive of the new format. I appreciate you. ❤️ I have
11/2/2022
0 : 4
A few thoughts from today
hey, here's a few thoughts from today Howdy, Justin Jackson here. I'm trying something new with my newsletter: I'm going to send shorter emails, more frequently, featuring a few "
10/29/2022
8 : 4
What we did in Montreal
Howdy! Hey friends, Earlier this month, the Transistor.fm team and I did our first in-person retreat in Montreal. We're a small team that works remotely, and we'd never all been in the same
10/22/2022
9 : 14
The potential dark side of AI and GPT-3 writing tools
Howdy! Hey friends, I have a backlog of topics I've been meaning to email you about. But today I did an interview with a journalist from The Information, and it resulted in a cascade of
7/30/2022
8 : 14
It's been 4 years since we did this
Howdy! Four years ago (2018), Jon Buda and I were in his apartment in Chicago, getting ready to launch a brand new podcast hosting company. Justin Jackson @mijustin After months of hacking on @
7/9/2022
8 : 24
Older founders do this better
Howdy! Jon and I didn't start working on our startup, Transistor, together until we were both in our late 30s. When we launched, in August 2018, I had just turned 38, and Jon had just turned 37
6/5/2022
8 : 14
How'd that launch go?
Howdy! Last week, Jon, Jason, Helen, and I launched Transistor's first new product since 2018: a free website builder for podcasts. Many of you helped us with our launch on Product Hunt (thank
5/21/2022
8 : 14
How I'm building anticipation for our Product Hunt launch
Howdy! The Transistor team and I are getting ready to launch a new product on Product Hunt. For most indie hackers, launching on Product Hunt is a way of announcing your product to the world,
5/15/2022
8 : 14
Why are you doing this?
Howdy! When Jon and I started Transistor, our primary motivation was to have a better life. We wanted to build something we could be proud of. We were tired of working for other people. We wanted
5/7/2022
8 : 14
Same effort, but better results
Howdy! Back in 2001, Bob and Jane each picked a stock and invested $1000. Bob picked IBM. Jane picked Apple. Bob's $1000 investment turned into $2643 Jane's $1000 investment turned into
4/30/2022
8 : 14
Here's where willpower can hurt you
Howdy! At the beginning of a new business venture, being a founder with lots of willpower, skills, energy, and drive can actually hurt you. Grit, determination, and hustle are important, but they
4/23/2022
8 : 14
Thousands of new Twitter followers (and a response to Elon Musk)
Howdy! Here are a few things I think you'll find interesting: tips for getting Twitter followers, a response to Elon Musk, and a list of founder salaries. 🐦 How to grow your Twitter followers
4/9/2022
8 : 4
Why customer demand goes up (an down)
Howdy! Contrary to popular belief: we can't "create" the underlying demand for a product. (We makers have less influence than you might think!) Customer demand is determined by
4/2/2022
6 : 54
Showing up at a good party
Howdy! You may have heard me talk about the importance of "being in a good market" when building a product. I've used a few metaphors to describe how this feels: It's like the
3/19/2022
8 : 14
Where are you working these days?
Howdy! One idea for you think Saturday: it's about the office, and remote work. 👩💻 I can't work from home I've always found I'm more productive at an office, away from home.
3/12/2022
9 : 14
Will full-stack devs go extinct?
Howdy! Three things for you this Saturday: quitting, will full-stack devs go extinct, ❌ When should you quit a project? It's natural for entrepreneurs to work on multiple projects. Starting a
3/5/2022
9 : 14
Calm down
Hey, This last week there's been lots to be stressed out about. Here are a few techniques I've used to calm myself down in times of anxiety. Breathing When I get stressed, I tighten up and
2/20/2022
8 : 4
The good life, and how to get it
Howdy! Back in the year 2000, while I was still in college, I read this article about the founders of Great Harvest Bread Co. As a 20-year-old business student, hearing Pete and Laura Wakeman's
2/6/2022
9 : 14
Prosumers make good customers
Howdy! The normal advice for people building SaaS companies is: "Don't build software for consumers (B2C), build it for businesses (B2B)." But, there's a third category that doesn
1/30/2022
9 : 14
What made you click that video?
Howdy! When you go to YouTube and search for "how to do X," what causes you to click on a specific video? (Feel free to reply to this email, or answer here) I've been trying to