"The thing about metrics is that they’re all connected to each other. You have to look at your entire pipeline."
This is so true - even vanity metrics have their place in the big picture. When you hone in on one thing and ignore other factors it can be terribly misleading.
Very good point. But I'd argue that most customers start off as "users". Sure - some people show up for the first time and whip out their credit cards - but when you're starting that small your best (early) customers will be ones you convert to paid out of the beta.
Great to look back at the year and realize how much you've learned and all the growth that's happened. Hard to believe how much one year can change everything!
Love the connection between Robert Fortune and the tea heist as a lasting wound and a reason for China's underground app market. Such an interesting/frustrating read!
Music to my ears. It may not be as sexy to talk about bootsrapped businesses that are profitable and creating great lifestyles for the founders and employees... but that's what I'd choose for myself over the the VC route any day. It's two completely different universes - but one is falsely glorified.
I happily pay $9 bucks a month for spotify. It's one bill I'm not bummed out to pay each month. I get at least that much value out of it - probably more.
"...we can build San Diego into a Virginia or a Philly: a place to be inspired by other smart people who are building sustainable lifestyles, profitable products, and happy families. That’s where I want to live."
Love this. People rarely talk about tech startups and sustainable lifestyles/happy families in the same vein and it's a shame. It's one of the biggest benefits I see to building a product company and I think there ought to be more emphasis on that. The whole silicon valley "universe"of fighting for funding, planning exit strategies, pitching contests, accelerators, etc is pretty unappealing to me.
There are success stories like this for sure, but I wouldn't advise you to go quitting your job just yet :)
It's INCREDIBLY hard to get a blog to a profitable state, despite the fact that many people make it sound like a walk in the park. In fact, most successful bloggers will tell you it takes years of doing everything right to really get there.
Not trying to be discouraging, just a little more realistic than this article.
If you really have the passion to start and stick with a blog, I'd definitely recommend these two books:
And we drive ourselves crazy before even making a decision... even one as small as what to order off a menu or what kind of cheese to buy. It's just magnified with bigger decisions.
This is so true - even vanity metrics have their place in the big picture. When you hone in on one thing and ignore other factors it can be terribly misleading.