Startups For the Rest of Us

Have you ever pushed so hard on an idea that you missed the signal to change direction?

In this solo episode, Rob Walling covers a wide range of topics and dives into three areas every founder should master: how to develop an editorial eye (or “taste”), the difference between persistence and obstinance, and why focus, not diversification remains the hardest, most valuable entrepreneurial skill.

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Topics we cover: 

(1:55) – How to develop an “editorial eye” (and why it matters for founders)

(7:03) – When to get out of the way and let true experts lead

(8:07) – Why your product must start with a real problem (not just an idea)

(9:11) – Paul Graham’s The Right Kind of Stubborn: persistence vs. obstinance

(12:03) – Are you attached to your goal or just your first idea?

(13:44) – How great founders adapt to new data without losing momentum

(14:44) – Sam Parr on why “constant switching will kill you”

(16:30) – Focus as a founder’s hardest and most valuable skill

(16:49) – Why “Triple, Triple, Double, Double” isn’t dead (despite VC takes)

(18:34) – The problem with clickbait startup advice

Links from the Show: 

MicroConf Europe 2026 – Join us in Reykjavík, Iceland (Sept 21–23) - Promo Code: ROB50

The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick

Paul Graham: “The Right Kind of Stubborn”

Sam Parr (@thesamparr) | X 

Harry Stebbings (@HarryStebbings) | X

Rob Walling YouTube Channel

The SaaS Playbook

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

Subscribe & Review: iTune...

Can your 9-to-5 job secretly prepare you to be a founder?

In this solo episode, Rob Walling shares 11 unexpected lessons from his own day jobs, from courier to electrician to engineering manager, and how each role quietly taught him skills that shaped his success as a SaaS founder. He dives into the value of curiosity, self-education, and learning to lead before you ever start a company.

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Topics we cover: 

(2:03) – Why every day job can teach entrepreneurial skills

(4:44) – Lesson #1: Figuring things out when instructions are unclear

(7:27) – Lesson #2: Learning to respect other people’s time

(9:05) – Lesson #3: How early self-education compounds over time

(11:33) – Lesson #4: Embracing hard, unglamorous work

(14:09) – Lesson #5: Why experience always beats credentials

(16:42) – Lesson #6: Letting the buck stop with you

(17:44) – Lesson #7: Knowing when to cut corners (and when not to)

(20:11) – Lesson #8: Finding the right people to work with

(21:33) – Lesson #9: Managing and motivating people as a learned skill

(23:53) – Lesson #10: Turning hiring and firing into Founder superpowers

(26:11) – Lesson #11: The value of exposure to well-run systems

Links from the Show: 

MicroConf Mastermind Matching – Apply before January 16th

The SaaS Playbook by Rob Walling

Good to Great by Jim Collins

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

MicroConf

Rob Walling @robwalling) | X

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

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What’s it take for a bootstrapped SaaS to beat a competitor with $10M in venture funding?

In this episode, Rob Walling talks with Laura Roeder, founder of Paperbell, about how her lean, fully-bootstrapped team outlasted and outperformed a VC-funded rival. They discuss what the venture-backed company got wrong, how Paperbell focused on the right customers, and why efficiency still beats funding.

Topics we cover: 

(3:52) – Competing against a $10M-funded startup

(8:45) – Why “self-serve SaaS on hard mode” was worth it

(14:36) – How over-investing in engineering killed their competitor

(19:04) – The real problem with under-investing in marketing

(21:19) – Why some SaaS markets can’t scale upmarket

(24:13) – Why some markets are perfect for bootstrappers

(28:42) – How big funding rounds create false signals

(30:24) – The behind-the-scenes of a potential acquisition deal

(33:26) – How Paperbell became the market leader

Links from the Show: 

MicroConf Mastermind Matching

The SaaS Playbook by Rob Walling

Paperbell

Laura Roeder (@lkr) | X 

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

Subscribe & Review: iTunes | Spotify

How will AI, SEO, and market shifts change SaaS next year?

In this solo episode, Rob Walling revisits his predictions for 2025, what he got right, what he totally missed and shares nine new predictions for 2026. He reflects on trends shaping bootstrapped SaaS, from the rise of AI-first startups to the challenges facing horizontal SaaS founders. 

Interested in Sponsoring this Podcast?

If your product or service helps SaaS founders, bootstrappers, or indie entrepreneurs, you can reach thousands of listeners each week through Startups for the Rest of Us.

Email us at [email protected]

Topics we cover: 

(1:09) – Lessons from common SaaS plateaus and the Core Four framework

(4:39) – Rating his 2025 predictions: what came true (and what didn’t)

(12:46) – Prediction #1: Horizontal SaaS will face major headwinds

(15:56) – Prediction #2: Overreliance on SEO will hurt SaaS founders

(16:26) – Prediction #3: Top brands will dominate as AI narrows discovery

(21:04) – Prediction #4: The AI VC bubble won’t burst in 2026

(21:47) – Prediction #5: Open source AI models will double in usage

(22:28) – Prediction #6: A major no code platform will struggle or shut down

(23:33) – Prediction #7: M&A for small SaaS startups will accelerate

(24:31) – Prediction #8: Bitcoin will hit a new all-time high

(25:31) – Prediction #9: Stripe will not go public (again)

(26:26) – Reflections on MicroConf and TinySeed milestones

Links from the Show: 

MicroConf US – Portland, April 2026

Rob Walling YouTube Channel

Apply to TinySeed

TinySeed Portfolio

The SaaS Playbook by Rob Walling

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

Subscribe & Review: iTunes | Spotify

After funding 210+ B2B SaaS companies, what patterns have emerged?

In this episode, Rob Walling shares the 2025 State of TinySeed, from its first fund in 2018 to a global portfolio of over 210 B2B SaaS companies. He reflects on TinySeed’s growth, what the data reveals about today’s founders, funding trends, and the rise of AI-first startups.

Topics we cover: 

(1:46) – How TinySeed began and the doubts it faced 

(3:51) – Growing to 210+ portfolio companies and $60M raised

(11:15) – The rise of AI-first startups and “vibe-coded” apps

(13:09) – Record application numbers and founder trends in 2025

(19:58) – Why vertical SaaS is outperforming horizontal SaaS

(21:59) – The importance of founder community and shared experience

(25:06) – How TinySeed and MicroConf create long-term founder connections

Links from the Show: 

Apply to TinySeed

Invest in TinySeed

TinySeed MentorsAccelerator Program Details — TinySeed

TinySeed Portfolio

The SaaS Playbook by Rob Walling

MicroConf - Community for Bootstrapped SaaS Founders

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

Subscribe & Review: iTunes | Spotify