The value of software in a Fable world
What happens to the price of software when everyone's building software?
Justin Jackson
Co-founder of Transistor.fm (podcast hosting). Writing about SaaS, bootstrapping, and building calm companies.
Latest posts
Thoughts from the 2026 London Podcast Show
Will Apple's HLS video bet work out? Where are all the Gen Z podcasters? Was the worry about AI overstated?
We have a communication problem
This message thread could have been a meeting.
Do the hardest thing
Most small business ideas are a hard job attached to an easy idea. Instead, you should do your hardest idea.
Necessary but not sufficient
Most business advice is necessary but not sufficient on its own to achieve success. For a business to win, you need to check multiple boxes.
What has technology done to us?
All this technology, in everyone's hands, has just produced so much stuff. It's had so many effects, in every direction.
Three struggles with AI coding agents
A few observations about struggles folks are having with LLMs / Claude Code.
Will Claude Code ruin our team?
AI coding is blurring the lines between engineers, PMs, and designers. In the short-term, it's going to cause havoc. What happens long-term?
Don't kill my pretty RSS feed
XSLT makes RSS feeds readable for normies. Chrome is removing it by 2026. Here's why that matters for podcasters and the open web.
Claude Code and the new age of software development
I've fallen down a Claude Code rabbit hole.
2025 year in review
For the last twelve years, I've been writing a year-in-review post. Here's what happened this past year in my journey.
Entrepreneurship advice for high school students (what I wish I knew)
I gave a talk about my experience as a founder with my son s high school Entrepreneurship class. This was a significant experience for me on some big levels: I reflected on who I was and what I knew when I was 17-18. It was surprising to remember how small my worldview was back then . I was living in a small town in Alberta, and all I knew was what was around me. I thought deeply about which…
What kills motivation?
Working hard doesn't cause burnout, but losing hope does. Here's how to tell when to persist through difficulty vs. time to pivot.
Time machine
You invested money, and you got an outcome. But then you took a time machine back in time and decided not to invest. What happens then?
Effort vs Outcomes
Same effort; better results.
A good find
So much of what made culture great between the '60s and '90s is that you had to work for it. There was friction. Maybe we need more of that on the internet.
Reasonably unreasonable
Only 20% of startups survive 5 years. Here's what it takes to be reasonably unreasonable and beat the entrepreneurial odds.
(Draft) The Podcast Generation Cliff
Why does Apple Podcasts dominate download charts but rank last in listener preference? The answer reveals a demographic crisis threatening the podcast industry's future—and most people in podcasting don't even see it coming.
No, AI Won't Turn Everyone Into App Developers
AI coding tools like Cursor and Claude Code have completely consumed the tech industry's attention. Many believe that we're hurdling towards a future where normal people build their own software, obviating the entire SaaS market.
Changed my mind: AI is actually good for coding
I've been skeptical of AI development tools. Not because I'm anti-progress, but because the demos often feel over-hyped. Too many 'AI will replace developers' takes, too many one-shot coding videos that felt more like magic tricks than practical tools.
Thoughts going into the London Podcast Show
People are looking for an escape. They're tired of wasting hours mindlessly scrolling TikTok.
Will YouTube kill the podcast industry?
The podcast industry has long relied on the open nature of RSS to sustain a variety of small businesses. But that could all disappear if YouTube wins.
Finding your "zone of genius"
I've been thinking about my personal zone of genius. Here's what I've learned about building a life that aligns with your natural energy patterns.
What the podcast industry gets wrong about YouTube
In the pursuit of "making podcasts more discoverable," the podcast industry has welcomed YouTube with open arms. But are we making a fatal mistake?
AI isn't going to build your startup
Chris Sacca claims that "We are super fucked... almost all coding is fucking useless." I disagree. If AI is so good, why aren't we seeing better apps?
How to make big decisions
Make better life decisions by considering your future self, learning from others' experiences, and testing choices before committing. How to consider major life choices like homeownership, starting a business, or having children.
AI isn't going to replace you
This cheap, low-quality AI will create more opportunities for those who care about quality product design, customer service, and meaningful experiences.
Is it too hard to build a SaaS in 2025?
There’s a lot of “don’t build a SaaS (too hard)” narrative right now. If you have the desire & drive, build a SaaS! Many types of businesses can “work,” but SaaS has (by far) been one of the best revenue models on the planet. I tried building ~10 SaaS projects before I found something that worked . It was hard to get here, but it s worth it. In truth, building any business that’s a long-term…
2024 year in review
For the last eleven years, I've been writing a year-in-review post. Here's what happened this past year in my journey.
What's happening with founders over 40
Building a company in your 40s hits different. Older bootstrapped SaaS founders are evaluating their energy, and reevaluating their priorities.
Where are these signups coming from?
When I looked at our best marketing channels, I was surprised.
The best Bluesky apps, projects, tools I've found
A collection of cool apps and projects built on the AT Protocol: analytics tools, dashboards, and custom feed builders.
Leaving Twitter
After 15 years and 50,000 tweets on Twitter/X, I'm moving to Bluesky, which (in the last month) has become 1,000x more fun than X.
The pipeline problem
Here's a story about how Laravel/Rails might fix the "pipeline problem:" by hiring new grads to build the awesome tools we've always wanted.
It's not just B2C vs B2B anymore
B2C/B2B fails to capture the diverse range of SaaS customers: consumers, prosumers, SMBs, large biz, enterprise. You can serve many simultaneously!
Investment loops in SaaS onboarding
Use this marketing strategy to reduce friction and let users experience value before signing up. Leverage psychology to boost conversion rates.
Pro skater Chad Muska went broke. Now he's a bootstrapper.
In 1999 I met Muska at Slam City Jam in Vancouver. He was at the top of the skateboarding world. He was in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater game. Then he lost it all.
How to make a podcast (and submit it to Spotify and Apple Podcasts) in 2024
Everything I've learned about starting a podcast: recording, hosting, distribution, and marketing in the last 12 years.
Track revenue, not traffic
Most marketing metrics are meaningless: traffic, views, clicks, open rate. What we really need to be tracking is revenue.
Compounding returns
I'm convinced that Nathan Barry's early success with ConvertKit stems from his practice of consistently launching projects from age 17 to 23.
We need more calm companies
Calm companies are profitable, value freedom, have a purpose, and improve the team's lives. Frenzied companies are crisis-driven.
Test articles
Test
Write 100 emails to people you know
Sending personal emails like this is a classic "do things that don't scale" action. It's the best way to get your first customers.
Send your users this welcome email
When we understand the underlying "jobs" customers are trying to accomplish, we can develop marketing strategies that speak to those needs.
My theme for 2024: SaaS marketing experiments
I've decided that in 2024, the main theme of my writing will be marketing and growth tips for SaaS founders. Real-world experiments from my company.
2023 year in review
For the last ten years, I've been writing a year-in-review post. Here's what happened this past year in my bootstrapping journey.
Ten SaaS marketing principles for 2024
These are my best marketing tips for indie hackers, solopreneurs, and SaaS founders.
Advice for Sending Cold Emails and DMs
With cold emails or DMs, your main objective should be creating a connection (not asking for a sale). You might make a sale in the future, but that shouldn't be the intention.
The Prosumer market is underrated
Contrary to common advice, you don't have to build software products that serve B2B. Don't sleep on the prosumer market!
Ideas that create opportunities
Here is a list of ideas that you can do (now) that will create opportunities for yourself in the future.