Mistakes*

A look back at some of UserScape's more noteworthy mistakes and some lessons learned.

Transcript

1. Mistakes* * and silver linings
2. ian landsman
3. http://bootstrapped.fm
 http://discuss.bootstrapped.fm
4. UserScape
5. Support Tools
7. • product mistakes • business mistakes • Personal issues
8. * Never do two different talks eight days apart
9. Product mistakes
10. * ᓣܴ Α͏ͦ͜ ยินดีต้อนรับ
11. support utf8!
12. $x00,000 lost ☹
13. $x0,000 to fix ☹
14. Market Focus ☺
15. code within our means ☺
16. * Saas vs On-premise
18. userscape zendesk Profits to date: low millions losses to date:
 -$64,000,000
19. never be a billion dollar business ☹
20. less consistent revenues ☹
21. ☹
22. Profitability! ☺
23. code within our means ☺
24. lets us be niche ☺
25. Should you Saas?
26. Business mistakes
27. * I ❤️ Profits
29. Revenue 2005 2006 2007 2008 $488K $264K $123K $15K
30. * 2008 - 2012 The lost years
31. don’t miss the big transition
32. you’ll work too hard ☹
33. growth will slow ☹
34. product stagnation ☹
35. happy it didn’t sink the ship ☺
36. * we didn’t hire early enough
37. Full time vs freelancers
38. you’ll work too hard ☹
39. growth will slow ☹
40. * I forgot to raise prices
41. $x00,000 lost ☹
42. You’re not charging enough @patio11
43. * the right order matters
46. lost time ☹
47. $x0,000 lost ☹
48. perseverance ☺
49. * risk aversion
50. “You can't lose what you don't put in the middle. ! But you can't win much either.”
54. none of these are “profitable” ☹
55. Snappy • reclaim small teams • diversification • Saas experience ☺
56. ☺ Laravel • give back to open source • hiring advantage • fun!
57. ☺ podcast • forces reflection • personal branding • fun + Guerrilla marketing
58. make yourself uncomfortable
59. * we forgot to do marketing
60. product + support
61. ? ☹
62. ! ? ☺
64. Personal issues
65. * doubt in myself
69. perseverance
70. engage your community ☺
71. * the horrors of Working on the internet
72. sitting all day ☹
73. alone ☹
74. your poor eyes ☹
75. I’m home so I see my family more ☹
76. * overworking
78. physical problems ☹
79. family problems ☹
80. • make time for exercise • limit weekend work • summer hours ☺
81. * working in product
82. the customers never stop ☹
83. saas is even worse! ☹
84. stress ☹
85. make sure product is for you
89. Thanks!
90. Ian Landsman ianlandsman.com/talks @ianlandsman