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Mistakes*

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Avatar for Ian Landsman Ian Landsman
April 26, 2014
Business
2
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 Mistakes*

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

Avatar for Ian Landsman

Ian Landsman

April 26, 2014
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Transcript

  1. Mistakes* * and silver linings

  2. ian landsman

  3. http://bootstrapped.fm
 http://discuss.bootstrapped.fm

  4. UserScape

  5. Support Tools

  6. None

  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

  17. None

  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

  28. None

  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

  44. None
  45. None

  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.”
  51. None
  52. None
  53. None

  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. ! ? ☺

  63. None

  64. Personal issues

  65. * doubt in myself

  66. None
  67. None
  68. None

  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

  77. None

  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

  86. None
  87. None
  88. None

  89. Thanks!

  90. Ian Landsman ianlandsman.com/talks @ianlandsman