Justin and Jon reconnect after a two-year podcasting hiatus. What's happened since their last episode? Lots! They talk about big changes in their personal lives, and then move on to how they're thinking about Transistor as a business. These discuss burnout and motivation, the evolution of the podcasting industry, the pressure of being a leader, and the possibility of taking a sabbatical. The Transistor team is off to Banff for their annual retreat!

Quote:

Links:

• The last episode Jon and Justin recorded together
• Aaron Francis' newsletter
• "Everything you've been told about burnout is wrong."
• Matt Wensing's tweet

Have feedback on this episode?

• 👉 ​Leave a voicemail here​
• 🦋 Reply on Bluesky
  
• 📺 Watch this episode on YouTube.
  

Timestamps:

• (00:00) - Who remembers how to do this anyway?
• (00:30) - Where has Jon been for the last 2 years?
• (08:56) - What's Justin been up to?
• (11:36) - Maybe there's more to burnout than we think
• (24:40) - Should we build something else as a backup?
• (27:31) - What need to be true for you to be happier?
• (33:38) - Remote work kind of sucks
• (39:06) - Brainstorming more ideas around connecting better
• (42:32) - What about sabbaticals?
• (51:03) - Thank you to our Patreon supporters

• Rewardful.com
• Greg Park
• Mitchell Davis from sixsides.co
• Marcel Fahle, wearebold.af
• Bill Condo (@mavrck)
• Ward from MemberSpace.com
• Evandro Sasse
• Austin Loveless
• Michael Sitver
• Colin Gray
• Dave Giunta

🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.
📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Harris Kenny was a long-time listener of the podcast, and dreamed about building his own software product. After multiple attempts, over 5 years, he finally did it. How? He shares his experiences transitioning from a corporate job to entrepreneurship. He also discusses the challenges of user engagement, the exploration of various SaaS ideas, and the importance of foundational work in entrepreneurship.

Links:

• Harris Kenny on Linkedin
• OutboundSync - Integrate outbound campaigns in HubSpot and Salesforce
• IntroCRM (Archived) - Access Blocked
• How Loom Found PULL - Growth Strategy Case Study
• Follow Justin on Bluesky

Have feedback on this episode?

• 👉 ​Leave a voicemail here​
• 🦋 Reply on Bluesky

Timestamps:

• (00:09) - I did it! I build my saas!
• (02:59) - Why did Harris quit his job?
• (11:03) - When you don't have a boss, do you have the drive to go get work?
• (15:45) - How did you hear about saas businesses?
• (27:02) - Recognizing a need and building something for it
• (34:44) - So many opportunities in inventory software
• (41:03) - The difficulty of getting people to just log in
• (49:18) - The saas that worked
• (01:01:01) - Where are you getting new customers from?
• (01:06:47) - Using Tinyseed as a bridge
• (01:11:02) - Going over the top on support is a key
• (01:24:04) - Showing results helps agencies show value

• Rewardful.com
• Greg Park
• Mitchell Davis from sixsides.co
• Marcel Fahle, wearebold.af
• Bill Condo (@mavrck)
• Ward from MemberSpace.com
• Evandro Sasse
• Austin Loveless
• Michael Sitver
• Colin Gray
• Dave Giunta

🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.
📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!

Bootstrapping a business is like getting a plane to lift off the ground. But what do you do once the plane is in the air?

Dave Giunta and Justin Jackson recorded a recent phone call about maintaining motivation after the initial startup phase. How does founder energy shift once you've achieved your early goals? Dave prods Justin to find new sources of motivation – whether through mentoring junior team members, connecting with customers in fresh ways, or knowing when it's time to explore new horizons.

They also discuss why Dave left Home Chef (after 8 years) and what he's doing next.

Links:

• Follow Dave on Bluesky
• Connect with Dave on LinkedIn
• Follow Justin on Bluesky

Have feedback on this episode?

• 👉 ​Leave a voicemail here​
• 🦋 Reply on Bluesky

Timestamps:

• 00:00:17 - Giuuuuuunta
• 00:01:15 - Chatting in Guatemala: maintaining motivation, remote work, career transitions
• 00:02:12 - Motivation in early vs late stage startups
• 00:06:00 - Challenges with maintaining motivation once the business is established
• 00:15:35 - Working with different team member motivations
• 00:26:42 - Importance of understanding individual team members
• 00:29:20 - Remote work advantages and challenges
• 00:35:35 - Working with junior team members and mentorship
• 00:54:00 - Why Dave left Home Chef after 8+ years
• 00:57:00 - Discussion of career transitions and giving yourself space to explore
• 01:02:20 - Future plans and exploration after leaving long-term role

Thanks to our monthly supporters

• Rewardful.com
• Greg Park
• Mitchell Davis from sixsides.co
• Marcel Fahle, wearebold.af
• Bill Condo (@mavrck)
• Ward from MemberSpace.com
• Evandro Sasse
• Austin Loveless
• Michael Sitver
• Colin Gray
• Dave Giunta

🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.
📺 Learn how to start your own podcast!