Rob Walling

And so I went and learned copywriting from them and applied it to startups. And I was like, oh, they split tests. A lot of them were very scammy info internet marketers. So I would take that and then translate it to me, which was the not scammy version. So they were doing split testing, they were doing AdWords, they were doing SEO, and I learned from those folks and translated it in.

And so I went and learned copywriting from them and applied it to startups. And I was like, oh, they split tests. A lot of them were very scammy info internet marketers. So I would take that and then translate it to me, which was the not scammy version. So they were doing split testing, they were doing AdWords, they were doing SEO, and I learned from those folks and translated it in.

And no one was really talking about that in the startup space. Startups were like, raise a bunch of money, go viral, and have a big launch party, buy billboards. It was this really odd thing of like, it was brand. It was a weird time. But folks like you starting HomeSpot, like you needed nuts and bolts. How do I get in front of people?

And no one was really talking about that in the startup space. Startups were like, raise a bunch of money, go viral, and have a big launch party, buy billboards. It was this really odd thing of like, it was brand. It was a weird time. But folks like you starting HomeSpot, like you needed nuts and bolts. How do I get in front of people?

How do I sell so that I can have a paycheck, you know, next week? Let's flash forward six months, right? So you spend six months building, you get to launch day, like, how do you get the word out?

How do I sell so that I can have a paycheck, you know, next week? Let's flash forward six months, right? So you spend six months building, you get to launch day, like, how do you get the word out?

So someone listening to this who has tried to launch and failed thinks you got $4,000 of sales in your first month. Like what a month. I do want to remind them, this was not, it's not 4,000 of MRR. No. It is 4,000 effectively one time, right? Did you have a maintenance fee each year or how did that work?

So someone listening to this who has tried to launch and failed thinks you got $4,000 of sales in your first month. Like what a month. I do want to remind them, this was not, it's not 4,000 of MRR. No. It is 4,000 effectively one time, right? Did you have a maintenance fee each year or how did that work?

Do you remember what your pricing was? I'm just trying to get an idea of how many copies sold to get Fort Grin.

Do you remember what your pricing was? I'm just trying to get an idea of how many copies sold to get Fort Grin.

So it would have been like 30, not quite 30, like 26 or 27, somewhere in there, licenses.

So it would have been like 30, not quite 30, like 26 or 27, somewhere in there, licenses.

That's not bad at all.

That's not bad at all.

That's an SEO cot. Yeah, exactly. seven to 10 copies, sometimes up to like 13 copies or whatever. So you're talking like two, three, 4,000 a month. And we did have 20% maintenance, but it really was, it was one time. And so when, if we lost our SEO rankings or like during the financial crisis, we would lose like 80% of our revenue overnight.

That's an SEO cot. Yeah, exactly. seven to 10 copies, sometimes up to like 13 copies or whatever. So you're talking like two, three, 4,000 a month. And we did have 20% maintenance, but it really was, it was one time. And so when, if we lost our SEO rankings or like during the financial crisis, we would lose like 80% of our revenue overnight.

So we'd go from like three grand down to like 500 because nothing was recurring. So, you know, you basically front load it, right? It's like they're paying for a year Which is good when you're, which is actually good when you're bootstrapping because you get a lot more cash up front.

So we'd go from like three grand down to like 500 because nothing was recurring. So, you know, you basically front load it, right? It's like they're paying for a year Which is good when you're, which is actually good when you're bootstrapping because you get a lot more cash up front.

Yeah, it was pretty nice.

Yeah, it was pretty nice.