Rob Walling

Feel free to talk about you and your co-founder that you executed well because I think the founders themselves have to be pretty instrumental in any business like this working. But people say, well, it's the market or the idea was the right time. We got a little lucky with timing. How do you think about why this business works so well?

Feel free to talk about you and your co-founder that you executed well because I think the founders themselves have to be pretty instrumental in any business like this working. But people say, well, it's the market or the idea was the right time. We got a little lucky with timing. How do you think about why this business works so well?

Yeah, that's a big thing. I mean, there's so many directions I want to take that. I've talked a lot lately about how, or a bit lately about how I think success of when I look at tiny C companies are the founders multiplied by the market or the opportunity.

Yeah, that's a big thing. I mean, there's so many directions I want to take that. I've talked a lot lately about how, or a bit lately about how I think success of when I look at tiny C companies are the founders multiplied by the market or the opportunity.

And the reason it's multiplied is let's say you have a founder who's a, you know, one out of 10, if we're just going to have a numerical rating scale, but it's like a great market opportunity.

And the reason it's multiplied is let's say you have a founder who's a, you know, one out of 10, if we're just going to have a numerical rating scale, but it's like a great market opportunity.

they will execute mediocre and you know they may have a middling success but if you have a founder who's a nine and they have a real market or it's a market that they don't get a little bit lucky with or they don't hit at the right time or whatever then it's similar it's middling and we see a few tiny seed founders just like you are such a good founder and i'm so sorry that you

they will execute mediocre and you know they may have a middling success but if you have a founder who's a nine and they have a real market or it's a market that they don't get a little bit lucky with or they don't hit at the right time or whatever then it's similar it's middling and we see a few tiny seed founders just like you are such a good founder and i'm so sorry that you

They're just not getting the traction. This sucks. But it sounds like between you and your co-founder, that division of labor, and it sounds like both of you really executed well. And then you have that market and you multiply the nine by nine or the 10 by 10. Suddenly you're at 100 versus these are all contrived. But you get the idea of what I'm saying. And there are more factors in that, right?

They're just not getting the traction. This sucks. But it sounds like between you and your co-founder, that division of labor, and it sounds like both of you really executed well. And then you have that market and you multiply the nine by nine or the 10 by 10. Suddenly you're at 100 versus these are all contrived. But you get the idea of what I'm saying. And there are more factors in that, right?

I mean, there's luck involved and there's all kinds of stuff. But it's crazy to see such an outsized outcome. There just aren't that many nine-figure bootstrapped exits like this. So I want to touch on something you've said a couple times now, and it's short-term generous, long-term greedy. Can you flesh that out, what you mean by that?

I mean, there's luck involved and there's all kinds of stuff. But it's crazy to see such an outsized outcome. There just aren't that many nine-figure bootstrapped exits like this. So I want to touch on something you've said a couple times now, and it's short-term generous, long-term greedy. Can you flesh that out, what you mean by that?

Yeah, I like that. It's really long-term thinking. And I like the way you say long-term greedy. It's intriguing to be thinking that way because so many folks don't think about running a company for 15 years, right? Myself included. Although I have run MicroConf now for 15 years, I think, 14. As you were going along, did it feel like 15 years?

Yeah, I like that. It's really long-term thinking. And I like the way you say long-term greedy. It's intriguing to be thinking that way because so many folks don't think about running a company for 15 years, right? Myself included. Although I have run MicroConf now for 15 years, I think, 14. As you were going along, did it feel like 15 years?

Or was it just something that you kind of, you didn't question and you just did every day? Similar to, I talk about why this podcast has shipped every week since 2010. People say, wow, that's a long time. It's like, doesn't feel like, I mean, when I look back, it's a long time, but like, I don't, this doesn't work for me. Like I do this because I love it.

Or was it just something that you kind of, you didn't question and you just did every day? Similar to, I talk about why this podcast has shipped every week since 2010. People say, wow, that's a long time. It's like, doesn't feel like, I mean, when I look back, it's a long time, but like, I don't, this doesn't work for me. Like I do this because I love it.

And frankly, microconf is just something, it's just part of me and it's what I do. My last SaaS company, Drip, was not. It was not an identity and I never thought I'd run that business for 15 years. So I'm just trying to give examples of like some of those really fit of like, I'm just going to do it. And it, you know, it did what it did and others, I keep going.

And frankly, microconf is just something, it's just part of me and it's what I do. My last SaaS company, Drip, was not. It was not an identity and I never thought I'd run that business for 15 years. So I'm just trying to give examples of like some of those really fit of like, I'm just going to do it. And it, you know, it did what it did and others, I keep going.

So I'm curious to hear what your feelings were during that 15 years of working on it.

So I'm curious to hear what your feelings were during that 15 years of working on it.