Rob Walling

And since you started so long ago, you were on-prem for years and then you launched a SaaS. So you have both on-prem and SaaS. And I think most folks listening know what on-prem is, but it's where they actually download your code, your source code, PHP Laravel, and they will install it on their own server. And then they, I guess, what's the benefit?

Like why would today, I would just do the SaaS personally, but like the people who still use on-prem today, what is, why do they do that rather than pay you for the SaaS?

Like why would today, I would just do the SaaS personally, but like the people who still use on-prem today, what is, why do they do that rather than pay you for the SaaS?

Yeah, we have a few tiny seed companies and I don't know how many exactly, but when they apply, they'll often say, so we're SaaS, but we also do on-prem. Is that going to be a deal breaker? I was like, no, we funded a handful.

Yeah, we have a few tiny seed companies and I don't know how many exactly, but when they apply, they'll often say, so we're SaaS, but we also do on-prem. Is that going to be a deal breaker? I was like, no, we funded a handful.

And again, I don't know if it's five or if it's 10 out of 170, but there are, especially like you said, in finance or in certain regulated industries where you really do need or want control of that data and just want on some random spot. Yeah.

And again, I don't know if it's five or if it's 10 out of 170, but there are, especially like you said, in finance or in certain regulated industries where you really do need or want control of that data and just want on some random spot. Yeah.

And I want to be clear. I want to get back to on-prem, you know, probably halfway through the interview. What we're not saying is once, once.com, right? It's not you pay once and you run it. That's a whole different thing. I guess it's related. But to circle back to where I wanted to start is where is the business at today? Yeah.

And I want to be clear. I want to get back to on-prem, you know, probably halfway through the interview. What we're not saying is once, once.com, right? It's not you pay once and you run it. That's a whole different thing. I guess it's related. But to circle back to where I wanted to start is where is the business at today? Yeah.

this is going to sound like a negative pejorative question, but it's like, how have you not gotten bored? I would, I would get bored where 19, you're going to be, it's next year, 20 years. Yeah. And you know, I know we all have different personalities and I'm, I'm the person who's never worked the same job.

this is going to sound like a negative pejorative question, but it's like, how have you not gotten bored? I would, I would get bored where 19, you're going to be, it's next year, 20 years. Yeah. And you know, I know we all have different personalities and I'm, I'm the person who's never worked the same job.

Even let's see, I think microconf, well, microconf doesn't totally count, but even cause it was part-time for me, it was a hobby for many years. Right. But microconf and tiny seed now, I think are the thing I've worked on the longest six years. Cause Because even Drip, which from the founding to selling was three and a half years. And then I stayed another like two years.

Even let's see, I think microconf, well, microconf doesn't totally count, but even cause it was part-time for me, it was a hobby for many years. Right. But microconf and tiny seed now, I think are the thing I've worked on the longest six years. Cause Because even Drip, which from the founding to selling was three and a half years. And then I stayed another like two years.

So even Drip was five and a half years. You know that? So you can tell I just had that personality of like, oh, I need to do the next thing. But you've stuck with something for 20 years.

So even Drip was five and a half years. You know that? So you can tell I just had that personality of like, oh, I need to do the next thing. But you've stuck with something for 20 years.

That makes sense. Let's go back to the beginning. So you launched it in 2005 and you told me that you quit your day job and coded for six months, which is exactly what we tell people not to do today, right? Don't quit your day job and live off savings. Or, you know, you said your wife was basically supporting you during that time. But what a gamble. To me, it's like terrifying to do that, right?

That makes sense. Let's go back to the beginning. So you launched it in 2005 and you told me that you quit your day job and coded for six months, which is exactly what we tell people not to do today, right? Don't quit your day job and live off savings. Or, you know, you said your wife was basically supporting you during that time. But what a gamble. To me, it's like terrifying to do that, right?

Like, why did, were you scared at all? And why do you think, why do you think it actually worked? What was that time like?

Like, why did, were you scared at all? And why do you think, why do you think it actually worked? What was that time like?

That's when back when people would raise half a million dollars with just an idea like that really doesn't happen anymore. But you had to do it because, as you said, you had to write every line of code and there were really no libraries. And it was so, yeah, it was a lot more to be done.