Last week ZenMaid crossed the $100k MRR mark. Boggles my mind thinking back to how BALLIN' we thought we'd be at $5k MRR
Here is some inaccurate knowledge & a couple [random] lessons learned along the way I hope might help some of you
Here is some inaccurate knowledge & a couple [random] lessons learned along the way I hope might help some of you
Follow the rules in this Tweetstorm and I can guarantee you...
Absolutely nothing.
Because that's not the way any of this works.
If it were easy/simple everyone would have a successful lifestyle business.
Absolutely nothing.
Because that's not the way any of this works.
If it were easy/simple everyone would have a successful lifestyle business.
If you’re reading this and thinking “I’m smarter than Amar- I’ve built a better product or I’m a better marketer” - you’re likely 100% correct.
I’ve probably just been doing this a lot longer than you which is lesson #1:
Don’t give up.
Because your work & results compound.
I’ve probably just been doing this a lot longer than you which is lesson #1:
Don’t give up.
Because your work & results compound.
Rule #2 -
Avoid Nathan Latka like the plague.
Avoid Nathan Latka like the plague.
https://twitter.com/awilkinson/status/1364666287226425344
External competition can be helpful for drive but it's internal competition that truly matters:
Keep making yourself and your business better than it was yesterday/previously and eventually you'll win
(that doesn't mean this specific biz of yours will be a success though)
Keep making yourself and your business better than it was yesterday/previously and eventually you'll win
(that doesn't mean this specific biz of yours will be a success though)
To survive initially you need two things
1. One effective marketing channel
2. A good enough product
1. One effective marketing channel
2. A good enough product
In your early stages you're looking for 1-2 marketing channels that you can double down on and use to really get moving
Later on, you want to do everything and be everywhere
(be the perceived Marketing God of your industry:
omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient)
Later on, you want to do everything and be everywhere
(be the perceived Marketing God of your industry:
omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient)
Add massive value, capture some of it.
ZenMaid customers run over $20 million a month through our system each month.
They deserve ALL the credit for that. They would absolutely find a way without us!
But we help in our own small way and keep $100k to keep doing it.
ZenMaid customers run over $20 million a month through our system each month.
They deserve ALL the credit for that. They would absolutely find a way without us!
But we help in our own small way and keep $100k to keep doing it.
Keep showing up until you get 'lucky':
IE: stay in the game and take enough shots that something finally works. This could apply to various projects if you're a #indiehacker or marketing attempts if you're onto something with your product/company
https://twitter.com/hnshah/status/1365400312824045570
IE: stay in the game and take enough shots that something finally works. This could apply to various projects if you're a #indiehacker or marketing attempts if you're onto something with your product/company
Don't compare yourself to others.
It took us over 3 years to get to 10k MRR while I had friends jumping out to 30k+ in the same time period. Some are still ahead of us, most are not.
It took us over 3 years to get to 10k MRR while I had friends jumping out to 30k+ in the same time period. Some are still ahead of us, most are not.
Impatience with actions, patience with results.
Treat your SaaS like a job. Your job is to build the business.
ZenMaid absolutely was a job for the first 6 years and I still treat it like one today even though I can step away and collect checks as an investor/owner.
It's the best job I've ever had ;-)
ZenMaid absolutely was a job for the first 6 years and I still treat it like one today even though I can step away and collect checks as an investor/owner.
It's the best job I've ever had ;-)
Do - outsource - automate - scale
Its changed over the years but I do everything I can initially, if only for a short period of time
Once I get it I pass it off to a team member (or automate). Then we scale.
Nowadays other high level team members will do the 'do' step :-)
Its changed over the years but I do everything I can initially, if only for a short period of time
Once I get it I pass it off to a team member (or automate). Then we scale.
Nowadays other high level team members will do the 'do' step :-)
Give back.
I have to interrupt this Tweetstorm because I love connecting with Twitter folks like you and have a call I'm late for with @miguelberrioB2B :-)
I have to interrupt this Tweetstorm because I love connecting with Twitter folks like you and have a call I'm late for with @miguelberrioB2B :-)
Invest in your team.
Either by paying for the best (expensive monetarily), or hiring 'juniors' and training them (expensive time-wise)
Either way, take care of your team and they'll take care of your customers/business.
Either by paying for the best (expensive monetarily), or hiring 'juniors' and training them (expensive time-wise)
Either way, take care of your team and they'll take care of your customers/business.
Order is less important than you think, particularly if you're a 1st time founder.
You have absolutely no idea what is going to work. Don't pretend you do.
Have a strong bias towards action, improvement, and faster feedback loops.
You have absolutely no idea what is going to work. Don't pretend you do.
Have a strong bias towards action, improvement, and faster feedback loops.
Write. I started writing more thanks in large part to Twitter and while I still don't do it enough, when I do it reaps serious rewards.
I get clarity on decisions like the one linked below, and awesome feedback from amazing folks like you, my wonderful reader
👇🏾
I get clarity on decisions like the one linked below, and awesome feedback from amazing folks like you, my wonderful reader
👇🏾
notion.so/ZenMaid-Should…
This is easily the most clear thinking I've practiced in our 7+ years in business
This is easily the most clear thinking I've practiced in our 7+ years in business
Related: Building in public de-risks you on a personal level.
Lots of examples but the one that comes to mind is @yongfook: If Jon 'fails' with BannerBear he'll be so sought after immediately it's not even funny.
Lots of examples but the one that comes to mind is @yongfook: If Jon 'fails' with BannerBear he'll be so sought after immediately it's not even funny.
https://twitter.com/hnshah/status/1342270858002251779
Personally I could now land a marketing job with half my Twitter followers. 0 chance any would have given me the time of day prior to starting ZenMaid or sharing publicly.
I'd make a terrible employee though (speaking from experience) so don't even try it, for your own sake ;-)
I'd make a terrible employee though (speaking from experience) so don't even try it, for your own sake ;-)
Smoke weed everyday.
Learn mental models.
But more importantly, APPLY mental models (or recognize where you already are)
My personal favorite?
The ABZ Framework verbalized by @ShaanVP
But more importantly, APPLY mental models (or recognize where you already are)
My personal favorite?
The ABZ Framework verbalized by @ShaanVP
https://twitter.com/ShaanVP/status/1347252471291207681
Do things that don’t scale - you don't need to know how you're going to get to 100 customers if you're at 1.
Focus on 1 customer at a time, then 5, then 10.
Eventually scale will matter, but right now, it probably doesn't.
Focus on 1 customer at a time, then 5, then 10.
Eventually scale will matter, but right now, it probably doesn't.
The goal line is always moving, and that's OK.
Stop, think, and reset when you needed
We started with a goal of 100 customers (~5k MRR)
Now it's $2m ARR. That will continue to change (not necessarily increase - could be better profit margins but only $1.5m ARR, for example)
Stop, think, and reset when you needed
We started with a goal of 100 customers (~5k MRR)
Now it's $2m ARR. That will continue to change (not necessarily increase - could be better profit margins but only $1.5m ARR, for example)
On a similar note: Remember to celebrate your achievements, big and small
https://twitter.com/itsjustamar/status/1297059668557090816
Agencies are awesome if you've got your sh*t together.
If you've nailed your product market fit, messaging, and offer, agencies can absolutely kill it for you.
If you're still figuring out your business basics working with agencies will be a nightmare.
If you've nailed your product market fit, messaging, and offer, agencies can absolutely kill it for you.
If you're still figuring out your business basics working with agencies will be a nightmare.
Asking what can go wrong with anything you do is a very helpful framework.
This doesn't mean you expect things to go wrong however knowing what might throw a wrench in your plans, and how you might react, makes EVERYTHING a lot less stressful.
👇🏾
This doesn't mean you expect things to go wrong however knowing what might throw a wrench in your plans, and how you might react, makes EVERYTHING a lot less stressful.
👇🏾
HINT: If you can't deal with might go wrong (it could cripple you), you might want to wait on whatever action you're considering.
There are only two types of content consumption:
1. To implement
2. To be entertained
If you’re spending time on content that you’re not taking action on it’s entertainment. And entertainment is a-ok, we all need it.
But know the difference
HINT: this thread is the latter ;)
1. To implement
2. To be entertained
If you’re spending time on content that you’re not taking action on it’s entertainment. And entertainment is a-ok, we all need it.
But know the difference
HINT: this thread is the latter ;)
Many things are binary - either they work (are good enough) and should be continued - or they are not good enough
You don’t usually need tracking/data to determine which it is
You don’t usually need tracking/data to determine which it is
Don't watch Love Island Australia - If I'd been introduced to this while building ZenMaid I would have been too distracted to do anything useful
It's amazing and you should totally ignore this tweet and go watch it
It's amazing and you should totally ignore this tweet and go watch it
Make your team and customers the heroes of the journey.
I say it in jest but my team does all the work, I just get the credit.
Recognizing their contributions and those of our customers is vital to long term success.
I say it in jest but my team does all the work, I just get the credit.
Recognizing their contributions and those of our customers is vital to long term success.
Copy copy copy.
Don't re-invent the wheel here.
Take inspiration from competitors and those in other industries.
I get product improvement ideas from SaaS we use, and marketing ideas from plumbers. Most things we do are not original (but they are original for our industry)
Don't re-invent the wheel here.
Take inspiration from competitors and those in other industries.
I get product improvement ideas from SaaS we use, and marketing ideas from plumbers. Most things we do are not original (but they are original for our industry)
Similarly - Ppl tell you not to pay attention to your competition. That's complete bullshit.
Competitors spend all day thinking about the same problems you do.
Check out what they are doing and use it. If you do it right they can't (or won't) copy you back.
Competitors spend all day thinking about the same problems you do.
Check out what they are doing and use it. If you do it right they can't (or won't) copy you back.
If it helps: you're not copying the competition in a shady way, you're copying what works to best help your customers and team.
That's the goal. To help your users.
Do that and you win.
That's the goal. To help your users.
Do that and you win.
Play the short game to build momentum but invest in things that will become moats too (if you’re playing the long game)
SEO is a great example of this. Just another flywheel in your business ;-)
theamaricandream.com/blog/flywheels
SEO is a great example of this. Just another flywheel in your business ;-)
theamaricandream.com/blog/flywheels
Never publish a tweetstorm like this one right before bed.
You have no idea what sort of shit tornado you'll wake up to in the morning.
You have no idea what sort of shit tornado you'll wake up to in the morning.
Now that we're scaling my primary role is to nail long term strategy and GTFO out of the team's way.
My other job is to make our entire team more productive, to support them.
To recognize where there are bottlenecks in the system and for individuals and to remove them.
My other job is to make our entire team more productive, to support them.
To recognize where there are bottlenecks in the system and for individuals and to remove them.
Fuck the police.
Listen to everyone then make your own decision.
Including this Tweetstorm.
Figure out your problems, verbalize them to others, listen to what they'd do, then do your own thing.
No one has the answers (and neither do you) Let that set you free.
Including this Tweetstorm.
Figure out your problems, verbalize them to others, listen to what they'd do, then do your own thing.
No one has the answers (and neither do you) Let that set you free.
The grass is always greener.
Don’t caught up comparing yourself to friends who run agencies, or other SaaS founders for that matter.
When you get there, it's all going to be worth it, even if it takes 10x longer than you expected.
Don’t caught up comparing yourself to friends who run agencies, or other SaaS founders for that matter.
When you get there, it's all going to be worth it, even if it takes 10x longer than you expected.
I'll end this tweetstorm with this:
Freedom is worth it.
It took 3 years for us to break $10k MRR but only 4 years from there to $100k MRR. The first 3 years of pain were worth every second.
Keep at it.
Freedom is worth it.
theamaricandream.com/blog/freedom-i…
Freedom is worth it.
It took 3 years for us to break $10k MRR but only 4 years from there to $100k MRR. The first 3 years of pain were worth every second.
Keep at it.
Freedom is worth it.
theamaricandream.com/blog/freedom-i…
The actual last tweet of this unless I think of anything else:
Want to connect? My DMs are open.
I love connecting with new people to talk about SaaS, marketing, lifestyle design, or what shit team Tottenham Hotspur is
Hit me with your best shot
Want to connect? My DMs are open.
I love connecting with new people to talk about SaaS, marketing, lifestyle design, or what shit team Tottenham Hotspur is
Hit me with your best shot
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