Before the internet made transferring large amounts of data cheap and easy, software used to be distributed on CDs or DVDs. For any given application, there was the "Golden Master," a final version of the software, ready to be copied millions of times.
Those days are over.
Every day, millions of software updates get dispatched. For many services in the bootstrapped world, customers will never notice: they'll just refresh their browser pages, and the latest version of the application will just appear.
With updating being so easy, no product is ever finished. Even when you release what you think is a “feature-complete” version of your product, it will only be "done" for a while.
There is one main reason for all software being only temporary: the changing circumstances of your customers. It can manifest in many ways, for many reasons: 1) as entrepreneurial dissatisfaction with the status quo; 2) a reaction to movements in the industry, the competitive
landscape, or the regulatory environment; or 3) a reaction to changes in needs and your understanding of your customers.
Being able to update your product quickly can still be optimally leveraged for your bootstrapped business, but it’s important to also know when not to change things.
If you want to know how to deal with this, please check out my book Zero to Sold.
The chapter is called "The Myth of the Finished Product."
Communities are tribal; they are based on honesty and reputation.
Here are the risks and opportunities that come from that: 👇
You'll get away with certain things in one community that will get you removed from others, but the general rule of every community is this:
Every action taken by a member of the group should benefit all members of the group.
This rule is the simplest version of these variations that you'll find in the wild:
"Don't critique others' work without productive feedback." — If you tear down something, provide the means for people to improve.
It's narrated by the amazing Derek Botten (@DerekRockBotten) and it's a marvelous way of learning how to become an Embedded Entrepreneur.
I listened to the full audiobook over the last few days, and it's a delight!
The total runtime of the audiobook is 06h:42m:57s. It consists of 38 chapters. It's the perfect lawn mowing companion ;) I heard that you'll do your dishes 157% more efficiently while listening to The Embedded Entrepreneur.
Because I've been asked for some advice on how to write a book, let me share a few thoughts here.
A book isn't written in one go, it's a whole process.
Here is how I approach writing:
🧵👇
I follow the outline approach, so I come up with the main topics I want to cover, and then I make a big Table of Contents with the chapter names. Once that is looking good, I start writing the chapters, one by one. Like blog posts, but all fitting together.
You don't need to write in order. You can add to any chapter at any time. Feel like writing the ending first? Go ahead. Have an idea for one more good example in chapter 12? Add it today.
Clearly, Amazon makes a lot of money on those sales. They are doing all the logistics, so that's fair. Also, prices in other countries are slightly different, so consider anywhere between 30%-100% of those numbers.
So why do I do this?
Distribution. Reach. Exposure.
I want my books to be read by as many people as possible. I know the books are good and that people will recommend them, so I am going for reach. Revenue is secondary. That'll happen over the next few years.
It's starting to rank, too. It's currently #10 on the Entrepreneur best-sellers and all three editions (eBook, paperback, hardcover) are on the Top 100 New Releases. 🥳🚀
Most paperbacks and hardcovers are not included in the Amazon list — yet. I assume that an additional 50% of the reported number was ordered as a print version, so add another ~60 to the mix.
So day one saw 318 - ~370 sales. We'll know for sure next week when they're delivered!
Sales on @Gumroad have been spectacular. As usual, that platform allows me to reach those readers who don't have easy access to Amazon as Americans or Germans might. Also, the Notion-based toolkit is sold exclusively on Gumroad.