The Bootstrapped Founder

Mar 21 2025 385 ep. 28 mins 360

The Bootstrapped Founder Podcast artwork

Arvid Kahl talks about starting and bootstrapping businesses, how to build an audience, and how to build in public.

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382: I went to MicroConf in New Orleans

Mar 21 2025 16 mins

And I have a few things to say.In one of my rare directly-from-the-hotel-room-to-you episodes, I'll dive right into the many wonderful experiences of this uniquely amazing conference, and I'll share my biggest learnings with you right here.The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/i-went-to-microconf-in-new-orleans/ The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/382-i-went-to

381: How AI Changes Famous Laws in Software and Entrepreneurship

Mar 14 2025 24 mins

The rise of AI is fundamentally changing and challenging the classic laws and principles of software development and entrepreneurship. Drawing from my experience building Podscan.fm with AI assistance, I dive into how laws like Conway's Law, Brooks' Law, and Postel's Law are being transformed in this new era of AI-assisted development, while sharing practical insights for founders

380: Experiment Report: Trying New Things

Mar 07 2025 23 mins

When I talked to Anne-Laure Le Cunff earlier this week, we get into experiments and how to run them effectively. That made me think that I've been running quite a few of those recently, and here's how that has worked out for me.The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/experiment-report-trying-new-things/ The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/380-experiment-report-tr

379: Anne-Laure Le Cunff — Tiny Experiments

Mar 05 2025 32 mins

Anne-Laure Le Cunff (@neuranne) is a neuroscientist and author of the book Tiny Experiments, where she shines a scientific light on how we set goals, what experiments we should think about, and how we can deal with uncertainty in a high-stress world.We chat about goals, reprogramming your own subconscious, and how learning in public can benefit anyone on any journey.The blog post:

378: Think with AI, Do with People

Feb 28 2025 19 mins

I'm not usually trying to create FOMO in other founders — I know all too well that we're busy enough with what we're building.But if you're not using chat-based AI to collaborate with (both in your business and outside of it), you're playing the game on hard mode.I'll share a few stories today of why this particular kind of virtual collaborator helps me so much in my business.The

377: Virality is Poisonous

Feb 21 2025 11 mins

The most insidious consequence of chasing virality isn't that it makes you look foolish; it's that you're actively poisoning your precious audience.Here's what "playing the algorithm" might do to (instead of for) your personal and professional brand.The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/virality-is-poisonous/The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/377-virality-is-p

376: Justin Moore — Becoming a Sponsor Magnet

Feb 19 2025 37 mins

Justin Moore (@justinmooretfam) knows a thing or two about sponsors. He's responsible for dozens of episodes of this very podcast to be sponsored! And what he taught me, he'll teach you.I was VERY hesitant when I started looking at sponsors. I thought that would dilute my brand. Make me a sellout. But that's a self-limiting belief — and Justin will give you the tools to profitabl

375: Mute those “Dings”

Feb 14 2025 11 mins

When notifications prevent you from focusing on your actual work, you know you're in trouble. Here's how I approach the balance between keeping an eye on the critical parts of the business and focusing on the deep work that needs to get done.The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/mute-those-dings/The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/375-mute-those-dingsCheck out

374: Indie Hacking Databases at Scale

Feb 07 2025 24 mins

Databases are hard. Making the right choices early and keeping things running smoothly even when budget pressures and customer requests start piling on — that's the hard part that many solopreneurs and indie founders struggle with.I certainly do.So here's a journey through my learnings and experiences from running SaaS offerings with sizeable —talking about terabytes of data—

373: Delete Your Backlog

Jan 31 2025 17 mins

Sometimes, less is more. Here's how I pruned my feature backlog from 120 to 15 items.I'll share my decision-making framework; every single rule comes with examples. Time to cut down on the mental load that is having too many "ideas" in your backlog.The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/deleting-your-backlog-a-founders-guide-to-feature-pruning/The podcast episode: https: