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    MegaMaker

    For digital makers who want to earn a living from the things they create. Indie software developers, designers, writers, entrepreneurs, artists, and other creatives!
    en-ca58 Episodes

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    Episodes (58)

    038 - What motivates people to buy?

    038 - What motivates people to buy?

    Learn how to make things that people actually want. Justin is joined by author Alan Klement to talk about the "Jobs to be Done" framework .

    Don't define your competition by features or product. Rather you need to define your competition by what helps customers make progress.

    Show notes

    "If there's a picture in our minds of how we want life to be, and we're not quite there, we want to make progress towards that vision."

    There's two things that cause people to switch products:

    1. The picture in your mind (of how you want things to be) has changed.
    2. The solution you're using is no longer delivering you progress.
    MegaMaker
    en-caSeptember 30, 2016
    product
    customers
    making
    motivation
    selling

    037 - Find and validate good product ideas

    037 - Find and validate good product ideas

    After a long hiatus, Justin is back to talk about a system for discovering what people want, and building solutions they'll actually buy.

    Show notes

    The reason people buy a product is they imagine their lives better with that product, than without it.

    Steps for discover product ideas.

    Download the slides here.

    1. Start with people

    Choose an audience that...

    1. You know, understand, and like
    2. That buys things
    3. That congregates online

    What group is already paying you for your time and expertise?

    2. Research + listen

    Places to do research online:

    1. Google (look at related keywords)
    2. Twitter
    3. Reddit
    4. Facebook Groups
    5. Facebook search

    3. Create a hypothesis

    As a math grad student I want an online course so that I can make it through my first year of grad school.

    4. Test your hypothesis

    What's the smallest "product" you could create that could disprove your hypothesis?

    What you learn when you launch a tiny version:

    1. How hard is it to find customers?
    2. Did I hit a nerve? Did I identify the #1 pain?
    3. How hard is it to get people to pay?
    4. How satisfied were people with the solution?
    5. Do I like the customers?
    MegaMaker
    en-caSeptember 23, 2016

    036 - Starting with no audience, no idea, and no revenue

    036 - Starting with no audience, no idea, and no revenue

    What are the different stages to being a solopreneur?

    Your customers don't want to just "consume your stuff." They want to achieve something! They have a destination in mind.

    Show notes

    Ultimately, we all want a business we can be proud of.

    MegaMaker
    en-caSeptember 02, 2016

    035 - Being in traffic almost killed me

    035 - Being in traffic almost killed me

    How do you quit your day job? You need the freedom ladder.

    You feel like you're crawling through a tunnel towards freedom. But the tunnel keep getting tighter and tighter around you. It's hard to move. But there's hope!

    Show notes

    BTW - this is not going to be another rant on "why you should be staying up all night" just so you can work on your side-project.

    Want to support the show?

    Get 20% off Justin's new book (Jolt!) when you use this code: gum.co/joltbook/podcast

    MegaMaker
    en-caAugust 19, 2016
    freedom
    hope
    help
    job
    independence

    034 - Should you start a SaaS company in 2016?

    034 - Should you start a SaaS company in 2016?

    Startups like Slack, Basecamp, and Freshbooks make millions of dollars in monthly recurring revenue by using a model called Software as a Service (SaaS).

    Should you get into the business?

    This episode isn't just for programmers and startup people! Lots of lessons for makers of all sorts.

    Show notes

    Want to support the show?

    The only way I can keep making cool stuff (like this podcast) is if fans support the show! There's two ways you can help:

    1. Buy something I've made. My new book is less than $12 with this coupon.
    2. Leave a review for the show! Go to iTunes, search for MegaMaker and click ★★★★★
    MegaMaker
    en-caAugust 12, 2016

    E033 - Where were you?

    E033 - Where were you?

    Real life keeps going, even when you're launching something new.

    Listen to the podcast for people who make stuff on the internet and earn their income from the things they create.

    Just shipped!

    My new book was released on July 30th! It's called Jolt – creative marketing ideas for programmers, designers, freelancers, makers, and entrepreneurs.

    How do you get people's attention? You can't use the same tactics as everyone else. People don't respond to outdated methods.

    Get 20% of when you use this code: gum.co/joltbook/podcast →

    Read the reviews on Goodreads.

    Show notes

    Next week's show

    What happens when you launch two software startups at the same time? I'll be doing an update on my projects with Marty Dill!

    MegaMaker
    en-caAugust 05, 2016

    E032 - Last chance!

    E032 - Last chance!

    How do you get customers to know you exist? Be unexpected.

    This episode includes my interview with Mikael Cho from Crew in Montreal. They're the awesome makers behind Unsplash.com

    Last chance!

    This is your last chance to pre-order my new book, Jolt:

    gum.co/joltbook/preorder

    A book for programmers, designers, freelancers, makers, and entrepreneurs. Learn how to get people to notice the things you make!

    If you're one of those people that's asked: "How can I support the show?" this is a great way to do it. ;)

    Show notes

    MegaMaker
    en-caJuly 23, 2016
    book
    makers
    jackson
    maker
    justin

    E031 - Don't be like the Rolling Stones

    E031 - Don't be like the Rolling Stones

    Everyone's trying to be a unicorn. I just want to be like Fat Mike.

    Show notes

    Every vertical has it's own unicorn. In startups it's Zuckerberg. On YouTube it's Casey Neistat. In rock 'n roll it's the Rolling Stones.

    Join the MegaMaker newsletter: megamaker.co/challenge

    MegaMaker
    en-caJuly 15, 2016

    E030 - Like a kid in a candy store

    E030 - Like a kid in a candy store

    "The Only Thing That Is Constant Is Change." ― Heraclitus

    Justin opens up about how his MegaMaker project is going, and what the future holds.

    (First episode of Season 3)

    When we had our first child, 14 years ago, we made a decision that I'd put my entrepreneurial dreams on hold.

    Show notes

    Join the MegaMaker newsletter: megamaker.co/challenge

    In every business, there needs to be an overlap between what people really want and what you're really good at.

    MegaMaker
    en-caJuly 08, 2016

    E029 - In Real Life

    E029 - In Real Life

    What happens when you meet people from the internet IRL?

    Also: last episode of Season 2!

    Show notes

    Maybe us makers are a little too insular. A lot of our endeavors are really solitary; just us in our caves creating things. But we need real human connections. We can't do this alone.

    Share your projects with me!

    Have photos of your projects you'd like to share, and have them in the MegaMaker zine?

    Have a physical item you'd like to have me include the mystery box? Send them to me here:

    MegaMaker
    PO Box 1028
    Vernon BC V1T 6N2

    MegaMaker t-shirt

    I've been seeing the MegaMaker t-shirt all over the web: Twitter, Youtube, Instagram.

    We only have a few more episodes in Season 2, so I'm doing a T-SHIRT SALE!

    1. Go to store.megamaker.co
    2. Choose your MegaMaker t-shirt
    3. Use the coupon code podcastand get $5 off!
    MegaMaker
    en-caJune 02, 2016

    E028 - Stay hungry

    E028 - Stay hungry

    Do you know about the Desperation Scale™?

    Listeners asked me to be more honest about the struggle. So here it is!

    MegaMaker t-shirt

    I've been seeing the MegaMaker t-shirt all over the web: Twitter, Youtube, Instagram.

    We only have a few more episodes in Season 2, so I'm doing a T-SHIRT SALE!

    1. Go to store.megamaker.co
    2. Choose your MegaMaker t-shirt
    3. Use the coupon code podcastand get $5 off!

    Show notes

    Desperation impairs our ability to think clearly.

    MegaMaker
    en-caMay 25, 2016

    E027 - Do you trust me? DO YOU TRUST ME?

    E027 - Do you trust me? DO YOU TRUST ME?

    You will not believe what happened to me yesterday.

    Also: do need to care about your reputation?

    Join the 2016 Maker Challenge

    Go to megamaker.co/challenge →

    Show notes

    There's this myth that if you create great work, that it will be automatically discovered and enjoyed by lots of people.

    How do you cultivate a good reputation?

    It's a lot like cultivating a crop: you're constantly preparing the ground and planting seeds hoping for a future harvest.

    1. Build things, and tell people
    2. Help people every day!
    MegaMaker
    en-caMay 18, 2016

    E026 - Get out and play

    E026 - Get out and play

    Justin has a confession. (And people think he looks terrible)

    On Success

    You might be pursuing someone else's path to success. We try to reverse engineer it, and apply it to our own life. It doesn't work! Forge your own path. Trust in your own ability to make good decisions.

    Also:

    Doing stuff is your best education. Hypotheticals are the enemy. Get out and test your assumptions!

    Also:

    Take a nap.

    Update on current project

    I told you last episode that I'd have a revenue update for remoteworkers.club.

    We opened up the beta 20 minutes before I published this episode. We're only going to take 10 people this week.

    And.... we already have 2 paying customers!

    Show notes

    MegaMaker
    en-caMay 11, 2016
    podcast
    design
    art
    saas
    software

    E025 - Pull up your bootstraps, Sir

    E025 - Pull up your bootstraps, Sir

    What do you do when you feel tired, haggard, and unmotivated?

    I'll be honest. I really didn't want to do a show today. Then I figured out two ways to get motivated.

    Show notes

    Two tactics for getting out of the dumps

    1. Help someone else.
    2. Make something small. Anything! It will help get you unstuck.

    "I think making something will cure almost anything. It always makes me feel better" - Casey Neistat

    Current project: Remote Workers Clubs

    www.remoteworkers.club

    One thing we've learned is that momentum is everything. Keep making decisions, so you keep moving forward. Blockers don't just stop work; they kill your motivation.

    MegaMaker
    en-caMay 05, 2016

    E024 - Do things, tell people

    E024 - Do things, tell people

    You can't just make things; you have to show your work!

    Also: how to structure a creative partnership.

    We live in a culture that encourages creative exhaustion; where spend all of your energy at work, and keep nothing for your own projects.

    The whole purpose of making things is to have other people enjoy them.

    Show notes

    Sponsor: Balsamiq.com

    Go to balsamiq.com →

    Alright, it’s time to say goodbye to our Season 2 sponsor Balsamiq. By now you all know what Balsamiq Mockups is all about. So for this last sponsorship, Peldi asked me to send a shout out to the makers behind Balsamiq. So Agnese, Andrea, Anna, Brendan, Brilli, Florian, Francesca, Jessica, Joy, Leon, Luis, Marco, Michele, Mike, Natalie, Paolo, Sax, Stefano, Valerie, Virgin, thanks so much for everything you do every day at Balsamiq! Enjoy your company retreat next week! :)

    Please thank them for sponsoring MegaMaker:

    • @balsamiq on Twitter
    • Email peldi@balsamiq.com directly

    (Want to buy Balsamiq? Use coupon code MEGAMAKER to get $10 off Balsamiq Mockups 3 for Desktop)

    MegaMaker
    en-caMay 01, 2016

    E023 - Chase the dream

    E023 - Chase the dream

    We have two desires: to create work that connects with people, and to make a living.

    What happens when things get in the way of that dream?

    The answer has three parts:

    1. Persistence
    2. Iteration
    3. Community

    Show notes

    Sponsor: Balsamiq.com

    Go to balsamiq.com →

    We’re nearing the end of our Balsamiq Sponsorship. They’ve done 7 different ads here at MegaMaker, and they made an effort to have each of them be not just a boring old traditional ad, but to really provide value to the MegaMaker audience. This was an experiment for them, as one of their goals for 2016 is to get better at marketing. Would you say they have succeeded? Have you found their ads useful, or annoying? They want to support other podcasts for makers, so help them decide if it was worth it or not by telling them!

    Contact them:

    • @balsamiq on Twitter
    • Email peldi@balsamiq.com directly

    (Want to buy Balsamiq? Use coupon code MEGAMAKER to get $10 off Balsamiq Mockups 3 for Desktop)

    MegaMaker
    en-caApril 27, 2016
    remote
    saas
    dream
    app
    encouragement

    E022 - Anxiety society

    E022 - Anxiety society

    Listeners chime in on how to reduce maker anxiety, PLUS Justin talks to some real human beings about his current project.

    Show notes

    Sponsor: Balsamiq.com

    Today instead of talking about Balsamiq Mockups (the product), I would like to tell you a bit more about Balsamiq (the company). My friend Peldi started it back in 2008 as a solo founder: totally bootstrapped, doing everything himself. The product was immediately successful and Peldi was forced to hire people and grow the company. In the 8 years since, Balsamiq has become the undisputed leader in their space and also a very inspiring company to follow. They still haven’t taken any outside investment, and have 21 employees now, all geographically distributed. On their “Life @ Balsamiq” blog they share a lot of their very progressive company policies and everything else they learn along the way (including revenue numbers every year!). Check it out, I think it’ll be useful to you, no matter what you’re making. You can read it all at blogs.balsamiq.com/team

    (Want to buy Balsamiq? Use code MEGAMAKER to get $10 off Balsamiq Mockups 3 for Desktop)

    MegaMaker
    en-caApril 23, 2016

    E021 - Eat the chocolate hobbit cake

    E021 - Eat the chocolate hobbit cake

    Why don't people care about what you've made?

    In this episode: why your "thing" needs to be in people's top 3.

    What is this show about? Who is it for?

    Justin is making 100 things in 2016. Some of the projects are just for fun; and others are so he can make a living.

    Really, this show is a lot about exploring the tension between living a creative life, while also making a living.

    Everybody has a top 3

    You probably have 3 apps on your phone that you use 80% of the time.

    Unless you can get into someone's top 3, it's going to be difficult for them to really connect with that thing you've made.

    Sponsor: Balsamiq.com

    This time our friends at Balsamiq would like to ask you to email them with your impression of Balsamiq Mockups: have you tried it? what did you like? what didn't you like? what other tools did you use it with? basically they've decided to use some of this sponsorship on-air time to do customer development. Even after 8 years in business, you cannot get enough feedback from your users! :) Email the CEO peldi@balsamiq.com directly, or tweet @peldi

    (Want to buy Balsamiq? Use code MEGAMAKER to get $10 off Balsamiq Mockups 3 for Desktop)

    Show notes

    MegaMaker
    en-caApril 20, 2016
    apps
    makers
    software
    maker
    diy

    E020 - Maker mob

    E020 - Maker mob

    "If you can get anyone to show up and pay you $1, you’ve made it on the internet." – Dan Martell

    Have you heard of a flash mob? It's when a large group of people suddenly show up at the same place, at the same time to perform a specific action.

    What if we did that, but for new makers? A bunch of us agree to show up, and help a maker with their launch.

    Join the mob →

    Get Balsamiq for free

    Not very many people know this, but Balsamiq gives their software away for free more than anyone else I’ve ever heard.

    Do you work for a non-profit? You can get it for free. Do you contribute to an open-source project? You can get it for free. Are you a “do-gooder” and need Mockups to make the world a better place? You can get it for free.

    Go to balsamiq.com/free and apply →

    (Want to buy Balsamiq? Use code MEGAMAKER to get $10 off Balsamiq Mockups 3 for Desktop)

    Show notes

    Tune in next week

    My buddy Marty and I are trying to launch 2 software products in 1 month. Check out our progress:

    MegaMaker
    en-caApril 16, 2016
    snapchat
    product
    maker
    launch
    course

    E019 - A punch to the face

    E019 - A punch to the face

    Creating two web apps at the same time: which one gets more traction?

    Justin explains his tweets

    Knowing when to move on is the hardest part.

    Sponsor: Balsamiq.com

    Today I wanted to share with you a couple of features of Balsamiq you might not know about!

    Balsamiq Mockups is what people call a “low-fidelity wireframing
    tool”. Basically it’s like sketching on a notepad or a whiteboard, but
    on the computer.

    Visit Balsamiq.com to try it free!

    Discount code: use code MEGAMAKER to get $10 off Balsamiq Mockups 3 for Desktop (normally $89). Code Expires May 1st.

    This month's project

    My buddy Marty and I are building two software projects at the same time:

    Show notes

    MegaMaker
    en-caApril 13, 2016
    open source
    steve jobs
    remote work
    saas
    diy
    Logo

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