Kevin Conti 🇺🇦

Formerly Software Ideas. Now helping small businesses win with AI.

[Kevin Conti 🇺🇦 @Kev_Conti]

Today marks three months of Software Ideas!

I wrote a retrospective, summarizing how I created, discovered, validated, and grew Software Ideas to $6k MRR in only three months. Check it out!

https://t.co/OmIqfQszMr

[Kevin Conti 🇺🇦 @Kev_Conti]

@KevConti New account ^ follow if you are interested in AI that actually delivers ROI.

Kicking things off with a giveaway!

[Kev @KevConti]

AI is killing the business models for Open Source companies 😥

Starting with orgs that don’t have a hosted upsell like Tailwind, but any company whose business model is “convenience as an upsell” should be in full-blown panic.

Here’s 6 solutions: 🧵

[Kevin Conti 🇺🇦 @Kev_Conti]

I honestly think founders are too quick to build an MVP.

I see a lot of readers want to jump right to building, instead of talking to leads, learning how to speak their language, and learning how to market and sell to that audience.

[Kevin Conti 🇺🇦 @Kev_Conti]

I'm pretty sure that this post is still the single most valuable resource I've given away on the internet.

https://t.co/iOOurHj6aH

[Kevin Conti 🇺🇦 @Kev_Conti]

Businesses that have to explain to users why they are valuable CAN be successful... but YOU shouldn't make one.

(Quick Thread...)

[Kevin Conti 🇺🇦 @Kev_Conti]

My hottest take is that I believe 99% of bootstrapped founders should be doing pre-sales.

Here's some advice I gave to a peer on Indie Hackers that explains why I feel so strongly about it:

(Thread)

[Kevin Conti 🇺🇦 @Kev_Conti]

"Find an audience" <- Wrong.

Can you imagine trying to 'find an audience' in real life? Walk around the streets until you find one?

You build an audience by doing useful or interesting things.

Start by finding a MARKET, and do useful things until an audience finds you.

[Kevin Conti 🇺🇦 @Kev_Conti]

The must-read business books for founders:

* The Mom Test by @robfitz
* Obviously Awesome by @aprildunford

There's 50 more that are great, but these are the two that you need to read even if you HATE reading.

No excuses to not have read these two.

[Kevin Conti 🇺🇦 @Kev_Conti]

It's always interesting to me when I get compliments for being a "good marketer". I'm an introverted developer by nature, so it's a huge compliment!

Just goes to show that it's a skill that can be learned.

[Kevin Conti 🇺🇦 @Kev_Conti]

If you enjoy my thoughts on business, you may want to follow @SoftwareIdeasIO - I'll be moving a lot of my analysis there!

[Kevin Conti 🇺🇦 @Kev_Conti]

The simplest checklist that I can think of for evaluating a product idea:

1) When your ideal customer hears about it, do they say, "Shut up and take my money!"

2) Do you have a way to get a lot of ideal customers to hear about it?

If both are a "yes," you have a good idea!

[Kevin Conti 🇺🇦 @Kev_Conti]

Software Ideas Preview Newsletter | Issue #73! ⭐ - https://t.co/JbKo9vyFOz

[Kevin Conti 🇺🇦 @Kev_Conti]

Your first time writing CSS as a startup founder:
"Hmm, maybe I should consider BEM or SMACSS for my naming conventions? I want to make sure my CSS is clean and robust..."

Your 100th time writing CSS as a startup founder:

[Kevin Conti 🇺🇦 @Kev_Conti]

@manceraio Yep, found it on accident trying to grab the video url 😄

[Kevin Conti 🇺🇦 @Kev_Conti]

Your first time writing CSS as a startup founder:
"Hmm, maybe I should consider BEM or SMACSS for my naming conventions? I want to make sure my CSS is clean and robust..."

Your 100th time writing CSS as a startup founder:

[Kevin Conti 🇺🇦 @Kev_Conti]

@JIC94 @IndieHackers Thanks for the shoutout, Julian!

[Kevin Conti 🇺🇦 @Kev_Conti]

The Software Ideas audience is 96.6% male. I imagine that it's a reflection of the larger startup audience in general.

What can we do as a community to encourage more female bootstrappers?

[Kevin Conti 🇺🇦 @Kev_Conti]

I talk a lot about “product risks” - risks that a product can’t be built, even if there is market demand for it.

A lot of founders don’t get the concept at first, but I think I just found a good example 😅

[Bad Software Ideas 🇺🇦 @BadSoftwareIdea]

Startup idea: A startup that specializes in bringing back dead pets to life

[Kevin Conti 🇺🇦 @Kev_Conti]

https://t.co/aZpHWYidDG

[:Cromwell: @learnwithmattc]

Submissions for the first ever "Glam That Plugin" series are open now!

Better yet, the smart and saavy @lesley_pizza will be co-hosting as well!

If you want a free marketing audit of your free/mium WP plugin, fill out the form and watch your inbox!
https://t.co/7xsZzLzy04