#019 Charge More, Earn More with Steve McLeod

In this episode, Steve McLeod shares the lessons he's learned from building and growing his SaaS product Feature Upvote. Steve discusses his unconventional journey from an IT consultant to a successful indie hacker, including the surprising ways his target market evolved over time. The conversation covers Steve's approach to pricing and customer acquisition, as well as his decision to launch a coaching business alongside his core product. Steve offers counter-intuitive advice and insights that challenge common indie hacker wisdom, providing a refreshingly honest look at the ups and downs of his entrepreneurial path. Whether you're just starting your first indie project or looking to take an established product to the next level, this episode is filled with practical wisdom that could reshape your strategies and mindset as an entrepreneur. ___ 00:00 Introduction and Background 01:02 Discovering the Indie Hacker Community 03:16 Finding Unexpected Customers 04:13 The Pricing Dilemma 05:26 Choosing the Right Target Market 06:32 The Pros and Cons of High Pricing 07:29 Managing Customer Support Expectations 08:19 The Challenges of Running a 24/7 SaaS 08:59 The Importance of Launching Early 09:41 Validating the Product Market Fit 10:11 The Decision to Bootstrap Feature Upvote 11:44 Overcoming the Fear of SaaS Downtime 12:49 Choosing the Right Product Idea 13:33 Dealing with Self-Doubt and Imposter Syndrome 14:27 Acquiring the First Customers 15:52 Building Credibility in Online Communities 19:34 The Importance of Being Helpful in Communities 20:58 The Journey from Zero MRR to Sustainable Income 22:25 The Challenges of Content Writing 23:41 The Definition of Bootstrapping 25:03 The Decision to Persist or Quit 26:18 The Value of Transparency in Marketing 27:34 Dealing with Self-Doubt and Seeking Support 29:08 The Ever-Present Self-Doubt in Entrepreneurship 30:47 The Effectiveness of Different Marketing Strategies 31:59 The Impact of Competitors on Customer Feedback 33:14 The Balance Between Transparency and Competition 34:39 The Importance of Listening to Your Customers 35:48 The Trial and Error of Marketing Techniques 36:46 The Value of Expert Help in Marketing 37:34 The Importance of Getting Started with SEO 38:28 The Impact of AI on SEO 41:11 Creating Long-Form Content for Marketing 42:27 Reusing Content for Different Platforms 44:41 Launching a Coaching Business 45:48 Setting Premium Prices for Coaching 49:39 Balancing Coaching and Business Expansion 53:29 The Future of Feature Upvote and Coaching 55:13 Finding a Balance in Entrepreneurship 58:21 Excitement for HTMX 01:02:57 Advice for Bootstrappers: Charge More ___ Steve's Twitter: https://twitter.com/steveofmcleod Steve's personal website: ⁠https://steveofmcleod.com/ Public Lab: ⁠https://featureupvote.com/ My own website: ⁠⁠⁠https://icebearlabs.com⁠⁠⁠ You can find this podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://codeandconquer.fm Find our product here: https://www.repodcasted.com/