TMBLG

Build The Rocket First

Sun, 06 May 2012 21:46:00 -0700

Wrote an a new post on the MetaLab blog about how we bootstrapped Flow:

When we started building Flow, it was to scratch an itch. We were frustrated with having to use three different apps to manage our daily workflow, so we decided to build a solution ourselves.

It took three of us nine months to go from napkin to reality. We were close, efficient, and most importantly, cheap. We epitomized what it means to be bootstrapped and were damn proud of it.

We broke all the rules. We didn’t raise money, worked short days, and even did client work on the side. And yet just three weeks after launching, Flow was turning a profit. One year later, we’re bringing in over $500,000 in recurring revenue and growing like crazy.

Here’s how we took Flow from zero to half-a-million in under a year without a cent of VC money…

We scratched our own itch.

Starting from a personal need meant we had a leg-up from day one. We understood the market, where our product would fit into it, and what features were needed to stand out from the crowd. We didn’t need to pivot: we were tuned-in to what our users wanted because we built it for ourselves.

We grew organically.

Often when startups get a big injection of cash, their first move is to go on a hiring spree. They take on an army of “rockstar” developers, designers, and biz-dev types, and create nonsense titles like “Chief Catalyst.”

We kept our team down to three until right before launch so we could make quick decisions and keep communication straightforward. Once we had some predictable revenue, we brought a few more people onboard.

There are now 10 of us working on Flow full-time, and since we’ve hired organically, our bottom line is growing along with our headcount.

We slept in our beds, not under our desks.

At MetaLab, everyone is responsible for their own schedule. No bunk beds in the office or ramen-fueled overnight programming melees. We usually clock between four and six hours a day, and most of us don’t even get to the office before noon. We believe in working smart, not hard, and having lives outside the office. It might sound wimpy, but it’s working.

We self-funded.

Instead of distracting ourselves building pitch decks and flying all over the country, we allocated about 25% of the team’s time to client work and used that money to cover our development costs.

By the time we launched, the pricetag on Flow came in around $300,000. Not only is that way less than your average VC-fueled startup, but by doing it ourselves, we retained 100% of the equity. Plus, if we do choose to take on investors in the future, our predictable growth and recurring revenue will mean we fetch a much higher valuation. Would I have slept better for the past year with $5 million in the bank? Of course. Did not having it stop us from building our product? No way.

There’s nothing wrong with venture capital. Given the right circumstances, it’s rocket fuel that can take your company to the next level. But why not try building the rocket first?

willw: Wendy’s Defining Moment (original) By William Wilkinson

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 16:41:15 -0700

willw:

Wendy’s Defining Moment (original)

By William Wilkinson

vintagegal: Elvis Presley- King Creole recording sessions...

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:57:39 -0700

vintagegal:

Elvis Presley- King Creole recording sessions (1958)

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Wed, 18 Apr 2012 23:35:05 -0700

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Wed, 18 Apr 2012 23:33:59 -0700

Hot new theme from Pixel Union. Pixel Union: Theme Spotlight:...

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:51:44 -0700

Hot new theme from Pixel Union.

Pixel Union:

Theme Spotlight: Maximalist (Fullscreen)
Maximalist is so subtle, it’s almost invisible. It’s a full-screen photography theme with optional parallax scrolling. If you’re not familiar with parallax scrolling, it’s a really neat javascript effect that lets you fix the rate of scroll on certain elements. In other words, when you scroll, things move at different rates, creating a 3D or multi-dimensional effect. It’s a really neat experimental addition to an already mind-blowing theme.

Maximalist looks best in its default fullscreen state, but for those that love the aesthetic but aren’t quite ready to full-screen their images, we’ve also built in a low-resolution version.

Check out Maximalist for $49 — we’re all really proud of it. (And let us know what you think by commenting below).

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Sun, 01 Apr 2012 18:39:30 -0700

Quentin Tarantino - now and then

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 18:38:58 -0700

Quentin Tarantino - now and then

The Most Astounding Fact by Neil DeGrasse Tyson Astrophysicist...

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 18:07:58 -0700

The Most Astounding Fact by Neil DeGrasse Tyson

Astrophysicist Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson was asked by a reader of TIME magazine, “What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the Universe?” This is his answer.

willw: Have you been using Everyday for a while? I made this...

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:58:00 -0700

willw:

Have you been using Everyday for a while? I made this print of all 365 of my photos from 2011. It’s easy to make and only costs $15 for a large 20” x 30” print. Everyone will think it’s cool that you have 365 photos of yourself.

Make your own Everyday poster →

willw: You know when someone asks if you want a free painting...

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:41:43 -0800

willw:

You know when someone asks if you want a free painting from their new service and you forget about it for three months, then it shows up at your work?

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Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:48:47 -0800

New Theme: Eclipse We’re really proud to introduce Eclipse...

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:56:15 -0800

New Theme: Eclipse
We’re really proud to introduce Eclipse for Tumblr. Eclipse is the first tumblr theme to combine a portfolio and personal blog, without compromising on either. It features a custom photo set viewer and an alternate light color scheme. It’s handcrafted, sleek, and sharp—but most importantly, intuitive and painless to setup. Head on over to Pixel Union’s premium theme shop to pick it up for $49.

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Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:48:18 -0800

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Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:42:06 -0800

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Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:40:57 -0800

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Wed, 21 Dec 2011 01:02:27 -0800

"Yet she increased her prostitution, remembering the days of her youth when she engaged in..."

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 21:30:05 -0800

“Yet she increased her prostitution, remembering the days of her youth when she engaged in prostitution in the land of Egypt. She lusted after their genitals as large as those of donkeys, and their seminal emission was as strong as that of stallions.”

- Ezekial 23:19-20

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Sat, 10 Dec 2011 01:31:04 -0800