Podcasts for bootstrappers and indie hackers
Many bootstrappers are starting their own podcast to talk about launching, building, and growing their startups. Podcasting allows bootstrappers to reach a group of listeners who can encourage them in their journey, offer assistance, and potentially become customers.
Here's a list of some of the best bootstrapping podcasts we could find on the Transistor platform.
Indie Hackers
Courtland Allan gives some of the best interviews I've heard. "Raw conversations with the founders behind profitable online businesses."
Visit their website: indiehackers.com/podcast
Pushing Boulders
This podcast is about talking to people who are building their own businesses - pushing their own boulder up the hill. Hosted by (@fideloper).
Visit his website here: pushingboulders.biz
Open Threads
Brian Casel (@casjam) hosts conversations with founder friends. We talk about startups, products, software, entrepreneurship, but also what's happening in our lives away from our screens and revenue graphs.
Visit his website: openthreads.co
Pipeline Meeting
Where B2B marketers come to talk sales. 15-minute interviews published Mondays and Wednesdays. For heads of marketing and founders who support a sales team.
Visit their website: introcrm.com/podcast
High Signal
Interviews and advice from indie founders on how they have become successful. Each episode features questions from the High Signal community, which meets on Zoom every week.
Visit their website: highsignal.io
No More Mondays
No More Mondays peels back the curtains to see what it takes to build an indie business. Follow the journey of indie hackers Dan Rowden and James McKinven as they navigate building a Micro SaaS studio and a podcast respectively.
Visit their website: nomoremondays.fm
Above Board
Imagine, as a bootstrapper, trying to challenge one of Google's biggest products. And imagine doing that with no invasive trackers or cookies. That's exactly what Paul Jarvis and Jack Ellis are doing with Fathom. Their podcast, Above Board, tells their story.
Visit their website: usefathom.com/podcast
Indie Bites
Short, bite-sized conversations (15 mins) with indie hackers that have started small, profitable, bootstrapped businesses
Visit their website: indiebites.transistor.fm
Hammerstone - Bootstrapping a Software Company
Two bootstrappers (Aaron, Colleen) talking weekly about building a software business together.
Visit their website: hammerstone.dev
Growing Software
Two software engineers build and grow indie SaaS products while working their day jobs. Hosted by Darby Frey, co-founder of Lead Honestly, and Ethan Gunderson, founder of Glean.
Visit their website: growing.software
Indie Bets
A podcast about building, growing, and selling digital products. Hosted by Fernanda Graciolli and Val Sopi.
Visit their website: indiebets.transistor.fm
Startup to Something
A weekly podcast by two indie hackers, Marc and Matt. They share the ups and downs of building their bootstrapped online businesses.
Visit their website: startuptosomething.com
Rework.fm
A podcast from Basecamp about the better way to work and run your business.
Visit their website: rework.fm
Build your SaaS
This is the show we've been doing since the beginning of Transistor. We've shared our journey from idea to launch to now.
Our podcast website: saas.transistor.fm
The Non-Tech Founders' Podcast
Fortnightly conversations about running a business as a non-technical founder. Join Laura and Nathan as they navigate the developer-dominated world of entrepreneurship, bootstrapping and beyond.
Visit their website: nontechfounders.transistor.fm
The Bootstrapped Founder
Arvid Kahl (who founded and sold his bootstrapped startup with his partner Danielle Simpson) dispenses advice on starting, running, and selling a bootstrapped SaaS company without burning out.
Visit his website: bootstrapped-founder.transistor.fm
Makers.dev
A weekly podcast about building software businesses with Chris Achard and Christian Genco.
Visit their website: makers.dev
Default Alive
Two founders share an unedited look at what it's like to bootstrap a startup through weekly updates. Chris Spags is the founder of Jetboost, a suite of no-code plugins for Webflow. Corey Haines is the founder of Swipe Files, a membership site for marketers built with no-code tools. They chronicle their journeys getting to and staying "default alive": profitable, self-sustaining, with infinite runway.
Visit their website: www.defaultalive.fm
Software Social
Software Social is a conversation between two founders: Colleen Schnettler, a Ruby developer who is transitioning to a product business from freelancing, and Michele Hansen, who co-founded Geocodio as a side project almost 7 years ago and has been full-time on it for three years.
Visit their website: softwaresocial.dev
Getting to Ramen
I like this show because of how real Joshua Anderton is on every episode. He talks about his struggles, learnings, and victories with Upscribe (his email newsletter tool).
Visit his website: ramen.fm
Startups for the Rest of Us
Mike Taber and Rob Walling are the original bootstrapped podcasters. Their show "helps developers, designers and entrepreneurs to be awesome at launching software products. Whether you’ve built your first product or are just thinking about it."
Visit their website: startupsfortherestofus.com
FounderQuest
"Three developers building a business on their own terms." This podcast is from the team at Honeybadger (an error monitoring tool). They've decided to stick to their bootstrapping roots and stay tiny. This podcast covers topics like technical debt, hiring, productivity, and overcoming founder obstacles.
Visit their website: founderquestpodcast.com
Bootstrapped Digest
Ashley Baxter is a solo founder. Every week she shares something new she's learned in bootstrapping her business, Jack. Topics range from "Will this new website redesign lose money?" to "How I improved my signup rate by 14%." The episodes are nice and short (10-15 minutes), perfect for when you're out for a walk.
Visit her website: ashleybaxter.transistor.fm
Slow & Steady
Benedikt and Brian share what it's like to start a bootstrapped startup while "keeping the lights on with consulting." Benedikt is working on Userlist and Brian is working on Headlamp.
Visit their website: slowandsteadypodcast.com
Product Journey
Noah and Ben get together every week and talk about building our online businesses, what's been going on and what we're struggling with at the moment.
Visit their website: productjourney.fm
Bootstrapping SaaS
Val treats his podcast very much like a personal journal. It's kind of like going for coffee every week with a fellow founder and sharing the ups and downs of founder life. Val is working on Claritask.
Visit his website: bootstrapping-saas.transistor.fm
Startup to Last
Tyler King is the co-founder and CEO of Less Annoying CRM, a bootstrapped SaaS company that helps small businesses succeed, and Rick Lindquist is the founder of LegUp Ventures, which owns and operates software companies that empower underdogs.
Visit their website: startuptolast.com
Keep Going
Behind-the-scenes look at two friends building a bootstrapped SaaS startup.
Visit their website: arrows.transistor.fm
MegaMaker
A podcast for indie entrepreneurs: software developers, app builders, product people, creators, bootstrappers, and makers.
Visit their website: podcast.megamaker.co
Other podcasts to check out:
Bootstrapped Web – with Brian Casel and Jordan Gal
Art of Product – with Ben Orenstein and Derrick Reimer
