Enterprenuer
Creator of Upvoty user feedback tool, host of the SaaS Pirates Podcast and Community.
Vlogger (weekly startup video on YouTube, Podcaster and serial entrepreneur.
What is the story of Upvoty?
Upvote was born out of our curiosity. We were developing a SaaS product in 2018 that attracted more customers.
With that increased customer base came more customer feedback.
We needed a better way to collect and track all this feedback.
We couldn’t find the right software that would work well for us, which was not affordable.
Upvoting was the result of our efforts to create one ourselves.
How do you stay productive?
Prioritizing what I need to do today is how I start my day.
Based on the Now, Next, Not Yet methods, I prioritize to get created most efficiently.
My own Now, Next, Not Yet process is what I use.
This is a framework that allows me to determine what I need to do today (Now), which tasks I can complete after my main tasks are completed (Next), and what else I can do if I have more time (Not Yet).
This helps me be more productive and focused. All my to-dos are stored in my project management software.
How do you bring ideas to life?
For me, validation is crucial. Sending a tweet with a random idea can provide proof.
You can see how people respond to your message and whether they are interested.
Although I have many ideas, I try to focus on Upvoty, my YouTube channel, and two podcasts (SaaS Pirates & Founder Mornings).
The Upvotes idea was validated by setting up a landing page with a sign-up form. Then, let’s see if anyone is interested.
What’s your favorite trend?
I am excited about the virtual and autonomous world we are moving towards.
I love my car and driving. I don’t think this is sustainable to me, seeing all these cars on the roads, stuck in traffic, and all the parking spots and garages that are being built.
An entirely electric autonomous vehicle future will allow us to drive safer and less car-sharing will be more feasible.
Virtual worlds such as virtual offices will also help reduce travel time to get to appointments and offices.
This may seem scary to some, but I cannot wait for it.
What habits make you productive?
I divide my day into smaller tasks. For example, I begin my day with a block of email, and then I work for 3 hours (using the Now, Next, Not Yet), 30 minutes of lunch, 2 hours of work, 30 minutes of reading (to get some screen time), 30 minutes of email and then I end the day with the last tasks that I need to complete.
What’s your advice for the Noob?
Don’t overthink. Get out there and verify. It doesn’t matter how much you think. It’s just an idea you have in your head.
What is one thing we can all agree on?
Focus and success can be achieved while working on many projects.
What do you recommend as an entrepreneur?
Keep learning. I won’t stop listening to podcasts, reading tweets and posts from other people, or even reading books.
We’re never done learning. Every day we can learn something new.
What’s your rich strategy?
We are targeting a specific audience. The customer feedback software is available to any company with customers and sells products.
However, focusing on a small group of people makes it easier to write blogs and create landing pages and copy.
This allowed us to grow our audience much quicker, and then we could expand.
How do you overcome Failure?
You thought that I had a great product and blindly invested my savings.
It was my first venture. I was adamant about a product idea that I believed was brilliant and went all in.
To top it all, I wanted to launch with a complete product. It turned out that it is better to start small with an MVP to test your ideas and validate the product and idea before investing big. You are not always right. Never.
Can you share a business idea?
Someone, please create a platform for Airbnb that allows me to order my favorite food, wine, and other essentials for my stay.
The order should be placed already in Airbnb.
What’s your recent best buy?
Apple Magic Trackpad. It replaced my mouse. It’s much more ergonomic.
What are your favorite Softwares or Apps?
Gmail simplified with Simplify Gmail is the worst thing I have ever used, but I can’t live with it. Gmail is so much easier when I use simplify.
Which book would you recommend?
One book I recommend to everyone is ‘The Obstacle, the Way.’
I recommend “Intercom on Starting Up” every time.
This is especially important if you are interested in SaaS.
What’s your favorite quote?
No matter how long it is, every journey begins with a tiny step.
TL;DR by Mike Slaats
- How to work efficiently on your to-do list
- You don’t have to be 100% committed to your idea
- The Now, Next, Not Yet method can help you prioritize tasks
- Why MVPs are important
