How do you step back from daily decisions without losing control of your SaaS?

In this episode, Rob Walling answers listener questions about when to delegate key founder skills, whether great founders can succeed with any idea, and the limits of no-code or “vibe-coded” apps.

To help answer one question, he calls up Ruben Gamez to get his insights on what “good” freemium retention really looks like and why the shape of your retention curve matters more than the number itself.

Want to get your question answered? Drop it here.

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• (2:51) – What’s a “good” freemium retention rate?
• (4:59) – How freemium retention differs for mobile vs. SaaS apps
• (9:51) – When to start delegating the Core Four SaaS skills
• (12:53) – How to hand off sales, marketing, product, and dev the right way
• (23:28) – Can great founders succeed with any product idea?
• (29:34) – Should founders avoid building on no-code or third-party platforms?

• MicroConf Connect
• TinySeed SaaS Institute
• The SaaS Playbook
• SaaS Launchpad
• SignWell
• Ruben Gamez | LinkedIn

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

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How much design polish is really enough?

In this episode, Rob Walling is joined by fan favorite Derrick Reimer for a new round of listener questions. They dig into the best AI coding stacks right now, how to ship fast without losing polish, whether AI is changing the kind of risk founders face, and when to start taking security seriously.

Episode Sponsor:

Are you a non-technical founder with solid revenue and real traction, but your technology is holding you back? You should check out today's sponsor, Designli.

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And for listeners of the pod, Designli is offering their Impact Week completely free. That’s a one-week, no-obligation audit where their team dives into your code, your design system, and your product roadmap to show you exactly what’s working, what’s broken, and what needs to happen next.

If it’s a fit, you can move on to SolutionLab, a three-week sprint where Designli takes over your codebase and architects a real roadmap for growth, led by a full-time, cross-functional team.

If your tech is the bottleneck to your next stage of growth, check them out at https://designli.co/fortherestofus.

• (2:03) – What’s the best A.I. coding stack for developers right now?
• (11:14) – How can solo founders ship fast without sacrificing polish?
• (21:55) – Is A.I. shifting startup risk from market fit to feasibility?
• (31:44) – When should SaaS founders start worrying about security?
• (44:30) – SavvyCal’s latest product expansion

• Call for Speakers – Apply to speak at MicroConf US in Portland
• Claude Code
• Windsurf
• Cursor
• GitHub Copilot
• VS Code
• Visual Studio
• SavvyCal Appointments
• Derrick Reimer | LinkedIn
• Derrick Reimer (@derrickreimer) | X

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

Subscribe & Review: iTunes | Spotify

What are the can't-miss AI tools for SaaS founders?

In this episode, Rob Walling sits down with Craig Hewitt, founder of Castos, to dive deep into Craig’s “100 Days of AI” YouTube series. They discuss the lessons learned from exploring the latest AI tools for founders, why ChatGPT might not be the best option for SaaS entrepreneurs, and which AI platforms are actually moving the needle.

Rob and Craig also chat about the realities of AI agents, the challenges of building a second product after hitting a growth plateau, and Craig’s approach to evaluating new opportunities as he looks to expand beyond podcast hosting.

Episode Sponsor:

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• (03:28) – 100 Days of AI YouTube series, biggest surprises and key takeaways
• (08:20) – Claude Code, ChatGPT, and Manus: Which AI tools work best for founders
• (13:00) – Practical AI workflows in content production and automation
• (18:35) – AI agent cuts customer support in half
• (21:27) – Burnout and breakthroughs from publishing 100 videos in 100 days
• (25:43) – Craig’s new AI projects and what’s next
• (30:14) – Three new product ideas under evaluation
• (33:09) – The pros, cons, and emotions behind launching a second product

• MicroConf US 2026- April 12-14, 2026 · Portland US
• TinySeed’s SaaS Institute
• Claude Code (by Anthropic)
• Manus
• Creator Hooks
• Cursor
• HelpScout
• DocsBot
• LinkBerry.ai – Craig’s new tool for LinkedIn content creation
• Castos
• Craig Hewitt | YouTube
• Craig Hewitt | LinkedIn
• Craig Hewitt (@TheCraigHewitt) | X

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

Subscribe & Review: iTunes | Spotify