How I built and promoted WorkBurst, my first OS X app

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My first OS X app, WorkBurst, is now available in the App Store! To celebrate, I want to share with you my entire process, from idea to app release. I did everything without writing a single line of code. The total cost? $304.

The most important lesson here is that you don’t need to learn how to code to make apps. You should learn to code if you want to know how to code. If you want to make apps, there are other, more direct paths to take.

Here’s mine. Continue reading

012 : Making Sex Tech Mainstream with Cindy Gallop

Cindy Gallop There’s a technology sector that has the potential for insanely high returns, yet no investor wants anywhere near it. On this week’s podcast, I talk to Cindy Gallop, founder of MakeLoveNotPorn.tv (adult content), about the challenges of creating a sex-tech startup and the benefits of removing shame and stigma from the national conversation about sex.

Just a warning, today’s episode contains both adult language and content. This is also one of the most important episodes of the podcast I’ve ever released. The things Cindy Gallop is doing are absolutely amazing, and I’m so honored to have her on the show to share her story. I’ve been a subscriber to MakeLoveNotPorn.tv since seeing her TED talk, and she continues to pave the way towards making the world a better place.

This is one episode you won’t want to miss.

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011 : Using Adwords for Rapid Business Growth with Brian Kaldenberg

Brian KaldenbergSuccessful entrepreneurs aren’t the people who come up with brilliant, unique ideas. Instead, they’re the ones who solve people’s problems. If you’re banging your head against your desk trying to think of a good idea, you’re doing it all wrong. Talk to people, find out where they’re struggling, and ask them about their ideal solution. BAM! They’re giving you real and proven ideas.

My guest today is neither a writer nor an editor, yet he’s the founder of ProofreadingPal. Brian Kaldenberg is a wildly successful problem solver. He found a specific need (proofreading services), did keyword research to investigate the market, and built a minimum viable product. Now his company is almost four years old and rapidly growing.

We discuss the early days of ProofreadingPal and how Brian grew his business to where it is today. He also shares his Adwords tactics — invaluable information for people trying to drive online traffic.

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5 reasons why creating a popular app is harder than it looks

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When a game like Flappy Bird is able to hold steady at the top of Apple’s charts, it’s easy to think that creating a hit app is easy. After all, how hard could it be to create a game like that? A few pixel animations, some tap controls, and you’re done.

But, just like getting your scribbles featured in the Museum of Modern Art, creating a runaway hit application is a lot harder than it looks. Sure, learning to write the actual code can be a challenge, but these days there’s a lot more working against you than that. Continue reading

010 : Getting Investor-Ready with Einas Ibrahim

Einas Ibrahim pictureDo you have an app or a business? Are you trying to find an investor? Do you really need an investor? Where can you even find an investor? What would you say to an interested investor? What’s the value of your company? How do you know the value of your company? What on earth are you doing with your life? 

Einas Ibrahim of Talem Advisory is here to lead you through the darkness. She was a developer before getting into finance and then finally taking on the startup world. She works with early stage ventures and small businesses, providing strategic and financial advisory and getting them investor-ready. Basically, she’s pretty amazing.

On this episode, we discuss how to turn a product into an actual business, as well as explore the world of angel investing and venture capital. If you’re wondering what ABC’s Shark Tank looks like in the real world, here it is.

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