Out of Beta

After a productive mastermind, Peter and Matt share their goals and plans for the second quarter of 2020.  Matt Wensing on Twitter Peter Suhm on Twitter Branch Summit

Peter is ready to get Branch out into the world, even as life in Scotland is on lockdown. Matt returns to work with a roadmap for the rest of the year, and key prospects on the cusp of conversion. Matt Wensing on Twitter Peter Suhm on Twitter

Peter returns to Scotland ahead of Denmark’s border closures.  Matt’s family gets cozy at home as schools shutter in Texas.  How are they keeping momentum—and perspective? NOTE: Matt chose the wrong mic for this recording—cave-like audio is the result. Matt Wensing on Twitter Peter Suhm on Twitter

Matt rebounds with a productive week focused on power users of, and new investors in, Summit. Peter ponders the best way to ask for value in exchange for Branch's product partnerships. Matt Wensing on Twitter Peter Suhm on Twitter Hire a CFO by Jeff Jordan Product-User Fit Comes Before Product-Market Fit by Peter Lauten and David Ulevitch Mike Maples: Living in the Future, The Knowledge Project Ep...

A week of meetings pushes Matt's inner maker to the edge, eager to start a new week. Peter christens Branch's repositioning with a complete marketing site refresh. Matt Wensing on Twitter Peter Suhm on Twitter Branch Summit "Investing in Summit" by Ed Freyfogle

Engagement with Summit lifts Matt’s spirits—and aspirations. Peter and Bjørn enter a new phase of Branch’s development, positioning it for long-term success. Matt Wensing on Twitter Peter Suhm on Twitter Summit Branch

With fundraising behind them, Matt and Peter shift their makers back into gear. One of Summit's early adopters shares their requirements for becoming a customer. Meanwhile, Branch is primed for a major new release to ease and accelerate adoption. Matt Wensing on Twitter Peter Suhm on Twitter Summit Branch

Peter lassos a new Branch investor, casting doubt on his co-host's neutrality. Branch product development hits high gear. Matt rides a new wave of interest in debt as he begins designing a financial product for sustainable startups. Matt Wensing on Twitter Peter Suhm on Twitter Debt is Coming to Silicon Valley by Alex Danco Is Debt Coming to Tech? by Ali Hamed

The Tuple co-founder takes a break from twitter to join Matt and Peter. Maker-manager updates and a mostly-friendly round of cross-examination ensue. Ben Orenstein on Twitter Matt Wensing on Twitter Peter Suhm on Twitter Tuple Summit Branch

Matt has been tweeting in riddles lately and Peter demands a clarification from him. In between his busy tweeting, he's also been able to release the first version of his Stripe integration. Peter is onboarding Branch's employee #1, despite the flu. Matt on Twitter Peter on Twitter

Recent investor conversations and product progress help Matt push through, while Peter prepares to co-work in Spain with his first developer hire. The two discuss a pragmatic approach to fundraising. Matt Wensing on Twitter Peter Suhm on Twitter Branch Summit "Recruiting and Hiring a Bad-Ass Team" by Mikey Trafton

Matt's December included the acquisition of his first company, Riskpulse. What was it like? And what does this mean for Summit? "How We Bootstrapped a Weather Startup" (Medium) "Bootstrapping Stormpulse, Part II" (Medium) "Buyout gives Austin startup Riskpulse nearly $23M, big backers like DHL" (Austin Business Journal) Matt Wensing (Twitter) Peter Suhm (Twitter)

Matt and Peter share their goals for the first 90 days of 2020, and how their purpose for starting up runs deeper than their visions for Summit or Branch. Matt Wensing on Twitter Peter Suhm on Twitter Plausible Hugeness by Matt Wensing

A medley of our best startup advice from the past 29 episodes of Out of Beta. Matt on Twitter Peter on Twitter

As the New Year approaches, Peter tests his ability to recruit talent for Branch. How should early stage companies approach delegation and hiring? And why does Peter think 2020 will be the year of freemium for bootstrappers? Matt Wensing on Twitter Peter Suhm on Twitter

The bell of a self-service cash register rings as the fog over Branch lifts. Could this be it? Meanwhile, after eight months of product and customer development, Matt's ready to place a larger bet on Summit. Matt Wensing on Twitter Peter Suhm on Twitter Starting Greatness - Mike Maples Jr’s podcast

Why aren’t more people adopting Branch the way Peter imagined, and why was it so much easier to find traction for WP Pusher? Matt and Peter sail into the Bermuda Triangle of product/market-fit and find no easy answers. Spotify on MVPs Matt Wensing on Twitter Peter Suhm on Twitter

Peter takes a day to reflect on his challenges with Branch and returns with plans for delighting his early adopters. Matt stares down his shortening runway, sparking a discussion about freedom, optionality, and the trappings of monetizing too soon. Purple Cow by Seth Godin Acquired podcast Product/Market-Fit podcast episode on Acquired Matt Wensing on Twitter Peter Suhm on Twitter Summit Branch

Matt digs into Stripe and Plaid after a setback with Bench. Peter discovers the importance of Branch's namesake: Branch is for branches! Matt explains how he offers fair prices to early adopters, sparking a discussion on segmentation. Matt Wensing on Twitter Peter Suhm on Twitter Branch Summit

Peter's public release of Branch creates inbound interest from hosting providers, requiring him to upgrade his approach to business development. Matt breaks ground on accounting integrations, while allowing himself to experiment with a new mode for Summit. Matt Wensing on Twitter Peter Suhm on Twitter Summit Branch

Matt and Peter review the 7 days since the launches of Branch and Summit to decide where to focus next. Peter upgrades Branch's onboarding flow, while Matt measures the number of users at each stage of activation. Matt describes his desire for a shared vocabulary for strategy at Summit. On the web: Matt Wensing on Twitter Peter Suhm on Twitter Summit Branch Matt's Summit Strategy Must-Reads: Busin...

Matt and Peter reflect on their quiet, tandem launches, which required Matt to navigate a rebrand and domain change. Peter looks ahead to a heads-down, travel-free November, while Matt plans his premium offerings. Matt Wensing on Twitter Peter Suhm on Twitter Summit on Twitter Summit - Financial Planning Software as a Service Branch - Continuous Integration for WordPress

In this almost-live episode of Out of Beta, Matt and Peter recap a conversation about flywheels and business strategy that they had in the hotel bar of Dubrovnik Palace. Why are they doing certain things in their businesses while ignoring others? Where are the leverage points that make their flywheels go faster? On Matt's transatlantic flight, he mapped out all of the business processes within Sim...

Matt and Peter are in Dubrovnik, Croatia, for the 2nd TinySeed retreat and MicroConf Europe. On a rooftop overlooking the Adriatic Sea, they share their key takeaways from the retreat masterminds and give their weekly update on Branch and SimSaaS. Matt on Twitter Peter on Twitter

Peter has had a disruptive week of road trips through the Highlands, with evenings of fine Scottish whiskies.  A few thousand miles to the west, Matt is binge-coding day and night.  Where have the mature versions of themselves gone?  Also between them and launch: 8 days of travel to Croatia for the 2nd TinySeed retreat and MicroConf Europe. Matt on Twitter Peter on Twitter