Talking shop with Aaron Cohn from realnice

Today I'm publishing an conversation I had with Aaron Cohn for the Contraption Company podcast. Aaron is the co-founder of realnice, a simple personal website builder. realnice competes with my product, Postcard, which is also a personal website builder. So, I thought it would be fun to sit down with a competitor and talk shop.

This isn't the first time that Aaron and I have competed. In this episode, we discuss how we met, our different approaches to building website software, no-code, craft versus indie software, and more. This conversation offers a deep dive into the nuances of modern software development, valuable for anyone interested in the tech industry's latest trends.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or many other players. Watch the interview on YouTube here.

Show notes

  • 00:00 Introduction and Welcome
  • 00:32 The First Guest: Aaron Cohn
  • 01:10 The Competitive History
  • 01:59 The Shift to Craft Software
  • 03:27 The Challenges of Building a Personal Website
  • 03:29 The Journey to Indie Software
  • 03:50 The Birth of Personal Website Builders
  • 04:41 The Struggles with Marketplaces
  • 05:22 The Evolution of Website Builders
  • 06:41 The Importance of Simplicity in Software
  • 11:03 About Postcard, Philip's product
  • 12:09 The Power of Personal Email Updates
  • 14:14 About realnice, Aaron's product
  • 23:03 The Power of No-Code Tools
  • 27:22 The Power of Bubble: A Developer's Superpower
  • 27:34 The Indie Maker's Journey: From Scarcity to Abundance
  • 27:46 The Pieter Levels Approach: Launching Multiple Apps
  • 27:50 Craft Software: The Art of High Conviction Development
  • 28:10 The Rise of Craft Businesses: A Case Study of Glass.photo
  • 29:09 The Indie Hacker's Dilemma: Money vs. Passion
  • 29:44 The Artistic Element in Software Development
  • 30:21 The Power of Distinctiveness in Craft Software
  • 32:38 The Challenges of Building Personal Website Builders
  • 36:09 The Future of Personal Website Builders: New Features and Ideas
  • 37:15 The Importance of Design in Product Development
  • 38:47 The Real Competition: Battling the Status Quo
  • 39:19 The Power of Collaboration in Business
  • 39:33 Conclusion: The Contraption Company Podcast

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