Ship it and Sip it

Hosted by John McTavish

Technology Entrepreneurship

Website RSS feed

Episodes

Latest episode

Apr 2025

Language

About the show

The truth about building startups? It's messy, fun, miserable and amazing — if you've got the right team in the right places. Ship it and Sip it sits right in that time after you start gaining traction, launch a new app or deploy a fab new feature. Well done, let's grab a drink and break down what got you here and where you're going next. This is our goal for Ship it and Sip it. We'll talk about small and big wins, about challenges and about what keeps us excited to work creatively to build the tomorrow we deserve. Powered and produced by Paralect.com shipandsip.substack.com

Listen to episodes

60 recent

April 4, 202554 min

Why startups should stop chasing keywords (Do This Instead)

That’s the bold take from Flavio Amiel, founder of SWAT SEO and Swiftbrief . In this episode, we ponder the myths, tactics, and hidden opportunities in SEO for startups and online entrepreneurs. Spoiler: If you’re obsessing over keywords, you’re doing it wrong. Key Quotes: * "Start at the epicenter of your business. That’s where the money is." * "Google isn’t killing SEO… it’s just handing the mic to the people who actually sell stuff." What we uncover in this chat: * Why long-tail keywords are overrated (and what to focus on instead) * How TikTok + Instagram search are changing the game * The #1 mistake startups make with SEO content * Why AI-generated content fails (and how to use AI smartly ) * Publishing blogs vs newsletters Flavio spills the tea on why Reddit dominates Google results (and why he refuses to game it), how his agency tripled a client’s traffic in 30 days just by reorganizing content, and the real reason Substack newsletters rarely rank—even with killer writing. 👇 Want More? * Subscribe for more founder interviews from us. * Follow Flavio on X for SEO gold. * Try Swift Brief for AI-powered SEO briefs. 💬 Question for you: What’s your biggest SEO struggle right now? Drop it in the comments, or shoot Flavio a DM today! (P.S. The secret Skool Flavio mentions? Sign up here .) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shipandsip.substack.com

January 24, 202550 min

How to find (and close) leads on Reddit with Jordan Moloney

Starting this month, he’s been dropping amazing lead lists from Reddit for founders across the Build in Public community on X. But this conversation is about much more than leads, Jordan’s journey from HSBC to solo founder was not an easy road. He’s learned a lot in the year since he launched Founders Owl as a simple side hustle — we get into: * How he found a niche he could serve and won his first customers. * What he learned from going ‘too niche’ early on. * Why Reddit is such a genuine platform to connect with prospective clients & users. * What the funnel looks like from Reddit to sale. And a lot more. Enjoy the show and be sure to follow Jordan on X if you’re keen to learn more about landing leads on Reddit! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shipandsip.substack.com

December 23, 20241 hr 5 min

Inside Creem: The payment platform that calls BS on hidden fees 🚫 | Founder Interview

Co-founders Gabriel and Alec are two builders from the blockchain & crypto space who decided to reshape fintech for small indie entrepreneurs and startups. They have a bright vision for the future of startups, but the lack of transparency among the leading merchant of record payment providers pushed them to launch Creem . So they did, in just a few months 💪 Here’s what we discuss in this episode: 🤖 Using AI to track metrics on payments & more 🤑 Why Gabriel loves bootstrapped startups but needed to raise funds for Creem 🤔 What the current payment providers get wrong 🛠️ The challenges and future of fintech for startups ☃️ How to build a global startup from the quiet countryside of Estonia Along with Creem, Gabriel hosts a fun and candid vlog on YouTube where he releases weekly updates and behind-the-scenes stories. Links to topics we discuss in the show: * Meditations on Moloch by Scott Alexander * Estonia’s e-residency program for founders. * Antler VC and startup program . I hope you enjoy the show and have a wonderful holiday season with your friends and family 🎄 Timecodes : 00:00 — Intro & Meet Gabriel Ferraz 01:14 — What did you ship recently? 05:46 — Purpose and history of Creem 14:55 — Gabriel’s vision of the future 18:14 — What’s a merchant of record? 24:02 — Co-founder journey and Estonia 34:55 — Making vlogs as a founder 40:00 — Raising funds from Antler 45:33 — Problems with scaling fintechs 54:21 — Customer support and the lowest M-o-R fees This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shipandsip.substack.com

November 22, 202458 min

Get strong in the gym with Dawn Fitness App

Virginia’s story started with her walking into the gym at college and ‘being terrified’ to use the great fitness space now available to her. But that fear didn’t stop her. Instead she went on to form a strength training community with her fellow students, gained her Personal Training certification and started thinking about an app that could help more ladies feel confident in the gym. This is her story and the story of Dawn — we got into: 🚀 The Dawn launch and origins of the idea 🤝 Building a real life fitness community and bringing that feel into the Dawn App experience ⚒️ The app development process and life as a student & founder 📈 Fitness market trends and where Dawn will find traction in this growing niche Along the way, Virginia shares her perspective on personal training, relocating to New York City and the energy it takes to: * launch an app * with a full-time * push hard in the gym * and make great reels along the way I really enjoyed this one and I have no doubt that Virginia’s going to do great things with Dawn in the near future. Right now the app is live only at select universities in the US. But as you’ll see in the show, she’s got plans to expand soon! Follow along for app updates on Dawn’s Instagram and for fitness inspiration on Virginia’s Instagram 💪 Here are the detailed sections of the show: 1:00-6:20: The Dawn launch and origins of the idea 6:20-10:45: Why strength training and the community Virginia built 10:45-17:40: The evolution of the idea and key features for the MVP 17:40-24:40: Differentiating Dawn from other workout trackers 24:41-28:35: Being a Personal Trainer vs Founding a fitness app 28:37-31:23: The App development process with Paralect 31:30-41:34: Launching Dawn as a college student 41:35-45:39: Life in New York City as a founder 45:40-51:39: Life Balance and efficient workouts 51:40-58:30: Sharing the journey and making content Thanks for watching — shares, comments and reviews are always appreciated! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shipandsip.substack.com

November 7, 20241 hr 2 min

Making stellar videos & starting your podcast

This show is about much more than podcasts though. George Boyd is the founder and editor behind Cut the Pod — his agency that helps podcasters create great videos for their full shows or short-form content. So this is a peek behind the curtain of video podcasting, as I’ve struggled to learn the process from hosting and recording to editing and growing Ship it and Sip it. It was a real treat to have George on the show and bring his experience to light for you all. Here’s what we got into: 🎥 How he got into editing in LA and ended up working on video content for Disney, Anthony Bourdain and other top video teams 🎙️ Why podcasting is different from simply publishing video content on YouTube and why it’s worth doing even now. 🎬 What amateur or hobbyist editors get wrong and how they can make their best show without a decade of video experience. 🤝 How George feels about getting out in front of the camera again and his plan for launching his own show early next year. With the range of low-cost tools and platforms that make recording, editing and publishing high-quality video easier than ever before, what’s stopping you from launching your show? Check out this convo and head down the road to pressing publish today 🫶🏻 Follow along with George’s journey as an editor and soon-to-be host on X. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shipandsip.substack.com

October 4, 202458 min

Ghost writing on X and curating High Signal indie news 📢

Welcome to new episode of Ship It and Sip It 🍻 Real talk on the world of bootstrapping and entrepreneurship with this week’s guest, Pete. If you're keen on building a business around a newsletter, directory, community or just curious about making a living outside the traditional 9-to-5, this episode is for you! Pete shares his journey from a pretty crap job in a bookies to making over $2,500 by his third month of indie hacking. We uncover: 🔍 the importance of identifying demand ⚒️ launching products in a proven niche 🤑 why you shouldn't be afraid to monetize early and ✅ the value of consistency in content creation Learn from his experience with projects like highsignal.io , his newsletter that curates the best indie hacker and bootstrap news, and discover his insights on building a successful online presence. Highlights: 🐾 Pete's transition from coding to entrepreneurship 🤷‍♂️ How Pete thinks about validation for info products and new ideas 🐤 Using platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn for growth ⚖️ Balancing multiple projects, context switching as a ghost writer and focusing on what's working Whether you're a soon-to-be founder or looking to refine your existing content strategies, Pete's story offers valuable lessons on persistence, ideation and practical goal setting. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more inspiring stories and actionable insights! Check out Pete's work at: 💌 High Signal: www.highsignal.io 📝 Pete Codes blog: www.petecodes.io 🐤 Twitter: x.com/petecodes Thank you for watching, and we’ll see you in the next episode! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shipandsip.substack.com

September 4, 20241 hr 0 min

Building Apple Watch apps and running Watchletic with Viktor Hesselbom

🏃‍♂️🚴‍♀️ This week we're thrilled to have Victor Hesselbom in the studio. Victor is the brilliant mind behind Watchletic , an indie Apple Watch app designed for runners and cyclists. In this episode, we uncover: ⌚️ Victor's background and his journey into developing Apple Watch apps as his side husle. 🏃🏻‍♂️The inspiration behind Watchletic and how it serves the running and cycling community. 🧩 The unique challenges and rewards of developing apps for the Apple Watch. ⚖️ How Victor balances his side projects with his day job and new responsibilities as a dad. 🤝 The power of community and marketing on platforms like Reddit. 🤖 The future of wearables and fitness tech, and AI's potential in this niche. Victor also shares his fascinating stories from the early days as a game developer and how those experiences shaped his approach to building Watchletic. Plus, hear about his surprising success with his first Apple Watch game and his trouble-shooting journey while creating a podcast app for the watch. Whether you're a developer, an endurance enthusiast, or just curious about the intersection of technology and health, this show offers first-hand insights and inspiration. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to stay updated on all our latest interviews! 📢 Comment Below: Have you tried Watchletic? What features would you like to see in future updates? Let us know your thoughts and questions for Viktor! 🔗 Links Mentioned: Watchletic : watchletic.com Follow Viktor on Twitter : x.com/hesselbom Join the conversation on Reddit : reddit.com/r/watchletic / 📧 Stay Connected: Follow us on Twitter 🫶 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shipandsip.substack.com

August 23, 202458 min

Building the open-source Coursera (with AI) | Rotimi Best from ClassroomIO

Welcome to another exciting episode of Ship It and Sip It 🎉 This week, we have a fantastic guest, Best, who shares his incredible journey in the tech world, from teaching English in Ukraine to becoming a bootstrapped founder in the open-source community. In this episode, we uncover: 👨🏻‍🏫 Best's passion for online learning and leveraging AI tools to enhance productivity. 🧱 The launch of Formbricks on Product Hunt and the unique challenges of launching open-source projects. 🚀 The story behind ClassroomIO , a digital learning platform Best has been developing for over five years. 👨🏽‍💻 Insights into the world of open source, including Best's experience with Formbricks and how it influenced the development of ClassroomIO. 🐥 Tips for junior developers on contributing to open source and overcoming imposter syndrome. 🤖 The role of AI in coding and how tools like Gemini and GitHub Copilot can enhance a developer's workflow. 🌚 Best's participation in BuildSpace's Nights and Weekends program and the goals he aims to achieve with ClassroomIO. 📣 The importance of building in public and how it can transform your project and career. Follow Best: Twitter/X: @rotimi_best Classroom.io: @classroomio Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe! Thank you for watching, and we hope this episode inspires you to dive into the world of open source and leverage AI tools to boost your productivity. 🚀 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shipandsip.substack.com

July 19, 202440 min

Stop burning money on ads and grow your SaaS or eCom with SEO

Pete's the first guest I've had in this particular niche and with over 15 years of experience he's the perfect one to explain it all. We get into: • Why websites should rely more on SEO for sales than ad driven traffic • How eCom has changed as consolidation and platforms like Amazon keep growing • What new sites should do to start off on the right foot with Google Search • Where to use AI generated content and images on your site And much more. Pete's recently shipped a new community around all things SEO & AI — check it out here on Skool (it's free to join) Enjoy the show and you can find Pete on Youtube as well as X 🧙‍♂️ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shipandsip.substack.com

June 28, 20241 hr 2 min

Breaking scarcity and selling ideas with Eli Finer

Hey Shippers and Sippers, I am so glad to be back with a fresh episode and fantastic conversation with Eli. I had a little break while we welcomed our second daughter into the world! But the show must go on and Eli’s insights are an amazing way to come back to the studio. Here’s why — Eli’s been on a mission to find freedom and help technical founders figure out early sales for many many years. Here’s what we got into: 🎯 Why targeting indiehackers is harder than it seems 🤑 How to find businesses who are really ready to pay for solutions 🥴 What it takes to find early customers on Reddit And there’s way more. Enjoy the show! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shipandsip.substack.com