RunKeeper: How A Non-Programmer Launched A Huge Software-Based Business – with Jason Jacobs
There’s a shocking moment towards the end of this interview when I ask Jason Jacobs what kind of internet connection he’s on, and he says he’s “technically illiterate” and doesn’t know. The guy founded RunKeeper whose app has been installed on millions of mobile phones because it automagically lets runners track and share their runs. How did he do it if he’s technically illiterate and can’t code?
If you listen to this interview (and you should really listen to this one, not just read the transcript, because so much of how he did it is in Jason’s voice), you’ll know instantly. The guy is so passionate about his idea that developers and designers wanted to work with him, even before he had enough money to hire full-time coders. I know that sounds overly simplistic and you want details. The details are in the program.
Jason Jacobs is the founder of FitnessKeeper, the company behind RunKeeper. RunKeeper makes tracking workouts fun, social and easy to help users understand and improve the quality of their fitness.
You can see Jason’s runs on his RunKeeper page.
Andrew Warner: Before we start, you’ve probably seen posts like this on TechCrunch a lot right? Where they list all the startups that were recently launched at FounderInstitute. I want to call your attention to it because FounderInstitute is accepting applications right now and I hope you apply. If you’re accepted, you’ll have access to experienced CEOs as mentors, you’ll get introductions to investors, you’ll have access to the press and other resources to help you launch your company right. They’re accepting applications right now at FounderInstitute.com.
Remember Patrick Buckley, who I interviewed? He’s the guy who came up with an idea for an iPad case, and he built a store to sell it online. A few months after he did that, he generated about a million dollars in sales. The platform Patrick used is Shopify. If you have an idea to sell anything, set up your store on Shopify.com because Shopify stores are designed...
Continue reading the transcript...