Steve McLeod
@steveofmcleod.com
I'm writing a book: Kill the HiPPO: How small, bootstrapped software companies decide what feature to build next.
Follow along or be a beta reader at killthehippo.com
Follow along or be a beta reader at killthehippo.com
I really like this quote on NOT hiring a product manager too soon.
It's from an interview with a bootstrapping founder for Kill the HiPPO, the book I'm writing.
It's from an interview with a bootstrapping founder for Kill the HiPPO, the book I'm writing.
November 4, 2025 at 10:37 AM
I really like this quote on NOT hiring a product manager too soon.
It's from an interview with a bootstrapping founder for Kill the HiPPO, the book I'm writing.
It's from an interview with a bootstrapping founder for Kill the HiPPO, the book I'm writing.
"“The 70% rule: If you’re roughly 70% happy with a piece of writing you’ve produced, you should publish it."
Read this today. It's good.
From: ckarchive.com/b/wvu2hghk5m...
Read this today. It's good.
From: ckarchive.com/b/wvu2hghk5m...
October 30, 2025 at 12:08 PM
"“The 70% rule: If you’re roughly 70% happy with a piece of writing you’ve produced, you should publish it."
Read this today. It's good.
From: ckarchive.com/b/wvu2hghk5m...
Read this today. It's good.
From: ckarchive.com/b/wvu2hghk5m...
It's a buzz seeing what parts of Kill the HiPPO, my book-in-progress, resonate with beta readers.
Read the newest chapter - "The Big Rocks Go First" - in the beta version of Kill the HiPPO here: helpthisbook.com/steve-mcleod...
Read the newest chapter - "The Big Rocks Go First" - in the beta version of Kill the HiPPO here: helpthisbook.com/steve-mcleod...
October 29, 2025 at 7:27 AM
It's a buzz seeing what parts of Kill the HiPPO, my book-in-progress, resonate with beta readers.
Read the newest chapter - "The Big Rocks Go First" - in the beta version of Kill the HiPPO here: helpthisbook.com/steve-mcleod...
Read the newest chapter - "The Big Rocks Go First" - in the beta version of Kill the HiPPO here: helpthisbook.com/steve-mcleod...
"build only the bare minimum features"
It's amazing - or maybe not amazing at all - how many times I've heard variants of this from people I've interviewed for the book I'm writing on how bootstrapped founders choose what feature to build next.
It's amazing - or maybe not amazing at all - how many times I've heard variants of this from people I've interviewed for the book I'm writing on how bootstrapped founders choose what feature to build next.
October 28, 2025 at 10:09 AM
"build only the bare minimum features"
It's amazing - or maybe not amazing at all - how many times I've heard variants of this from people I've interviewed for the book I'm writing on how bootstrapped founders choose what feature to build next.
It's amazing - or maybe not amazing at all - how many times I've heard variants of this from people I've interviewed for the book I'm writing on how bootstrapped founders choose what feature to build next.
The barrista attempted a Halloween-theme latte art.
October 22, 2025 at 8:14 AM
The barrista attempted a Halloween-theme latte art.
I just discovered that Stripe is pulling this nonsense with my customers:
4% "conversion fee" to "guarantee the exchange rate".
i.e. 4% rent extraction for zero benefit to me and zero benefit to my customer.
Seeing how Stripe has changed over time kinda makes me sad.
4% "conversion fee" to "guarantee the exchange rate".
i.e. 4% rent extraction for zero benefit to me and zero benefit to my customer.
Seeing how Stripe has changed over time kinda makes me sad.
October 21, 2025 at 8:31 AM
I just discovered that Stripe is pulling this nonsense with my customers:
4% "conversion fee" to "guarantee the exchange rate".
i.e. 4% rent extraction for zero benefit to me and zero benefit to my customer.
Seeing how Stripe has changed over time kinda makes me sad.
4% "conversion fee" to "guarantee the exchange rate".
i.e. 4% rent extraction for zero benefit to me and zero benefit to my customer.
Seeing how Stripe has changed over time kinda makes me sad.
When it comes to angry players, don’t fight fire with fire!
That's from my chat with CM and award-winning accessibility advocate @jarvdusa.bsky.social on the Community Lounge podcast.
Listen to the full episode: featureupvote.com/thecommunity...
That's from my chat with CM and award-winning accessibility advocate @jarvdusa.bsky.social on the Community Lounge podcast.
Listen to the full episode: featureupvote.com/thecommunity...
October 20, 2025 at 9:34 AM
When it comes to angry players, don’t fight fire with fire!
That's from my chat with CM and award-winning accessibility advocate @jarvdusa.bsky.social on the Community Lounge podcast.
Listen to the full episode: featureupvote.com/thecommunity...
That's from my chat with CM and award-winning accessibility advocate @jarvdusa.bsky.social on the Community Lounge podcast.
Listen to the full episode: featureupvote.com/thecommunity...
Making your software provide helpful error messages when something goes wrong is hard.
Example:
Example:
October 20, 2025 at 6:35 AM
Making your software provide helpful error messages when something goes wrong is hard.
Example:
Example:
How do you go about dealing with a loud and angry community member?
Listen to my full conversation with @jarvdusa.bsky.social on The Community Lounge podcast on this topic and much more: featureupvote.com/thecommunity...
Listen to my full conversation with @jarvdusa.bsky.social on The Community Lounge podcast on this topic and much more: featureupvote.com/thecommunity...
October 17, 2025 at 7:43 AM
How do you go about dealing with a loud and angry community member?
Listen to my full conversation with @jarvdusa.bsky.social on The Community Lounge podcast on this topic and much more: featureupvote.com/thecommunity...
Listen to my full conversation with @jarvdusa.bsky.social on The Community Lounge podcast on this topic and much more: featureupvote.com/thecommunity...
October 12, 2025 at 10:11 AM
The first ever Feature Upvote event booth.
At BCN Game Fest here in Barcelona today.
I am sooooooo out of my comfort zone running this booth!
Which is good. Gotta try new things in life to keep it interesting.
At BCN Game Fest here in Barcelona today.
I am sooooooo out of my comfort zone running this booth!
Which is good. Gotta try new things in life to keep it interesting.
October 10, 2025 at 9:58 AM
The first ever Feature Upvote event booth.
At BCN Game Fest here in Barcelona today.
I am sooooooo out of my comfort zone running this booth!
Which is good. Gotta try new things in life to keep it interesting.
At BCN Game Fest here in Barcelona today.
I am sooooooo out of my comfort zone running this booth!
Which is good. Gotta try new things in life to keep it interesting.
Brutal.
And also more true for me than I'd usually admit.
And also more true for me than I'd usually admit.
October 9, 2025 at 6:18 AM
Brutal.
And also more true for me than I'd usually admit.
And also more true for me than I'd usually admit.
I love the candour of the founder we interviewed for the latest chapter of "Kill the HiPPO", the book I'm co-writing.
Yes, he plans and prioritises new features. And yes, the plan is often put aside to work on something else.
Yes, he plans and prioritises new features. And yes, the plan is often put aside to work on something else.
October 7, 2025 at 9:09 AM
I love the candour of the founder we interviewed for the latest chapter of "Kill the HiPPO", the book I'm co-writing.
Yes, he plans and prioritises new features. And yes, the plan is often put aside to work on something else.
Yes, he plans and prioritises new features. And yes, the plan is often put aside to work on something else.
The research for Kill the HiPPO, the book I'm writing on choosing what feature to build next, is already changing the way I go about projects.
September 16, 2025 at 9:07 AM
The research for Kill the HiPPO, the book I'm writing on choosing what feature to build next, is already changing the way I go about projects.
I made pizza tonight with my daughter, who is half Italian.
When she saw the special ingredient I was adding to my half, she gave me a look of utter disgust.
When she saw the special ingredient I was adding to my half, she gave me a look of utter disgust.
September 14, 2025 at 6:28 PM
I made pizza tonight with my daughter, who is half Italian.
When she saw the special ingredient I was adding to my half, she gave me a look of utter disgust.
When she saw the special ingredient I was adding to my half, she gave me a look of utter disgust.
The problem with letting customers use custom CSS for our feedback boards is that they might change the font to Comic Sans. 😱
But seriously, I like what our customer has done here, to capture the lighthearted nature of their game.
But seriously, I like what our customer has done here, to capture the lighthearted nature of their game.
September 13, 2025 at 10:48 AM
The problem with letting customers use custom CSS for our feedback boards is that they might change the font to Comic Sans. 😱
But seriously, I like what our customer has done here, to capture the lighthearted nature of their game.
But seriously, I like what our customer has done here, to capture the lighthearted nature of their game.
I went for a bike ride yesterday and got DOUBLE punctures - both the front and the rear tyres.
Found this nasty little thing in the front tyre. Haven’t found the culprit from the rear tyre yet.
Found this nasty little thing in the front tyre. Haven’t found the culprit from the rear tyre yet.
September 7, 2025 at 4:40 PM
I went for a bike ride yesterday and got DOUBLE punctures - both the front and the rear tyres.
Found this nasty little thing in the front tyre. Haven’t found the culprit from the rear tyre yet.
Found this nasty little thing in the front tyre. Haven’t found the culprit from the rear tyre yet.
We don't pre-announce coming new features. We wait until they are done.
But in the Feature Upvote newsletter today, I put a BIG hint in the screenshot as to what we are currently working on.
Something many of our video game industry customers have been asking for.
But in the Feature Upvote newsletter today, I put a BIG hint in the screenshot as to what we are currently working on.
Something many of our video game industry customers have been asking for.
September 4, 2025 at 6:53 AM
We don't pre-announce coming new features. We wait until they are done.
But in the Feature Upvote newsletter today, I put a BIG hint in the screenshot as to what we are currently working on.
Something many of our video game industry customers have been asking for.
But in the Feature Upvote newsletter today, I put a BIG hint in the screenshot as to what we are currently working on.
Something many of our video game industry customers have been asking for.
On a short hike today, I spotted a donkey disguised as a zebra.
Gotta admit, I was briefly fooled.
Gotta admit, I was briefly fooled.
August 25, 2025 at 5:38 PM
On a short hike today, I spotted a donkey disguised as a zebra.
Gotta admit, I was briefly fooled.
Gotta admit, I was briefly fooled.
August 23, 2025 at 7:28 PM
We've added an experimental "undo" button to some actions on Feature Upvote's moderation tool.
Inspired by Gmail's undo.
Inspired by Gmail's undo.
August 22, 2025 at 7:53 AM
We've added an experimental "undo" button to some actions on Feature Upvote's moderation tool.
Inspired by Gmail's undo.
Inspired by Gmail's undo.
While researching my book, I stumbled upon an act of business bravery from Mark Stephens at IDRsolutions:
scrapping a somewhat successful product.
Why would you do this? Because you've hit its limits and they are curbing your ambition.
That is, it was successful, but not successful enough.
scrapping a somewhat successful product.
Why would you do this? Because you've hit its limits and they are curbing your ambition.
That is, it was successful, but not successful enough.
August 19, 2025 at 8:59 AM
While researching my book, I stumbled upon an act of business bravery from Mark Stephens at IDRsolutions:
scrapping a somewhat successful product.
Why would you do this? Because you've hit its limits and they are curbing your ambition.
That is, it was successful, but not successful enough.
scrapping a somewhat successful product.
Why would you do this? Because you've hit its limits and they are curbing your ambition.
That is, it was successful, but not successful enough.
An unexpected thing I got from writing a draft chapter of my book, Kill the HiPPO:
An open and upfront explanation of how moving from pay-once pricing to subscription-pricing saved the Ulysses app from financial ruin.
An open and upfront explanation of how moving from pay-once pricing to subscription-pricing saved the Ulysses app from financial ruin.
August 16, 2025 at 10:06 AM
An unexpected thing I got from writing a draft chapter of my book, Kill the HiPPO:
An open and upfront explanation of how moving from pay-once pricing to subscription-pricing saved the Ulysses app from financial ruin.
An open and upfront explanation of how moving from pay-once pricing to subscription-pricing saved the Ulysses app from financial ruin.
We did a short but awesome hike today in Andorra.
Featured were marmots (they whistle like humans), mountain streams (cold and clear), and a so-called “Tibetan bridge” (pictured).
Featured were marmots (they whistle like humans), mountain streams (cold and clear), and a so-called “Tibetan bridge” (pictured).
August 15, 2025 at 5:33 PM
We did a short but awesome hike today in Andorra.
Featured were marmots (they whistle like humans), mountain streams (cold and clear), and a so-called “Tibetan bridge” (pictured).
Featured were marmots (they whistle like humans), mountain streams (cold and clear), and a so-called “Tibetan bridge” (pictured).
Hello from the Pyrenees.
August 14, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Hello from the Pyrenees.