In this episode of The Business of Laravel podcast, Matt Stauffer interviews David Watson, founder of RiskAdvisor, a SaaS platform for independent insurance agents. David shares his journey from being a non-technical founder to running a successful business, emphasizing the importance of marketing and sales skills in entrepreneurship. He discusses the challenges he faced transitioning from a no-code solution to a more robust code-based platform and offers insights into building a strong team. David also explores how AI can be leveraged to drive sales growth in the insurance industry.

• Matt Stauffer Twitter
• Tighten Website
• David Watson Facebook
• David Watson LinkedIn
• RiskAdvisor Website
• How to Win Friends and Influence People

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Editing and transcription sponsored by Tighten.

In this episode of The Business of Laravel podcast, Matt Stauffer interviews Gilbert Pellegrom, Engineering Manager at Stripe and former Co-founder/CTO of Lemon Squeezy. Gilbert shares his journey from self-taught developer to entrepreneur, building Lemon Squeezy to simplify selling digital goods online. They discuss technical challenges using Laravel, the role of community and branding in hiring, and the bootstrap mindset that led to their acquisition by Stripe. Gilbert reflects on leadership, soft skills, and balancing personal passions—like his love for cars—with the joy of building meaningful projects.

• Matt Stauffer Twitter
• Tighten Website
• Gilbert Pellegrom Twitter
• Gilbert Pellegrom LinkedIn
• Gilbert Pellegrom’s Website

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Editing and transcription sponsored by Tighten.

In this episode of the Business of Laravel podcast, Matt Stauffer talks with Alex Millar, CTO and founder of GovAI, about his journey from selling his previous venture, Bonfire, to adopting Laravel for his latest project. Alex shares how Laravel improved his two-man team’s efficiency and his experience as a newcomer to the framework. They discuss challenges in adopting new tools, the importance of documentation, architecture testing, and strategies for entrepreneurial success. Alex also offers insights on leadership, communication, and how small, well-executed details can drive significant growth.

• Matt Stauffer Twitter
• Tighten Website
• Alex Millar’s Website
• Alex Millar Twitter
• GovAI Website
• MinMaxing Software Costs Talk
• Randall Stutman: The Essence of Leadership [The Knowledge Project Ep. #96] "‌")
• Jim Dethmer: Leading Above the Line [The Knowledge Project Ep. #60]
• TED: Speaking so People Want to Listen
• Alex’s README

You can email Alex at alexander.millar@gmail.com.

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Editing and transcription sponsored by Tighten.

In this episode of the Business of Laravel podcast, Matt Stauffer sits down with Jason Johnson, Chief Information Officer at Sweetwater, a leading provider of musical instruments, pro audio equipment, and comprehensive support services for musicians and audio professionals. They discuss Sweetwater’s impressive growth, how Laravel plays a key role in their technology stack, and the critical importance of building a strong company culture. Jason shares valuable insights on hiring practices, the significance of diversity in tech, and the power of vulnerability in leadership. He also emphasizes the need for continuous learning and highlights the importance of making intentional, business-driven decisions in both technology and team management.

• Matt Stauffer Twitter
• Tighten Website
• Jason Johnson LinkedIn
• Extreme Ownership Book
• Upstream Book
• 168 Hours Book
• Sweetwater LinkedIn
• Sweetwater Careers

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Editing and transcription sponsored by Tighten.

In this episode of the Business of Laravel podcast, Matt Stauffer interviews Jason McCreary, the founder of Shift. They discuss Jason's role and journey in the Laravel community, the functionality of Laravel Shift as an automation tool for upgrading Laravel versions, and the importance of keeping Laravel applications up to date. Jason shares his experience in building a successful SaaS product for developers, offers advice for aspiring founders and business owners, and discusses the unique challenges and rewards of being a solo founder.

• Matt Stauffer Twitter
• Tighten Website
• Jason McCreary Twitter
• Shift
• Jason’s Twitter Thread
• Jason’s Video on Adding an SMS Admin Action to Download Logs
• Jason’s Article on SMS admin in 8 lines of code
• Origin story of Shift

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Editing and transcription sponsored by Tighten.

In this episode of the Business of Laravel Podcast, Matt Stauffer sits down with Jon Behr, VP of Engineering at FM, to discuss his journey into the company and FM's use of Laravel. FM operates three major brands—Musicbed, Film Supply, and Stills—which license music, provide film clips, and sell premium stock photography. John shares insights into the ground-up rewrite of the Musicbed app using Laravel, highlighting the importance of choosing "boring technology" to ensure stability. They also explore topics like scalability, clear communication within engineering teams, and the intricacies of hiring and firing developers.

• Matt Stauffer Twitter
• Tighten Website
• Jon Behr Twitter
• Jon Behr LinkedIn
• FM Website
• Musicbed
• Filmsupply
• Choose Boring Technology Blog Post
• Becoming an Effective Software Engineering Manager Book
• Radical Candor Book
• FM Careers Page

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Editing and transcription sponsored by Tighten.

In this episode of the Business of Laravel Podcast, Matt Stauffer sits down with Chris Morrell, the CEO and CTO of InterNACHI, the largest trade organization for residential and commercial property inspectors globally. Chris shares his insights on leading a technology-driven business in the home inspection industry and explains how InterNACHI leverages Laravel to deliver education, certification, and business tools for home inspectors. He discusses the challenges of broadening their service offerings while emphasizing the importance of making strategic, focused decisions. Additionally, Chris shares his experiences with the hiring process for Laravel developers and highlights the advantages of active participation in the Laravel community.

• Matt Stauffer Twitter
• Tighten Website
• Chis on Mastodon
• InterNACHI Website
• Chris Morrell Twitter
• Chris Morrell on GitHub
• Radical Candor Book
• Books by Tim Ferriss
• Financial Management of a Marketing Firm Book
• Chris’s Podcast - Over Engineered
• Gretel Package

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Editing and transcription sponsored by Tighten.

In this episode of the Business of Laravel Podcast, Matt Stauffer sits down with Matthew Davis, the CTO of Mumsnet, a leading social platform for parents in the UK. They discuss Mumsnet's full-scale transition to Laravel, unpacking the challenges and victories of their ground-up rewrite. They dive into the technical architecture behind their hosting and how they're leveraging machine learning to personalize content for their users. The discussion also covers the nuances of hiring Laravel developers and why finding the right culture fit is crucial for avoiding micromanagement and fostering independence in the workplace. Matthew Davis offers incredible insights on building trust between engineering and product teams and highlights how Laravel can be a game-changer for boosting productivity and driving real business value.

• Matt Stauffer Twitter
• Tighten Website
• Matthew Davis Twitter
• Mumsnet Website
• Mumsnet LinkedIn
• Randical Candor Book
• Conflicted by Ian Leslie
• Growth Levers by Matt Lerner
• Matt Stauffer’s Empathy Gives You Superpowers Talk - Laracon EU 2015

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Editing and transcription sponsored by Tighten.