We've launched with a price of $49.99/year, but we realized it's too high. We're lowering it to $19.99/year or $1.99/month.

Get Metacast podcast app for Android and iOS at https://⁠⁠⁠metacast.app⁠⁠⁠.
Join the ⁠⁠r/metacastapp⁠⁠ subreddit.

Segments

• [01:14] How we decided to lower the price for Metacast
• [03:03] Initially we had three plans
• [04:48] Pulling the andon cord
• [06:40] One password app's reference point
• [08:21] Why we're not adding ads
• [11:35] Enshittification of consumer apps
• [14:21] Our costs for running the app
• [17:52] Rolling out the pricing change
• [20:05] Podcast and book recommendations

Show notes

Podcasts

• Previous episodes with Jennie: 42. Equity compensation at a pre-revenue bootstrapped startup, 17. From Teacher to Software Engineer at Amazon
• Handsome
• The Mark Zuckerberg Interview - Acquired
• Meta’s Race for Your Face + Google’s Hit A.I. Notebook + HatGPT - Hard Fork
• #446 – Ed Barnhart: Maya, Aztec, Inca, and Lost Civilizations of South America - Lex Fridman Podcast
• #369 – Paul Rosolie: Amazon Jungle, Uncontacted Tribes, Anacondas, and Ayahuasca - Lex Fridman Podcast
• #429 – Paul Rosolie: Jungle, Apex Predators, Aliens, Uncontacted Tribes, and God - Lex Fridman Podcast

Books

• Fast Second: How Smart Companies Bypass Radical Innovation to Enter and Dominate New Markets by Constantinos C. Markides, Paul A. Geroski

Get in touch

• 🚀 Get the Metacast podcast app: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://metacast.app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👥 Join our subreddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/metacastapp/⁠⁠
• ✉️ Subscribe to Metacast newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.metacastpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👋 Send feedback or say hi: ⁠⁠hello@metacastpodcast.com⁠⁠
• 📕 Get our book! The Pragmatic Podcaster: a step-by-step guide to starting an amazing podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFPMT8WW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👚 Metacast merch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://merch.metacastpodcast.com

We've launched Metacast in Apple App Store. In this episode, we talk about the process and Apple's feedback.

Get Metacast podcast app for Android and iOS at https://⁠⁠⁠metacast.app⁠⁠⁠.
Join the ⁠⁠r/metacastapp⁠⁠ subreddit.

Segments

• [00:51] Big milestone!
• [02:38] Apple requires screenshots for older phones
• [05:23] iPad screenshots
• [07:17] Apple's responses
• [12:11] The rejection we couldn't figure out
• [16:14] Apple vs. Google review feedback
• [20:26] Marketing the app
• [25:13] Podcast and book recommendations

Show notes

Podcasts

• #2190 - Peter Thiel - The Joe Rogan Experience
• #442 – Donald Trump Interview - Lex Fridman Podcast

Books

• Not Till We Are Lost: Bobiverse, Book 5 by Dennis E. Taylor

Get in touch

• 🚀 Get the Metacast podcast app: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://metacast.app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👥 Join our subreddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/metacastapp/⁠⁠
• ✉️ Subscribe to Metacast newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.metacastpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👋 Send feedback or say hi: ⁠⁠hello@metacastpodcast.com⁠⁠
• 📕 Get our book! The Pragmatic Podcaster: a step-by-step guide to starting an amazing podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFPMT8WW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👚 Metacast merch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://merch.metacastpodcast.com

In this episode we discuss a couple of weeks when our Slack went silent, a slow grind to launch on iOS, and talk about the word we want Metacast to be known for.

Get Metacast podcast app for Android and iOS at https://⁠⁠⁠metacast.app⁠⁠⁠.
Join the ⁠⁠r/metacastapp⁠⁠ subreddit.

Segments

• [02:12] Confessions of a lonely founder
• [07:12] iOS and Flutter woes
• [18:33] The Wizard of Oz feature for OPML import
• [23:30] What is the word you want to be known for?
• [29:38] Podcast and book recommendations

Show notes

Podcasts

• 596: A New Foundation for Progress - Accidental Tech Podcast
• 300: The Aftermath - Under the Radar
• I like to Read My Podcasts - Comfort Zone

Books

• The Storyteller by Dave Grohl
• The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding by Al Ries & Laura Ries
• Night Watch: Book One by Sergei Lukyanenko

Get in touch

• 🚀 Get the Metacast podcast app: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://metacast.app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👥 Join our subreddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/metacastapp/⁠⁠
• ✉️ Subscribe to Metacast newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.metacastpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👋 Send feedback or say hi: ⁠⁠hello@metacastpodcast.com⁠⁠
• 📕 Get our book! The Pragmatic Podcaster: a step-by-step guide to starting an amazing podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFPMT8WW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👚 Metacast merch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://merch.metacastpodcast.com

We've launched Metacast on Android. In this episode, we talk about the feedback we received, first haters, Google Play store violations, and our launch process. We cover topics of feature toggling, version

Get Metacast podcast app for Android and iOS at https://⁠⁠⁠metacast.app⁠⁠⁠.
Join the ⁠⁠r/metacastapp⁠⁠ subreddit.

Segments

• [02:16] Quick update on Android launch
• [07:57] Marketing and retention
• [11:17] Our first one-star review on Play Store
• [15:39] Feedback from the Overcast subreddit
• [19:37] Our launch process
• [23:15] Our first violation in the Play Store
• [25:13] Feature toggling
• [27:48] Versionarte
• [29:05] Transitioning of existing users
• [32:20] What we're listening to and reading

Show notes

Podcasts

• Networks & Audiences on Bootstrapped Web
• #1881 - Rick Rubin on The Joe Rogan Experience

Books

• The Storyteller by Dave Grohl
• David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell

Games

• Need For Speed: No Limits

Get in touch

• 🚀 Get the Metacast podcast app: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://metacast.app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👥 Join our subreddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/metacastapp/⁠⁠
• ✉️ Subscribe to Metacast newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.metacastpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👋 Send feedback or say hi: ⁠⁠hello@metacastpodcast.com⁠⁠
• 📕 Get our book! The Pragmatic Podcaster: a step-by-step guide to starting an amazing podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFPMT8WW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👚 Metacast merch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://merch.metacastpodcast.com

Big announcement - we've launched Metacast on Android in Google Play Store! In this episode, we talk about deciding the scope for v1, punting on features, and pricing.

Get Metacast at ⁠⁠⁠metacast.app⁠⁠⁠. New users get 51% off Metacast Premium until end of August 2024.

Join the ⁠⁠r/metacastapp⁠⁠ subreddit.

Segments

• [00:22] We've launched in Google Play Store!
• [02:58] Preparation for launch
• [04:01] What makes Metacast app different from other podcast apps?
• [13:49] Features we punted at launch
• [20:45] Pricing Metacast Premium
• [27:48] Podcast and book recommendations

Show notes

Podcasts

• Подкасты Михаила Гребенюка
• Things You Thought You Knew – Planet X on the StarTalk Radio podcast

Books

• Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
• Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Get in touch

• 🚀 Get the Metacast podcast app: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://metacast.app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👥 Join our subreddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/metacastapp/⁠⁠
• ✉️ Subscribe to Metacast newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.metacastpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👋 Send feedback or say hi: ⁠⁠hello@metacastpodcast.com⁠⁠
• 📕 Get our book! The Pragmatic Podcaster: a step-by-step guide to starting an amazing podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFPMT8WW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👚 Metacast merch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://merch.metacastpodcast.com

It’s been a year since we started working on Metacast. In this episode Arnab and Ilya reflect on the journey and compare working on a startup with the old corporate days.

Get Metacast at ⁠⁠⁠metacast.app⁠⁠⁠.

Join the ⁠⁠r/metacastapp⁠⁠ subreddit.

Segments

• [05:35] No going back to corporate
• [06:21] Annual reviews
• [13:43] Best year of Ilya's career
• [15:49] Frustrations with corporate
• [20:32] Anxiety and collaboration
• [26:41] Playing a long game
• [27:33] Letting go of old habits
• [34:13] Getting back into coding
• [37:22] What's new in the app
• [40:55] Book & podcast recommendations

Show notes

Links

• Ilya’s LinkedIn post with reflections

Podcasts

• Metacast Ep. 24, part 1: Leaving jobs at Google and Amazon to start a podcast tech company
• Metacast Ep. 24, part 2: Non-linear career paths, culture at Google vs. Amazon
• What Are Sperm Whales Saying? Researchers Find A Complex 'Alphabet' on the Short Wave podcast
• Was the 401(k) a Mistake? on The Daily podcast
• Google Eats Rocks + A Win for A.I. Interpretability + Safety Vibe Check on the Hard Fork podcast
• Adam Mosseri on the Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin podcast

Books

• The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
• Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
• Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa
• The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi
• Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
• The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield
• Burn Book: A Tech Love Story by Kara Swisher

Movies & TV

• Shogun TV series
• Revolutionary Road
• Ford v Ferrari

Get in touch

• 🚀 Get the Metacast podcast app: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://metacast.app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👥 Join our subreddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/metacastapp/⁠⁠
• ✉️ Subscribe to Metacast newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.metacastpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👋 Send feedback or say hi: ⁠⁠hello@metacastpodcast.com⁠⁠
• 📕 Get our book! The Pragmatic Podcaster: a step-by-step guide to starting an amazing podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFPMT8WW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👚 Metacast merch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://merch.metacastpodcast.com

We're discussing the dilemma of positioning Metacast as both powerful and simple, break down the recent power struggle about 5% transparency of a UI element, and share our experience with the DUNS number that developers have to get to be in Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Get Metacast at ⁠⁠⁠metacast.app⁠⁠⁠.

Join the ⁠⁠r/metacastapp⁠⁠ subreddit.

Segments

• [02:00] The positioning dilemma
• [10:15] Remaining features to launch the app and recent updates
• [13:30] Power struggle between Arnab and Ilya
• [17:40] DUNS (doh...)
• [23:08] Book and podcast recommendations

Show notes

Links

• D-U-N-S Number

Podcasts

• Microsoft episode on Acquired
• The Point of Convergence
• The Emerald: For the Intuitives

Books

• Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

Get in touch

• 🚀 Get the Metacast podcast app: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://metacast.app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👥 Join our subreddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/metacastapp/⁠⁠
• ✉️ Subscribe to Metacast newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.metacastpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👋 Send feedback or say hi: ⁠⁠hello@metacastpodcast.com⁠⁠
• 📕 Get our book! The Pragmatic Podcaster: a step-by-step guide to starting an amazing podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFPMT8WW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👚 Metacast merch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://merch.metacastpodcast.com

We're back and this is a massive update on what we've been up to since our last episode!

Get Metacast at ⁠⁠⁠metacast.app⁠⁠⁠.

Join the ⁠⁠r/metacastapp⁠⁠ subreddit.

Segments

• [00:24] We're back
• [03:23] Tangent about our names
• [05:00] First full-team offsite in Florida
• [08:27] We made Android cool again!
• [12:44] Paid app subscriptions with RevenueCat
• [16:04] Reflection on working in person vs. WFH
• [21:01] Seeing alligators in the Everglades
• [24:08] How we got an intern/contractor to build a website
• [27:33] We've applied to YC for the third time
• [28:13] Filing corporate taxes for 2023
• [31:41] What we're listening, reading and watching

Show notes

Software

• Next.js
• Vercel
• Outstatic
• Fondo
• Gusto

Podcasts

• Microsoft episode on Acquired
• Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin: Edward Norton, Jon Kabat-Zinn

Books

• Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
• Dune by Frank Herbert
• Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
• Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Movies

• Three-Body Problem series on Netflix
• Dune, Dune 2
• Star Wars
• Revolutionary Road

Get in touch

• 🚀 Get the Metacast podcast app: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://metacast.app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👥 Join our subreddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/metacastapp/⁠⁠
• ✉️ Subscribe to Metacast newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.metacastpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👋 Send feedback or say hi: ⁠⁠hello@metacastpodcast.com⁠⁠
• 📕 Get our book! The Pragmatic Podcaster: a step-by-step guide to starting an amazing podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFPMT8WW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 👚 Metacast merch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://merch.metacastpodcast.com