Some of What I Learned at MicroConf 2013

Well, MicroConf 2013 is in the past.  It always goes by too fast.

After the Tuesday wrap-up Rob, Mike and a few others grabbed some pizza.  While we were talking Rob asked me what I got out of the conference.  To save my life I couldn’t remember my mental list.

When I arrived at the airport (took the red-eye back to Boston) I started putting the list together.  Rob wanted us to have at least three takeaways from the conference.  I stopped at 10.  I bet I could put down at least 10 more.

  • Teaching is the best form of marketing.
  • Rob Walling can’t tell a joke to save his life.
  • Be brave and do the work to build your e-mail list
  • Website delivery speed matters. Needs to be < 3 to 4 seconds.
  • Visitors will size up your offering in something like five seconds. Design your home page to communicate that fast.
  • Strive to increase trust and lower friction.
  • AdWords: play by the rules and you have little to worry about from Google.
  • Mike Taber is the “Drink Fairy.”
  • You must clearly understand your customer acquisition costs and lifetime value (LTV).
  • MicroConf is a great conference. I’d like to see more alumni next year.
  • Get out and talk to customers. We all know this but we heard it again from presenter experiences over and over and over.
  • You’re almost certain to fail.  Get over it.  Keep going.  Learn.