All this talk about unbundling and bundling got me thinking
Why don't we consider bundling creators
There has been a lot of discussion about unbundling. Most recently folks are bringing back the bundling discussions.
For those that aren’t familiar with the idea of unbundling, it’s a method that a large community or software could split into many companies. Think Craigslist - it did a lot - sold real estate, find a partner, rent a house, buy collectables, and find a handyman.
These are all standalone successful businesses today. A hot topic these days is Unbundling Reddit, which has a subreddit for every single community you could think of. This is a good place to look.
The opposite is bundling, a simple example of this is Microsoft. They have many tools that every single person reading this has used or uses on a regular basis such as Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. Well they also have other tools like Notes and Teams. Teams is like Slack. Teams didn’t exist until Slack became popular. Many people would never go out and buy Teams but if it’s bundled they would use it.
SalesForce purchased Slack - bundling is what large companies do, they get so big that they don’t need to build a new product. They focus on acquisitions to roll up in their suite of products.
There’s so much Stuff!
Since entering back into the space, I’ve noticed there are a ton, and I mean a ton of folks creating and building. Whether it’s an Indiehacker or an influencer - there is a lot of “stuff” out there. Don’t get me wrong, this is great, the fact that anyone can build anything online and have that support their lifestyle is incredible.
Take IndieHackers and SASS products. Look at ProductHunt you will find a tool being created to simplify everything from start to finish. There is something for everything and usually many ways of doing it.
I’ve been struggling with this, for me, I’ve set out to create 19 projects. Reading that - I’m going to be part of the clout too! Not sure if I want to be another person building things for the sake of building things.
This isn’t me finding excuses, this is a realization that what I do make, I want it to be in an industry that isn’t so crowded. If I do build something that helps me be a better Designer or Digital Creator - maybe I don’t need to sell it as a service.
What about building other industries like sports (not e-sports) athletes need help, or maybe the Golf industry is looking for a shake-up. There are a ton of markets that are ripe for the taking.
The take away for me on this is to be conscious of what we are creating. Focus a lot of energy on validation and market.
Riding the Wave
Getting back to the solopreneurs of the world, they don’t have the luxury of these acquisitions, they often look at unbundling.
Bundling and unbundling comes in waves depending on the market.
Solopreneurs should be more open for “bundling” with others. This could work in different ways.
Idea #1: Bundling Products
Let’s take the rise of podcasts as an example. Podcasts are all the rage, everyday there is a new podcast solution looking to grab a foot hold in the market. Simply put, you could bundle a few different podcast solutions to create a suite of products. This is a real example that I use to create a podcast.
SquadCast to record remotely
Otter to transcribe the podcast
Buzzsprout to host and create Snippets for social
These solutions don’t need to change their brand or change their solutions to unite better. Start small and come together to find simple ways to provide more value to their consumers. It's as simple as recording in SquadCast and transcribing with Otter then host on Buzzsprout.
Right now I pay 3 different transactions and 3 different logins. I have to go in and out of these different applications. Saving that time is worth something to me.
Yes, I understand that it’s some team building the all-in-one podcast solution. I don’t know if that is the right approach or not. Isn’t it simpler to connect these three companies better together. I guess I could try to setup an automation for the time being.
Idea #2: Bundling Creators
As I write this content, there are dozens of others doing the same. As I become more proficient with nocode and integrations, there are millions of others doing the same thing. Can we start thinking on how solopreneurs can still be solo but bundle with similar experts. Not saying this because it’s hard or lonely, the opposite, the communities like IndieHackers and Twitter do a great job connecting.
Right now it’s time to consider bundling and more specifically bundling creators!
Every is a recent example I’ve seen. I haven’t seen many and there are others that are starting to have similar thoughts. We have a ton of creators building podcasts, newsletters and personal followings. I am sure a lot of those folks have a few hundred subscribers. They could have a larger audience by bundling with another creator.
Why couldn’t many creators bundle and enjoy being in a closer team? It could be the full swing of creating a team, pulling in folks with different skills to create a more 360 team.
It shouldn't be disruptive, join forces because you share similar values or objectives. Keep your projects separate with added value of adding another expert.
I would ask anyone reading this, if this is interesting to you, please DM me or email me. I would to love to discuss bundling.
I'm starting out on my IndieHacker journey and already I’ve recognized this . I would love to discuss this with the larger community. My goal is to still build 19 projects in two years! Why not have one of those be about bundling with another creator.
Love the idea and would love to discuss this further, but seems like you have DMs disabled on Twitter ?