I wrote the original version of the Marketing for Developers book in 2015. That launch changed my life. In its first year, it helped me make $66,000 in side-project revenue. The following year, after the startup I worked for was acquired, I decided to focus full-time on my own products. In total, the book sold more than 5,000 copies.
Since 2016, I've considered rewriting Marketing for Devs multiple times, but I never felt I had an angle that warranted a new version.
But now, in the age of AI, that's all changed. Building software products is more accessible than ever.
"The hard part was never building a SaaS: it's getting anyone to notice you."
Using tools like Claude Code and Cursor, more people will launch apps than ever before. The hard part? The marketing: finding customers and getting them to care.
So in 2026, I'm rewriting the book, chapter by chapter, to help builders like you navigate this new era.
Who am I?
I'm Justin Jackson. Since I left my full-time job in 2016, I've been an independent product builder. This culminated in 2018, when I partnered with Jon Buda to build Transistor.fm (a podcast hosting platform).
We built Transistor on nights and weekends, and launched it in August 2018. By August of the following year, we were both working on Transistor full-time.
Twelve months after our launch, we achieved our goal: $20,000 in monthly revenue. What we thought might take us 5 years ended up taking 1 year.
In the subsequent years, we've continued to grow. We've hired four employees, generated millions in revenue, and serve over 35,000 podcast feeds (including shows like Acquired, Diggnation, and Think Fast).
What's my goal for this project?
- I've wanted to rewrite this book for the last 10 years – now, with so many people building with AI, it's time.
- My company, Transistor, serves podcast creators. A big part of our success is that I was a creator. I was podcasting, making videos, writing, and building an audience through that work. That audience, in turn, helped me earn revenue from what I built. I want to remain active in the creator space so Transistor can better serve our customers.
- I like working in public. The idea of building this custom site (using Cursor AI) and writing the book in public is exciting to me.
- Similarly, the idea of rewriting the book chapter by chapter made the project feel attainable. I have a full-time job (running Transistor), so this is something I'll need to do on the side.