Justin Jackson and Jon Buda launched Transistor.fm in August 2018 after years of friendship and collaboration in the tech community.

Building in Public from Day One

The founders documented their entire startup journey on their "Build Your SaaS" podcast, sharing both wins and struggles. This transparency attracted early customers who wanted to support their mission.

The "Calm Company" Philosophy

Rather than pursuing aggressive growth, Transistor focuses on building a "calm company" - profitable, purposeful, and designed to improve the lives of both customers and team members. They often say no to big customers whose demands would compromise their focus on indie podcasters.

Key Milestones

• August 2018: Launched Transistor
• August 2019: Both founders quit full-time jobs (1 year)
• Today: 34,000+ podcasts, team of 6

What Set Them Apart

Justin's background in SaaS marketing and Jon's technical expertise in audio made them the perfect team. Their existing audiences (Justin's newsletter, Jon's reputation in the podcast community) gave them initial distribution.

• Time to full-time: 1 year
• Current podcasts hosted: 34,000+
• Team size: 6 people
• Revenue: $1M+ ARR