Thoughts on building
niche software
Product decisions, industry insights, and lessons from building focused software companies for the industries everyone else ignores.
The Agency Owner’s Guide to ACH vs Card Fees on Retainers
On a $2,000 monthly retainer, card fees cost about $58 a month per client; ACH via bank-link costs a fraction of that. Here is when to use each and how to switch clients over.
PPF vs Ceramic Coating: How to Sell Both Without Confusing Customers
Paint protection film and ceramic coating solve different problems. Here is the simple framing that helps detailing and PPF shops sell both as a package instead of an either/or.
Tint & PPF5 Window Tint Laws Every Shop Should Explain to Customers
Window tint laws vary by state and by window position. Here are the five every tint shop should explain before the install — VLT limits, windshield rules, medical exemptions, reflectivity, and out-of-state vehicles.
Behind the buildWhat running a tint shop taught me about building software
I spent years running a window tint and detailing shop before I wrote a single line of SalesThumb. Here are three things the shop taught me that shaped how I build software.
Industry insightWhy we picked window film as Vizme.ai’s first vertical (and what comes after)
Visualizers exist for cars, kitchens, hair color, and tattoos. Almost none exist for window film — auto, residential, or commercial. There’s a reason for that, and a reason it’s about to change. Here’s why Vizme.ai started with film, and where it’s going next.
Behind the buildHow SalesThumb got its first customer (and what it taught us about building for shops)
Most software gets its first customer through a sales process. SalesThumb got its first customer because the founder of Roffik also runs a tint shop, and was already living the problem. Here’s how that played out — and the three things it taught us about building for blue-collar industries.
HubWhoWhat Vendasta gives agencies — and what it quietly leaves you to figure out
If you’re a marketing agency reselling Vendasta, you’ve probably noticed the same gap: the platform is great at delivering services and terrible at running the business of an agency. Here’s what’s actually missing — and the workarounds most agencies have settled for.
SalesThumbShop management software vs. a CRM: which one do you actually need?
Tint, detailing, and PPF shop owners get pitched ‘CRMs’ and ‘shop management platforms’ interchangeably. They’re not the same product, and using the wrong one is one of the most common reasons shop software projects fail. Here’s the difference, in plain English.
Product thinkingWhy niche software wins — and why most companies are afraid to build it
Generic tools optimize for the median user. But most businesses aren’t median. Here’s the case for building software that serves 10,000 customers deeply rather than 10 million customers poorly — and why most software companies will never do it.
Part 142Audit-Ready Year-Round: Making Compliance the Default
The centers that pass audits cleanly do not scramble beforehand — compliance is the default in their daily workflow. Here is how to get there.