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Jack Freelancer

Hey Webflailers - it’s Jack.

Today:

• Ep 100 | 3 Critical Lessons Building Webflow | with Vlad Magdalin
• 3 Inspo sites
• 3 Webflow jobs
• Webflailer of the week

Ep 100 | 3 Critical Lessons Building Webflow | with Vlad Magdalin

So, for the 100th episode, I decided to get the big guns in, fly to SF and do this bad boy in person with the CEO (at the time) and co-founder of Webflow, Vlad Magdalin.

Anyway, Vlad came to US as a refugee with his parents from Russia.

He learnt graphic design almost by accident when he worked with his entrepreneurial dad asked him to convert catalogues from english to Russian.

This lead to a job with a company called Russian American media → deepened his interest in graphics and then 3D animation.

At college, he studied computer science but dropped out to go to the academy of art in San Francisco.

The technical aspect of sophisticated 3D and animation tools and feeling like he was getting superpowers really interested Vlad.

He dropped out of art school and got a job at a design agency.

Why can’t web designers design stuff and hit publish to be live on the web just like 3D - render something and it’s live on the screen

As you may have guessed, this spark was the catalyst for Webflow.

Webflow now has over 200,000 users and is over $100 million annual revenue.

And it was an easy ride with no failures whatsoever.

No no no dear Webflailer… it wasn’t quite this easy.

The failures that we’ll talk about today are:

1) Not valuing himself when he went back to freelancing – until a client rejected my invoice for $750 and said that to him the site is worth at least $5k

2) Stopping to work on Webflow in 2008 (for the 3rd time) when there was a trademark issue and I couldn’t use that name – combined with Weebly raising money

3) (Not sure if I can talk about this one publicly yet… noodling on it) Getting too caught up in the no-code hype and trying to do too much (e.g. Logic) before fully nailing the fundamentals (e.g. CMS)

Webflail pausing for August👀

Here are some updates for you on where the deuce is Webflail at:

• I'm taking August off publishing Webflail interviews to re-group - I need to dive in to the website and re-jig/tighten up some things, tighten and review where I'm at and where I'm going
• Just to be clear though, Webflail interviews will continue in September with season 3 kicking off with Stephanie Bruce (ep 101)
• Webflail YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn is about to get a lot more active

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(For those of you that have asked me this recently) How does Webflail fit in to freelancing?

• Just in case interested, I don't plan on earning money from Webflail from partnerships anymore. That's a whole other convo but I now want Webflail to be a passion project rather than a business.
• I want Webflail to remain where I learn from some of the best Webflowers and share whatever conversations I've had but not put pressure on earning money from it - it certainly helps me tremendously as a freelancer so it's a huge asset to me personally.
• Someone introduced me recently as "the podcast guy," which makes me feel off. I do this small podcast but do I want that to be my sole professional identity? No. I want to be introduced as the "3D website guy" (or something like that).
• As a result, I'll be posting 3D design and website stuff on my personal Youtube, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn
• I'm busy creating a separate brand identity for for my freelancing, a website and thinking more and more about how to share work and learnings effectively - plenty more to come here.

3 Inspo Websites

Anagram Love this portfolio - clean, clear and shows off the work great. And just. check. out. the. work. If that doesn't get you salivating more than seeing water in the desert, I don't know what does. See Website

Akaru Mad horizontal scroll effect and naughty colour palette that makes me feel calm and strong at the same time. See Website

Neoplants Come on. Feel refreshed and futuristic at the same time. See Website

Webflailer of Week

This week's Webflailer of the week is Matthew Hall​

He writes:

Love it - thanks Matt.

See you in September gents and gentesses — Jack

Thank you all for reading this though. I appreciate it. If you're bored of these you can unsubscribe here