Support as a Service
I have an idea of creating a platform for connecting developers with customers who are in need for support when their site/software suddenly stops working. For eg. when your WordPress site goes down and you don't have the expertise to fix it, this platform can connect you with a pre-registered WP expert to help you fix your issues. Customer can be connected to a developer within minutes. Platform follows the same business model as Uber/Lyft. Platform takes certain percentage as cut and rest of the money goes to the developer.
Target audience would be small to medium size business owners who rely on software but do not have in-house expertise to fix issues when they arise.
Initially software support services makes sense but this platform can be expanded to various verticals.
Not sure if there is something like this already exists? This can be useful for a customer and developer. Customers no longer need an expensive monthly support contracts that they barely take advantage of monthly basis and the indie developers has a way to earn extra income.
Would you be interested in service like this as a customer or developer?
I'd be interested in seeing this for all tech. And certainly, if you can hit critical mass I think it could be HUGE.
Example. We offer back-end/Infrastructure services and get very involved with hacked servers/sites. But we are a Linux only shop and so having somewhere were we can gain business and also pass on work we can't do would be awesome.
I have seen a few services do this successfully - like one flat monthly rate for all Wordpress support. I think there's probably room to replicate this for other niche platforms like Magento etc.
I worked with someone who launched a service in a similar vein.. it was primarily connecting developers, designers, and copywriters to people at small or mid-sized businesses who needed their services.. it would typically be a 1-on-1 session over Google Hangouts, for an hour or so.
I was never really part of the talent pool, but I helped out by volunteering by time for 2 sessions to help with some Wordpress CSS stuff.
As a developer, I didn't find it that attractive b/c:
-- You're on the clock to figure out code that some other dev wrote, and you have no clue how messy or confusing it might be. You also need to figure out environment, plug-ins, etc.
-- The really wasn't anything exciting about the work (fix this, make this look a little nicer, etc.)
-- I was just volunteering to help a friend, but I remember the pay not being great (at least for a developer in NYC) for the time investment involved.
You might have a business, but I think you're going to have to figure out a good pricing model and one that's going to enable you to pay to have developers on-call.
I saw a lot of services that offer the same thing for a monthly subscription, but haven't seen any that would have the same business model as Uber or Lyft. From my point of view it sounds way better than paying X amount for Y hours a month and as you rightly mentioned most of the users don't even use all of the hours that they bought :) Worth looking into it!
WordPress support sites do exist, but there may be room for more! You could try to build something really quickly, with little time and little money, and test the market reaction.
This comment was deleted 7 years ago