Ask IH: Would you buy a Node.js quarterly review?
I'm interested in creating my own products, eventually maybe start a saas business, but I'm looking to start small.
I know something like Node.js weekly exists but it can be easy to just skim the links and not click into them or ignore the weekly update entirely. I think there's a market with developers for a quarterly review of a specific technology ecosystem, major version changes, popular new libraries, new releases of existing popular libraries, etc. Kind of a, these are all the things you would hear about if you attended several conferences in the last few months or similar to the thoughbot techradar but focused on a particular ecosystem.
I happen to follow and be involved in the JS/Node.js ecosystem so I think this is a product that I would be able to successfully create and deliver. I'm thinking about 20 pages of information and visuals.
How many of you on IH would be interested in something like this and would you be willing to pay for a pdf/epub/mobi delivered format of this type of product if it was $10 per issue?
I think this is a hard sell to individual developers. How many people still buy magazines? I love getting node weekly but I wouldn't be interested in depth on a quarterly basis. It's already so much information and I can search for what I'm interested in when it comes up.
Maybe it'd be a good pairing when someone buys a Node course. That's a logical upsell for an in-depth information on a regular basis or as an add on to a node conference. Do you know anyone who is in those areas for node training or events to see what they think?
The frame of mind I'm coming from is 'when are people already in a buying mood related to learning about Node.js?' Is it when they have already decided they will pay for training or conference? Maybe its related to investing in themselves to get a new job.
You're probably right and it wouldn't work well unless it was part of an add-on of an existing training product. I was imagining the market to be developers that are more casual about following developments of the ecosystem, but those people are also probably likely to only learn on-demand and not be interested in a subscribing to information.
It could possibly work to partner with a conference and have 1 quarter or 1 year subscription included in the price of the ticket, maybe give it away for free to a few conferences to try to generate traction.
Thanks for the feedback @ness.