Finally working on my next thing #TheCommittals
Well, I think I've finally got some clarity on where I think my next project will go, and it leverages some things I learned while working on two of my previous projects.
To begin I'd like to outline a couple of the things I aim to do differently with this latest project.
- a demonstrable need for a relatively broad audience
- has simple requirements, the development of which I could outsource if I felt like it
- easily systematized
- loosely linked to environmental initiatives (if only because it's a selling point and potentially a tax write-off for customers in transition)
- could be provided for free to a limited tranche of early adopters without great expense
- has at least 2 easily identifiable (and sold) add-on services
- lends itself to self-service as much as possible
- has a cost that passively grows with customer use
- has an easily identifiable customer base with a functionally endless supply
Those of you who have seen recent responses will know I've been contemplating something to do with document management for a couple weeks. After some review and exploration of existing solutions I think I can make a play there with less code effort than my previous projects. So I'm committing.
The feature set is known, and while excellence is a goal, what is built needn't be better than anything on the market, just good and comparable in scope. And it comes with a ready market on pace to increase in a big way in the coming years.
One thing I'm definitely going to do differently is to aggressively market the product. I'm in the process of compiling a list of businesses to contact, aimed at putting together a list of about 300 names and contact numbers in the next month. I do want to be able to demonstrate full file support and in place encryption, so I do have some building to do, but this is a concept that I feel confident can be sold. Once I have something roughly functional I aim to start cold calling leads 10+ per day and advertising in other ways. I figure once I've got some functionality in place I can double that call rate.
Currently my price points are under consideration, but I'm aimed at 100 by 100+. That is 100 business on cost-plus-feature subscriptions each of which will pay $100 or more per month for services and support (that I can do myself or outsource to a VA).
There are still outstanding questions of course, but conceptually I think it's solid. Hoping for some brainstorm feedback from #TheCommittal crew. No holds barred, let me have it.
@louisswiss, @helengriffinjr, @vimalin, @jpusateri, @Guidione_Machava, @natejcho, @DF_V, @davey, @VisionIsScary
@breedaddy, @janice
What kind of feedback are you looking for?
My $0.02 after reading this would be that - in my experience - it's a warning sign that you managed to write so much about your goals and next steps without talking very enthusiastically and in great detail about the people you want to help, what burning pain you're solving for them, how you've been chatting to them and they seem excited, etc...
Obviously I don't know the whole situation, so just a gut reaction. But most posts i see like this that are so light on "customer centric" details don't tend to end well :/
I suppose I'm looking for exactly this. I need folks to point out holes in my thought.
The write-up here was to outline the project requirements more than anything else. The product itself is not conceptually new by any stretch, my intent is really to build an alternative within an existing market and formulate the sales approach around remote office operations.
The aim is to make the transition smoother than other offerings, with personalized service, a reasonable price-point and a setup cost that minimizes man hours required of the customer.
The question is a little bit moot as regards the product, it's like asking what pain point a new brand of rice crispy knock-off would solve. I'm not minimizing the question, but rather volunteering that I fully realize that I'm playing a numbers game with little in the way of functional differentiation (at least in the initial offering aside from providing similar features at a marginally better cost and with personalized service.
A less than ideal model perhaps, but it's something I'll have to build anyway for an existing client in the coming months. I also am confident, given past experience and interactions with the local chamber of commerce, that my market could potentially support a local player in the space.
Really tough to critique the concept with so little specificity. Yes, documentation. But given a pretty stacked arena, knowing the differentiators and who specifically will benefit from such would go a long way to contributing.
And then what are seeking in terms of feedback? Product idea? Validation? Pricing? Marketing tactics?
Okay, after reading some of the comments, I see others have written the same!
Interesting! Finding it hard to understand what the idea is yet but it sounds like you think there’s a good market and expect that it will be growing.
What do you have in mind for differentiation? Or is that what you’ll be testing out early.
How will you be assembling your contact list?
Very interesting, I love this stage of ideation quite a lot
Total honesty, not much in the way of differentiation yet. I have ideas for future development, but I think that was maybe subconsciously a sort of passive requirement. I specifically wanted something that wouldn't necessarily need huge differentiation but that would come with a natural momentum toward not wanting to shift providers. It's kind of a Wal-Mart play, no new models but get into a space where there is room for price improvement while still turning a profit.
Ahh I get it! You want a reliable piece of an existing market and you think you can get in and set up shop. Why the heck not. This is going to be cool to watch!!
Well, jeez, you said it better than I could. That's precisely the idea. :facepalm: :P
There's almost always room for getting into an existing market. You do not have to be doing something unique in order to get a part of the market.
What tends to help in these cases is to be approachable for users when they have questions IOW service. The problem with that might be scalability. Part of that can be solved with a good knowledge base system where you can point people with questions.
Good point re knowledge base. I've got a note on that and will make sure to give it some thought. Scalability is gonna take some work, but right now I'm thinking of it in terms similar to scaling any agency based model. Namely, systematize as much as possible so I can delegate as needed. Could be that documentation to support systematization actually feeds the knowledge base too.
And definitely right about being approachable. I'm aimed at direct sales early on, so that'll be part of the day to day.
(Just a quick drive-by to write that my main gig has been keeping me busy. But will drop in later this week!)