1
0 Comments

Logo and Deciding a Product Ladder

I launched my contest on 99designs for a logo and I'm pretty happy so far. But, it didn't come without some concerns...

First, I put my contest up there. There are multiple tiers that you can use to pick how much you want to pay and how many entries you might get. I went with a middle tier. Then, you had options to highlight your listing, feature it, etc. I chose to highlight it for another $20, but I didn't do any other upgrades. I did mark it as non-refundable though. This basically says you'll accept one of the designs no matter what. They say you get better entries because of this.

I gave some direction on what I wanted, but left it open to their interpretation. You have to pick logos you like and colors you like during the submission process.

Of the entries I got, most of them were following my direction. Only two went a different way - and while one of them was totally unacceptable, I did appreciate the fact that they were willing to venture out.

There is a time bounds for giving feedback and picking finalists. Then, you have to decide more and give feedback. I think I'm in the final round picking and finalizing finalists. So, I should have a logo soon.

A couple things I found weird about this was that 1) it's oddly emotionally draining. Looking at all of these designs, especially knowing that people are competing, can be a tad bit stressful. I like completion in the marketplace, but something feels a little bit odd about this mechanism. I guess maybe it's because while I welcome competition in my own realm, I don't like being pitted against someone else directly. I'm not sure. And 2) having a locked in time frame is nice, but it doesn't really allow for say someone to take a vacation. I don't like that.

Anyway, for under $1k USD, I should have a logo in the next few days. It may not be what I want forever, but it sure is better than what I could have created myself - so it's worth it there.

Today I've planned out that my next "task" is to decide on my product ladder or offerings. I know in general what I want to do, but I haven't actually planned out the work yet.

This is important because I need to know how to prioritize work (since I'm working on this currently like once a week only), and I really want to know "what the point" is...

Let me explain that one. I know that I am developing a persona to group my talent in this particular area, but what is the end goal? It's education, sure, but what else? Do I go with educational courses, do I go with SaaS product? All of this I can do. It's interesting, because I had posted something about testing your idea - but I don't really have an idea to test now that I think about it.

Does this mean this is the wrong thing to be working on? Or is this just a part of the quandary and conundrum that founders experience? Or a mix of both?

Well I guess after today I should have a better idea of what my product ladder or path looks like - and then I should have a much more enlightening update for next week.

Trending on Indie Hackers
How I grew a side project to 100k Unique Visitors in 7 days with 0 audience 49 comments Competing with Product Hunt: a month later 33 comments Why do you hate marketing? 29 comments My Top 20 Free Tools That I Use Everyday as an Indie Hacker 18 comments $15k revenues in <4 months as a solopreneur 14 comments Use Your Product 13 comments