launching a product
DESCRIPTION
My presentation given at the Emerge Conference. January 16th 2012.TRANSCRIPT
Launching a
product
Rachel Andrewhttp://rachelandrew.co.ukhttp://edgeofmyseat.comhttp://grabaperch.com
@rachelandrew
from service provider to
software company
Where we were in
2009
The problem with service
businesses
Time is a finite resource
We need a “really little CMS”
we built Perch to scratch our own
itch
We already knew
a lot about
Content Management
other people might need this too...
Congratulations!You’re now an Independent
Software Vendor
We had no money.
code came free
what can
you build for free?
You have to pay for some stuff.
Scary Legal Stuff
Hosting
UI Design
Our costs were paid back from sales in
24 hours after launch
We had a great
product Everything else
was bare minimum
“
”
Can you draw us a Perch bird as a robin?
Not an actual robin ... but a bird dressed up as a robin ...
- me
“
”
Can you draw us a Perch bird as a robin?
Not an actual robin ... but a bird dressed up as a robin ...
- me
Competing in a crowded market
do something
different
do something
better
do both.
“
”
The competitor to be feared is one who never bothers about you at all, but goes on making his own business better all the time.
- Henry Ford.
What about
free competition?
Better features
Support
Time-saving
Pricing
FREE!!!
“
”
Someone builds a cool, free product, it gets popular, and that popularity attracts a buyer. The new owner shuts the product down and the founders issue a glowing press release about how excited they are about synergies going forward. They are never heard from again.
- maciej (Pinboard - “Dont be a free user”)
FREE!!!for a cut down
version - £££ for the full version
FREE!!!for the core - £££
for add-ons
FREE!!!but if you want
support - you pay
£35 (+VAT) and FREE support,
addons & updates
A license fee means we can put the
product and our users first.
support
Don’t underestimate the
time support will take
Don’t underestimate how
important support is
You need a
system
have a
no FAQ policy
design support out of your product
a better experience for your users
= less work for you
listen to your users
constantly ask their
opinion
act on it, quickly
What will make the most difference to the most people?
“
”
I would humbly request you to please review your pricing scheme and also introduce something that would attract purely web designers like me.
- a non-customer.
Don’t waste time on non-customers
Care. A lot.
“
”
A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.
- Henry Ford
Thank youhttp://rachelandrew.co.uk/presentations/emerge
Photo credits:http://www.flickr.com/photos/lindenbaum/345980717/http://www.flickr.com/photos/ell-r-brown/4039347263/http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulholloway/3538542041/http://www.flickr.com/photos/bike/2933759620/http://www.flickr.com/photos/streamishmc/5075066661/http://www.flickr.com/photos/markhillary/1347412899/