Three failure lessons from a part-time venture

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Last May, I attended a "start-up Weekend" event at 3WCoffee. Originally just wanted to experience this form of activity, the result did not expect and the temporary team of small partners together burst an idea, and my work together. Coupled with Analog roadshow, several of the judges who were VCs gave us a very high opinion, so we decided to continue to realize this idea in the amateur. After two months, I continued to use the money to support the project, and with the Comrades Brothers to promote the launch of the product. But to this day, I have to admit, the project will not last.

When I came back, I felt a few lessons worth reflecting on.

　　Lesson one: Don't lie to yourself

The process of a product from 0 to 1 is actually an ongoing process of discovering hypotheses and validating them. For example, the first premise that we make a product is that it is valuable to do this. This value includes two aspects: first, user value, and second, business value. The former is that the product in the end of the user has no use, the latter is that the product can not earn money. If this thing is valuable, that is, if it is verified as true, we will continue to explore more details, such as analyzing customer segments, value propositions, channel paths, customer relationships, revenue sources, key business, core resources, key partners, and cost structures through a business model canvas.

My first lesson was that when I filled out this canvas, I lied to myself. For example, channel access, customer relationships, core resources, and key partners can all be called "resources" in general. In fact, it's easy to fill this canvas, but the implementation of these "resources" is not easy when you need to push your product online. What's worse, the stuff that fills the canvas itself is just an unverified hypothesis. Lying to himself, to the end like driving a new boat to sea, but found everywhere is a loophole.

　　Lesson two: Don't ignore the seed user's silence feedback

Silence is also a kind of feedback, which means that people are not interested in products.

We released the in-beta notification after the product was online, in a channel where the target users were more concentrated. We applied for the beta users and some friends issued a beta account password, the results found that most users did not test our products at all. A small number of users have tried once and have never used a product. When we tried to get feedback via email, there was no response.

In this case, I sent an e-mail to all the users who applied for the beta, indicating that the current version is beta, and there will be more features coming online. At the same time, I did a validation, a lot of functions that have not yet been done with PPT display to the user, the results have not been answered.

From the situation around me, users do have this kind of demand, but this need may not be strong. I ignored the seed user's silence feedback, resulting in a bug-free product.

　　Lesson three: Don't miss the time window

Last August, the industry played the public number of enterprises are not many, combined with business targeted two development of enterprises less. But today, for the public to do two development of small and medium-sized enterprises, the case for various industries and solutions are also emerging. There are more and more enterprises in the industry began to pay attention to the public number, and play more and more good. Even within the enterprise there are many subordinate units or departments involved in this area of business.

For a low-tech micro-innovation, it is especially important to quickly launch the demo and find the seed users and quickly iterate based on the user's feedback. Because it is the first time to try such a project, waste a lot of valuable time. For example, the demo after the development of waiting to go online before the site to get the record, it will take some time to catch up with the 11 holiday, which delayed nearly one months of time; product launch after the commissioning and constantly modify the requirements, has not been to find the seed users to test. Until I feel that we can open the test, and catch up with New Year's Day, spring Festival; Most importantly, it is in the spare time to do a try, and there is no strong sense of urgency.

Summary

In general, it was a failed attempt, but it brought me some gains.

The most important thing is to know yourself.

In deciding to do this project, I think I have accumulated in the product and the business, the confidence is bursting. But in fact, there is no adequate assessment of their ability to "entrepreneurship" does not give enough awe, there is a price to pay. This project allows me to recognize myself and improve myself in the implementation of the project, although it is impossible to do it again, but I still have the opportunity to make this project an important part of another successful product through these gains.

This article is from the "Programmer's Caprice" blog, please be sure to keep this source http://cxykz.blog.51cto.com/11696626/1787400

Three failure lessons from a part-time venture