surveycash:


Let me have the full title

Olucheye:


Could you help me with a download link to these books;

The Luxury Strategy

starting a Tech Business

Lastly, The unfair fight.

thank you.

surveycash:



Use The Luxury Strategy filetype:pdf on Google, you will get them. Can't post links here without getting banned.

Olucheye:


I tried that but couldn't get anything substantial. Could you possibly have the direct download links sent to an email please?

surveycash:



Let's give it a try. Will 3 links/title so you can check out which is which.

surveycash:


Let me have the full title

Olucheye:


Could you help me with a download link to these books;

The Luxury Strategy

starting a Tech Business

Lastly, The unfair fight.

thank you.

empowerdex:


olucheye please do you have a copy of alex cowans book ill appreciate it if you can send me a copy

Nmeri17:
still following. when you say "traction" in a lay man's terms what do you mean??

1k001:
Ongoing Learning

So it's been a good number of weeks now deep in the trenches of the startup life. I've tried to focus on selling to and learning about my customers. It's not been easy but been quite an experience. Over this time i've gained more insights into what the customer will most likely pay for and use. This insight has translated into a slight pivot in our product and customer focus.

Having done all this learning, i'm now in the process of putting a team together to execute. As most startup advisors will tell you, the only roles one should hire for at an early stage tech startup are - Sales and technical/ coding. These are the only roles we are thus hiring for. As we can barely afford salaries. I've decided upon intern like positions targeted at post NYSC grads. I'll train and manage them closely on short term contracts. Whoever shows promise and delivers will be progressed on to more executive roles.

As for technical talent, this will be a challenge as we can't realistically afford the type of people we will like. We are hoping to strike lucky with someone who would have a passion for what we are trying to do. Time will tell.

This week i get to attend the global entrepreneurship summit in Nairobi, I'm hoping something good comes of it. So if anyone is going there, you can check me out at the innovation marketplace on the youth and women day.

1k001:
Pivot

Following the training at GES and due to the lukewarm market response we'd had, we decided to pivot and focus in on proving a smaller concept and providing more immediate value in terms customers can understand simply. To do this i spent close to 2 weeks sitting with a customer and observing what they did and tried to understand the problems they have and what their goals are. I went on to hack a solution together with excel and other simple tools. They liked it and we went on to code an MDP (minimum desirable product).

This customer is currently trialing it and will likely start to pay soon. I also went out to look for more customers via direct selling to qualified leads and online ads. This has yielded 3 more customers and a chain of businesses who will trial it. The hope is we are able to convert them to full customers after the trial period. So we are now exclusively B2B rather than the crazy hybrid we were unequipped to attack

I'm now currently creating marketing material and hiring sales staff to go out and generate as many leads as possible. Key being to target innovators/ early adopters (search 'diffusion of innovation' to understand this). We're hiring graduate interns for sales and marketing roles. If you know any young person who is smart, outgoing and enterprising, Ask them to send a cv and cover letter to abujadatacollection@gmail.com

Key learning

- Focus on 1 key problem
- Solve that problem excellently
- Relate it to revenue
- Find innovators/ early adopters ( difficult to do, but think of it as a numbers game as they're only 2.5% of the population. Must talk to 100 to get 2.5)
- Get it in their hands early

If your customer can't understand how your solution helps them make more money in less than a minute of explaining, you're on a long thing.

databoy247:

Nice. But I must insist, is it not time to reveal your product or what your start-up is about? I believe you have been doing some pitching and marketing, plus product display expose at stands in events. Why cant we here in NL know what the product is all about? You never can tell if my organization will become an instant paying customer or if i can recommend some potential customers.

Or are you still scared your idea will be stolen? We are all itching to know.....let the cat out of the bag.

1k001:

Key learning

- Focus on 1 key problem
- Solve that problem excellently
- Relate it to revenue
- Find innovators/ early adopters ( difficult to do, but think of it as a numbers game as they're only 2.5% of the population. Must talk to 100 to get 2.5)
- Get it in their hands early

If your customer can't understand how your solution helps them make more money in less than a minute of explaining, you're on a long thing.

1k001:


Ideas are everywhere so not scared of it being stolen. Like you said, i've pitched in different forums, exhibited and been on TV and Radio so not an issue. Here though I like the fact that i can express general thoughts without fielding specific questions on my own particular start-up. Also like being able to say things openly without prejudice to my startup's interests.

On the customer part, my ideal customers are most unlikely to be reading this thread or even be on Nairaland at all. I'm seeking for reliable and scalable ways to find them. So this forum or even media mentions aren't a customer acquisition focus for me.

BetaQuick:


You arent making much sense here sir. The title of your post is "My Tech Startup Journey". You talk about your experience and yet you do not want to share you idea. I'm sorry but this does not make sense.

1k001:


Thanks for your opinion, my position however does make sense to me. Perhaps i haven't done a good job in articulating it well. My idea is actually immaterial in the journey because as a matter of fact, it has evolved so much that it now bears virtually no resemblance to the initial thought. Execution is what the journey is really about not the idea that continues to change.

1k001:


Great post @databoy247

I quoted the bit on email marketing as i'm not yet a believer. Many rave about it but in my little experience, the best open rate i've had is only about 6%. Click rates are even worse. Perhaps I've not put in enough effort or time, may come back to it later on when i build a bigger email list.

adrianstylez:


For you to have doubts about email marketing. You are simply not ready sir.