Ask HN: How do I get feedback about my startup? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: How do I get feedback about my startup?

6 pointssoheil6 comments

I posted a link to my startup many times here on HN, but almost every time it gets barely any votes [1]. The first time I posted it it got considerable attention and it even made it to the HN frontpage. But after months of improving on the original idea and incorporating feedback received specially from HN users no one seems to care anymore.

Has anyone encountered this before? What am I doing wrong if anything?

[1] https://netin.co/teams

View on HN

Nobody caring is the default state for a startup. If you got any feedback the first time around you're ahead of the pack.

If you have "thousands of partner startups in Silicon Valley," (really?) why aren't they giving you feedback?

Here's some feedback from me. There are some obvious problems with the screenshot. Percentile is misspelled. Zero interviews and zero offers are depressing, change those numbers. "Schools went to" is wrong, should be "schools attended."

As a not-really-interested browser of your site, I'm asked to put in my contact info before I can do or see anything interesting. Maybe if I were desperate for a job I'd be willing to do that, but then I'd probably be at a regular job search website instead. I don't understand what the motivation would be to "choose who you want to work with" - don't people solve this problem through their real-life network (or social networks) already? I guess my question is, if there are hirable people already in touch with each other (they know each other), what are you bringing to the table? Why are these people having trouble finding work?

Just some thoughts since you asked. I hope you're successful, I'm interested to understand how this would work. Good luck.

Thanks a lot. Fixed most of those issues. I just don't understand how to show more of the product without asking for basic use info first. Even to sign up for Twitter you will need to give more info.

Are you saying I should communicate the message more on the homepage/sign up page. Or make the product available by removing the sign up wall?

OK, I should have looked at your main homepage earlier. The animated gif there seems good to me - show me what the product does, without having to fully support a "demo" or sandbox login for visitors. Probably a single screenshot doesn't communicate enough. But really, the technical features are not that big a deal here, this is primarily a non-technical area (getting hired).

I think the main issue here is, what's the motivation for somebody to do this (assemble a team to get hired)? Presumably it's that they want a job. Are there enough people out there with this problem and desire to make it valuable to solve? The hiring company has more immediate motivation (and budget, probably).

There are probably things you could do to make the page more engaging. For example, if you could figure out even one person I'm remotely connected to via public profiles and show me that person's face with a big choice "Would you want to work with ___ again? Yes/no" that seems like a decent hook and you could go from there. But is it worth sinking time into building that?

I think it would be best to sit down in person with a bunch of people on both sides of the problem and figure out what would get them excited.

Most landing pages do have more info than yours, even when they are selling something familiar, like "do your job search with us." It sounds like you are offering something unusual. It is on you to communicate what that is and what value it would have for someone.

You currently have what seem like a bunch of empty catch phrases. That will not remotely be sufficient.

My impression is that you really have nothing to offer. This strikes me as a service no one would want or need.

If you actually have something of value to offer, you really need to find a way to effectively communicate it in a convincing, compelling manner. This teams idea seems very different from how hiring is normally done. Either it isn't done that way because it flat out does not work, or you are failing to communicate why this is a better way, at least for some people.

Getting feedback on anything is a huge challenge. I think you will need to get better at assessing feedback of the "vote with your feet" or "crickets chirped" variety. Actions speak louder than words. The lack of feedback may be a form of feedback.

I feel your pain. One thing i'll note about your landing page is that it seems to suffer from the same problem mine does which is a lack of content.

Folks that have reviewed my landing page brought up this issue as the biggest red flag. I had a nice looking site but very little content, very little actual information or persuasion. I've been working on adding more content.

As a user, i feel just like that looking at your landing page. What's the real problem you're trying to solve? Why is your way better? Why should i trust you?

Those are the questions your content should answer. I would shoot for 500 - 1000 words on your landing page (based on advice i've read only)

ps. I think it should be 90th percentile in your screenshot.

pps. I added more content to my landing page (to answer those questions) this weekend. In case it gives you any inspiration, it is: https://jobrudder.com

Are you having trouble getting attention from startups or teams?

It sounds like Shark Tank for developers...Where the team is at a deliberate disadvantage.

If that is accurate then it makes sense why the startups are interested.

To make it attractive to developers they would need to understand and believe you are not discounting them, but advocating on their behalf. In order to do that you would have to vet the teams as well as control a certain market share of that supply to be able to leverage on their behalf.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com