Ask HN: Want to test the market/idea before launch, but how? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Want to test the market/idea before launch, but how?

3 pointsmaheshs5 comments

We are working on web app for restaurant/cafe/bars and want to test the market.

What we want to achieve? As our product is still in development stage and take at least 30 days to come in beta stage, but We want to show our product/idea to users and bloggers through some kind of screen cast with voice, so that they can have idea about what is product all about and how it will benefit to uses business.

Our secondary objective is to get beta users.

Benefit to user/blogger 1. Get discount on release. 2. Blogger will get coupons so that they can distribute among their readers.

What we did so far? 1. Create the list of potential uses [company info, contact email etc.] 2. Created the list of forums, blogger.

Our questions 1. Is this a right approach? 2. How we can create awesome screencast with great voice without full product.

Hoping great answers.

Any help is appreciable.

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The first thing is to actually talk to your potential users. I don't think bloggers are going to be of much help in this phase. You are looking for feedback and want to talk with real users.

I would not spend time creating a screen cast yet. If you have a few screen shots or can just describe the product to them directly. Ideally you would want 10 passionate customers. If you only have 1 or 2, their feedback might drive you in the wrong direction.

As technical people, we would love to just email a few people or post a comment on a blog. But to get great users, you have to engage them. The best way is to go out and physically talk with them. Since your market is restaurant/cafe/bars, you can do it all locally which is great because you can read their body language, watch them use it, etc.

Please give more details and describe your idea if you really need any useful help. Otherwise, you will at best get vague answers.

Is your product for restaurant/cafe/bar owners or customers?

If you want to show your idea to restaurant/cafe/bar owners, why do you need a screencast? Just go and talk to them.

It sounds to me like it's too early to talk to bloggers.

1. It is for restaurant/cafe/bar owners to get/engage more customers. 2. Why screencast? so that i can show demo to remote customers as well, also i can place it on my website.

Well, if you have local customers, then it might be good to just go and talk to them first and listen to what they have to say. If most of your customers are going to be remote, then you need to first think how are they going to come to your site? Your target users don't seem to be the most web-savvy people.

If you have a budget, there are a few people who make pro screencasts for companies. If you search HN you will find some recommendations.

But I would suggest just make a screencast yourself first. It will help you think through what you want to show and get the script right, which you will need anyway even if you get someone else to make it for you.

Finally, if you have something to show just put it up already and ask people for feedback on the real thing. I know it must be embarrassing if you don't have the most amazing solution yet, but you have to start somewhere.

Ugg, don't do what we did. We basically turned on the PR waaaaaaaaaay to soon.

Get out your pen and paper, draw some screenshots, identify who your customers are. The thing here is that it may be more than one group.

i.e. do you need to sell to both bar owners and their customers? do you need to sell to the vendors? do you need to sell to the umbrella manufacturers guild? (also by selling I mean convince them to do something, not necessarily give you money for stuff)

Figure this business ecosystem out, put it down on a sheet of paper. Then for each of the groups identified, posit a sales pitch. Don't worry if it's terrible. It always is. The idea here is to get a starting point for these people to talk to you. Now go talk to these people.

If you're serious about testing the market, go get Steve Blank's book (whoa, do I sound like a broken record!!!) and go through the worksheets.

If you don't really want to do all the above, then go ahead and post your value prop here.

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