Ask HN: How should I announce a new service with broad appeal?
Edit: As mitali and nyellin pointed out, I was pretty vague about my audience and goals, so here's a bit more. The service is a simple app requiring (for most people) no additional equipment above a standard internet capable computer that supports Flash and should appeal to anyone from home owners to loft apartment dwellers. The price-point I'm looking at is up to $9.99 for 30 days of access to the service, so I don't believe it's going to exclude many people based on cost (this is not to say that people will find my service WORTH $9.99, but rather to point out that it's not an exorbitant price to pay). My goal for the announcement is fairly strictly aligned to gathering customers -- it's a bootstrapped product with manageable costs, so no need for investment at this time.
If I had to pick a specific community that I think this would appeal to, I'd say Lifehacker would be a good bet. Having said that....
Getting "TechCrunched" is certainly a desirable goal, but there's also a slimmer chance, I should think, that they'll see my submission among the hundreds they get. I wonder, then, if picking a smaller target that will then be observed by the bigger publications wouldn't be a better way to go. The disadvantage there, of course, is that the bigger pub loses the advantage of an exclusive release.
So what are your thoughts? Should I just "Show HN" and hope for the best (I plan to do so anyway), or should I submit to TC? Direct to Lifehacker? Blast 'em all?
I appreciate your feedback, folks!
- John
P.S. -- I realize this is unrelated, but I am looking for a few (10-20 at most) savvy folks to try my service out. If you're interested and wouldn't mind keeping quiet about it for a few days, shoot me an email at john -at- whiteraventechnology.com