Ask HN: Should my start-up pivot? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Should my start-up pivot?

4 pointsjawns4 comments

Over the past few years, I've written about 60 small Facebook applications -- mostly having to do with enhancing productivity -- and recently, I gathered the 10 most useful and packaged them in a bundle:

http://fab.pressbin.com

Although the apps should appeal to just about anybody, they would likely have special appeal to people who manage Facebook Pages (e.g. small-business owners who are trying to market themselves).

It strikes me that I might also be able to charge this segment more than I would the general population -- but if I were to pivot and market the apps specifically to this segment, I'm not sure the price premium would offset the smaller pool of potential customers.

What do you think?

Would I have better luck with the status quo, where I'm targeting all Facebook users, or should I pivot?

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Wow, it looks like you worked really hard on that stuff. I bet it's a solid product suite.

I would never buy it. But take that with salt: I'm not your potential market.

What I might potentially buy (and for a much higher price) is a screencast of you showing me how to build a FB app.

You've built ~60 FB apps. IMHO the product you should be selling is 'How to build a FB app.' And if I were you (and if I were a good presenter) I would do screencasts.

Your extra investment in front of the computer would, what, a week? Leverage what you've already done, showcase it nicely, and build a tutorial.

Check out railstutorial.com. That would be my model.

Yes I would pivot if I were you. But big caveat: you know this space much better than I do. I've done zero market research on FB app How-Tos, manuals etc. I haven't even read the beginner tutorial on how to make a FB app.

But I know that scores of people would pay to learn what you know.

Good luck!

Amazing job with these apps! I think each solves a definite need in the market.

My challenge to you, however, is to integrate them all in a way that makes sense. Even though it's bundled, it's a different app for each type of task. They are really random features of a potentially great product.

You clearly have great insight into what these customers want. I'd be surprised if you didn't succeed tackling another problem for this market. Just by chance, are you sure you're marketing your products properly and giving them a fair shot?

I think you should have seperate models for B2B and B2C and give them each the respect they deserve. Trying to paint all by the same brush will either drive your users down (if you charge) or drive your revenue down (not charge).

Link: http://fab.pressbin.com

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