Point of View

Point of View- this is where it starts and this is where it ends.

I recently read an article by Pandith Jantakahalli on Product Nation on what it takes to build products in a start-up environment. I completely resonated with his Point-of-View(PoV) that a Startup’s PoV is critical.

Me and My team did have a Point-of-View. Our target customers had a Point-of-View as well. They were not aligned. We didn’t end up well. But learned a lot in the process.

We believed that biz owners could grow their biz by actively listening to their customers feedback and acting upon it. This would in turn turn their customers into loyal and active promoters. I still believe this. My entire team still does. But our target customers, though they believed in this, didn’t think this would be the best and least effortless way to go about growing their biz.

Now, this no new concept. To drill this way of looking at organic growth into the minds of a not-so-organised market requires time and resources (money, face time, educational content). Something not every startup has.

My tip to all startups trying to touch an unorganized market in India:
1) Understand what is the real problem you are trying to solve. There are many blogs out there suggesting different ways to do this. My suggestion is to go spend time with your TG and understand how he operates his entire biz.

2) Ok now we have a problem. But how important is it for the customer to solve that problem? Talk to the customer about the problem. “Hey Raj, I see you have trouble with making presentations. Do you make presentations often? What is the difficulty with Powerpoint?…bla bla”

3) How much is he willing to pay for you to solve this problem of his? The best way — Ask him! “ Raj, i think i might just have an idea that will solve your problem for ever. It would take some time and effort to build it, but say, even if do…How much would you be willing to pay for it?”

4) How many customers like this can you find? Extrapolate from your interviews. “Hey Raj, do you know how many of ur biz friends fae this problem? Can you get me connected?”

REMEMBER: All this talk, before you even think of wire-framing your product/idea.

And finally my favorite learning:

SELL before you even have the product!