The Future is Conversation
It seems strange to be talking about survival before even releasing our MVP but we are all too aware that the failure rate is 90% for startups.
As a small size startup we cannot hope to copy other products or apps out there. There is no way we can match a larger companies development or advertising budget. Our company must be innovative.
We believe the future is conversation, smart conversation, powered by artifical intelligence. Our survival depends on this development. We believe for two main reasons:
REASON 1 — EFFICIENCY
Saving time, reducing the number of clicks, removing the need for downloads or powerful wifi connection are all things chatbots achieve. It’s a very smooth user experience. No sign up required, just open Messenger and type Dogleg Golf :)
Statistics for time spent in messaging apps worldwide shows a major increase in recent years.
REASON 2 — USER SKILL
Even if we go back in time only five years, apps were not nearly as ubiquitous. My parents and most of their age group of golfers I have met would not have considered using apps as we do today. Downloading from the app store, signing up, swiping and navigating mobile operating systems was a daunting task.
We can say then that if we look at the history of the internet and mobile phones, the barrier to entry has lowered. Less and less skill or domain knowledge is being required to participate. It is very much in the big players interest to gain users by making it easier to access and operate apps.
The Amazon Alexa voice assistant is very popular with young children. It recognises them with their unique voice. They don’t have to sign in or tap the right buttons. Just ask Alexa to tell you whats on TV later or set an alarm!
Thus as our AI powered assistant improves with every conversation there will be little need to “onboard” to “train” a golfer on how to use our app. Just type or speak naturally.
To survive we need a few things to go well. It perhaps seems like I am stating the obvious here but there is a “startup fever” going around in social media circles that glorifies moonshot ideas and high risk financial strategies.
So just to be clear:
We aren’t trying to disrupt the industry
We aren’t seeking funding
We aren’t designing exit strategies
We won’t adopt the growth at all costs mentality
Instead:
We will aim to be profitable ASAP
We are committed to the industry for the long haul
We will seek innovation, not revolution
We will provide exceptional value to our clients
Dogleg’s core value will be conversational expertise. Of course much of the foundations of voice and communication skills will be created by the big platforms of Facebook and Amazon, Apple and Google.
But our aim is to be domain experts with conversation in the golf industry. We want to be able to offer better answers and solutions as we work together with clubs to bring great customer service and a more enjoyable experience to the golf industry.
Check out our prototype here and have your first conversation with Dani the Doglegger :) He’s waiting for you on Messenger!
