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Sports Coaching App

A detailed account of a Fastlane process...

BigBrianC

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Alright, finally getting started. Going to make a progress thread for both accountability and to document the process, hopefully to success. I am going to be making an app that allows coaches to input scouting reports of players, make depth charts, draw plays, create formations, create rosters, etc. I will also allow coach-team communication, so coaches can send reminders to the team, schedules for the week/month/day, the depth charts, playbooks, etc.

My first step is to sit down and plan all of the functions/features I want, create some flow charts of the functionality and some sample screens, then get to work!

The only huge limitation I'm facing is some time (Still got high school HW to do, and I also coach the JV Soccer team) but to help with this I'm cutting out video games so all of my free time (not homework, not coaching) will be spent on outside exercise or working on the app. The other limitation, a real limitation, is that I don't have a mac, so I'm going to be starting on Android and hopefully get a small-medium sized backing and either make enough profit to afford $99 for an iOS Dev license and make the app somehow on iOS using any kind of Mac i can get my hands on (library or something), to get enough revenue to afford a Mac Mini or get enough support to start a Kickstarter or IndieGoGo to get money to make the iOS app.

Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Concerns?
 
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BigBrianC

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Alright, got my features list created. Now to get started on drafting up diagrams of the flow of the app and some mockups.
 

BigBrianC

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Hey all, ive got a question. Im thinking about profitization models. Im considering a subscription based model. Without a subscription, you will not be able to create/share with groups, it will solely be an app for coaches to create scouting reports and make playbooks. With the subscription, they will be able to send these to groups, communicate, send schedules, and the rest of the features associated. I could also offer cloud storage. Then I can possibly have ads for free users as well. For scalibility, i can charge more for more groups ajd more storage space. Thoughts?
 

Sisyphus

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Its too early to think about profit models. I would make everything free for early adopters. Get some validation and feedback. Make sure there are people who want it. Design a minimum viable product. Talk to these people. Then you will have a much better perspective in what route you should take.

Right now you should only focus on assessing the demand of the product. Anything else is waste of time.

I recommend the book: The Lean Start-up, if you haven't read it already.
 
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BigBrianC

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Thanks for the response. Ill read the book. Do you reccomend a landing page then MVP, or jump straight to MVP?
 

Sisyphus

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I would jump straight to the MVP. Since you are building a platform, factors like usability and user experience contribute a lot. For example, do you want to learn to cook? -Yes! -Then read this book and attend all my work shops. This wouldn't work because the design choice is wrong.


But regardless, you should start by talking to your clients. Probe them for problems, annoyances etc.
 

BigBrianC

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im pretty confident about the features/solutions im implementing. Im a coach and was a player under several coaches, and of course I know and have talked to many coaches. Im taking everything a coach uses and putting it into one app. Targeting High School and club level coaches, possibly even colleges later on.
 
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BigBrianC

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Im going to "pivot" so to speak. Rather than release a mobile app first, im going to start the website first with a mobile website. I decided id fail without a web version, so I think this is best. It will be the same thing, same features, just no native app yet. And hopefully it will act as my MVP (easier than an app) and give me $ to afford incorporation, dev license,etc
 

BigBrianC

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Alright, question for those of you who may see it. Based on the features and whatnot in the thread and my desire to go web first, I'm considering either a custom site (built by myself) or a template. I can do web design and dev, but my designs aren't that great, and I'd need to put in some hours doing some refresher on good HTML, good CSS, some JS, etc. I was wondering should I go with the custom design, or should I just find a good template to use?
 

fuller

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IMO you should use a template. Spend most of your time and energy on functionality and not how pretty/unique it looks. That can come later.
 
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1step

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I went down this same path 4 years ago. Please learn from my mistakes, read the lean startup like was mentioned in a comment above. Launch an MVP get coaches on board and then spend the money and time needed to actually build the product.

I wasted a year of my life on a project eerily similar to what you are talking about, would hate to see you do the same.
 

BigBrianC

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Any other recommendations from doing a similar product?i thank you guys for all the advice. What all should my MVP entail? Maybe a site with all the features that is just a rough design or something? I dont think there are many features it can go without and be good
 

BigBrianC

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Alright, read the book, it was awesome. Learned a ton, definitely a must read for all on this forum.

After reading it, I was thinking this is the best way to go:
A page to drum up some interest. List future features. Ask for registrations in exchange for a free year of the service once it goes live and first access. Determine if coaches would be interested in at all, at a free price.
Determine if coaches would be interested in having an online roster/depth chart by creating a MVP with only the player creation, roster management and depth chart aspects enabled.
If that is successful, add in playbooks and formations and test those.
if those are successful, add in group communication and calendar.
If any of the above are not successful, examine customer feedback and determine what went wrong, whether it was functionality of the product due to being a MVP or if it was lack of interest. If functionality, fix and then move on. If lack of interest, pivot.

I doubt there will be much initial interest on the website side for the group communication. If a customer is on the PC, why not just go to his email and send out that mass email instead of the web app. For the first bit, I think the roster management and depth chart management/sending as well as the playbooks will be big. Then once I get the app installed, the communication will come along.

Thoughts? Does this sound like a reasonable plan? I don't plan on charging any of the early adopters in order to truly drum up interest. Then once I determine there is strong interest, start working with subscription models.

Also I know there is some market for coaches using technology (web/apps) to improve and moving away from the old style with the use of Hudl instead of traditional film. So I know coaches are/can be receptive to new technologies. Just have to confirm this is the right kind for them to be interested in.
 
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BigBrianC

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What do yall think about this template for a landing page:
http://scripteden.com/previews/expose/#

I'd move the Contact Us to the top instead of that image and make it into an action form like "Preregister Now" or something, and then in the pricing i'd add a *subject to change and then make the initial one $0 for a few months with a pre-register or just eliminate that section all together.
 

BigBrianC

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Im putting this on hold for a minute so I can gather startup funds from freelance copywriting and also to improve my programming skills.
 

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