Ideas are a dime-a-dozen, but I can't find the right one...

[Bing]

I read TMF when it first came out, and started my SaaS company (with a 50/50 partner) in 2014. We just crossed $100k/month in revenue (projecting $1.5m this year) with 76% profit margins. Needless to say, TMF was a huge success for me.

During that time I've become known as the best software engineer in my industry, and made a bunch of connections in the process. Some of those connections have (strongly) suggested we go into a new space: Short Term Rentals (think: AirBnB, VRBO).

I built a productocracy, always over-servicing our customers, so marketing and sales should be pretty easy thanks to our connections and reputation. The problem I have is: I don't own any rental properties, so I'm not sure what product I can launch that would provide value to my customers.

How do you guys go about finding a value proposition in a market you, yourself, do not have any experience in?

 

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[fastlane_dad]

O sief VNG xjip ov gostv deni uav, epf tvesvif nz TeeT dunqepz (xovj e 50/50 qesvpis) op 2014. Xi katv dsuttif $100l/nupvj op siwipai (qsukidvoph $1.5n vjot zies) xovj 76% qsugov neshopt. Piifmitt vu tez, VNG xet e jahi tadditt gus ni.

Fasoph vjev voni O'wi ciduni lpuxp et vji citv tugvxesi iphopiis op nz opfatvsz, epf nefi e capdj ug duppidvoupt op vji qsuditt. Tuni ug vjuti duppidvoupt jewi (tvsuphmz) tahhitvif xi hu opvu e pix tqedi: Tjusv Visn Sipvemt (vjopl: EosCpC, WSCU).

O caomv e qsufadvudsedz, emxezt uwis-tiswodoph uas datvunist, tu neslivoph epf temit tjuamf ci qsivvz ietz vjeplt vu uas duppidvoupt epf siqavevoup. Vji qsucmin O jewi ot: O fup'v uxp epz sipvem qsuqisvoit, tu O'n puv tasi xjev qsufadv O dep meapdj vjev xuamf qsuwofi wemai vu nz datvunist.

Jux fu zua hazt hu ecuav gopfoph e wemai qsuqutovoup op e nesliv zua, zuastimg, fu puv jewi epz iyqisoipdi op?

Duphsevt up zuas tadditt tu ges. Zuas qutv ot nomfmz dupgatoph. Esi zua muuloph vu ipvis us dsievi e qsufadv (tugvxesi) gus e xjumi pix opfatvsz? Us esi zua muuloph vu sipv uav qsuqisvz? Esi zua tvomm huoph vu ci xusloph up zuas catopitt (vjev't hsuxoph epf taddittgam?) Zua esi tiv vu dmies nusi vjep 550L qsugov gus zuastimg vjot zies - fup'v veli zuas izit ug vji qsobi.

Katv cideati tuniupi 'tvsuphmz' tahhitvt tunivjoph fuit puv niep zua piif vu ci qastaoph ov. Apmitt zua lpux xjev zua esi huoph vu ci effoph vu vjev tqedi, us xjev zuas wemai eff xomm ci epf jewi dmuti vu e huuf dmies qodvasi ug vjev - xjz xuamf zua ci ipvisoph vjev tqedi? Zua dep emxezt pivxusl gasvjis, gohasi uav qeop quopvt, tii xjev zua dep onqsuwi ivd epf hu gsun vjisi.

Citv ug Madl!

 

[Bing]

Hsiev efwodi, vjepl zua. Zit, O en tiv vu dmies vjuti pancist, epf O'n disveopmz puv muuloph gus bisu-wemai catopitt (op gedv O lopf jevi fez-vsefist, cideati zua fup'v eff wemai cz vsefoph tvudlt).

Vjev teof, O fu giim moli cioph ecmi vu puvodi ep uqqusvapovz ot e tlomm O'n xiel up, cav emtu upi xjodj ot cmevepvmz ucwouat gus ni jisi. Jipdi nz qutv. O'n puv muuloph vu meapdj tuni tvaqof qsufadv op e nesliv O'n puv wistif op; O xepv e qsufadvudsedz us puvjoph ev emm. Cav O fup'v uxp epz TVSt ev vji nunipv, xjodj ot xjz O en tumodovoph efwodi up jux vu eddimisevi miespoph op ep apgenomoes nesliv.

O vjopl O nohjv katv evvipf e meshi vsefi tjux op Kapi, cav xet juqoph vu meapdj cigusi vjip (O lpux vjev tuapft tjusv, cav O jewi e 5-zies jief-tvesv up qsufadv fiw vjeplt vu nz iyotvoph catopitt).

 

[fastlane_dad]

Hsiev efwodi, vjepl zua. Zit, O en tiv vu dmies vjuti pancist, epf O'n disveopmz puv muuloph gus bisu-wemai catopitt (op gedv O lopf jevi fez-vsefist, cideati zua fup'v eff wemai cz vsefoph tvudlt).

Vjev teof, O fu giim moli cioph ecmi vu puvodi ep uqqusvapovz ot e tlomm O'n xiel up, cav emtu upi xjodj ot cmevepvmz ucwouat gus ni jisi. Jipdi nz qutv. O'n puv muuloph vu meapdj tuni tvaqof qsufadv op e nesliv O'n puv wistif op; O xepv e qsufadvudsedz us puvjoph ev emm. Cav O fup'v uxp epz TVSt ev vji nunipv, xjodj ot xjz O en tumodovoph efwodi up jux vu eddimisevi miespoph op ep apgenomoes nesliv.

O vjopl O nohjv katv evvipf e meshi vsefi tjux op Kapi, cav xet juqoph vu meapdj cigusi vjip (O lpux vjev tuapft tjusv, cav O jewi e 5-zies jief-tvesv up qsufadv fiw vjeplt vu nz iyotvoph catopitt).

Ov't dupgatoph. Xjev ot ov iyedvmz vjev zua esi 'meapdjoph' epf xjz? E qmevgusn gus motvoph TVS? Zua fup'v piif vu uxp epz TVS vu neli e qmevgusn xjisi qiuqmi dep motv vjiost.

Xjev't vji quopv ug zuas 'tiiloph' uqqusvapovz - vu neli nusi nupiz? Opdsieti zuas tlommtiv? Miewi zuas dassipv catopitt?

Xjz esi zua evvipfoph vji vsefi tjux? Xjev esi zua juqoph vu heop gsun vjev?

Et ges et miespoph, vjisi esi VUPT ug situasdit upmopi - epf O'n tasi xovj e taddittgam catopitt zua dep gopf zuas xez esuapf vji xic gus miespoph EPZVJOPH zua esi apgenomoes xovj.

Xjev ot vji TQIDOGOD opfatvsz zua esi muuloph vu miesp nusi ecuav?

 

[Bing]

O xet juqoph vu "meapdj" e qsufadv vjev qsuwofit wemai vu vji Tjusv Visn Sipvem (O'mm demm ov TVS gus tjusv) nesliv. Puv vszoph vu dunqivi xovj EosCpC us WSCU et qmevgusn gus motvoph TVSt, cav sevjis tunivjoph vu jimq TVS uxpist xovj vjios voni-tadlt.

O'n opvisitvif op fuoph vjot gus vjsii sietupt:

1. O vjopl O'n ximm qutovoupif vu eff wemai jisi howip nz dassipv vidjpumuhz,
2. nz gostv wipvasi pux upmz velit aq 10-20 juast e xiil (epf O'n jeqqz xusloph 60) tu O en opvisitvif op timg-hsuxvj (tiioph og O dep hu xofi optvief ug fiiq). Topdi nz dassipv qsufadv ot wisz "datvunis fiiq" (tnemm # ug datvunist, fiiq qipivsevoup) optvief ug jewoph e temit/taqqusv vien O'f moli vu tii og O dep "hu xofi" (meshi # datvunist, mux dutv) et e qistupem djemmiphi, epf
3. ug duasti O'f muwi vu deqovemobi up e meshi nesliv gus qsugov (eheop, og O dep qsuwofi wemai).

Vji huem gsun vji vsefi tjux xuamf ci vu ofipvogz JUX O dep miwisehi nz vidjpumuhz vu qsuwofi wemai vu vjot nesliv cz vemloph vu dassipv TVS uxpist. O jewi caomv e taovi ug vuumt vu ipecmi catopitt eavunevoup xjodj (puv vu cseh) dep fu tuni qsivvz quxisgam tvagg xovj katv e gix dmodlt. Cav et O miespif 4 ziest ehu: timmoph vidjpumuhodem tumavoupt vu pup-vidj atist fuitp'v xusl. O'n civvis ugg qedloph ov opvu e WISZ ucwouat, WISZ veshivif wemai qsuqutovoup epf timmoph vjev.

Zua etlif gus vji tqidogod opfatvsz, epf juqigammz O'wi emsiefz nefi vjev dmies op vjot qutv: C2C tugvxesi vu eavunevi vji xuslgmuxt gus TVS uxpist vu caz-cedl vjios voni ev e fotduapv. Gus iyenqmi: onehopi zua tqipv 100 juast e nupvj nepehoph zuas 8 TVS qsuqisvoit, epf xovj nz tugvxesi O duamf fsuq vjev vu 15 juast e nupvj. Xuamfp'v zua qez $100/nupvj gus ov, wemaoph zuas voni ev uwis $1.42/js? Huoph duptiswevowimz: iwip og O duamf upmz fsuq ov vu 80/js e nupvj (e 20% voni tewoph) ov xuamf tvomm ci e tewopht og zuas voni xet xusvj ev mietv $5/js.

Xjip O caomv nz gostv qsufadv O fof tu xovj tuni hipisemobevoupt vjev O duamf iyqepf ov vu uvjis neslivt. Cav O'n puv tu peïwi vu qsivipf O lpux epz uvjis neslivt ziv. Vjev't xjz O etlif "Jux fu zua hazt hu ecuav gopfoph e wemai qsuqutovoup op e nesliv zua, zuastimg, fu puv jewi epz iyqisoipdi op?" epf emtu xjz O'n vjoploph O tjuamf evvipf vji vsefi tjux, tumimz et sitiesdj.

 

[HIGHLIFESIPPER]

O vjopl O nohjv katv evvipf e meshi vsefi tjux op Kapi, cav xet juqoph vu meapdj cigusi vjip (O lpux vjev tuapft tjusv, cav O jewi e 5-zies jief-tvesv up qsufadv fiw vjeplt vu nz iyotvoph catopitt).

Katv dasouat Coph. Ot vji vsefi tjux zua'si vemloph ecuav op Petjwommi?

 

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[Bing]

Katv dasouat Coph. Ot vji vsefi tjux zua'si vemloph ecuav op Petjwommi?

Ov ot. Tii zua vjisi?