Another introvert here

[mssharlenes]

Hi everyone!

I'm Sharlene from Vancouver, Canada. I currently work full-time in the medical device field. In the past, I've worked in the civil engineering and interactive design fields. I've never considered these jobs as careers, since I wasn't interested in climbing up any ladders in any of those fields. There's a restlessness that's always been present... I'm not sure if this is something that all entrepreneurs feel. I joined this forum to provide and receive support to/from likeminded people who are walking similar paths.

So, I've been working on a project for the past 3 years. It's a paper planner and I think it's pretty amazing. I've just finally ordered the first printed samples from the manufacturer. It'll be nice to have a final prototype to show people and to feel like I'm moving forward. My next step is to prepare for the crowdfunding campaign next spring, to see if this is a product that the market actually wants. I'm also going to use the time to learn copywriting, get comfortable and confident sharing what I've created, and staying motivated by re-reading The Millionaire Fastlane and Unscripted . I've toyed with the idea of giving up several times on my journey, but I knew I'd regret it on my deathbed if I didn't see this project through. My deep "whys" are freedom of choice, to provide for my family, and to support others' dreams.

Thanks for reading!

Sharlene

 

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[SEBASTlAN]

Welcome!

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Welcome Sharlene!

 

[kleine2]

Nice story.
I like how you are moving forward and taking steps.
Not giving up even though it's taking time.

 

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[MattWorks]

Hi everyone!

I'm Sharlene from Vancouver, Canada. I currently work full-time in the medical device field. In the past, I've worked in the civil engineering and interactive design fields. I've never considered these jobs as careers, since I wasn't interested in climbing up any ladders in any of those fields. There's a restlessness that's always been present... I'm not sure if this is something that all entrepreneurs feel. I joined this forum to provide and receive support to/from likeminded people who are walking similar paths.

So, I've been working on a project for the past 3 years. It's a paper planner and I think it's pretty amazing. I've just finally ordered the first printed samples from the manufacturer. It'll be nice to have a final prototype to show people and to feel like I'm moving forward. My next step is to prepare for the crowdfunding campaign next spring, to see if this is a product that the market actually wants. I'm also going to use the time to learn copywriting, get comfortable and confident sharing what I've created, and staying motivated by re-reading The Millionaire Fastlane and Unscripted . I've toyed with the idea of giving up several times on my journey, but I knew I'd regret it on my deathbed if I didn't see this project through. My deep "whys" are freedom of choice, to provide for my family, and to support others' dreams.

Thanks for reading!

Sharlene

Welcome!

I am also new here, from Vancouver, and am a Civil Engineer grad also. I can agree with the restlessness.

Best of luck and feel free to reach out if you're looking for peers in Vancouver!

Matt

 

[mssharlenes]

Welcome!

Thank you!

 

[mssharlenes]

Welcome Sharlene!

Thanks, MJ! And thank you for your books.

 

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[mssharlenes]

Nice story.
I like how you are moving forward and taking steps.
Not giving up even though it's taking time.

Thank you. I've gotten into several long ruts, where I didn't move at all. But enough of that, and time to take continuous action, even if they're baby steps.

 

[mssharlenes]

Welcome!

I am also new here, from Vancouver, and am a Civil Engineer grad also. I can agree with the restlessness.

Best of luck and feel free to reach out if you're looking for peers in Vancouver!

Matt

Thanks! Yes that sounds great

 

[Mutant]

Hello & welcome fellow introvert!

I have a question

My next step is to prepare for the crowdfunding campaign next spring, to see if this is a product that the market actually wants.

Why next spring?

Granted I don't know the specifics of your planner, but I do know in general some times of year that people think a lot about planning & getting organised are:

August/September because of the new academic year. Even if they, or their kids, aren't in school, there's still a cultural "fresh start" push after the hazy days of summer.

December/January - obviously great for new calendar year, new years resolutions, but also people are looking for gifts to buy for Christmas.

So I ask again - why are you waiting till next spring?

So, I've been working on a project for the past 3 years...I've just finally ordered the first printed samples...

It's great that you've been making progress. Some progress is better than no progress, & you're hella far ahead of the general population. But I can't help but feel you could put yourself on a faster timeline.

 

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[mssharlenes]

Thanks for your feedback @Mutant! That's a good question, one that I asked myself again yesterday after reading some threads about getting to market quickly. The short answer is: lack of resources, both money and time.

To expand on the money part, one thing that I didn't mention in my intro is that I'm in debt. The shame and embarrassment I felt when I told my partner the actual amount was my "F*ck this event", at least for my financial situation. I want to finally be free of this weight. So, my number one priority became to clear my debt. I'll be clear by the time the campaign starts. If anyone reading this post is also fighting their way out of debt, this site was highly helpful and motivating: PowerPay

As for time, I work a full-time job, so project work time is limited. Most crowdfunding campaigns fail because either the campaigns were put together haphazardly or there was no audience in place to make the initial purchases on the first day (the fuel for the campaign). I want to make an awesome campaign, and have a ready audience, but it takes a lot of backend work, which requires a lot of learning and execution time. I've burned out twice already since I've started (once because I tackled an online summit, and the other because I started a now-defunct podcast), so now I just want to pace myself.

Related to time is timing. You're right about September being the time that people start thinking about planners. People who support planner crowdfunding campaigns around that time usually do so with the expectation that they'll get it in time for Christmas. From my research, it seems most people fail to deliver on that. I just think that's a poor customer experience to have right out of the gate and I'd prefer to avoid that. In December, people are less likely to support campaigns because of everything happening at Christmas. January, they're recovering from Christmas and not wanting to spend at all.

The last and probably the most important reason that's held me back is mindset. That'll take another essay, I think lol.