Hello, everyone!
Let me introduce myself. I'm a 36-year-old father of two children (2y and 8m old) from the Netherlands who has a lot of skills with firmware, electronics, 4G, sensors, and a little with cloud programming. I always had an issue with making a product that I can sell to the end customer instead of assisting a client in their fast-lane enterprise. I've done some consulting but don't see that as a winning formula for me and my family's future. Therefore, I've read some books, and I think you can guess some of my favorite ones.
The problem I've been facing is that I have skills to design stuff and solve problems. But I'm not in a specific market. And because I'm not an INSIDERS, I have difficulties finding problems/opportunities in a field.
I've already started a small startup (we were trying to detect marijuana growers in rented houses that steal electricity), but it failed due to a lack of interest from stakeholders. What I've got left is an electronics platform that uses 4G to send sensor data to the cloud. I'm still looking for an opportunity this platform can be applied to, to solve a different problem.
But currently I'm working on a new pretty niche product, I think.
I've heard people in internal transport, those little forklifts and cherry-pickers for example, complain that if they don't use them much, their (lead-acid) batteries run empty due to some leakage current or forgetting to shut them down. But also due to bad personnel that only have an eye for the clock that signals when they can go home and leave the machine running. The result is a battery that is destroyed and needs replacing, which you only discover when you need the machine.
There are some solutions, battery protectors they're called, but they require a specialist mechanic that has to cut cables (the width of your thumb) and connect them with specialist tools. But there is a shortage of mechanics, and I didn't mention the costs of one.
Therefore, I've designed a battery protector that has the right connector for each machine and functions like an extension cord. This device measures the voltage of the battery, and if it is below a threshold, it disconnects the battery from the machine and makes a lot of noise to inform the owner. Installing my device can be done by everyone, including your mother. I think there are about 5 connectors that are 90% of the market, so it should be scalable. (This includes the regular 12V battery terminal that most people have seen in their cars.)
I've decided to call it "StartProtect". Why? Most people don't care about their battery; they care about the functionality of the machine: Does it start? And since it is not a new product, but an existing one with some value metrics skewed, most battery protector names are used by other companies.
The prototypes that I've built are pretty good, and I'm busy with the last tests before they can go to customers, but this is where my inexperience/insecurity starts. I can build a product, but the most important skill, selling, is one I haven't got yet. I'm a bit of a shy nerd, but I don't know where or how to start. The world of advertisements and marketing is completely new for me, and honestly, it scares me a bit. I'm in doubt if I need a "who not how" solution or to go in the trenches and fail until I don't.
What do you fast-laners think of the name, and how would you approach my selling problem?
Best regards from the Netherlands,
Elco
Let me introduce myself. I'm a 36-year-old father of two children (2y and 8m old) from the Netherlands who has a lot of skills with firmware, electronics, 4G, sensors, and a little with cloud programming. I always had an issue with making a product that I can sell to the end customer instead of assisting a client in their fast-lane enterprise. I've done some consulting but don't see that as a winning formula for me and my family's future. Therefore, I've read some books, and I think you can guess some of my favorite ones.
The problem I've been facing is that I have skills to design stuff and solve problems. But I'm not in a specific market. And because I'm not an INSIDERS, I have difficulties finding problems/opportunities in a field.
I've already started a small startup (we were trying to detect marijuana growers in rented houses that steal electricity), but it failed due to a lack of interest from stakeholders. What I've got left is an electronics platform that uses 4G to send sensor data to the cloud. I'm still looking for an opportunity this platform can be applied to, to solve a different problem.
But currently I'm working on a new pretty niche product, I think.
I've heard people in internal transport, those little forklifts and cherry-pickers for example, complain that if they don't use them much, their (lead-acid) batteries run empty due to some leakage current or forgetting to shut them down. But also due to bad personnel that only have an eye for the clock that signals when they can go home and leave the machine running. The result is a battery that is destroyed and needs replacing, which you only discover when you need the machine.
There are some solutions, battery protectors they're called, but they require a specialist mechanic that has to cut cables (the width of your thumb) and connect them with specialist tools. But there is a shortage of mechanics, and I didn't mention the costs of one.
Therefore, I've designed a battery protector that has the right connector for each machine and functions like an extension cord. This device measures the voltage of the battery, and if it is below a threshold, it disconnects the battery from the machine and makes a lot of noise to inform the owner. Installing my device can be done by everyone, including your mother. I think there are about 5 connectors that are 90% of the market, so it should be scalable. (This includes the regular 12V battery terminal that most people have seen in their cars.)
I've decided to call it "StartProtect". Why? Most people don't care about their battery; they care about the functionality of the machine: Does it start? And since it is not a new product, but an existing one with some value metrics skewed, most battery protector names are used by other companies.
The prototypes that I've built are pretty good, and I'm busy with the last tests before they can go to customers, but this is where my inexperience/insecurity starts. I can build a product, but the most important skill, selling, is one I haven't got yet. I'm a bit of a shy nerd, but I don't know where or how to start. The world of advertisements and marketing is completely new for me, and honestly, it scares me a bit. I'm in doubt if I need a "who not how" solution or to go in the trenches and fail until I don't.
What do you fast-laners think of the name, and how would you approach my selling problem?
Best regards from the Netherlands,
Elco
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