If Steve Jobs were to cold call...

[MRiabov]

Sup.

After doing cold calls for my web design business, I have realized that the best way to test demand is to go and offer your product to buyers.

Which brought me to the point, that I've started calling by the book. Asking @Johnny boy how he sent out so many voice messages, I've went to excel, input 1206200000, then a1+1 and..


scrolled through all the numbers there were in the list.

randomized and this is the result:


Why am I doing this?

As you may remember, I'm working on my machine that can cook almost anything and can replace your kitchen. It's not a simple product and it's not something customers are used to.

It is like Steve Jobs would call and say

"hello, we have created a device that puts your pc into a pocket."

My script is:

"Hey hello, I have created a device that can save you hours on cooking every day, because it cooks for you. Would you like to see it?"

It's an interesting thing to do. I've done it mostly to validate and learn more about the market that I'm selling to. Although I get a connection every 5 minutes (it takes 40 seconds to call and 1/11 connection rate), about 50% of my calls are ended in the first 5-7 seconds.

There is a fair chance I will learn something about the market. My goal in these calls is to literally book a meeting with someone, to demo the product that I will have.

Inventors - this may be your chance to learn something from your audience.
For me - I'll continue calling...

So far, the statistics are

 

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[ChasingDream97]

Sup.

After doing cold calls for my web design business, I have realized that the best way to test demand is to go and offer your product to buyers.

Which brought me to the point, that I've started calling by the book. Asking @Johnny boy how he sent out so many voice messages, I've went to excel, input 1206200000, then a1+1 and..

View attachment 51568
scrolled through all the numbers there were in the list.

randomized and this is the result:
View attachment 51569

Why am I doing this?

As you may remember, I'm working on my machine that can cook almost anything and can replace your kitchen. It's not a simple product and it's not something customers are used to.

It is like Steve Jobs would call and say


My script is:

It's an interesting thing to do. I've done it mostly to validate and learn more about the market that I'm selling to. Although I get a connection every 5 minutes (it takes 40 seconds to call and 1/11 connection rate), about 50% of my calls are ended in the first 5-7 seconds.

There is a fair chance I will learn something about the market. My goal in these calls is to literally book a meeting with someone, to demo the product that I will have.

Inventors - this may be your chance to learn something from your audience.
For me - I'll continue calling...

So far, the statistics are
View attachment 51570

As a wannabe inventor this thread is of great interest to me.
I hope you succeed.

 

[Chx]

Steve Jobs would never cold call random numbers. It's extremely low leverage. There are much faster ways to get the customer conversations you are after.

You said you do web design? Make a landing page displaying your idea, post about it in cooking forums, Reddit, anywhere people who cook hang out. DM anyone who comments and ask to chat.

My style would be sending automated cold emails -- earlier this summer I had an idea for an AI project, quickly emailed 450 CEOs, got more than 10 calls lined up and quickly (in)validated my idea within the week.

If I had cold called random #s it would have taken 3 months to get those meetings.

 

[MRiabov]

Steve Jobs would never cold call random numbers. It's extremely low leverage. There are much faster ways to get the customer conversations you are after.

You said you do web design? Make a landing page displaying your idea, post about it in cooking forums, Reddit, anywhere people who cook hang out. DM anyone who comments and ask to chat.

My style would be sending automated cold emails -- earlier this summer I had an idea for an AI project, quickly emailed 450 CEOs, got more than 10 calls lined up and quickly (in)validated my idea within the week.

If I had cold called random #s it would have taken 3 months to get those meetings.

View attachment 51571

Here's the thing: it makes sense for B2B. But b2c?
Although, come to think about it, mailing on B2B emails still makes sense. It's all people with houses and kitchens anyway.

About reddit - I've done that thing in the past(800+ messages sent) and as far as I see, it's a good tool to talk to people as consumer interactions. But as far as market concerned, people don't buy based on the talk, they buy based what they value... And you can only figure that out based on direct selling...

 

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[Stargazer]

You say you are working on a machine, and your script is 'Do you want to see it?'

Well just suppose someone did say yes.

What are you going to show them exactly?

That aside the guy above is right. Why are you just randomly calling consecutve numbers?

If you have made such a machine you would be calling the media and showing it off, giving it to radio hosts and newspaper journalists to test, be demonstrating it on YT because it would be a highly visual demonstration.

You would also be calling kitchen appliance manufacturers because if you really did have such a thing one of them would bite your arm off and sign a licensing agreement with you where by you just pick up the royalties and they do all the manufacturing and selling.

Or if you needed investment one of the manufacturers could potentially provide that, again in return for a licensing agreement.

You are calling the wrong people.

Dan

 

[Mikkel]

Similar to what @Stargazer said.

If this device can really do what you say, licensing may be the way to go. Sure, you don't make as much money per sale, but you will have access to some great distribution channels that will push your product to a much larger customer base. You may make more money compared to you trying to start a company trying to sell the invention.

My suggestion, after you patent the device, you should make a list of about 20 companies who are in your niche that manufacturer products in a brand. Make a 60 second video demonstrating your product, and then email said 20 companies. Listen to their feedback. If anyone is intrested, it is time to start negotiations.

@Rearden is a good resource for all things licensing. Check out his AMA.

 

[Johnny boy]

why are you doing this stuff manually.

 

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[MRiabov]

why are you doing this stuff manually.

Simple - because I need to learn more about the market. Each time I say something in the phone I get a response - will people listen to me or not.

Tbh I went the wrong way and invention first, market second, and I now have to pay the price. That said, as @Chx suggested I have scheduled an email campaign for today. And I will again and again.

Mailed to CEOs of software firms with 51-100 employees and pitched based on them being less busy and doing the work that matters. 75 emails sent so far. Automatically - via apollo.io

 

[Antifragile]

(From Learn faster, Think better, and make Smart Decisions newsletter)

The key to productivity is doing more of what matters and less of what doesn't. When you concentrate your mental and physical energy in one direction, you have the most impact.

One way to reduce the surface area of your attention is to ask yourself the difficult question of whether what you are doing really matters to the outcome you want. If you are ruthless, you can eliminate 20-40% of what you are doing today without impacting the most important things.

All the time you spend on the least important things comes at the expense of the most important things.

Asking the question is easier than answering it honestly. Admitting you're doing something that doesn't matter means you've been wasting your time. It's much easier to keep doing what we've been doing and tell ourselves that if we just had one more productivity hack, we'd make more progress.

Being busy and being productive are not the same thing. Running around in circles is busy. Going toward your destination is productive. It's easy to be busy. It's hard to be productive.

The real "work" of productivity is less about improving efficiency and more about improving effectiveness.

Being productive is not about doing more; it's about concentrating all your energy on the few things that matter.

So far, the statistics are

Your own statistics tell you are just busy, NOT productive.

 

[Ayush6543]

(From Learn faster, Think better, and make Smart Decisions newsletter)

The key to productivity is doing more of what matters and less of what doesn't. When you concentrate your mental and physical energy in one direction, you have the most impact.

One way to reduce the surface area of your attention is to ask yourself the difficult question of whether what you are doing really matters to the outcome you want. If you are ruthless, you can eliminate 20-40% of what you are doing today without impacting the most important things.

All the time you spend on the least important things comes at the expense of the most important things.

Asking the question is easier than answering it honestly. Admitting you're doing something that doesn't matter means you've been wasting your time. It's much easier to keep doing what we've been doing and tell ourselves that if we just had one more productivity hack, we'd make more progress.

Being busy and being productive are not the same thing. Running around in circles is busy. Going toward your destination is productive. It's easy to be busy. It's hard to be productive.

The real "work" of productivity is less about improving efficiency and more about improving effectiveness.

Being productive is not about doing more; it's about concentrating all your energy on the few things that matter.





Your own statistics tell you are just busy, NOT productive.

Wow you post gold shit.

 

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[Trismigistus]

H

why are you doing this stuff manually.

How do you mean Johnny Boy?

 

[Aidan04]

I'm going to be blunt, as someone who has actually designed working physical products. I'm not trying to be mean, but you need to hear this.

I'm still highly skeptical of all of this since you first mentioned it. I want to see an MVP, or at least some technical diagrams.

All you have talked about so far is cold calling and collecting emails for soft proof, witch can be great, but let's be honest, you don't actually need to do that.

The machine that you are describing would be a no-brainer purchase, it would be a household device that everyone would use instantly. It would quite literally sell itself through some basic promotional film and marketing. It would replace several appliances.

The scale at which you are trying do design this is pretty unrealistic, it's like taking on designing and building an airplane all by yourself.

I would go for licensing (if you can actually fully design this) like @Mikkel mentioned.

Also, as @Antifragile mentioned, you're not actually doing anything. Build/design the thing first.

I have a vision to build a smartphone that solves several problems I have in mind, but right now I'm not building that because again, it's like building a F*cking airplane.

Right now I'm working on something a lot less complex than a smartphone (and still is hard as shit to design mind you).

You need to build up to this. Invent something smaller, something that solves a problem, something that doesn't require a dual degree in mechanical and electrical engineering. Then someday you can get to work on this appliance.

Jobs didn't start with the iPhone. He and his friend Wozniak started with the Macintosh.

 

[Aidan04]

As a wannabe inventor this thread is of great interest to me.
I hope you succeed.

F*ck wannabe. Just invent something. That type of language holds you back.

 

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[Trismigistus]

I'm going to be blunt, as someone who has actually designed working physical products. I'm not trying to be mean, but you need to hear this.

I'm still highly skeptical of all of this since you first mentioned it. I want to see an MVP, or at least some technical diagrams.

All you have talked about so far is cold calling and collecting emails for soft proof, witch can be great, but let's be honest, you don't actually need to do that.

The machine that you are describing would be a no-brainer purchase, it would be a household device that everyone would use instantly. It would quite literally sell itself through some basic promotional film and marketing. It would replace several appliances.

The scale at which you are trying do design this is pretty unrealistic, it's like taking on designing and building an airplane all by yourself.

I would go for licensing (if you can actually fully design this) like @Mikkel mentioned.

Also, as @Antifragile mentioned, you're not actually doing anything. Build/design the thing first.

I have a vision to build a smartphone that solves several problems I have in mind, but right now I'm not building that because again, it's like building a F*cking airplane.

Right now I'm working on something a lot less complex than a smartphone (and still is hard as shit to design mind you).

You need to build up to this. Invent something smaller, something that solves a problem, something that doesn't require a dual degree in mechanical and electrical engineering. Then someday you can get to work on this appliance.

That's awesome. What have you designed and built in the past?

 

[Aidan04]

That's awesome. What have you designed and built in the past?

I'm not going to talk about this here because that's not what this thread is for, but I've built several devices, most of them being somewhat small. This forum got to actually witness the failure of one, the Setsign, which was an assistant device for gyms.