I've started to help others and found a niche. Time to build the MVP and landing page with pre-sale. I have a few questions.

[bambz]

Hi, after reading MJ De Marco's books and this forum I decided to start helping people as the best way to start a business. I've registered at the very beginning in some FB groups about programming and then figured out that there are a lot of people who want to become a software dev but they don't know how to start and generally have a lot of questions.


Really, there are a lot of similar questions and problems, answers aren't often helpful so probably I found and niche. I have a lot of experience in IT, I helped some people and I hope I could give them true value. My idea is to create some service which could help them. Probably it would be a SaaS, but currently, it doesn't matter.


My questions are:

1. Should I focus now on building MVP and simultaneously creating a landing page with pre-sale or just keep on answering people to collect some audience?
2. Where else could I answer people?? I know about FB, Quora, and Reddit.
3. After building a landing page with pre-sale can I put the link to mentioned landing page inside my answers? Is it legal?

I've created the thread to describe my process but nobody reacts, maybe wrong forum section... nevermind ;p

I will update that in a few days to describe my progress. Maybe someone will be interested. EXECUTION - The road of fullstack dev to build a profitable business

 

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[Andy Black]

Have to you watched this?

• GOLD! - HOT! - Who have you helped?

Can you help people on YouTube as well?

Do many people search on Google?

Folks follow progress threads if we keep updating them, ideally with progress.

 

[bambz]

Have to you watched this?

• GOLD! - HOT! - Who have you helped?

Can you help people on YouTube as well?

Do many people search on Google?

Folks follow progress threads if we keep updating them, ideally with progress.

Ye, I’ve watched this podcast but maybe should do it once again if there are answers for my questions

Probably I can help on YT but I’m not sure if feel ok recording movies. I was never doing it.

About searching in google - it’s great idea, I will do an investigation, thanks.

 

[bambz]

@Andy Black
I've refreshed mentioned podcast and well ... I do and gonna do next steps in similar way.

I've started from helping people. I've figure out that questions and problems are often the same (or very very similar). I have in my head a lot of ideas about content which will help those people so I gonna start building the MVP (I think I need 1-2 months to finish the first version). The first time in my life I'm sure that this is the true value which those people really want.

I help on FB groups and quora every day of course. It's very helpful for me. And it's addicting when people ask me privately about something.

My idea at first is to build the landing page with the MVP description, email list, link to survey and about me section. I gonna add a link to LP in each of my answer in order to collecting potential customers.

But I have no experience with building MVP. I have three option as a software dev:

1. Build LP from scratch (some effort but 100% control)

2. Build using some platform

3. Find/buy template written in html&css&js&php and adjust.

Is it important to connect Google Analytics at the very beginning?

Is my plan sensible for you?
Best regards

 

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[Andy Black]

@Andy Black
I've refreshed mentioned podcast and well ... I do and gonna do next steps in similar way.

I've started from helping people. I've figure out that questions and problems are often the same (or very very similar). I have in my head a lot of ideas about content which will help those people so I gonna start building the MVP (I think I need 1-2 months to finish the first version). The first time in my life I'm sure that this is the true value which those people really want.

I help on FB groups and quora every day of course. It's very helpful for me. And it's addicting when people ask me privately about something.

My idea at first is to build the landing page with the MVP description, email list, link to survey and about me section. I gonna add a link to LP in each of my answer in order to collecting potential customers.

But I have no experience with building MVP. I have three option as a software dev:

1. Build LP from scratch (some effort but 100% control)

2. Build using some platform

3. Find/buy template written in html&css&js&php and adjust.

Is it important to connect Google Analytics at the very beginning?

Is my plan sensible for you?
Best regards

Check out "Just Start Already" in my signature ...

 

[bambz]

Check out "Just Start Already" in my signature ...

@Andy Black
Done. GF is a great idea, I've started to thinking about questions and gonna to add link with short description to bottom of my each answers. Additionally this allows me to collect emails of potential customers, really great thing, thank you very much

But what about landing page? I think it gives some professional look at me and this project and contains more description and visualisation of product. Isn't it needed and necessary?

Creating pre-sale is good idea or not at this moment?

I have some basic idea about this project in my head and of course, I will adjust it based on answers in GF and futher questions on FB group/quora/etc., so I think it's good idea to start building MVP if some people will answer me in GF. Am I right?

Well, @Andy Black, I'm very grateful to you. You give gold knowledge.

 

[Andy Black]

@Andy Black
Done. GF is a great idea, I've started to thinking about questions and gonna to add link with short description to bottom of my each answers. Additionally this allows me to collect emails of potential customers, really great thing, thank you very much

But what about landing page? I think it gives some professional look at me and this project and contains more description and visualisation of product. Isn't it needed and necessary?

Creating pre-sale is good idea or not at this moment?

I have some basic idea about this project in my head and of course, I will adjust it based on answers in GF and futher questions on FB group/quora/etc., so I think it's good idea to start building MVP if some people will answer me in GF. Am I right?

Well, @Andy Black, I'm very grateful to you. You give gold knowledge.

What's GF?

My idea is to create some service

I'm confused. What MVP would you create for a service? Would you not just sell the service?

I don't have a website for my service. My content and connections brings inbound emails and messages.


Get into email/message conversation and get onto calls?

Maybe these might help you:

• How to use forums (and Facebook groups)
• A chat about selling marketing services

 

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[bambz]

What's GF?


I'm confused. What MVP would you create for a service? Would you not just sell the service?

I don't have a website for my service. My content and connections brings inbound emails and messages.


Get into email/message conversation and get onto calls?

Maybe these might help you:

• How to use forums (and Facebook groups)
• A chat about selling marketing services

@Andy Black
GF - Google Forms

I’m going to create MVP with basic features - just first version of this service. And problably it would be a SaaS. Why are you confused?

You said that you dont have a website for your service so in what way your customers buy the service? You do not have any CTA button?

„Get into email/message coversation and get onto calls” - what do you mean? I’m not sure I understand you correctly.

Thanks for the next links

 

[Andy Black]

I’m going to create MVP with basic features - just first version of this service. And problably it would be a SaaS. Why are you confused?

I associate MVP with a product, and you mention features.

Consider just starting with a service and seeing how that goes?

You said that you dont have a website for your service so in what way your customers buy the service? You do not have any CTA button?

There's a Contact Me button on my website, but most people don't contact me via my website. Most people come to me as referrals so I get emails sent directly to me, or people DM me on various platforms such as Facebook messenger.

Here's my website. I doubt it gets many visitors. It's just there for when people want to check me out after they've been told to email me at andy@andyblack.net

„Get into email/message coversation and get onto calls” - what do you mean? I’m not sure I understand you correctly.

If you're helping people in forums and Facebook groups the sometimes it warrants a DM conversation. And sometimes those warrant a quick Zoom call to solve whatever problem they're facing, or to just shoot the breeze.



You're an engineer. You're comfortable building stuff. I'm suggesting you get out there and engage people and solve their problems there and then, and take it from there. (I know you said you're already doing this.)

Maybe forget the words MVPs and SaaS for now? I feel that's pre-empting your solution. A SaaS is just a way HOW you can help people. Figure out what they need help with first, why they need that help, whether/how you can help a steady stream of them, how you can get paid, etc. Then figure out how to scale it?

 

[bambz]

@Andy Black

It's worth mentioning that I am a member of some forums/fb groups for the last over 6 years so I've been reading about people's problems and needs for a longer period of time. And once upon a time, I figured out that beginner programmers have the same questions and problems (very often I could copy and paste my previous answers with a little adjustment). And the fact is that I had similar problems at the very beginning of my journey as well and after some time I resolved them so I was able to help other people and did it one, two, three, and four years ago despite I didn't have a plan to create a business. I was helping them because I feel this domain, feel what people are struggling with and now I just want to help them on some bigger scale.

I've watched your podcast on the "Who have u helped" topic and I'm going to do the first steps like that guy:

1. Create google forms and add a link to my answers

2. Create a landing page (maybe with pre-sale) and add a link to my answers as well

3. Still helping on a bigger and bigger scale

4. Create the first version of service which will help those people

5. Still helping and making closer contacts with potential customers to better understand their needs


And I'm just wondering:

1. Is my idea for the next steps correct?

2. Should I start building the service now or at first wait for google form results?

3. Is it a good idea to create a pre-sale to make stronger verification of this product(service)?

 

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[Andy Black]

@Andy Black

It's worth mentioning that I am a member of some forums/fb groups for the last over 6 years so I've been reading about people's problems and needs for a longer period of time. And once upon a time, I figured out that beginner programmers have the same questions and problems (very often I could copy and paste my previous answers with a little adjustment). And the fact is that I had similar problems at the very beginning of my journey as well and after some time I resolved them so I was able to help other people and did it one, two, three, and four years ago despite I didn't have a plan to create a business. I was helping them because I feel this domain, feel what people are struggling with and now I just want to help them on some bigger scale.

I've watched your podcast on the "Who have u helped" topic and I'm going to do the first steps like that guy:

1. Create google forms and add a link to my answers

2. Create a landing page (maybe with pre-sale) and add a link to my answers as well

3. Still helping on a bigger and bigger scale

4. Create the first version of service which will help those people

5. Still helping and making closer contacts with potential customers to better understand their needs


And I'm just wondering:

1. Is my idea for the next steps correct?

2. Should I start building the service now or at first wait for google form results?

3. Is it a good idea to create a pre-sale to make stronger verification of this product(service)?

Try it and see.

Also try an "I'm thinking of..." post. If people raise their hand then DM them.