Startup Advice...Need help choosing a path

[cdmedia]

So I have a bad habit to always biting off way more than I can chew when it comes to projects, clients and basically everything in life. Anyway, enough about my problems. Currently, I've been helping 2 different startups on developing marketing, graphics and some development stuff. Both are beginning to thrive and gain steam which is great.

The problem is that it's coming to a point where I need to choose between the 2 to fully commit. Both have the positives and negatives but I wanted to get some opinions from the fastlaners out there on which they would chose if they were in my shoes.

1. automateFitness - An automate fitness tracking solution. Similar to FitBit and Nike Fuelband, but offering much more in depth data with ability to track exercises and progress without user input. I'm working with a very talented data analysis guy who really knows his stuff.

http://www.automatefitness.com

2. RealSocial - This is a social app that encourages real life social interaction. Basically, the app allows you connect with local people anonymously based on your chosen interests and other user interest matches. It displays users anonymously within a certain radius and gives the user control on whether or not they would like to reveal details about their real location or how to find them. This encourages people to use the interests as icebreakers that lead to conversations with complete strangers in your radius.

I'm working with a great developer on this and we basically have the app close to beta.

http://www.realsocialapp.net

Any advice would be great! Thanks guys!

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

I like the sound of #2. Also, what does "helping" mean? You're a partner? Employee? Freelancer? Why can't you commit to one, but still be associated with the other -- perhaps in an advisory capacity? These businesses seem like true value offerings and being associated with them is like having more of YOUR ping-pong balls in the lottery. (And that's a GREAT thing!)

 

[cdmedia]

Thanks for the reply MJ!

Yeah I'm partners with both although I'm getting slightly pressured by both founders to kind of make a choice. It makes it harder because both are great guys and highly motivated. Believe me, I was thinking the exact same way as far as looking at it like a lottery. That's why I'm trying to hold on to both as long as I can.

I'll have to explore that advisory option as I never thought about bringing that up.

 

[Gale4rc]

I would go for #1, easier to market to and grow if you reach product market fit

- A lot of startups have tried for #2 - I've even personally made one targeting the same problem and had a team + investors + incubator. We even used the same term 'ice breakers'. There are also tons of new people targeting this space everyday, the code to crack is very hard.

 

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[throttleforward]

A lot of startups have tried for #2 - I've even personally made one targeting the same problem and had a team + investors + incubator. We even used the same term 'ice breakers'. There are also tons of new people targeting this space everyday, the code to crack is very hard.

I'd love to hear more about this.

 

[Get Right]

Combine the 2.

A social fitness tracking and meetup product

 

[cdmedia]

Thanks for the input guys!

I would go for #1, easier to market to and grow if you reach product market fit
- A lot of startups have tried for #2 - I've even personally made one targeting the same problem and had a team + investors + incubator. We even used the same term 'ice breakers'. There are also tons of new people targeting this space everyday, the code to crack is very hard.

I know its a crowded space and that is one of the things that really scares me the most, especially with the monetization aspect. It's alot more easy to implement compared to the fitness app, being that we are going to get into importing and designing product too.

I'd love to hear more about this.

Gale4rc, I'd actually like to hear about it a little more too if you don't mind.

Combine the 2.

A social fitness tracking and meetup product

Cool idea haha. I'm sure that's never been done before!

 

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