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The "Inside Out" Technique - Getting Started!

InLikeFlint

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For lack of a better name I refer to this method as the "Inside Out" technique.

I have noticed a lot of threads with a common theme: "Will my business be successful?", and I love reading these threads and seeing what types of things people on this forum are doing, but with this common theme comes a common response. Without further adieu here is my version of the "Inside Out" technique:

Steps:


  1. Choose an Industry (Engineering, Medical, Law, etc). Now choose a more specific profession under this market (For Medical: Dentist, Brain Surgeon, Anesthesiologist, etc)
  2. Research. Talk to people in that profession, read articles about it. The goal of the research is to account for all the complaints and all the problems in this field and then to find one that seems to be pretty common.
  3. Brainstorm. What could you create that would solve this problem? This could be a product, a service, or a website. Target the problem directly.
  4. Create. Make the product/service/website that will solve the problem of this profession. Design it around the pain in the profession. This is the sole purpose of your product/service/website.
  5. Market. Connect with people in your area that your product targets. Tell them about your product and how it will help them. If necessary let them have it for free, and in return you get results and feedback on how it works.
  6. Expand. Now that you have results and feedback from people who have used your product you can expand to other people within the profession in other towns, states, and countries. Pitch the idea with the results you got from the testers and explain how this would better their business. Focus on them, and how this is beneficial to them.

Here is an example of the "Inside Out" Technique in action:


  1. Industry: Doctor Profession: Dentist
  2. Research: I went to my Dentist and sat down with him for a talk. I asked him what the difficulties were in his profession, and what problems he was having. He expressed that one major issue he was having was getting patients to show up once every 6 months for a check up and teeth cleaning. 6 months is the recommended time between appointments and some clients weren't making appointments for a year or longer. I took this information and did some research online, I found lots of articles written by Dentists with the same problem.
  3. Brainstorming: I decided that the best solution to this problem would be to create a website that the Dentist can use to collect the cell phone number and email of clients that come in. From the contact information a text message and email can be sent out to the client X amount of days before the appointment and can be resent X amount of times until an appointment is made. This will make it easier for notifications to be seen through modern technology. Now-a-days people are more likely to notice a text message than a letter in the mail, and an email rather than a voicemail on a home phone. This doesn't ensure that all clients will make appointments, but I feel it will greatly increase the number that do.
  4. Create: I created the website that I described above, with the goal of the site to get clients to schedule and show up to appointments once every 6 months.
  5. Market: After creating the site, I went back to my Dentist. I explained to him what I had created and how it could better his company and increase his appointments. He was thrilled. I offered him a free trial of my website so long as he would keep track of his appointments and give me the result and any feedback or suggestions he might have, he agreed.
  6. Expand: The number of appointments greatly increased because of my website. I then decided to branch out to other Dentists in my area, and in towns nearby. I explained to them what my website did, and even pitched to them the results from my trial Dentist. They were intrigued, they signed up for my site, but they were no longer trials, they were customers. They realized it was a small price to pay to increase their business. From there I expanded to more towns outside of my own, and eventually states, and now countries. My website is now used world wide by thousands of dentists. I made a pretty penny from the business, and it provided a solution to a major problem Dentists were experiencing.

Why was this so successful?
It targeted a direct problem lots of Dentists were having, it wasn't just an idea I thought of to make money. It did more than one thing: Brought in more customers for dentists, made scheduling easier, made each cleaning easier and less time consuming, it made it easier for clients to be notified of their appointment, and it improved the health of teeth of thousands of people! Because this wasn't just me seeking wealth, it was able to take off.

Why choose this technique?
It will save you time trying to think of a new invention, you don't have to think of some revolutionary product with this technique. You simply need to do research and the problem will come to you, then it's up to you to find a solution for that specific problem. You know that your product will have demand, because it is solving a problem that people experience.

Will this really work?
I can't promise you results, but finding a problem rather than chasing the money will more likely than not give you a better chance of having success. Just look at MJ, he found a problem, and he became successful by finding a solution for that problem.

If you are using a product that is completely new to an industry, it is important to get a patent or some sort of legal document protecting your idea from being stolen. This should happen between steps 4 and 5, you don't want to market until your product is protected. **Credit goes to Alana for this piece of information**

**The scenario I gave above was completely made up, I have not made a website for Dentists. I used it solely as an example to express the concepts of the technique. Because this isn't a real situation, it'd be best if there wasn't criticism of the website or idea, considering they are not real**

**Credit goes out to thecalmpickle for helping me develop a lot of the ideas in this thread and giving me input on how to write it**

If you have any questions or comments feel free to ask, and I will do my best to answer them. I am writing this at 1:30AM and I have to be up and traveling in 4 hours so I am sure there are mistakes and things I forgot, I will try to add them in as I think of them.

I am hoping by making this thread people can realize how this technique can be utilized and everyone can have a fastlane business!

Cheers and best of luck to all of you,
Sam
 
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tincho1492

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You make it seem very practical. And I think IT IS.

I mean, it's a lot easier when you're so problem/customer-focused.
 

InLikeFlint

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You make it seem very practical. And I think IT IS.

I mean, it's a lot easier when you're so problem/customer-focused.

I agree, it is practical. If your only goal is to make money, what motivation do you have to listen to customers and hear what they have to say?
 

Epictetus

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This is the exact technique Dane Maxwell uses in The Foundation.

It does work very well, the difficulty comes in getting that idea from the customers. Talking to them and finding out what their problems are sounds easy on paper, but it's damn hard. You need to be able to dig and dig and dig and dig. You need to engage the customer on an emotional level. You need to be able to find an idea that solves one core problem that's extremely painful for them. You also only want to be speaking to the top players in the industry. There's a number of criteria you have to make sure that problem fits into, it's very easy to get excited about an idea and build something that isn't worth the money.

All that being said, if you nail it you can create a product worth a fortune. One of the past Foundation members has a product for property inspectors he sells for $500 a month per client. Dane's leading product serves well over a thousand real estate brokerages for around the $350 a month mark.
 
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InLikeFlint

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This is the exact technique Dane Maxwell uses in The Foundation.

It does work very well, the difficulty comes in getting that idea from the customers. Talking to them and finding out what their problems are sounds easy on paper, but it's damn hard. You need to be able to dig and dig and dig and dig. You need to engage the customer on an emotional level. You need to be able to find an idea that solves one core problem that's extremely painful for them. You also only want to be speaking to the top players in the industry. There's a number of criteria you have to make sure that problem fits into, it's very easy to get excited about an idea and build something that isn't worth the money.

All that being said, if you nail it you can create a product worth a fortune. One of the past Foundation members has a product for property inspectors he sells for $500 a month per client. Dane's leading product serves well over a thousand real estate brokerages for around the $350 a month mark.

By no means do I think it's easy. This isn't a "Get rich scheme" it's a work hard and apply tips from this method and there is a good chance for you to be successful. I will have to read The Foundation when I get a chance!
 

A. Samuel

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One of the most quality posts I have seen on this site! I really appreciate the time and effort that you put into this thread Flint! The information is very helpful for new entrepreneurs, or seasoned veterans. This is a concept that will produce results! Great share!
 

InLikeFlint

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One of the most quality posts I have seen on this site! I really appreciate the time and effort that you put into this thread Flint! The information is very helpful for new entrepreneurs, or seasoned veterans. This is a concept that will produce results! Great share!

Thanks!! I am really glad you enjoyed it and hopefully it can help you in the future!

Cheers!
 
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Alana

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Thanks for sharing InLikeFlint! You're a stud!
I realize this is a general step-by-step process for a business. And because you mentioned in step #3 that a product was a possibility, can I ask your opinion on that specifically: a physical product? If someone was to create a never before accessory for toothbrushes (keeping it in the dentist theme), they, more or less, would sketch out the design, make rough prototypes with it, and if it requires, get a manufacturer to create the final product. I would think that between step #4 and step #5 one would want to protect the intellectual property with a patent before it’s shown to the manufacture and/or general public?
 

InLikeFlint

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I would think that between step #4 and step #5 one would want to protect the intellectual property with a patent before it’s shown to the manufacture and/or general public?

Great point Alana. I would agree, this is very important especially if the product is unheard of, I will add that into the OP and credit you for the catch!
 
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twicE

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Great information i'll definately dig into this :thumbsup:
One question though, did you first make a fixed decision on the industry and profession and then went on to talk to these dentists or did your decision on industry come from asking alot of people from various industries/professions about their painpoints?
 

InLikeFlint

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Great information i'll definately dig into this :thumbsup:
One question though, did you first make a fixed decision on the industry and profession and then went on to talk to these dentists or did your decision on industry come from asking alot of people from various industries/professions about their painpoints?

I picked the industry first. However, I think you could do it the other way around too. It wasn't a random choice, I picked Doctor because I am really interested in the Medical field, and I was thinking about what possible problems could be within the medical field, and appointments came to mind, and from that I got Dentists because they have lots of appointments! (Orthodontists as well)
 

InLikeFlint

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I hope that response is useful to you twicE, I wrote it right as I woke up so I was somewhat groggy, if you have further questions or clarification just say so!
 
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D

DeletedUser13

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This seems really useful, I will do some brainstorming with it now! Also good point about money chasing vs finding the need (much more lean / agile attitude).

Thanks!
 

Ali

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Sadly some people with brilliant ideas and creative website concepts fail to recognize the importance of solid business planning. they would fill every facet of their business creation with intuition and forget to apply the right procedures.
 
D

DeletedUser13

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Sadly some people with brilliant ideas and creative website concepts fail to recognize the importance of solid business planning. they would fill every facet of their business creation with intuition and forget to apply the right procedures.

That's why this technique could be so useful - it helps to validate the idea / concept.
 
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Skys

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You say, 'pick an industry, than a profession, than research for problems and search for the solution'.
So, you pick the dentist and you find a solution called problem X, that's nice. Serious, it is.

It's all about the problem solving, right? So why would you pick a niche so soon in your research? Couldn't you just ask a mom at a party what problems she has... and than the dentist when you have to go anyway, than the milkman..etcetera?
I am not sure why you would want to pick a profession before searching for a problem. Not sure what the value of that is.
 

twicE

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I hope that response is useful to you twicE, I wrote it right as I woke up so I was somewhat groggy, if you have further questions or clarification just say so!

It did indeed. :) I also believe (haven't tried yet though) that both aproaches should work, however i like the fact that you target on your group directly and embrace the constraints and focus that comes from it. My challenge is most often that I scatter my interests and let my mind wander to much, so this might actually be a great help for me once i picked my target group. Since my parents both have a background in law and we have many lawyers, judges and so on in our circle of friends, there could be some opportunities i guess ;)
What do you guys think, is entry to the target group necessary or is it smarter to go after a nitch need that is hardly focused on. Since Law is still too undefined as a target group, i might need to do some brainstorming on this.
 

Epictetus

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You say, 'pick an industry, than a profession, than research for problems and search for the solution'.
So, you pick the dentist and you find a solution called problem X, that's nice. Serious, it is.

It's all about the problem solving, right? So why would you pick a niche so soon in your research? Couldn't you just ask a mom at a party what problems she has... and than the dentist when you have to go anyway, than the milkman..etcetera?
I am not sure why you would want to pick a profession before searching for a problem. Not sure what the value of that is.

When you use this technique you need to go all out on an industry. Picking the right industry is crucial. You need profit-motivated businesses. You need to pick businesses that are run like businesses (not hobbies). There needs to be enough of those businesses for it to be worth your time. You need to be able to get into contact with the people who are going to understand the business well enough to give you the information you need. If you're building software, it's a good thing to make sure they're an industry that already is used to paying for software. You don't want to pick a concentrated market, highly fragmented markets with lots of players are much better targets.

You also only want to speak to the top players in the industry. That way you're going to get the most painful problems, because if the people at the top haven't solved it then the people who aren't as successful sure as hell haven't.

By doing all this, you're making sure you don't get led down the garden path to building something nobody cares about or isn't really worth anything. If you go industry by industry, carefully picking each one and interviewing as many people in that market as you can, you're going to find success much quicker and it will be a lot less of a risk.

Not to say you can't extract an idea from a random person at a party, but by doing it this way you're maximising your chances of success.
 
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InLikeFlint

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Thanks for the great explanation Exiatron!

I am loving how many people are contributing to this thread, when someone asks a question they don't necessarily need to wait for me to reply because everyone else is giving their input!!
 

twicE

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When you use this technique you need to go all out on an industry. Picking the right industry is crucial. You need profit-motivated businesses. You need to pick businesses that are run like businesses (not hobbies). There needs to be enough of those businesses for it to be worth your time. You need to be able to get into contact with the people who are going to understand the business well enough to give you the information you need. If you're building software, it's a good thing to make sure they're an industry that already is used to paying for software. You don't want to pick a concentrated market, highly fragmented markets with lots of players are much better targets.

You also only want to speak to the top players in the industry. That way you're going to get the most painful problems, because if the people at the top haven't solved it then the people who aren't as successful sure as hell haven't.

By doing all this, you're making sure you don't get led down the garden path to building something nobody cares about or isn't really worth anything. If you go industry by industry, carefully picking each one and interviewing as many people in that market as you can, you're going to find success much quicker and it will be a lot less of a risk.

Not to say you can't extract an idea from a random person at a party, but by doing it this way you're maximising your chances of success.
Love it! :thumbsup: Thanks for carifying...makes a ton more sense to me now --> speed+
 

InLikeFlint

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Has anyone applied this strategy to their own business? I am curious to see how they are doing if they have..
 
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Epictetus

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I am currently in progress. Looking for ideas. That's probably the hardest part of the whole process, but persistence will pay off.
 

andyredsox

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Well business is for anyone who wants to do the hard work, ayt?

If you're willing to stick to a plan, success is one step closer to you- always.

Thanks for sharing.
 
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InLikeFlint

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Well business is for anyone who wants to do the hard work, ayt?

If you're willing to stick to a plan, success is one step closer to you- always.

Thanks for sharing.

I agree completely!

I always chuckle when people ask me for "Get Rich Quick" techniques
 

deehill

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nice share OP
as much as I assist others with this process, it made my light come on for something of my own when reading it from someone else
 
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MJ DeMarco

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Wow, almost missed this thread, thank you for posting.

Your technique is very Fastlane applicable as it is need-based ... need creates demand and demand creates sales, sales creates profit and profit creates millionaires. :)

Gonna social share.

I change the thread title for better visibility.
 

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