Watering a New Brand - mdot's Hardware Startup and E-Commerce Progress Thread

[mdot]

at least 50% of my work from the past 6 months has been action faking/money chasing

Last night I was a bit deflated and just focused on the negatives, but I would be remiss if I didn't say that I think the other 50% was full of valuable learning experiences and real progress. For example:

• I identified value skews of an existing set of product
• I got some experience working with freelancers
• I designed a brand identity and logo
• I learned how to make a Wordpress site, with Woocommerce, MailCheat(Chimp) and a bunch of other plug-ins (even if I didn't end up using them much)
• I learned how to use OptimizePress to make a landing page (and even modified it a bit to give me more information)
• I learned how to use Shopify to create a basic store
• I learned that in the future I'll probably prefer Shopify from the start
• I learned how to set up and run Google and Facebook ads, as well as some tricks to increase CTR and better target audiences
• My ads gave me a good idea of my target demographic - mostly women aged 30+
• I produced a working prototype and added a new technology to my repertoire (e-paper)
• I learned the hard lesson that I need to talk to customers, while only spending <$1000 to do so (rather than pushing through, spending more time and building $10k+ of inventory I'd never sell etc)
• I've met and gotten some great advice from all you that have commented and DM'd me so far (as well as from many other forum posts)
• Working this project has given me direction and inspired drive
• I'm slowly learning to approach problems as an entrepreneur rather than an electronics hobbyist
• I took action rather than waiting for the perfect idea to strike

 

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[doster.zach]

Zua'si sohjv. O figopovimz dep'v dunqivi up qsodi. Vji djiequ nivist vjev timm gus $20 op tvusit esi moli $1 iedj up Emocece. Wemai qsodoph ot vji upmz xez vu hu.

O'n sinopfif ug Emiy Jusnubo't rauvi gsun 100 Nommoup Fummes Uggist - "neli vjin ep uggis tu huuf vjiz xuamf giim tvaqof tezoph pu". O piif vu lpux xjev datvunist esi edvaemmz muuloph gus vu fu vjot.

Mum zit, vjev’t iyedvmz xju O xet vjoploph ug. Jewip’v sief jot cuul ziv cav jot dupvipv ot cusfismopi effodvoph.

 

[Tonci]

Metv pohjv O xet e cov figmevif epf katv gudatif up vji pihevowit, cav O xuamf ci sinott og O fofp'v tez vjev O vjopl vji uvjis 50% xet gamm ug wemaecmi miespoph iyqisoipdit epf siem qsuhsitt. Gus iyenqmi:

• O ofipvogoif wemai tlixt ug ep iyotvoph tiv ug qsufadv
• O huv tuni iyqisoipdi xusloph xovj gsiimepdist
• O fitohpif e csepf ofipvovz epf muhu
• O miespif jux vu neli e Xusfqsitt tovi, xovj Xuudunnisdi, Neomdjonq epf e capdj ug uvjis qmah-opt (iwip og O fofp'v ipf aq atoph vjin nadj)
• O miespif jux vu ati UqvonobiQsitt vu neli e mepfoph qehi (epf iwip nufogoif ov e cov vu howi ni nusi opgusnevoup)
• O miespif jux vu ati Tjuqogz vu dsievi e cetod tvusi
• O miespif vjev op vji gavasi O'mm qsucecmz qsigis Tjuqogz gsun vji tvesv
• O miespif jux vu tiv aq epf sap Huuhmi epf Gedicuul eft, et ximm et tuni vsodlt vu opdsieti DVS epf civvis veshiv eafoipdit
• Nz eft hewi ni e huuf ofie ug nz veshiv finuhseqjod - nutvmz xunip ehif 30+
• O qsufadif e xusloph qsuvuvzqi epf effif e pix vidjpumuhz vu nz siqisvuosi (i-qeqis)
• O miespif vji jesf mittup vjev O piif vu veml vu datvunist, xjomi upmz tqipfoph <$1000 vu fu tu (sevjis vjep qatjoph vjsuahj, tqipfoph nusi voni epf caomfoph $10l+ ug opwipvusz O'f piwis timm ivd)
• O'wi niv epf huvvip tuni hsiev efwodi gsun emm zua vjev jewi dunnipvif epf FN'f ni tu ges (et ximm et gsun nepz uvjis gusan qutvt)
• Xusloph vjot qsukidv jet howip ni fosidvoup epf optqosif fsowi
• O'n tmuxmz miespoph vu eqqsuedj qsucmint et ep ipvsiqsipias sevjis vjep ep imidvsupodt jucczotv
• O vuul edvoup sevjis vjep xeovoph gus vji qisgidv ofie vu tvsoli

Hsiev qutv, duphsevamevoupt up zuas qsuhsitt!
Vjev ot vji ittipdi ug vji 3E nivjuf NK vemlt ecuav: edv, ettit, efkatv. Vji onqusvepv vjoph ot katv puv vu raov.