This is a great post with great comments as well. Currently, we are using launchrock as well and we've stagnated at 36 sign ups as we are trying to get to 100. We haven't spent a penny on marketing but I feel we have hit a wall. I know that the soft launch is supposed to test and validate our business idea but I feel it isn't doing it justice, not by far. Especially with the limited amount of words you have to use. On the otherhand, I also understand the overall goal, it's to test without spending too much on programmers and developers and build something that no one wants to use. We are conducting surveys as well, which I feel are a better means of gauging if you have the right audience and validating your assumptions. However, I'm torn. I can see both sides of the argument. We started the soft launch march and it's about 5 months and running. They say the idea validation phase typically is about 5 to 7 months. But I feel strongly that even though we have stagnated in signups it doesn't mean that our startup idea is going to flop. In fact I feel very strongly in it's success. Half because entrepreneurs are just optimistic and half because the data proves it on our surveys. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Well your first round of 36 is your early adopter group which you survey, and prioritize problems/solutions. You then iterate your product with what you just learned. The feedback loop. Infact, Ries and Ash say you could do it with just 5 ppl. So you should be testing a new landing page or product by now, not waiting for another 64 ppl to 'signup'.
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This is a great post with great comments as well. Currently, we are using launchrock as well and we've stagnated at 36 sign ups as we are trying to get to 100. We haven't spent a penny on marketing but I feel we have hit a wall. I know that the soft launch is supposed to test and validate our business idea but I feel it isn't doing it justice, not by far. Especially with the limited amount of words you have to use. On the otherhand, I also understand the overall goal, it's to test without spending too much on programmers and developers and build something that no one wants to use. We are conducting surveys as well, which I feel are a better means of gauging if you have the right audience and validating your assumptions. However, I'm torn. I can see both sides of the argument. We started the soft launch march and it's about 5 months and running. They say the idea validation phase typically is about 5 to 7 months. But I feel strongly that even though we have stagnated in signups it doesn't mean that our startup idea is going to flop. In fact I feel very strongly in it's success. Half because entrepreneurs are just optimistic and half because the data proves it on our surveys. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Well your first round of 36 is your early adopter group which you survey, and prioritize problems/solutions. You then iterate your product with what you just learned. The feedback loop. Infact, Ries and Ash say you could do it with just 5 ppl. So you should be testing a new landing page or product by now, not waiting for another 64 ppl to 'signup'.