I've tested quite a bit, I've gotten market feedback from potential clients - I did a survey as well that suggested that 80%/100% were willing to pay $X/mo for it.
I've talked to random individuals I meet at meetup groups as well. It isn't a totally earth-shattering new idea, but one with an already existing and ever increasingly new platforms and market expansion.
Short answer: Its already a proven market. I know my competitors and their offerings, and history.
What are your thoughts on doing 10-20 hours of part-time freelance as kinda a segway into this?
"What are your thoughts on doing 10-20 hours of part-time freelance as kinda a segway into this?"
If you can line it up easily, and if you think it'll actually cover your living expenses, I see nothing inherently wrong with it. Just realize that freelancing is not always the time saver people imagine it to be. You'll be dealing with invoicing, chasing payments, lining up steady and consistent work to keep the cash flow on track, etc. Freelancing is a full-time job in its own right.
I would recommend building out a freelancing runway -- for example, and if possible, carving out a steady freelancing gig for 18 months from your current employer, if that's possible. And get a contract in place. You don't want to jump into freelancing cold turkey and find yourself scrambling for gigs.
Be careful. "Saying" they'll pay and them actually paying CAN be a different thing believe it or not. Consider yourself testing the market till you ACTUALLY take money from a few customers. (caps for emphasis: I've been burned before)
Not necessarily. If your solution is solving a real pain point or is creating something really valuable for your potential customers, you can ask them to pay upfront even before the MVP is ready. Treat them as your extended team taking their inputs while you build the product. Easier said than done but its the best validation you can get. You may have to grandfather them on pricing though.
No. You can presell at a lower price though. The objective is to take cash even if smaller than what you would charge if the product was already built. If people can pay and wait for the product, it means it really solves a problem for them and your chances of succeeding are much higher.
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I've tested quite a bit, I've gotten market feedback from potential clients - I did a survey as well that suggested that 80%/100% were willing to pay $X/mo for it.
I've talked to random individuals I meet at meetup groups as well. It isn't a totally earth-shattering new idea, but one with an already existing and ever increasingly new platforms and market expansion.
Short answer: Its already a proven market. I know my competitors and their offerings, and history.
What are your thoughts on doing 10-20 hours of part-time freelance as kinda a segway into this?
"What are your thoughts on doing 10-20 hours of part-time freelance as kinda a segway into this?"
If you can line it up easily, and if you think it'll actually cover your living expenses, I see nothing inherently wrong with it. Just realize that freelancing is not always the time saver people imagine it to be. You'll be dealing with invoicing, chasing payments, lining up steady and consistent work to keep the cash flow on track, etc. Freelancing is a full-time job in its own right.
I would recommend building out a freelancing runway -- for example, and if possible, carving out a steady freelancing gig for 18 months from your current employer, if that's possible. And get a contract in place. You don't want to jump into freelancing cold turkey and find yourself scrambling for gigs.
Be careful. "Saying" they'll pay and them actually paying CAN be a different thing believe it or not. Consider yourself testing the market till you ACTUALLY take money from a few customers. (caps for emphasis: I've been burned before)
Yes, I do realize what you are saying here and its a valid point.
I think I would have to have a MVP before getting any early adopters cash though, right?
Not necessarily. If your solution is solving a real pain point or is creating something really valuable for your potential customers, you can ask them to pay upfront even before the MVP is ready. Treat them as your extended team taking their inputs while you build the product. Easier said than done but its the best validation you can get. You may have to grandfather them on pricing though.
Have a look at this mixergy interview for some ideas/inspiration - http://mixergy.com/sam-ovens-snapinspect-interview/
No. You can presell at a lower price though. The objective is to take cash even if smaller than what you would charge if the product was already built. If people can pay and wait for the product, it means it really solves a problem for them and your chances of succeeding are much higher.
I did this for my product as well. It's paying the bills for me despite not even being done yet.
Think of it as a form of freelancing where the customer just wants some end result but doesn't care about the code itself.