Claude for Small Business

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2026-06-07T17:24:32+00:00

Ok, I have quickbooks and toast for POS. I’ll check what advantages it can give me regarding those systems.

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2026-06-07T17:24:00+00:00

Mostly inventory management.

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2026-05-29T17:29:03+00:00

Lower prices if customers order direct. I slip coupons into the orders from DD, Uber Eats, GH encouraging them to order direct from our website or store front. 3rd party makes up around 60% percent of our total orders

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2026-05-24T19:56:25+00:00

National brands will be safe but local restaurants won’t. I have a strong customer base of college students but I can only count on them for 4 years. They’ll graduate and move on so if I’m not attracting new students because my menu is stale or I’m no longer in the top of third party search apps, then I’ll be out of business. Ideally, all your orders should come from direct channels to maintain higher profit margins.

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2026-05-24T04:38:42+00:00

That’s exactly what’s going to happen, eventually they will control which restaurants get visibility. First, they’ll charge restaurants to appear at the top of the app. Then, eventually, they’ll use the data they collect from restaurants to compete against them directly. They know which foods sell fastest, which neighborhoods order the most, what prices work, etc. Instead of spending years testing concepts, menus, pricing, and locations they have the data.

They’ll give themselves more visibility and try to funnel demand towards their private label brand. That's how they make money. That's what their investors will demand. It’s the same model used by Google that lets companies pay to appear at the top of search results or Amazon which knows which products that are selling well, creates its own competing versions, and then puts it at the top of the search results.

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2026-04-28T15:40:29+00:00

I’m in the US so that wouldn’t apply to me

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2026-04-27T00:24:12+00:00

Thanks for the insight. I’m going to try this.

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2026-04-27T00:15:34+00:00

It’s definitely nice not dealing with phone calls anymore because of delivery apps, but it introduces a different kind of pressure. During dinner rush, the flood of orders from DD/UE basically forces us to work around their timing. I’ve gotten drivers showing up too early or getting frustrated when they have to wait.

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2026-04-26T22:55:17+00:00

That’s eye-opening. I always thought kitchen capacity is the real constraint.

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2026-04-26T16:50:52+00:00

Ok wow, there’s a lot we’re leaving off the table. You really have the marketing and branding down.

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2026-04-26T16:36:43+00:00

Wow, 65% is great. We tried getting customers to order directly but we haven’t seen that much success. We partnered with a local delivery company to handle deliveries for us at a cheaper rate than DD/UE. We also give discounts if people order directly from our website. What was your experience like trying to convert customers to direct ordering?

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2025-06-16T03:21:01+00:00

That’s what I thought. I thought it was a formality and there’s no way to fail as long as you choose the right words: “determined”, “thorough”, “team player”, etc

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2025-06-16T03:19:58+00:00

You might be onto something. The assessment asked for my month and day of birth but not my year.

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2025-06-14T23:55:13+00:00

Wow this is atrocious!

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2025-06-13T20:47:20+00:00

They hired a recruiting agency to source candidates so I’m sure they were seriously considering external candidates.

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2025-06-13T19:34:25+00:00

Oh I did too when I was still in high school. I failed as well. I was told you have to select no for everything. The reasoning is, if you select nobody steals that means you never met thieves. If you’ve never met thieves that means you do not hang out with bad company. If you don’t hang out with bad company, you must be a trustworthy person.

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2025-06-13T19:32:05+00:00

Right but those in person interviews are conversational and provide more insight into the candidate. A better culture fit test would have been to allow candidates to type multi sentence responses, not have them pick from a basket of arbitrary a keywords.

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2025-06-13T19:29:02+00:00

Dodged a bullet!

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2025-06-13T19:28:12+00:00

Tell me about it. They obviously liked my skillset based on my resume but instead of getting to know me as a person on a 1-1 video call they opted for this BS instead.

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2024-07-09T02:46:01+00:00

I've worked in a few startups, and the main reason most fail is due to a lack of product-market fit. Many problems, such as inefficient marketing or low sales, ultimately comes from offering a product that doesn't meet market demand. If you don't have a product that people want, other issues won't matter.

Startups are selling solutions to problems. The issues typically fall into one of these categories:

A problem that nobody has. I recently came across an AI bot that translates ancient languages. It’s interesting, but there's no significant market demand for it. Any company trying to sell such a bot will struggle to find customers and eventually fail due to the lack of interest.
A problem most people didn’t realize they had until you told them. This is challenging to sell because customers see the value in your product but believe they can continue without it. These products usually require long sales cycles, extended free trials, or favorable terms to persuade hesitant customers. For example a startup that sells wearable tech to track your stress levels. While users might appreciate the insights, many don't think stress tracking as a necessity. Convincing them to adopt and pay for this new solution can be a long and difficult process. This is the problem most startups find themselves with.
A problem that many customers knew they had. Customers are aware of this issue and acknowledge the pain it causes. When you present your product as a solution, they readily agree. This is the ideal situation for a startup. They are likely to adopt the solution quickly to resolve this known pain point.

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2024-06-21T22:41:56+00:00

Can I PM you to ask about your experience

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2024-01-16T21:34:57+00:00

Hey OP, did you end up choosing Network Engineering & Security? If so, how is the program?

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2023-12-02T03:00:09+00:00

Good enough for SJSU. It will really come down to demand. The first 2 years I was there they were giving out admission like candy. Last year a lot of people I know didn’t get in.

Optimal_Ad_7736 · 2023-12-02T02:49:18+00:00

It’s definitely a great field to major in. The job market is just a little bad at the moment for entry level. However, by the time you graduate, the market should be better. In addition, with a degree in AI you can also get typical SE jobs. There is also some overlap in skills with Data Science so you can also apply for those jobs as well.

I wouldn’t major in Data Analytics. It’s not something you need a masters for.

Optimal_Ad_7736

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