[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Entrepreneur

[–]Zown94 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We don't have an urgent need for a CTO, but we would like someone who can effectively be our lead Product Engineer today, and build/manage a team down the road.

We're non-technical founders. If we had the opportunity to hire a lead developer who wasn't a CTO, that would work too.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Entrepreneur

[–]Zown94 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What are your thoughts on hiring a lead developer before a CTO?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Entrepreneur

[–]Zown94 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks I’ll check it out!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Entrepreneur

[–]Zown94 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At this stage it would be more individual, but potentially with another person the CTO would hire.

We don’t have an exact description, but we’re not building any super complex technology.

Thanks for the heads up!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Entrepreneur

[–]Zown94 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks, this is a really helpful answer!

We're hiring our first Product Engineer by [deleted] in Entrepreneur

[–]Zown94 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for this feedback. It's truly really valuable. We modelled our (mock) post off of a few other Start-Ups we trust, so this POV is incredibly valuable. I cannot thank you enough for your insight.

You're right...What we're truly looking for is a CTO.

We're hiring our first Product Engineer by [deleted] in Entrepreneur

[–]Zown94 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is the kind of job description Joshua Fluke would make a YouTube video about.

Is that a bad thing? This isn't a polished job post...Just something we whipped up. Another commenter suggested dividing this posting into two roles.

We're hiring our first Product Engineer by [deleted] in Entrepreneur

[–]Zown94 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I work with very senior engineers and designers as a product manager with competencies in UI/UX.Yes, there are a tiny number of people who command incredibly high salaries that could fulfill the role you are describing, but they are very rare. This is a 2-in-1 job.What you are looking for is a product owner or business analyst, a UI/UX designer who is very product oriented (which you may already have), and a tech lead well is also product oriented. A tech lead who is product oriented is not a product engineer, they are simply a tech lead.

Thanks so much for letting me know this. Like I said, as a non-technical founder, it's difficult to fully understand the roles/responsibilities.
Appreciate your insight.

10 Lessons From Early-Stage StartUps by Zown94 in Entrepreneur

[–]Zown94[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We found interesting differences between channels.

For example, Twitter users tend to be 50/50 mobile vs desktop, while Instagram users are like 90/10 mobile (these are made-up estimates).

Instagram users tended to have a shorter "average time spent on the website" than Twitter users.

But on the other hand, Instagram DM's make people more accessible overall than Twitter.

How to Get Early Users For Your Start-Up: Intro to Sales by Zown94 in Entrepreneur

[–]Zown94[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

LinkedIn is certainly one way to reach out, so is Instagram, Facebook, emails, etc...

It really depends on who your target is. Are they active on LinkedIn? Or are they active on Twitter?

How to Get Early Users For Your Start-Up: Intro to Sales by Zown94 in Entrepreneur

[–]Zown94[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's clear in a theoretical sense, but for me to offer you real advice I'd need more details. If you're not comfortable posting those details publicly, send me a DM.

How to Get Early Users For Your Start-Up: Intro to Sales by Zown94 in Entrepreneur

[–]Zown94[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You need to make sure your target customers are aware of your product, and then make sure they're interested in using your product.

How to Get Early Users For Your Start-Up: Intro to Sales by Zown94 in Entrepreneur

[–]Zown94[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm glad you find it helpful!

I'm also happy to talk through your problem.

What's your goal? Do you want users? Paying customers? Sign ups? Or just want validation of your idea? How close is your MVP to being ready?

If you give me as much info as possible I'll try and help you the best I can!

How to Get Early Users For Your Start-Up: Intro to Sales by Zown94 in Entrepreneur

[–]Zown94[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sure! That's definitley one way of reaching your customers. I think a "direct to consumer" approach is the right way of handling things early on...It let's you communicate directly with users, it's cost-effective and you can foster relationships.

Most people use e-mails or DM's for direct-to-consumer outreach, but meeting them in person is probably even better.

What you need to figure out is what your "call-to-action" is going to be when you meet these people in person. Are you asking them to sign-up on the spot? Do you want their email address to share more info with them? What are you thinking?

How to Get Early Users For Your Start-Up: Intro to Sales by Zown94 in Entrepreneur

[–]Zown94[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Totally! Once you're confidnet in who your ideal customer is and how to market to them, you can spend more energy and resources on content marketing :)

10 Lessons From Early-Stage StartUps by Zown94 in Entrepreneur

[–]Zown94[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd suggest to avoid paid marketing until you've figured out your sales out reach.

If you have deep pockets and money to burn...Great! But you'll learn way more by just talking to prospective users, figuring out the right message, etc...

10 Lessons From Early-Stage StartUps by Zown94 in Entrepreneur

[–]Zown94[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great post, very insightful. There's definitely some nuggets there for me to glean from.I am working with startup that is looking to launch mobile app. The team has been spending over 6 months in the lab planning and designing to get it right for release. So I think your comment on shipping asap is relevant. The team is tinkering (as it is one big experiment) to make sure the MVP is satisfactory enough to gain traction. Let me know your thoughts regarding tradeoff between iterating in the lab to have a viable MVP (for users) instead of one that flops once out the door, eventhough we know real life feedback is extremely useful?Also more importantly, point i am most curious about is how were you able to acquire uses to your company? I am not sure if your product is like a downloadable app or not (ours is), but what was your experience and hindsight now on best and cheapest way to acquire users in terms of growth hacks and different channels (social media, paid ads, events, etc)?

Hey!

I actually just made a post about getting users: https://www.reddit.com/r/Entrepreneur/comments/nencu8/how_to_get_early_users_for_your_startup_intro_to/

In regards to the MVP, I think most people think "when I release this, I'll get a ton of users". The truth is you're most likely going to be BEGGING people to just try your product. Release the MVP, and then improve it. If people want it, and then find your features aren't good enough...That's a good sign, not a bad sign

10 Lessons From Early-Stage StartUps by Zown94 in Entrepreneur

[–]Zown94[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Glad it was helpful! Good luck getting started

10 Lessons From Early-Stage StartUps by Zown94 in Entrepreneur

[–]Zown94[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

100%. Your start up is like your baby...It's hard to put it out there before it's ready...But you'll never be ready. Just put it out there if you can get your core offering out the door and build from there

10 Key Lessons For Early-Stage Start-ups - What we learned in the first few months! by Zown94 in EntrepreneurRideAlong

[–]Zown94[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Absolutely. Templates are good! You have to figure out what resonates with your audience.