At the risk of being downvoted, I disagree. Maybe this is just a good introduction to the series of posts, but for now he simply regurgitated what we already know, ie "Build something, put it out there, then iterate". What it fails to tell you is how to get that initial traction.
For every 50 consumer startups that email Techcrunch/Venturebeat/Gigaom etc... one will be covered. If this does not happen, then getting that first set of beta users will be extremely time consuming (unless you resolve to less-than-ethical methods aka SPAM).
Products like Meebo took off from the start. I am sure most issues they had were around hiring, scaling, and monetizing. Most startups' problem is not what to do with the traffic or how to afford more servers, larger teams. The biggest problem we have is not even building a prototype or convincing someone to partner with us. The issue is how to get users.
Maybe in his next posts he will touch this subject.
I don't get this. Let me say this as succinctly as possible: it's not 2005 any more. TechCrunch, VentureBeat, Mashable, and GigaOm will not help you get users.
We've been in those publications multiple times, and since I run Google Analytics with goals, I know how many new users and transactions they send. It's de minimus. The links might be good for PageRank, but you'd rather be in Lifehacker anyway.
If you think users will come because you get into these pubs, please try harder.
Everyone knows major blogs will send a bunch of visitors to your site and most will bounce back immediately. Webmasters usually follow up with "Techcrunch traffic does not convert...". Well, in all fairness that is not the bloggers' duty to figure your conversion method. At any rate for most consumer startups a bunch of visitors from leading tech blogs is better than no visitors.
I run Google analytics with goals too for my website and at my day job. And let me tell you that in both cases I am pushing products that no one is jumping to write about. The same is true for (arbitrarily) 9 out 10 companies. Hence organic traffic is not easy to create, and paid traffic is as good as throwing money off the windows.
So when giving advises, give advises to this group. Not the one who can built a product and gain traction easily. I have not done this successfully so I cannot tell anyone how to but here are a few examples:
- Don't go to major blogs first, go to smaller ones (TC used to be small when Meebo launched in their living room) and create a relationship there. Find a few competitors or a business that is complementary to yours and do a Yahoo Link Search/Google BlogSearch to figure who is writing about them (call it regression analysis if you want), and drop them 4, 5 lines and ask them "Can you please present us to your audience". Email users with an "Invite your friends" link. SEO is a marathon, not a Sprint. Be steady and set a goal to email at least 5 new blogs/newpapers everyday. Call a couple local radio stations, or TV stations, everyone is looking for a story. If people don't answer after 21 days email again with a polite 2 liner, because sometimes your emails get overlooked. Email the guys at Startupschwag, and ask if they can include your startup in their next mailer. Etc....Be HOTDAMN PERSISTENT, because the "only thing you can control is INPUT".
Could your problem be that you're pushing the wrong product? If people don't find your product useful/exciting/etc, there's no reason to expect any amount of coverage to make an impact on your traffic.
I couldn't agree more, which is exactly why in my spare time I've been making Traction, an interview series on this very subject: http://traction.blip.tv.
However, I still find the OP useful. I can't tell you how many aspiring entrepreneurs I've met who need a reality check. This post provides it succinctly and understandably. Granted, this crowd (HN) is pretty much already on the next step, but a lot of people are stuck on that first one.
Hopefully he'll get there. Anyway, it's a good place to start a series - essentially, how to start.
Maybe it's not a typical symptom in the HN community as much, but in general, I really hear a lot of people working on startups from the outside in: high concept, powerpoints, spreadsheets, raising money, legal nonsense, THEN finding someone to build their idea.
It's good to be reminded occasionally to just build the product when you're getting started.
Getting users: the most important part of any startup that most founders like to ignore because it is one aspect they can't control.
Hyper-focus, have patience and persistence, and constantly keep improving the service. There is no other way. TechCrunch only helps you for a day. But after that day is over, you are back to the same problems again.
For every 50 consumer startups that email Techcrunch/Venturebeat/Gigaom etc... one will be covered. If this does not happen, then getting that first set of beta users will be extremely time consuming (unless you resolve to less-than-ethical methods aka SPAM).
Products like Meebo took off from the start. I am sure most issues they had were around hiring, scaling, and monetizing. Most startups' problem is not what to do with the traffic or how to afford more servers, larger teams. The biggest problem we have is not even building a prototype or convincing someone to partner with us. The issue is how to get users.
Maybe in his next posts he will touch this subject.