How do visitors view Guerilla style home biz startups? Hear it from the customers themselves:

Hey Startups: Don't Launch

Here's a common question I get from startups, especially in the early stages: when should we launch? My answer is almost always the same: don't.

First off, what does it mean to launch? Generally, we conflate two unrelated concepts into the term, which is important to clarify right up front.

Announce a new product, start its PR campaign, and engage in buzz marketing activities. (Marketing launch)

You never get a second chance to launch. Unlike a lot of other startup activities, PR is not one where you can try it, iterate, learn, and try again. It's a one-way event, so you'd better get it right. Remember the story about IMVU's early encounter with Wired? When we finally did launch the company, even though our product had grown and changed significantly, Wired didn't cover it.

I wrote a little bit about the epic launch we had at a previous startup in my post Achieving a failure. We really did it well, with a great PR firm and great coverage. New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, the works. But it turned into a crushing defeat, because we couldn't capitalize on all that attention. The product didn't convert well enough, the mainstream customers we were driving weren't ready for the concept, and the event fed expectations about how successful the product was going to be that turned out to be hyper-inflated.

Make a new product available to customers in the general public. (Product launch)

Establish credibility with potential partners. In some businesses, especially in certain industries like traditional enterprise software, you simply cannot bring a new product to market on your own. You need to combine your product with others, and this requires partners like OEM's or system integrators.

http://www.businessinsider.com/dont-launch-2009-3








How do visitors view Guerilla style home biz startups? Hear it from the customers themselves:






Who are you? I never heard of you.

Why haven't journalist or editors published anything about your company? I haven't read about you.

Why don't you look just as professional and qualified as your competitors? I don't think you have enough experience.

Who are your biggest name brand clients or most popular target market-repeat customers? I don't see the community of followers that inspire your brand to shine.

What awards have you won or have been nominated for? I don't see praise for your company.

What well known companies have you worked with? I don't see any of your collegaues, mentors and exsisting background.

What do you offer better than your competitor besides deals, service and delivery? I don't see the difference with the quality of product and service you offer the same as other companies.

Why do you look like all the other startups? I see the same inactive site where I can't communicate with other people as a community and view new information about your company.

Why am I important to your business? I'm not paying for products and service, but for experience.

Why should I do business with you? I don't see why other people say they do business with you.

What do you stand for? I don't know what your company mission is trying to accomplish.

Who sponsors your company or who do you sponsor? I don't see the connections that your company has with other well known experienced companies, that you recommend for

Why is your company not exciting and mesmerizing like going to an event? Money is no object when I can feel like I've escaped to a place where I can experience enjoyment and be pampered, as if I was on a vacation being treated like royalty.