Startup is dead, long live the startup
Hello!
Spoiler: not quite dead, but the quotation is painfully appropriate.
This post summarizes and plans for the future. A brief background: using modern terminology, “Sweezet” was conceived as a match making (then called “crowdsourcing”) project, which allows you to remotely buy and bring the goods you need. The emphasis was precisely on the buy and bring because the delivery of any things, though more vital, but potentially more dangerous for carriers. And in the case of a purchase (if it is not done “in the shop in the backyard of XXX using the password YYY”), the dangers are much less.
')
Time has shown that there is a demand for purchase and delivery, but for delivery it is much less (close to 0). Well, if it was clear where to do the pivot: in the showcase of imported goods, as did the then competitors gransjoy and the new startup grabr.io (sort of attracted $ 4M), then there was no understanding how to convince the carriers to participate. the country was experiencing "obese years", and small amounts did not attract them, and more made the purchase not profitable.
On the essence of the title, I will write on the cut.
And then a lot happened:
In these troubled years, I did not leave the idea to return to the project. And as a result, he was engaged in close affairs: cross-border trade with Kazakhstan and restored programming skills, which he fooled after having gone into management.
And as usual, I decided to start a new life with the new year. Left Kazakhstan, and returned to startups.
So, it was necessary to solve something with the carriers. And if the fall in revenues made such remuneration more attractive, then the issue of security and trust remained unresolved. The only solution that occurred to me was to create my own community (I wrote about trust within established groups earlier).
In general, we decided to make a pivot, but not a traditional one: unite and create a new startup for Ullsee travelers, and in case of success, revive Svezet already in the Ullsee community.
Why is that? To account for the “Sveozt” errors:
About doubts about lean startup:
In general, we decided to make a hybrid, take the best from lean: MVP, customer development & unit economy, and in case of failure, leave the projects alive as a hobby.
What is the new project about?
It's 21st century, and all the information in the form of branches on the forum or travel articles of bloggers (and the article will still be dated 2010, and you doubt the relevance) or questions in the community chat rooms of the area where you arrived (well, if the community is and you know who to ask for addition).
Banal situation: in 2010 I spent the winter in Pattaya with a friend. There was a question where to get a haircut. Result:
And then I found “the street of hairdressers” (very often in the cities they are grouped by guilds). Total: 60r!
Or as I traveled for a visa to Laos. 14 hours sitting in the bus! I cursed everything and everyone! But it turned out there goes the train.
Or overpriced taxis from airports. And in Bali I leased a bike from a local who is ready to move him directly to the airport and pick him up from you there. His friends then used my friends.
Over the years there have been a lot of everyday situations. And there are more questions: how to get, what to fear.
In general, the mission of Ullsee is to make the terrain understandable in 20 minutes. Only specific tips and instructions.
For myself, I describe it as “stackoverflow for travelers” (the question section will appear shortly).
Spoiler: not quite dead, but the quotation is painfully appropriate.
This post summarizes and plans for the future. A brief background: using modern terminology, “Sweezet” was conceived as a match making (then called “crowdsourcing”) project, which allows you to remotely buy and bring the goods you need. The emphasis was precisely on the buy and bring because the delivery of any things, though more vital, but potentially more dangerous for carriers. And in the case of a purchase (if it is not done “in the shop in the backyard of XXX using the password YYY”), the dangers are much less.
')
Time has shown that there is a demand for purchase and delivery, but for delivery it is much less (close to 0). Well, if it was clear where to do the pivot: in the showcase of imported goods, as did the then competitors gransjoy and the new startup grabr.io (sort of attracted $ 4M), then there was no understanding how to convince the carriers to participate. the country was experiencing "obese years", and small amounts did not attract them, and more made the purchase not profitable.
On the essence of the title, I will write on the cut.
And then a lot happened:
- The fall of the ruble. Which dramatically reduced the number of trips.
- Out of money. That reduced the free time on the project.
- A son was born. What has reduced the free time on the project)
In these troubled years, I did not leave the idea to return to the project. And as a result, he was engaged in close affairs: cross-border trade with Kazakhstan and restored programming skills, which he fooled after having gone into management.
And as usual, I decided to start a new life with the new year. Left Kazakhstan, and returned to startups.
So, it was necessary to solve something with the carriers. And if the fall in revenues made such remuneration more attractive, then the issue of security and trust remained unresolved. The only solution that occurred to me was to create my own community (I wrote about trust within established groups earlier).
In general, we decided to make a pivot, but not a traditional one: unite and create a new startup for Ullsee travelers, and in case of success, revive Svezet already in the Ullsee community.
Why is that? To account for the “Sveozt” errors:
- Project coder must be in command. Million dodelok, hypothesis tests + hired coder will quickly finish with your nerves and wallet.
- A project team of 1 person is rarely viable. It is impossible to code and promote the idea and sell the project to investors. Failures are quickly exhausting.
- It was decided to start up in a scientific way: lean startup is the gold standard of startups at the moment (here we had a certain doubt, about which below).
About doubts about lean startup:
- It uses FRIA. After studying their statistics , the following came out: 17 out of 62x survived from the first 2 sets, and 26 out of 53 survived from the last 2x. The question arose: “how to interpret this?”. Can lean startup not work? However, it was decided that this did not contradict his idea: “the idea is quickly understood, or it is necessary to stop wasting time and money on it”. What gives rise to the next question.
- Both projects are not 100% about money, but still ideological:
- We love traveling and pioneering!
- I want to share the experience gained.
And if it turns out that he is not much in demand? Shut it up? But what about the idea? - We love traveling and pioneering!
In general, we decided to make a hybrid, take the best from lean: MVP, customer development & unit economy, and in case of failure, leave the projects alive as a hobby.
What is the new project about?
It's 21st century, and all the information in the form of branches on the forum or travel articles of bloggers (and the article will still be dated 2010, and you doubt the relevance) or questions in the community chat rooms of the area where you arrived (well, if the community is and you know who to ask for addition).
Banal situation: in 2010 I spent the winter in Pattaya with a friend. There was a question where to get a haircut. Result:
- I learned from my acquaintances about the Filipino hairdressing salon, where they walked around me thoughtfully for half an hour, occasionally making a wave with scissors. I had to force the event, pointing to the typewriter, what I seem to have offended the master. Price issue: 200r
- A friend listened to my story and decided to go his own way. To avoid the problem of translating the term “halfbox” into local languages, he found a Russian-speaking stripper who worked as a barber for 400 rubles during the day! (it would seem a good rate, but apparently not a stable channel).
And then I found “the street of hairdressers” (very often in the cities they are grouped by guilds). Total: 60r!
Or as I traveled for a visa to Laos. 14 hours sitting in the bus! I cursed everything and everyone! But it turned out there goes the train.
Or overpriced taxis from airports. And in Bali I leased a bike from a local who is ready to move him directly to the airport and pick him up from you there. His friends then used my friends.
Over the years there have been a lot of everyday situations. And there are more questions: how to get, what to fear.
In general, the mission of Ullsee is to make the terrain understandable in 20 minutes. Only specific tips and instructions.
For myself, I describe it as “stackoverflow for travelers” (the question section will appear shortly).
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/328644/
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