The first question for a new startup is, “what problem does your product solve?” But what if your product doesn’t solve a problem, and instead is better defined as providing a “nice” service wrapped in a well designed and usable interface?
I’ve launched a team fundraising app for a very niche market, endurance auto racing. Race teams can raise money for any charity they choose. Teams promote their race/fundraiser and ask supporters to pledge an amount of money based on the number of laps the team completes. My service tracks all pledges and processes all donations.
As I’m working to get my first teams to register their first fundraisers, the self doubt is insane. Before launch I received soooo many “wow, that’s awesome!” and “that’s such a great idea!” and “hell yeah we’d use that!”, but all that enthusiasm isn’t turning into adopters yet, a little over a month in.
I’m an amateur racecar driver and know the audience well. That’s what brought me the idea. But if it doesn’t “solve a problem” and is just a nice service, am I naive to think wide spread adoption is ever attainable?
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