Untitled

[abbehyde-blog]

Another thought

Maybe it is also hard to pick one customer segment because I am afraid if I pick one I will miss the opportunity that another one presents....hmmm.

[abbehyde-blog]

Yeah...did some learning

As suspected...Lightning Lab has so far been about learning. I’m not going to lie and say I have been entirely receptive. It’s really hard being told you’re wrong, your idea sucks, your business has no potential. OK you caught me...no one said those exact words but sometimes that’s all you hear when you are being constantly questioned on things you have long since accepted as fact.

This week has been full of mentors and customer meetings...and I have had mixed results from all of them. Mentors either love the idea or hate it...or think someone will fill the market space or think no one is in the market space for a reason...or something else. It is beyond confusing. Customers as well...sometimes the conversation just clicks and you go from validation to a sales pitch with a positive result. Other times you are sat there looking at who you thought was your customer and realising you have nothing they want to buy...because they just don’t have the problem you thought you could solve.

The most insightful piece of advice this week was to pick a customer segment. This had us revisit everything we had done. I think we were trying to think big but in that lost the idea that we had to start somewhere and be really clear. If you make something for everyone you risk pleasing no one...I’ve been told this before and it’s so frustrating to have to be told it again. I think its because I get so excited and passionate. I work on something and suddenly see how it could change the world and want to change the world for everyone at once and be the next big thing.

So yeah it’s now 1.13am on a Saturday night (or Sunday morning I guess) and we have finally decided on a customer...now back to validation.

[abbehyde-blog]

The Journey to Lightning Lab Christchurch

From selling compost in high school to trying to start an Uber for moving vehicles I can admit I’ve had more that a few ideas in my time....so much so in fact that when I was accepted into Lightning Lab for SuchCrowd the first thing people asked was oh which business made it?

Made it is a bit of a funny term for me. Despite seemingly confident I am always fill of doubt about whether any of my businesses will make it so to speak. And what really is making it anyway? One thing I do know is that with each business I create and pursue I learn a little bit more about entrepreneurship and what it takes to be an entrepreneur. I learn critical skills which I apply to the next business and the one after that. And each time I get a bit further with the business I learn another skill.

So with 3 months ahead of me in a start-up incubator environment it is very likely I am going to reach a point with SuchCrowd that I have never reached with a business before...which means I am going to learn something. I’m am a huge believer in the idea that if you are the smartest person in the room you’re in the wrong room...so bring it on!