Cluedin

This is the official blog for the Cluedin team.We'll be posting discoveries we make and random thoughts on our journey to create an amazing platform to discover and share experiences around you.Enjoy!

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First look at Cluedin

Hey guys,

There is a first look at the application. This might be different from the crude version our alpha looks like (this is a designer shot).

 Most features here would be scaled down to our MVP but be sure we have an exciting product strategy for you guys once we get the V1 out. Feedback is welcome. Cheers!

Dipo Doherty 

CEO/ Co-Founder

[cluedinapp]

Progression from an Idea to a fully fleshed out Product

    Technology startups are created every day. These enterprises, irrespective of industry, targeted market or value proposition would have to endure a grueling path that would not only test the resilience of the founders and parties involved, but the viability of the product.

    The numerous startup creation numbers may give an outsider the perspective that creating a success is a piece of cake. This is a fallacy, as several minute decisions and influences from actors surrounding the product can cause tidal changes in the trajectory of an application from becoming a billion dollar company to ceasing to exist.For those who are unfamiliar with the journey I would give structure to the process of creating a proposed solution from that “Eureka!” moment and also helpful tips on how to approach 

1) Idea Stage 

    This is essentially the birth of your idea. For most of us it happens when we draw associations to systems we have not juxtaposed before to realize that either a problem exists that holds tremendous opportunity if tackled, or increases the efficacy of the process.

It is this observation that a proposed theory is made.”What if i made a ___ to tackle this problem”. Before you head on to the next stage it is crucial you understand that this is a THEORY.Chances are the solution you might eventually create would be different from our early vision. Make sure you have an open-ended approach to new ideas and feedback as this would not only provide insight but increase your chances of success.

    A good technique to employ in this situation is called ANALOGOUS OBSERVATION. This technique is used to inspire new ideas by observing out-of-category experiences with similar characteristics.A good example is bringing together the system of a 4 x 100 relay team to a 4 stage production line process for bottling water. Notice the magic number that connects both systems is ‘4’. A possible relationship that can improve the productivity of the production line is to test wether the arrangement of the stages would affect the productivity of the process. This improves your sense of empathy for the product from a user perspective as empathy is at the heart of user centered design.

    IN CONTEXT OBSERVATIONS are also necessary as they provide great insight in user behavior especially in the real world. This is as simple as putting a typical user in a use case scenario with a couple of scribbled down wireframes and monitoring various metrics including the users emotions and gestures.Ensure that you tailor your observation cases to suit the industry and nature of your offering.Other techniques you could use are one-to-one interviews and Group discussions.

2) Execution

    At this stage a rough idea of how the product would look along with a pool of core feature sets would have been moulded.The next phase is to refine these pool of insights and various perspectives and narrow it down to the essentials to create a Minimum Viable Product(MVP). An essential tool used here is called a PRIORITIZATION MODEL. In this case, you can draw up all the feature sets you have on a board and give your audience 3 points to vote on their 3 favorite features. This would them be graphed into a prioritization model where the user satisfaction ( in this case number of favorites) would be graphed against the implementation difficulty of the feature.

The features we would be shooting for are those at the top right corner: Easy to implement and gives the most user impact.The bottom right should not be left out as those could later be implemented when the resources ( technical muscle, etc) are available in the near future.

Once you have your MVP and launch a very compelling version 1. The first few months of management is crucial. Ensure you are constantly collecting feedback and responding to each users needs. Also monitor your growth metrics and user behavior as this would shed more light on future product strategies.

Dipo Doherty

CEO/Co-Founder

Cluedin

[cluedinapp]

Delegation in a Startup

For the past few months the Cluedin team have been working on developing our product we have learnt a great deal. One of the most crucial values we've come to discover is delegation. Separating tasks effectively and efficiently not only gives the team a clear purpose, but drives innovation and productivity.I'll list out a few pointers below.

1) As CEO do not try to do everything yourself

       Yes, you came up with the idea. Yes you pitched it out to your team who believe in your vision. It's kind of like my baby I understand. But this is more of a reason why you should trust in the skill of your team and not put the entire load on yourself.

2) Focus is paramount

       As CEO, you have to ensure you are focused on the tasks that affect your companies growth.The tasks you know you can't do without are what should matter to you. The rest should be effectively given to the individuals in your team you know can see it through.

3) Be ready to accept less

     Having an eye for perfection is good, but always be ready to accept less at times.Its always better to have the tasks completed and then iterated upon rather than not completed at all.

  These few pointers will improve not only your team's micromanagement capacity but your personal productivity too.

Dipo Doherty

(CEO/Co Founder)

[cluedinapp]

Hello World!

It really feels strange how we've been working on Cluedin as a product for a year & this is our first post Its been a journey for us especially since this is our first actual product.Our vision is to 'discover and share experiences near you'. We want to be the product that would bring you a deep social pulse of activity around you. Well be posting more random rants, memes and hilarious stuff in our office ( aka a 2 bedroom apartment in Charlottesville,VA that houses 4). For now ill leave you with a picture of Christopher Walken..now

you may ask why?...well because I can...and I will...and i have.October 2nd is the launch date and I hope You'll love it!

Cheers!

Dipo Doherty

CEO/Co-Founder Cluedin

(im also in charge of washing the dishes & I paint :)  )