I don't even know how to answer this. Do you know what the difference between McDonalds and the local burger joint that is filing for bankruptcy is? It's marketing. McDonalds is worth billions of dollars not because of the quality of their food, but because of their marketing. Marketing is ...
It's never too late to develop your first app. The most successful companies/apps are started by people with unique perspectives targeting like minded customers. As a 41 year old, you certainly have insights and perspectives that others do not. Are you looking to develop the app, yourself, or a...
Some questions you'll want to answer before moving ahead: How strongly do you believe this idea can become a successful product? Why do you think they approached you? How comfortable do you feel running a company owned by someone else? What happened in your previous CEO role? What confidence...
First and foremost you need to look at all ways to fund your start-up not just outside investment. How far can you bootstrap your start-up and self fund? Are their ways to get your first clients to fund development for in return for free life-time use etc. If this is not possible then you move...
Don't Outsource. Period. While there are big drawbacks with outsourcing related to building internal expertise the real reason I would never outsource at your stage is the need for speed and flexibility. Per your description, you are an early stage start-up with a MVP that is gathering data....
Not necessarily, if your app can potentially serve different markets with different demographics, it may be beneficial to market to each market individually. Since app interface often serves as a marketing tool, it is important that it resonates with its target audience. This means having a diffe...
Having done over 35 different financing rounds over 7 companies I've built in Silicon Valley - you should be giving up 15%-25% dilution in each round with a plan to never raise beyond a Series-C. Investors get equity for money invested, don't start doing "special deals" or it could poison the we...
With an upfront of $10-15k you are in the 'sales range'. Companies won't part with that money without a few conference calls and whether it's you or a team someone needs to hold their hand to get that sale. CAC is a lot easier to gauge on consumer products because they can be sold on an advertis...
Your interpretation of Facebook's ad platform is pretty accurate and it may not be the best fit for your purposes. This may not be the answer you're looking for, but I don't feel that traditional FB and Twitter ads offer the quality or quantity of leads you are looking for. Given that you are h...
Good question. I wouldn't be worried about litigation. Your (normal) worst case might be penalties from the OTA, a difficult ongoing relationship with their Market Manager and perhaps listing removals. All independents can find ways to reward their most loyal clientele, without market visibility....