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maybe you can add more logging into the application and then use that data to try out new features / understand which features are most used
No. Just call them, don't invade their privacy, unless they're just meat to you. In which case, change industries.
@tata71, I believe it can be done in a privacy preserving way. Think simple counting to answer questions like 'how many users clicked on this button?' without logging PII.
The right kind of user will be begging to throw money at you. Often they've hacked together their own solution at a high cost. They dry up quickly, but they're often out there. If you have to be more aggressive, chances are you're targeting the wrong type of user. Your next business step would probably be to find a good channel for the ideal user.
> The right kind of user will be begging to throw money at you. I agree, that's the best kind of user. > If you have to be more aggressive, chances are you're targeting the wrong type of user. Very true from my experience. Would you agree that identifying the right kind of user is the most important thing for a startup? Or can a startup be successful even if they have not nailed down the persona of the right kind of…
It's easier to get that from finding a few people who are really excited, than it is to find lots of people who are only a little excited. Because if there's a few very excited people, it often unlocks a new mainstream market. Like Twitch worried they wouldn't be able to pay enough for content creators to make a living, but the ones they interviewed were happy just to make a really small amount from playing games.
Yeah, YC advice about contacting users is pretty aggressive. What they want to see is your project having the potential to go "viral" but that doesn't really work for all projects. But it is still good advice. What I do is send out an occasional email to update users on any issues we've had and upcoming updates, and I always encourage them to call me anytime if they're having trouble or need or thought of a change or…
Really good info. > The point is I try to make it very easy for them to contact me. I make a point to tell them "It's always my fault if you're having trouble". And when they call I make a point to listen. Do you do anything in your product to make it easy for users to contact you? For update emails, what periodicity has worked for you?
I don't send out a lot of emails though. Generally only when I've confirmed an issue that's important they know about and updates and upgrades.