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Users You Don’t Want

themacro.com

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Re: Users You Don’t Want

#91

Post by cortesoft »

bsder wrote: post #79

Hmmmm. It probably depends upon how much money were talking. If the customer is throwing around a couple million dollars of NRE, it's probably worth bolting something on and pocketing the money. If the customer is only moving a couple hundred thousand, it's probably not. This seems more like a software-only startup issue. We have hardware and have these hard-nosed discussions all the time--generally about volume. Cus…

I think the article covers that; they explicitly talk about sometimes choosing to serve the customer who wants something you aren't currently offering.

Re: Users You Don’t Want

#92

Post by AndrewKemendo »

I think what is missing here for me (and in a lot of these types of posts) is a discussion of volume.

Now, what happens if someone with an infant or developmentally challenged teenager signs up? Their needs present an entirely new set of problems, problems that could be solved by a startup but not necessarily by ours. Remember you don’t have to pivot your business because a customer needs something that you don’t offer.

Is he literally saying that someone would be tempted to pivot a product based on a single instance? Or is that loose language for some, say 1% of the user base.

Re: Users You Don’t Want

#93

Post by kafkaesq »

Pinatubo wrote: post #14

> Now, what happens if someone with an infant or developmentally challenged teenager signs up? Their needs present an entirely new set of problems, problems that could be solved by a startup but not necessarily by ours. Remember you don’t have to pivot your business because a customer needs something that you don’t offer. Meanwhile on Tumblr: "Startup says they don't want developmentally disabled people as customers.…

"Startup says they don't want developmentally disabled people as customers."

No reason this should be an issue (provided it is handled tactfully) as many daycare centers aren't able to take on special needs children, either.

Re: Users You Don’t Want

#94

Post by nradov »

ryandrake wrote: post #16

Been through this at medium sized companies struggling to sell. This kind of customer is alluring but poisonous. Company: We sell Product X! Toxic Customer: I don't want Product X, I want Product Y. If you're willing to bolt Product Y onto one of your menus I will pay you this stack of money for it! Company: $$$! Bam! The company just went from being a product company to a custom engineering service. You will have to…

I went through this. It's only possible to stand your ground if you have sufficient capital reserves to wait for other customers. In our case we had burned up most of our funding through several pivots so when a prospective customer agreed to pay for Product Y there was no practical alternative but to say yes.

Re: Users You Don’t Want

#95

Post by aianus »

afarrell wrote: post #70
gautamdivgi wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a good point. Same with Uber. Most Cab companies are required to provide access to wheelchair bound and disabled members of society at no extra charge. Not sure if Uber has the same requirement - and if and when it starts moving cab's out of business it will definitely prove to be a problem.

> Not sure if Uber has the same requirement It doesn't. I've a friend (who might be popping on this thread here soon) who's been working with adapt.org on pressuring Uber on this issue. In theory, ridesharing should be much better for PWD than trying to hail a cab and cheaper than government services like the MBTA's The Ride. However it very much does not look like it is the case right now.

Uber has wheelchair vehicles at the same price as UberX: https://newsroom.uber.com/canada/uberwav/

Re: Users You Don’t Want

#96

Post by crdoconnor »

blfr wrote: post #64
GuiA wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What if it's not profitable to do that on its own? The "free market takes care of everything" argument is an idealistic position, not something based in reality.

If it's not profitable then why should Airbnb be the one to subsidize it? Why not the government? Or some charity? Or you? We don't expect anyone who meets a homeless person to offer them a place on their couch. That would be unfair. And an additional incentive to avoid homeless people. We have (well, not everywhere but at least we aim for) a systemic solution. There are homeless shelters for example, sometimes run a…

>If it's not profitable then why should Airbnb be the one to subsidize it?

Because they're massive rent extractors.

Rent extractors should subsidize most things.

Re: Users You Don’t Want

#97

Post by ixtli »

bsder wrote: post #79

Hmmmm. It probably depends upon how much money were talking. If the customer is throwing around a couple million dollars of NRE, it's probably worth bolting something on and pocketing the money. If the customer is only moving a couple hundred thousand, it's probably not. This seems more like a software-only startup issue. We have hardware and have these hard-nosed discussions all the time--generally about volume. Cus…

The equivalent definitely exists in a software-only startup with enough users. In practice it's rarely the case that it's _one_ user, but that there are cohorts of users that want a certain thing you don't provide. I still agree with your point, though, that if those cohorts aren't gonna give you enough money you shouldn't let your development process get sidetracked by their desires.

Re: Users You Don’t Want

#99

Post by elorant »

ryandrake wrote: post #16

Been through this at medium sized companies struggling to sell. This kind of customer is alluring but poisonous. Company: We sell Product X! Toxic Customer: I don't want Product X, I want Product Y. If you're willing to bolt Product Y onto one of your menus I will pay you this stack of money for it! Company: $$$! Bam! The company just went from being a product company to a custom engineering service. You will have to…

That’s pretty much the reason most web development firms never manage to get really big. There’s too much ad-hoc work.

Re: Users You Don’t Want

#100

Post by rconti »

CPLX wrote: post #50

Posting an article called "users you don't want" and then using a developmentally challenged teenager as the example of a user that you don't want is so spectacularly tone-deaf that I am left somewhat speechless. I keep thinking this will be the year that the valley types wake up and realize this kind of mentality puts them in existential danger from mobs with pitchforks, but it keeps not happening.

2017 is the year of mobs with pitchforks on the Developer.
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