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Ask HN: Just finished coding my new startup; need ideas for getting traction

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Ask HN: Just finished coding my new startup; need ideas for getting traction

#1

Post by Eddk »

http://www.meshipu.com

The concept is simple. Millions of cars on the road everyday, many traveling long distances. Millions of package delivery shipments everyday. Match these two groups and everyone wins.

Value proposition: Instead of traveling with an empty trunk, you could offset cost of gas by carrying a small package for someone at maybe 50% discount from what they'll have to pay UPS,USPS, or FEDEX.

Major competitor: www.uship.com

My other project: www.colabopad.com

Any ideas on how I can go about getting traction for something like this? I have built what I think is a bare minimum of functionality (staying true to lean-startup idea), no pretty UI stuff.

follow me: http://twitter.com/twitlooter

Re: Ask HN: Just finished coding my new startup; need ideas for getting traction

#2

Post by NathanKP »

Your target customers are probably going to be young people, college students, and the like. Businesses and older people may be more worried about the security of their package. You might try making a YouTube or Vimeo video about your service. Make it sound cool and efficient. It might get you a few customers.

Re: Ask HN: Just finished coding my new startup; need ideas for getting traction

#3

Post by petercooper »

It's safe, secure and reliable.

You will seriously need to expand on these points to get customers. Looking at the idea blind, I can't see how it can be any of these things. No pretty UI stuff will be needed until it's a viable business, and addressing these three concerns strikes me as paramount.

Re: Ask HN: Just finished coding my new startup; need ideas for getting traction

#4

Post by marcusbooster »

NathanKP wrote: post #2

Your target customers are probably going to be young people, college students, and the like. Businesses and older people may be more worried about the security of their package. You might try making a YouTube or Vimeo video about your service. Make it sound cool and efficient. It might get you a few customers.

Or drug dealers looking for mules.

Re: Ask HN: Just finished coding my new startup; need ideas for getting traction

#5

Post by nudge »

Before you get carried away with how to build the site, I think you need to think a bit about the economics of this business.

1. What would you charge someone for postage? It would have to be less than UPS etc., otherwise there's no point not using them.

2. What would a driver earn for carrying a package? Some amount of money not greater than the postage charge (otherwise you'll go broke).

3. For what amount of money would a driver think it is worthwhile to pick up this package, or several packages, and deliver them to where they need to go? Surely more than just a few dollars.

4. What are the extra costs of your business, such as insurance?

I don't know the answer to any of these questions, particularly postage (I don't live in the US, so I don't know what the cost of sending a parcel is there). But you might want to think about it.

Re: Ask HN: Just finished coding my new startup; need ideas for getting traction

#6

Post by Eddk »

marcusbooster wrote: post #4
NathanKP wrote: post #2

Your target customers are probably going to be young people, college students, and the like. Businesses and older people may be more worried about the security of their package. You might try making a YouTube or Vimeo video about your service. Make it sound cool and efficient. It might get you a few customers.

Or drug dealers looking for mules.

very funny:) I have considered all those things, I think they are mostly knee-jerk reactions. You could pretty much make similar arguments against any web-initiated transaction, but as has been demonstrated by the incredible success of e-commerce I think concerns about safety are mostly just that. I don't see why a drug dealer would want to risk so much by trying to use such a service, on so many levels it will make no sense.

Re: Ask HN: Just finished coding my new startup; need ideas for getting traction

#7

Post by richardburton »

Checkout http://www.shiply.com too.

I'd solve the initial chicken and egg by finding a few shipping companies and promising to find them business for free. Get some packages posted on the site. Get them delivered. Get some shipping companies some ratings. Rinse and repeat. Start charging.

Re: Ask HN: Just finished coding my new startup; need ideas for getting traction

#8

Post by kordless »

One of the big challenges in shipping is distribution. Even though someone may be going from place x to place y, they will have to go 'the last mile' in both the x and y locations to complete the transaction. Anything like this that adds complexity also adds both time and money.

Obviously you can't have people who fly do this as the air carriers prevent bringing packages which you did not pack.

Re: Ask HN: Just finished coding my new startup; need ideas for getting traction

#9

Post by Eddk »

nudge wrote: post #5

Before you get carried away with how to build the site, I think you need to think a bit about the economics of this business. 1. What would you charge someone for postage? It would have to be less than UPS etc., otherwise there's no point not using them. 2. What would a driver earn for carrying a package? Some amount of money not greater than the postage charge (otherwise you'll go broke). 3. For what amount of money…

Shipping can be quite expensive through the usual channels (UPS, USPS,FEDEX). If you have ever tried to ship a used textbook then you know what I am talking about. The application allows the carrier (ie person carrying the package) to specify a rate(per pound per mile). Obviously the intent is that such a service should be significantly cheaper than what the existing shipping companies charge otherwise no one should use it.

Re: Ask HN: Just finished coding my new startup; need ideas for getting traction

#10

Post by jaboody »

Nice website. I think, unfortunately, the concept may have some fatal flaws...

1. If you need to ship a package across the country, don't you think it would be much faster to go with a major carrier because they can ship your stuff by air?

2. Would people really trust just any person with a car to deliver stuff that might be important? What if it got stolen by the driver? What would you do then to make the situation right?

3. Would you provide tracking information for packages that are shipped? What about day estimations on delivery?

4. How would it be profitable for the driver? Usually the major carriers are able to use economies of scale to spread out the fixed costs over many packages. If your driver had 3 packages to deliver and their delivery addresses were in different parts of town, wouldn't your driver lose money on gas and the time it would take him to drive around town to deliver the packages?

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