Ask HN: I'm building something for the airline industry.. • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: I'm building something for the airline industry..

#11

Post by pedalpete » Thu, Jun 03, 2010, 2:34 AM UTC

Before heading for the big airlines, if this is a product that might suit smaller airline businesses like charter business or something, you might want to talk to them first.

Even if they aren't your target market, if they can relate to the issues you are trying to solve, I suspect they would be much more approachable than the bigger airlines.

The key thing is get out there as soon as possible, and talk about the idea. From the sounds of things you are building a product for a specific customer and you haven't approached that customer at all yet.

You may think that you understand the customers problem, but you might not.

If you haven't checked out Steve Blanks's Customer Development info, I suggest you do.

Re: Ask HN: I'm building something for the airline industry..

#12

Post by harnhua » Thu, Jun 03, 2010, 5:55 AM UTC

Are there industry seminars or travel tradeshows in your area where the airlines come out to interact?

Perhaps small / budget airlines are good targets to start with.

If you can reach out to their customers via a forum, that might indirectly validate your product and bring attention to the airline companies via those customers.

Re: Ask HN: I'm building something for the airline industry..

#13

Post by CyberFonic » Thu, Jun 03, 2010, 6:34 AM UTC

rms wrote: post #10

From my experience working at US Airways, they will never buy whatever it is you are building, even though their business is crippled by the 70's era software that the entire operation depends on. Do you have any background or connections in the airline industry? You need to talk to someone at the airlines, and soon.

Does your solution make money? Lots of it? Right now? If so you'll get a good audience. If not, as pedalpete suggests, implement Steve Blank's Customer Development Process.

Rather than going direct to the airlines, how about sussing out angel investors who have contacts in that area?

Re: Ask HN: I'm building something for the airline industry..

#14

Post by lukelockhart » Wed, Jun 16, 2010, 2:56 AM UTC

This is (IMHO) how you should go about doing it yourself:

1) First of all find out who your looking to speak to. Airlines are huge. Who in the airlines owns the process/es that your solution addresses? Who in the organization would benefit on a day to day level from your solution? - If you can't find this info from secondary research your going to have to try to speak to someone in the industry who can help you figure this out.

2) Contacting People - Try your best to get an introduction from someone (Anyone - friend of a friend, in-law's cousin, alumni, whatever) in your network to someone in the airline. They don't have to be the right contact to begin with. Sometimes they're just contacts to get more contacts. - I agree with what others have said about big companies being harder to break into. People at smaller companies often know counterparts in larger companies. So this can be a good first step. - Cold calling probably has the lowest success rate (you will have to make a ton of calls to even speak to someone useful) - Random LinkedIn messages are better, but will go mostly unanswered. - Join their forums, groups, sign up for their blogs.

I could go on, but I have an incubator interview myself tomorrow I have to prep for.