>>without writing a single line of code
Umm, how? You have a web app, you provide people with an admin dashboard to interact with the messaging apps. Am I missing something here?
Ask HN: How would you take this business to the next level?
21–30 of 41 posts
Re: Ask HN: How would you take this business to the next level?
#22Have you looked at meesho? They are a YC company helping businesses sell using WhatsApp and Instagram. http://meesho.com/ (not affiliated with meesho)
Yes, I have. They have a slightly different business model and do it via an app. Its very clever I must say how they have managed to sidestep whatsapp's restrictions and they look like they have a great team.
I have a different business model that doing it via a web app. My approach is to - digitize the inventory of existing stores - train them to use to use the app - collect a commission every time they make a sale through the system.
This is what I know works from the last few months of working on different permutations :-)
Re: Ask HN: How would you take this business to the next level?
#23>>without writing a single line of code Umm, how? You have a web app, you provide people with an admin dashboard to interact with the messaging apps. Am I missing something here?
I don't have a web app yet. the video is just a mockup I did on keynote to show what things could look like :-) so that, the potential tech co-founder would understand what I think the solution would look like.
Re: Ask HN: How would you take this business to the next level?
#24I'm currently writing CRM for Whatsapp and Messendger. Clients list, calendar, products list, messages history. Is it what you are interested in?
Yeah I would say so. Here are a couple of animations that I made in Keynote to show how the web app could be structured - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCcEoVlmiok - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guA6trEPNls I just want to "reduce stupidity" now. for example when I get a message saying "haven't got my product yet!!" . I have no clue who this person is or what they ordered without doing a forensic audit of the cha…
Btw, are you just also validating your software idea here? :)
Re: Ask HN: How would you take this business to the next level?
#25>>without writing a single line of code Umm, how? You have a web app, you provide people with an admin dashboard to interact with the messaging apps. Am I missing something here?
I don't have a web app yet. the video is just a mockup I did on keynote to show what things could look like :-) so that, the potential tech co-founder would understand what I think the solution would look like.
That makes sense. Could you share with how exactly did you make the money - what were you offering before?
Re: Ask HN: How would you take this business to the next level?
#26[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: How would you take this business to the next level?
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't have a web app yet. the video is just a mockup I did on keynote to show what things could look like :-) so that, the potential tech co-founder would understand what I think the solution would look like.
That makes sense. Could you share with how exactly did you make the money - what were you offering before?
I just approached a few brick and mortar stores and offered to open up a new sales channel (their existing customer acquisition channel was basically having a store front and then staring into space, so was not hard to beat)
I offered a "I make money only if you make money" pitch. Sold their wares via Facebook and WhatsApp and then took a huge markup from those sales.
Re: Ask HN: How would you take this business to the next level?
#28Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yeah I would say so. Here are a couple of animations that I made in Keynote to show how the web app could be structured - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCcEoVlmiok - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guA6trEPNls I just want to "reduce stupidity" now. for example when I get a message saying "haven't got my product yet!!" . I have no clue who this person is or what they ordered without doing a forensic audit of the cha…
Btw, are you just also validating your software idea here? :)
nope, not here. I know it works cause I have already done some pre-sales and there are business signed up to use the platform.
CRM and inventory is not the hurdle. Its an essential. The need is "digitization of inventory" and "customer acquisition".
I'll be happy to share everything I have learned so far on what I think the secret sauce is if you would like to talk.
Re: Ask HN: How would you take this business to the next level?
#29This is a very inspiring thread. The help being offered by the community is heartwarming.
Re: Ask HN: How would you take this business to the next level?
#30Looks like you might need to farm out specific problems (e.g. I need a website, built on technology X, that has THESE capabilities). You could just put those specific tasks out to tender on a programmers-for-hire site. Unless you are happy to part with some equity in your company. Here are some links on this topic to help. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/tech-co-founder-myth-vijay-ga... https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-…
Thanks for the links. Yes, I would happily give away equity to a cofounder who can manage the tech side of things. I can scale this thing up a few 100K dollars a year the way I am doing this now. But it is excel sheets and 3 computers side by side so I can see product info, customer info etc side by side. Its just ugly. lol. I need some elegance in my life now. I have settled the "should I really bring-on a technical…
you could have multiple monitors instead of multiple monitors and machines