Here is the deal - we're building an instant answer portal. We're targeting to clients who need to get an instant multiple answers to their problem or a question (say, within 60 minutes time frame). This will cost money (client's budget), that will be split over the subscribers, who will answer the questions. One of the key points, that makes it interesting for market research groups, is that we'll be able to generate more then one answer for one question. So here comes the major question - while it's pretty transparent and kind of motivating for subscribers, how do you think this is interesting for clients? What target group of clients do you think we may be interesting for? What kind of a questions do we sound like a great niche? I have my own answers, but they're definitely not enough (one of the reasons why we're developing this portal :). Just give me any feedback, either positive or negative. Please, drop me a line if you see this either as a perspective startup or a looser. THANKS!
YC: Please, criticize my startup!
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Re: YC: Please, criticize my startup!
#2What do you plan to do differently from the likes of Google Answers that would allow you to deliver on the 60-minute timeframe more often than they did?
Re: YC: Please, criticize my startup!
#3>Please, drop me a line
The email address in your profile doesn't show up to the public, you've gotta reenter it in the about: field if you want other people to be able to see it.
Re: YC: Please, criticize my startup!
#4>Please, drop me a line The email address in your profile doesn't show up to the public, you've gotta reenter it in the about: field if you want other people to be able to see it.
It's "white at chief dot la". Thanks! Or you can write here.
Re: YC: Please, criticize my startup!
#5What do you plan to do differently from the likes of Google Answers that would allow you to deliver on the 60-minute timeframe more often than they did?
Mostly it's about delivering updates to people, who want to participate. Email notifications, IM, cell... Also it'd bring a spirit of a challenge, and so you'll have to hurry up and use your chance to answer the question and get some money. So this will motivate subscribers to check the site often (when they have spare time) or even have it a a home page or keep it sticky all the time.
Re: YC: Please, criticize my startup!
#6Does your startup do anything that Amazon Mechanical Turk doesn't do? (may be yours does it better?)
Re: YC: Please, criticize my startup!
#7I think it is an interesting idea. I don't know that there is a market for it, but I think it is worth building to find out.
Re: YC: Please, criticize my startup!
#8Does your startup do anything that Amazon Mechanical Turk doesn't do? (may be yours does it better?)
That's the one which is really close. However, our main point to to provide multiple answers, but not a simple solutions. Besides, the Amazon's idea is not about instant answers, so there are not many chances to get your answer(s) within an hour after asking. And yes, I bet we can do it better. Just because we're more simple and easy and intuitive. More, speaking about Amazon's Turk, the price paid isn't relative to real world cost of living. Most of the HITs over there are less then $1 per hour gigs. We see our business in questions, which can be answered in 5 minutes or less, without need to perform long term investigation, review, discussion or anything time consuming.
Re: YC: Please, criticize my startup!
#9Maybe tech support? I don't know about the multiple answers bit, but perhaps there's a market for crowdsourced tech support, that works much faster than regular channels.
Re: YC: Please, criticize my startup!
#10Maybe tech support? I don't know about the multiple answers bit, but perhaps there's a market for crowdsourced tech support, that works much faster than regular channels.
Personally, I don't think this will work well. Although, it's a good idea for some niched startup, but for something more global, we'll never get much luck with crowdsourced support, comparing to hundred thousands of subscribers.