Just a dumb question, but in the testing phase, what was actually happening here? Are the adverts for an effectively 'fake company'? What happens to users who sign up, do they get an e-mail saying 'thanks for your interest, but at this stage we are only gauging interest'?
How to Kill a Startup Idea with Google Keyword Planner and AdWords: A Case Study
141–150 of 193 posts
Re: How to Kill a Startup Idea with Google Keyword Planner and AdWords: A Case Study
#142Earlier quoted context omitted.
> we are limited to billion dollar ideas How did matchmaking for music lessons get into the discussion as a billion dollar idea? Referrals for tutoring in any subject (math, reading, music, etc.) would be a bigger market, but even then it might not be a $1B company.
Well I was right there with you, thinking it was a completely shit idea, but a little math shows how it at least popped up on the radar (and I don't think its quite so bad myself after some thought): 100,000 music instructors, $60 per hour, at 365 days per year is roughly: $2.19 billion gross revenue per year-hour in the segment. Assuming, the average hours per day are like 3.5 (I can't imagine folks doing this are g…
It also assumes that all discovery of teacher is done by direct searching instead of word of mouth - I know some one Phd in music, London session Musician who's played on top 10 hits he wont need to advertise
This is basically a hyperlocal seo play not sure why PSL seems obsessed with PPC only paid is not the only channel - go talk to some one Like Norm at DAC group
Re: How to Kill a Startup Idea with Google Keyword Planner and AdWords: A Case Study
#143Earlier quoted context omitted.
Using that case study, getting $21k in revenue for $80k in expense makes zero sense ever. That doesn’t even count the actual startup cost to build the platform or even get the “talent” to deliver the lessons — which is an expense not to be ignored. So the real $80k is probably much higher because for a marketplace to exist, you have to attract buyers and sellers. And a 30% commission means that music teachers would h…
Real world music lessons scale better, with many beginner classes at Guitar Center (or private centers/homes) scaling to 5ish students per teacher. It's not as high quality as 1 on 1 instruction, but the benefits of scale cannot be understated. Offer lessons at 1/3 price but make double the revenue.
In that case it's the regional "Guitar Center" or "Yamaha Music School" or whatever that provides (i) a marketplace that also lends credibility to the instruction and (ii) scaling via group lessons and as a result take a cut from the pie.
Re: How to Kill a Startup Idea with Google Keyword Planner and AdWords: A Case Study
#144A wall of text intended as smart content marketing to get some awareness for a rather unknown investment firm or incubator--Crunchbase didn't show any raised funds, so I don't call them VC. The long, over-polite text, the fake landing, the ad test weren't required in the first place. Why: The immediate answer every experienced VC would give is a simple 'no, this isn't a VC case' without all this fuzz and waste of tim…
Counterpoint: Wag raised $300m for an almost identical idea.
Re: How to Kill a Startup Idea with Google Keyword Planner and AdWords: A Case Study
#145Can someone explain to me how this is legal? False advertising laws exist and this is literally marketing a non-existent product. And even if it’s not illegal, I don’t understand how you can just be okay with lying to people. Everyone in this thread seems to just be totally okay with this and I’m super confused about it.
If someone wanted them "brought to justice", they'd need to:
1. Sue them
2. Prove they were harmed in some way
3. Either hire a lawyer or do a bunch of paperwork (not to mention learn what paperwork they need to do)
That's why it's unlikely they'd face any repercussions from running the test.
Re: How to Kill a Startup Idea with Google Keyword Planner and AdWords: A Case Study
#146Earlier quoted context omitted.
The lessons are an ongoing expense, but the principals will rather quickly eliminate the middle man marketplace after meeting and being happy with the connection.
Unless you can provide other useful services to help the teacher to manage thier students. Maybe scheduling, accounting, payments.
In that case it seems a lot easier to skip building a marketplace and just create booking software for music teachers.
Though you'd probably find that most were happy with Google Calendar, Xero and PayPal / Square.
Re: How to Kill a Startup Idea with Google Keyword Planner and AdWords: A Case Study
#147This might come off as awfully naive, but this doesn’t sit right with me: > XYLO's mobile music lesson technology is the easiest way to learn new music, right from the comfort of your home. Our platform can teach your child any instrument on any schedule, and let them replay lessons forever. As far as I understand, this is... a complete lie? You just made some crap up to see if you can make people click?
It's a lie, but only in a sense that they don't have a product yet. But that's something that they could have striven for if they were funded.
Re: How to Kill a Startup Idea with Google Keyword Planner and AdWords: A Case Study
#148Earlier quoted context omitted.
The lessons are an ongoing expense, but the principals will rather quickly eliminate the middle man marketplace after meeting and being happy with the connection.
Unless you can provide other useful services to help the teacher to manage thier students. Maybe scheduling, accounting, payments.
^ Exactly - this where 'commoditizing your complement' comes into play: https://www.gwern.net/Complement
Re: How to Kill a Startup Idea with Google Keyword Planner and AdWords: A Case Study
#149Can someone explain to me how this is legal? False advertising laws exist and this is literally marketing a non-existent product. And even if it’s not illegal, I don’t understand how you can just be okay with lying to people. Everyone in this thread seems to just be totally okay with this and I’m super confused about it.
I was scrolling the comments here to see if this was being discussed. It's my biggest takeaway from the article. We had a discussion many many years ago on HN (maybe more than one) and the feeling among the startup devs (not all, mind you, but the majority) was that such behavior was immoral. I think it came up once in a conversation about Steve Blanck (sp?) IIRC.
One thing I learned a few years back, however: If you're in a game and you're the only one playing by the rules, you're going to lose.
Re: How to Kill a Startup Idea with Google Keyword Planner and AdWords: A Case Study
#150This might come off as awfully naive, but this doesn’t sit right with me: > XYLO's mobile music lesson technology is the easiest way to learn new music, right from the comfort of your home. Our platform can teach your child any instrument on any schedule, and let them replay lessons forever. As far as I understand, this is... a complete lie? You just made some crap up to see if you can make people click?
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