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I wasted $40k on a fantastic startup idea

tjcx.me

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Re: I wasted $40k on a fantastic startup idea

#311

Post by dsign »

dkarl wrote: post #109

I'm kind of concerned that people read this as satire but miss the most important part, namely the absence of concern about the safety and validity of the results. You know, the part where he stuck some statistical software in front of a database populated by a "motley crew" of contractors and wanted doctors to use it as a shortcut for making patient care decisions. The part where he implicitly compares the HTML spit…

I'm kind of concerned that our gold standard in medical practice is "this needs to work for everybody". We should really be more intent on doing personalized medicine.

Re: I wasted $40k on a fantastic startup idea

#312

Post by f6v »

sillysaurusx wrote: post #295
coldtea wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Only the parent doesn't dismiss "billion dollar companies", they dismiss comparing them to shut down, non winning, companies like in TFA.

Ah yes, one failure = the idea is horrible. Another classic trope.

You’re constantly steering the conversation somewhere else, aren’t you?

The meta-analysis idea wasn’t terrible. It’s just that there’re many assumptions in a statistical sense, the founder might not be the right person to implement it and he might have targeted the wrong market. Some people are under the impression that everything can be solved just by build an app. However, some fields are much more complicated than your gig economy food delivery.

Re: I wasted $40k on a fantastic startup idea

#313

Post by aj7 »

See that sertraline vs. Lexapro curve? Pretty similar. Pharma is very competitive. Successful pharma products are so close doctors use intuition, experience, and hunches to break ties. Also, they’ve been shown detailed one-of curves by pharma salesladies, EACH of which purports to show that THEIR drug is superior.

Then there’s that $0.50 revenue/user problem.

Re: I wasted $40k on a fantastic startup idea

#314

Post by john_minsk »

I didn't get it. He starts as if this is b2c kind of business, but then shows screenshots with service aimed at drug researchers.

If it is b2c: make an app for the phone.

Screen1: human body, where you can choose places where you feel unrest.

Screen2: describe what is wrong

Screen3: "based on your answers and your geolocation you can get these 3 remedies which are safe" or if something extreme is going on "please see the doctor, in the mean time you can use aspirin to relieve your pain"

*I usually call mom when I have headache, temperature or diarrhea cause I constantly forget which one should I take. I'm 30:-( I would use such app for these hints. For anything more serious I would go to doctor and wouldn't self medicate.

Monetization(Hard): Subscription for extra features like tracking of drug dosages and keeping track of your home stock. Would probably be beneficial to someone who takes a lot of drugs all the time.

Monetization2(Medium hard): deals with local pharmacies to be able to provide recommendations where to buy a specific drug advised by the app.

Based on screenshots what he built is b2b app for doctors?

Re: I wasted $40k on a fantastic startup idea

#315

Post by john_minsk »

john_minsk wrote: post #314

I didn't get it. He starts as if this is b2c kind of business, but then shows screenshots with service aimed at drug researchers. If it is b2c: make an app for the phone. Screen1: human body, where you can choose places where you feel unrest. Screen2: describe what is wrong Screen3: "based on your answers and your geolocation you can get these 3 remedies which are safe" or if something extreme is going on "please see…

one more thing 5 minutes later: I was travelling a lot past 4 years and would be great:

Buy international insurance within an app and have a list of local hospitals I can go to

Be able to "download" integration with local pharmacies like it was with maps.me These can be sold. If I'm in India and got Delhi Belly I would pay 2-5 USD to find nearest pharmacy/hospital or order drugs to my hotel

Re: I wasted $40k on a fantastic startup idea

#317

Post by sillysaurusx »

f6v wrote: post #312
sillysaurusx wrote: post #295

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah yes, one failure = the idea is horrible. Another classic trope.

You’re constantly steering the conversation somewhere else, aren’t you? The meta-analysis idea wasn’t terrible. It’s just that there’re many assumptions in a statistical sense, the founder might not be the right person to implement it and he might have targeted the wrong market. Some people are under the impression that everything can be solved just by build an app. However, some fields are much more complicated than…

Also known as “having a conversation.” I’m not sure why you don’t see the bad faith in your words, but I have no interest in talking more. Goodnight.

Re: I wasted $40k on a fantastic startup idea

#318

Post by ronyfadel »

tptacek wrote: post #258

It's been mentioned a couple times on the thread but I'll third it: this post succinctly captures the problem statement of _The Mom Test_, which is a short book about how to structure your product/market fit work to cut the crap and lock in on a product that people will actually pay money for. It's good, more people should read it.

Seconded. Do not start a company before running it through the Mom Test.

Re: I wasted $40k on a fantastic startup idea

#319

Post by ozim »

There is so much to take out from this story for developers who want to do the same.

Marketing is hard, making people pay for something is even harder.

Your idea about "fantastic app" might not be so fantastic for target group. Problem is there is so much more to any business that we don't know from the outside. There are things that unless you are in the group you are not able to notice because those are "dirty" trade secrets.

Re: I wasted $40k on a fantastic startup idea

#320

Post by overscore »

arghwhat wrote: post #121
renewiltord wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Based on the response he got, it was the right question, actually. People aren't Internet-style insecure in real-life, especially those who have high social cred (like doctors). Even accounting for the humorous exaggeration, the kind of question asked from a professional doctor is less likely to cause them to be offended and more likely for them to just tell you why not. They're not going to be "How dare you question…

Although do note that doctors are just humans, with all the same flaws. There's just a bias in the kinds of humans that tend obtain the title.

Yeah, I do clinical placements in hospitals as part of volunteer work, and doctors run the range from open and receptive to questions to incredibly arrogant and dismissive.

The fact that they agreed to talk to the OP probably means they aren't going to be immediately dismissive, but I'd hesitate to assign any supranormal human traits to doctors.

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