Be LaunchedLaunched.Be | Launching better startups

Internet sales of a digital product. Done well, and it can be a dream come true: it makes money while you sleep. No more expensive staff with their good and bad days. You know exactly how much it costs, and how much it makes.

Making an effective sales page is not an easy job. Done poorly, your sales page can end up being a very sad and lonely place.

What are the elements that make a difference between an effective landing page and a ghost town, visited only by an occasional tumbleweed?

A landing page is where visitors “land” after clicking a link from an ad, e-mail, or another type of a targeted campaign. Effective landing pages are extension of this link. A landing page serves one clear objective, typically moving a visitor down the conversion funnel: e.g. turning a visitor into a lead (by e.g. capturing their e-mail and other info), or closing a deal.

So what does an effective landing page do? Continue reading →

How a must have product impacts your customer

We’ve all heard this one: build a pain killer, not a vitamin. A must have, not a nice to have. Solving the right problem for the right customer – if you do it right – will get you rich. It’s (almost) as simple as that. But somehow it slips through the cracks. So, here are 5 good reasons why you should care. Continue reading →

We did not resist the temptation of San Sebastian sweets

Will not build a service business, will not build a service business, will not… oh snap! I just did.

The allure of immediate revenue from services is too strong of a temptation for many to resist. Software companies often walk an especially slippery slope: bespoke software systems (aka. custom made software). It’s almost impossible to say no: the customer is willing to pay for the development of the first version of your product, and actually use it and give you feedback? Continue reading →

My market of choice. Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, Barcelona

If you are like most founders I know, you are talking about your product. A lot. Maybe you talk a bit about the customers and how you’ll make their life better. Money too sometimes. But how often do you talk about the market you are in? If you are like most of us – only when they put a gun to your head and make you do it.

Choice of market really matters. It impacts your chance of success. It determines the full potential of your business. It makes a difference between a hobby and a business. Between having a fun experience and getting stinking rich.

Some examples. Continue reading →

A road from an idea in your head, to an actual product. Your highest priority is to start walking it

You don’t have to be a real tech geek to have an idea for a high tech business. Not anymore. A hypothesis: when it comes to high-tech business ideas, non-technical people  have recently outnumbered the beloved geeks.

However, ideas are still dime a dozen, and the real difference is in the ability to execute. And here, the techies still have the upper hand.  

So, dear non-technical founder, this one is for you. Continue reading →

Build, measure, learn. Actionable metrics vs. vanity metrics. Cohort analysis. Sorry, I may be simple, but can you speak English please?

I get the principle. We want to build products people love. We want to find a repeatable and scalable way to reach customers and make money. And metrics can help us measure if we are on the right track to achieve that. You can also talk to customers (and you should), but metrics are cool as you measure what customer do, not what they say.

I get that. But how do I get started? Continue reading →

Simple is Beautiful

We may seem so advanced. But the well kept secret about human beings is that we are really simple creatures. We like simple stuff we can understand quickly. Life’s already way to complicated. Want to reach to us? Don’t make us think. Keep it simple, please.

This applies everywhere. Marketing. Pitching your business. Writing. Talking. And is especially true for us building product companies. Products thrive on simplicity. Solve one problem, and do it really well. Don’t make users think.

Less really is more. So let’s hear ‘em. Continue reading →