proto.in product vs service startups

Should a startup focus on product or services

By suresh, orangescape

Product

Sell ip
Entry barrier high
Team


Service
Total soln providers - tcs wipro
Game changers - provide answers to customers directly
Vendors
Specialists

Buying strategy

Vendors shop
Specialists investigate
Total solutions negotiate
Game changers partner

proto.in to brand or not to brand

Start internally
Stationery
Visiting cards
Brand language
Passive branding
Email footers
Have attractive footer msg
Attractive title
Employee tshirts

Active branding
Newsletters
Use online templates
Youtube
HUmor with cartoons
Sites like glasbergern
Calendar with half a dosen chicks ;)

Setup billboard in ur office premises
Online ads

Active branding

proto.in conversations

Branding

Desolve.co.in

Branding is the visual look of the company

Understand the user"s desired experience

Product doesn't need to have 'all' the features
Macbook air

Keep in mind the product echosystem e.g. Cleartrip.com

Design product service relationships eg ipod

Deliver ur brands promise eg 37signals

Cuwtomers are clever .give them some credit eg cleartrip

Take the burden off the user eg google

Doesn't have always be highly functional eg cooliris

Associate ur brand with unique feature facebook

Don't follow the crowd . Eg cleartrip week starts from monday

Start with user insight from ur research

Design an experience and not a technology system

Keep going back 2 user to verify the concept

proto.in conversations

Summary from previous learnings

Monetization strategy
10 miles
Shareware give a trial

Slideshare
Premium model
Laws of economics ; no free lunch

Oversupply of products in teCh space

Learning to price a product

Paid model is good for startups

Experiment early

Word free helps in penetration

Check if it is tewlly free


Bandwidth cost
Support cost
Innovation
Opportunity cost

Amazon webservices

Google adwords can get only 10 per cost

Vc model

For entrpreneurs acceptance is more important than monetizaion initially

proto.in live blogging

Now for the final Q and A for all teams . One final shot before lunch. Hands tired blogging all the time.

proto.in showcase liveblogging

Finally up is Indiakhelo

Each startup seems to have their own tshirt

Skit in progress now. Their motto is to change the way india plays sports.

Idea is to have sports profile on web.

Video on indiakhelo . Schools can upload results in the portal.

Portal demo under progress now.

Upload results through web,ivrs.

2 models : one is for schools and colleges. Another for galli players. Honesty ratings for them.

Have representatives on all schools. Geez is that possible?

Profiles are public by default. Can be made private also.

16 sports are supported.

proto.in live blgging contd

Next up is Noddler

Ivr system that is human and intelligent

Can personalise it very much

Noddler sandbox launched. Mainly b2b product.targeted at web businesses who need mobile support.

Comapny incubated out of iit chennai

proto.in live blogging

Paper plane making fun activity ;)


Here comes the next showcase

Lords automotives
Green and economic fuel kit for two wheelers
By rajesh

First non it presentation ;)

Two wheeler LPG kit
Some features

Dual fuel operation
UN approved
Fulfills all safety norms

Amazing stats ; still 71 percent is on two wheeler in india

Tested with honda activa hey. That's my vehicle

Still test results are yet to be published

proto.in live blogging

Third up is Iflapp

Adi and vipin

Provide smart solutions for usb to make them smart devices

Use cases
Launch itunes from iflapp for e.g.

Share project without expecting mpp to be there

Carry mails,tasks anywhere and sync them up later.

Patented this technology already

Sell it through oem, distribution channels

proto.in showcase contd

Next up is yoplr
By raja and dipankar

Plan your trip

Travel site that addresses customers context

Options for holiday theme, age profile of the travelling group, itinerary builder, route helper ( shows fastest route). Multiple destinations are supported. Email, pdf of itierary supported. Have tieup with holiday makers to send quotes.

Revenue model
Started with b2c model
Content covers karnatka and goa. Plan to make it all india

proto.in showcase

Proto.in for dummies

Kiruba telling the rules

6 comapnies 6 minutes each

Each company present their busiess model

First up is lifemojo

Himanshu introduces his company with a story based inspiration on weight loss. Found value in nutrionist words. Problem was how to interact with doctors and patients remotely.

Time to deploy 2 months

From b2b expanded to b2c

Allows to set weight loss goal, track ur diet,track ur calories.

B2c monetization
Providre a platform where all nutrionists can come together

Also plans to sell fitness products . Mobile app is also there.

proto.in more info

Atul chitnis continues with his 5 lessons learnt in his 20+ years of experiencing

Assumptions for todays world

Assume connectivity
Local storage no longer matters
Advertising dosent pay unless u are google or yahoo

Biggest sellers are mobile products
Don't build productd for vcs

Vc funding is not a viable business model unless u area vc :)

Proto.in - Bangalore Edition

Registrations just completed.

Auditoriums are filled up.

All set for the event.

First up is The World is Changing by Atul Chitnis

Following Proto.in

I will be attending proto.in @ Bangalore tomorrow and the day after . Will be updating live all the action straight from there :)