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Get some cash. It's a real spur to action. One time I had a project that was dragging on forever, I was trying to develop a product for an existing business bu

Get some cash. It's a real spur to action. One time I had a project that was dragging on forever, I was trying to develop a product for an existing business but I kept missing my self-imposed deadlines. 1/3rd of the way in I'd realize I want to approach it a different way and throw away everything tangible I had and re-start. I did that twice. It was dragging on forever. Then I hand-coded a crappy html sales page and started taking preorders at half price. Got like 60 of them. So, my most loyal customers have given me money just on my word. I promised it would get to them within whatever timeframe. Now there was no going back, no perfectionism, just had to work my ass off to get it out. And I did! Towards the end I was so burnt out and delirious from all the work and energy drinks and lack of sleep that I actually paid two freelancers from Elance to clean up some of the rough edges on my work, since I knew what was wrong, but I was too broken to fix it myself. But it got out! (Actually, it was two weeks late - I apologized profusely, gave out some free stuffs, and made the second deadline I promised) After that I had a product that generated some sales for a couple years, so that was awesome. Get some cash. It motivates on many levels. It's like the military commander burning his ships behind him - now there's no retreat, you've got to go forth and conquer, because it's the only way out. Except, unlike burning ships, cash is cool and useful and you can spend it on things, even using the cash you got to help pay to deliver your new product or service. Magnificent thing, cash. Get some. Huge motivator.

thetrumanshow 16y ago
"Then I hand-coded a crappy html sales page and started taking preorders at half price." Very interesting. What other ideas do you have for sweetening the deal for a customer willing to signup for what is essentially vaporware?
- lionhearted 16y ago
  > Very interesting. What other ideas do you have for sweetening the deal for a customer willing to signup for what is essentially vaporware? Well, as I understand the term vaporwear, it means stuff that's never built that's never going to get built. It's a result of either a company grandstanding (Microsoft) or a company with perfectionism issues (Duke Nukem Forever). Taking preorders demonstrates that you're not grandstanding and forces you not to be a perfectionist. So I wouldn't call it vaporwear. Beyond that, running a successful company people trust and delivering value to them helps immensely. Give them things for free - write a newsletter, write a free tool (even a simple one! simple tools are awesome), give some useful case studies, a blog, whatever. If Patrick McKenzie (patio11) announced that he was releasing an ebook in 30 days and charging $80, but it was $20 if you pre-ordered now, I'd jump on that in a heartbeat. Because I respect him, trust him, and would be happy to give him my money, and I know he'll deliver. Beyond that - solid concept that's demonstrably possible in the real world. If you announce something that seems difficult to impossible and you haven't figured out how to get there from here, people will be skeptical. But if you're doing a version 2.0, or you're selling media (a book, an album, whatever) where people have seen dozens/hundreds examples of it created in the past, or if you're just known as a guy that always delivers - then you should be able to get some preorders. Really though, I didn't take preorders for the cash, I didn't need the cash. I did it to make a promise to other people. Most people take promises to other people much more seriously than promises to themselves.
  - thetrumanshow 16y ago
    In my case, I have built some trust with my users on a couple of small tools, so I have moved the needle enough to where I think I can try this. 'Half-off for life' seems like the kind of deal that would tempt anyone seriously interested. Agree with you on taking the cash being a form of promise, to help motivate me to punch through the last 10%.. errr 90%.

thetrumanshow 16y ago

"Then I hand-coded a crappy html sales page and started taking preorders at half price." Very interesting. What other ideas do you have for sweetening the deal for a customer willing to signup for what is essentially vaporware?

lionhearted 16y ago
> Very interesting. What other ideas do you have for sweetening the deal for a customer willing to signup for what is essentially vaporware? Well, as I understand the term vaporwear, it means stuff that's never built that's never going to get built. It's a result of either a company grandstanding (Microsoft) or a company with perfectionism issues (Duke Nukem Forever). Taking preorders demonstrates that you're not grandstanding and forces you not to be a perfectionist. So I wouldn't call it vaporwear. Beyond that, running a successful company people trust and delivering value to them helps immensely. Give them things for free - write a newsletter, write a free tool (even a simple one! simple tools are awesome), give some useful case studies, a blog, whatever. If Patrick McKenzie (patio11) announced that he was releasing an ebook in 30 days and charging $80, but it was $20 if you pre-ordered now, I'd jump on that in a heartbeat. Because I respect him, trust him, and would be happy to give him my money, and I know he'll deliver. Beyond that - solid concept that's demonstrably possible in the real world. If you announce something that seems difficult to impossible and you haven't figured out how to get there from here, people will be skeptical. But if you're doing a version 2.0, or you're selling media (a book, an album, whatever) where people have seen dozens/hundreds examples of it created in the past, or if you're just known as a guy that always delivers - then you should be able to get some preorders. Really though, I didn't take preorders for the cash, I didn't need the cash. I did it to make a promise to other people. Most people take promises to other people much more seriously than promises to themselves.
- thetrumanshow 16y ago
  In my case, I have built some trust with my users on a couple of small tools, so I have moved the needle enough to where I think I can try this. 'Half-off for life' seems like the kind of deal that would tempt anyone seriously interested. Agree with you on taking the cash being a form of promise, to help motivate me to punch through the last 10%.. errr 90%.