3 ms·

What problem does this solve?

by kohanz 7y ago

brudgers 7y ago
One possible problem is distribution. It seems likely to me that smartphones and babies are more widely distributed than baby monitors. Due to segmentation of the baby products markets baby monitors appear to be upmarket. For example, a quick check of Walmart.com for store available baby monitors near my zipcode has the cheapest monitor at ~$35.00 and the rest at $80-100+. Because the $35.00 monitor is not available in stock at all the Walmarts near my zipcode, distribution and segmentation mean new parents not enjoying the benefits of relatively lavish baby showers and other gifts face a substantial consumer purchase...more than 10 hours at minimum wage. As described, a minimum viable Hablo probably might require <$5.00 of hardware...microphone, power supply, and wireless. So I'd say there might be an underserved market in the US. Outside the US, I'd expect the same. This is of course a possible problem that might be solved. With the caveat that the shape of the baby monitor market might reflect absolute requirements for profitability...but I think that's more first world economic theory than reality on the ground.
- codingdave 7y ago
  I'm not sure what list you were looking at, but I'm seeing many baby monitors for sale for under 20 dollars. And with 9 months to plan, I suspect that it is OK to get one shipped if it is not in stock locally. I'm just not sure how big the market is for people who cannot afford a monitor, yet live in homes so large that they cannot hear their baby. I think deaf parents might be a better angle to take with this product, as it could give a non-auditory cue back to those parents.
  - lastofus 7y ago
    A visual LED cue is pretty standard on baby monitors, at least on the 2 cheapo ones I got on Amazon. I also appreciate that neither monitor relies on my Wi-Fi network working.
  - brudgers 7y ago
    I filtered Walmart.com by in store availability near my zipcode. What a new parent would find on the shelves if they walked into a local store earlier today and probably what they would find on the shelves at 2am tomorrow after deciding a baby monitor solves their problems. The fact that $100 is a normal price for a baby monitor even at Walmart suggests market inefficiencies. The plausibility of the arbitrage described in your comment is premised on market inefficiencies. Please keep in mind that I described a feasible answer to "what problem does it solve?" That doesn't mean the OP's business is viable or likely to experience hockey stick growth. It's just that after a little reflection, I realized the basis for my initial dismissal was mostly "a $100 baby monitor isn't a big deal for most people I know well." They tend to have bank accounts and Visa cards and internet access. They tend to be better off than many people I see in Walmart.
    - Mousser 7y ago
      As i said the production will be in tunisia so we can have control on price .For the distribution we have two channels the first will be through online marketplace Amazon .The second through the babies shops. What do you think ? Now we want to collect data to know how american market react on our product because we're gonna launch firstable in french market and after we look to test the US Market
      - brudgers 7y ago
        In the US, a lot will depend on the price point.
Mousser 7y ago
The problem that we solve is the communication between baby and parents. for distribution we are now developping the hardware in tunisia and the device is like a station to pass the cry but the analysis of cry is in the cloud .The production of the device will be in tunisia so the price will be for sure under 10 $ so we have the control on the price but the app will be for free and it's like one shot

What problem does this solve?

by kohanz 7y ago

What problem does this solve?

One possible problem is distribution. It seems likely to me that smartphones and babies are more widely distributed than baby monitors. Due to segmentation of the baby products markets baby monitors appear to be upmarket. For example, a quick check of Walmart.com for store available baby monitors near my zipcode has the cheapest monitor at ~$35.00 and the rest at $80-100+. Because the $35.00 monitor is not available in stock at all the Walmarts near my zipcode, distribution and segmentation mean new parents not enjoying the benefits of relatively lavish baby showers and other gifts face a substantial consumer purchase...more than 10 hours at minimum wage. As described, a minimum viable Hablo probably might require <$5.00 of hardware...microphone, power supply, and wireless. So I'd say there might be an underserved market in the US. Outside the US, I'd expect the same. This is of course a possible problem that might be solved. With the caveat that the shape of the baby monitor market might reflect absolute requirements for profitability...but I think that's more first world economic theory than reality on the ground.

codingdave 7y ago
I'm not sure what list you were looking at, but I'm seeing many baby monitors for sale for under 20 dollars. And with 9 months to plan, I suspect that it is OK to get one shipped if it is not in stock locally. I'm just not sure how big the market is for people who cannot afford a monitor, yet live in homes so large that they cannot hear their baby. I think deaf parents might be a better angle to take with this product, as it could give a non-auditory cue back to those parents.
- lastofus 7y ago
  A visual LED cue is pretty standard on baby monitors, at least on the 2 cheapo ones I got on Amazon. I also appreciate that neither monitor relies on my Wi-Fi network working.
- brudgers 7y ago
  I filtered Walmart.com by in store availability near my zipcode. What a new parent would find on the shelves if they walked into a local store earlier today and probably what they would find on the shelves at 2am tomorrow after deciding a baby monitor solves their problems. The fact that $100 is a normal price for a baby monitor even at Walmart suggests market inefficiencies. The plausibility of the arbitrage described in your comment is premised on market inefficiencies. Please keep in mind that I described a feasible answer to "what problem does it solve?" That doesn't mean the OP's business is viable or likely to experience hockey stick growth. It's just that after a little reflection, I realized the basis for my initial dismissal was mostly "a $100 baby monitor isn't a big deal for most people I know well." They tend to have bank accounts and Visa cards and internet access. They tend to be better off than many people I see in Walmart.
  - Mousser 7y ago
    As i said the production will be in tunisia so we can have control on price .For the distribution we have two channels the first will be through online marketplace Amazon .The second through the babies shops. What do you think ? Now we want to collect data to know how american market react on our product because we're gonna launch firstable in french market and after we look to test the US Market
    - brudgers 7y ago
      In the US, a lot will depend on the price point.

Mousser 7y ago

The problem that we solve is the communication between baby and parents. for distribution we are now developping the hardware in tunisia and the device is like a station to pass the cry but the analysis of cry is in the cloud .The production of the device will be in tunisia so the price will be for sure under 10 $ so we have the control on the price but the app will be for free and it's like one shot