4 ms·

How I got funded by future customers

30 points by Lucadg 16y ago

When I started looking for money for my project, I had no idea how to find funders. I don't live in the US, I'm from Italy and spend too much living in different countries to be able to build the right relationships with funders. So I decided to ask future potential customers. The system I am building allows people to create their own online business. In Italy I am known as "the guy who lives traveling" and everybody asks me all the time how I do it (I have a small online business...not a very big deal) and I kind of "sold the dream": in short I said "I have been working online and traveling for 10 years. Now I am going to build a platform so that also you can do this. I need money, would you pay in advance 1000 euro to be part of it?". It worked and I collected 25.000..not much but enough to start. If they decide to leave I have to give the money back (not immediately), while if they stay I made the sale before even writing a single line of code. There's really a lot to say (it's going quite well), it deserves a few blog posts. The best thing is not only that I got the money to go ahead but the community we built together. Amazing people, with a common dream: work online and quit the day job to travel or simply have more control on one's life. Nobody wants to be a millionaire. I just wanted to share this with you as some may be interested about it. Feel free to ask any questions of course and thank you for HN, it's my first read in the morning! Greetings from Bali.

ra 16y ago
Your attitude is an inspiration to us all.
vain 16y ago
1. Did you solicit your future customers online? 2. Did you know them from before? 3. Link to your website
- vain 16y ago
  from the user's profile, he built this site: http://www.adormo.com/ http://www.adormo.com/ which brings airbnb to mind.
  - meric 16y ago
    Sounds like he helps owners of entire apartments to build a reservation website. Different to airbnb. I think this is a grammatical error: "You rent apartments." -> "You lease apartments."
    - ra 16y ago
      It depends on where you are from. I think in America "lease" is more correct, but in many other English speaking countries, "lease" is the name of the legal contract, and "you rent apartments" is perfectly OK.
      - anamax 16y ago
        > I think in America "lease" is more correct, but in many other English speaking countries, "lease" is the name of the legal contract, and "you rent apartments" is perfectly OK. In America, there are both rental agreements and lease agreements. Rental agreements are open-ended while lease agreements are for a fixed period of time. One of the most common forms is actually a hybrid - it's a one year lease that then becomes a month-to-month rental agreement. FWIW, many "apartment/house for rent" advertisements are actually solicitations for the hybrid agreement.
RiderOfGiraffes 16y ago
I'd be interested in seeing what you're thinking about, because I might know some people who would also be "future customers." You ought to write up your plans, blog about your progress, and give as a link. Please?
- Lucadg 16y ago
  Here it is :) http://www.adormo.com/blog/marketing/how-adormo-was-funded-by-its-future-customers/ http://www.adormo.com/blog/marketing/how-adormo-was-funded-b...
stenmorten 16y ago
I have drafted a product that might fit your customers perfectly, and compliment what you are doing. Maybe we should talk. It would be great if you gave some detail, like in a blog post.
- Lucadg 16y ago
  please contact me info at adormo com
aith 16y ago
Are you an affiliate marketer?
razzaj 16y ago
Love the idea. Kind of an airbnb builder. I just have a comment though on this page "http://www.adormo.com/project/ownersite/en/features.htm http://www.adormo.com/project/ownersite/en/features.htm. I would replace "cheapest" by "least expensive", or "cost effective". Cheapest well sounds cheap most of the times. Just a personal preference. That being said, i would love to hear more about your plans.
- Lucadg 16y ago
  done! Thanks for the tip!
michaelbode 16y ago
WOWOW!!! How have we missed each other? hehe. I founded Project Getaway last year (an event in Bali for people with online businesses/location independence), and we had an absolute blast. I now live here in Bali (just north of Sanur), because I love it so much, and really enjoy life. Where in Bali are you situated? I'm working on building up an office for online entrepreneurs here in Bali too. Have you considered doing that too? Finally, I just announced our 2011 event, which has some cool videos from last year which you can see here: http://www.projectgetaway.com/blog/bali-2011-adventurous-entrepreneurs http://www.projectgetaway.com/blog/bali-2011-adventurous-ent...
- toumhi 16y ago
  eh, me too. I'm in Jakarta for 2 months (ok, not very glamorous), planning to go to Maluku for some time after that, building an online business. Maybe there should be a directory of expat entrepreneurs in indonesia :-)
  - michaelbode 16y ago
    Let me know if you come to Bali and need a place to stay. I am very interested in such an expat entrepreneurs in Indonesia list. I'm attending IMULAI in Jakarta on April 8th as an investor (Indonesia's version of Y-combinator) and will be in Jakarta for a few days. Would be fun to meet up there if you're in town.
    - toumhi 16y ago
      I should be in jakarta at that time. My email toumhi at yahoo dot fr
- Lucadg 16y ago
  what a coincidence :) I'll be in Ubud for 3 more weeks and then I'll go to Sri Lanka. We should really meet. I'll be happy to come and see you or if you wish come and see me. I like your idea btw!
  - 16y ago
curiousgeorge 16y ago
Not much to add, but congratulations!
Lucadg 16y ago
Thanks for the feedback, I will write a blog post then. Just a few quick comments for now: link: http://www.adormo.com/ http://www.adormo.com/ we have a blog too, but I haven't linked it yet from the home page as it has only 4 posts: http://www.adormo.com/blog http://www.adormo.com/blog > Kind of an airbnb builder yes, eventually you may build something like airbnb. Of course by the time we get there airbnb will be on the moon :) The idea did not come from there though, I have been working with online apartments since 2001 and needed a way to build my own websites. Then it struck me...I can do something for others too! > Did you solicit your future customers online? yes > Did you know them from before? no, but many knew my travel blog or were part of my travel forum. > Are you an affiliate marketer? I'm not
iemanley 16y ago
Impressive approach. Keep up the good work!

30 points by Lucadg 16y ago

ra 16y ago

Your attitude is an inspiration to us all.

vain 16y ago

1. Did you solicit your future customers online? 2. Did you know them from before? 3. Link to your website

vain 16y ago
from the user's profile, he built this site: http://www.adormo.com/ http://www.adormo.com/ which brings airbnb to mind.
- meric 16y ago
  Sounds like he helps owners of entire apartments to build a reservation website. Different to airbnb. I think this is a grammatical error: "You rent apartments." -> "You lease apartments."
  - ra 16y ago
    It depends on where you are from. I think in America "lease" is more correct, but in many other English speaking countries, "lease" is the name of the legal contract, and "you rent apartments" is perfectly OK.
    - anamax 16y ago
      > I think in America "lease" is more correct, but in many other English speaking countries, "lease" is the name of the legal contract, and "you rent apartments" is perfectly OK. In America, there are both rental agreements and lease agreements. Rental agreements are open-ended while lease agreements are for a fixed period of time. One of the most common forms is actually a hybrid - it's a one year lease that then becomes a month-to-month rental agreement. FWIW, many "apartment/house for rent" advertisements are actually solicitations for the hybrid agreement.

RiderOfGiraffes 16y ago

I'd be interested in seeing what you're thinking about, because I might know some people who would also be "future customers." You ought to write up your plans, blog about your progress, and give as a link. Please?

Lucadg 16y ago
Here it is :) http://www.adormo.com/blog/marketing/how-adormo-was-funded-by-its-future-customers/ http://www.adormo.com/blog/marketing/how-adormo-was-funded-b...

stenmorten 16y ago

I have drafted a product that might fit your customers perfectly, and compliment what you are doing. Maybe we should talk. It would be great if you gave some detail, like in a blog post.

Lucadg 16y ago
please contact me info at adormo com

aith 16y ago

Are you an affiliate marketer?

razzaj 16y ago

Love the idea. Kind of an airbnb builder. I just have a comment though on this page "http://www.adormo.com/project/ownersite/en/features.htm http://www.adormo.com/project/ownersite/en/features.htm. I would replace "cheapest" by "least expensive", or "cost effective". Cheapest well sounds cheap most of the times. Just a personal preference. That being said, i would love to hear more about your plans.

Lucadg 16y ago
done! Thanks for the tip!

michaelbode 16y ago

WOWOW!!! How have we missed each other? hehe. I founded Project Getaway last year (an event in Bali for people with online businesses/location independence), and we had an absolute blast. I now live here in Bali (just north of Sanur), because I love it so much, and really enjoy life. Where in Bali are you situated? I'm working on building up an office for online entrepreneurs here in Bali too. Have you considered doing that too? Finally, I just announced our 2011 event, which has some cool videos from last year which you can see here: http://www.projectgetaway.com/blog/bali-2011-adventurous-entrepreneurs http://www.projectgetaway.com/blog/bali-2011-adventurous-ent...

toumhi 16y ago
eh, me too. I'm in Jakarta for 2 months (ok, not very glamorous), planning to go to Maluku for some time after that, building an online business. Maybe there should be a directory of expat entrepreneurs in indonesia :-)
- michaelbode 16y ago
  Let me know if you come to Bali and need a place to stay. I am very interested in such an expat entrepreneurs in Indonesia list. I'm attending IMULAI in Jakarta on April 8th as an investor (Indonesia's version of Y-combinator) and will be in Jakarta for a few days. Would be fun to meet up there if you're in town.
  - toumhi 16y ago
    I should be in jakarta at that time. My email toumhi at yahoo dot fr
Lucadg 16y ago
what a coincidence :) I'll be in Ubud for 3 more weeks and then I'll go to Sri Lanka. We should really meet. I'll be happy to come and see you or if you wish come and see me. I like your idea btw!
- 16y ago

curiousgeorge 16y ago

Not much to add, but congratulations!

Lucadg 16y ago

Thanks for the feedback, I will write a blog post then. Just a few quick comments for now: link: http://www.adormo.com/ http://www.adormo.com/ we have a blog too, but I haven't linked it yet from the home page as it has only 4 posts: http://www.adormo.com/blog http://www.adormo.com/blog > Kind of an airbnb builder yes, eventually you may build something like airbnb. Of course by the time we get there airbnb will be on the moon :) The idea did not come from there though, I have been working with online apartments since 2001 and needed a way to build my own websites. Then it struck me...I can do something for others too! > Did you solicit your future customers online? yes > Did you know them from before? no, but many knew my travel blog or were part of my travel forum. > Are you an affiliate marketer? I'm not

iemanley 16y ago

Impressive approach. Keep up the good work!