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Or you could create a site where people would always get the latest forms and proper guidance? It wouldn't help the applicants who get rejected at the consulate

Or you could create a site where people would always get the latest forms and proper guidance? It wouldn't help the applicants who get rejected at the consulate though.

Tuna-Fish 15y ago
Your problem at that point is getting the customers to you. I'd be willing to bet that not many people would be willing to pay for it before they have tried and failed at the consulate. And at that point, they are going to stumble on that van before they see your website.
- Splines 15y ago
  That's an interesting take - there's always the danger that filling in the gaps in someone else's product will cause that someone else to wake up and fill it in for you. Seeing as this is a government failing, however, makes me think that it'll be a long time before they decide to improve enough to make these guys unnecessary.
- vidarh 15y ago
  There are tons of businesses providing this service (search for "Chinese visa"), including picking up and dropping off relevant documents, so clearly there's a market for it before trying and failing. However it is also a lot more competitive market, so there'd still be a problem getting the customers to you.
grantc 15y ago
The article doesn't really explain this very well, but the Chinese consulate is in the middle of BFE in NYC -- it's out on the West Side Hwy in no man's land. This is as much about location as complexity/UX. To get to the business idea part, you'd stumble so hard over the importance of physical location, I'd like to think most HN readers would find it hard to miss. It's a cute business, but there's no economic moat here. The principals acknowledge as much in the article. What would be more interesting is a business that challenged the status quo in the expediter side of the passport/visa business.
bradleyland 15y ago
A very wise man once said to me: "Marketing is showing up after an avalanche selling shovels." Ta-dum-tss! This is a concise way of saying: * Solve a problem that people have * Be there at the time they need the solution The latter is more difficult than the former. By setting up a van in the street outside the consulate, you have solved the timing problem. Advertising outside the consulate would probably be effective, but the immediacy of the van solution is a huge plus. A frustrated consumer is far more likely to act than one who has had time to cool down on the drive home.
- pefavre 15y ago
  You have a good point : timing matters the most.
the-cakeboss 15y ago
Are you thinking of a site for this instance alone? If I were to try something to serve this market I would create a site aiding with forms of all sorts.

Or you could create a site where people would always get the latest forms and proper guidance? It wouldn't help the applicants who get rejected at the consulate though.

Tuna-Fish 15y ago

Your problem at that point is getting the customers to you. I'd be willing to bet that not many people would be willing to pay for it before they have tried and failed at the consulate. And at that point, they are going to stumble on that van before they see your website.

Splines 15y ago
That's an interesting take - there's always the danger that filling in the gaps in someone else's product will cause that someone else to wake up and fill it in for you. Seeing as this is a government failing, however, makes me think that it'll be a long time before they decide to improve enough to make these guys unnecessary.
vidarh 15y ago
There are tons of businesses providing this service (search for "Chinese visa"), including picking up and dropping off relevant documents, so clearly there's a market for it before trying and failing. However it is also a lot more competitive market, so there'd still be a problem getting the customers to you.

grantc 15y ago

The article doesn't really explain this very well, but the Chinese consulate is in the middle of BFE in NYC -- it's out on the West Side Hwy in no man's land. This is as much about location as complexity/UX. To get to the business idea part, you'd stumble so hard over the importance of physical location, I'd like to think most HN readers would find it hard to miss. It's a cute business, but there's no economic moat here. The principals acknowledge as much in the article. What would be more interesting is a business that challenged the status quo in the expediter side of the passport/visa business.

bradleyland 15y ago

A very wise man once said to me: "Marketing is showing up after an avalanche selling shovels." Ta-dum-tss! This is a concise way of saying: * Solve a problem that people have * Be there at the time they need the solution The latter is more difficult than the former. By setting up a van in the street outside the consulate, you have solved the timing problem. Advertising outside the consulate would probably be effective, but the immediacy of the van solution is a huge plus. A frustrated consumer is far more likely to act than one who has had time to cool down on the drive home.

pefavre 15y ago
You have a good point : timing matters the most.

the-cakeboss 15y ago

Are you thinking of a site for this instance alone? If I were to try something to serve this market I would create a site aiding with forms of all sorts.