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Ask HN: would you pay $199 to survive the zombie apocalypse?

• fadiyahya 12y ago
  Cool idea. Yet, needs a better positioning. There is a Domain problem :( Double check
  • nooron 12y ago
    Thanks for your input. It's back up now! www.prep4.us.
• mattmoss 12y ago
  $199 to survive fiction? More seriously, website doesn't load.
  • nooron 12y ago
    www.prep4.us-- sorry for the trouble, and thanks for letting me know! Not actually expecting a ZA :). But a serious natural disaster or transient supply chain disruption instead.
  • sp332 12y ago
    Zombie apocalypses are allegorical. They're allegorical for different things at different times, so it's like a variable name for $DISASTER. The website doesn't mention zombies either.
• wikwocket 12y ago
  I think you'll have much better success pitching this as a readiness kit for natural disasters, or even to paranoid readiness nuts, than to zombie fiction fans. There is clearly interest in products like this, based on big ticket items I see like home generators, canned food collections, solar-powered appliances, etc. Not exactly mainstream but for the right price point, you could pitch it as a cheap insurance policy. I think what would be key would be clearly communicating all the cool stuff you include in the kit, what disasters it would enable you to survive/thrive in, and how, like a life insurance policy, this allows you to simply not worry about $RARE_EVENTUALITY_X. Also important will be getting this in front of the right people. Find out where preparedness junkies congregate online, observe their discussions, and ask them what they think.
  • nooron 12y ago
    Thanks for your branding suggestions. I really appreciate it!
  • dandrews 12y ago
    Natural disasters, yes. Many of us in hurricane-prone areas stock up on batteries, LP gas, water, easy food before the season starts. One or two-week power outages are no fun. A friend of mine in SoCal keeps earthquake supplies in multiple closets in his home, to improve the odds that he'll at least have water in case of a partial collapse. He takes earthquake preparedness very seriously. You can sell to us.
• JSeymourATL 12y ago
  Afraid asking HN is the wrong target. Suggest pinging the Zombie Fan Sites, https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkingDeadZombieFanPage https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkingDeadZombieFanPage
  • nooron 12y ago
    I appreciate the suggestion for more concrete targeting.
• gordian 12y ago
  Consider adding some makeup so survivors can make themselves look like zombies in the hopes the actual zombies will leave them alone. Otherwise for $199 this kit better come with some serious armaments and ammo or it's useless.
• lifeisstillgood 12y ago
  I was about to come in with some dumb answer about expected value, but I actually think this is a neat idea. I often worry (not a lot) about letting my family down being unprepared should there be some real bad disaster, and so I would be interested in a couple of packages like below: * Holiday first aid and disaster kit and training My son recently cut his chin open in Greece and I realised I knew nothing about stitches, keeping them dry, had not got steri strips or bandages. Most people would pay decent cash for a holiday specific package (going to this country? You need these injections, got children of three years old - have a selection of these sterile what nots) Throw in a private YouTube showing how to use them and I would pay up (of course too late now but that's the market to go for :-) maybe insurance companies sell my data?) * the civilisation collapses at home package - I don't have enough tinned goods and stuff to last. Not do I have enough water or first aid. Sell me big box to go in the garage that lasts three months (which is what I think you are doing) and I might be interested. * sell me some sensible prep - like where to meet if the local oil refinery catches fire and we cannot get to our house, evacuation kits that are stored at some place sensible. Seems a bit odd I like the idea of being prepared - and would pay for a book to tell me how, and a weekend to do it. Being prepared on holiday is a much more realistic market and I think worth investigating - but as for zombie apocalypse - nice selling point, but I think it's going to be a loss leader to establish credibility
• joezydeco 12y ago
  Lots of companies are doing this already, so do your research. http://beprepared.com/essential-gear/emergency-kits-1.html http://beprepared.com/essential-gear/emergency-kits-1.html http://beprepared.com/food-storage/year-supplies-and-combos.html http://beprepared.com/food-storage/year-supplies-and-combos.... If you can offer a 1-month kit for $199 that might be an advantage. What type of food do you offer for such a low price?
• RogerL 12y ago
  No, I wouldn't. Why? Because I already can do this, and I haven't. The internet is full of survival gear/food packages, and I haven't bought any of them. Therefore, the odds of me doing it with your company is about zero. I suspect this holds true for most people; if so, what is your acquisition cost for a customer? And then I wonder about your margins. You are selling 180 meals for $200, which means your food price must be somewhere around 50 cents/meal for this to be viable to you (and I think I'm being generous; I suspect the price has to be lower - see acquisition costs above). How are you providing all those calories for so little money? Your website offers to harvest my email, not inform me, so I am admittedly in the dark here. Do I just throw the food away at the end of the year? What is the food - is it something I'd want to eat? Is this not a problem I can solve by going to Costco and buying a bunch of boxes of pasta and tinned tuna? These are the questions that run through my brain. In a real disaster, my problem is going to be potable water.
• deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
• coralreef 12y ago
  A lot of great points in this thread. Definitely a good idea to find a niche, as your biggest differentiator will be marketing.