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Going from nothing to profitsWhat We’ll Cover
Getting off the Ground
Going to Market
Expecting Challanges
WordCamp Ann ArborJustin Ferriman
Founder, LearnDash – WordPress LMS
@learndashlms
Welcome
Ross JohnsonFounder, Project Panorama
@3pointross
4
eLearning Expert Since 1995Justin Ferriman
Started Career as a Consultant
Consulted with Fortune 500 companies
Created LearnDash in 2012
Industry blogger
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Designer, Developer and CEO at 3.7 DESIGNSRoss Johnson
Designer & Developer
Teacher
Entrepenuer
Launched Project Panorama in 2014
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Story of PanoramaFrom internal tool to independant business
InspirationInternal Use
Free Release
Premiumify Launch
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Every journey starts with a single step....Getting off the Ground
1. Finding your muse2. Validating your market3. Getting it built
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You can build or design anything, but not sure what?Finding Your Muse
Scratch Your Own Itch
Scratch Your Clients Itch
Research Popular Free Plugins
Create an add-on
WordPressify a SAAS
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Before you invest time and money, research the market wants and needsValidating Your Market
Keyword Research
Release a Free Plugin
ResearchCompetitors
orSimilar Offers
Search the WordPres.or
g Forums
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Usefull doesn’t always mean profitableWill people pay for this?
Make / Save Money Vanity Solve a ProblemSave Time
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Sure you’re a subject matter expert but who can you trust?Getting it Built
Start with feature list
“Must-have” vs. “Nice-to-have”
Test script & mock-ups
Finding a developer
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You can build it, but how do you find time?Finding the Time
Make it a partial client project
Simplify your scope
Small frequent bursts
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If you build it, will they come? Getting attention in a crowded marketplace is no easy task. What works?
Going to Market
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Using Connections and Current AssetsGoing to Market
Use your existing network and audience
Explore low cost paid opportunities
Do giveaways or discounts for sharing
Optimize for search
Create a free version for the plugin respository
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Using Content for Pre-LaunchGoing to Market
Articles, videos, blog posts
Collect emails (incentive)
Pre-launch contest
Go-Live Discount
Mutually beneficial opportunities
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It’s not going to be all rainbows and lolipops.You’re likely to run into some challanages, it’sbest to prepare for them.
Expect Challanges
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Nightmare Supportits great to see when a company holds true to the promises it makes to its initial supportersin case you fail to compute i am being sarcasticits damn f**kin lucky i find your crud usable or else id be seeing you in court for false advertising and using deception to obtain fundshonestly pathetic to find dudes with such skills being such scumsurely noted and will be passed along to any who will listeni hate being lied to by scammersyou will not now ever get another cent out of me you skunks and if you once more tamper with my licensing and again change the original agreement you FRAUDULENTLY took my money by selling me you will be coming in direct contact with my legal advisersf**king pathetic lowlife crapand to think i thought you worth even a cent off my hard earned money
30attached is the original fucking copy of the license you gave meTAKE F***KING NOTE OF IT SAYING CLEARLY UNLIMITED SITE USAGE YOU C**K SMOKING F***KING DOGYOU REALLY WANT TO MAKE THIS F***KING PAINFUL RODENT GO THE F**K AHEAD
READ IT YOU C**K SUCKING PIECE OF F**KING S**TITS GOING F**KIN EVERYWHERE TO SHOW YOUR F**KING PUTRID SCAM FOR WHAT IT F**KING ISEMAIL STATES EXACTLY THE SAME INFO D**KHEAD
QUESTION MY MOTHER F**KING INTELLIGENCE AGAIN DOGPLEASE
--
might want to seriously think of what your site was representing itself as around juneas i am fairly certain i will find an archived copy and or screencast and with such i will see you stripped of every f**king cent your scams have ever f**king earnt your piece of f**king s**t a**
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it appears i owe you an apologyif that would measure for the abusive attitude towards yourself and staff.i see where my mistake was and see also i was very wrong in my accusationsas it is i have breached your terms the refund is unnecessary as the mistake was my own and you should not suffer financial repercussions due to my suspension for my own misguided and over inflated ego.
i apologize for any inconvenience and any untoward and insulting behavior and communications.
Long Days And Pleasant Nights
32Optimizing SupportTake some of the pain out of great support
Resources (docs, videos, faqs, etc.)
Forum & help desk
Set expectations
Avoid timelines
PhraseExpress
33Optimizing SupportTake some of the pain out of great support
Use a ticketing system
See the value in every ticket
Use forms to your advantage
Attitude is everything
Some souls are not worth saving
39Releasing UpdatesA neccisary risk?
Core versus add-on
Beta test period
Multiple testing environments
Everyone on standby
Be accessible
Discover
Go ahead and replace it
with your own text.
Design
Go ahead and replace it
with your own text.
Code
Go ahead and replace it
with your own text.
Go ahead and replace it
with your own text. Deploy
40Releasing UpdatesExciting yet risky?
Phased releases
Release early and often
Get a beta team
Develop a QA system
Use your own product
Discover
Go ahead and replace it
with your own text.
Design
Go ahead and replace it
with your own text.
Code
Go ahead and replace it
with your own text.
Go ahead and replace it
with your own text. Deploy
42CompetitionShould you be worried?
Competition = market
Control the controllables
Monitor, don’t obsess
Respect goes a long way
Focus on customers first
43CompititionShould you be worried?
Focus on a niche
Find ways to be different
Lead, don’t follow
Add value beyond the product
Create an ecosystem
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