SaaS free trials – consideration to all of the different participants in the evaluation and buying process

Shashank

When it comes to SaaS free trials, it is essential to consider all of the different participants in the evaluation and buying process. This includes not just the end-users, but also decision-makers, influencers, and other stakeholders who may be involved in the process.

For example, the end-user may be an individual who is interested in trying out the software to see if it meets their needs. However, they may also need to get buy-in from their manager or other decision-makers before they can make a purchase. In this case, it is important to provide resources and information that will help the end-user make a strong case for the software to their colleagues.

Similarly, there may be influencers in the buying process who can help to advocate for the software and provide feedback to decision-makers. These influencers may include industry experts, analysts, or other individuals who have experience with similar software and can provide insights into the value of the product.

It is also important to consider the needs of decision-makers, who may be looking for specific features, functionality, or other benefits from the software. By understanding the needs of all stakeholders, SaaS companies can tailor their free trial offerings to address the specific pain points and goals of each participant in the buying process.

To effectively engage all stakeholders in the free trial process, SaaS companies may use a variety of strategies, such as:

  1. Creating targeted messaging and resources for different stakeholders, such as case studies, white papers, or product demos.
  2. Providing clear documentation and support for end-users, including tutorials, help center articles, and user guides.
  3. Offering personalized outreach to decision-makers and influencers, such as scheduling calls or meetings to discuss the software and answer questions.
  4. Using social proof and testimonials to demonstrate the value of the software to potential buyers.
  5. Offering flexible pricing and subscription options to accommodate different budget constraints and organizational needs.

By considering the needs of all participants in the evaluation and buying process, SaaS companies can increase the likelihood of successful conversions from their free trials. By providing targeted resources and support, and demonstrating the value of the software through social proof and personalized outreach, SaaS companies can build trust and engagement with potential buyers, leading to increased adoption and revenue growth.

Rethinking Active Users: A New Definition for Measuring User Engagement

Shashank

The term “active user” is widely used in the software industry to measure the popularity and success of a product. However, the definition of an active user is often oversimplified, leading to inaccurate measurements of customer engagement and product success. To address this issue, a better definition of an active user is needed.

Instead of defining an active user as someone who simply logs into the product or uses it for a minimum amount of time, a more accurate definition of an active user should consider the level of engagement and value they derive from the product. This means taking into account factors such as the frequency and duration of usage, the features they use, the actions they take within the product, and the outcomes they achieve.

For example, a user who logs into the product once a month for a minute or two is not necessarily an active user, as they are not deriving any significant value from the product. On the other hand, a user who logs in multiple times a week, spends a significant amount of time using various features, and achieves positive outcomes is a much more engaged and active user.

A better definition of an active user should also consider the context in which the product is being used. Different products have different usage patterns and user expectations. For instance, a productivity tool might be used daily for several hours, while a social media platform might be used for shorter, more frequent sessions throughout the day.

Another factor to consider is the type of user. For example, a paying customer who uses the product regularly and derives significant value from it should be considered more active than a non-paying user who only uses the product occasionally.

By taking these factors into account, a more nuanced and accurate definition of an active user can be developed. This definition should focus on measuring the level of engagement and value users derive from the product, rather than simply the frequency of usage or login activity.

This more accurate definition of an active user can help businesses to better understand their customers’ behaviors and needs. It can also inform product development and marketing strategies, as it provides a more detailed and nuanced view of customer engagement and success. Ultimately, this can lead to better customer experiences, increased customer loyalty, and more sustainable business growth.

Why Your Customers’ Engagement is More Complex Than Binary

Shashank

The concept of active users is often used as a key metric for evaluating the success of a product or service. However, it is essential to understand that the state of a customer is never binary. Just because a user is considered “active” does not necessarily mean they are truly engaged or satisfied with the product.

Active users are typically defined as those who have logged into the product or service within a certain timeframe. However, this definition fails to capture the nuances of user behavior and satisfaction. For example, a user may log in frequently but only use a small subset of the product’s features, indicating that they are not fully engaged with the product. On the other hand, a user may log in infrequently but use a wide range of features, indicating a high level of engagement.

Furthermore, a user may continue to log in to a product or service out of habit or necessity, rather than because they genuinely enjoy using it. In this case, the user is technically active, but they are not truly engaged or satisfied with the product.

The state of a customer is much more complex than simply “active” or “inactive.” Instead, it is essential to consider a range of factors, such as the user’s behavior, preferences, and feedback. By doing so, companies can gain a more nuanced understanding of their customers and their needs, and tailor their products and services accordingly.

One way to measure engagement beyond active users is through usage data analysis. By tracking user behavior within the product, such as the specific features and workflows they use most often, companies can gain insights into what users find most valuable and where they may be experiencing friction. This data can then be used to improve the product and create a more engaging user experience.

Another important factor to consider is user feedback. Surveys, focus groups, and other feedback mechanisms can provide valuable insights into what users like and dislike about a product or service. By incorporating user feedback into the product development process, companies can create a product that better meets the needs and preferences of their users.

Finally, it is important to remember that the state of a customer is not fixed. Users may become more engaged or disengaged over time, depending on their evolving needs and preferences. Therefore, it is essential to continually monitor and measure user behavior and feedback to ensure that the product remains relevant and engaging.

In conclusion, while active users are a commonly used metric for measuring product success, they are not a sufficient indicator of user engagement or satisfaction. Instead, companies must take a more nuanced approach to understanding their users, incorporating usage data analysis, user feedback, and ongoing monitoring to create a product that meets their evolving needs and preferences. By doing so, companies can create a more engaging and satisfying user experience, leading to greater long-term success.

How a side hustle project can provide a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment

Shashank

A side hustle is a great way to earn extra income, but it can also provide a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment. There are several reasons why having a side hustle can be a rewarding experience.

Firstly, a side hustle allows you to pursue your passions and interests outside of your main job. Many people have hobbies or skills that they enjoy and would like to monetize. A side hustle can provide an outlet for these interests and can give you a sense of purpose beyond your 9-5 job. For example, if you have a passion for photography, starting a photography business on the side can allow you to express your creativity and make money doing something you love.

Secondly, a side hustle can give you a sense of control over your career trajectory. In today’s economy, many people are dealing with job insecurity, and a side hustle provides a safety net in case of job loss or reduced hours. Additionally, having a side hustle can allow you to explore new skills and industries that may not be available in your main job. This can lead to new opportunities and career growth, providing a sense of accomplishment and progress.

Thirdly, a side hustle can provide a sense of pride and ownership. Building something from scratch, even if it’s just a small business, instills a sense of ownership and pride in your work. Knowing that you are responsible for your success and that your efforts directly contribute to your income can be incredibly gratifying. Additionally, seeing your side hustle grow and succeed can be incredibly motivating, and can provide a fulfilling sense of accomplishment.

Finally, a side hustle can provide a sense of community and connection. Starting a side hustle often involves networking and collaborating with others in the industry, which can lead to new friendships and relationships. Additionally, having a successful side hustle can lead to recognition and respect within your community or industry, which can be incredibly rewarding.

In conclusion, a side hustle can provide much more than just extra income. Pursuing your passions, gaining control over your career trajectory, feeling a sense of pride and ownership, and connecting with others can all provide a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment. Starting a side hustle requires hard work and dedication, but the rewards can be significant and long-lasting.

Why should you start a side hustle project?

Shashank

In today’s world, having a side hustle project has become increasingly popular. A side hustle is an additional income stream outside of your main job, usually done in your free time. It can be anything from running a blog, freelancing, selling products online, or starting a small business.

There are many reasons why having a side hustle project is beneficial, both for your financial and personal growth. Let’s explore why you should consider starting one.

1. Extra income

One of the most significant benefits of a side hustle project is the ability to earn extra income. We all have bills to pay, and sometimes our main job salary may not be enough to cover all of them. Having a side hustle can provide the additional income that we need to cover these expenses or save towards a goal like travel or buying a new car.

Moreover, a side hustle can also provide a cushion when unexpected expenses arise. For example, if you get laid off from your main job or face an emergency, having an additional source of income can be a lifesaver.

2. Pursue a passion

Another great reason to have a side hustle project is to pursue a passion. We all have hobbies or interests that we enjoy, but often our main job does not allow us to explore them fully. A side hustle can be an opportunity to turn those passions into a profitable venture.

For instance, if you love photography, you can start a photography business on the side. If you enjoy writing, you can start a blog or offer freelance writing services. The possibilities are endless, and by pursuing your passion, you’ll feel more fulfilled and motivated overall.

3. Develop new skills

Starting a side hustle project can also help you develop new skills. Depending on the type of side hustle, you may need to learn new skills such as web design, social media marketing, or bookkeeping. These skills may not be directly related to your main job, but they can still enhance your resume and make you a more well-rounded candidate for future job opportunities.

4. Build an entrepreneurial mindset

Having a side hustle can also help you develop a more entrepreneurial mindset. When you start a side hustle, you become responsible for all aspects of the business, from marketing to customer service to finance. This can help you develop skills such as problem-solving, decision-making, and risk-taking, which are valuable in any career path.

5. Test out a business idea

If you’ve always dreamed of starting your own business, a side hustle can be an excellent opportunity to test out your idea before committing full-time. Starting a business requires significant investment and risk, and a side hustle can help you assess whether your idea is viable without quitting your main job.

6. Expand your network

Starting a side hustle project can also expand your network. You’ll meet new people, whether it’s customers or other small business owners, and build connections that can be valuable for future opportunities. Moreover, you may find that your side hustle leads to collaborations or partnerships that can further your career.

7. Challenge yourself

Finally, having a side hustle project can challenge you to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Whether it’s learning new skills or taking on new responsibilities, a side hustle can help you grow personally and professionally. Moreover, the challenge of building and growing something from scratch can be incredibly rewarding.

Conclusion

In conclusion, having a side hustle project can be beneficial in many ways. It can provide extra income, help you pursue a passion, develop new skills, build an entrepreneurial mindset, test out a business idea, expand your network, and challenge yourself. If you’re considering starting a side hustle, now is the time to take action and turn your dreams into a reality.

Challenges in finding ideal users

Shashank

Start-up is a stage in the process of turning a business idea into an established real company and a ‘start-up’ is a company that is confused about – what its product is? Who its customers are? How to make money?

We start with assumptions about everything, to begin with. 

The more early you start to get a sense of theories against reality, the safer you are.

With an incredible fit between you and your early adopters, they play a crucial role in speeding up this process of clarity before your resources are exhausted.

Early adopters optimize your efforts. And yet, in practice, we see many founders do not seek early adopters.  And many of those who attempt to seek them find it challenging too.    

Here are 6 commonly seen challenges in finding early adopters. 

Challenge # 1 – Better mousetrap fallacy

Even founders who believe in lean startup methods tend to fall into it. The “better mousetrap fallacy” is the mistaken belief that a superior product will automatically generate customers. It is easy for start-up founders to get blinded by their new product as they are working hard to build.

And, it is this fallacy that some founders tend to not give much attention to working on getting early adopters.

What is the problem with this?

  • What if the market does not need your product, no matter how good it is?
  • What if your better product is not valued over the existing product, how would you know?

What works?

  • You have to get in touch with your early adopters, find out what they really want and need and then give it to them.
  • Building a product is relatively the easy part, now you have to find someone to buy your product.

Challenge # 2 – trying to scale early

Premature scaling is “spending money beyond the essentials on growing the business before nailing the product/market fit.”  Or, spending resources on mass marketing much before you know what solution might work for sure.

Why does this happen?

  • We like the very idea of a million users. The absolute numbers when you work on individual users seem so small at first.
  • We don’t like engaging with users individually because it’s hard and demoralizing to be rejected.
  • We are shy and feel lazy to recruit users individually,

Instead, what will work?

  • All successful startups started from a countable number of users or early adopters and grew through repeatedly doing things that don’t scale.
  • When you’re starting out, you should use all the channels that the big guys can’t use because they are focused on scale.

Challenge # 3 – mistaken identity

Some users sign up for a variety of reasons (other than the consideration of their pain point), though they may not be having an urgency to solve the problem that you are trying to solve. And, for the reasons that they signed up early, you mistake them for being early adopters.

What is the problem with this?

  • If the users who signed up are not desperate to find solutions, there is less likelihood of an active usage of your product or them buying it.
  • And until users start using your product actively, you will not get any feedback about its usefulness.
  • You remain in denial about your product’s lameness

What works?

  • In early-stage startup building, you need active users or early adopters who will give you feedback on your product.
  • Since they are anxious to see if your product works for them, they will be active in using it.
  • Only when you get feedback from early users on what works for them and what doesn’t, you can potentially build a product that a lot of people would buy.

Challenge # 4 – at loss with them

We don’t know where to find them and we don’t know how to reach out to them.

We don’t know how to get them on board.

We don’t know how to engage with them.

We don’t know how to de-code what they tell us.

What works?

  • It is not a rocket science that you cannot learn.  And this course will equip you to be confident in dealing with early adopters.
  • The key to doing it right is to treat each individual user as a human and not as something that adds to numbers.
  • Connect with each user individually.

Challenge # 5 -pitching urge

In pitching, since you are doing most of the talk, it is likely that customers pretend to go along with what you are saying.

In the learning frame, you set the context but let the customer do most of the talking.

In an early product building phase, learning is more critical than pitching when you meet your early adopters.

We need to get some facts to qualify our hypotheses (guesses) about what kind of product customers will buy before we start selling them our idea or product.

But many times, we give a miss to this.

Why?

  • We come under pressure from targets.
  • It is very hard to resist the temptation to pitch or sell our product or idea and in the process, we tend to forget “learning” as the core objective of customer discovery.
  • We tend to not care to learn about prospects, it’s just so much easy to focus on product and technology instead.

What works?

  • With customer discovery, the initial goal is not pitching but learning.
  • Make course adjustments before you build a large product.

Challenge # 6 – avoiding unsexy stuff

There is hard work involved in locating prospects to be approached for customer discovery and at times it is hard to reach out to them and convince them to spare time for us.

The whole process is time-consuming. It would take the focus away from product development, design and sales.

And, this prompts us to do things that could possibly not require us to do such hard work and make us do boring stuff.

What is the problem with this?

If you don’t do what is needed to reach your early adopters, you will never be able to reach them.

What works?

  • Life is too short to build something that no one wants.
  • Save time and money by discovering early on if something won’t work.
  • Discovering early adopters is the key to discovering if you are doing good.

Summing up

There is a double benefit of seeking them. First, you acquire active users, and second, you define your product.

On the other side, inaction is doubly dangerous. First, you fail to grow, and second, you remain in denial about your product’s lameness.

To scale or not?

Shashank

Everything that you need to do about early adopters, from finding them to getting them on board to making them happy, this amounts to doing something that probably wouldn’t fit into a “scaling up” action.

The need to do something unsalable, laborious to get started is so nearly universal that it might be a good idea to stop thinking of startup ideas as scalars.

Actually, startups take off because the founders make them take off. There may be a handful that just grew by themselves, but usually, it takes some sort of push to get them going. Once the engine gets going, it would keep going, but there is usually a separate and laborious process to get it going.

“Find one person who gives a shit. The rest Is easy.” This is the spirit you adopt when you are working on your early users or early adopters.

It’s all about making someone care. Just one person. The rest is easy.

Everything seems difficult when you try to do everything at once.

But here’s what works for sure in the early stage of new business building.

You don’t have to worry about getting a whole of people into what you’re doing.

Here’s the rule. It’s the same principle for anyone making something.

All you have to focus and care about is to get one single person to give a shit.

And, why so?  Here are some reasons:

Because it’s manageable.

If you set out with the goal of reaching some set number of people, you’re going to crash and burn.

It is staggeringly demoralizing to do that. If you keep thinking about the audience you need as being an insurmountable number, it will paralyze you.

You will not be able to do anything.

You won’t even be able to find the right place to start.

But if you’re thinking about trying to find just one person — that’s a whole lot easier. That’s doable. It’s a matter of reaching out and starting a conversation about what you’re doing and why. That’s not a tough thing to do.

You can set up a simple outreach process that will allow you to accomplish this every single day.

Because one success is going to motivate you.

Seriously, when just one person cares about something you do, it’s incredibly motivating. You’ve managed to make something that has touched the life of another human being. Someone you don’t know. Someone who now believes in you.

From now on, every time you fuck up, fail or just want to throw in the towel and walk away, you’ll be able to look back on your one success and remember what it’s like to win.

The biggest reason people quit is that they don’t think anybody is going to care. They think that if they disappeared, not one person would notice.

Get to one fan or customer. And there’ll be at least one person who will miss your work.

The drive to get to more than one person comes from there, and it’s a solid, motivating force. A force that will push you forward.

Because you won’t be shouting into the void.

The hardest part about making something is when you put it out there and nobody responds — and it’s like you’re screaming into the void.

That breaks our hearts. It is like getting lost in a sea of voices, with nobody listening or wanting to hear what we say or do.

If we put something out there and didn’t get a response, our natural reaction is to delete it. Hate it. Erase it. Start again.

But if your release strategy is not just to shout about what you’re doing — it’s to give it to one person and get them to care — you won’t experience that deafening silence. You’ll experience a connection.

Without the silence, the urge to give up will weaken slowly, every day. It may even disappear altogether. You’ll feel better about what you’re doing.

Because it’ll make you appreciate every win.

When our goal is to achieve some big number and when it is underachieved, we feel we have failed. But, there is another bunch of people who are on board, and we tend to fail to appreciate their onboarding in the process.

When just reaching a single person is your goal, you will never feel like you are a failure, when you meet your goal. You don’t feel like you are falling short.

You start appreciating every single win.

Taking anything for granted is bad. Taking your audience for granted is terrible. Don’t do it. You need to appreciate everyone, every single person who cares about what you do.

They’re real people, and they have lives and feelings and a limited amount of time to spend on this rock, and they decided to spend some of that time on you. Unless you’re selfish, that should matter.

Because, you can build on one person, every day.

One person isn’t enough of a fan base or customer base to let you do anything big. And you’re 100% right.  But you remember how manageable it was to reach out to just one person and get them to care?

What if you did that every single day? Every day, at the top of your To-Do list, you have one task. Reaching out to another person and telling them about what you do and trying to explain why they should care.

If you do that every day for a year, not everyone is going to respond. Not everyone will like what you do. Not everyone will give a shit. But if even just 50% of the people you talk to are interested, you’ll have 180 people.

Because one person who genuinely gives a shit is better than 10 casual fans.

It is always better to have one person that has a personal connection with us and the work that we do than 10 people who maybe care a little, who are interested one day but not so interested the next.

You need to divide your audience or customers into two groups. Numbers and people. The numbers are the ones you can’t care about. They’re the faceless statistics that you see in your analytics panel.

They’re the bulk of the 1,000 views you might have had on that one blog post or Facebook post likes. They’re impressive. But they don’t matter.

The people are the ones who talk to you every day, who look forward to your work, and want to engage with it.

They’re faithful. They’re loyal. They’re long-term. And you’ll learn their names one by one because you’ll have some incredible conversations with them. The chances are, these are the people who started as your single daily out-reach.

The people are the ones who matter.

Because you can ask them for feedback.

Feedback is so important to everything we do. We can never see how crap something is until other people point it out because we live in our own world where we believe that we are awesome.

When you can get some quality, honest feedback from somebody it lets you step into their shoes and look through their eyes and understand a different take on what you are doing.

Being able to reach out to one person, on an individual level, means you have an opportunity to get some of that incredible and honest feedback every single day without begging people for it or waiting for an anonymous troll to give you way too much of their opinion.

Just imagine how much you could learn.

Because you can create an advocate.

This is the dream. Having somebody who loves what you do and has enough of a connection with it to become your biggest advocate. When you’ve done it right and built up someone to honestly give a shit about you, you’re starting your own tribe.

They’ll find other people and want to share your work with them. They will spread the word. They will stand up for you, fight for you and repeat your name where it matters.

Summing up 

If you start small, it does not mean you have to finish small. All it means is that you’re taking on a manageable slice of work that you can easily accomplish.

Ideal users: Where and how to find them

Shashank

Who are we essentially finding?

You are finding people who

  • Have a problem that you are trying to solve
  • Are aware of the existence of the problem
  • Have already tried to solve the problem and are unhappy with the current solution to the problem; so they are still actively looking for a solution 
  • Have a budget to get the problem solved

But the harder part is – they don’t wear tags or introduce saying they are “early adopters”.

There is no agency or website that can supply you with early adopters.

So, how do we identify them?

We can look for some other “tags” which they wear!

The secret to the tag to be used lies in “finding a solution”.

Where do they seek a solution to their problem?

You need to find places where they hang out in search of a solution.

To find your early adopters, first ask yourself, what are the behaviors of someone who is actively seeking a solution to this problem right now? These actions make up your solution-seeking behaviors list.

This list of solution-seeking behaviors is a great start, but…

It’s critical you talk to the people who demonstrate these behaviors to see what problem they are actually trying to solve. 

First, identify those externally observable behaviors

If you turn a solution-seeking behavior into a behavior that you can identify, you’ve probably found an early adopter.

A list of externally observable behaviors helps you answer the question: where do you find your early adopters? The answer is written within each of these behaviors.

Once you write down the externally observable behaviors—things that you as an outsider can see—you know where to find your early adopters.

Summing up

You find early adopters in the places that they are trying to solve their problems and to find them, look for solution-seeking observable behavior.

If you can’t find early adopters, you can’t build a business

Shashank

It’s as critical as that for you to get your early adopters or early users.

First of all, the discovery of early adopters gives you the first signal that you are not doing badly.

Early adopters happen to have the problem that you are trying to solve and so, when you discover them, you know the problem that you want to solve exists, and there are definitely some people out there who have the problem that you want to build a solution for.

In other words, early adopters validate the problem.

With their discovery, you turn your assumption that there exists the problem into validated learning.

They give the most valuable insights for product building. When you the starting up, just the way you start with the assumptions about the pain point or the problem, you also start with assumptions about a  potential solution that would work for the customers.  If you build a new product based on your hunches or assumptions about what matters to the customers, there is a chance that you may build something that doesn’t meet their key requirements.

You need customers’ perspectives, rather than your views about their perspectives.

When you find early adopters who happen to be aware of the problem and happen to be aware of how they think it needs to be solved, they will give you feedback and insights that you aren’t able to gain on your own.

And these insights are the ones that would ensure you build something with features that people want.

Building a product is NOT “the product” of your startup. Your business model is “the product”.  Once we acknowledge that the solution is not the whole product and that we don’t need to pretend to believe our made-up answers, we shift from pitching to learning — from other people – your early adopters.  They validate or invalidate all crucial elements of your business model – value proposition, channels, price, and more.

Working with early adopters allows you to ship early.  Early adopters will go for your product even if it is not a finished one. They don’t mind the bugs so no need to wait till “it’s perfect” before you ship.  As long as it meets the core requirement of theirs or you are willing to work towards what they need, they will be willing to live with you even with the not perfectly finished product.

Early adopters are a necessary step on the way to convincing the pragmatist customers your company needs to sign on.  The early adopters should help you get references to selling to your ultimate target market.

In the diffusion curve, the early adopters are the ones that represent the group that buys or uses a new product/service first. The early adopters are followed by the early majority, late majority, and laggards.  But there’s one thing you have to do before your early majority will jump on board – you have to get your early adopters.   Without Early Adopters, there’s no one to tell your early majority about your product. If you don’t get your early majority, no one will convince your late majority to use your product, and of course, you’ll never find your laggards.

Early adopters are the most critical element for a new business building.

If you can’t find early adopters, you can’t build a business.

Early adopters and beta testers

Shashank

Early adopters are the early users. They come on board because they are looking for a solution to some challenge and your product seems to hold potential in that regard.

They are not beta testers.

A beta tester is someone you pay to evaluate your product, use it, and give feedback on bugs therein.

A beta user could also be a friend, acquaintance, or friend of a friend doing you favor using your product. 

Beta testers are anxious to test your product to the extent that you are paying them. Or, beta users will be willing to test your product to return a favor or barter for a future favor.

On the other hand, an early adopter is someone who believes that your product will help to solve a problem or meet a need and who you believe has a  reasonable prospect of deriving value from your product. If they are evaluating your product they may not have paid for it yet but the expectation is that they will pay if they achieve a satisfactory outcome in a given period of time that is mutually agreed to.

Early adopters are anxious to see if your product will produce a better result than the existing alternatives that are available to them. They are not anxious to “test” your product.

Typically, early adopters will live with some bugs in your product, as long as it meets their core requirement or as long as they see you are gearing up to go there.

Both early adopters and beta testers have their own place in your product building process, You only need to know which one you need and in what context.