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Are you an underpaid developer? Sherman Lee Email: [email protected] Twitter: @SHERM8N Blog: http://blog.goodsense.io
Are you an underpaid developer?
Sherman LeeEmail: [email protected]
Twitter: @SHERM8NBlog: http://blog.goodsense.io
Email me - [email protected]
❖ Introduce yourself❖ Where do you work?❖ Why are you interested in this talk?❖ I’ll respond to every single one of you
Leave a business card!
Who is this dude?
❖ Sherman Lee - Berkeley CS❖ Corporate job for 6 years❖ Jumped into startups❖ Drained savings and built credit card debt❖ Turned it all around
❖ Freelance development❖ Consulting❖ Productized consulting services❖ Products and startups❖ Multiple streams of income
The Process to Change Your Life
❖ Get your feet wet in becoming independent❖ Finding projects❖ Selling and marketing yourself❖ Understanding business needs❖ Pricing and contracts
Freelance Development
❖ Business partner versus slave developer❖ Solve business problems❖ Specialized service
Consulting
❖ Repeatable parts of your engagements❖ Charge monthly for it❖ Easy for you and it may be automated❖ http://draft.nu/revise
Productized Consulting Services
❖ Find a personal problem or need❖ Develop a hypothesis❖ Finding your audience❖ Ask them to pay❖ Listen to your audience❖ Take that audience and make your own❖ Build the product
Products and Startups
❖ If you have a problem or need others do too❖ I have 97 t-shirts and spent $2,194
Find a personal problem or need
❖ What are you trying to find out?❖ For me, if teenagers would buy t-shirts.
Develop a Hypothesis
❖ The audience you want to sell to already exists somewhere
❖ I found mine on Wanelo
Finding your audience
❖ Collecting money is idea validation❖ Product doesn’t need to exist❖ I didn’t print t-shirts first
Ask Them to Pay For Your Product
❖ First sale within 24 hours of idea
Ask Them to Pay For Your Product
❖ They will tell you exactly what they want❖ Give it to them!
Listen to Your Audience
❖ Another case with similar design❖ Results even better
Listen to Your Audience
❖ Look for existing audiences❖ Easier than from scratch❖ Get them to follow you on Twitter, Tumblr,
etc.❖ Capture their email
Take Audience and Make Your Own
❖ Having an audience is when you build❖ Paying customers❖ Idea validated
Build the Product
❖ Hardest part❖ No audience means nobody to sell to❖ Blogging, Social Media, SEO
Build the Audience
❖ Builds a fan base for shop owners, sellers, artists and designers
❖ http://audience.goodsense.io
Good Audience (my startup)
❖ Solved own problem❖ 2 big sellers in LA/SF❖ In Urban Outfitters
Good Audience (my startup)
❖ Freelancing❖ Consulting❖ Products❖ No need to depend on one
Multiple Streams of Income
