MVP & new app screens
In the last chapter we mentioned that the next step was to create a website representing the minimum viable product of Quiver in order to measure interest and get feedback. So that’s what we did.
Underneath you will scroll through the first version of the website that explains the idea of our application and how it would help the action-sport community.
The link to the demo guides the users to an interactive representation of the application. Here the users can use the app as if it were already in working. They can comment anywhere on the screens with the balloon-icon top right on the photo underneath this text. This way we would build a community around Quiver, before the app is out there, and get insights of the users themselves while building the app.
To make this all possible to expose on the internet, we needed to change the wireframe pictures to content we were legally allowed to use (for example pictures from friends who approved to use them for this purpose). This adjustment also took some time to finish.
During the process of creating the website we have been talking to Jessy, a Belgian UX/UI developer & coder who might join Quiver as a partner. We’ve called back and forth with Jessy to discuss the business idea, responsibilities, possibilities, etc. We have come to terms that we would set up a couple of trial-months where we work together on the project and see how the corporation is going. After this time, we decide if he becomes part of the team, or if it ends there. The timing of these events, happening at the same time (development of the website and talking with Jessy) made us realize that it might be interesting to give Jessy the opportunity to show his skills and what he sees in Quiver by setting up the website instead of the one we developed. At this point, we (Felix & Viktor) were a couple of days away before we left to Rotterdam to learn more about- and set up the financial part of our business model…
Finance & management in Rotterdam
This week has been very valuable as we got classes concerning Operational budgeting, Performance Management & Control and Alternative financing and several other topics.
The first part of the week definitely brought us a whole step further as we learned to set up the complete budgeting plan which we continued to do after the week in Rotterdam. Now we have 4 different scenarios of the financial side of Quiver on which we can build upon as the project develops.
During this week we started thinking about the first version of the application since we needed to decide specifics like the amount of sales. At this point we changed our strategy to approach the market. So far we created screens of how the application should look like in the long term, but we have to start somewhere in order to get to that point. That’s why we decided to focus first on one single feature. In the complete application we would have four;
1: Forum (Q&A room),
2: Daytrips,
3: Collaborate,
4: Events.
We decided to start with that last one. With events, we want to create a free space where local related businesses can get targeted exposure.
Who is that target audience than? Well, we looked at the different sports and chose to start with surfing. There is a big surfing scene in Barcelona, even though the city isn’t that good of a surf spot. This, combined with several other parameters made us choose for Local & tourist Surfers in- and around Barcelona.
The idea is to set up an application along with the idea, that we show and explain to local potential partners (for example: a local board shaper of Barcelona with 2000 followers on Instagram). We give them the opportunity to expose their business on our platform for free. Meanwhile we make this information available for the world, by launching the app completely free of charge in the app-store. The only reciprocity the users have to do, is recommend the app to others and spread the word. Once we have reached the amount of 1500- 4000 users on the app (depending on the partner), we go back to the partners and provide them with the choice to choose a subscription-pack and stay on the platform, or leave.
True this approach, we want to focus first on getting members before we start promising anything to anyone. Once we have a decent set of members, we can start the business.
Currently we are struggling with the pricing of the subscriptions and on how to decide what packages we offer to the partners.
Next up
So next up is launching the Website, advertising it and meanwhile collect potential partners and start defining the subscription packages for once we have acquired a decent amount of members.
Finally a little overview of our GANTT-chart and how we would like to see things going in the next month(s).
