

Critique my startup - licensekey.net - maxklein

Hi folks. Well, after a lot of work, I think it's time that I put my http://licensekey.net in front of hacker news so I can get some early feedback.<p>(For now, it's hi-def screenshots, the servers can't handle the load, and I want to get a phased sign-up. The product itself is written in Python/Django)<p>What I'm trying to do is create a tool that will allow independent software developers successfully market and sell their software to end users. Most software developers do not have the time or inclination to comb through detailed analytics to market their software, they cannot be bothered to do detailed timelines or planning, so my software presents a neat interface from which the marketing as well as planning of their software products can be managed.<p>The frontpage gives you an instant overview of how all your products are performing.<p>The networking tab allows a social network between the affiliates, the end-users and the developer of the software.<p>I'm trying to partner with someone who has a proper server infrastructure, so if anyone is interested in this, or has tips on how I can go about this efficiently, send me an email at maximusklein@gmail.com.<p>So, please give me some feedback on the app. I'm flexible in cutting or adding features to the app, or doing things differently. I'm trying to make a full featured and USEFUL application, so if you belong to my target market, and there is something you wish you could have in an application like this, then do tell me!<p>Thanks!
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tom_rath
I'm in your target market, but I do not have any need for the features you're
offering. Have you worked with independent software developers to identify the
need you're satisfying with your product? For my own case, at least, it's not
that we've not the time or inclination to create detailed timelines or project
plans, it's that we would find such things less than useless since we're
frequently changing plans to better satisfy emerging user requirements.

To use a tortured analogy, large companies are like container ships plodding
along a pre-defined course [they know exactly where they're going to be four
weeks from now] whereas smaller developers are on the scale of Leif Erickson
[we're headed 'thataway', hope to find something really valuable in the
process, but realize we're going to have to change course every day to adapt
to the winds, current and coastline we're discovering if we've any hope of
surviving this adventure]. If you're enabling large-company planning processes
for independent developers, there may be a mis-match in your marketing.

If you've not yet sat down with some small software companies to find out just
what they would find helpful, I'd suggest you do so before proceeding further.
You don't want to find yourself creating the perfect product for a non-
existent need -- that way leads to madness.

~~~
maxklein
I'm an ISV myself, and I created it based on my needs. If you take a look at
the planning tab, you'll see that it's not how you think it is.

It's simple:

1\. You add a deadline by which time you expect some particular featureset to
be completed (for example, the user interface) 2\. The you add a bunch of
features to that deadline (like toolbar, about box, etc). 3\. You have a
series of tasks for each feature that need to be completed like a standard
todo list

Normal planning does not work for ISVs. But the approach above works (for me
at least), because it allows you structure the way you approach your coding.
It's not about traditional planning in any sense, it just a way of organising
your todo lists in a manner that fits with the way that ISVs approach their
products.

~~~
tom_rath
So, the product is another to do list? Maybe I'm missing something, but I
can't see how this would benefit us any more than another to do list.

Have you been designing this product to match the requirements of an existing
software company which is selling product today, or are you trying to match
the requirements you think you will have once your planned product sells?

~~~
maxklein
The product(s) it's designed for are selling today.

If you have an entire process setup already for planning your software
development path, and you already have a well working analytics system, then
your products are already being managed, and you don't need this.

This product is designed to bring an efficient structure into the life of the
ISV. Processes are there for a reason - they make it so you don't have to
guess what comes next or what you have to do next. This product is designed on
that principle - it takes the random life of the developer and makes it
efficient.

There are two ways one can approach the software business - you can either
just do things randomly as they coming, and hope things work out, or you can
plan ahead, observe trends, iterate and optimize to grow and make more money.
This product is designed for people who want to take the second path.

~~~
tom_rath
Well, businesses definitely need structure, but I don't see how this
particular product would help me observe trends (aside from web site page
views and total dollar sales), iterate and optimize.

Perhaps if there were a case study of some sort up on your page? Right now, it
just looks like a to do list stitched into Facebook, and that's not what we're
needing.

~~~
maxklein
I don't know how many products you sell, but let's say you sell about 4
products. You sell roughly 6-7 copies a day, and you site views are about 1500
uniques a day. Now, you nee to keep a constant eye on these numbers, and you
need to do things to make these numbers go up, and not down.

If you work without structure, it's difficult. My tool is designed such that
you can take a look at the frontpage and you instantly see how everything is
performing.

The todo list is a standard todo list (like basecamp has), but the fact that
you can keep your product based todo separate from the rest of the usual todo
is helpful. When a product is cruising along fine based on trends you observe,
you can ignore the product from a business point of view. When things start
getting bad, you have a todo list you can refer back to.

~~~
tom_rath
How will your product "do things to make these numbers go up, not down"? If
all your tool is letting me do is count web site page-views and total dollar
sales, that's not going to help.

~~~
maxklein
That part I did not add to the screenshots :-) If you click on the last tab
"Strategy", there are 3 icons beside the 'trends' icon. Those pages contain
the steps that one takes to increase the page view, download count and so on.
The info that is taught in business school is broken down into a form that
makes sense for the internet, and that will surely make you more money if you
do things steadily and step by step.

I decided against putting up the screenshots of that part because there are
too many pages, and I've not completely fleshed out the concept yet.

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shafqat
I'm not in your target market, so take what I say with a grain of salt. It
seems like you're trying to do too much in one go. You should try to keep the
main thing, the main thing. You said it was a to help developers sell/license
their product. I think that is a fantastic tool and great market.

But your software seems to do a bit of everything. Why does it have to do
project management, keep track of contacts and all sorts of other stuff. Why
cant you just make it help track sales and licenses etc. That would be a
compelling product, but right now there seems to be too much. So much that I
just got overloaded and left the page. If you had two or three targeted tabs,
I would have been a lot more interested.

Either way, great start and good luck!!

~~~
maxklein
You're right, absolutely right. I know that there are too many features, but I
built this thing first and foremost for myself. And I've always wanted the
featureset that is now added to the web app, because it's really helpful for
selling my own software. I added those features, not because I thought someone
would like them, but because I wanted them for myself.

What feature do you think could be cut out? Maybe an outside perspective will
make me see it differently.

~~~
terpua
I would focus just on the mailing list and build that feature into a full
product for developers (both desktop and web).

Current mailers are too complicated and generally don't have any APIs for
instance to tie my customer db to a mailing list.

~~~
aaronblohowiak
That's a pretty bad idea, unless you want to be an ESP. deliverability becomes
a challenge when you start sending our massive quantities of email -- you need
to deal with ISPs of all kinds, constantly changing legislation and
complaints. one esp (my previous employer) does offer an API to tie your
customer db to a mailing list (including doing the mail merge and such) --
verticalresponse.com

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utnick
Well I am in your target market, I currently use e-junkie.com to sell a
shareware app.

I can't really tell from the screenshots, but is this a full featured shopping
cart and affiliate manager like e-junkie or is this only for analytics?

~~~
maxklein
It's not a shopping cart at all - it's a product manager. You can use any
shopping cart/sales gateway you want and it integrates into licensekey.net,
allowing you a central location to control everything. There are many
different affiliate networks and so on around, and this tool just allows you
manage your affiliates, but does not act as a direct affiliate manager.

Rather, the tool acts as the central organisation point for your products.

~~~
utnick
I think it would be much easier to sell your service if you included shopping
cart/sales gateway functionality.

That way you could bill yourself as ejunkie with more features.

~~~
maxklein
Well, right now I have SWREG and Paypal integrated. It does the sales
notification replies for those services, and I plan to add more as needed.

I'd like to add the shopping cart/sales gateway stuff, but it's quite
expensive. I need to pay the merchant account fees, pay all the truste
certificates and so on...

~~~
utnick
take a look at e-junkie, I don't think they have to pay merchant account fees,
they are just a pass through to paypal, goog checkout, authorize.net etc, they
don't actually handle any of the transaction money, but they are still very
useful for small time isv

They make their money through a monthly subscription fee.

It sounds like you are almost there, you just need to add goog checkout and
throw on a shopping cart

~~~
maxklein
Thanks for the tip, I'll see what they offer.

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siong1987
Your web app is cool at least it has all the proper functions. But, I am
definitely not in your market. Why don't you try to use scalable web server
like amazon or Google App Engine since you are writing it on Django? Google
App Engine has very well support for Django web app. Anyway, all the best to
you. If you have any problem, you can definitely email me - siong1987 (at)
hotmail (dot) com.

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habs
I like the idea....But can't say im a fan of the name. But i'll be interested
to see what it's like when released.

~~~
maxklein
What turns you off about the name?

~~~
habs
I dont think I would have easily found the site in a goog query.
licensekey.net....makes me think of license keys :P

I don't mean to be negative, I think it's a great idea and I'll be keeping a
close eye on it when it comes out. Personally, I think that names can be some
of the hardest things for hackers to think of...they always turn out crap
(Django ?!)

~~~
silencio
Exactly what I thought. I read the title in my RSS feed and thought "is that
supposed to be some online license/key manager for end users so they don't
lose them?".

~~~
felideon
Given in a different context (i.e. not on HN), it almost sounds like a website
where people could find license keys for (pirated) software.

~~~
silencio
cracks would probably be more popular. who knows. (maybe that belief is
selection bias..since apps that only need serials aren't pirated as often in
their entirety as apps that need cracks as well).

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nreece
Btw, also try posting on the joelonsoftware.com forums. You'll find a lot of
ISV's for feedback, and potential customers there.

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lemonysnicket
is the product ready?

if not, great way to get iterative feedback before building product/feature
set that nobody wants.

