
Ask HN: How to decide if it should be a feature or be built as a new product? - gridmates
Our company is building a new crowdfunding platform for energy poverty (inability to afford basic energy services). However, a lot of people comment that it can just be a feature&#x2F;project on the existing crowdfunding platforms (e.g. Gofundme).<p>So, how do you decide whether it&#x27;s okay just be a feature of a (existing) project or it has the potential to be developed as a new project?<p>e.g. crowdfunding for everything VS. crowdfunding for hardware VS. crowdfunding for energy poverty?<p>Our landing page: energizelives.gridmates.com&#x2F;energy-poverty&#x2F;<p>Homepage is still the old version of the website.<p>We&#x27;ll appreciate any honest comments that you have!
======
brudgers
A crude heuristic: Products segment markets. Features enhance products.

This sounds like market segmentation. Existing funding platforms tend not to
segment the market. Whether or not it's a viable segment is another matter.
Whether or not the product can get enough of a lead to make up for the low
barrier to entry for existing platforms is another matter, too.

------
hiltonlam
A new product has to have a significant functional difference and and
technological advancement. Or it should cater for the special needs of a
different demographic that has a very different behaviour.

A product is not nice to have. It's a leap. It's a break through.

A feature is just nice to have.

~~~
gridmates
We have a technology (plugin) for utility companies to put on their websites
and let people donate on their websites. Does it work? Our billing system is
also designed for energy donation.

------
gridmates
FYI, we built this product because we could find a way to donate money, food,
clothes but not energy. However, it's something really important in lives.
That's why we decided to build a product for it.

------
IanDrake
If you're building a business, never build it as a feature onto someone else's
platform without some sort of contract that confirms the nature of your
relationship.

~~~
gridmates
We are not really building on anyone's platform right now. It's intended to be
an independent platform. However, we just don't know whether existing
platforms e.g. Dosomething.org, Indiegogo or GoFundMe can achieve the things
that we want to achieve or not.

However, there's a crowdfunding platform for the homeless (www.handup.org) and
for water (Watsi) too. So we're not sure.

------
rachellee
the new product has to fit a large audience that is not satisfied with the
existing product. If I wanna support poor people, why don't I donate cash to
them in general. Why don't I donate for food or education but energy? Is it
more emotionally appealing to donors?

~~~
gridmates
yeah this is the challenge we're facing right now. it seems like not a lot of
people are familiar with the concept of energy poverty.

