I've been so product-focused that I lost sight of sales. Now I can't afford product development even though we are rich with opportunity. I'm failing at the balancing act. My SaaS product needs attention as do my customers and users. But it leaves me very little time for sales. I'm sure this is a common problem but I'm not sure how to best address it. It's so problematic in fact that my developer is frustrated with the on-again-off-again nature of building this project out. I'm bootstrapping, and the little sales we do have goes right back into development. I can't say I'm a business developer, nor a sales guy, but I get out there and pitch a product I've been building with love for years so I've been able to last a few years. The product keeps getting better and better, and the feedback from customers and users has been wonderful. It's just me and a developer for hire (who also does love the project, but hasn't been interested in equity just yet). I feel this could be more, but don't know how to bridge the gap.
Hi,
I think this a great problem you are having!
So first thing first, congratulations on making it thus far!
I understand your frustration. The solution, however is fairly simple. Focus on what matters.
"What matters" does not have a universal answer but a specific one. In you case, I'd start by asking these questions to calibrate your position...
1) What is the return/repurchase/churn of your existing customers?
2) How do new customers find you, from which channels? How do they make the final decision to buy?
3) How dependent are you on the income from this project?
4) Where do you want to carry this thing? In other words, your vision?
5)What is the most important factor in the success of your business?
Instinctively, I would advise with the following approach, but its best to ask more Q's about the business so as not to give a wrong advice. But here it goes:
You can always create better products & keep building as long as you have customers who want to buy; but if you don't have any customers who have a demand for you product, you have zero revenue and no business.
Answered 5 years ago
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