6. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
The Marketing Mix (4P)
Product
Already discussed in previous chapter
Promotion
TV? Newspapers? WOM? Blogs? What works. What doesn’t.
Price
Challenging (especially for software and on-line services)
Place
(assume mostly web-based)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marketing_mix
7. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
Focus is on Not so much
consumer on business
in this talk customers
Flickr:jamesjustin / dexxus
9. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
Some Promotion Options
Online WOM
Word of Mouth
Blogs, Google Ads, Social Media, App Stores
Print Media
TV
10. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
Traditional media might not be effective
especially in the early stage
Press Releases are Spam - ReWork
Forget about the Wall Street Journal - ReWork
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Technology-Adoption-Lifecycle.png
12. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
Flickr:jdlasica
Behind each blog are people
13. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
Behind each blog are people
Try to connect to them. At events. By calling. By knocking
on their door.
Be personal. Don’t spam.
Which blogs to target?
Only the big ones? Most blogs have only one reader - the author
Warning: Early adopters and tech blog readers might not be your customer
group (e.g. women/shopping (like.com), art lovers (plink.com), kids, ...)
14. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
Ferris which blogs
Timothy Ferriss at LeWeb 2009
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2009/12/13/how-to-create-a-global-phenomenon-for-less-than-10000/
15. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
Blog yourself
become an authority
Flickr: daklein
17. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
Events
Meet early movers at events.
Getting the first users can be hard work. But getting the right ones may pay off.
Partners can also help promote.
Talk to people on the bus ...
If that’s not your strength hire somebody ...
19. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
Pricing
One of the biggest challenges
Especially for new products and digital services
Free vs. “a price” (see business model chapter)
Free! Why $0.00 Is the Future of Business
http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-03/ff_free
Thoughts on pricing for software by Joel Spolsky
http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/CamelsandRubberDuckies.html
21. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
Place
New distribution platforms on the web/mobile
If you play those right you will be very successful
These are really new ecosystems with incredible reach.
Examples
Facebook: the social graph as multiplier. Example: zynga (Farmville)
The iPhone App Store: easy usage fuels distribution
Still lots of learning to do how to play those platforms
What are the success factors? What drives usage?
23. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
What’s special about Vision
Products may need explanation
Products may fuel fears (face recognition)
Customers may have no (or incorrect) expectations on performance
B2C or B2B or both?
Often, when there is traction in B2C, there is also traction in B2B (not vice versa)
So maybe you have to generate some initial B2C traction yourself (huge task)
Or a competitor does it for you.
25. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
How we did it
Biggest effect: blogposts and print media
TV appearances had nearly no effect (same experience as ReWork)
Building network of personal contacts to bloggers
E.g. just knocked at Michael Arrington’s door 2 years ago.
Still building network. Geographic targeting as challenge.
App store distribution really important
First visual recognition app on the app store worldwide was kooaba
26. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
How we did it
Huge attention in press from time to time
We contacted influential writers directly (traditional media & blogs)
Generated discussions and attention but not users/traffic
“Provoking” releases
E.g. Recognizr (700k YouTube views, TV networks and press spinning stories)
Through partner integration
“Partner’s users are our users”
Now: direct sales (licensing)
28. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
Resources
Marketing Mix 4P http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marketing_mix
Technology Adaption Lifecycle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Technology-Adoption-Lifecycle.png
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/
Timothy Ferris: How to Create a Global
2009/12/13/how-to-create-a-global-
Phenomenon for Less Than $10000
phenomenon-for-less-than-10000/
