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Ask YC: attend convention for my apps target audience?

2 points by xenoterracide ↗ HN
My apps target audience is geek gamers, especially Role Players (table top not video game). http://www.gencon.com/2008/indy/ Gen Con is the largest convention for this audience, and will have representatives of Both the Publishers and Gamers, who I'd be building the product for.

My product isn't that far along (still learning coding so it's going slow), I'm living on a fixed income as a 'full time' college student. I'd have to drive 8 hours and get a hotel for a few days if I wanted to attend the whole thing. (I live in lansing michigan).

Being on the fixed budget I'm not sure I can really afford to go. However, trying to start this business I'm not sure if I can afford not to go. If I were to go, having nothing to show, what should I do? should I approach the publishers? should I poll the gamers attending?

My ideal full launch date would actually be Gen Con next year.

Any advice is welcome.

9 comments

[ 3.0 ms ] story [ 24.1 ms ] thread
qhoxie
Oddly enough I have approached a publisher of a table-top RPG in a similar situation. Nothing was built, but the idea was concrete. The publisher was very receptive and helpful, and even gave us some pointers on community figures that could be of assistance in testing.
xenoterracide
out of curiosity what was the idea? and what happened to it?
qhoxie
I'm not at liberty to give many details, but it was/is related to an online multiplayer implementation of a board-base RPG.
breck
If you can't afford to go, you probably shouldn't. However, if you can earn a few bucks between now and then and find a way to keep the cost as low as possible(sharing a hotel, getting a student discount, staying with a friend or a friend's friend), then go for it.

If you go, sign up customers. Even if you don't have the product done yet you can still take email addresses. Then you will be more motivated to build the product once you know you'll have some customers. If you can't get any customers or strong prospects, reconsider your idea before you build it.

tstegart
Yeah, sign up customers. If you need to do market research (and who doesn't) do it there, you have all sorts of potential customers in front of you. Ask them everything you need to know, refine your idea, rethink some of your older assumptions.

Just because you don't have a product doesn't mean you can't advance your business. So if you're going to go, make it worth it.

xenoterracide
the only problem I have is in my head (maybe I'm wrong?) my product idea is to sell to consumers... but in a sense I have to get the publishers on board because it's their product I'm selling... as far as signing them up should I just take emails? more? should I rush order some business cards with the businesses current name? should I try to get a place holder site up somewhere?
tstegart
Um, will consumers buy it? Thats a problem you need to ask about. Didn't you say your target audeience is going to be there? Thats what market research is about, standing in front of someone and asking them, "would you buy this?" Usually, people are nice and say yes, so you always have to discount that, but if they say no, then you really need to start thinking about your business.

Ask people how much they would pay for it, what they think of the idea, get any suggestions, ask people what other problems they have. Ask publishers if they are interested in your idea. Don't treat the publishers like consumers. Treat them like businees contacts, because they will be. Network among the publishers, ask them if they would be interested in hearing from you when you get your site up, and get their bsuiness card (Purposely ask for it, they'll all have one). Write down on the back who they are and what you talked to them about, cause in a few months you'll totally have forgotten.

When you're talking to gamers, and if they seem interested, ask them if they would want to sign up to be notified when your site goes live or if they want to be a beta tester, that sort of thing. Don't send them emails before then, and let them know this. Just have a clipboard with a piece of paper on it. I wouldn't ask consumers for a business card, thats kind of awkward, like you might actually call them. It helps not to be pushy, so if people show a real interest, you can always email them. Accept a card if they give it to you.

I wouldn't worry about a placeholder site or business cards, although they are cheap. If you don't have a site yet, its not like too many people are going to be seeking you out. You need their cards. If someone wants your contact info, you can always ask for their card and send them an email that night, or write it on the back of theirs. I mean, cards are cheap, but it won't kill you not to have them.

akd
Find a safe place to park and sleep in your car. You can freshen up with some deodorant in the morning and stay 2 days.

If you need to take a shower at a motel, you can usually slip a 20 to the front desk person and do so.

tstegart
hehe. Borrow a tent and go camping, or see if there's a gym that does a two week trial period. Thats pushing it, but hey, bootstrapping is bootstrapping :) If all else fails, there's always www.couchsurfing.com.