This Week’s Goals
- Complete SLC prototype (unfinished)
- Recruit 5-10 users to test prototype (unfinished)
What I Accomplished
It’s been 2 weeks since my last update. I missed posting last week.
My goal was to finish the prototype and recruit users, but here I am, still building 2 weeks later.
What I’ve managed to do:
- Generated complete GP content: examples, evaluations, flashcards with spaced repetition, and mindmaps (90 examples built so far)
- Expanded the GP example library
- Added functionality for users to save flashcards
- Created quick flashcard practice feature
- Implemented spaced repetition system for flashcards
- Refined UI/UX elements
Overall grade: C
What Went Wrong
My time boxing failed completely. I’ve prioritized building over shipping, which isn’t the approach I wanted to take.
I’m stuck between two options: launching quickly with a free product or building a fully-featured paid product right away. I haven’t committed to either path. The middle ground seems best. Invite top users to test features for free, collect feedback while continuing to build, then launch the paid version to everyone later. This approach feels right because user feedback will be crucial before a full launch.
Because I’ve been indecisive, I’ve fallen into the trap of building endless features without launching anything. I should get the product to a beta group (5-10 users) before adding more features. Another complication is timing. We’re approaching school holidays and exams just finished. I’m debating whether to launch when students feel the need for help versus launching during their break.
Lessons
A bad plan is better than a perfect one. Not having a clear plan distracted me from launching a SLC product. I added features that are not crucial for beta launch.
Launching fast is still the quickest way to learn. A useful frame is to actively seek feedback, even if the feedback is bad. Getting real users also is strong motivation to pivot or keep going. If I’m going to fail, I’d rather fail in 1 week than in 1 month.
It’s interesting that I already ‘know’ these lessons, but I didn’t apply them.
The biggest lesson is that I have to be more radical with head knowledge and actually act out what I ‘know’.
Launch Plan
Phase 1: Private Beta
- Goal: Validate content value, gather feedback, fix bugs, collect testimonials. Not focused on revenue yet.
- Launch to: 5-10 selected users
- Offer: Free unlimited access to all GP features (examples, evaluations, flashcards, mindmaps)
- Launch date: By May 25th
- Why now: Students have free time to explore thoroughly. Perfect timing for quality feedback on content and features.
- Considerations: Need to maintain regular contact with beta users
- Launch message: Appeal to students with “Get early access to a new GP tool for free and help shape its development during your holiday time”
Phase 2: Early Adopters
- Goal: Secure first paying customers, improve onboarding, test pricing, build social proof
- Target: All JC students in my Telegram group (several hundred)
- Offer:
- Significant early access discount
- Position them as co-creators helping build the ultimate GP tool
- Deadline: School reopening (June 15, 2025)
- Student perspective: “This looks promising and costs way less than tuition. Getting in early means I save money, and it might be worth trying as school starts up again.”
Phase 3: Public Paid Launch
- Goal: Scale up paid user acquisition
- Target: Broader JC market
- Offer: Regular subscription pricing with possible limited-time early adopter discount
- Deadline: July 15, 2025 - School is back in session, exams are on students’ minds, product is robust with solid testimonials
- Student perspective: “Exams are coming up and I need GP help. This tool has good reviews and covers everything I need.”
Why This Launch Strategy Works
- Minimizes the risk of a single big launch
- Creates iterative improvement where each phase informs the next
- Builds momentum by getting early feedback and prevents building in isolation
- Validates payment willingness early from the Telegram group
- Perfectly aligns with students’ exam and study cycles
Phase 1 Features
- Core features: Examples, evaluations, flashcards with spaced repetition, mindmaps
- Simple onboarding: Brief survey about level (J1 or J2) and current grade
- Clean dashboard design where all features are accessible with one click
Next Week’s Goals
- Refine core features (examples, evaluations, flashcards, spaced repetition, mindmaps) and deprioritize everything else
- Build simple, intuitive dashboard for easy feature access
- Create streamlined onboarding flow
- Ensure full mobile and desktop compatibility
- Deploy website to hosting
- Recruit 5-10 beta testers with these characteristics:
- Consistently active GP users
- Preferably those who’ve asked essay-related questions
- Plan to contact 15-20 potential users to account for response rates