@andrewchen

Subscribe · Featured · Recent · The Cold Start Problem 📘

Poll results from “How would you launch a new product?”

I had previously posted a poll for the folks reading this blog to vote on a poll for how they’d launch a new product, and here were the results (as of this afternoon), ranked in order:


How do you launch a new product or service?


  1. Start with a site, then add app(s) later 56% (102 votes)
  2. Start with app(s), then add a site later 21% (38 votes)
  3. Destination site only 10% (19 votes)
  4. Social network app(s) only 8% (14 votes)

There were also a couple votes for “Other” which, from the comments and emails, seemed to be people who launched with both at the same time, or people looking at iPhone development, etc.


Frankly, I’m surprised by the results!


I really expected that there would be more folks to be emphasizing app and widget development rather than destination sites. Another way to look at this is that 66% of the votes had you starting with a destination site first, with apps being an afterthought.


Perhaps with all the Facebook and OpenSocial excitement that I’m exposed to in the Bay Area, it’s easy to perceive that *everyone* is working on apps when in fact there are many more traditional approaches out there.

PS. Get new updates/analysis on tech and startups

I write a high-quality, weekly newsletter covering what's happening in Silicon Valley, focused on startups, marketing, and mobile.

Most ungoogley product ever from Google?

From analog dollars to digital pennies: The crisis in traditional media

What are you really trying to measure?

Trying out the new Amazon Recommendations widget

Obama and McCain: How political marketing has evolved from offline to online

25 reasons users STOP using your product: An analysis of customer lifecycle

Companies reading Futuristic Play – advertising, games, media, and more

Poll: How do you launch a new product or service?

Craigslist to surpass eBay in 2009? Compete and Quantcast seem to think so…

More detailed analysis of social network value on Techcrunch

MySpace versus Facebook: Analysis of both traffic and ad revenue, using Google Trends

Free consulting on retention metrics* :)

Are you working on a product targeted at teens? 10% off YPulse Conference on July 14-15

Where are all the video startups? Maybe Content=King, online and offline

Social gaming design – Bartle types versus Web 2.0 participation pyramid

Social Gaming Summit: Recap and observations

Social Gaming Summit tomorrow – see you guys there!

Dear readers, need a quick favor!

5 steps towards building a metrics-driven business

Users, customers, or audience – what do you call the people that visit your site?

Data portability: Is the social network data you’re hoarding treasure or trash?

Social gaming and MMOGs: Quick link roundup

User retention: Why depending on notification-driven retention sucks

What’s the value of a user on your site? Why it’s hard to calculate lifetime value for social network audiences

Social network death spiral: How Metcalfe’s Law can work against you

GigaOm’s “10 Blogs We Love” and 15 Blogs that I love!

Online advertising report for 2007 by the IAB

Social network marketing: Getting from zero to critical mass

Lessons from the casino industry on engagement metrics and lifetime value

Has the Facebook platform hit its peak?

Facebook Apps: Why they’re focused on fun instead of utility

Quick link: Movie versus video game

Vertical ad networks: What are they, and why did Cox just buy Adify for $300MM?

Facebook app CPM numbers from Inside Facebook

When will Slide release their hounds on the social gaming sector?

10% discount off of the Social Gaming Summit

Viral marketing, activation, and retention metrics – commentary on Dave McClure’s Web 2.0 presentation

Moving to SF and joining the tech community – Lessons from my first year

iGoogle start pages: Vertical integration of the first, second, and Nth click