Create products people will pay for before they're even built
If you want to build a successful startup or create an insanely great product, read this book.
This book will show you how to:
- Finally launch that idea you’ve been dreaming about.
- Build a world-class software product without a technical background or startup experience.
- Find customers who will gladly pay for your product.
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Your ideas can change the world
You have an idea in your head. Maybe even more than one! But you’re stuck simmering on it because you just don’t know if it’s the right one to pursue. You’re wondering whether people will even use your product, let alone pay for it. The uncertainty is overwhelming, so you do … nothing.
But what if you were confident that your idea would help people? How would you feel if you turned your passion into a living, breathing software product … and you made money from it?
I’ve founded 3 startups and personally guided 100+ people who have launched products that make 6 and 7 figures per year. We all started with varying levels of technical and business know-how—or none at all—but we all were passionate about an idea. Now, I travel around the country teaching people how to bring their ideas to life. With the right roadmap in front of you, you can launch a winning software product too.
But I don’t know how to code or run a business
The tangled world of startups and software development is intimidating and hard to navigate.
To start with, not every entrepreneur knows how to code. Even the ones who do still need other skills to succeed; they need to design a good user experience, figure out how to attract paying customers, and hire and fire technical talent. There are hundreds of tools and services to help build products, and they need to know which ones are useless and which ones will save them time. They’ll eventually run out of cash to keep paying rent and developing, and will need to figure out whether to get investors, apply to an accelerator, or bootstrap.
Trial and error takes years of research, setbacks, and heartache … not to mention a lot of money. You could go to design school, teach yourself how to code in the off-hours, and spend thousands of dollars testing marketing campaigns. Or you could…
Follow a proven guide for turning your ideas into successful products (and even 6- to 7-figure businesses)
You’ll learn how to:
- Validate your idea before you spend time and money on it.
- Talk to prospective customers without feeling awkward or pushy.
- Leave competitors in the dust with good design and positioning.
- Save time and heartache by building only the features people will actually use.
- Hire talented people to build your product for you.
- Get more paying customers with scrappy marketing strategies.
- Find money to fund your business.
This guide includes time-tested strategies and tools that entrepreneurs love:
- 7 interviews with successful startup founders and early employees.
- Over 13 case studies with the inside scoop on companies like Mint.com, AirBnB, and Zappos.
- The exact systems and tools I use build rock-solid products.
In-Depth Interviews with Founders & Early
Employees
-
Melody McCloskey
CEO & Co-Founder of StyleSeat
You’ll learn from Melody:
- Why you don’t need to be technical
- How to focus on a large niche market
- How to fundraise from investors
-
Brittany Forsyth
Head of Human Relations at Shopify
You’ll learn from Brittany:
- Why you should work on someone else’s idea
- How an early employee can make an impact
- Why you don’t need to know everything
-
Ben Congleton
CEO & Co-Founder of Olark
You’ll learn from Ben:
- How to start a business at any age
- How to bootstrap your business to profitability
- Why it takes time to find co-founders
-
Julia Grace
Head of Engineering at Tindie
You’ll learn from Julia:
- When it’s OK to take shortcuts
- How to hire technical talent
- How to keep your technical team motivated
-
Thomson Nguyen
CEO & Co-Founder of Framed Data
You’ll learn from Thomas:
- How to apply your expertise to a product
- Why you should focus on discovering your
customer’s problem
-
Alyssa Ravasio
CEO & Co-Founder of Hipcamp
You’ll learn from Alyssa:
- Why you’ll want to ship a prototype
- The reasons for learning to code vs. hiring someone
to build a prototype
-
David Cummings
CEO & Co-Founder of Pardot
You’ll learn from David:
- Why you don’t need to hire an experienced team
- That you can build a successful company
outside Silicon Valley
People Are Already Raving About the Guide
Poornima is a great storyteller. This is a great book for anyone that needs help to turn their ideas into viable businesses.
Adii Pienaar Founder of WooThemesPoornima's comprehensive book will teach you everything you need to know about getting a business from the earliest idea generation phase to practical launch strategies and beyond. A resource I wish I had when I was starting out.
Hiten Shah Co-Founder of KISSmetricsIf you’re stuck at the idea stage, this is the book for you. Poornima’s encouragement is infectious, and reading this book will give you the confidence to just go for it.
Jocelyn Goldfein Director at Facebook
Starter Kit
Ease Your Inner Critic to
Innovate Freely Course
Price $99
Learn to remove mental obstacles to help you create freely and do your most meaningful work!
So you’re passionate about an idea and want to turn it into a software product. Don’t let your inner critic stop you from reaching your goals! In this course, Poornima Vijayashanker teams up with Maria Molfino, Stanford-trained personal and professional growth teacher, to help you embrace risks and reap the rewards. They’ll share a proven toolkit of mental strategies so you can innovate wildly and finish what you started when the going gets rough.
What you’ll get:
- 3-module audio course (MP3 format)
- How to Transform Your Ideas into Software Products (348-page e-book)
You’ll gain:
From Maria you’ll learn how to:
- The confidence to try risky, innovative ideas that lead to huge payoffs.
- Case studies that reveal the sneaky ways the inner critic limits you
on a daily basis. - Strategies to support your teammates and co-founders in managing
their inner critics, so that your whole team can create freely. - Easy steps you can try today to knock down mental barriers and start getting things done.
Get samples sent to you
You’ll receive samples of the guide in your inbox.
about the author
Poornima Vijayashanker is currently the founder at Femgineer, an education startup that helps empower engineers, founders, and product leads to transform their ideas into tangible, high-impact products.
She was the founding engineer at Mint.com, where she helped build, launch, and scale the product until it’s acquisition in 2009.
she’s not building products or companies she enjoys Bikram yoga, rock climbing, and running. Poornima lives in sunny Palo Alto, CA with her boyfriend and two cats: Colby Jack and Riley.
