This is a backup copy from a tweetstorm from Stephanie Hurlburt (https://twitter.com/sehurlburt), for easier consultation (instead of going to Twitter and trying to find it).
Here's the link to the original tweet: https://twitter.com/sehurlburt/status/921921604140937216
“Why isn’t someone using my software product or open source tool? It’s good!”
A checklist for you:
- Have you described what it is and what the benefits are in a way a non-developer can understand?
- If someone Googles to try to learn more about it, is this description easy to find?
- Is this description easily skimmable? If someone looks at it for 6 seconds can they be convinced?
- Do you compare your tool to other similar tools so people feel educated about pros/cons of yours?
- If performance matters, do you have easy-to-skim benchmarks that include comparing it to other tools?
- Do you have a demo? If it’s open source, are there well documented and easy to build samples/demos?
- Have you spoken or written about your tool? Twitter, a tech blog, online communities, meetups, conferences, podcasts, etc
- Have you pitched it in 1:1 conversations with developers who might be interested?
- Have you talked with developers who may be interested to learn about why they haven’t tried it or don’t use it?
Key takeaways:
- Describe your tool in an easy to understand way
- Do not underestimate the power of informational interviews
And if the tool is meant to be used by devs, still describe your tool in a way a non-developer can understand
For so many reasons
Trust me
To learn more, read up on marketing/sales and talk to professionals. It’s a fascinating field and I have a huge amount of respect for it.
If you know of good resources for the folks interested in learning more about marketing or sales, reply with links and I’ll happily RT.