How to bounce back as a maker with Josh Howarth - Product Hunt Radio Recap

Podcast: Product Hunt Radio

Published: 2020-04-22

Duration: 49 min

Summary

In this episode, Josh Howarth shares his journey of bouncing back from a challenging product launch, emphasizing resilience and the importance of iterative learning in the maker community.

What Happened

Abidesi, the host, welcomes Josh Howarth, founder of Exploding Topics, to discuss the ups and downs of being a maker. The conversation focuses on how to recover from a bad launch and the continuous process of iterating on a product. Josh reflects on his own experiences as a longtime member of the Product Hunt community, sharing insights that resonate with makers at various stages of their entrepreneurial journeys.

Josh recounts his first SaaS product attempt, where he aimed to solve his own problem of generating consistent income. Inspired by the success of others, he built a unique exit intent pop-up tool designed to increase conversion rates for e-commerce stores. However, despite investing time and effort into development, he quickly learned that simply building a product was not enough; he now faced the daunting task of attracting customers. This led him to explore various marketing strategies, including SEO and email outreach, but he soon found himself struggling with the competition and the need for effective sales channels.

Key Insights

Key Questions Answered

What did Josh Howarth learn from his first SaaS product launch?

Josh learned that the initial excitement of building a product needs to be matched with a solid marketing strategy. After launching his exit intent pop-up tool, he realized that attracting customers was a significant challenge. His experience highlighted the importance of understanding the sales channels available and not underestimating the effort required to find and engage potential users.

How did Josh approach marketing his SaaS product?

Josh initially focused on direct email outreach, targeting e-commerce stores that might benefit from his product. He spent six months grinding through this process, manually identifying potential leads. Unfortunately, he found this method to be quite labor-intensive and ultimately limited in scope, leading him to explore other marketing avenues, including SEO and LinkedIn outreach.

What challenges did Josh face during his product launch?

After spending two months building his app, Josh faced the daunting realization that he hadn't adequately prepared for the post-launch phase. The lack of a clear customer acquisition strategy left him feeling stuck, with limited leads and a competitive landscape that made growth difficult. His journey emphasized that building a product is only part of the process; effective sales strategies are equally crucial.

What advice does Josh give to makers facing setbacks?

Josh emphasizes the importance of resilience and learning from failures. He encourages makers to view setbacks as learning opportunities rather than endpoints. By reflecting on past experiences and adapting their strategies, creators can find new ways to iterate and improve their products, ultimately leading to success.

How can makers effectively bounce back from a bad launch?

Makers can bounce back from a bad launch by assessing what went wrong and focusing on iterative improvements. Josh suggests that understanding the target market and refining marketing approaches can help reposition a product for success. Engaging with the community for feedback and leveraging past experiences can also provide valuable insights for future endeavors.