Startup: where to find a person who is in contact with potential customers?

Question

Startups

I have a chicken and egg problem.
First, I will describe the situation:
There is a startup (a tool for nutritionists), which, due to lack of experience, was launched almost without Customer Development. After two years of working on the MVP, the existence of the problem we are solving has been confirmed by several people in another country. Now the MVP is ready. I spoke to one potential client who gave a very important critique. 50% of the MVP went to the trash and we are making an almost new product.
Now about the problem:
My family budget is depleted. The startup plunged me into the wildest debt. The emotional state is not much better. The prospects are very vague - the whole CustDev was almost not done, and in the PMF process only one potential client watches the product. I can’t speed up the development - there is not enough money for permanent employees. I can’t enter the market either - it makes no sense to show the original product already, and the new one has not been completed. In addition, it is very difficult for me to be active in public. And I can’t find a person who can do this without money (and there is no idea how to solve this with money yet).
Now back to the chicken and egg:
I can't move forward with the project at such a slow pace because it's exhausting and takes even more chances for success. I can’t speed it up, because at this stage the product is not interesting for investors. And I can't attract investors because I'm making a product at a snail's pace and I can't reach the point they want.

Answer 1

You have asked the question incorrectly. One should have asked: My startup is in the ass, I don’t have the resources to continue it: where can I find a person who will pull out my startup for free and find investors? The answer is obvious: you won't find anything like it anywhere.
There is only one solution: to get together and go to clients yourself. Perhaps one of the clients will agree to invest in you.

Answer 2

Option 1) the grave of your startup will replenish the graveyard of "ideas" conceived by techies and have not found their buyer
Option 2) You will stop dealing with the technical side of the project and throw all your strength into finding a sponsor / investor / partner who will provide you with marketing and sales
PS: implementation var. 2. no guarantee that in the end var.1 will still be fulfilled

Answer 3

It's interesting how you came up with the idea of ​​the project when you weren't on the consumer's side...
You need to find a person who is a potential consumer and he should already write requirements and improvements to the project. And you can interest this person only with a percentage and not a small one, since the project is apparently on the verge of death (I could be wrong), in general, you can’t build a successful project on “wagons”, you need a “jobs”.

Answer 4

Do with your employees online stores, mobile applications and other projects to order for others, including other web studios, until there is money for the department that will deal with the startup. When you are in business, it is important to start making a profit, even if what you are doing does not completely coincide with your dream.
A tool for nutritionists is hard to sell. It is better to sell it as part of a large product like Yandex.Health or something like that, where there is a profit model. Hospital software is hard to sell. You need to be big like Yandex, otherwise they won't be taken seriously.

Answer 5

I spoke with one potential client

One is not enough if the MVP was developed based on the desires of users, and not yours. If you threw out 50%, then it was not an MVP, but your Wishlist.
And why did you decide that it would be interesting after?
As I understand it, you made software that no one needed, now you understand that there is no point in finishing it, but it’s a pity to quit. And you're trying to find excuses to keep going. I think it’s worth it or close it, realizing that we have gained valuable experience. Or collect all the developments and start a new correct project. Having previously made sure that someone needs it and that there are enough funds to bring it at least to the beta version.

Answer 6

Campaign you are very confused on the development. forgetting about the sale... you need to make the MVP more modest and limited, roughly speaking "in 2 weeks", and already actively (that is, absolutely all the forces) look for customers...
I have the same mistake - I'm dancing from development, but I such a variation on hand. I mastered programming at my startup, which was almost the first goal ....

Answer 7

To find funding for your startup, place the project on a crowd platform and promote it through social networks. If your product is interesting, then people will support it financially, and you can find buyers right away. https://futland.ru

Answer 8

If the question is "where to find such a person?", then answer the question WHY do you need such a person, what exactly do you think he should be able / want / be able to do?

Answer 9

Everything is much simpler "I have a chicken problem"))
To the question "where can I find a person who is in contact with potential customers?" the answer is very simple. Such a person is one of the clients. And you, as you write, already have one.
And then there will be questions "How to motivate this person to promote your product?". What benefit will he get from this?
"I can't keep doing the project at such a slow pace" let others do it. For example, become a mentor for young programmers who are willing to work hard for experience. You give them knowledge of programming, and they give you code.
Then you completed the product. So, what is next? Why should investors suddenly appear?
You are also writing about some abstract point that investors need.
They invest in order to save or, at best, increase their money, how will your product help to do this?

Answer 10

I read the old version of the question. Fortunately, there is a history of versions.
If your project solves a problem, release it to the public even if it's not completely ready. It's free for the first time. People who will start using it will catch up and ask for the functions they need. Becomes a beam.
That's what I did with my project. And did not regret. Despite the fact that I had crashes and bugs, I received customers and feedback before all the work was completed. And the first users to some extent played the role of testers.
The first review on the project was such "Registration does not work" but even this is better than sitting and not telling anyone to do something for imaginary buyers.

Answer 11

This is the most common "sales manager".
Just post a recruitment ad for this position.