I Need A New Phone

I don’t know about you, but I am always a few models behind when it comes to my mobile phone.

One of the startups I mentor made fun of my iPhone 6s last night.

They said:

“You are ready for an upgrade. Just hop online, and your carrier will ship your phone to you in a day. It is simple.”

This was not new information. I know how the process works, but I still haven’t ordered a new phone.

Why?

1. I am a busy guy. Getting a new phone will disrupt my day and time is my most valuable asset.
2. My current phone works excellent right now.What can we learn from this and how can you apply it to the work you do?

Sometimes your customers are just busy. They may want to buy your stuff, but they do not have the time.
Pro Tip: Make it simple for them to buy from you. Remove all barriers and friction. Respect their time.

Maybe “good enough” is what they want..
Pro Tip: One day “good enough” will evolve into “I need this now.” Nothing is forever. Technology gets hacked, becomes obsolete or cause some other pain point.

I have been watching the mobile phone industry since the days of bag phones. Thanks Dad for letting me act like a big man in high school and using that bad boy. I yearn for the simple days and bag phones were undoubtedly simple.

Back to the mobile phone industry. I believe they have nailed the model for getting $1,000 phones into the hands of millions. If you have not upgraded in a while, here’s the value exchange:

You get:

• A new phone in a few days that improve life or work
• Ongoing support when things go wrong with the phone
• 0% financing over a couple of years, so you are not out a large chunk of change. A $20-$30/mo payment built into your bill.

Your carrier/phone manufacturer gets:

• Predictable revenue each month
• The opportunity to support you when things go bad
• A relationship where they offer you upgrades every few years

If I look at this through unbiased eyes, this a fair value exchange to me.

I assume Apple, AT&T, Google, and Verizon have huge teams that focus on this value exchange. Why not capitalize on their learning for your benefit?

Walking the walk

I enjoy a level of predictability in business. In fact, last year was a bit humbling for our company and me as the leader. We didn’t have enough predictable revenue each month. Lots of large projects popped up that lead to the dreaded revenue roller coaster.

In 2018 we decided to fix the problem for our company. I hope you learn from our mistakes and avoid some pain.

Website In A Week DOB: Jan 2018

We started treating the websites we build for our clients like mobile phones.

We eliminated the following from our product:

• Large capital outlay
• Long timeline for delivery (5-6 weeks)
• Transactional approach

Through Website in a Week, we offer our customers:

• A new website in a few days that improve life or work
• Ongoing support when things go wrong with the site
• 0% financing over a couple of years, so they are not out a large chunk of change

Sound familiar?

Maybe I will hop online and get that new phone. Since Apple started suppressing the battery and speed my phone may become obsolete.

In fact, I cannot believe I’ve had it this long, and it has not died on me.