Harnessing the Power of Early Adopters

After a very hi-profile startup failure, author Eric Ries and other co-founders launched a second startup product in just six months – with technically hazardous results. Rather than investing the resources necessary to craft quality software, they decided to switch tactics and release a buggy version quickly to determine if the product could find a market. Ries found that early adopters – often more visionary than the company founders – were a huge asset in streamlining product development. Working with them from the very early stages allowed for a better-engineered product and broader mainstream market success. Ries offers suggestion on how to find these initial users; often through search engine marketing and Google AdWords, StumbleUpon campaigns, and creative Facebook ads.