Loading...
Answers
MenuAfter building a successful product, what do you do with the team when there is no work left and you can't think of something new?
For instance, new work on the successful product is needed only once every 2 months or so when users provide feedback. So a team is needed to do that work.
BUT, when there is no feedback, then what do you do with the team? Let them sit idle? Give them random stuff to work on? Specifically, what do you get your team to do when you don't have a concrete idea / new product to work on?
Answers
Ask the team. What do they think is a good use of their time? No one likes to sit idle. If they were on a heavy schedule to meet the product launch, some downtime is useful to regenerate creativity, energy and focus. Have they documented all the processes used? Have you conducted a post-project review of what worked and what didn't and what could be improved next time?
These are some things for a temporary lull, however, the bigger question is how to engage your team when there isn't work to do. Can the team handle more projects?
Good luck!
Is the team on salary or paid an hourly rate for the work they're doing? Is the product successful such that it is generating revenue in excess of paying your team?
If you have the whole team is on salary, then I'd suggest you look at whether you can transition some of that team to contract work, working only when needed and for an hourly rate. There is a risk that that person might not be willing to move to contract and you might lose them, but if you're not actively utilizing someone, I don't see how you can justify keeping them on full-time.
I don't know how you're defining success but it's likely that you can build on the success you've already achieved. For example, there might be segments of users who aren't as engaged as others. Focus on increasing engagement for them. Or, focus on new in-app purchase options, etc., all focused on increasing what's already working to generate more "success" however you define it.
It seems like a somewhat unique situation you're describing. Happy to do a call to discuss in more detail.
That's a very unusual problem, I'll be honest I always have work.
My two cents,
If you have a solid team that has the ability to build a successful product do not loose them. Finding a team that can execute quickly and successfully will get you a long way and if you have one. DO NOT LOOSE THEM.
But I have to say, if the product is successful then in theory it should be growing like mad and that should pose multiple challenges on the infrastructure and the product itself. The team will have enough to do to keep the lights on else the product itself is not successful and needs something more to make it successful.
Finally, if the product is actually successful and is not growing due to external factors then
1. I would build a new/tweaked product that the market would accept
2. If you are confident about the product, I have put developers on support calls, user demos and shadowing sessions so that they experience what the users / customers are experiencing.
3. I like to have them as a fly on the wall in prospect conversations to give them context of what the market is saying ans what the needs are.
4. IF you have truly done all of the above and have a successful product, I would send the guys and gals on vacation and tell them to enjoy. They will be doubly productive when they come back and more appreciative than creating random unnecessary work for them.
But again DO NOT LOOSE THEM IF THE TEAM IS SO STELLER. (Actually can I hire them?)
Related Questions
-
How to turn a niche seasonal business into a all year round business?
Thanks for reaching out. Do you want to meet in person? I am in San Francisco/San Mateo location. Best, SeanSP
-
How do I attract talent to a startup?
"Just" a startup? Most technical and design talent are more attracted to startup opportunities than working for big companies. So the issue is not that you're a startup, the issues are around how you make yourself the most attractive startup to the talent you're trying to recruit. The best way to do this is to be able to articulate why you're already on the path to being a very successful business. Selling top talent on your company is often the same as selling investors. The more that you can demonstrate that you already have the right ingredients for success, the higher a likelihood that you're going to close your recruiting pipeline. Obviously, depending on the cash you have in the bank and expect to have in the bank will impact what kind of offer you make, and the more that you can mitigate the "going concern" risk, the more success you'll have in getting an offer accepted, but it's ultimately about convincing the talent that joining you and your team is better than any opportunity they can take, including starting their own company. If you can't be competitive in your own backyard, I would look at hiring remote workers or look at relocating talent from less competitive markets to your own backyard and selling the lifestyle advantages of your particular city. Recruiting top talent is a significant part of any startup CEO's job. I'd be happy to talk to you about what I've learned and share some of the tactics I've used and seen others use successfully.TW
-
What would be a good answer for describing the size of your company to a potential prospect who might consider you too small to service their account?
What an awesome question! Businesses are running into this issue more frequently that ever, good news is, it can be done. Having worked on projects with oDesk, Fox Television and Wikipedia and having a very very small staff, it's certainly possible. Here's how I say it in our pitches to larger organizations: "Tractive West provides tailored video production services to organizations of all sizes. We have developed a distributed workflow using the latest digital tools. We leverage our small creative and management team with a world wide network of creative professionals, that means we can rapidly scale to meet the demands of any project while keeping our infrastructure and overhead lightweight and sustainable." Cheers and best of luck.SM
-
How do you get your first customers for a consulting business?
Back when I started LinkedIn wasn't as huge as it is now. I wish it was. I didn't have a large network and those networking sessions NEVER brought me any clients. I used to go to all sorts of them hoping to get clients. There were a couple of nibbles here and there, but never anything serious. The only thing that helped was reaching out DIRECTLY to people in my target market. That meant cold calls and cold emails. I'd sell myself while thinking about their needs. Once I got a few bites I'd build good rapport by keeping in touch, asking questions, repeating back what they were saying so that they knew I was on the same page and kept my promises. If I said I'd call them back next Tuesday at 2:15 I'd do so. Eventually I built trust with them without having a network, or an insane amount of experience. Oh and the most important thing about consulting is to LISTEN. When those first clients notice that you're truly listening and you're not selling the cookie cutter solutions everyone else is trying to sell them that's when you got them hooked. You start to understand their problems, fears, and see through their eyes and not just yours. A network will help, but in the beginning just good 'ol salesmanship will get the ball rolling.JC
-
What does a business development role entail when it comes to hiring?
I think you should first really step back and ask if you need that role filled. Are your sales growing? Are they growing as quickly as you'd like? Do you think someone could push that needle? I've worked at companies with strong focus on sales and some where there were no sales people at all. It depends on your niche and who your customers are. Depending on your outreach methods, perhaps you need to hire someone with a strong sales background who's going to pick up the phone and start cold calls all day, or maybe you just need someone to handle your marketing better and help you out with some Adwords campaigns. Business Development is a big term, and it can cover a lot of things, most commonly sales... but salespeople aren't right for every business. So, look at your existing success. What sorts of things bring in the money now... and look to amplify those existing efforts before you go breaking new ground. You should be looking for someone who complements your existing success and can continue to tell that story, in your existing playing fields, and gradually moving into new areas. I know this was a vague answer, but I hope it helps.SL
the startups.com platform
Copyright © 2025 Startups.com. All rights reserved.