Re-launch: The Review

Wow, that was disappointing. The result of our minimum viable test (MVT) last month was about as bad as it could be. Uptake of our consent tab was precisely zero. We've been scoring zeros for years. Every new idea, every new project - always the same result. Zero. We'd hoped this time we would finally go from zero to one. Just one customer would have been a fantastic result - but no - just another zero.

Normally we'd have left it there, gone back to work (i.e. got a 'proper' job) and started saving up for the next attempt. But this time we did something different. Following this advise, we started to phone a few local businesses (mostly restaurants, because they need and use personal data) to get some feedback to help us figure out what had gone wrong. We learned some interesting stuff.

We initially thought that the MVT was telling us that nobody wanted what we were offering. What we found out from the feedback was that our pitch was wrong. We were giving the business owner an ultimatum. In essence we were saying if you want to use our system, you must ditch your privacy policy. We just assumed that everyone would be happy to ditch their privacy policy - we didn't realise just how difficult this would be for them. They had made a significant technical, financial and legal commitment to their privacy policy (and cookie banner) and there were too many risks in replacing it with our untried, untested consent tab (and all of this in the middle of a pandemic). It's not that they were against what we were offering - none of them liked the privacy policy or cookie banner - and our tab was seen as a viable alternative once we'd explained things. It's just that they couldn't take the legal risk of switching.

The conclusion was simple: no one was going to ditch their privacy policy in favour of our consent tab. We had to find another way and, after getting over the disappointment of another failed launch (and doing a bit of soul searching), we decided to keep going and rethink our approach.

Lesson 1: Don't bank on the launch

To be honest we were hoping for an 'easy win' with the launch - but we have finally woken up to the fact that a 'launch' is mostly just a fantasy - 'easy does it' doesn't do it. A launch is so dependent on luck. The luck of timing, the luck of the right person in the right frame of mind at the right time. We have no control over that.

Reading the 'Manhandle your Early Users' article (linked to above), prompted us to start making phone calls. It's a hard hitting article and this paragraph hit home.

They’re telling themselves a handwavy story about how they’re working to launch an MVP, and when they do, it’ll be super appealing to lots of people.

Are you one of these handwavy founders heading toward the Great Filter graveyard? If you have to ask, you probably are.

Yes we are. That's us to a tee - handwavy founders heading toward the Great Filter graveyard. It's time to find a way around the graveyard.

Lesson 2: Talk to people

Start making phone calls? Easier said than done. Firstly, as non-marketing people, this doesn't come naturally to us. Secondly, we figured that the people we needed to talk to were going to be busy with little time for the call. Also, how do we structure the call? You know what you want to say in your head but when you're actually speaking to someone and you can hear the impatience in their voice, it's easy to start to waffle about technical stuff. We needed to keep it short and simple and focus on the message.

In the end it turned out okay. Most people were polite and the first few gave the opportunity to figure out the right message. We quickly realized we needed to abandon the 'sales' call and just chat about our system and what it offered.

The upshot is that we've built the wrong features. That's what the MVT helped us find out. We now just need to figure out the right features - and build them. At least now we have a clearer idea.

Lesson 3: Be prepared to change.

Our consent tab will have to be shelved for the time being. We're not going to disrupt the privacy policy ecosystem that easily. The feedback showed us that our consent tab was too restrictive. It didn't allow any room for manoever. It was 'our way' or the 'highway'. And because of the investment already made into their privacy policy/cookie banner, it was we who ended up taking the highway. In the end, each conversation turned into a polite No thank you. We now need to explore the other benefits of our system (such as the elimination of data redundancy) before we get back to having a website pluggin that replaces the privacy policy.

Conclusion: keep going and build the MVP

What we're hearing is that our idea is worth progressing. Informed consent is the right way forward. Fake consent helps no one but the personal data brokers. By now, we've all got used to the cookie banner and clicking the 'Accept All' button - we barely give it a second thought. And there is an implicit assumption that if you display a privacy policy, you're in the clear - legally. And that's hard to argue against. But businesses are beginning to realise the privacy policy is running out of gas and may even be detrimental to their business. Our approach is very different and it will take time to get that message across - it's a new way of thinking.

So, onward to the MVP - somewhat different to how we originally envisaged it - but that's all good.