Just Products #1: Writers Odyssey & JobTribe
Two Product Ideas for the first edition of Just Products.
Just Product will bring you Product Ideas, Stories, and Thoughts about Product Development. It is one of five sections in the Just publication: Just Thoughts, Just Poems, Just Culture, and Just About Life. Find them at Just Home.
Product Idea #1 - Writers Odyssey
Writing long-form content on Substack makes me want the OpusPro product for written content. OpusPro cuts your video content into pieces, provides subtitles, and ranks the clips according to virality with one click. Substack gives you a few post variations with background coloring and text, disregarding the virality of the text, content, or output. It just picks something without analyzing what that “something” is.
Additionally, if I spend 10+ hours writing content by hand, I want the rest of the social media posts completely automated. All posts will always follow the hook, body, and call-to-action format. I won’t explain why creating different variations for your ads and social content matters. You can read
‘s work in Parabolica, who is building Sovran alone and wholly bootstrapped. What’s important is that the whole process can be automated.As Helena Liu explained, you could use tools like Make to create an entire flow of actions that handles this for you. Still, I want a one-click tool that chops my content and establishes a publishing schedule with the content in one view. At best, if those bloody APIs of the social media platforms worked as they should, I would deploy everything according to the schedule with another click after checking what is going out and when and having the possibility to make some edits.
We’re talking about a 15-25 billion dollar market with a 10-15% CAGR over the next ten years based on quick market sizing and user profiling on Perplexity. Martech is also one of the most competitive markets in the world, and this is not a highly complex tool. This would target everyone who creates content by first writing longformat on any platform. I have a hard time believing the likes of Substack would get into content distribution like this because of the use case. You’re venturing into a completely new type of stack of functionalities to maintain. The more sensible thing to do is to provide API communication between Substack and Writers Odyssey.
A monetization model could be built around how many articles you want to run through the platform, with the first few being free. The paid feature would unlock some essential features for heavy users. However, I liked how Fatom entered the meeting productivity market, operating with a completely free model to gain market share quickly. Setting it up was also ridiculously quick, making adoption fast. It would be perfect if you could onboard writers for all previous content with just a few clicks to generate traction toward evergreen content.
This is an exit quick with a small team, or go bust even faster. Exit in a competitive industry is likelier than in a less-so industry. One of the exceptions is the medical hardware industry, where you don’t have the resources to fight the big industry players, and it’s more tempting to sell early. Unlike the medical industry, consumer SaaS iteration cycles are much faster, and early traction indicators are easy to attain.
The name “Writers Odyssey” reflects the writer’s journey. You start by just writing something to get going. You don’t start thinking about the audience like in many venture-backed startups (you can build products for yourself first or against a vision, as described in Nordic Notes #3). The key is to start writing. You can then leverage social media algorithms to find your audience, and to do so, you need to be consistent in your output. You could first only operate on social media, but that’s not how writers do their work. Writers write in an extended format; they already have written all that content. They need easy and practical tools to get it out there, where they don’t need to create more manual labor after all that copious writing.
Disclaimer: For media “as a business,” you need to think about the audience, and you can deliberately create content that speaks to a specific audience. However, that is not how a writer’s journey should start. It should begin with you just writing about whatever is in your interest. Just Thoughts can become an outlet for multiple interests.
Product Idea #2 - JobTribe
“Writers Odyssey” was a name you didn’t feel like iterating, but I didn’t have a name in mind for the next one before the idea emerged. Luckily, you can use chatGPT to come up with something suitable. Here’s the thread for the search; the first name, myCareerCompanion, already existed, but the webpage was so horrible that I prompted some suggestions for improvement (this is another app in itself; drop any webpage in it, and it will give you tips for improvement)
After a few iterations, the name JobTribe emerged. The idea had already been pitched to a few investors online. The LinkedIn discussion is here, “The minimum effort pitch.” You’re simply testing what could be achieved with the least effort by engaging in the correct forum with the right people. Due to the post's engagement, I also had a few offline discussions about the product.
What would JobTribe do? MVP: It would onboard you into a private chat environment where you can invite a few of your “trusted job-seeking advisors.” Additionally, it would include a chatbot that would learn from your discussions and feed you job suggestions based on those discussions in your private chat that everyone in your chat can see. The jobs suggested would come from plugins into jobs available on the web and direct job postings made by recruiters at a fraction of the cost. While platforms like Meet Frank are geared towards monetization through recruiters, this would be more of a b2c and c2c product. It would put the candidate in the driver's seat.
Some pain points as a job seeker:
Managing and remembering to maintain all recruitment applications can be hard
When seeking jobs, you are usually entirely alone in the task
You rarely get any actionable feedback on your applications or during the process
If people help you, it’s done in isolation. That means it’s not done in a group; different individuals are not communicating with each other.
You keep repeating yourself endlessly but also learn from each application and process. This learning is not documented anywhere or easily leveraged in the following application.
You may not always want to be public about your job search, but you still wish to find relevant opportunities to see you.
Some paints points of the recruiter:
They do not always know exactly what they're looking for “until they see it”
The recruiter also learns from talking to candidates
Many are looking for a perfect fit, even when they are not actively recruiting (“Open Application” is for this need).
Many are looking but are not publicly posting the job.
Giving feedback to every candidate is seemingly impossible at scale, and even after the interview process, it’s hard to provide relevant feedback on why you didn’t proceed with someone.
Firstly, you could build on this by suggesting that it would entail “the memory” of your job search and history. Your CV is the hardcoded experience, but it tells you little about the process you’ve gone through and the thinking behind each job. A common question in recruiting is “Why did you leave?” and “Why did you join your previous endeavors?”. This question can never be highlighted in a CV but is highly informative in finding the right fit. Your JobTribe account holds this information for you, and keep it in mind when feeding you opportunities.
Secondly, you could make it your assistant in your job search efforts by extending the product to tag along in your interviews, such as note-keeping software like Woodpecker or sales assistant tools like Gong that take notes and give you actionable feedback after each interview.
The hypothesis needed to be tested whether people would like to join others’ chat environments dedicated to others finding jobs and not themselves. One could somehow find ways to provide monetary incentives by distributing reference fees among helpers. These funds could be acquired from companies willing to pay a success fee to roles filled or people hired through JobTribe. Another challenge may be the amount of data required to make relevant matches combined with the perfect algorithm.
Working around these challenges, you may still ask, what would give the product stickiness? Once you find a job, you could use the app as a microlearning assistant. Picking particular skills within the job you landed to give you bits of learning in suitable intervals. Hence, the tool also learns your interests and better feeds future opportunities. After all, there is a reason LinkedIn developed sales and learning to drive engagement toward its existing user base, where everyone is not always looking for a job.
Finally, the megatrend you want to prepare the product for is the centralized intelligence companies will have when they start using Realm. When all systems and data a company has and produces on platforms become centralized, the centralized system should have an excellent understanding of what the company’s hiring needs when cross-referencing best practices in the world at large. JobTribe could plug into this system to understand companies' needs and show the perfect opportunity, pitched perfectly to precisely the right candidate.
How would I go about creating the product? The action plan for building the product can be viewed here. Using ChatGPT’s newest model to reason an action plan by acting in dialogue between an entrepreneur and an investor:
This is the chatGPT output
Entrepreneur and Investor Iteration:
As an Entrepreneur, I aim to transform the job search experience by creating a collaborative platform that mitigates loneliness and enhances efficiency. The platform will:
Connect Small Groups: Users join closed groups where they can share job opportunities, provide feedback, and support each other.
Leverage Machine Learning: Personalize job recommendations based on user interactions and preferences.
Offer Interview Feedback (Version 2.0): Candidates should be able to record interviews (with consent) and receive AI-driven feedback.
As Investor, I'm intrigued but require assurance that this concept can become a viable business. To consider pre-seed investment, I need to see:
Market Validation:
Evidence of demand for such a platform.
Differentiation from existing solutions.
Committed Team:
A dedicated team with relevant expertise.
A technical co-founder to drive product development.
Minimum Viable Product (MVP):
A basic version of the platform demonstrating core functionalities.
Early user engagement metrics.
Market Analysis:
Existing Products:
LinkedIn: Focuses on professional networking but lacks intimate, collaborative job search groups.
Slack Communities & Facebook Groups: Offer networking but are not tailored for job search collaboration.
Job Boards (Indeed, Glassdoor): Provide listings without personalized support or community engagement.
Market Opportunity:
Recruitment Industry Size: Approximately $800 billion globally.
User Pain Points: Loneliness, inefficiency, and lack of personalized support in job searching.
Trend Toward Community Platforms: Growing popularity of community-driven platforms for various purposes.
Pre-Seed Investment Requirements:
Develop an MVP:
Core Features:
User registration and profile creation.
Ability to create/join closed groups.
Job sharing within groups.
Commenting and feedback system.
Technology Stack:
Front-end: React or Angular.
Back-end: Node.js or Django.
Database: MongoDB or PostgreSQL.
Machine Learning Integration:
Basic algorithms to analyze user interactions for job recommendations.
Assemble a Committed Team:
Technical Co-Founder: To lead development.
UX/UI Designer: For intuitive interface design.
Data Scientist: To develop and refine machine learning models.
Conduct Market Validation:
User Surveys: Gather data on user needs and preferences.
Pilot Groups: Launch with a small user base to test assumptions.
Feedback Loop: Implement mechanisms for continuous user feedback.
Establish a Legal Entity:
Form an LLC or Equivalent: For liability protection and investment purposes.
Secure Intellectual Property: Trademark the platform name and protect proprietary technology.
Prepare Financial Projections:
Cost Estimates: Development, marketing, operations.
Revenue Models: Subscription fees, premium features, partnerships.
Develop a Go-to-Market Strategy:
Target Audience: Recent graduates, professionals in transition, and industry-specific groups.
Marketing Channels: Social media, partnerships with educational institutions, and industry events.
User Acquisition Plan: Incentives for early adopters, referral programs.
Task List for Entrepreneur:
Weeks 1-2: Formation and Planning
Assemble Team:
Secure commitments from key team members.
Legal Setup:
Register the company and handle legal documentation.
Define MVP Scope:
Finalize features and technical requirements.
Weeks 3-6: MVP Development
Design Phase:
Create wireframes and design prototypes.
Development Phase:
Build front-end and back-end systems.
Implement core features.
Weeks 7-8: Testing and Feedback
Alpha Testing:
Internal testing to fix bugs and improve usability.
Beta Launch:
Invite a select group of users to test the platform.
Gather Feedback:
Collect user experiences and identify areas for improvement.
Weeks 9-10: Iteration and Refinement
Enhance MVP:
Incorporate feedback into the platform.
Performance Optimization:
Ensure scalability and reliability.
Weeks 11-12: Investor Presentation Preparation
Finalize Business Plan:
Update market analysis, business model, and financial projections.
Prepare Pitch Deck:
Highlight problem statement, solution, market opportunity, team, and traction.
Schedule Investor Meetings:
Reach out to potential investors for presentations.
Building the MVP:
While building the actual MVP is beyond this text-based interaction, here's a conceptual outline:
User Interface:
Intuitive dashboard for group interactions.
Notifications for new job postings and comments.
Group Functionality:
Easy creation and management of groups.
Privacy settings to maintain closed environments.
Job Sharing and Discovery:
Simple tools to share job listings within the group.
Machine learning algorithms to suggest relevant jobs.
Feedback Mechanisms:
Comment sections for each job posting.
Direct messaging between group members.
Conclusion:
By following this roadmap, you will:
Demonstrate Commitment: Show that you have a dedicated team and invested time in developing the product.
Validate the Market: Provide evidence that users want and will use the platform.
Reduce Investor Risk: Present a clear plan with initial traction, making it more attractive for pre-seed investment.
Pretty good for a computer. However, it does not cross-reference any data. It simply relies on the reasoning already made. Here’s when things get interesting: I used ChatGPT to list 10 online recruitment reports and uploaded them into NotebookLM, asking it to create three product opportunities for products targeted towards jobseekers and evaluate the opportunities using a product opportunity matrix. Look what it gives me;
The following is the NotebookML output:
Conclusion:
The AI-powered job application assistant and the skills-based development platform present substantial opportunities due to their market size, trend alignment, and feasibility. While important, the candidate transparency and feedback tool might require a different monetization strategy or partnerships to address its lower financial feasibility.
Yeah, JobTribe is two of the best ideas combined…
Furthermore, the nice thing about NotebookLM is that you can create a podcast from your uploaded content, so if you’re interested in a discussion about the latest trends in recruitment and talent acquisition, as well as the most recent studies say about what you should be thinking about if you’re looking for your next job. Here’s an AI-generated discussion about it;
The content is almost on point and easily digestible. This is what microlearning could look like on JobTribe.
Just Products - Welcome to the new era of product creativity
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