TechCrunch has a great post from Jason Calacanis talking about how to demo your startup.
I see product demos several times a week and I’m always more impressed with a live demo, not something running in WebEx. Items number 5, 7 and 9 are particularly important. If you are trying to partner with a dating site, you absolutely should read the post.
The online dating space is fickle, strange and has enormous lead times and unique challenges not found in most other industries.
If you have a great service and want to get it in front of the right people at the right dating companies, contact me. I have prepared demos and marketing presentations for many clients. Often what happens is we end up going back to the core product offering, revising it to meet the needs of the market, then building out the demo and presentation (avoiding bullet points!).
Don’t contact me when you think you’re ready to pitch, let’s talk while, or even before, your product is developed. Nothing is worse than hearing, “We are running out of money and need to pitch the service as-is.” You’re painted into a corner and chances of success are slim at that point.
Final thought, in what other industries could your product be considered applicable? Often what companies consider “perfect” for online dating has a stronger chance of success in other related verticals.
