YC SUS: Eric Migicovsky hosts founder office hours

Introduction to YC Startup School Live Office Hours00:05

Eric Migicovsky, partner at Y Combinator and Startup School course facilitator, introduces live office hours with Startup School companies. YC typically provides 10-15 minutes every week or two to discuss founder problems and apply YC wisdom.

Helen from Jovial01:34

Jovial rescues software developers from pointless sales calls by vetting potential projects and clients. Provides leads to salespeople; acts as outsourced business development for software development consultants who code but want to be efficient with time. Starts conversations with qualified customers and projects.

Service is a software add-on. Currently in pilot stage with customers, testing theories, learning, and improving. Solo founder doing everything: coding, building site, sales, customer help.

Problem: Managing and balancing customer expectations, order fulfillment, and sales without skipping a beat.

Advice:

• Get as many paying customers as possible first, then focus on fulfillment.
• Avoid building too much process or product before paying customers.
• Assume customers lead you to what other customers want.
• Be transparent with first customers on pilot success metrics.
• Align expectations with delivery ability.
• Work through pilots quickly to convert to paid monthly recurring service.
• Include success criteria in pilot contract for easy transition to full contract.

Customers pay taper monthly fee. Pilots use company metrics, but some customer expectations weren't reality.