Building a D2C brand?
Here are 6 dilemmas that haunt every founder & marketer π
1️⃣ Thinking of finding a gap in a crowded market?
Start with the customer’s pain. That’s where the white space lies.
2️⃣ Starting to build a new product?
Don’t build from get-go. Steal this Amazon trick. Write a PRFAQ doc First.
3️⃣ First product in a new category; go mass or go premium?
You can inspire by magic; not by price. First stop - 1000 raving fans.
4️⃣ Have a WIP product; but no budget for marketing?
You don’t need money. You need honesty. Build in public.
5️⃣ Building your product in public; but why build your founder brand along?
Because people trust people. Face is your moat against faceless MNCs.
6️⃣ Crafting your brand; go niche or cater to everyone?
You can't build emotional connection with everyone. Unless you’re God.
Lets unpack the first one -
"How to position a new brand in a mature market dominated by 2-3 giants?" Feels impossible, right?
Honestly, that's most categories today.
π Cabs – Ola, Uber
π Food delivery – Zomato, Swiggy
πΈ UPI apps – PhonePe, GPay, Paytm
Take UPI.
There are 200 apps for UPI.
But still there are gaps to build one!
Let's start with the consumer.
What matters to her?
✅ Speed – It should finish in a flash
✅ Reliability – No glitches, no drama
But, that’s table stakes. Everyone’s doing that.
So, what could currently be consumer pain points?
---
π 1. I can't find the 'point to QR' button when I need to pay fast!
In current apps, at times it's like doing a treasure hunt in Chandni Chowk.
π 2. I feel cheated with those fake rewards & coins?
When you complete a txn, what do you get:
-“Win up to ₹100” = ₹1 most times
- Coins you can only shred
-Coupon spam
Why call them rewards? Call them spammy messages, no?
π§ 3. I feel lost in the sea of tiles & banners, when i open that super app for simple stuff - like finding txn history!
What the consumer needs is:
-Cleaner UI,
-Minimalistic functions.
-Not your super app to sell them more.
That's 3 axes for differentiation out of user behaviour!!
And we haven’t even touched demographics or attitudes yet.
-----
π‘ The insight:
There’s always room for a new entrant.
If you think consumer-backward, not category-forward.
Honestly, that's most categories today.
π Cabs – Ola, Uber
π Food delivery – Zomato, Swiggy
πΈ UPI apps – PhonePe, GPay, Paytm
Take UPI.
There are 200 apps for UPI.
But still there are gaps to build one!
Let's start with the consumer.
What matters to her?
✅ Speed – It should finish in a flash
✅ Reliability – No glitches, no drama
But, that’s table stakes. Everyone’s doing that.
So, what could currently be consumer pain points?
---
π 1. I can't find the 'point to QR' button when I need to pay fast!
In current apps, at times it's like doing a treasure hunt in Chandni Chowk.
π 2. I feel cheated with those fake rewards & coins?
When you complete a txn, what do you get:
-“Win up to ₹100” = ₹1 most times
- Coins you can only shred
-Coupon spam
Why call them rewards? Call them spammy messages, no?
π§ 3. I feel lost in the sea of tiles & banners, when i open that super app for simple stuff - like finding txn history!
What the consumer needs is:
-Cleaner UI,
-Minimalistic functions.
-Not your super app to sell them more.
That's 3 axes for differentiation out of user behaviour!!
And we haven’t even touched demographics or attitudes yet.
-----
π‘ The insight:
There’s always room for a new entrant.
If you think consumer-backward, not category-forward.
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