DAVLAD'S Story

Intro

Mydeas was a service that connected creatives and their audience through video idea exchanges. In 2015, Rodion and I formed a team of 5 like-minded people to improve blogger-audience communication as the YouTube comments section sucked. We also aimed to change the advertiser-driven creation process.

Over two years, the team conducted over two hundred problem interviews, ran several landing pages, and received positive feedback from both bloggers and their audiences. We completed two acceleration programs (ITMO and MIT), which led to a potential deal with a client (a well-known soft drink brand). Lastly, we were proud of our concept to prevent the misuse of the platform. At one point, the team was being pushed to become an ad service. Our key values strongly contradicted this direction, so we decided to stop. However, we're open to sharing our ideas and work. If you have any thoughts, please email me at ya [at] davlad [dot] com

Manifest

ENG

People believe in what you believe. They do it for themselves. Tell them why you do what you do, and they’ll follow you.

Let’s be honest: something's not right with video hosting platform funded by advertisers. Their goal is to sell, not to care about video quality. Meanwhile, viewers get overwhelmed with content and are forced to watch ads they dislike. This needs to change.

We live in a time when people no longer want to own things but still want to consume. Why buy a car when there’s car-sharing or Uber? Why buy a home or book a hotel when there’s Airbnb or Couchsurfing? Why buy albums or movies when you can subscribe to Apple Music or Netflix and watch anything you want? This shift has led people to do what they do best: interact and share. We call this the sharing economy.

One of the best examples of the sharing economy is crowdfunding. It allows anyone to get funding for their idea or project from other people. Why does this work? Like the sharing economy, crowdfunding is based on trust. If you can touch the hearts of like-minded people and connect with their emotions, they will support you. People give from the heart, not the mind. Crowdfunding is also popular because it makes people feel significant. By supporting a gadget, game, or video, they feel part of something great. "My name will be on the list of people who helped create this product!" or "My name will be in the credits of this film!" And all this can be done from the comfort of your couch with an iPad in hand.

Why now? Today, YouTube viewers watch what is suggested to them. They have the illusion of choice, but the platform decides what they see. In our vision, users enjoy videos they want to watch, not just what’s offered. We believe true satisfaction comes from content that matches their expectations.

How? It’s hard to predict what videos will please viewers. But this isn’t a problem if we let people decide what they want to watch.

What? What if people want unique content and are willing to fund it? This would create new relationships between creators and their community, based on trust. Crowdfunding can strengthen these bonds. If users are offered unique content they love, they’ll chip in to make it happen. Do you remember: people give from the heart, not the mind.

Now, how do we solve the problems mentioned? We propose “crowdfunding ideas.” This allows creators to post and receive ideas from viewers on their channels. Each idea has a set time for fundraising or production. If the goal isn’t met, the idea is removed. This collaborative approach can greatly improve video quality.

But that’s not all. There’s another section on the site called "Arena." Here, several creators can compete for funding by making videos for the same idea. Why? Some viewers aren't loyal to any specific channel but still crave unique content. Creators can attract these viewers by showcasing their skill and creativity.

Also, each creator can have their own store to sell channel merchandise and reward their most active viewers with gifts.

We believe viewers will eagerly participate in creating video concepts and offer their ideas. If people embrace this approach, they’ll dedicate themselves to it. To keep their interest and boost creativity, we suggest rewarding creators whose ideas are realized, like giving them a small percentage of the campaign funds.

Every collaboration starts with a dream. Our goal is "21st Century Television." A world where people watch videos they want and help create. Only through shared efforts can we make a valuable product that delivers the content people want and frees us from relying on ads.

21 Oct 2016

Lessons learned

Done is better than perfect.
There's no need to polish a product until it's best in class. If you're not in the neurosurgery field, "good" is enough. Sometimes, even a neurosurgical tool made from trash can work.

When You Show a Half-Baked Idea to an Important Client

Fast is better than perfect.
Ship stuff that's dirty and ugly but works. Experiment. Polish later if it works.

Cheap is better than perfect.
Minimal efforts should yield maximum results.

Pareto principle is one of the consequences

Customers don’t know what they want.
Customers think they know, though. So, listen to them but do not capitulate to what they think they want. Instead, seek a consensus between vision and what customers would accept.

Start by providing the best experience, not the product.
Building a product fast and cheaply isn't about the “done” aspect only. It's also about the chance to test the product with a small group of early adopters in an environment close to the best experience possible. With a small number of people, you can handle their problems effectively and get real feedback.

Paul Graham wrote the whole essay about it.
The "experiment" part of this exercise is well-expanded in the book "Lean Startup." Sadly, neither I nor anyone on the team had read this book while working on Mydeas.

Paul Graham wrote the whole essay about it. The "experiment" part of this exercise is well-expanded in the book "Lean Startup." Sadly, neither I nor anyone on the team had read this book while working on Mydeas.

Prototypes