Groupon started as a WordPress blog
by Trevor Turk
According to this post, Groupon started as a WordPress install:
That’s all they needed to test the core concept of the business… That simple WordPress blog tested the very core of the concept because guess what? If that very core doesn’t work, no number of extra “features” you layer on will ever make it better.
This one really surprised me… until I thought about it some more. Come to think of it, I’m reminded of something else I read recently about starting community-based websites:
Sticking with the theme of “Just Getting Started” a trainspotting network wouldn’t start with user profiles, because lets face it, there’s no users. It wouldn’t start with messaging, photos, videos, galleries, or even a “forgot your password” feature. There are no passwords, there are no people. It could start as a simple blog, or flickr group. Step one would be “Attract a large number of potential users”. Without doubt the best way to do this is with good content. Content precedes design.
The whole notion of putting off the web development work you think you need to do and focusing on the core concept… validating your ideas… establishing an audience…
I think there might be something to this…
I installed wordpress in 4 minutes flat … done a logo the next day, chose a theame and off I went testing my idea.
Your product or service has to have genuine value, otherwise there's no point for it to exist.