Before moving ahead with the next organization whose market would be huge to tap into (it has me excited at the potential growth opportunities for the programmer with vision), I feel it is vital to explore the underlying foundation that will increase ones odds of success. Before moving to this vital approach, I will highlight why it is crucial for programmers of vision to tackle targeting pre-existing businesses who are outside the Steem ecosystem.

If one examines the projects that have already sprung up on the chain, we see for the most part they are targeted at the pre-existing community. While I am unable to measure the impact they have had regarding investment from outside those already within the Steem system, based on how Steem has fallen in ranking and valuation it seems fair to assume that they have not done much in the way of bringing in outside attention/investment for growth. For Steem to explode in usage and valuation, it is crucial then to focus our attention on those outside of our current reach.

We have seen some instances of business structures utilizing the existing communities for support and delegation, only to see them head for the hills once they felt comfortable their business model would be self-sufficient after using the community to build their foundation. Not only has this not been helpful to Steem, it has been harmful as it further expands the anger and disappointments that has festered among a growing number of users who have come and went. Or worse, rage they will be quitting as they log in day after day to act as a form of dis-ease, seeking to infect as many as possible with their anger.

What Is Needed; Businesses That Already Possess A Successful Structure That Would Benefit By Using Steem To Solve Current Problems Handicapping Their Growth.

A structure that already has an existing positive cash flow operation would be coming in (once they understood the enhancements you created for them) from a position of strength. Instead of being beggars and needing to use the community in the hopes of success, they would in effect be bringing a portion of their cash flow to us.

The box program, properly set up, would minimize the amount of hand holding. Add-ons providing extra service could be ongoing profits for the programmer with vision.

Understanding Your Customer

One of the issues that Steem has had, and many businesses that end in failure have, is not understanding who their customers are and servicing them. So far, the front ends building their pyramids on Steem have demonstrated for the most part a lack of caring/understanding about their potential/existing consumer base. It is crucial that for your program in a box to succeed, you make it the cornerstone of your business that you DO UNDERSTAND your clients. The key to winning them to your program is twofold.

You build the program to streamline/solve issues you have identified as major impediments to their structures growth. This overlaps with the second key.

You are offering your client a safe place to operate from. By anticipating their needs and willingness to modify to suit special situations that spring up that are unique to them, you build a relationship that flourishes for all involved.

If you take anything away from this article, the points made in the video above will serve you in ANY ENDEAVOR you wish to pursue. It is crucial that you offer what so many structures do not. None of us are machines, and if you demonstrate you empathize, that you foresee their issues and tackle them head on it will greatly ease the hurdles you have to finding those who will benefit from the amazing quality and tools you offer. Steemit itself is a great example of not understanding ones clients and the impact is has on those who daily become proof of churn (POC). A bird in the hand is more valuable than two in the bush. The right contract with just one or two mid-sized players would easily put you in the enviable position of deciding if you wish to grow as a business (expand your pyramid) or settle for those and contract out (franchise) to other hungry entrepreneurs the growth the tools you created will create. It is crucial whichever you decide you always force any representation of your vision to always remember to give the safe area within your system to the clients.

Customer Service

Unfortunately, one of the largest impediments to adoption in the cryptosphere is in the lack of customer service. From the exchanges, who mostly have a large volume of complaints over their lack of response to what at times seems like criminal behavior. Steemit, where there really is nowhere to directly turn to for aid in misunderstandings or complaints. This lack of connection demands there be no safe place in many areas, which is responsible for a large amount of the churn taking place.

Once your tool is ready for adoption by your target, you must set up beforehand how you will handle the customer on the back end. From start to finish you must anticipate to the best of your ability what their needs will be, and how to solve these problems. And then empower anyone representing your product to solve them instead of the often circular scripts many customer service departments are designed to be. These systems pretending to be customer service do little more than alienate the consumer, and unless you are one of the chosen winners of the government monopoly club (which you are not) this will not fly. Do not allow birds in the hand to fly away angry and waste your energy continuously seeking replacement clients for the ones on the way out. It is a waste of your resources and time, and creates unnecessary anger.

Closing Thoughts

I believe one of the impediments that stifles many from unleashing their genius on the communities around them is fear of the areas they lack in. For many programmers, this could probably be in the area of sales. I would like to point out a truth, and no matter what the product is, it will work.

I have been in sales over half my life. Yet, I am not a salesman. Understanding this early on, I tailored my model to circumvent the handicap that presented. It took years in the beginning to fine tune it, as I had to stumble my way for the most part. I hope that I can share enough here in a few sentences to help aid you past the blocks I encountered.

Never act from desperation. Even if you are in a circumstance that feels desperate, always be ready to walk away if conditions are not ideal for what you need. Your customers will sense your desperation and create a foundation between you that will skew over time more out of your favor. Always seek a balance while satisfying their needs, never at the cost of a sound structure for the future.

Never pitch a lie. Be honest about yourself, about your product. It may not be what they are looking for, wish them well and move on to the next lucky business who can be helped by your vision. While it may slow your initial growth, the foundation will be one that creates recurring customers and eliminate much of the churn rate.

If you lack in an ability, such as sales, you will need to do what I do. Let the product sell itself. You need to be so confident in what your product does that you do not become defensive (take it personally) when you encounter a range of questions that are either great questions you failed to anticipate, or more likely, being used as a bargaining weapon to procure unfavorable concessions from you. Either the product is for them or not, or the point made by question on an area that is lacking is something you want to incorporate to offer a product that more will need. However, never get to caught up in working on version 2.0 or 3.0 to the extent you never release version 1. There is no perfect, all-inclusive program, and many programmers use this excuse to never go to market.

Thank you for reading, and I hope it may help some of you who are gifted with programming skills understand the only thing that separates many of you from successful programmers is not the skill, it is the mindset.