Who is the customer? (RE: rev apps on iPhone?)

[Lynn Fredricks]

> So, 'core function' is not to be like these programs but to 
> perform certain tasks in My Program that function similar to 
> the tasks found in these programs. I use RR as a Multi-media 
> tool, an Application development tool, an Rapid Application 
> Development tool and for my real job I use RR as a Prototyping tool.

Ive sold a very broad range of software products over the years and, the RAD
tool market where Revolution sits is one of the most challenging. With
development tools, you can make (within the limitations of the tool set) the
tools that everyone else sells. Valentina is very much a blessing because,
although it sells to many types of developer and business, at its core, it
is a database product and there are some reasonably narrow functional
foundations there.

One of the most important things is to really, really do a good job in
identifying who your customer really is. In profiling your customer, you
understand things like:

1) How many potential customers there really are for your product
2) Who your competitors really are
3) Who to derive maximum value from your pricing

I meet a steady stream of start ups that, either before or after their first
round of financing flounder about and eventually die, because they've never
figured out who their customer really is.

Look at all these ways that Thomas says he uses Rev. There are more that Id
add there - specificially "cross platform rapid application development".
Any one of these represents a primary customer type of some sort - a
customer that can be specifically targeted. Then you enhance and enrich your
product even more to acquire more of those types of customers.

So the real question is - who is the core customer that Revolution should be
targeting? I have my own thoughts on this and Mirye is pursuing a specific
strategy. But I think its helpful, for the customer base and for Runtime,
for the long time users to try to gel what their vision of Revolution is.

Best regards,

Lynn Fredricks
Mirye Software Publishing
http://www.mirye.com

Mirye Community NING
http://miryesoftware.ning.com