Abhi
– JAM TRIAL OPTIONS
18-11-04
Enclosed
find comparison of the options. There are advantages and disadvantages of both.
Then,
there is “technical” non-feasibility of the “subscriber-based” option of an
indefinite free-trial period, for all time to come.
However,
as you just mentioned, let us go ahead with TATA Indicom on a
fixed-period basis, and launch the service as soon as possible. There is no
other way to learn except by doing something.
Endless
debating of “pros and cons” of different options is not going to teach us any
lessons – but a real trial will.
Maybe
over the next 6/12 months, H/W & S/W will improve; technology will improve;
we would become more knowledgeable – and everything put together, we will find
a method/solution whereby we can offer a “free trial” to anyone at anytime (for
5/10/20 alerts & maybe even “apply online”) – even if he borrows his
friend’s handset! – may be thru our own TRIAL SMS Server!
(Side
notes:)
- Solution?
Separate short codes: 1. “Free Trial” and for Regular Subscribers.
- Abhi
agreed to go ahead with 2 short codes.
FREE
TRIAL IMPLICATIONS
From Service-Provider’s Point of View
|
Fixed
Period Based |
Subscriber-Based |
|
➤ Easy to configure SMS
server for “NO BILLING” period and “BILLING” period using same short-code. |
NOT
possible to configure “No Billing” & “Billing” periods uniquely for each
subscriber dynamically. There could be millions of “No Billing” &
“Billing” periods existing simultaneously, on an ongoing basis, forever. This
cannot be done with the same “short-code” for both the periods. |
|
➤ Promotional SMS/email
need to be sent out to subscribers only once, mentioning the “period” of free
trial. |
Promotion
of free-trial would need to be done on a continuing basis as thousands of new
subscribers are joining the service every month. |
|
➤ After the initial surge
of “Registrations” during fixed free-trial period, one can expect a
tapering-off / stagnation. Future pace of registrations would solely depend
upon the painfully slow, word-of-mouth publicity by satisfied users. |
As
a large no. of subscribers “try-out” the service day-after-day, there will be
a tremendous “BUZZ” amongst friends/colleagues, leading to ever-growing,
larger no. of trials & registrations. The service can be expected to
spread like Wild-fire amongst millions of jobseekers, who will “exchange”
their experiences! Obviously a service-provider offering this option can
expect to beat the competitors who stick to “Fixed Period Based” free-trial. |
FREE
TRIAL IMPLICATIONS
From
a Subscriber’s Point of View
|
Fixed
Period-Based (e.g., Dec. 2004) |
Subscriber-Based
(e.g., 30 alerts for each subscriber / current & future subscriber) |
|
All
future subscribers will be deprived of FREE TRIAL, once period gets over. |
All
subscribers (current as well as future) will be able to first “Try-Out” JAM,
before having to “commit.” Having evaluated the service, he is much more
comfortable with: |
|
Even
many current subscribers may be deprived if they miss the “Opportunity
Window.” Under this situation, if I am a brand new / first time potential
subscriber, which service provider would I prefer? |
Now
he knows he is not taking a “shot in the dark” or relying on someone else’s
opinion. Having tried, he knows precisely what VALUE he can expect from JAM
in return for his money! |
FREE
TRIAL IMPLICATIONS
From
Recruit Guru’s Point of View
|
Fixed
Period-Based |
Subscriber-Based |
|
➤ Recruitgum can offer
& accommodate different “Fixed Free Trial Periods” for different
service-providers even if these periods are overlapping. These periods
themselves could be of differing duration (e.g., 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks
etc.) for different service-providers. Also can be intentionally spread-out. |
➤ Under this mode, RG
Server will experience a more even “spread” of demand. There will not be a
MAD-RUSH to gate-crash (since subscriber/user does not have to worry about
any “Trial Window” closing!). This is like a situation where a bus/train is
leaving every minute. |
|
➤ There can be a huge
“peak” (in service-delivery) during trial periods – especially if two or more
are overlapping. If servers do not have adequate capacity, they may “crash”
or there could be millions of instances of “Denial of Service” – leading to
bad reputation amongst users. If millions of “hopefuls” get frustrated,
negative image will spread FAST and JAM as a brand will suffer irreparable
damage! We may never be able to recover from this (avoidable) disaster! |
➤ If by a chance, there is
“Denial of Service,” the user will try again after a few hours – or even next
day – or late at night. |
JAM
TRIAL OPTIONS
No
Free Trial | Yes
Free Trial → Period-Based (e.g.,
Dec. 2004) → Subscriber-Based (e.g.,
30 lerts for each subscriber – current & future)
IMPLICATIONS
- Subscriber
- Period-Based:
All future subscribers will be deprived of free trial. Even current subscribers may be deprived if they miss the “opportunity window.” - Subscriber-Based:
All subscribers (current & future) will be able to first “Try-Out” JAM before having to “commit.” - Service
Provider
- Period-Based:
Easy to configure SMS server for “No Billing” period & “Billing” period, within same shortcode. - Subscriber-Based:
Not possible to configure “No Billing” & “Billing” periods uniquely for each subscriber dynamically. There could be millions of “No Billing” & “Billing” periods existing simultaneously, on an ongoing basis, forever. This cannot be done with same shortcode for both the periods. - RecruitGum
- Period-Based:
At any given point of time, easy to keep track of Free Trial periods (even if different or overlapping) for different service providers.
FREE TRIAL IMPLICATIONS From Service-Provider’s Point of View (Annex-A)
|
Fixed
Period Based |
Subscriber-Based |
|
➤ Easy to configure SMS
server for “NO BILLING” period and “BILLING” period, using same short-code. |
➤ Not possible to configure
“NO Billing” & “Billing” periods uniquely for each subscriber
dynamically. There could be millions of “NO Billing” & “Billing” periods
existing simultaneously, on an ongoing basis, forever. This cannot be done
with the same “short-code” for both the periods. |
|
➤ Promotional SMS/email
need to be sent-out to subscribers only once, mentioning the “period” of free
trial. |
➤ Promotion of free-trial
would need to be done on a continuing basis as thousands of new subscribers
are joining the service every month. |
|
➤ After the initial surge
of “Registrations” during fixed free trial period, one can expect a
tapering-off / stagnation. Future pace of registrations would solely depend
upon the painfully slow, word-of-mouth publicity by satisfied users. |
➤ As a large no. of
subscribers “try-out” the service, month-after-month, there will be a
tremendous “BUZZ” amongst friends/colleagues, leading to ever-growing, larger
no. of trials & registrations. The service can be expected to spread like
wild-fire amongst millions of jobseekers, who will “exchange” their
experiences. Obviously a service-provider offering this option can expect to
beat the competitors who stick to “Fixed Period Based” free trial. |
FREE TRIAL IMPLICATIONS From a Subscriber’s Point-Of-View
|
Fixed
Period – Based (e.g., Dec. 2004) |
Subscriber
– Based (e.g., 30 alerts for each Subscriber / Current & Future
subscriber) |
|
All
future Subscribers will be deprived of FREE TRIAL, once period gets over. |
All
Subscribers (Current as well as Future) will be able to first “Try-Out” JAM,
before having to “Commit.” Having evaluated the service, he is much more
comfortable with: |
|
Even,
many Current Subscribers may be deprived if they miss the “Opportunity
Window.” |
Now
he knows, he is not taking a “shot in the dark” or relying on someone else’s
opinion. Having tried, he knows precisely what VALUE he can expect from JAM,
in return for his money! |
|
Under
this situation, if I am a brand new / first time potential subscriber, which
service provider would I prefer? |
FREE
TRIAL IMPLICATIONS From Recruit Guru’s Point Of View
|
Fixed
Period – Based |
Subscriber
– Based |
|
➤ Recruitguru can offer
& accommodate different “Fixed Free Trial Periods” for different
service-providers, even if these periods are overlapping. These periods
themselves could be of differing duration (e.g., 1 week / 2 weeks / 4 weeks
etc.) for different Service-Providers. Also can be intentionally spread-out. |
➤ Under this mode, RG
server will experience a more even “spread” of demand. There will not be a
MAD-RUSH to gate-crash (since subscriber/user does not have to worry about
any “Trial Window” closing!). This is like a situation where a bus/train is
leaving every minute. |
|
➤ There can be a huge
“peak” (in service-delivery) during trial periods – especially if two or more
are overlapping. If Servers do not have adequate capacity, they may “Crash”
or there could be millions of instances of “Denial of Service” – leading to
bad reputation amongst users. If millions of “hopefuls” get frustrated,
negative image will spread fast and JAM as a brand will suffer irreparable
damage! We may never be able to recover from this (avoidable) disaster! |
➤ If, by chance, there is
“Denial of Service,” the user will try again after a few hours – or even next
day – or late at night. |
FREE
TRIAL IMPLICATIONS
From
Service-Provider’s Point of View
|
Fixed
Period Based |
Subscriber-based |
|
➤ Easy to configure SMS
server for “NO BILLING” period and “BILLING” period, using same short-code. |
➤ Not possible to configure
“NO Billing” & “Billing” periods, uniquely for each subscriber
dynamically. There could be millions of “NO Billing” & “Billing” periods
existing simultaneously, on an ongoing basis, forever. This cannot be done
with the same “short-code” for both the periods. |
|
➤ Promotional SMS / email
need to be sent-out to subscribers only once, mentioning the “period” of free
trial. |
➤ Promotion of free-trial
would need to be done on a continuing basis as thousands of new subscribers
are joining the service every month. |
|
➤ After the initial surge
of “Registrations” during fixed free trial period, one can expect a
tapering-off / stagnation. Future pace of registrations would solely depend
upon the painfully slow, word-of-mouth publicity by satisfied users. |
➤ As a large no. of
subscribers “try-out” the service, month-after-month, there will be a
tremendous “BUZZ” amongst friends / colleagues, leading to ever-growing,
larger no. of trials & registrations. The service can be expected to
spread like wild-fire amongst millions of jobseekers, who will “exchange”
their experiences. Obviously a service-provider offering this option can
expect to beat the competitors who stick to “Fixed Period Based” free trial. |
FREE
TRIAL IMPLICATIONS
From
a Subscriber’s Point-Of-View
|
Fixed
Period – Based [eg: Dec. 2004] |
Subscriber
– Based [eg: 30 alerts for each Subscriber / Current & Future
subscriber] |
|
All
future Subscribers will be deprived of FREE TRIAL, once period gets over. |
All
Subscribers (Current as well as Future) will be able to first “Try-Out” JAM,
before having to “Commit”. Having evaluated the service, he is much more
comfortable with → Quality of alerts → Cost of alerts → Convenience of “Apply
Online” |
|
Even,
many Current Subscribers may be deprived if they miss the “Opportunity
Window”. |
Now
he knows, he is not taking a “shot in the dark” or relying on someone else’s
opinion. Having tried, he knows precisely what VALUE he can expect from JAM,
in return for his money! |
|
Under
this situation, if I am a brand new / first time potential subscriber, which
service provider would I prefer? |
|
|
Eg:
→ ABC which offers “Fixed Period” (–already over longtime back) OR → XYZ
which offers a “Subscriber-based” period, no matter when I join? (of course,
JAM can hardly be the sole deciding factor!) |
FREE
TRIAL IMPLICATIONS
From
Recruit Guru’s Point Of View
|
Fixed
Period – Based |
Subscriber
– Based |
|
➤ Recruitguru can offer
& accommodate different “Fixed Free Trial Periods” for different
service-providers, even if these periods are overlapping. These periods
themselves could be of differing duration (eg: 1 week / 2 weeks / 4 weeks
etc.) for different Service-Providers. Also can be intentionally spread-out. |
➤ Under this mode, RG
server will experience a more even “spread” of demand. There will not be a
MAD-RUSH to gate-crash (since subscriber / user does not have to worry about
any “Trial Window” closing!). This is like a situation where a bus / train is
leaving every minute. |
|
➤ There can be a huge
“peak” (in service-delivery) during trial periods – especially if two or more
are overlapping. If Servers do not have adequate capacity, they may “Crash”
or there could be millions of instances of “Denial of Service” – leading to
bad reputation amongst users. If millions of “hopefuls” get frustrated,
negative image will spread fast and JAM as a brand will suffer irreparable
damage! We may never be able to recover from this (avoidable) disaster! |
➤ Every user will get a
chance to use up / exhaust his “QUOTA” of (say) 30 job-alerts without an
“Expiry Date”! He knows, his QUOTA will not lapse! |
|
➤ Full free trial of 30
alert QUOTA – at his choice of time – will leave a user satisfied, leading
to: |
|
|
➤ Gradual
Server-Capacity-additions. |
Annex-A
FREE
TRIAL IMPLICATIONS From Service-Provider’s Point of View
|
Fixed
Period Based |
Subscriber-based |
|
➤ Easy to configure SMS
server for “NO BILLING” period and “BILLING” period, using same short-code. |
➤ Not possible to configure
“NO Billing” & “Billing” periods, uniquely for each subscriber
dynamically. There could be millions of “NO Billing” & “Billing” periods
existing simultaneously, on an ongoing basis, forever. This cannot be done
with the same “short-code” for both the periods. |
|
➤ Promotional SMS / email
need to be sent-out to subscribers only once, mentioning the “period” of free
trial. |
➤ Promotion of free-trial
would need to be done on a continuing basis as thousands of new subscribers
are joining the service every month. |
|
➤ After the initial surge
of “Registrations” during fixed free trial period, one can expect a
tapering-off / stagnation. Future pace of registrations would solely depend
upon the painfully slow, word-of-mouth publicity by satisfied users. |
➤ As a large no. of
subscribers “try-out” the service, month-after-month, there will be a
tremendous “BUZZ” amongst friends / colleagues, leading to ever-growing,
larger no. of trials & registrations. The service can be expected to
spread like wild-fire amongst millions of jobseekers, who will “exchange”
their experiences. Obviously a service-provider offering this option can
expect to beat the competitors who stick to “Fixed Period Based” free trial. |
Would
you like me to also prepare a clean, formatted Word document of this
text for easier reuse?
Annex-B
FREE
TRIAL IMPLICATIONS From a Subscriber’s Point-Of-View
|
Fixed
Period – Based |
Subscriber
– Based |
|
[eg:
Dec. 2004] |
[eg:
30 alerts for each Subscriber / Current & Future subscriber] |
Fixed
Period – Based All future Subscribers will be deprived of
FREE TRIAL, once period gets over.
Even,
many Current Subscribers may be deprived if they miss the “Opportunity Window”.
Under
this situation, if I am a brand new / first time potential subscriber, which
service provider would I prefer?
Eg:
→ ABC which offers “Fixed Period” (– already over longtime back) OR
→ XYZ which offers a “Subscriber-based” period, no matter when I join?
(Of course, JAM can hardly be the sole deciding factor!)
Subscriber
– Based
All Subscribers (Current as well as Future) will be able to first “Try-Out”
JAM, before having to “Commit”. Having evaluated the service, he is much more
comfortable with:
→ Quality of alerts
→
Cost of alerts
→
Convenience of “Apply Online”
Now
he knows, he is not taking a “shot in the dark” or relying on someone else’s
opinion. Having tried, he knows precisely what VALUE he can expect from JAM, in
return for his money!
Annex-C
FREE
TRIAL IMPLICATIONS From Recruit Guru’s Point Of View
|
Fixed
Period – Based |
Subscriber
– Based |
|
➤ Recruitguru can offer
& accommodate different “Fixed Free Trial Periods” for different
service-providers, even if these periods are overlapping. These periods
themselves could be of differing duration (eg: 1 week / 2 weeks / 4 weeks
etc.) for different Service-Providers. Also can be intentionally spread-out. |
➤ Under this mode, RG
server will experience a more even “spread” of demand. There will not be a
MAD-RUSH to gate-crash (since subscriber / user does not have to worry about
any “Trial Window” closing!). This is like a situation where a bus / train is
leaving every minute. If, by chance, there is “Denial of Service”, the user
will try again after a few hours—or even next day—or late at night. |
|
➤ There can be a huge
“peak” (in service-delivery) during trial periods – especially if two or more
are overlapping. If Servers do not have adequate capacity, they may “Crash”
or there could be millions of instances of “Denial of Service” – leading to
bad reputation amongst users. If millions of “hopefuls” get frustrated,
negative image will spread fast and JAM as a brand will suffer irreparable
damage! We may never be able to recover from this (avoidable) disaster! |
➤ Every user will get a
chance to use up / exhaust his “QUOTA” of (say) 30 job-alerts without an
“Expiry Date”! He knows, his QUOTA will not lapse! |
|
➤ Full free trial of 30
alert QUOTA, – at his choice of time – will leave a user satisfied, leading
to: • A high percentage of “Conversion (Free Trial to Full Members)” • Far
greater “Word-of-Mouth” publicity (Viral marketing) • Quick ramping-up of
user-base. |
|
|
➤ Gradual
Server-Capacity-additions. |
Annex-A
FREE
TRIAL IMPLICATIONS From Service-Provider’s Point of View
|
Fixed
Period Based |
Subscriber-based |
|
➤ Easy to configure SMS
server for “NO BILLING” period and “BILLING” period, using same short-code. |
➤ Not possible to configure
“NO Billing” & “Billing” periods, uniquely for each subscriber
dynamically. There could be millions of “NO Billing” & “Billing” periods
existing simultaneously, on an ongoing basis, forever. This cannot be done
with the same “short-code” for both the periods. |
|
➤ Promotional SMS / email
need to be sent-out to subscribers only once, mentioning the “period” of free
trial. |
➤ Promotion of free-trial
would need to be done on a continuing basis as thousands of new subscribers
are joining the service every month. |
|
➤ After the initial surge
of “Registrations” during fixed free trial period, one can expect a
tapering-off / stagnation. Future pace of registrations would solely depend
upon the painfully slow, word-of-mouth publicity by satisfied users. |
➤ As a large no. of
subscribers “try-out” the service, month-after-month, there will be a
tremendous “BUZZ” amongst friends / colleagues, leading to ever-growing,
larger no. of trials & registrations. The service can be expected to
spread like wild-fire amongst millions of jobseekers, who will “exchange”
their experiences. Obviously a service-provider offering this option can
expect to beat the competitors who stick to “Fixed Period Based” free trial. |
Annex-B
FREE
TRIAL IMPLICATIONS From a Subscriber’s Point-Of-View
|
Fixed
Period – Based |
Subscriber
– Based |
|
[eg:
Dec. 2004] |
[eg:
30 alerts for each Subscriber / Current & Future subscriber] |
Fixed
Period – Based
All
future Subscribers will be deprived of FREE TRIAL, once period gets over.
Even,
many Current Subscribers may be deprived if they miss the “Opportunity Window”.
Under
this situation, if I am a brand new / first time potential subscriber, which
service provider would I prefer?
Eg:
→ ABC which offers “Fixed Period” (– already over longtime back) OR
→
XYZ which offers a “Subscriber-based” period, no matter when I join? (Of
course, JAM can hardly be the sole deciding factor!)
Subscriber
– Based
All
Subscribers (Current as well as Future) will be able to first “Try-Out” JAM,
before having to “Commit”. Having evaluated the service, he is much more
comfortable with:
→ Quality of alerts
→
Cost of alerts
→
Convenience of “Apply Online”
Now
he knows, he is not taking a “shot in the dark” or relying on someone else’s
opinion. Having tried, he knows precisely what VALUE he can expect from JAM, in
return for his money!
Here’s
the transcribed text from your uploaded image (a repeat of Annex-C):
Annex-C
FREE
TRIAL IMPLICATIONS From Recruit Guru’s Point Of View
|
Fixed
Period – Based |
Subscriber
– Based |
|
➤ Recruitguru can offer
& accommodate different “Fixed Free Trial Periods” for different
service-providers, even if these periods are overlapping. These periods
themselves could be of differing duration (eg: 1 week / 2 weeks / 4 weeks
etc.) for different Service-Providers. Also can be intentionally spread-out. |
➤ Under this mode, RG
server will experience a more even “spread” of demand. There will not be a
MAD-RUSH to gate-crash (since subscriber / user does not have to worry about
any “Trial Window” closing!). This is like a situation where a bus / train is
leaving every minute. If, by chance, there is “Denial of Service”, the user
will try again after a few hours – or even next day – or late at night. |
|
➤ There can be a huge
“peak” (in service-delivery) during trial periods – especially if two or more
are overlapping. If Servers do not have adequate capacity, they may “Crash”
or there could be millions of instances of “Denial of Service” – leading to
bad reputation amongst users. If millions of “hopefuls” get frustrated,
negative image will spread fast and JAM as a brand will suffer irreparable
damage! We may never be able to recover from this (avoidable) disaster! |
➤ Every user will get a
chance to use up / exhaust his “QUOTA” of (say) 30 job-alerts without an
“Expiry Date”! He knows, his QUOTA will not lapse! |
|
➤ Full free trial of 30
alert QUOTA, – at his choice of time – will leave a user satisfied, leading
to: • A high percentage of “Conversion (Free Trial to Full Members)” • Far
greater “Word-of-Mouth” publicity (Viral marketing) • Quick ramping-up of
user-base. |
|
|
➤ Gradual
Server-Capacity-additions. |
Ashi
JAM
TRIAL OPTIONS
Enclosed
find comparison of the options.
There are advantages – and disadvantages of both.
Then,
there is “technical” non-feasibility of the “subscriber-based” option of an
indefinite free-trial period, for all time to come.
However,
as you just mentioned, let us go ahead with TATA Indicom on a
Fixed-Period basis, and launch the service as soon as possible. There is no
other way to learn except by doing something.
Endless
debating of “pros-and-cons” of different options is not going to teach us any
lessons – but a real trial will.
Maybe
over the next 6/12 months, H/W & S/W will improve; technology will improve;
we would become more knowledgeable – and everything put together, we will find
a method/solution whereby we can offer a free trial to anyone at anytime (for
5/10/20 alerts & maybe even “Apply Online”) – even if he borrows his
friend’s handset!
→ May be thru our own TRIAL SMS Server!
FREE
TRIAL IMPLICATIONS
From Service-Provider’s Point of View
|
Fixed
Period Based |
Subscriber
Based |
|
➤ Easy to configure SMS
server for “NO BILLING” period and “BILLING” period, using same short-code. |
➤ Not possible to configure
“NO Billing” & “Billing” periods, uniquely for each subscriber
dynamically. There could be millions of “NO Billing” & “Billing” periods
existing simultaneously, on an ongoing basis, forever. This cannot be done
with the same “short-code” for both the periods. |
|
➤ Promotional SMS / email
need to be sent-out to subscribers only once, mentioning the “period” of free
trial. |
➤ Promotion of free-trial
would need to be done on a continuing basis as thousands of new subscribers
are joining the service every month. |
|
➤ After the initial surge
of “Registrations” during fixed free trial period, one can expect a
tapering-off / stagnation. Future pace of registrations would solely depend
upon the painfully slow, word-of-mouth publicity by satisfied users. |
➤ As a large no. of
subscribers “try-out” the service, day-after-day, there will be a tremendous
“BUZZ” amongst friends/colleagues, leading to ever-growing, larger no. of
trials & registrations. The service can be expected to spread like
wild-fire amongst millions of jobseekers, who will “exchange” their
experiences. Obviously a service-provider offering this option can expect to
beat the competitors who stick to “Fixed Period Based” free trial. |
|
Fixed
Period – Based |
Subscriber
– Based |
|
[eg:
Dec. 2004] |
[eg:
30 alerts for each Subscriber / Current & Future subscriber] |
|
Fixed
Period – Based |
Subscriber
– Based |
|
All
future Subscribers will be deprived of FREE TRIAL, once period gets over. |
All
Subscribers (Current as well as Future) will be able to first “Try-Out” JAM,
before having to “Commit”. Having evaluated the service, he is much more
comfortable with: → Quality of alerts → Cost of alerts → Convenience of
“Apply Online” |
|
Even,
many Current Subscribers may be deprived if they miss the “Opportunity
Window”. |
Now
he knows, he is not taking a “shot in the dark” or relying on someone else’s
opinion. Having tried, he knows precisely what VALUE he can expect from JAM,
in return for his money! |
|
Under
this situation, if I am a brand new / first time potential subscriber, which
service provider would I prefer? Eg: → ABC which offers “Fixed Period”
(– already over longtime back) OR → XYZ which offers a
“Subscriber-based” period, no matter when I join? (Of course, JAM can hardly
be the sole deciding factor!) |
|
Fixed
Period – Based |
Subscriber
– Based |
|
➤ Recruitguru can offer
& accommodate different “Fixed Free Trial Periods” for different
service-providers, even if these periods are overlapping. These periods
themselves could be of differing duration (eg: 1 week / 2 weeks / 4 weeks
etc.) for different Service-Providers. Also can be intentionally spread-out. |
➤ Under this mode, RG
server will experience a more even “spread” of demand. There will not be a
MAD-RUSH to gate-crash (since subscriber/user does not have to worry about
any “Trial Window” closing!). This is like a situation where a bus/train is
leaving every minute. If, by chance, there is “Denial of Service”, the user
will try again after a few hours – or even next day – or late at night. |
|
➤ There can be a huge
“peak” (in service-delivery) during trial periods – especially if two or more
are overlapping. If Servers do not have adequate capacity, they may “Crash”
or there could be millions of instances of “Denial of Service” – leading to
bad reputation amongst users. If millions of “hopefuls” get frustrated,
negative image will spread FAST and JAM as a brand will suffer irreparable
damage! We may never be able to recover from this (avoidable) disaster! |
➤ Every user will get a
chance to use up/exhaust his “QUOTA” of (say) 30 job-alerts – without an
“Expiry Date”! He knows, his QUOTA will not lapse! |
|
➤ Full free trial of 30
alert QUOTA, – at his choice of time – will leave a user satisfied, leading
to: • A high percentage of “Conversion (Free Trial to Full Members)” • Far
greater “Word-of-Mouth” publicity (Viral Marketing) • Quick ramping-up of
user-base. |
|
|
➤ Gradual
Server-Capacity-additions. |
┌────────────┐
│ NO FREE TRIAL │
└────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ YES FREE TRIAL │
└─────────────────────────┘
│
┌─────────────────────┬─────────────────────┐
│ Period-Based │ Subscriber-Based │
│ (eg: Dec. 2004) │ (eg: 30 alerts for │
│ │ each Subscriber / │
│ │ Current &
Future) │
└─────────────────────┴─────────────────────┘
IMPLICATIONS
- Subscriber
- Period-Based: All future Subscribers
will be deprived of free-trial. Even Current Subscribers may be deprived
if they miss the “Opportunity Window”.
- Subscriber-Based: All Subscribers
(Current & Future) will be able to first “Try-out” JAM, before having
to “COMMIT”.
- Service Provider
- Period-Based: Easy to configure SMS
server for “NO Billing” period & “Billing” period, with same
short-code.
- Subscriber-Based: Not possible to
configure “NO Billing” & “Billing” periods, uniquely for each
subscriber dynamically. There could be millions of “NO Billing” &
millions of “Billing” periods existing simultaneously, on an ongoing
basis, forever. This cannot be done with same “short-code” for both the
periods.
- RecruitGuru
- Period-Based: At any given point of
time, easy to keep track of Free Trial periods (even if different or
overlapping) for different Service Providers.
Ashi
There
are two “HISTORIES” which we must compile on a continuous basis for each and
every JAM subscriber viz:
- Job Preferences
- “Apply Online” clicks (although, he may
change/edit job-preferences, only once-a-month or once-a-year).
By
aggregating job-preferences of ALL subscribers, we would come to know what %age
of subscribers are looking for jobs in which city, which function, which
designation etc. This data can be fed into the SPIDER so it goes out and
downloads the best (latest possible) such job-results.
It
would give high priority to such jobs. Since these are “TOP SELLING” items! →
so our “Supply Chain” will remain full.
Now,
we are also able to “PREDICT”! Similar analysis can be done with “Apply Online”
clicks as well!
16-11-04
Ashi
Just
In Time
Maybe
we are just in time to make the essential “course-correction” as far as JAM is
concerned.
Consider
the following:
“Minimize the risk of failure, only then, consider maximizing success.”
(p:48
/ “it’s not the BIG that eat the SMALL… it’s the FAST that eat the SLOW” –
Authors: Jason Jennings & Lawrence Haughton)
At
this (birth) stage of JAM, if there is any feature (of JAM) which poses
slightest risk for the success, we must eliminate that feature, mercilessly!
If
“complexity / difficulty in grasping / understanding” (what JAM is all about)
is going to pose a threat, then that complexity has got to go! That is a risk,
we cannot afford to take, now.
Once
we manage to rope-in 5 million subscribers, we can afford to take risk – not
now.
(Diagram:
Target Groups vs USP)
Take
a look at the following diagram:
|
Target
Groups |
Jobseekers |
HR
Managers |
|
USP
→ |
||
|
JAM
(Alert on Mobile / Apply online from Mobile) |
||
|
ImageBuilder
|
||
|
•
Size-up candidates in few minutes |
Note
at bottom:
As WWJ stands today, we are trying to “sell” both USPs to both Target Groups,
SIMULTANEOUSLY – and, in process, confusing both – making things complicated.
Ideally,
we should proceed as follows:
Diagram
(Target Group vs USP, staged approach):
|
Target
Group |
Job-Seekers |
HR
Managers |
|
JAM |
Stage
1 |
Stage
2 |
|
ImageBuilder |
Stage
4 |
Stage
3 |
Timing
(for each stage) could be as follows:
- Stage 1 → NOW – to start with
- Stage 2 → when we get 1 lakh subscribers
- Stage 3 → when we get 5 lakh subscribers
- Stage 4 → when we get 10 lakh
subscribers
We
should stabilize / consolidate / de-bugg each stage (may be it will take 4/6
months for each stage), before we move onto the next stage. This will allow us
to correct our mistakes – if any – as we go along.
This
means, till we reach 1 lakh subscribers, we must not talk of ImageBuilder, at
all, either to Jobseekers or to HR managers.
For
next 6 months, let us keep it simple – KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid!) –
that is me! I got carried away with the razzle-dazzle magic of ImageBuilder.
Any ONE
USP (at least to begin with) – which no competitor offers!
One
USP is what is easy to explain – especially if it is simple and will be easily
understood by the buyers.
For
the moment our simple message to the Jobseekers (the buyers) is:
- World-Wide-Jobs is not a jobsite.
- WWJ is where jobs come searching for you
– on your mobile.
- WWJ is where you can apply online, with
a single click on your mobile.
What
we are selling is:
- C for Convenience (On
the move – Mobile)
- R for Reach (Jobs from
dozens of jobsites)
- T for Time-Saving (Only
a few mins/day)
So
for the time-being let us forget the HR Managers constituency altogether. In
any case, they are NOT expected to receive ImageBuilders (they don’t know such
an animal exists!).
They
are used to getting plain text resumes – and that is what they will get from
WWJ / JAM.
Just
the fact that now (after JAM), they will get text resumes within hours of
posting their job-ads, should make them very happy with JAM.
On
top of it, they will also get FEEDBACK FORM – which is another great
convenience in itself.
So,
in any case, if they are not going to “miss” ImageBuilders, why force
job-seekers to edit/validate/enter exp/salary data, even OFFLINE?
Let
us FOCUS on selling one thing at one time to one group.
Even
if we had the resources (which we don’t), it would be a bad idea to sell too
many things (features) to two different Target Groups at same time!
This
desire (to keep things utterly simple) is the reason why we should have a
simple one-page Registration Form, where there is very little typing – only
mouse-clicking.
Let
us remove all reference to ImageBuilder from all pages of WWJ, right away. Let
us focus on one thing which our competitors do not offer!
Let
“Delivery/Apply Online on Mobile” become OUR exclusive category – which
we own!
02-11-04
Ashi
Registration
Form (Re-revised)
We
must make it so simple that it can be filled-in by a Visitor in matter of 3/4
minutes without any hassle.
This means making job-preference “choices” by simply clicking on checkboxes ☑ or on radio-buttons ⭘.
To
the extent possible, we must eliminate:
→ Thinking on part of visitor
→ Typing on part of visitor
Another
idea:
Most
jobseekers have (must have) already deposited their text resume on some other
jobsite or filled-in a “Submit Resume” form.
Can we, through a software, download it directly ourselves, on our own, if the
jobseeker tells us:
→ on which jobsite we can find it
→ his User ID / Password (on that jobsite)
and “authorizes”
us explicitly to do so!
This
will eliminate a lot of friction/resistance on part of jobseeker!
Thereafter,
(after downloading), we can:
→ convert it to ImageBuilder
→ email it to him to edit/modify/fill-in Exp/Career History
…and
return email to us – which then we can UPLOAD onto WWJ’s database!
Filling-in
exhaustive exp/salary data offline, gives a jobseeker much more time to
complete such data from his various paper documents and do it leisurely.
We
cannot expect a fellow to remember, for last 6 jobs, accurately:
→ date joined/left
→ salary/year
→ sometimes even designation
He
only roughly remembers that:
→ he started with Voltas & spent 2 yrs
→ then joined Godrej & spent 3½ yrs
→ then L&T & spent 1½ yrs
etc.
etc.
But
offline, as an email (smartmail), he may close his eyes or pull out some files
from drawers, consult these & enter somewhat more accurate data.
Pl.
let us discuss.
Ashi
No,
You Go First
Enclosed
find 3 pages from “Unleashing the Ideavirus” (Seth Godin).
I
tried to read these pages in context of what Sandeep Hallur has suggested in
his email.
The
more I thought about Sandeep’s suggestion, the more I got convinced that we
need to adopt it (and, if possible, improve upon it), for 30-day Free Trial
period.
How
would that suggestion translate on a mobile screen? Find enclosed.
What
are the advantages of Sandeep’s suggestion?
- Absolutely
SMOOTH / HASSLE-FREE enrollment
- No
need for PC / Internet
- No
need to log into WWJ & fill up any form whatsoever
- Intuitive
/ Self-Explanatory screens
No human intervention either from WWJ or from
concerned MSP as far as “Activation” is concerned
Totally Self-Service
A subscriber can “edit” his job-preferences
as often as he wants, everyday if he wants!
By offering limited choices (4/5 cities, 4/5
functions, 4/5 levels, 4/5 industries), we are (in words of Seth Godin) making
our offering “trial-sized / bite-sized” portions. He considers this aspect
“critical.”
Takes very little time to enroll
No “commitment” on part of subscriber (free
trial encourages trying)
Experimenting with different job-preferences
during free trial period (by editing again & again) will convince the
subscriber that, under all possible “combinations,” he still gets relevant
job-alerts.
Instant acknowledgement that “You are User
No: 923458” would have…
Compounding
/ re-inforcing effect: obviously, if lakhs of people are queuing up and
registering, then it has got to be good, worth trying!
That
“counter” creates a “bandwagon” effect. Everybody wants to climb onto the
bandwagon.
- Satisfied
users will spread the virus by word of mouth or by SMS, amongst their
friends.
- Once
this system is launched on TATA / MTNL network, others such as Airtel /
IDEA / BSNL / Hutch etc. can test our service directly on their own,
without even telling us / involving us, by simply taking 10 prepaid
subscriptions of TATA / MTNL!
Now
they will get convinced that, if JAM works smoothly on TATA / MTNL network (for
thousands of subscribers), then it will also work as well on their own network!
We
won’t have to do much “selling”!
If
you agree, let us STANDARDIZE this method for all MSPs.
INSTRUCTIONS
Please
read these instructions carefully before you proceed to the next stage (Submit
Resume).
Register
- Entire Registration Process consists of
3 steps, viz:
Step
No. 1 → Fill up “Register” Form
Step No. 2 → Submit Resume & convert to ImageBuilder
Step No. 3 → Submit your “Job Preferences”
You
must follow this sequence. You cannot bypass any step.
- Merely filling up “Register” Form does
not help in any way!
- However, if you quit after Step #2,
you will be able to download:
- Your ImageBuilder version of resume
- Email IDs of 42,000 Indian companies
- Email IDs of 1,000 Placement Agencies
This
will help you to start your own job-campaign, by emailing your ImageBuilder
resume to Indian Corporates / Placement Agencies.
➔ To receive JAM (Job Alerts
on Mobile), you must submit your “Job Preferences”.
➔ Initially, job-alerts will
be sent as emails (till such time, we tie-up with your mobile service provider
– MSP).
But
even these “E-mail Job-Alerts” will contain a “Apply Online” link. When you
click on this link, we will email your resumes (original text version +
ImageBuilder version) to the concerned job-advertisers.
THIS
“EMAIL JOB-ALERT” SERVICE IS ABSOLUTELY FREE
ImageBuilder
- When you “cut/paste” your resume on the
“Submit Resume” page and …
Click
“Convert To ImageBuilder,” our Artificial Intelligence Software, CumMine, will
convert your resume into a structured database.
- Carefully check this database for any
wrong/missing data and correct it, on-the-spot. Then click on “UPDATE”
link to save.
- When you have finished editing, click
“VALIDATED” button at the bottom of the ImageBuilder.
Experience
Please
ensure that in the “Experience” block (of the ImageBuilder), you fill up data
about your entire career (all job-tenures/stints), beginning with your
graduation.
Start
at the top with your current job and work backwards till your very first job.
Even those jobs where you spent only a few months, must be entered.
Your
meticulousness will highly impress all prospective employers. They will …respect
you as a person who has an “eye-for-details.” This one-time effort on your part
will enable your prospective employer to see your entire “Career Progression”
in a sequential manner and “at-a-glance.”
Please
remember that HR managers are hard-pressed for time. Just one look at your
ImageBuilder and they should be able to say,
“Excellent Candidate! Let us call him for an interview.”
Salary
It
is in your own interest that you accurately provide your ANNUAL SALARY data for
each job-tenure in the “Experience” block.
Obviously
you are interested in knowing,
“How does my salary compare with those of my co-professionals?”
After
some weeks, those of you who furnish accurate salary data (jobwise, from first
job) will be able to view the following graph when they log in & click
“Salary Progression.”
(Graph
illustration:)
- Y-axis: Salary/Year (Rs. 00000)
- X-axis: Experience (Years from
graduation, 1 → 25)
- Line 1: Median Salary of
Co-Professionals (steeper upward slope)
- Line 2: My Salary (lower slope line)
In
course of time, we will show you your salary progression, in comparison with
other executives, who:
➔ belong to same Function
➔ are of same Age
➔ carry same Designation
Level
➔ work in same City
Note
→
Your individual salary data will never be made available to anyone.
Edit
(Immediately after converting to ImageBuilder)
As
mentioned earlier, you must Edit (for wrong/missing fields) immediately after
converting your plain text resume to ImageBuilder version.
Remember,
every time in future, when you click “SEND” on your mobile (against any
job-alert), both versions of your resume (Original plain text + ImageBuilder)
get emailed to the Advertiser.
It is therefore essential that both versions of your resume contain correct
(identical) information.
Edit
(In future)
On
other job sites, if your “address” or your “phone no.” changes, you simply
log-in and edit those fields only. This is quite convenient.
But
on World-Wide Jobs, if you wish to edit any field of your “BASIC DETAILS” (as
shown in ImageBuilder), you would need to:
➔ cut/paste your text resume
— once again
➔ click “Convert To
ImageBuilder” — once again
➔ edit wrong/missing fields —
once again
[Of
course, your “EXPERIENCE” & “EDUCATION” blocks can be “EDITED” directly,
without going through above-mentioned process.]
Why?
Because
your “plain-text” resume and your “ImageBuilder” constitute “two sides of the
same coin”! There is no way we can slice the coin.
If
you were to make some changes in the structured “BASIC DETAILS (as extracted in
ImageBuilder)” without making corresponding changes in your plain text resume,
then the prospective employer might get your TWO different “addresses” (one
from text resume and one from ImageBuilder)!
And
your interview-call may go to the wrong address!
We
cannot let that happen. So, if you wish to make any changes after some time,
➔ Prepare an
updated/comprehensive plain text resume (You can change your raw score and your
percentile score by adding new keywords that truly reflect your newly acquired
skills/knowledge/expertise).
➔ Click on “Edit (Future)”
link
➔ Cut/paste your Revised text
resume
➔ Click “Convert To
ImageBuilder”
➔ Edit
➔ Validate
(Dated:
25-08-04, addressed to Abhi)
Job
Alerts on WWJ
Effects of “Quality” (Relevance) vs. Effects of “Quantity” (sheer numbers)
There
is no denying the fact that to an individual jobseeker (who registers),
quality/relevance of job-alerts is quite important. For him, it is this
quality/relevance which would differentiate JAM from conducting dozens of job
searches on job sites — which throw up hundreds of irrelevant job-adverts on
his screen.
But
that is provided he “registers”!
But how do we get him to “register” in the first place?
How
do we get thousands to “register” in the first place?
That
is where the QUANTITY (NO.) of job-alerts, comes into picture.
Before
a person registers, the first thought that crosses his mind is,
“Will I get ANY job-alerts at all? How do I know? What is the guarantee?”
So
far, we have nothing on our website that would remove this “doubt” from the
mind of a potential jobseeker!
Remember,
what is his experience so far?
He
goes to any jobsite, enters …
…his
“search-criteria” and clicks “SEARCH,” and VOILA!
He
sees dozens of job-adverts in front of his eyes within seconds (relevant or
otherwise!).
But
here is an undeniable “proof” of the site’s ability to throw up/deliver jobs!
He is convinced.
Jobsites do NOT have to bend backwards to prove this point.
But,
on WWJ, there is no jobsearch — there is no way for him to “know” that there
are any jobs at all and that there will be any jobalerts at all!
It
is, as if, WWJ is telling him,
“You have got to believe me…
…because
I AM SAYING SO! When I say, you will get job-alerts, can’t you trust
me?”
This
is in sharp contrast to what he is used to hear from other jobsites, which
proclaim from roof-top,
“Come
One! Come All!
Jobsearch is free.
We have millions of jobs.
Test & find out yourself — in a second.
And to top it all, we charge you nothing to ‘Apply Online.’”
This
competition means, we will need to convince potential JAM members that,
when they register, they WILL/SHALL get many job-alerts.
And
I feel the only way to convince them is to host a page like enclosed.
Each frame will change once in 10 seconds – enough for him to read the SMS and
the figures.
Obviously,
we will display only those jobs where both nos. are respectable.
And
these alerts need not be yesterday’s only. Initially, these could cover last
10–15 days (if we do not have enough showing big nos.). When we have plenty, we
can reduce to yesterday’s alerts only.
And
to begin with, you may even enter fictitious/cooked-up figures! Remember that
what we are attempting… …is
to create,
A SELF-FULFILLING PROPHESY!
Once
jobseekers see such respectable/large nos. and get impressed, they will start
registering in thousands!
By
that time, you would have also relaxed some of your match-criteria, so that
would actually start generating large no. of job-alerts! That is what we want.
Then there will be no need to enter/display fictitious figures!
Pl.
remember, at this stage, QUALITY of job-alerts is not critical.
It is the QUANTITY which is critical in order to convince jobseekers to
register in the first place! We can always tighten the match-criteria later.
We
have to somehow convince the potentials that “already a large no. are
benefitting, and if they don’t join, they will get left out!”
(Dated: 25-08-04)
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