Update: ReadStudio is back! A whole new experience and interface enables you to share seamlessly.
ReadStudio was supposed to be a community of readers, a place that connects readers and allows them to find books and borrow. It never reached where we expected it to. This post explains my views on why it failed. Let's start with the origins...
In 4th grade, I had started a miniature book club with one of my friends. It slowly grew popular in our section but we never expanded to other sections. There were always problems regarding management that led to the resistance against expansion. In grade 8, I wanted to make something big, something that was ahead of what I knew. So, I told a few friends, some that agreed and some that thought we was too young. I however stayed stuck on the idea. After 3 months, long discussions, lots of ideas and decisions, we came up with the idea for ReadStudio. It was something derived from the earlier book club that my friend and I had started. So, we started building with a lot of excitement and another 3 months later, we had built our first social website.
This time, the time nearing the launch of the website, another website launched from our school. It was launched a few weeks before ReadStudio was. When ReadStudio launched, the other website had gained lots of fame and there was a whirlwind of attention going on around it.
So, finally here are the 3 reasons that led to the zero growth of RS:
This time, the time nearing the launch of the website, another website launched from our school. It was launched a few weeks before ReadStudio was. When ReadStudio launched, the other website had gained lots of fame and there was a whirlwind of attention going on around it.
So, finally here are the 3 reasons that led to the zero growth of RS:
- We had 0 experience in the field of making websites and were very new to the field of programming one too.
- Although the idea seemed fun and interactive, the internet has a different meaning entirely. The internet means connecting people. Our website failed at that one point of actually communicating between people and getting to know each other.
- The timing of the launch was bad. There was no scope for advertising left in the middle of the other website that had launched before.
- No one can stop you from doing something if you put your mind into it.
- Experience is a powerful thing and is essential when building businesses.
- An idea doesn't count for anything unless its presented in a engaging way.
- Selecting the kind of people you want to work with is also an important part in the journey from the idea to the product.