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Platform to solve problem in an industry I know little about

So I want to develop a platform for a particular industry where a certain type of commodity can be traded between the corporations/businesses and not the general public. I guess, something along the lines of a dark pool.

I have been reading articles about the particular problem I want to solve online but I don’t know the finer details of how the industry works and if I can solve the problem with my proposed solution.

Obviously, I also need to figure out if the industry will accept my solution.

My question is simple. How can I break interrogate this market to get a first hand report and some questions answered.

My current possible options:

  1. Collate a list of businesses nearby and approach them directly before product development to gauge interest. Query the biggest problems and overcome them first.
  2. [build it and they will come] Build an early version of my platform and present it to the industry and look for beta testers / feedback. Risky and not a particularly good idea in this case I think.

Thank you.

Answer 7273

How can I interrogate this market to get a first hand report and some questions answered.

Two words: meet them.

Don’t even bother compiling a big list or what have you before contacting them. Find a local meetup group or equivalent where insiders might be hanging out, and go right ahead and gauge interest there. For all you know you may even find a cofounder there with in-depth expertise to advise you and/or with a large rolodex. Do that one or three times and then pick up your telephone and start calling. Do your best to get the order first - it’ll solve 95% of your problems.

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