My MVP Infographic (does this idea have merit)

[brooklynKnight]

First off, this is my first post, I'd like to apologize for flooding this forum with yet another goofy idea that is going to take the industry by storm. However, I'm a coder, not a business person. I've been quietly reading this forum and noticed there are some very knowledgeable folks here whose opinion I'd really like before I actually start coding. Here is the infographic:

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The elevator pitch - small businesses sign-up and offer deals or services. My product assigns a Radsurge value to these services. Game developers than embed a meter into their code and rewards users with these Radsurge points through these games. People play games (or use apps), accumulate points which than allows them to redeem the small businesses's deals and offerings.

What do you think (My wife regularly tells me her head hurts looking at the infographic)?

[Freelancier]

Where's the money? When you develop an app or a process, you have to explain to people where the money comes from, not what coding is involved.

[brooklynKnight]

Where's the money? When you develop an app or a process, you have to explain to people where the money comes from, not what coding is involved.

Developers make money by streaming ads in their games, small businesses are gaining new customers (and hopefully sales).

It's not a slam dunk for either party, I'm just giving a mechanism to help one another.

[Freelancier]

Business Model combines Magic and Algorithms in Mobile Gaming - Developer Economics (http://www.developereconomics.com/business-model-unites-magic-and-algorithms-in-mobile-gaming/)
Ad revenue is a small part of the business model for many app game developers. It's the in-app purchases that are driving games like "Clash of Clans" to make something like $1,500,000 [I]per day[I].

[vangogh]

My wife regularly tells me her head hurts looking at the infographic

Mine does too. If you need an infographic to explain how the business works, then the business is too complicated.

The general idea is fine. Players accumulate points playing the game, which gives them discounts when they buy from the businesses that sign up. The challenges I see are in how many business/people you can sign up and how related the business are to the interest of the players. Essentially this an advertising business, which means you need bigger numbers to make money.

It will probably be hard to convince business owners to pay you at first until you can prove to them they can make money in return. Once you do convince them, they'll need to see they are making enough money through your system to justify the expense of being part of it. To get the players to spend money with the businesses, they'll have to be interested in what's being sold so not every business will be a good fit.

Again the idea itself is fine. You'll need to make sure there's a good fit between businesses and players, have something convince the businesses this will be worth their time (maybe a month or three free to get started), and ultimately have the numbers to make this worthwhile to everyone involved, including yourself.

[Harold Mansfield]

I can appreciate what you are trying to do, but you aren't there yet. I agree with what all the others have said...it's too complicated, you won't get businesses to see any value in it, and you're really not thinking like a marketer. You're thinking like a coder.

Just out of curiosity what platforms are you proficient at developing for? Android? iOS? Windows?
Do you have any apps in any of the app stores?

[brooklynKnight]

Mine does too. If you need an infographic to explain how the business works, then the business is too complicated.

The general idea is fine. Players accumulate points playing the game, which gives them discounts when they buy from the businesses that sign up. The challenges I see are in how many business/people you can sign up and how related the business are to the interest of the players. Essentially this an advertising business, which means you need bigger numbers to make money.

It will probably be hard to convince business owners to pay you at first until you can prove to them they can make money in return. Once you do convince them, they'll need to see they are making enough money through your system to justify the expense of being part of it. To get the players to spend money with the businesses, they'll have to be interested in what's being sold so not every business will be a good fit.

Again the idea itself is fine. You'll need to make sure there's a good fit between businesses and players, have something convince the businesses this will be worth their time (maybe a month or three free to get started), and ultimately have the numbers to make this worthwhile to everyone involved, including yourself.

Lol! This is the simplified version too.

Perfectly said. My plan was to make this free for both parties, however, convincing a small business to offer discounted services on the whim that a user may play a game and may redeem their product is challenging. Would a small business with a limited marketing budget be willing to participate, I'd like to think that.

[Harold Mansfield]

Would a small business with a limited marketing budget be willing to participate, I'd like to think that.

Most likely no. You're approaching this with the belief that businesses will take any opportunity for publicity because that's what you want.
But even businesses with low or no marketing budgets are still conscious of where or what they associate their brand with and whether or not it even targets their demographic.

[brooklynKnight]

I can appreciate what you are trying to do, but you aren't there yet. I agree with what all the others have said...it's too complicated, you won't get businesses to see any value in it, and you're really not thinking like a marketer. You're thinking like a coder.

Just out of curiosity what platforms are you proficient at developing for? Android? iOS? Windows?
Do you have any apps in any of the app stores?

I'll need to rethink this and yes! I was absolutely wearing my coding hat when drawing this.

I'm a hardcore Windows/Web guy. I haven't released any apps to the store(s) although I'm always harassed by my in-laws to "write an app that does xxxxxxx"

[brooklynKnight]

Most likely no. You're approaching this with the belief that businesses will take any opportunity for publicity because that's what you want.
But even businesses with low or no marketing budgets are still conscious of where or what they associate their brand with and whether or not it even targets their demographic.

Here lies "thinking like a coder", can't thank you enough for the feedback.

[Harold Mansfield]

I'll need to rethink this and yes! I was absolutely wearing my coding hat when drawing this.

I'm a hardcore Windows/Web guy. I haven't released any apps to the store(s) although I'm always harassed by my in-laws to "write an app that does xxxxxxx"

You should take then up on their advice. Get some experience under your belt on the process of getting an app into the store. Write something simple just to get a portfolio going. Right now you're trying to swing for the fences and you haven't even done any batting practice. A lot of times the successful creation of one thing leads to another even better idea.