• #lookup↑↓screensdown Course Forum

  The Challenge with Challenges

  Posted by profmag on January 18, 2024 at 8:21 pm

  As we drafted our trial offering — and even before that, when we outlined our presentation — we included “challenges”: the changes we’re going to ask people to make in the screen-usage over a certain period of time.

  This requires us to define the “change” we want to see. “Define” literally means to set the limit (vs describe which means lit. to write/sketch out). When you design your trail offering you start to set your niche — the limits of the space or position you’re going to take in the market: we offer this, but we’re not in the business of that.

  The limits of your niche are always formed by the tension between value and cost: both for you and for your client:

  • For you: what value can we provide and practically support? What value can we reliably deliver without disappointing and ruining our reputation with users?
  • For the user/client: does this give me the value I want at a cost I want to pay?

  In a campaign like ours, the product (value) is a type of change, and the cost is largely the cost of making that change. Right now, on our team we have different ideas about what the limits of that value/cost should be, so we need to have a defining conversation about our niche.

  Especially important:

  1. Sal has indicated a strong desire on a post reply to limiting our challenges either full #screensdown or use limited to ONLY creative or educational activities.
  2. David has already indicated that full #screensdown is not something he would support. In a conversation at the Collaborative, he was saying most of his friends are online including his besty in the Netherlands(?).
  3. While Ethan might see the limits Sal’s proposing as mostly compatible with his views, Noah has strong connection to gaming and memes — partly as a commentary on current events. Noah’s main friends are also online (Minecraft private server).

  The issue is this: if we allow “modifying use” as part of our niche, we could dilute our value so that it doesn’t work: What happens if, after doing one of our campaigns, nothing really changes for the user? Do they view us as irrelevant? Did we inoculate them from attempting further change? On the other hand, is the idea of completely changing friends and excluding all entertainment and recreational use of electronics too high a cost of many of our perspective users? If we set a bar so high that no one signs up, did we actually accomplish a meaningful change?

  To be honest, in every organization and business start-up I’ve been a part of — the niche conversation is one of the hardest. But nailing it has really powerful results.

  Let’s have at it!

  

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  Discussions – Mágoulo’s School – UnusualKingdom.com

  Discussions – Mágoulo’s School – UnusualKingdom.com

  profmag replied 9 months, 3 weeks ago 1 Member · 0 Replies
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