Ask HN: Failed to Bootstrap, Now What?
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2210033HN, I've been trying to bootstrap my startup for the past 3 years, with little or no success, and I don't know what to do next.
I host a SaaS for churches that provides a walled online directory and social network for their members. The product is fairly mature, being in use at my own mid-sized church since 2006.
The problem is, my customer churn rate is horrendous, and growth is almost non-existent. Most churches cancel within a year of signing up.
It turns out that getting churches to initially part with their money isn't nearly as hard as convincing them that the investment of TIME is worth it for them and their members. Building an online community takes effort on the part of the church to promote it, and most give up within months. It's not unlike a forum or Facebook group; just sticking something out there doesn't draw in anyone.
So, the bad:
- Little or no significant growth.
- Product doesn't provide enough immediate value to customers.
- It's a time sink in support and I'm getting burned out, considering there isn't a viable business at the end of the tunnel.
Now, the good:
+ The business is in the black (barely), and it doesn't have any debt.
+ I still have my day job, which pays the bills.
+ The product does have a (tiny) bit of name recognition among church techies.
I see my options as:
* Pivot the product toward something less social that provides immediate value to church staff/leaders (rather than members), e.g. Church Management Solution (database).
* Provide some notice, and shut down the service. Keep my day job and find some other hobby.
...and maybe there's an option I'm overlooking...
HN, give me some advice. What would you do if you poured every spare hour into something for an Internet eon, and came to the realization that what you're doing isn't going to pay off?
[edit: formatting]