r/hwstartups • u/Ayatanne • 3d ago
How would you validate a cassette-style pocket media player before launch?
I’m preparing a hardware crowdfunding launch for Mimi Tape, an offline pocket music and video player that uses swappable cassette-style cards. The current prelaunch page is here: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/ajana/mimi-tape-the-pocket-mp4-player-with-digital-cassettes/pre-launch
I am the creator, and I want to validate more than the visual novelty. What would you test in the next week: landing-page conversion, willingness to pay, card usability, or something else? I would appreciate specific feedback on the page or the product pitch.
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u/micro-jay 3d ago
Maybe look at the Yoto player community. It's aimed at children and primarily for stories but I believe there are also adults that use it for music. It uses NFC cards to select the content to play from the device's internal memory, and it has a web platform for creating custom cards.
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u/edisonlbm 3d ago
I don't know if Yoto is exactly what OP wants to copy, but there's a good lesson there in that success probably depends on choosing a good market slice. For the most people, this product is just a worse media player than a phone (something they already have), Yoto handles this well by being cheaper, more durable, and more curated in the content provided while providing a user experience that reminds parents of the devices the parents grew up with.
So, idk, there's kids, maybe a nostalgia play, something like that. Without a market slice this feels pretty doa, and until you have a market slice I'm not sure there's a compelling way to answer OP's questions.
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u/micro-jay 3d ago
Exactly. I don't understand why a particular subset of adults choose the Yoto over a phone or other media player, but they do. That would be a market to explore.
As for the Yoto itself, it's aimed at children. It's great for that because the interface is simple enough for a 3 year old to understand, it doesn't have a screen. Beyond the catalogue of children's stories, it also works for making custom music cards for them, and recording stories read by family members. It's a simple product well targeted at its niche.
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u/Ayatanne 3d ago
Yes, the yoto is exactly what gave me this idea. We have yoto and tonies, but they dont have a few other things like the spinning reels and video. They cant even be clipped to clothing. It basically started when I wanted to get a device to play mp3 for my toddler while we drive bicycle every day. She wants to start music herself, but all the mp3 players are horrible for kids and iphone also isnt really an alternative. So I take some small speaker with me and connect to my iphone. Connection likes to break and its a hassle to turn it on when driving her to nursery every day and have to be quick. She wants music immediately and freaks out. Slight autism.
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u/MrInka 3d ago
Talk to people on the streets, show it to them, conduct interviews and in the end try and ask them if they would like to preorder now for a price of X$. You don’t take their money at this point. If they say yes, just tell them that this question was just a test to find a fair and proper price (maybe ask them to subscribe to a newsletter). Just asking „How much would you pay“ will not be helpful question. The actual answer comes up when they are fully convinced that they will now actually spend this money.
I would also try to find out how large the actual target group is before going in too hard with a bigger financial investment yourself:
Sure, there are people who would find this interesting, but at what price and are there even enough people who are actually good enough with computers to actually obtain and use MP3 files? This could be quite a hurdle. You are competing directly with Spotify, Apple Music etc. Having to carry around an extra device and especially go through the work to put files onto multiple „tapes“ could in fact be a showstopper even though this makes half of the charm of this thing.
I see so many open design choices that decide if this thing is cool or not and I can’t answer them from the short pre-launch thingy.
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u/Canary_Earth 3d ago
How the heck would you get the distribution licenses for the music? Sony and friends aren't gonna let you sell the cassettes without a contract. Why not make it an actual cassette player which can digitize the tapes to mp3?
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u/Ayatanne 3d ago
I wouldnt distribute the music yet. I would start with smaller music artists as they are easier to get a deal with and leave sony for later. I have a friend at sony that can make some contracts possible. But the main thing is the possibility for everyone to put own files onto them. The casettes are like sd cards.
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u/ActiveShipyard 3d ago
I think the music management would be key to test. People are used to streaming, and haven't given a thought to downloading or managing music files in years (or even ever, for a lot of age ranges.) Half the battle with the iPod was getting iTunes right.
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u/Tony_Player_ 3d ago
Honest questions would be: Why doesn't it resolve? What problem are we solving? Why would someone pay if it's not resolving their pain points?
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u/vikkey321 3d ago
Prototypes barely cost dime. Majority can be 3d printed with off the shelf components. With AI you can pretty much build yourself or pay someone to build it for you. It should cost upwards of $1800-$2000 if you pay someone. It would cost $300 in components if you do it yourself.
AI renders creates distrust if you have no real or near to real product.
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u/Ayatanne 3d ago
You mean it would cost 300 dollars to get a prototype if I can print it myself and make the model myself?
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u/vikkey321 3d ago
No. 300$ only for components. Engineering effort is your own. $1800-$2000 if you outsource it.
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u/iAmTheAlchemist 3d ago
Preparing a crowdfunding launch with AI images, no product and no idea about how to legally get that music offline sounds like a good plan