Failing Forward

summaryIn this episode of Failing Forward, Martin Smith discusses the current state of his startup, Photowalk.me, reflecting on the challenges of declining user engagement and the need for a strategic pivot towards marketing and community building. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on Instagram for outreach, while also balancing the development of new features with the need to promote existing offerings. Martin shares insights on content creation, user engagement, and the ethical considerations of building a community-driven business.takeawaysThe importance of setting a time limit for growth expectations.Marketing efforts are crucial for user engagement and growth.Community building should be prioritized alongside business goals.Content creation is key to driving traffic and interest.Balancing development and marketing efforts is essential for success.User feedback and testimonials can enhance credibility.Instagram is a vital platform for reaching the target audience.Building a community around the product fosters loyalty.Ethical considerations are important in monetizing a community.Regular updates and communication with users can strengthen relationships.

This episode is a week late and a short one again. A brief update on the progress with photowalk.me.

This week Martin gives a short update on what's going on with his startup photowalk.me.

SummaryIn this episode of Failing Forward, Martin Smith shares his journey of building Photowalk.me, a platform for organizing photography meetups. He discusses his background in IT, the challenges of transitioning from a free service to a revenue-generating business, and the marketing hurdles he faces. Martin reflects on the ups and downs of entrepreneurship and invites listeners to join him on this journey of growth and discovery.TakeawaysMartin has been in IT for 30 years and a contractor for 15.He created Photowalk.me to organize photography meetups.The platform has around 1700 registered users, but only a few hundred are active.COVID nearly led to the shutdown of Photowalk.me due to low usage.Martin is transitioning Photowalk.me to a revenue-generating model.He struggles with marketing and is bootstrapping the project.The community aspect of photography is important to him.He aims to expand the platform beyond the UK.Martin is uncertain about the market demand for his service.This podcast will document his entrepreneurial journey. 

Failing Forward is the honest, unfiltered story of turning an idea into a profitable business. Hosted by Martin, this podcast documents the real-time struggles, breakthroughs, and lessons of building a startup from the ground up. No polished success stories—just the raw reality of navigating funding, scaling challenges, customer feedback, and the emotional highs and lows of entrepreneurship. Whether you're in the trenches yourself or simply curious about what it takes to make an idea work, join the journey—one step at a time.