The Bird Buddy

Would you pay $200 (Canadian) for a smart bird feeder that uses artificial intelligence to identify birds visiting your feeder, "notifies you of feathered visitors, takes their photos, and organizes them in a beautiful collection to admire and easily share"?

You likely either think this is a completely absurd idea... or an incredible innovation you need to back immediately!

If it's the latter, you're in luck: the "Bird Buddy" is an actual project you can back on Kickstarter today.

Their goal was to secure 50,000 Euros, and at the time I write this, they've already had almost ten times that amount pledged... with 55 days still left in the fundraising campaign. As of now, over 3,500 people have already paid at least $129 Euros (or the equivalent in their local currency) for the opportunity to receive a Bird Buddy in September 2021.

The Bird Buddy underscores a truism in business: your product or service will not be for everybody...

... and it doesn't have to be.

If you thought the concept of the Bird Buddy was ridiculous, the product simply isn't for you. And that's perfectly okay; even the best, most beloved brands in the world have their detractors.

But if you are thinking about launching a product, service, or brand, don't let people who won't ever buy from you anyway convince you that what you're planning isn't going to work. Instead, focus your time and energy on the people who matter: the ones who will love what you will do enough to pull out their wallets and buy what you're selling.

Obviously, you need to do your homework to ensure an actual, viable market for your product or service exists.

But before you decide your audience is too small to be viable, think about the AI-driven bird feeder that looks like it's on-track to raise almost three million dollars.

- dp