Episode 009: James Jones w/ Spark DJ
In this episode of The Successful Side Gig with Adam Hymans you will hear an interview with James Jones with Spark DJ. James is the Co-Founder of Spark DJ, a unique new app that allows an elevated music experience that is DJ inspired. He discusses key moments in the business that him and Co-Founder, John Boss, were able to capitalize on to grow Spark Dj. Starting off as a DJ to pay his way through college James realized that there may be a way to create an, "Algorithmic Clone" of himself. (I know, a thought that everyone has had before, right?!?) Key Lessons and take aways from this weeks episode: It is important to test everything! It is ok if you have a target audience but learn after release and have to pivot In order to test the concept James pre-recorded a DJ set and sold it at a cheaper price as a proof of concept While working a day job you can take a long vacation in order to see what you are able to accomplish or if you would enjoy doing your side gig more. Being a self taught developer James thought after taking on investment that things would happen faster but its important to have a deep understanding of your finances and timelines. Even if you are up against giants as long as you create something and continue to learn and grow you will be successful. Make sure if your current day job offers any training, mentoring or personal development courses, take advantage of those freebies to help you learn! You can offer free products and services to charities or friends and ask them what they like about it and how much they will pay. You don't have to run A-B tests on the free user base to establish conversion rates, blah blah blah, Just ASK! How much would you pay for something like this? Don't keep your side gig a secret, it's all about how you craft your story and show people you are excited about it. When looking for a Partner it is great to have a pre-existing bond and a personal connection it helps build trust over hiring one! Quotes: "The more I did, the more I saw I was capable of accomplishing." -James Jones "An apple tree never wonders if another apple tree is making more apples than it, it just makes as many apples as it can" -Kyle Cease "Having a good partner is the best thing you can do, they can lift you up when it get's tough" -James Jones Helpful Links: For More info on James and John or on Spark DJ visit: Spark DJ For more episodes please visit www.thesuccessfulsidegig.com If you have comments or ideas for future episodes please share those below in the comments or Join Adam and podcast listeners on The Successful Side Gig Network Facebook Group! Please share and subscribe to the podcast if you enjoyed this episode and leave a review. iTunes: The Successful Side Gig with Adam Hymans Stitcher: The Successful Side Gig with Adam Hymans Cheers, Adam