Ask HN: What to do when a Goliath-sized company ships just before you?
Our start-up Tusulog.com is a new social network site similar to Google+ that we've been working for 4 months without knowing what Google+ was/will be. Then they have shipped their unfinished product just days before we did. You can check my comments on HN which were 29 days old to see our idea roughly.
It may look similar but we think if you use Tusulog you'll have better SN experience for normal people (provided that your name is not Robert Scoble or Louis Gray). Our main difference is that we limit noise by default. For example, there is no "following people" concept. You can mute an entire group (groups are what Google+ calls as circles). You can have public discussion in one giant stream and also in specialized "channels" in addition to private groups. Then, honestly, they have very very cool video apps which we don't. Their photos product is way ahead then our non-existant but coming ours.
Our target demographic is normal people using their PCs to use SNs. My question is: How should we market our product to persuade consumers use ours instead of sexy Google+? Why do you need someone to only use yours? I know a lot of folks who use Facebook and Twitter and Google+ right now. Thanks for the heads up. All those are global brands and we're a new start-up. It seems like we have to engage people first.