Andy's comments and positioning...

[Jeanne A. E. DeVoto]

At 8:52 AM -0800 2/5/04, Richard Gaskin wrote:
>Aiming the marketing message at pros also benefits sales to hobbyists:
>while professionals won't touch a tool seen as aimed at hobbyists, every
>hobbyist wants to feel they're using a tool capable of professional results.

Exactly. I've always felt that the hobbyist-level and 
professional-level markets can potentiate each other:

- Educators don't hesitate to teach programming with the hobbyist/edu 
version, since they don't need to worry that they're teaching 
students a language that they won't be able to use later on

- Hobbyists know they can move to a professional tool if and when 
they get more serious

- Professionals drive new features, which also benefits hobbyist users

- Hobbyists moving up the learning curve form the pool from which new pros come

But for this to work well, it's important to "start at the top". 
Position yourself as a professional tool, then bring out a version 
for hobbyists, and the latter product gets the perceptual benefit of 
association with a pro-level product. Do it the other way around - 
first position yourself as a hobbyist tool, then bring out a pro 
version - and you'll have trouble getting respect.

[channeling Aretha Franklin] ;-)
-- 
jeanne a. e. devoto ~ jaed at jaedworks.com
http://www.jaedworks.com