DS Plus is a mobile marketing platform that is taking the world by storm by decentralizing the way people make daily purchases. The platform’s internal token, PlusCoin, is being called the “People’s Cryptocurrency” because it makes it easy for everyday people all around the world to get involved with digital assets and e-commerce at a new level.
[Note: This is a press release.]
Stage three of the PlusCoin ICO starts this Thursday, October 19th. The first two stages were by all standards a success, and two and a half million dollars have been collected!
We wanted to learn more about the winning formula that brought this fundraising success, so we talked to DS Plus CEO Mikhail Mikhailov, COO Yuriy Mamonov, and CTO Arkadiy Obolkin.
1. Time is your #1 asset – Use it well
In talking to Mikhailov, it became clear that in running an ICO, a startup, or any other kind of organization, your number one asset is time.
In business, especially in the early stages, there are always questions and problems that require specific, unconventional solutions. Any assumptions about solutions need to be checked, and you need to make the time to test every idea you have. Ultimately, time is the most important factor for a startup, it is even more important than money.
There is almost always a solution to any problem, but unfortunately, many foolhardy teams fail to organize their time in an effective way. As a result, they end up losing money, failing to reach their technical and promotional goals, and scaring off investors.
The DS Plus team is, really, a well-oiled machine. They have put systems in place to identify problems, test solutions quickly, and put the ideas that work into place.
2. Have a good product that actually works
We’ve all seen those ICO ads and press releases, where we are promised a revolution but don’t even see the beginnings of one. Most ICOs, it seems, don’t even have an Alpha version ready, and if you read their white papers, you find that the project isn’t even past the conceptualization phase!
This is not at all the case with DS Plus. Their app had been around for more than a year when the ICO started, and it had more than a million users already – and plenty of corporate partners. According to Mamonov:
Having a product or working prototype shows the audience that the project is real, not a fake, created just for the sake of profit.
Many bad crypto projects are actually just doing the ICO to get some quick cash, and it never turns into anything. DS Plus is trustworthy because it already has laid the groundwork for an app that can earn revenue for itself and for its partners.
Mamonov added:
Whenever we talk to our investors, they tell us that the success so far with our mobile business (DS Plus), as well as a clearly formulated model for introducing PlusCoin into it, really helped them to make the final decision about whether to invest.
It seems that, when weighing the investment potential of a project, the existence of an app really gives potential ICO participants confidence.
3. Working hard and keeping the team motivated is key
No matter what, running a business takes a lot of work. “At the moment, the average working day of each team member is 13 hours, and on working days involving important innovations, it reaches 15-18 hours, “ says Obolkin.
The thing is, no one actually asked the team to spend that much time in the office – they just believe in the project and have become passionate about seeing it succeed.
Management did not set these hours, it’s just that every employee sincerely believes in the success of the project, and is ready to put his or her best into it. I think the team is most passionate about the idea of creating a ‘business unicorn’.
The team knows that what they are doing is unique – and it motivates them.
4. Do the research
Market research is what makes the business. Many unsuccessful crypto projects are really good at tech, but they forget that they are running a business. You need to pay attention to the market – who your customers are, what they want, and how you can reach them.
When it comes down to it, it’s just a matter of doing the research. According to Mikhailov:
There is no need for special knowledge or skills, you just have to listen to the customer.
DS Plus has been able to figure out what customers want by holding many real-life events and – on the app – by holding their periodic “Black Friday” sale, throughout the ICO. During these sales, DS Plus opens the Marketplace to allow users to use PlusCoin to make purchases. By doing this, DS Plus has been able to pay attention to how users interact with the system. This gives the team countless ideas.
To learn more about the DS Plus project, visit https://pluscoin.io/.
Images courtesy of DS Plus, iStockPhoto, Wikimedia Commons
