Intro

So the other day my daughter had a photo day at school and afterwards I got an email with a link to all the photos so I could buy downloads. I hadn't seen an app like this in South Africa...it was made in Kimberley. And as I clicked the link and looked around I remember thinking "What a dope idea!🔥🔥"

A screenshot of an email with a link in it — The email from school

Who am I?

I'm Mokhachane Mofolo and I work with entrepreneurs and small businesses to find new ways of making revenue by giving their customers more value.

I'm building an app in public and sharing the journey in real time! I named it Photobomb - it's a product to help Photographers, Venue Owners and Event Organizers create a repeating income.

I started a Personal Software company last year and this is how I'm helping my future clients find me; by showing my process and way of thinking, how I talk to customers and business owners, my design decisions and aesthetic, and how I collaborate with AI to build products.

Discovery

I've spent the last week doing cold outreach to photographers, event organizers and venue owners trying to understand if this product could help them create a new revenue stream by giving them an easy and fast way to share and sell action photo downloads to event-goers...I'm convinced that this could translate into giving their customers more value.

Anyone can build apps now because of AI...so I'm doubling down on the shit that machines can't do - human connection; Having messy conversations, listening, showing empathy, asking open-ended questions, affirming, building trust and most importantly - figuring out if a product is commercially viable.

Screenshot of an X post retweeted by Dan Peguine — Judgement is the human factor that AI can't replicate

I've worked with 2 of the 7 photographers I called from Kuruman and the process of making my booking, getting my photos edited, paying for and downloading them was shared between 3 if not 4 apps. From my experience with them and other photographers I've worked with I see 2 problems:

Friction in the workflow → Using App A for receiving bookings, App B for receiving payments and App C for sharing photos
This 3 App workflow doesn't make it easy to receive repeating payments after group events

I want to understand if this is actually a problem for photographers, and if solving the "problem" gives more value to customers. I made some notes from the conversations I had through the week. I've included Venue owners and Event organizers in the user research because they're part of the Photographer's ecosystem.

Visual diagram of the photographer, venue owner and event organizer ecosystem. Generated with Claude — A Claude-generated visual diagram that shows how they're connected

The phone calls were brief, the longest one was 22 minutes. I got some valuable information about: the apps they were already using, their motivations, their frustrations, etc.

Photographers

Photographer 1 - Kuruman

A screenshot of a whatsapp chat between myself and a photographer from Kuruman — An established Kuruman photographer with a studio

Tech savvy
Uses a website creator for their photography service
Knows about Pixieset
Open to trying Photobomb. Signed up but hasn't completed their profile or uploaded any photos

Photographer 2 - Kuruman

A screenshot of a whatsapp chat between myself and a photographer from Kuruman — This photographer was excited about Photobomb and open to trying it

Expressed frustration with customers and event organizers wanting free photography services
Does not like waiting long for payments
Open to trying Photobomb. Hasn't signed up yet

Photographer 3 - Joburg

A screenshot of a whatsapp chat between myself and a photographer from Joburg — I sent him a whatsapp and introduced myself before the product was ready

A screenshot of a whatsapp chat between myself and a photographer from Joburg — I sent him a link to the marketing page once it was live

Recently moved to Joburg from Kuruman - still building his customer base and getting established in a new city
"I think it's something I would consider as the business grows"
Knows the importance of reaching out to potential customers in person and online
Having challenges getting new customers in new city
Business savvy, creates educational content on social media
Has been doing photography on and off through the years, like a "side hustle"
Currently working another job so photography is not a main priority, main income
Concerns about the marketing page not showing real life numbers(like real amounts earned by photographers, etc)
Suggested that I put social proof on the marketing page, even if it's a "fake" profile so people think that other photographers are using the app

Photographer 4 - Bloem

We had a short phone call...

Uses Pixieset. Likes it because it's convenient and integrates with the other apps he's already using
Convenience and integration is important for him when it comes to the apps he uses
Professionalism and providing a great experience is a high priority for him when dealing with customers
Avoids collaborating because a lot of photographers don't hold the same standards for quality and professionalism as he does
Tech savvy, learning about Ai and how to improve with the latest technology

Photographer 5 - Bloem

A screenshot of a whatsapp chat between myself and a photographer from Bloem — I was excited about this photographer's response. I added a questions and answers section to the marketing page using his questions

A screenshot of a whatsapp chat between myself and a photographer from Bloem — This photographer had concerns about protecting his work

Discerning and curious, wants to understand how the product works before using it
Has concerns about customers stealing his work, wants it to be protected
Open to trying Photobomb. Hasn't signed up yet
"How many photographers are using it?"

Photographer 6 - Maseru

A screenshot of a whatsapp chat between myself and a photographer from Maseru — This photographer followed my Facebook company page and I got his contacts from his Facebook page and reached out

I called him and he was busy...He asked me to call later after he takes a look at the marketing page...When I called later he didn't picked up
Followed my Facebook company page

Photographer 7 - Kimberley

A photo of a Mokhachane Mofolo making cold calls to get users for Photobomb — Cold calling a photographer from Kimberley

We had a short, awkward-ish phone call. I sounded too "salesy" - based on his reaction, I think my choice of words made him put his guard up.

After the call I sent him the link to the marketing page on whatsapp, he read the text but he hasn't signed up.

Venue owners

Venue owner 1 - Vryburg

We had a productive conversation.

Knows about a similar app for sports action photos
Knows his customers well, their behaviour and how they spend
Doesn't think his customers can afford it
It's a quiet season for his nightclub, people aren't going out a lot because it's cold
Open to trying Photobomb when seasons change and people are going out more

Venue owner 2 - Kuruman

A screenshot of a whatsapp chat between myself and a venue owner from Kuruman — I spoke to his staff and sent a brief on whatsapp about Photobomb, he agreed to talk to me

When I called later he didn't pick up.

Venue owner 3 - Kimberley

We had a good chat. He asked me to come and see him and show him how Photobomb works. I travelled two and a half hours from Kuruman to Kimberley to meet him

Business and tech savvy. Has learned about and used Ai. Has different businesses
Is open to trying Photobomb
Doesn't think it's sustainable, thinks it'll only work for a big event but not every week
Said he would talk to his photographers and see...I called him a day before the event and he said he was too busy and I should call him after 2 or 3 days

Event organizers

Event organizer 1 - Durban, Joburg, Eastern Cape, Cape Town

A screenshot of a whatsapp chat between myself and an event organizer who hosts events across the country — He sounded willing on our phone call and on whatsapp...then he ghosted me after I sent him an email

He was driving when I called but asked me to call later...and when I did he asked me to send a voice note...and when I sent the voice note he asked me to send an email.

A screenshot of an email I sent to an event organizer who hosts events across South Africa — I got straight to the point...seems like it wasn't the best approach

Maybe my email was too "salesy" and he was expecting a colourful pitch deck or power point, I focused on the money story...it didn't work. I got no response...even when I texted and asked if he got the email...

Event organizer 2 - Bloemfontein

A screenshot of an email I sent to an event organizer in Bloem — This event organizer didn't take my call but responded on whatsapp

A screenshot of an email I sent to an event organizer in Bloem — Eish...I had a proper response for her last text but...

Uses event-goer photos for engagement on socials
Not interested in trying Photobomb

Learnings from the first discovery session

After this first week, I still only had 1 photographer who signed up.

The other 2 signups are one I created for myself to always be able to see that the app is working properly and the other profile for a venue owner who wanted to see how the product works.

Screenshot of Photobomb admin dashboard — A view from my admin dashboard...Only 1 photographer signed up since the product was shipped

I've built the thing and "Made it exist" but no one knows about it! I worked on it for over a month and thought "If I can just build a working thing and tell photographers about it then they'll use it and tell others..."
Building the product was easier and faster...selling it to the people I made it for is now the hard thing.

I look for the Instagram pages of the biggest clubs in the town and check if they have dope photos ➔ One of the posts usually tags the photographer's page ➔ Photographers always have their whatsapp number on their IG so they can get bookings ➔ Then I make a cold call.

Calling someone you don't know and trying to sell them on something is a whole different ball game! I sold insurance for a year so I know how cold calling works...but it's been ages, and I'm not selling insurance - I'm selling something I built with my own hands and put hours into. Something I believe in and am very attached to. The "rejections" were fucking with my head at first but it reminded me that sales is just as important - even if it the product is great, it won't sell itself.
The phone conversations were short. I thought I would remember all the important details and insights from the conversations because they weren't long...but when it came to synthesizing the user research data and writing it down, I could remember the general conversation but not specific things they said - verbatim...which I feel is important and can help me with copy for the marketing page. For future conversations I'm going to make notes during or directly after the call when it's still fresh in my memory.

What's next...

As I continue reaching out to have more conversations - I'm taking lessons from the insights I picked up from everyone I spoke to. I'm reframing my offer and refining my cold approach(What I say and how I say it...), thinking of ways to reach and meet more photographers, event organizers and venue owners. While writing this blog, I realized I completely forgot about schools in Kuruman! I'll be hitting them up next!

If you're reading this and building something, your own business or a personal project and having similar experiences and have some gems to share, I'd love to hear from you. mokhachane@hlohonolo.ai

Leave your email here and I'll keep you posted.