Discovering product-market fit is similar to unlocking a safe with a mechanical lock (like the ones on our high-school lockers). Three turns to the right for the first number, two turns to the left for another, one turn back to the right, and voila. The safe is open. On the path to unlocking product-market fit, several “numbers” are required to uncover including, authentic demand, product-message fit, pricing, unit economics, quality features and ideally a will-be massive TAM.
In March of 2021, entrepreneur Christian Ries started “turning the safe” to an unidentified number. Fast forward today, Christian and the Zeto team are on the precipice of opening the safe of product-market fit.
Several learnings sprouted as Zeto initially came to market. The broad category of “Fractional Home Manager” has been the theme — which generated lucid authentic demand. However in this business, the early details make the difference. Pricing, services, and technology have been tinkered with, pivoted from, and tuned up to where the initial authentic demand married well with the product message fit. In the context of the safe, Zeto just found the second of three numbers.
What is Zeto? Zeto takes away all the hassles, pains, and frustrations of owning and managing a home by being the trusted, proactive source for home maintenance. Specific examples include, gutters cleaned, window washing, AC filter changes, light bulbs, firewood delivery, pressure washing…these are just the beginning. Proactive handyman services make sure your to-do list never gets too long. All of this is coordinated by Zeto, performed by a trusted vendor, and organized through simple software.
The best part: you barely have to think. Zeto sends you a text message and all you have to do is respond “Yes”
They take care of your must do’s and should do’s. The yearly stuff. The monthly stuff. And the messy stuff. All it takes is a text.
Coincidentally enough, Sahil Bloom and Sam Parr discuss this exact idea on the latest show of Where it Happens.
Four items changed the overflow of inbound requests to join Zeto’s waitlist and the result from nearly a year’s worth of learnings.
1. Getting the word out publicly. Local outlets like Hypepotamus and Atlanta Inno covered Zeto.
2. Palatable pricing. What was first several tiers ranging from $99/month to $2000/month, Christian created a cogent pricing model by making it $250 for the year.
3. Proactive texting. Beforehand, with different pricing, each month when the bill came, customers would always ask, “Is this worth it?” Now that Zeto proactively texts each customer, they are benevolently reminded of the optionality to opt-in.
4. Single source of maintenance. Imagine a world where you have one place for your vendor contacts, contracts, dates of services (prior and future), and someone on the other end helping you manage it all.
Transitioning from textured complexity to simple elegance in pricing, positioning, and value prop has been the fruit of Christian, Casey, and Braxton’s labor for the majority of 2021. As inbound requests to join the waitlist pile up, the safe’s mechanical lock continues to turn. Now the exciting challenge of generating unflinching customer delight continues with product enhancements.
If you own a house and are tired of managing the hassle and coordinating the contractors, sign up at Zeto.com. It would be the perfect Christmas present for any spouse.
