[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":1510},["ShallowReactive",2],{"footer.services":3,"post-\u002Fposts\u002Fevaluating-the-startup-product-from-corporate-pain-points-to-mvp-potential":30,"team-members":348,"postCategories":524,"related-posts":883},[4,8,11,14,17,21,24,27],{"title":5,"slug":6,"displayOrder":7},"CTO as a Service","cto-as-service",1,{"title":9,"slug":10,"displayOrder":7},"IdeaReality by NITM","idea-reality",{"title":12,"slug":13,"displayOrder":7},"Product & Project Management","product-project-management",{"title":15,"slug":16,"displayOrder":7},"UI\u002FUX Design","ui-ux-design",{"title":18,"slug":19,"displayOrder":20},"AI Leverage & Integration","ai-integration",2,{"title":22,"slug":23,"displayOrder":20},"Software Development","software-development",{"title":25,"slug":26,"displayOrder":20},"Startup Advisory","startup-advisory",{"title":28,"slug":29,"displayOrder":20},"Technology Strategy","technology-strategy",{"id":31,"title":32,"audioGeneratedAt":33,"audioUrl":34,"author":35,"body":36,"categories":323,"date":324,"description":42,"extension":325,"featured":326,"heroImage":327,"heroImages":328,"importedAt":329,"lastModified":330,"meta":331,"navigation":332,"originalAuthor":333,"originalId":334,"originalUserId":335,"originallyImportedAt":336,"path":337,"published":332,"readTime":338,"seo":339,"slug":340,"stem":341,"summary":42,"tags":342,"__hash__":347},"posts\u002F_posts\u002Fdata\u002F2025-03-31-evaluating-the-startup-product-from-corporate-pain-points-to-mvp-potential.md","Evaluating the Startup Product: From Corporate Pain Points to MVP Potential","2026-05-01T01:36:43.826Z","https:\u002F\u002Faudio.ninjasitm.com\u002Faudio\u002Fposts\u002F2025-03-28-evaluating-the-startup-product-from-corporate-pain-points-to-mvp-potential.mp3","Malcolm Paul",{"type":37,"value":38,"toc":320},"minimark",[39,43,48,55,58,61,77,81,87,90,145,149,155,158,161,164,178,182,219,223,226,233,236,250,254,257,262,288,292,299,307,317],[40,41,42],"p",{},"So, you’ve come across a startup product or service that claims to solve a glaring inefficiency or fill a gap, whether it’s in the corporate world or beyond. You’re intrigued, but you’re not sure whether it’s worth your time, money, or energy. Whether you’re thinking about joining, investing, or partnering up, evaluating the product or service thoroughly is a must. Let’s break down how to figure out if this product or service is the real deal or just another shiny object.",[44,45,47],"h1",{"id":46},"step-1-identify-a-genuine-opportunity","Step 1: Identify a Genuine Opportunity",[40,49,50],{},[51,52],"img",{"alt":53,"src":54},"Photo by Daria Nepriakhina 🇺🇦 on Unsplash","\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fposts\u002Fevaluating-the-startup-product-from-corporate-pain-points-to-mvp-potential\u002Fevaluating-the-startup-product-from-corporate-pain-points-to-mvp-potential-content-1.jpg",[40,56,57],{},"Not every successful startup has to tackle an existential problem. Often, it’s about creating new value, such as by providing entertainment, facilitating connections, or achieving a meaningful social impact. If the potential market is large enough, the impact is significant, or the founder’s vision is compelling, the product or service could be worth your attention.",[40,59,60],{},"Before you get too caught up in the excitement, do a quick gut check with these questions:",[62,63,64,68,71,74],"ul",{},[65,66,67],"li",{},"Does the problem feel urgent and widespread, or is the solution just creating meaningful value, even if it’s not solving a critical issue?",[65,69,70],{},"Are people willing to pay or support the product or service as a social cause or entertainment experience?",[65,72,73],{},"Does it stand out clearly from existing offerings or bring a fresh angle to the market?",[65,75,76],{},"Is the market large enough to make it worth your while?",[44,78,80],{"id":79},"step-2-conduct-market-research","Step 2: Conduct Market Research",[40,82,83],{},[51,84],{"alt":85,"src":86},"Photo by Carlos Muza on Unsplash","\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fposts\u002Fevaluating-the-startup-product-from-corporate-pain-points-to-mvp-potential\u002Fevaluating-the-startup-product-from-corporate-pain-points-to-mvp-potential-content-2.jpg",[40,88,89],{},"Once you’ve got a gut feeling that the product or service might be worth it, it’s time to dig deeper. Get the startup to show their homework. You’re looking for cost-effective, quick research that proves they’re not just guessing. Here’s what they should be presenting:",[62,91,92,95,98,101,108,118,126,134,142],{},[65,93,94],{},"Competitor analysis highlighting differentiation and competitive advantages",[65,96,97],{},"Customer surveys validating pain points or interest from either primary or secondary research",[65,99,100],{},"Industry trends analysis for understanding market size and potential",[65,102,103,104],{},"Relevant internal analytics or insights from any prior experience or initiatives ",[105,106,107],"strong",{},"Helpful Resources",[65,109,110,117],{},[111,112,116],"a",{"href":113,"rel":114},"https:\u002F\u002Ftrends.google.com",[115],"nofollow","Google Trends"," – to gauge consumer interest and market trends",[65,119,120,125],{},[111,121,124],{"href":122,"rel":123},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.surveymonkey.com",[115],"SurveyMonkey"," – for customer feedback and validation",[65,127,128,133],{},[111,129,132],{"href":130,"rel":131},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.crunchbase.com",[115],"Crunchbase"," – to explore industry competitors and market data",[65,135,136,141],{},[111,137,140],{"href":138,"rel":139},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.statista.com\u002F",[115],"Statista"," – For industry research",[65,143,144],{},"AI tools such as ChatGPT to get quick answers. Use these to get started but not to finish your research",[44,146,148],{"id":147},"step-3-rapid-mvp-testing","Step 3: Rapid MVP Testing",[40,150,151],{},[51,152],{"alt":153,"src":154},"Photo by Firmbee.com on Unsplash","\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fposts\u002Fevaluating-the-startup-product-from-corporate-pain-points-to-mvp-potential\u002Fevaluating-the-startup-product-from-corporate-pain-points-to-mvp-potential-content-3.jpg",[40,156,157],{},"No one’s got time to build a full-blown product only to find out nobody wants it. That’s where an MVP comes in. A Minimum Viable Product should be just enough to prove the product or service works without over-engineering. ",[40,159,160],{},"Sound advice here is to see whether the team is doing things that don’t scale but can provide the insight to whether the product is doing what they say it does. This can range from manually onboarding customers, talking to customers directly, and hands on managing data. 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Here’s what we bring to the table:",[62,227,228],{},[65,229,230],{},[105,231,232],{},"Technical Due Diligence:",[40,234,235],{},"Malcolm can help confirm that the tech strategy is sound and achievable for the current phase and the roadmap",[62,237,238,244],{},[65,239,240,243],{},[105,241,242],{},"Prototype & MVP Assessment:"," Our expert team analyzes existing prototypes and MVPs, ensuring they’re practical, effective, and user-friendly",[65,245,246,249],{},[105,247,248],{},"Education and Guidance",": Utilize our educational content that we have developed over years of working with founders and startups to help you navigate the most common pitfalls of working with startups",[44,251,253],{"id":252},"conclusion","Conclusion",[40,255,256],{},"Investing time, money, or effort into a startup should be a strategic move, not just a gut feeling. By evaluating the problem, researching the market, and making sure the MVP actually delivers value, you’ll put yourself in a position to make a smarter decision. Let NITM back you up with solid technical and strategic insights before you commit. Let’s make sure the product or service is as good as it sounds.",[40,258,259],{},[105,260,261],{},"Additional Resources",[62,263,264,272,280],{},[65,265,266,271],{},[111,267,270],{"href":268,"rel":269},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.startupschool.org",[115],"Y Combinator Startup School"," – free resources on evaluating and growing startups.",[65,273,274,279],{},[111,275,278],{"href":276,"rel":277},"http:\u002F\u002Ftheleanstartup.com",[115],"Lean Startup by Eric Ries"," – essential insights on MVP testing and product validation.",[65,281,282,287],{},[111,283,286],{"href":284,"rel":285},"https:\u002F\u002Ftoolkit.techstars.com\u002F",[115],"Techstars Startup Toolkit"," – comprehensive resources for startup success.",[44,289,291],{"id":290},"whats-next","What’s Next?",[40,293,294,295,298],{},"This article is part of a",[105,296,297],{},"12-article series","designed to help mid-level managers transition into startup leadership.",[40,300,301,302],{},"Previously: ",[111,303,306],{"href":304,"rel":305},"https:\u002F\u002Fninjasitm.com\u002Fpost\u002Finside-the-pre-series-a-startup-mindset-what-to-expect-and-how-to-thrive",[115],"Inside the Pre-Series A Startup Mindset: What to Expect and How to Thrive",[40,308,309,310],{},"Next up: ",[105,311,312],{},[111,313,316],{"href":314,"rel":315},"https:\u002F\u002Fninjasitm.com\u002Fpost\u002Fbuilding-the-right-tech-stack-a-guide-for-managers-moving-into-startup-leadership",[115],"Building the Right Tech Stack: A Guide for Managers Moving into Startup Leadership",[40,318,319],{},"Stay tuned for more insights on bridging the gap between corporate leadership and startup 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We also had the chance to panel at AcceleratorCon 2025, which was a great reminder that a lot of people are trying to make sense of the same shift we’re living through.",[40,899,900],{},"The big shift is not only what we’re building, but how we’re building it.",[40,902,903],{},"Over the last year, we’ve had to multiply our efforts to get comfortable with AI-assisted development. What started as “vibe-coding” quickly devolved into something that, initially, wasn’t sustainable. This meant really diving in and not doing things half assedly. In practice, this means keeping up with model releases across OpenAI, Claude, DeepSeek, and others, while also adapting to a new generation of tooling in editors like Cursor and VS Code that keeps improving almost monthly. 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We are not used to change at this pace.",[40,928,929],{},"Tasks that used to take days or weeks can now happen in a fraction of the time. Our planning, development, and iteration timeline has compressed by at least 50 percent.",[40,931,932],{},"A concrete example: in the new Blackfullness application, we implemented a comprehensive notification system in under a week from concept to implementation. That same scope used to feel like weeks to a month. We delivered it in roughly a quarter of the time.",[40,934,935],{},"And yes, that is the promise of AI showing up in the real world.",[40,937,938],{},"But here’s the twist: we felt more tired.",[40,940,941],{},"Not because the work got harder, but because we were processing more information, making more decisions, and moving faster, all in a shorter period of time. That “compression” shows up in your body and brain, even if the output looks great on paper.",[40,943,944],{},"If the AI era is about speed, then the next skill we all need is sustainable speed.",[44,946,948],{"id":947},"but-there-is-a-real-opportunity-here","But there is a real opportunity here",[40,950,951],{},"AI, the economy, and the nature of work are shifting quickly. That kind of shift can be scary, but it is also historically how new doors open.",[40,953,954],{},"We’ve seen this pattern before, just with different technology: fire, tools, the steam engine, the internet. Each wave changes what is possible, and it changes who gets to build.",[40,956,957],{},"From where we sit, the path to market is easier than it has ever been.",[40,959,960],{},"An MVP is no longer the massive obstacle it used to be. It’s an opportunity to test, validate, and adjust quickly, especially if you have real expertise in an industry and a clear problem to solve. The speed of technology has shortened the timeline to validation.",[40,962,963],{},"Suddenly, launching a side-hustle startup, or even just pressure-testing a serious idea, is not as daunting as it was a year ago.",[44,965,967],{"id":966},"so-what-are-we-really-trying-to-say","So, what are we really trying to say?",[40,969,970],{},"As we reflect on 2025 and look forward to 2026, our biggest piece of advice is simple:",[40,972,973],{},"Take better care of yourself.",[40,975,976],{},"Use AI. Enjoy the productivity improvements. Use the new tools. Ship faster. Test more ideas. Build those niche solutions that remove friction, solve real problems, and give time back.",[40,978,979],{},"Then protect that time you just earned.",[40,981,982],{},"Use it to rest. Use it to be with friends and family. Use it to reset your brain before you jump back in to serve customers and teammates at a high level.",[40,984,985],{},"The goal is not maximum output. The goal is a pace you can maintain.",[44,987,989],{"id":988},"whats-next-for-nitm","What’s next for NITM",[40,991,992],{},"We’re excited about 2026. Here’s a small preview of what’s coming:",[40,994,995],{},[105,996,997],{},"Client and partner work",[62,999,1000,1003,1006,1009,1012],{},[65,1001,1002],{},"Continuing to build and launch with our clients and partners",[65,1004,1005],{},"We will be helping Blackfullness build out useful functionality to support positive mental health outcomes for users from underserved cultures",[65,1007,1008],{},"We will be helping CHIP Professionals build out their financial journey dashboard to assist and guide you through your growth, purchases, and investments",[65,1010,1011],{},"We’re helping NapX shake up the short-stay and visitor management ecosystem for boutique hotels and hospitality networks",[65,1013,1014],{},"and more",[40,1016,1017],{},[105,1018,1019],{},"Internal projects",[62,1021,1022,1031,1034,1037],{},[65,1023,1024,1025,1030],{},"Early testing and refinement for LEBRA: ",[111,1026,1029],{"href":1027,"rel":1028},"https:\u002F\u002Fletsberealabout.us",[115],"Let's Be Real About Us"," ",[65,1032,1033],{},"Launching Nuturo, our AI education platform for parents, children, and educators to collaboratively use AI for good",[65,1035,1036],{},"Beginning work on a stealth project focused on Caribbean commerce and local discovery",[65,1038,1039],{},"Launching NITM educational content under the IdeaToReality brand",[44,1041,1043],{"id":1042},"happy-holidays","Happy Holidays!",[40,1045,1046],{},"Wishing you a happy holiday season and a strong start to the new year.",[40,1048,1049],{},[51,1050],{"alt":321,"src":1051},"\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fposts\u002Ffotf-series\u002Fholiday-wishes-2025.png",[44,1053,1055],{"id":1054},"further-reading","Further reading",[62,1057,1058,1065,1072,1078,1085,1092],{},[65,1059,1060,1030],{},[111,1061,1064],{"href":1062,"rel":1063},"https:\u002F\u002Fninjasitm.com\u002Fposts\u002Fnitm-acceleratorcon-2025",[115],"AcceleratorCon recap",[65,1066,1067,1030],{},[111,1068,1071],{"href":1069,"rel":1070},"https:\u002F\u002Fblackfullness.com",[115],"Blackfullness",[65,1073,1074],{},[111,1075,1077],{"href":1027,"rel":1076},[115],"LEBRA",[65,1079,1080,1030],{},[111,1081,1084],{"href":1082,"rel":1083},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reuters.com\u002Fbusiness\u002Fai-slows-down-some-experienced-software-developers-study-finds-2025-07-10",[115],"AI gains are not always universal",[65,1086,1087,1030],{},[111,1088,1091],{"href":1089,"rel":1090},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.who.int\u002Fnews\u002Fitem\u002F28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases",[115],"Learn more about burnout here",[65,1093,1094],{},[111,1095,1098],{"href":1096,"rel":1097},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.openai.com\u002Fpdf\u002F7ef17d82-96bf-4dd1-9df2-228f7f377a29\u002Fthe-state-of-enterprise-ai_2025-report.pdf",[115],"Read OpenAI's time earned report",{"title":321,"searchDepth":20,"depth":20,"links":1100},[],"12\u002F17\u002F2025","\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fposts\u002Ffotf-series\u002Frotf-2025.png",{},"\u002F_posts\u002Fdata\u002F2025-12-17-rotf-ai-nitm-entrepreneruship-2025",{"title":886,"description":897},"rotf-ai-nitm-entrepreneruship-2025","_posts\u002Fdata\u002F2025-12-17-rotf-ai-nitm-entrepreneruship-2025","The world is changing way too fast.",[1110],[1111,880,582,553],"entrepreneruship","YwsOo5EFcbgQ0uATXgTZ-EX-G_faI7CJwTwC7cquiuI",{"id":1114,"title":1115,"audioGeneratedAt":33,"audioUrl":1116,"author":35,"body":1117,"categories":323,"date":1268,"description":1121,"extension":325,"featured":326,"heroImage":1269,"heroImages":1270,"importedAt":1271,"lastModified":1272,"meta":1273,"navigation":332,"originalAuthor":333,"originalId":1274,"originalUserId":335,"originallyImportedAt":1275,"path":1276,"published":332,"readTime":1277,"seo":1278,"slug":1279,"stem":1280,"summary":1121,"tags":1281,"__hash__":1283},"posts\u002F_posts\u002Fdata\u002F2021-01-08-why-understanding-value-chatbots-critical-your-success.md","Why understanding the value of chatbots is critical to your success","https:\u002F\u002Faudio.ninjasitm.com\u002Faudio\u002Fposts\u002F2017-12-17-why-understanding-value-chatbots-critical-your-success.mp3",{"type":37,"value":1118,"toc":1266},[1119,1122,1126,1132,1135,1139,1144,1147,1152,1157,1160,1165,1172,1177,1181,1184,1187,1190,1195,1199,1202,1205,1217,1222,1225,1229],[40,1120,1121],{},"A chatbot is software that can be used with either visual, voice or text to interact with your users. Chatbots can be found in every part of life, from popular voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Home to messaging platforms such as Slack, Skype, Facebook Messenger and more. They offer a unique way to interact with potential users and could provide extra value to your customers with little effort.",[44,1123,1125],{"id":1124},"what-is-chatbot-technology","What is chatbot technology?",[1127,1128,1129],"blockquote",{},[40,1130,1131],{},"“ Essentially, a chatbot is just a robot chat that imitates human conversations through voice commands, text chats, or both. It's a virtual conversation in which one party is an online talking robot.” (Nguyen, 2017)",[40,1133,1134],{},"Chatbots take text or voice input from a user. NLP (Natural Language Processing) technology is then used to understand what a user says. It can then respond based on scripted logic or incorporate AI (Artifical Intelligence) technology to respond, predict, recommend and take action based on what the user says. A chatbot is a cost effective, efficient way of communicating with your target market.",[44,1136,1138],{"id":1137},"why-is-it-important","Why is it important?",[40,1140,1141],{},[105,1142,1143],{},"People are already searching for chatbots",[40,1145,1146],{},"People are looking for doctor chatbots for quick medical help, delivery and scheduling chatbots to order food, deliver packages, shopping chatbots to help order products and services online and more. Are you making sure you’re answering their needs?",[1127,1148,1149],{},[40,1150,1151],{},"“People are now spending more time in messaging apps than in social media and that is a huge turning point. Messaging apps are the platforms of the future and bots will be how their users access all sorts of services.” (Rajas, Twitter)",[40,1153,1154],{},[105,1155,1156],{},"Conversational AI is not a fad",[40,1158,1159],{},"Since chatbots are generally limited, and scripted, we can use AI (Artificial Intelligence) to make our chatbots smarter. For example we can add ordering, order status and more to our chatbots with conversational AI services. This enables a rich and more meaningful experience for your user. Would your service or product benefit from automations such as ordering, status information or more?",[40,1161,1162],{},[51,1163],{"alt":321,"src":1164},"\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fposts\u002Fwhy-understanding-value-chatbots-critical-your-success\u002Fwhy-understanding-value-chatbots-critical-your-success-content-1.jpg",[40,1166,1167,1171],{},[1168,1169,1170],"em",{},"© Chatbot Magazine 2017","We are changing the way we communicate. With AI, better hardware and uniquitous access, a chatbot could be the first line of contact for you and your business, service or product.",[1127,1173,1174],{},[40,1175,1176],{},"“In the future, talking to a bot will be like talking to a real person who has instant access to entire databases of information and can process your thoughts and desires instantly.” (Schlicht, 2017)",[44,1178,1180],{"id":1179},"how-does-it-help-you","How does it help you?",[40,1182,1183],{},"Have you ever spent time filtering potential leads and figuring out whether someone is a good fit for you? What if you could automate this process with a chatbot that asks the right questions from the start? Chatbots can help you filter the fans of your service or product with no overhead costs.",[40,1185,1186],{},"The age of the standalone mobile app with multitudes of functionality is near capacity. Many users are finding that they are either downloading too many apps, are running out of space or, frankly, just don’t care about apps. A mobilized website with a conversational AI chatbot could provide all of the functionality on your website. Even a chatbot on Facebook’s platform could prove more value to your customers than a full fledged app.",[40,1188,1189],{},"A Chatbot with voice is like an employee, with the difference being that it is noticeably cheaper and consistent. With either voice or text interaction, you can automate some of the more mundane or repetitive parts of your service and immediately see your user satisfaction go up.",[1127,1191,1192],{},[40,1193,1194],{},"“Language is the most natural interface humans understand, and that’s the interface that bots use.” (Schlicht, 2017)",[44,1196,1198],{"id":1197},"how-can-we-help","How can we help?",[40,1200,1201],{},"We can help you understand whether a chatbot will make sense for your product or service. Would a customized chatbot on your website result in more sales? Would a mobile app centered around chatbot technology be a better investment? ",[40,1203,1204],{},"Once we help you understand how a chatbot can fit your business, we can then help you build it. We can build chatbot applications for:",[1206,1207,1208,1211,1214],"ol",{},[65,1209,1210],{},"Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp or your Website",[65,1212,1213],{},"Healthcare, customer service or eCommerce",[65,1215,1216],{},"Alexa or Google Home",[40,1218,1219],{},[51,1220],{"alt":321,"src":1221},"\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fposts\u002Fwhy-understanding-value-chatbots-critical-your-success\u002Fwhy-understanding-value-chatbots-critical-your-success-content-2.jpg",[40,1223,1224],{},"If you’re interested in exploring the possibilities of chatbots for your business then don’t hesitate to contact us using the chatbot we have added to this site!",[44,1226,1228],{"id":1227},"works-cited","Works Cited",[1206,1230,1231,1238,1245,1252,1259],{},[65,1232,1233],{},[111,1234,1237],{"href":1235,"rel":1236},"https:\u002F\u002Fchatbotsmagazine.com\u002Fhow-bots-will-completely-kill-websites-and-mobile-apps-656db8e6fc03",[115],"Chatbots Magazine: How Bots Will Completely Kill Websites and Mobile Apps",[65,1239,1240],{},[111,1241,1244],{"href":1242,"rel":1243},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Fblakemorgan\u002F2017\u002F03\u002F09\u002Fwhat-is-a-chatbot-and-why-is-it-important-for-customer-experience\u002F#52f4ac4d7188",[115],"Forbes: What Is A Chatbot, And Why Is It Important For Customer Experience",[65,1246,1247],{},[111,1248,1251],{"href":1249,"rel":1250},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businessinsider.com\u002Fwhat-is-chatbot-talking-ai-robot-chat-simulators-2017-10",[115],"Business Insider: How Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Produced Robots We Can Talk To",[65,1253,1254],{},[111,1255,1258],{"href":1256,"rel":1257},"https:\u002F\u002Fchatbotsmagazine.com\u002F11-examples-of-conversational-commerce-57bb8783d332",[115],"Chatbots Magazine: 11 Examples of Conversational Commerce and Chatbots",[65,1260,1261],{},[111,1262,1265],{"href":1263,"rel":1264},"https:\u002F\u002Faws.amazon.com\u002Fwhat-is-a-chatbot\u002F",[115],"AWS: What Is a Chatbot?",{"title":321,"searchDepth":20,"depth":20,"links":1267},[],"12\u002F17\u002F2017","\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fposts\u002Fwhy-understanding-value-chatbots-critical-your-success\u002Fwhy-understanding-value-chatbots-critical-your-success-hero.jpg",[1269],"2025-07-01T02:15:30.998Z","2021-01-08 22:53:54",{},"5","2025-07-01T02:09:15.734Z","\u002F_posts\u002Fdata\u002F2021-01-08-why-understanding-value-chatbots-critical-your-success","4 min read",{"title":1115,"description":1121},"why-understanding-value-chatbots-critical-your-success","_posts\u002Fdata\u002F2021-01-08-why-understanding-value-chatbots-critical-your-success",[732,1282,762,777,579],"Chatbot","hnRtBKKcbDoePHm_sVNJf-ujww2XYpGwvG6A3kJ9VRo",{"id":1285,"title":1286,"audioGeneratedAt":33,"audioUrl":1287,"author":35,"body":1288,"categories":323,"date":1492,"description":1292,"extension":325,"featured":326,"heroImage":1493,"heroImages":1494,"importedAt":1495,"lastModified":1496,"meta":1497,"navigation":332,"originalAuthor":333,"originalId":1498,"originalUserId":335,"originallyImportedAt":1499,"path":1500,"published":332,"readTime":1501,"seo":1502,"slug":1503,"stem":1504,"summary":1505,"tags":1506,"__hash__":1509},"posts\u002F_posts\u002Fdata\u002F2021-12-10-protect-your-assets.md","Protect your Ass(ets)","https:\u002F\u002Faudio.ninjasitm.com\u002Faudio\u002Fposts\u002F2021-12-10-protect-your-assets.mp3",{"type":37,"value":1289,"toc":1490},[1290,1293,1295,1298,1303,1307,1316,1325,1340,1343,1346,1353,1358,1361,1375,1378,1381,1385,1430,1434,1437,1440,1442,1445,1456,1459,1461,1464,1468],[40,1291,1292],{},"Literally and figuratively. As a business owner, entrepreneur, founder, partner or person responsible for the spending of your money, the most dangerous things out there are a waste of your time, money and energy. While you can get more of and make up for some of each, do you really want to though? Today we’re gonna talk about one of the worst cases of time, money and energy suck we’ve experienced so far: The scam known as T-Mobile Travel.",[44,1294,1138],{"id":1137},[40,1296,1297],{},"Traveling is important whether it be for business, pleasure or the unique mix called workation. Booking trips, flights, coordinating meetings, events and such can be just as taxing as a terrible client. Thankfully there are great services out there that will help you. There are also some terrible services which will do the complete opposite. One such company\u002Fservice is T-Mobile Travel.",[1127,1299,1300],{},[40,1301,1302],{},"T-Mobile Travel Stole $1,550.81 from me",[44,1304,1306],{"id":1305},"a-little-bit-of-background","A little bit of background.",[40,1308,1309,1310,1315],{},"In summer 2021, I decided to take a trip to Paris to explore potentially living there for some time out of the year, reconnecting with a couple clients and exploring a potential opportunity with ",[111,1311,1314],{"href":1312,"rel":1313},"https:\u002F\u002Fstationf.co\u002F",[115],"Station F",". I also needed some well earned rest. So I decided to take a working vacation (workation) where I would get my core NITM work done but also take the time to enjoy Paris, my favorite city so far. I ended up booking my flight @ $450.79 in July and hotel @ $1,550.81 in August. A three week trip from August 25th to September 16th, my birthday coincidentally ;-). All sounds perfect so far right? Weeeeeellll….",[40,1317,1318,1319,1324],{},"I booked my flight directly with ",[111,1320,1323],{"href":1321,"rel":1322},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.flytap.com\u002Fen-us\u002F",[115],"TAP Air"," and had a wonderful experience. I also booked a 15 hour layover in Lisbon, which I loved up to a certain point. Apparently I looked like I needed some hashish…but that’s another story.",[40,1326,1327,1328,1333,1334,1339],{},"My hotel, I booked with ",[111,1329,1332],{"href":1330,"rel":1331},"https:\u002F\u002Fhotels.tmobiletravel.com\u002Fth\u002Fhome\u002Fen\u002F",[115],"T-Mobile Travel","), after an introduction from a close friend. Now I’ve been, or was, a loyal T-Mobile customer for 15 years. I always paid on time and had 6 lines with them. Why? I don’t really know but they’re all being used! I ended up choosing the lovely ",[111,1335,1338],{"href":1336,"rel":1337},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.hoteldarcetparis.com\u002Fen\u002F",[115],"Hotel Darcet"," in the 17th arrondissement.",[40,1341,1342],{},"Everything was setup for success. I’d be getting work done while visiting my potential future home and also reconnecting with friends and exploring some business opportunities. Shit I was now international baby! Cash me in gay Paree!",[40,1344,1345],{},"The particular issue in discussion began on Sun, Aug 22 at 7:20 AM when I got an email from T-Mobile Travel stating that my booking with Hotel Darcet was canceled. They offered me an alternative which I agreed to anxiously. They then came back and informed me on     ",[40,1347,1348,1349,1352],{},"Mon, Aug 23 at 7:17 AM that the alternative hotel was also not available. They offered another which I even more anxiously accepted, because it was ",[105,1350,1351],{},"TWO"," days before my trip.\nWTH. Upon further inspection I realized that T-Mobile travel’s reviews for the second alternative were different from publicly available reviews. I then decided to reach out to Hotel Darcet because I really loved the reviews and location. I was able to book directly with them, at a slightly higher cost, something I expected T-Mobile travel to do. Within the hour I responded to T-Mobile travel asking that they refund my money since they couldn’t secure my accommodations adequately. On Tue, Aug 24 at 7:26 AM they responded that it was too late to request a refund since it was less than 24 hours. ",[1127,1354,1355],{},[40,1356,1357],{},"I was out of $1,550.81 for a hotel I wouldn’t use",[40,1359,1360],{},"Since then I’ve been fighting a losing battle to get my money back for a scam trip and service. Here are the details:",[62,1362,1363,1366,1369,1372],{},[65,1364,1365],{},"I submitted three different disputes with American Express and each time T-Mobile Travel changed their story",[65,1367,1368],{},"The first time they lied and said that I accepted the booking and requested a refund too late",[65,1370,1371],{},"The second time they said that it wasn’t them refusing the refund but the hotel",[65,1373,1374],{},"The third time they said that I checked into the alternative hotel and thus cannot refund due to their refund policy",[40,1376,1377],{},"After 3 months of stress and annoyance, I decided to switch my phone to AT&T because I couldn’t possibly keep paying a monthly phone service to a company that robbed me blind.",[40,1379,1380],{},"I did not let this situation bother me during my trip however and absolutely enjoyed Paris, Station F and my friends and colleagues. I spent a wonderful three weeks and can’t wait to go back! After all, I could eventually make the money back...",[44,1382,1384],{"id":1383},"the-facts","The facts",[1206,1386,1387,1398,1404,1410,1416,1423],{},[65,1388,1389,1390,1393,1394,1397],{},"T-Mobile Travel is ",[105,1391,1392],{},"NOT","a concierge. It is an attempt to make money off the T-Mobile brand. Buyer be-",[105,1395,1396],{},"VERY","-ware",[65,1399,1400,1401,1403],{},"You will ",[105,1402,1392],{},"get a refund if they screw up your booking in any way shape or form",[65,1405,1406,1407],{},"They will fight every dispute or attempt you make with your credit card company and will LIE ",[105,1408,1409],{},"at each stage",[65,1411,1412,1413],{},"T-Mobile support personnel are not the problem, in fact they were nice and tried to empathize. However the platitudes of “We appreciate you for being a loyal customer”, “Thank you for being with us for so long!” all fall flat when",[105,1414,1415],{},"the systems in place don’t value you as a person",[65,1417,1418,1419,1422],{},"T-Mobile Travel is a grade ",[105,1420,1421],{},"A+ Scam",".",[65,1424,1425,1426,1429],{},"T-Mobile Travel ",[105,1427,1428],{},"stole"," $1,550.81 from me, a small business owner",[44,1431,1433],{"id":1432},"my-advice","My advice",[40,1435,1436],{},"Be wary of services from brands which have no business offering these services. Be wary of marketing words that say what they don’t really mean. Concierge doesn’t mean “We will screw you and take your money”. Concierge means “We will do our best to accommodate you and if something is not possible we will ensure you are either refunded or properly compensated with a credit or a voucher or something of equivalent value”. You are NOT a friend to a corporation. Ensure you are working in you and your company’s best interests and that the corporation is working in your best interests.",[40,1438,1439],{},"Finally, remember that you are the most important person. If things don’t work out with a corporation then cut your ties and move on. They should be working to serve you, not the other way around.",[44,1441,1180],{"id":1179},[40,1443,1444],{},"How does protecting your time, energy and money help you? While it should be self explanatory, but I will happily elaborate:",[1206,1446,1447,1450,1453],{},[65,1448,1449],{},"As a business owner, founder, partner, money person, …etc., you are looked upon to provide vision, guidance and execution so you need to ensure you have the energy to respond to these challenges",[65,1451,1452],{},"Funds that are stolen from you in the manner above can easily be put towards a marketing, investment or other fruitful activity",[65,1454,1455],{},"Most importantly you will save time dealing with such situations and deal with the people who make decisions and don’t give excuses",[40,1457,1458],{},"In short, try your best to connect directly with the source of truth. Usually you can reach out directly to the underlying service provider and get an even better deal. If a service or offer looks too good to be true, it probably is. Reach out to your network and find out if anyone has had similar experiences or can recommend a better solution. Finally, be sure to take advantage of the legitimate offers you have and don’t be afraid to spend a bit more to secure your time and energy.",[44,1460,1198],{"id":1197},[40,1462,1463],{},"If you’re unsure of a travel service, cloud platform, development team or agency, business software, email or “deal” then send it our way. Or better yet post it to your social media and see what the people say. We are here to provide a second opinion to ensure you save your money, time and energy. Money, time and energy that could better be spent building the next great thing with us!",[44,1465,1467],{"id":1466},"references","References",[62,1469,1470,1477,1484],{},[65,1471,1472],{},[111,1473,1476],{"href":1474,"rel":1475},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reddit.com\u002Fr\u002Ftmobile\u002Fcomments\u002Fnqzs64\u002Ftmobile_booking_travel_is_a_rip\u002F",[115],"Reddit: T-Mobile Booking Travel is a Rip",[65,1478,1479],{},[111,1480,1483],{"href":1481,"rel":1482},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.complaintsboard.com\u002Ft-mobile-free-companion-flight-promotio-free-companion-flight-promotion-c175568",[115],"Complaints Board: T-Mobile Free Companion Flight Promotion",[65,1485,1486],{},[111,1487,1489],{"href":1330,"rel":1488},[115],"T-Mobile Travel: Home",{"title":321,"searchDepth":20,"depth":20,"links":1491},[],"12\u002F10\u002F2021","\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fposts\u002Fprotect-your-assets\u002Fprotect-your-assets-hero.jpg",[1493],"2025-07-01T02:15:29.752Z","2021-12-10 17:26:19",{},"8","2025-07-01T02:09:14.780Z","\u002F_posts\u002Fdata\u002F2021-12-10-protect-your-assets","7 min read",{"title":1286,"description":1292},"protect-your-assets","_posts\u002Fdata\u002F2021-12-10-protect-your-assets","As a business owner, entrepreneur, founder, partner or person responsible for the spending of your money, the most dangerous things out there are a waste of your time, money and energy. While you can get more of and make up for some of each, do you really want to though? Today we’re gonna talk about one of the worst cases of time, money and energy suck we’ve experienced so far: The scam known as T-Mobile Travel.",[1507,345,1508],"Business","Scams","o0AU5Pw9eLLIRUVmQbsVLe9_ne5-aIhou8azFXwOJF0",1780780385184]