> I am struggling with how to describe it (which is extremely important)
I think this is probably a critical thing for you to solve. When I read down through posts like these, rarely do I give anyone more than a few sentences. I respond most strongly when I have a general idea of the product, without analogy, by the end of the first short sentence.
Please avoid jargon, things that can be interpreted multiple ways, and analogies in that first sentence. They're all unnecessary and domain specific.
There is a lot of room for Steve Krug's "Don't Make Me Think" when describing product.
By example, this is what I would want to see for Hacker News:
"Hacker News is a group driven news site, oriented mostly but not exclusively towards technology and new business, which leans heavily on a community which shares viewpoints, opportunities, and critique, in the hopes of driving one another forwards towards mostly internet business success. There is a lot of discussion of startups, of market and business strategy, business models, advertising and site technique, and a very high ratio of personal requests for discussion on specific topics."
I think this is probably a critical thing for you to solve. When I read down through posts like these, rarely do I give anyone more than a few sentences. I respond most strongly when I have a general idea of the product, without analogy, by the end of the first short sentence.
Please avoid jargon, things that can be interpreted multiple ways, and analogies in that first sentence. They're all unnecessary and domain specific.
There is a lot of room for Steve Krug's "Don't Make Me Think" when describing product.
By example, this is what I would want to see for Hacker News:
"Hacker News is a group driven news site, oriented mostly but not exclusively towards technology and new business, which leans heavily on a community which shares viewpoints, opportunities, and critique, in the hopes of driving one another forwards towards mostly internet business success. There is a lot of discussion of startups, of market and business strategy, business models, advertising and site technique, and a very high ratio of personal requests for discussion on specific topics."