{"componentChunkName":"component---node-modules-narative-gatsby-theme-novela-src-templates-article-template-tsx","path":"/blog/the-non-techie-s-guide-to-creating-a-successful-app","webpackCompilationHash":"98ad53f8c1f4a6cb2faa","result":{"data":{"allSite":{"edges":[{"node":{"siteMetadata":{"name":"vnLoop"}}}]}},"pageContext":{"isCreatedByStatefulCreatePages":false,"article":{"id":"c3f9d34c-47a1-570a-ae5e-944c293998af","slug":"/blog/the-non-techie-s-guide-to-creating-a-successful-app","title":"The Non-Techie’s Guide To Creating A Successful App","author":"Marcus Wood","date":"July 16th, 2019","dateForSEO":"2019-07-16T00:00:00.000Z","timeToRead":5,"excerpt":"This guide gives you a rundown of each step you need to take from the technical side to give your app the best chance to succeed.","body":"function _extends() { _extends = Object.assign || function (target) { for (var i = 1; i < arguments.length; i++) { var source = arguments[i]; for (var key in source) { if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(source, key)) { target[key] = source[key]; } } } return target; }; return _extends.apply(this, arguments); }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutProperties(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded); var key, i; if (Object.getOwnPropertySymbols) { var sourceSymbolKeys = Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(source); for (i = 0; i < sourceSymbolKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceSymbolKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; if (!Object.prototype.propertyIsEnumerable.call(source, key)) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } } return target; }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = {}; var sourceKeys = Object.keys(source); var key, i; for (i = 0; i < sourceKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } return target; }\n\n/* @jsx mdx */\nvar _frontmatter = {\n  \"title\": \"The Non-Techie’s Guide To Creating A Successful App\",\n  \"author\": \"Marcus Wood\",\n  \"date\": \"2019-07-16T00:00:00.000Z\",\n  \"hero\": \"./images/hero.jpeg\",\n  \"excerpt\": \"This guide gives you a rundown of each step you need to take from the technical side to give your app the best chance to succeed.\"\n};\n\nvar makeShortcode = function makeShortcode(name) {\n  return function MDXDefaultShortcode(props) {\n    console.warn(\"Component \" + name + \" was not imported, exported, or provided by MDXProvider as global scope\");\n    return mdx(\"div\", props);\n  };\n};\n\nvar layoutProps = {\n  _frontmatter: _frontmatter\n};\nvar MDXLayout = \"wrapper\";\nreturn function MDXContent(_ref) {\n  var components = _ref.components,\n      props = _objectWithoutProperties(_ref, [\"components\"]);\n\n  return mdx(MDXLayout, _extends({}, layoutProps, props, {\n    components: components,\n    mdxType: \"MDXLayout\"\n  }), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Within the iOS app store alone, there\\u2019s over \", mdx(\"strong\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"2,100,000\"), \" apps available to download, and the Android app store has even more. The proliferation of the \\u2018there\\u2019s an app for that\\u2019 mentality has been contagious and introduced more people than ever into the tech community. That\\u2019s why I started learning how to code, and it took years for me to learn everything needed to build an app.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"This guide gives you a rundown of each step you need to take from the technical side to give your app the best chance to succeed.\"), mdx(\"h2\", {\n    \"id\": \"do-your-research\"\n  }, \"Do Your Research\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"I have friends that tell me all the time that they have the next big app idea. The idea is normally good, really good. However, most of the time it\\u2019s already out there or there\\u2019s a reason it\\u2019s not out there. As soon as you have an app idea, Google it. If you see no competitors, stop and ask why.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"A lot of times the regulatory landscape of a new app idea makes the barrier of entry too high to enter the market. When Lyft and Uber first started there was a lot of risk involved in starting such a service since regulations were not established. One wrong court judgement could of wrecked your business and likely dissuaded a lot of people from hopping in.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Lastly, do a quick numbers check on the estimated size of the market to make sure the app is viable. How large is your target market? How many users will you need to make the app functional? How many places can this be expanded to?\"), mdx(\"h2\", {\n    \"id\": \"refine-the-idea\"\n  }, \"Refine the Idea\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"A good app idea is sticky. What I mean by sticky is that it\\u2019s simple and easily remembered by everyone you speak to.\"), mdx(\"blockquote\", null, mdx(\"p\", {\n    parentName: \"blockquote\"\n  }, \"It\\u2019s the \", mdx(\"inlineCode\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"<blank>\"), \" for \", mdx(\"inlineCode\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"<blank>\"), \".\")), mdx(\"p\", null, \"In Hollywood, this is called the \\u201Chigh-concept pitch.\\u201D Alien was pitched as \\u201CJaws on a spaceship.\\u201D Doesn\\u2019t that evoke a vivid image in your head? Without knowing anything else about the movie you already have an idea of the premise and can fill in a lot of the blanks without asking another question. For more information on creating sticky ideas check out \", mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://heathbrothers.com/books/made-to-stick/\"\n  }), \"Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die\"), \" by Chip and Dan Heath.\\nThis is crucial for two reasons. The first is that it forces you to refine your idea to the core value proposition. It\\u2019s the single user need that your app intends on solving. The second is that it gives the power to explain your idea to anyone in a couple of words. \", mdx(\"strong\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"That\\u2019s powerful.\"), \" People that you want working on your app is busy, and this helps orient them immediately so you all can start discussing the details.\"), mdx(\"h2\", {\n    \"id\": \"exit-strategy\"\n  }, \"Exit Strategy\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"If the app takes off, what next? Will it be the primary income resource for you? Do you intend on getting acquired by another company? Answering these questions first help set the expectation for yourself and everyone around you on what to work towards. This can and likely will change over time, but thinking about it early can help guide business decisions you have to make before development.\"), mdx(\"h2\", {\n    \"id\": \"prototyping\"\n  }, \"Prototyping\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Never start paying coders to develop an app before creating an interactive prototype. This is the mistake I see made the most. People are so blinded by their excitement they try to push something into the market immediately.\"), mdx(\"blockquote\", null, mdx(\"p\", {\n    parentName: \"blockquote\"\n  }, \"Design is where ideas and execution meet.\")), mdx(\"p\", null, \"So far, you\\u2019ve validated that the core of idea you have is solid. Now you have to execute. How will the user interact with an app to solve their need? It\\u2019s a harder question to answer than you think. Try sitting down with a blank piece of paper and drawing out screens of a user\\u2019s prospective journey through the app. You\\u2019ll find pieces you haven\\u2019t thought about yet and before starting development all ambiguity needs to be solved for.\\nFor this part, I recommend working with a user experience/visual designer expert to help you with these parts. When you\\u2019re speaking with them say you want an interactive prototype to be the final product. Popular options for creating one of these is \", mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://www.invisionapp.com/\"\n  }), \"Invision\"), \" or \", mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://www.adobe.com/products/xd.html\"\n  }), \"Adobe XD\"), \". An interactive prototype is a collection of images that have certain hotspots of interactivity to imitate how the actual app will work.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Creating a prototype is crucial because:\"), mdx(\"ul\", null, mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, \"It gives you something to show users on a phone for them to interact with. This gives you a chance to validate your assumptions and get feedback on your design before development starts.\"), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, \"It pushes off development. As an engineer it feels weird to say, but as an entrepreneur it makes sense in that you\\u2019re mitigating the largest financial expenditure until you\\u2019ve maximized your probability for success.\"), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, \"It gets you introduced to application development. If you\\u2019re new to this industry, getting involved in the design process helps orient you to the process and familiarizes you with industry jargon.\"), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, \"It forces you to map out a user\\u2019s journey through the app before development.\")), mdx(\"h2\", {\n    \"id\": \"more-research\"\n  }, \"More Research\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Show prospective app users the prototype and watch how they interact with the app. See if they can go through the app without asking you how to do something. Ask them how they like the design and what they would like to see changed. Most importantly, ask them if this is an application they would use.\\nGoogle everything again to make sure the industry landscape you\\u2019re targeting hasn\\u2019t changed. Are there new competitors? Are there new studies out there to learn from? Check the numbers one more time on market size, the critical mass of users needed for a functional app, and potential areas of expansion.\"), mdx(\"h2\", {\n    \"id\": \"gut-check-time\"\n  }, \"Gut Check Time\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"This is the last stop before moving into development. You\\u2019ve researched, created a prototype, and tested it with prospective users. How are you feeling? There\\u2019s nothing wrong with throwing away an app now if you don\\u2019t feel good about it. That\\u2019s why it\\u2019s so important to prototype before development. If you feel good about it, press on!\"), mdx(\"h2\", {\n    \"id\": \"development\"\n  }, \"Development\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"MVP. Minimum Viable Product. That should be the sole focus of development. If it\\u2019s not core to solving the user\\u2019s need then don\\u2019t develop it. This will keep your cost down, and prevent scope creep on the development team.\\nMake sure that the development team demos to you on a regular basis. It\\u2019s important to make sure the app is being created to your specifications, and it keeps them on track during development. Once the app is ready, deploy!\"), mdx(\"h2\", {\n    \"id\": \"refinement\"\n  }, \"Refinement\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Measure everything. Throughout the design and development of the app, you\\u2019ve likely amassed a large backlog of features to be implemented. Begin to knock them out based on data-driven insights gathered from users in the app. The important thing here is that you shouldn\\u2019t be guessing on what to do next, data should drive your decisions.\\nThe technical side is one dimension of creating an app. There\\u2019s still the business, legal, and operational challenges involved that have to come together to form a successful business. Please clap if you thought this article was helpful and let me know in the comments below if you would like to see a post on each dimension of creating an app.\"));\n}\n;\nMDXContent.isMDXComponent = true;","hero":{"full":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":2.2264150943396226,"src":"/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/22328/hero.jpg","srcSet":"/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/6d250/hero.jpg 236w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/1a26c/hero.jpg 472w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/22328/hero.jpg 944w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/cca5d/hero.jpg 1260w","srcWebp":"/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/1d644/hero.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/cbe96/hero.webp 236w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/8ab83/hero.webp 472w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/1d644/hero.webp 944w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/7614f/hero.webp 1260w","sizes":"(max-width: 944px) 100vw, 944px"}},"regular":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.4954128440366972,"src":"/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/6694a/hero.jpg","srcSet":"/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/70b8f/hero.jpg 163w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/7ec88/hero.jpg 327w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/6694a/hero.jpg 653w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/ed86f/hero.jpg 980w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/30932/hero.jpg 1260w","srcWebp":"/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/d603c/hero.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/64a97/hero.webp 163w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/a98ca/hero.webp 327w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/d603c/hero.webp 653w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/c1bd6/hero.webp 980w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/f031e/hero.webp 1260w","sizes":"(max-width: 653px) 100vw, 653px"}},"narrow":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.5,"src":"/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/c1e08/hero.jpg","srcSet":"/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/8bed6/hero.jpg 114w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/1e283/hero.jpg 229w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/c1e08/hero.jpg 457w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/8ae28/hero.jpg 686w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/5cf51/hero.jpg 914w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/30932/hero.jpg 1260w","srcWebp":"/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/72aed/hero.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/03a0a/hero.webp 114w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/d2b1d/hero.webp 229w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/72aed/hero.webp 457w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/1a85c/hero.webp 686w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/90a86/hero.webp 914w,\n/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/f031e/hero.webp 1260w","sizes":"(max-width: 457px) 100vw, 457px"}},"seo":{"fixed":{"src":"/static/ecffa24cbeffbab839e8f5c73464ff29/0ff54/hero.jpg"}}}},"author":{"bio":"CEO and lead engineer of Caldera. Web apps, nature, and good vibes.\n","id":"e7f09e98-4c73-5a32-85ea-d63c09f0296f","name":"Marcus Wood","avatar":{"image":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1,"src":"/static/8bcc12af0e783dbae86948b425ff8acf/fa1ea/marcus-wood.jpg","srcSet":"/static/8bcc12af0e783dbae86948b425ff8acf/afb2b/marcus-wood.jpg 13w,\n/static/8bcc12af0e783dbae86948b425ff8acf/7c20e/marcus-wood.jpg 25w,\n/static/8bcc12af0e783dbae86948b425ff8acf/fa1ea/marcus-wood.jpg 50w,\n/static/8bcc12af0e783dbae86948b425ff8acf/03612/marcus-wood.jpg 75w,\n/static/8bcc12af0e783dbae86948b425ff8acf/61cdf/marcus-wood.jpg 100w,\n/static/8bcc12af0e783dbae86948b425ff8acf/fd013/marcus-wood.jpg 200w","srcWebp":"/static/8bcc12af0e783dbae86948b425ff8acf/e7b2c/marcus-wood.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/8bcc12af0e783dbae86948b425ff8acf/58718/marcus-wood.webp 13w,\n/static/8bcc12af0e783dbae86948b425ff8acf/74aad/marcus-wood.webp 25w,\n/static/8bcc12af0e783dbae86948b425ff8acf/e7b2c/marcus-wood.webp 50w,\n/static/8bcc12af0e783dbae86948b425ff8acf/ed320/marcus-wood.webp 75w,\n/static/8bcc12af0e783dbae86948b425ff8acf/66016/marcus-wood.webp 100w,\n/static/8bcc12af0e783dbae86948b425ff8acf/6b183/marcus-wood.webp 200w","sizes":"(max-width: 50px) 100vw, 50px"}}}},"basePath":"/blog","slug":"/blog/the-non-techie-s-guide-to-creating-a-successful-app","id":"c3f9d34c-47a1-570a-ae5e-944c293998af","title":"The Non-Techie’s Guide To Creating A Successful App","next":[{"node":{"id":"1ba71c4d-9d92-5dcb-8274-095fca8c5917","slug":"/blog/we-launched-a-product-with-150-here-s-what-happened","title":"We Launched a Product with $150. Here’s what Happened.","author":"Marcus Wood","date":"April 5th, 2019","dateForSEO":"2019-04-05T00:00:00.000Z","timeToRead":5,"excerpt":"Every so often my team and I set two weeks aside to work on a passion project. The bottom is line is ever important, but feeding the soul with an adventure on the side is as well.","body":"function _extends() { _extends = Object.assign || function (target) { for (var i = 1; i < arguments.length; i++) { var source = arguments[i]; for (var key in source) { if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(source, key)) { target[key] = source[key]; } } } return target; }; return _extends.apply(this, arguments); }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutProperties(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded); var key, i; if (Object.getOwnPropertySymbols) { var sourceSymbolKeys = Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(source); for (i = 0; i < sourceSymbolKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceSymbolKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; if (!Object.prototype.propertyIsEnumerable.call(source, key)) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } } return target; }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = {}; var sourceKeys = Object.keys(source); var key, i; for (i = 0; i < sourceKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } return target; }\n\n/* @jsx mdx */\nvar _frontmatter = {\n  \"title\": \"We Launched a Product with $150. Here’s what Happened.\",\n  \"author\": \"Marcus Wood\",\n  \"date\": \"2019-04-05T00:00:00.000Z\",\n  \"hero\": \"./images/hero.png\",\n  \"excerpt\": \"Every so often my team and I set two weeks aside to work on a passion project. The bottom is line is ever important, but feeding the soul with an adventure on the side is as well.\"\n};\n\nvar makeShortcode = function makeShortcode(name) {\n  return function MDXDefaultShortcode(props) {\n    console.warn(\"Component \" + name + \" was not imported, exported, or provided by MDXProvider as global scope\");\n    return mdx(\"div\", props);\n  };\n};\n\nvar layoutProps = {\n  _frontmatter: _frontmatter\n};\nvar MDXLayout = \"wrapper\";\nreturn function MDXContent(_ref) {\n  var components = _ref.components,\n      props = _objectWithoutProperties(_ref, [\"components\"]);\n\n  return mdx(MDXLayout, _extends({}, layoutProps, props, {\n    components: components,\n    mdxType: \"MDXLayout\"\n  }), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Every so often my team and I set two weeks aside to work on a passion project. The bottom is line is ever important, but feeding the soul with an adventure on the side is as well. We field it as-is at the end of our two weeks, just to judge interest and field test our efforts. Our latest project, \", mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://guessthethrone.com/\"\n  }), \"Guess the Throne\"), \", was no different. However, we decided to add an extra challenge: launch it successfully for less than \\\\$150.\\nGuess the Throne is an online death pool for the final season of Game of Thrones. Create your group, submit your picks, and invite your friends. We handle the scoring, rules, and everything else for free!\"), mdx(\"blockquote\", null, mdx(\"p\", {\n    parentName: \"blockquote\"\n  }, \"You may be asking yourself, \\u201CWhat\\u2019s a death pool?\\u201D Much like it sounds, it\\u2019s a bracket that lets you predict if a character lives or dies. Each correct guess is worth a point, and the most points win!\")), mdx(\"p\", null, \"It\\u2019s hard enough to launch a product with gobs of cash at your disposal. The timing, connections, and dumb luck required for a meteoric rise can leave the best and most deserving of products on the scrap heap. However, I hope our experiment helps you succeed by this one approach: a focus on product with a hard-charging ground game to back it up. Armed with DM slides, a photoshopped cat picture, and a good user experience, we were able to capture thousands of users within 24 hours of launch.\"), mdx(\"h2\", {\n    \"id\": \"product-hunt\"\n  }, \"Product Hunt\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"We tried to exhaust all free methods before dipping into our limited budget. We figured Product Hunt would be a great place to make a splash in the development community. After reading how to make it happen we were finished in around 20 minutes. On launch day over 7,000 people viewed our website and 1,200 users signed up. We battled for a top-five spot all day before falling to eighth by closing time.\\nThis was awesome! One thing we noticed was that even though we converted over 1,200 people we didn\\u2019t get very many upvotes on Product Hunt in comparison. To battle that, we decided to personalize the experience if you came from Product Hunt by giving you a little nudge to direct you back to the site after making a group and entry.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, mdx(\"img\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"src\": \"https://res.cloudinary.com/calderablog/image/upload/v1564965769/1_c8aGu-3siJ4qyBTEQtOKsg_qrik5p.png\",\n    \"alt\": \"Share with friends CTA\"\n  }))), mdx(\"p\", null, \"If you\\u2019re using React and would like to have the code comment below and I\\u2019ll open source it!\\nSince we didn\\u2019t network before launching on Product Hunt or use the platform beforehand I found myself going to other people\\u2019s products commenting, interacting, and following. Don\\u2019t do this! Every time I did we would drop in the rankings which was unfortunate because I wasn\\u2019t being spammy. Of course I wanted them to come back and check out our cool new thing. \\uD83D\\uDE06\\nOverall, Product Hunt seems like a no brainer in any budget launch situation. We still get referrals from their site each day. We\\u2019ll need to launch more products on PH get a grasp of how lucky we\\u2019ve been so far, but after this success we certainly will.\"), mdx(\"h2\", {\n    \"id\": \"influencer-marketing\"\n  }, \"Influencer Marketing\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Perhaps one of the more sketchy ideas was to slide into the DMs of influencers on Twitter and politely ask for a shout out. No one gave us one for free \\uD83D\\uDE2D, but you can normally negotiate a way for them to promote you in a tweet. We put our trust in the internet here and it panned out great.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, mdx(\"img\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"src\": \"https://res.cloudinary.com/calderablog/image/upload/v1564965781/1__jLrNbu874K6YWAVeo9KgQ_p5kycd.png\",\n    \"alt\": \"Share with friends CTA\"\n  }))), mdx(\"p\", null, \"We paid for this tweet to reach +500k Game of Thrones fans. Within five minutes of the tweet going out we had over 80 people on our home page simultaneously and based off our analytics we converted over 250 people within two hours. The cost per acquisition was 20 cents \\uD83D\\uDE4C\\uD83C\\uDFFB. Influencer marketing is the move.\"), mdx(\"h2\", {\n    \"id\": \"share-it-everywhere\"\n  }, \"Share it Everywhere\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"We scoured the internet for mentions of \\u201Cdeath pool\\u201D and \\u201CGame of Thrones\\u201D together. If there was an article written about it we commented on the post. Game of Thrones Discord channel, we\\u2019re there. Facebook Groups? You got it. Reddit? Yep. If you\\u2019ve tweeted about Game of Thrones and death pool in the past three years you likely received a message from us.\\nI cannot overstate the importance of interactivity, of personality. You need to be everywhere someone could search for your product and be available to answer their questions promptly, to offer them solutions to questions they haven\\u2019t asked. There is a fine line between attentive and spammy. Don\\u2019t mindlessly plaster your product across the internet with cheesy, self-aggrandizing, corporate claims. Most groups have moderators and it\\u2019s always best to confirm with them that you can share your product before doing so.\"), mdx(\"h2\", {\n    \"id\": \"submit-a-post-to-a-publication-on-medium\"\n  }, \"Submit a Post to a Publication on Medium\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Writing publications on Medium is incredibly easily, and I want more people to know that. Write your article draft, find the publication it aligns with closest, and reach out to to them. Don\\u2019t be shy! I\\u2019ve never had an article denied, and my articles perform 100x better (no exaggeration) than when forgoing a publication.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Caldera is my personal account and rarely receives any views.\\nFrom our \", mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://hackernoon.com/announcing-guess-the-throne-a-game-of-thrones-death-pool-897737cfb285\"\n  }), \"Medium post in Hacker Noon\"), \" we estimate over 1,100 users joined. It took us an hour to write and was completely free to do!\"), mdx(\"h2\", {\n    \"id\": \"fiverr-time\"\n  }, \"Fiverr Time!\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Everyone that worked on the product found one gig on Fiverr to help us promote.\"), mdx(\"h3\", {\n    \"id\": \"i-will-advertise-and-promote-your-business-on-iheartradio-and-social-network\"\n  }, mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"h3\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://www.fiverr.com/klevitt70/promote-your-business-on-my-podcast?source=Order+page+gig+link&funnel=9f82ae2c-c5fc-485a-85bb-890dc25620a0\"\n  }), \"I Will Advertise And Promote Your Business On iHeartRadio And Social Network\")), mdx(\"p\", null, \"This was pretty awesome. An iHeartRadio host advertised us on his talk show. The commercial is an instant classic!\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Cost: \\\\$7\\nImpact: Hard to measure. Worth the cost because you never know who is listening.\"), mdx(\"h3\", {\n    \"id\": \"promote-your-twitter-to-a-large-audience\"\n  }, mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"h3\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://www.fiverr.com/klaurent/promote-your-twitter-to-a-large-audience?source=Order+page+gig+link&funnel=55ebc451-61ad-4d1f-93a5-b71152163ff0\"\n  }), \"Promote Your Twitter To A Large Audience\")), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Give this guy your Twitter handle and he floods your page with totally, definitely real people who like, follow, and retweet you.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, mdx(\"img\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"src\": \"https://res.cloudinary.com/calderablog/image/upload/v1564965797/1_LyaIh7LgrtkxNgHz7FWZuw_xixmoe.png\",\n    \"alt\": \"Retweets\"\n  }))), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Cost: \\\\$7\\nImpact: Little to none. It was nice to break 75 followers on Twitter right off the bat, but fake users are useless after that point.\"), mdx(\"h3\", {\n    \"id\": \"tweet-your-message-to-my-330k-twitter-followers\"\n  }, mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"h3\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://www.fiverr.com/tweets_asap/tweet-your-message-to-my-500k-twitter-followers?source=Order+page+gig+link&funnel=acb1b1d7-d110-46e9-8d87-89662201f101\"\n  }), \"Tweet Your Message To My 330k Twitter Followers\")), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Type up a tweet and off it goes onto this guys account (he\\u2019s a cool guy \\u2014 it\\u2019s in his bio).\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Cost: \\\\$7\\nImpact: I\\u2019d say we converted about 60 users from it. Not bad!\"), mdx(\"h3\", {\n    \"id\": \"do-promotion-or-shoutout-on-my-18k-cat-instagram\"\n  }, mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"h3\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://www.fiverr.com/beril_d/shoutout-on-my-18k-cat-instagram-page?source=Order+page+gig+link&funnel=17f31c2a-207b-4c6c-a669-7b5c00f84b2e\"\n  }), \"Do Promotion Or Shoutout On My 18k Cat Instagram\")), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Once we saw this one it had to happen.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Meet Waffles!\\nCost: \\\\$7\\nImpact: Not too much. Links on Instagram are hard.\"), mdx(\"h3\", {\n    \"id\": \"distribute-your-press-release\"\n  }, mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"h3\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://www.fiverr.com/valanne/distribute-your-press-release?source=Order+page+gig+link&funnel=197a68be-78fe-452a-9a2e-8c03cee08344\"\n  }), \"Distribute Your Press Release\")), mdx(\"p\", null, \"You type up a press release and it\\u2019s immediately published on over 100 websites. This was more of a curiosity to us than anything because we can never get press on product (more on that below). Don\\u2019t do this. This is an example of the quality you get \\uD83D\\uDE02\\u2026\\nChinese Export Business\\nSenmer News Wire : Spoilers ahead! Please don\\u2019t visit the website or read this post if you\\u2019re not caught up\\u2026\\n\", mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"http://www.facebook.com\"\n  }), \"www.facebook.com\"), \"\\nCost: \\\\$52.50 \\uD83D\\uDE44\\nImpact: It was shared everywhere, but we couldn\\u2019t measure any impact at all. Most of the websites were sketchy and probably hurt our SEO.\"), mdx(\"h2\", {\n    \"id\": \"a-slight-rant-on-press\"\n  }, \"A Slight Rant on Press\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"\\u201CWhat about press?\\u201D you might ask. We tried so hard to get this in the news, and thought it would surely get picked up after seeing blogs like this. Six people responded from 110 DM slides. Some said they personally liked the app, but their lack of interest in writing that opinion was made clear. We couldn\\u2019t even get Game of Thrones blogs to write about us. We sent a press kit and personalized messages, and followed up repeatedly with (we thought) interesting updates on our progress. If anyone reading this has insights on how we can better connect with the press I would love to hear from you.\"), mdx(\"h2\", {\n    \"id\": \"results\"\n  }, \"Results\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Grand total spent was \\\\$130.50. Now to the numbers. We are up to 5,058 users on the app twelve days after launching. Here\\u2019s a snap of our Google Analytics.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, mdx(\"img\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"src\": \"https://res.cloudinary.com/calderablog/image/upload/v1564965854/1_RQAnhvrETFBvD-xR8IDnyQ_vucrgz.png\",\n    \"alt\": \"Google Analytics Guess the Throne\"\n  }))), mdx(\"p\", null, \"We\\u2019re overjoyed with the success that we\\u2019ve seen and feel like we\\u2019re one piece of press away from taking this to a new level. We\\u2019re projecting to hit 20,000 users by the start of the show, and would love for you to join us!\\nWe\\u2019re actively looking for a partner to help promote Guess the Throne and create content. If this is something you\\u2019d be interested in shoot us an email at \", mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"mailto:support@itsadate.app.\"\n  }), \"support@itsadate.app.\"), \"\\nI believe the most important lesson we\\u2019ve learned is the power of product and timing. Having a timely idea with a good product makes marketing easier. And remember, as the co-founder of Airbnb once said\\u2026\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"My name is Marcus Wood. I am the founder of Caldera, a product company focused on creating great user experiences through cutting edge tech.\"));\n}\n;\nMDXContent.isMDXComponent = true;","hero":{"full":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,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","aspectRatio":2.2264150943396226,"src":"/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/8e72e/hero.png","srcSet":"/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/f4b77/hero.png 236w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/6cdf2/hero.png 472w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/8e72e/hero.png 944w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/a43d9/hero.png 1220w","srcWebp":"/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/1d644/hero.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/cbe96/hero.webp 236w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/8ab83/hero.webp 472w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/1d644/hero.webp 944w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/02049/hero.webp 1220w","sizes":"(max-width: 944px) 100vw, 944px"}},"regular":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABQAAAALCAIAAADwazoUAAAACXBIWXMAAAsSAAALEgHS3X78AAACEklEQVQoz02Ry27TUBCGLXaINQgWVZstEmLDDrWsQWLPA7BmyTPwJiA2bYWEWqTQJE2ci+3mYid2fEvjJI3j+7m5cVNSJkkjkM7qaL75Zv7hRB83Q9yJSS+hGqYmYQOaDlk6SlN3kcG7usmGjNk0NQiDgm5C2xFpBljwMSf5uBViOaZqQnVMbcKAdBiL7pZH+fKnz19qmuEtFwPKLMKgABxyTAARtzBRYqIhamAKReCZLTLDD168fMdxz96+/zi9mTtpalGmE6oiqqxgIt3D0RZezQwwDe/+VLvao4fPH3C5vb0DK47H8zmYjTUs/w+312Z1bba3ZjsKc7kDjnu6/+YDmGGXFYxX2/0bW9zsHIEZGrN1YNRb3v6WOjs7r588frW7u19sq1eLWwORPgQWkw4EtoEhtIsA0qbtIOl4obUOxpnP7QQJ5iWv6s3hWAsjJ8ssmmqYaeRaQexik3bDQ5KP5IT9aMjHfPOw1DgqNfIttTV2+b59XKz/EuVvJ6Wvp+ff83zFHBX14ZnuSCEBkKvPkOCjVkSLhnPa0irWqNAzK8alNHbr9qig6KWeeSLIPwX5rGeJ06A+8WuTALS1GeJ4FzW81QKdhPXodT/NhIlX6g/KxrCgmtDoXB/w1ijfNUU3UHAKp5ECUvcQ7yZceRpXgfex6KELGAHCS6iSwEnY/SNpFzP4hPPAqqCBYatuAuBfw+otfgpzvd4AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","aspectRatio":1.8953488372093024,"src":"/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/2ceab/hero.png","srcSet":"/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/d8768/hero.png 163w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/8e377/hero.png 327w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/2ceab/hero.png 653w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/a436b/hero.png 980w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/dba30/hero.png 1220w","srcWebp":"/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/d603c/hero.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/64a97/hero.webp 163w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/a98ca/hero.webp 327w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/d603c/hero.webp 653w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/c1bd6/hero.webp 980w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/4cc8c/hero.webp 1220w","sizes":"(max-width: 653px) 100vw, 653px"}},"narrow":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.9,"src":"/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/9a17a/hero.png","srcSet":"/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/8026f/hero.png 114w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/5a23a/hero.png 229w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/9a17a/hero.png 457w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/14c4d/hero.png 686w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/09cde/hero.png 914w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/dba30/hero.png 1220w","srcWebp":"/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/72aed/hero.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/03a0a/hero.webp 114w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/d2b1d/hero.webp 229w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/72aed/hero.webp 457w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/1a85c/hero.webp 686w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/90a86/hero.webp 914w,\n/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/4cc8c/hero.webp 1220w","sizes":"(max-width: 457px) 100vw, 457px"}},"seo":{"fixed":{"src":"/static/4b1c08f5aae13f836987aee542a3b7bc/6050d/hero.png"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"9e6f62cf-a85c-5ed2-a6f5-9e1472b490dc","slug":"/blog/announcing-guess-the-throne-a-game-of-thrones-death-pool","title":"Announcing Guess the Throne | A Game of Thrones Death Pool","author":"Marcus Wood","date":"March 29th, 2019","dateForSEO":"2019-03-29T00:00:00.000Z","timeToRead":2,"excerpt":"This guide gives you a rundown of each step you need to take from the technical side to give your app the best chance to succeed.","body":"function _extends() { _extends = Object.assign || function (target) { for (var i = 1; i < arguments.length; i++) { var source = arguments[i]; for (var key in source) { if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(source, key)) { target[key] = source[key]; } } } return target; }; return _extends.apply(this, arguments); }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutProperties(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded); var key, i; if (Object.getOwnPropertySymbols) { var sourceSymbolKeys = Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(source); for (i = 0; i < sourceSymbolKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceSymbolKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; if (!Object.prototype.propertyIsEnumerable.call(source, key)) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } } return target; }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = {}; var sourceKeys = Object.keys(source); var key, i; for (i = 0; i < sourceKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } return target; }\n\n/* @jsx mdx */\nvar _frontmatter = {\n  \"title\": \"Announcing Guess the Throne | A Game of Thrones Death Pool\",\n  \"author\": \"Marcus Wood\",\n  \"date\": \"2019-03-29T00:00:00.000Z\",\n  \"hero\": \"./images/hero.png\",\n  \"excerpt\": \"This guide gives you a rundown of each step you need to take from the technical side to give your app the best chance to succeed.\"\n};\n\nvar makeShortcode = function makeShortcode(name) {\n  return function MDXDefaultShortcode(props) {\n    console.warn(\"Component \" + name + \" was not imported, exported, or provided by MDXProvider as global scope\");\n    return mdx(\"div\", props);\n  };\n};\n\nvar layoutProps = {\n  _frontmatter: _frontmatter\n};\nvar MDXLayout = \"wrapper\";\nreturn function MDXContent(_ref) {\n  var components = _ref.components,\n      props = _objectWithoutProperties(_ref, [\"components\"]);\n\n  return mdx(MDXLayout, _extends({}, layoutProps, props, {\n    components: components,\n    mdxType: \"MDXLayout\"\n  }), mdx(\"p\", null, mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"Spoilers ahead! Please don\\u2019t visit the website or read this post if you\\u2019re not caught up.\")), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The final season of Game of Thrones is here, and we couldn\\u2019t be more excited about it. After hearing for years that winter is coming, it\\u2019s finally time to watch the carnage of season 8 unfold. What better way to celebrate the final season than creating a death pool for you and your friends to join.\\nMy friends and I live all over the country so a paper pool wasn\\u2019t an option, and we couldn\\u2019t find what we needed online, so we just up and created \", mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://guessthethrone.com/\"\n  }), \"Guess the Throne\"), \"! Create your group, submit your picks, and invite your friends. We handle the scoring, rules, and everything else for free!\"), mdx(\"blockquote\", null, mdx(\"p\", {\n    parentName: \"blockquote\"\n  }, \"You may be asking yourself, \\u201CWhat\\u2019s a death pool?\\u201D Much like it sounds, it\\u2019s a bracket that lets you predict if a character lives or dies. Each correct guess is worth a point, and the most points win!\")), mdx(\"h2\", {\n    \"id\": \"how-it-works\"\n  }, \"How it Works\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The first thing you need to do is either create a group or join an existing one. You can create unlisted groups that can only be found by links or create a public one.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, mdx(\"img\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"src\": \"https://res.cloudinary.com/calderablog/image/upload/q_auto:good/v1564965139/1_pKvfKKbKroFnzXkoDDHEjw_badss0.gif\",\n    \"alt\": \"Creating a death pool\"\n  }))), mdx(\"p\", null, \"\\uD83D\\uDC80Death pool time! It\\u2019s time to create your entry and choose who lives and dies. We also have three bonus questions to keep it interesting throughout!\"), mdx(\"p\", null, mdx(\"img\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"src\": \"https://res.cloudinary.com/calderablog/image/upload/q_auto:good/v1564965151/1_r4xuDml6mL99lM07XliWGw_o0vcx1.gif\",\n    \"alt\": \"Death pool picks\"\n  }))), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Woo, looking good so far! \\uD83D\\uDE4C\\uD83C\\uDFFBNow it\\u2019s time to invite your friends to join in on the fun.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, mdx(\"img\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"src\": \"https://res.cloudinary.com/calderablog/image/upload/q_auto:good/v1564965164/1_mdTEbn3vmM8TSVKze9bHXw_gvyujm.gif\",\n    \"alt\": \"Death pool picks\"\n  }))), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Remember that anyone with the link can see your group so be careful where you share it!\\nThat\\u2019s it! You don\\u2019t have to do anything else, and we handle the rest. After each episode we\\u2019ll update the death pool so you can see how you rank compared to your friends.\"), mdx(\"h2\", {\n    \"id\": \"what-if-somethingweird-happens\"\n  }, \"What if something\\u2026.weird happens\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"If Game of Thrones is anything, it\\u2019s unpredictable. We\\u2019ve \", mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://guessthethrone.com/faq\"\n  }), \"attempted\"), \" to cover every edge case possible including but not limited to: What if two characters are the same person? What if someone dies and comes back? What if someone joins the army of the dead?\\nIf you see something missing let us know and we will add it. For all other things we have a small council (\\uD83D\\uDE4F) that holds final judgement on all scoring decisions.\"), mdx(\"h2\", {\n    \"id\": \"whats-in-it-for-us\"\n  }, \"What\\u2019s in it for us?\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"We\\u2019re offering this 100% free for everyone to use! This took us about a week to build, and if you\\u2019d like to show your appreciation please check out \", mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://itsadate.app/\"\n  }), \"It\\u2019s a Date\"), \", another product of ours, or share \", mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://guessthethrone.com/\"\n  }), \"Guess the Throne\"), \" on social media. There\\u2019s nothing else in it for us \\u2014 we\\u2019re just excited that people are using it. After the season concludes we might send out one and only one email thanking everyone for joining in on the fun and to check out It\\u2019s a Date.\"), mdx(\"blockquote\", null, mdx(\"p\", {\n    parentName: \"blockquote\"\n  }, \"Quick Aside: I know most of my blogs share code and how to implement things. These blogs are coming! After the season concludes I plan on open sourcing the code and writing a couple articles about shipping a product in one week. In the meantime, I have created a \", mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://codesandbox.io/s/l26k0xxvrq\"\n  }), \"CodeSandbox\"), \" of the landing page! \\uD83D\\uDE07\")), mdx(\"hr\", null), mdx(\"p\", null, mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://guessthethrone.com/\"\n  }), \"Guess the Throne\"), \" is now available to share with your friends, coworkers, and family. If you have any questions please reach out to us on Twitter at \", mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://twitter.com/GuessTheThrone\"\n  }), \"@GuessTheThrone\"), \", and if you decide to raise the stakes by playing for more than pride and bragging rights remember one thing\\u2026\"), mdx(\"p\", null, mdx(\"img\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"src\": \"https://giphygifs.s3.amazonaws.com/media/7E0QphLuDhT32/giphy.gif\",\n    \"alt\": \"game of thrones meme\"\n  }))));\n}\n;\nMDXContent.isMDXComponent = true;","hero":{"full":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,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","aspectRatio":2.2264150943396226,"src":"/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/8e72e/hero.png","srcSet":"/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/f4b77/hero.png 236w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/6cdf2/hero.png 472w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/8e72e/hero.png 944w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/36443/hero.png 1260w","srcWebp":"/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/1d644/hero.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/cbe96/hero.webp 236w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/8ab83/hero.webp 472w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/1d644/hero.webp 944w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/7614f/hero.webp 1260w","sizes":"(max-width: 944px) 100vw, 944px"}},"regular":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABQAAAAPCAIAAABr+ngCAAAACXBIWXMAAAsSAAALEgHS3X78AAADMUlEQVQoz31RW0zTYBj99UGNGuOL8cFgotGZqA9KIiITXYwXxFvUqHh5UMMlYAzGeEONeEkAb0O8hG3AhBAQJiYaEWKQoYKQgE5xMMbc7C5dS9u1XTfG2jGoX+Hd5vRPvvOf85/zt2jWHNXCRYmz561evGTj3AVrEUpAaOl/kTBj5rI589fMnr8a6SteVb00GaoajDVNFcZGQ2XDNPSVDTpDvaGqEUj91AikrqIeSLBUGk3AIykmiZIoSlNPLBZgA4CgEBRCQlQSyRESx/GgIHA8xwd5SRLj8XGwjIlRsCCKDgBGKAYQYPmvnV1t7ea2T+1fvnbahuy9fd/bzR3NH1peN7350NqKebxMgCNHaADoEcNygSmAleX4YYfLOmB3utyDNsfA4DDA8nMAGIcTs9md4AEZgIZ6LIcgDwgIhxkOUlrQDGx7vPhv61B/vw1z+yiaISmapBSeVvSKE8QI4pSBY2EbkgHA8sHQq8b3pWXGF+W15fq6Py43XFspyHFTsYHppshDUKMRQZbHMIJ0YLiXoPodmMvnu1n46OCx81m5Nw4ezevu6fWTFOYjcEXjC0f48dion6IRK7ATE6OyPOpnaMuwx+ry0hwTDtNjomCxY+09vwiGkaKsj/ANeokfTt9vjBQlCIuEIjz8qpAsR6tMbTk3Kwoe1OjqW03Nnz1+L2zjNN31y/FzaDgSBU28v8NcXfK44937qBgEVzweRvCC2elxXyyqW67OUR8p1GTczi14Egzzsjzu9uMWJ9HV1VN3+ZJ27968FSuvbUjCfvTJcFg8hCBhUobaEiD/rjE9U7s1o1Bz/M7VB/XmbossT1i/dV7flHJBpbqwZu2VxMT8VasqTx4XgyREoolJcIo259/ntR8Pn3umOVGccujGrtPFu88+VB+5V/32S1/Z/aJ16+6nbi7alHxr/Xrd/j1adUrH4xIIV5LhU0sxAR8hGI4yNplVmry0MyUHsrXp2WWXC56bMo7qdu7Qbt1SlJykTVU352R2lz8NuAagKZpUksEficdhlWubWhKSzhzIKYXkfblPT2UVP0tLL9++TZ+205C2q3rP7t4XpZQNrjMOxn/QUYNoYY1WmAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","aspectRatio":1.3583333333333334,"src":"/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/2ceab/hero.png","srcSet":"/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/d8768/hero.png 163w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/8e377/hero.png 327w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/2ceab/hero.png 653w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/a436b/hero.png 980w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/e1282/hero.png 1260w","srcWebp":"/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/d603c/hero.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/64a97/hero.webp 163w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/a98ca/hero.webp 327w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/d603c/hero.webp 653w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/c1bd6/hero.webp 980w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/f031e/hero.webp 1260w","sizes":"(max-width: 653px) 100vw, 653px"}},"narrow":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3571428571428572,"src":"/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/9a17a/hero.png","srcSet":"/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/8026f/hero.png 114w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/5a23a/hero.png 229w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/9a17a/hero.png 457w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/14c4d/hero.png 686w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/09cde/hero.png 914w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/e1282/hero.png 1260w","srcWebp":"/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/72aed/hero.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/03a0a/hero.webp 114w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/d2b1d/hero.webp 229w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/72aed/hero.webp 457w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/1a85c/hero.webp 686w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/90a86/hero.webp 914w,\n/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/f031e/hero.webp 1260w","sizes":"(max-width: 457px) 100vw, 457px"}},"seo":{"fixed":{"src":"/static/9e970bd26cfa87e9c791d9c8885a07fd/6050d/hero.png"}}}}}]}}}