I'm working on a project to build a web application that takes spreadsheets from users and automagically (asking some questions to the user) makes a custom webapp for the same uses that the original spreadsheet [0]<p>I find it pretty difficult to comunicate this idea to people, in the sense that it is difficult for them to understand what I mean. In general, they misinterpret something (for example thinking that I offer a consultancy service, or that I'm going to make an app for a specific vertical) or they ask questions until they understand and at the end they say "you should have said X" and I said X but with one or two different words from other people's "you should have said Y".<p>I don't want to blame them, because I think is a limitation from my side of the conversation, but I don't know how to improve on this, and that is what I need help with.<p>I've tried repeating the concept with different words or using more or less examples but it is like they need to discover it themselves to really understand and I feel like theres nothing I can do to help that understanding.<p>Thanks in advance for any comments or advice<p>[0] Corresponding ApplyHN submission https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11458094
Make a demo that shows the process in action.<p>If you can't make a demo: people are better at understanding concrete vs. abstract. "Honda Civic" is better than "car" is better than "transportation device".<p>What that means in your case: describe the app by describing a concrete use case. Pick a concrete example instead of talking in abstract. Presumably you already have compelling examples of specific spreadsheets turned into web applications.<p>If you describe 2-3 concrete examples, they'll generalize themselves but it's much more difficult for people to start with generic explanation and imagine concrete examples.
try: "<i>I</i> have a website / webservice that takes <i>YOUR</i> spreadsheet, and turns it into something that can be put online, and lets anyone plug <i>THEIR</i> numbers into something that works just like <i>YOUR</i> spreadsheet, on a webpage. <i>And then</i> ... "