My apps target audience is geek gamers, especially Role Players (table top not video game).
http://www.gencon.com/2008/indy/ Gen Con is the largest convention for this audience, and will have representatives of Both the Publishers and Gamers, who I'd be building the product for.<p>My product isn't that far along (still learning coding so it's going slow), I'm living on a fixed income as a 'full time' college student. I'd have to drive 8 hours and get a hotel for a few days if I wanted to attend the whole thing. (I live in lansing michigan).<p>Being on the fixed budget I'm not sure I can really afford to go. However, trying to start this business I'm not sure if I can afford not to go. If I were to go, having nothing to show, what should I do? should I approach the publishers? should I poll the gamers attending?<p>My ideal full launch date would actually be Gen Con next year.<p>Any advice is welcome.
If you can't afford to go, you probably shouldn't. However, if you can earn a few bucks between now and then and find a way to keep the cost as low as possible(sharing a hotel, getting a student discount, staying with a friend or a friend's friend), then go for it.<p>If you go, sign up customers. Even if you don't have the product done yet you can still take email addresses. Then you will be more motivated to build the product once you know you'll have some customers. If you can't get any customers or strong prospects, reconsider your idea before you build it.
Find a safe place to park and sleep in your car. You can freshen up with some deodorant in the morning and stay 2 days.<p>If you need to take a shower at a motel, you can usually slip a 20 to the front desk person and do so.
Oddly enough I have approached a publisher of a table-top RPG in a similar situation. Nothing was built, but the idea was concrete. The publisher was very receptive and helpful, and even gave us some pointers on community figures that could be of assistance in testing.