Over the past few days GrooveHQ has implemented a unique blogging technique which involves soliciting comments from supporters prior to publishing publicly. Like most of you, I actually didn’t know what GrooveHQ is. However the CEO reached out to me with the following email:

Hey Nick,

Happy Tuesday!

I know you probably get a TON of emails from startups looking for your expertise, so I’ll keep this really short. I think you might find it interesting…

I’m launching a new series on my blog this week hoping to take on honest look at the long, tough haul from idea to successful company. Specifically, I’m tracking the ups and downs (strategies, mistakes, challenges) of going from zero users (where we were) to $28K in monthly revenue (where we are) to $100K/month (where we’ve set our sights for the next milestone), and beyond.

Would love to share it with you if you’re interested…do you mind if I send you a link?

Thanks,
Alex

Honestly, I’m not sure what drove me to reply as there wasn’t even a link to the post (I hate having to email back and forth with people just to find out what they want). In addition to me, Alex had sent out a similar email to a bunch of other industry people soliciting feedback.

Lo and behold, a bunch of people provided feedback and even commented on the post (which you can view here). The result is now nearly 80 comments on the post and what appears to be an active blog.

On the second post, which just went up today, Alex sent out an email to people to get their feedback on the article and get some initial comments. The result was some initial conversation prior to the article going public.

It now looks like people have already come to the article and have found it interesting. My guess is that more people will share the article as a result. Also, more people will comment. The key lesson: soliciting feedback and asking for something as simple as a comment is obvious, but it can make all the difference.