How We Identified the Problem
- The team shared firsthand experienced of wanting to live more sustainably but struggled to maintain consistent actions.
- We reviewed existing sustainability apps and observed the gaps in their offerings. Users often complained about the lack of personalization or clear, actionable steps.
- Examining competitors revealed that while many apps exist for specific actions, there was no integrated solution that connected users to a community and provided feedback, rewards, and an offset option in one place.
The Solution We Thought Would Address the Problem
- Allow users to track their carbon footprint in real time through daily habits like transportation, diet, and energy use.
- Based on the tracked activities, offer tailored advice for reducing their environmental impact.
- Let users join challenges, share achievements, and interact with other users in local or global communities.
- Users could offset their carbon footprint by investing in verified projects directly through the app.
Customer Discovery Plan Overview
- Are users interested in tracking and reducing their carbon footprint?
- Do they want a gamified, community-driven solution to stay engaged?
- Are they willing to pay for a platform that integrates sustainability tracking, suggestions, and offsetting?
Customer Discovery Process in Detail
1. Identifying Our Customer Segments
- Environmentally Conscious Individuals: Millennials, Gen Z, and families interested in sustainability.
- Corporates & Small Businesses: Companies aiming to engage employees in sustainability initiatives.
- Educational Institutions: Schools and universities integrating sustainability into their curriculum.
2. Reaching Our Customers
We used multiple methods to connect with potential customers:
- Social Media: Engaging on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
- Eco-Events & Meetups: Attending green tech fairs and eco-friendly workshops.
- Online Communities & Forums: Joining sustainability-focused discussions on Reddit and Facebook groups.
3. Collecting Information from Customers
We used the following tools to gather feedback:
- Focus Groups: Virtual and in-person sessions with sustainability enthusiasts.
- Face-to-Face Interviews: One-on-one interviews to understand their habits.
- Online Questionnaires/Forms: Surveys embedded on our landing page.
- Email Sign-ups: Building a list of interested users for further research.
Questions We Asked During Discovery
- What motivates you to adopt sustainable habits (e.g., environmental concerns, cost-saving, convenience)?
- What barriers do you face when trying to reduce your carbon footprint or live sustainably?
- How do you currently track or monitor your sustainability efforts (if at all)?
- Would you be interested in an app that helps you track your carbon footprint and offers rewards for eco-friendly actions?
- How likely are you to join sustainability challenges with friends or within a community?
- Would you be willing to pay for features that help you offset your carbon footprint or provide personalized recommendations?
- What additional features would make such an app more appealing to you?
Key Findings
- High Interest in Sustainability Tools: 85% of respondents wanted to track their environmental footprint.
- Need for Motivation: Over 70% would be more motivated by rewards or community elements.
- Personalization is Key: Respondents wanted tailored tips for their habits.
- Offsetting as a Valuable Feature: 60% would purchase offsetting credits directly through an app.
- Demand for Gamification: 65% preferred apps with eco-friendly challenges and gamified features.
How These Insights Have Affected Our Product
- We integrated features like badges, challenges, and rewards to keep users motivated and enganged.
- We enhanced the recommendation engine to deliver tailored actions based on the user's lifestyle.
- We prioritized features that enable users to form or join sustainability-focused groups, encouraging collaboration and shared goals.
- We focused on making the offset feature simple and integrated withing the app, making it easy for users to neutralize their carbon footprint directly.
Are We Ready for Customer Validation?
- Based on our discovery process, there is a clear demand for a holistic sustainability platform. 85% of respondeds expressed interest in using such an app.
- The feedback confirmed that users are motivated by gamification, community engagement, and personalization - features that are core to EcoPal.
- A significant portion of respondents showed interest in premium features and carbon offset purchases.
- Early-stage prototypes were well-received, with users suggesting only minor tweaks, which we are incorporating.