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When I had the first idea, I began sketching my raw ideas for the first product. I also met with local merchants to see if they’d be willing to offer discounts to users of the app.
I used Figma to turn sketches into low-fidelity clickable prototypes, then tested these with users and refined my raw ideas for the MVP. I also got feedback from my network of merchants on the process of users redeeming discounts.
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Once I fully understood what should be in our first product (MVP), I then revamped our UI and put these updated prototypes in front of test users to see how they interacted with it. This helped me further refine the product based on gathered feedback/user behavior etc.
Once I had a prototype and validation of my idea, I set a budget for its development. Initial goal was to get our product to market, and generating revenue, for under $30,000. I funded this entire project with my personal funds.
As I finished the MVP design, I began to interview senior developers. I found a developer who had the right skills, experience and a passion for the project. We agreed on his rate, signed paperwork and begin developing our first product.
As the MVP development was nearing completion, I filmed and edited marketing content. Once MVP was live, I ran paid ads on social media and marketed to a small audience on purpose (soft launch), so we’d have a chance to fix bugs and correct previously unforeseen issues within the product.
(Soft launch gained us 115* new users)
I gained valuable insights from our first users. I gathered the biggest pain points users faced and designed solutions. Analyzed usage data and metrics to discover what needed to change in the product, to hit our business goals. Collaborated with my developer on these proposed changes; we had healthy debates and implemented agreed upon features/flows.
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I filmed and edited more (and better) content leading up to this launch. I learned what content would be more engaging to viewers, based on the first content I created. Ran paid ads to a larger audience that began to create real momentum behind this idea.
(Launch 2 gained us 580* new users)
To date, I've spent $32,200 of my personal funds.
Currently, we are refining the app based customer testing/conversations and usage metrics. We're also building a sales funnel to sign up more merchants faster. Idea from here is to use what we've learned about consumer behavior and merchant's needs to begin to run a profitable business.
“Zach and I first met on the golf course. By the end of the round, I knew he was a unique young man.
During the match, Zach presented an eco-friendly, digital concept he had been working on. We discussed the advantages of his Trash2Cash app and it was clear to me Zach possessed all the right characteristics of a burgeoning UX practitioner. He is business savvy. He expressed true empathy for people and the environment.
Two things really stood out. His humility and his commitment to push the project forward. Zach had no formal training in user experience. Yet, by the end of the round, he was sharing a prototype that he had invested his own dollars to bring to life. It was a real working prototype, and I was shocked to learn he was engaged with a developer and was managing development sprints. I knew immediately, he was an individual worth my time to mentor. And so, it began.
In my opinion, Zach should be considered for any entry-level user experience (UI, UxR) or project management position. He's in a great spot to be groomed and developed and I am certain you will find his contributions to the culture to be a positive one. It's my pleasure to recommend Zach and I'm looking forward to watching his career take off.”
Shawn Kelshaw - Senior UX Designer
