A struggling startup in a tough industry
VideoShops is an angel-funded startup specializing in video commerce. The platform lets consumers buy products directly off videos and lets content creators sell products on video. The company was having major issues with UX. It turned out this was the just tip of the iceberg. The product was stalled in development due a bottleneck in design.
Identified tactical challenge
The company lacked a centralized product organization. There was initially no VP of Product, and there was never a Chief Design Officer, resulting in little strategic importance given to UX. This was reflected in the the revolving door of UX freelancers creating a lack of continuity and giving UX no voice at the company. As a result, the company's leadership did not have a clear picture of what was actually happening with the product.
Created a picture of the product for the company leadership
Even at ground-level, the designers did not know what the others were up to, especially between visual/branding and UX. This resulted in a cacophony of redundant and obsolete design files and a bottleneck in the pipeline. I worked to create a single view of what the product was meant to be, getting the buy-in of all key C and VP level decision-makers.
Identified the strategic problem
Through the work I did, I discovered that there wasn't actually a product, much less a product-market fit. While this was obviously a problem, it actually created an opportunity for a fresh start, if the company could get further investment.
Conducted user and market research for a total pivot
In order to help the company get another round of investment, I began developing a plan for a pivot. I deputized the company's creator outreach team to help gather end users, as well as competitive research, and identify gaps in the market.
Flipped the business model on its head
We found that creators did not want to create content for a platform without users, but users didn't want to come to a platform without creators. This is a story as old as time, but what is the solution? In this case, it was to flip the business on its head. Instead of trying to attract creators, we would hire the creators to attract the consumers.
Introduced an all-new consumer-facing iOS app
The original plan involved an iOS app for creators with which they could record and produce sales videos, but no app for consumers. We changed that approach, and designed an all-new consumer app with a focus on ultra-engaging content for low-friction video shopping.
Created a gamefied system for getting high-quality content quickly
In order to create all that content on a limited budget, I designed a set of "ambiguous" metrics that encouraged experimentation and collaboration by creators. This would set us apart from large competitors like TikTok and Amazon Live.
Won a second round of investment!
The pivot plan was pitched to the company's angel investors in a nick of time. This plan won the investors' additional backing, allowing the company to continue operations when it was believed it would not last through the end of the year. It took some time from that point, but the company has now launched.