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TL;DR: Sleep Spell is a project on Venture Feasibility Class at USC Marshall. I worked on a team of five to test desirability, viability and feasibility of a business concept.
TL;DR: Sleep Spell is a project on Venture Feasibility Class at USC Marshall. I worked on a team of five to test desirability, viability and feasibility of a business concept.
Credits to my squad: Hailey, Dmistris, Beatriz, Sugies
Credits to my squad: Hailey, Dmistris, Beatriz, Sugies
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
Asking effective questions is an art form
To extract meaningful insights from customers, I've learned to carefully craft our questions. Interviewers must be mindful of their own biases prior to conducting interviews to prevent influencing the responses. It's important that the question list is standardized across the team and includes open-ended and non-hypothetical questions.
Active Listening
Speak less than your interviewee. I've learned to not only listen intently to what the interviewee says but also to observe their non-verbal cues, intentional pauses, and facial expressions to delve deeper into their experiences, especially when something unusual arises.
Don’t solely rely on what they say; their actions are equally crucial.
During two rounds of interviews focusing on problem discovery and product validation, I observed discrepancies between what some customers initially said and their subsequent reactions. To avoid hypothetical queries such as "Would you do this?" or "Would you pay for that?", we can rephrase questions to reflect past actions, asking about the last time they did something or how much they paid for a similar item. Rather than asking if they would use the product, presenting them with a signup form to gauge their actual reaction can be more telling.
Designing thinking is a non-linear process
We keep iterating the product through 2-3 rounds of customer feedback. It was great to see how the team is opened and put customer into the heart of our product
Various elements are essential to shaping a consumer goods business:
👉🏼 Business Model: Think out of the box to explore different ways to diversify your business model and go to market strategy, especially important for a newly launched brand
👉🏼 Brand and Product Vision: Instead of focusing solely on the vision for a single SKU, develop a product roadmap that encompasses a vision for multiple product lines.
👉🏼 Market Sizing: Calculating TAM from top-down approach and SAM, SOM from bottom-up approach.
👉🏼 Financial Projections: Construct financial forecasts and determine the necessary investment requirements.
Summary
Summary
PROBLEM
Sleep has emerged as a crucial aspect of well-being, however, recent research data demonstrates a consistent rise in the number of individuals grappling with sleep issues year after year.
Through primary research with 25 millennials interviewee, we found that 100% of users spending a significant amount of their time scrolling on social media before bedtime. Around 40% of them mentioned that social media keeps them awake at night, causing them to have low quality of sleep.
SOLUTION
Sleep Spell offers recyclable sheets to place inside your pillowcase.
The ready-to-use sheet is infused with essential oil and melatonin to help you fall and stay asleep, even after extended screen time before bed.
For this project, we approach the process of market validation with following steps:
For this project, we approach the process of market validation with following steps:
We started with doing secondary research, analysing the market trends and opportunities to serve unmet needs.
We started with doing secondary research, analysing the market trends and opportunities to serve unmet needs.
After that, we define hypothesis and the target audience to validation.
After that, we define hypothesis and the target audience to validation.
Problem Validation
Problem Validation
Our initial focus was on female college students aged 18 to 22 who experience body image insecurities due to social media use. We thus formulated the hypothesis that social media negatively impacts their body image perception. We interviewed 25 female social media users with a minimum of two hours of daily social media usage as a benchmark.
Our initial focus was on female college students aged 18 to 22 who experience body image insecurities due to social media use. We thus formulated the hypothesis that social media negatively impacts their body image perception. We interviewed 25 female social media users with a minimum of two hours of daily social media usage as a benchmark.
After completing 25 interviews, only three participants directly discussed body image, with two experiencing eating disorders. This led us to reject our initial hypothesis linking social media to body image perception.
After completing 25 interviews, only three participants directly discussed body image, with two experiencing eating disorders. This led us to reject our initial hypothesis linking social media to body image perception.
— PIVOT
— PIVOT
Another pattern that was consistent across all our interviews was our user population’s high screen time at night.
Another pattern that was consistent across all our interviews was our user population’s high screen time at night.
90% of participants admitted to scrolling through social media as part of their night routines before bed, and a notable majority emphasized their heaviest usage occurred at night. In most cases, they spend hours on their phones, ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 hours before going to sleep. This was a result of their busy daytime schedules, leaving them with more leisure time at night.
90% of participants admitted to scrolling through social media as part of their night routines before bed, and a notable majority emphasized their heaviest usage occurred at night. In most cases, they spend hours on their phones, ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 hours before going to sleep. This was a result of their busy daytime schedules, leaving them with more leisure time at night.
Spending a significant amount of their time scrolling on social media at night, our users reported their sleep was negatively affected.
Spending a significant amount of their time scrolling on social media at night, our users reported their sleep was negatively affected.
Majority of interviewees mentioned that they see social media as a means to help them relax and fall asleep. However, they also reported that it often does the opposite, as it ends up keeping them awake for longer.
Majority of interviewees mentioned that they see social media as a means to help them relax and fall asleep. However, they also reported that it often does the opposite, as it ends up keeping them awake for longer.
Those participants further supported that their sleeping schedule is inconsistent and they do not get sufficient rest, expressing dissatisfaction on their sleep quality.
Those participants further supported that their sleeping schedule is inconsistent and they do not get sufficient rest, expressing dissatisfaction on their sleep quality.
We realized that the lack of sleep our user profile gets is a serious problem, thus it was worthwhile to pursue. As a result, we decided that our refined hypothesis should focus on:
We realized that the lack of sleep our user profile gets is a serious problem, thus it was worthwhile to pursue. As a result, we decided that our refined hypothesis should focus on:
Social media consumption before bed can
negatively affects the sleep quality of college students
Product Concept
Product Concept
After identifying the problem we should address as a group, we aimed to build a prototype that would help our users tackle the problems they are facing with sleep. We chose auromatherapy as a main methods to build the product concept - knowing that this is the methods user have not tried while having the highest willingness to try
After identifying the problem we should address as a group, we aimed to build a prototype that would help our users tackle the problems they are facing with sleep. We chose auromatherapy as a main methods to build the product concept - knowing that this is the methods user have not tried while having the highest willingness to try
Our product concept is a spray bottle for pillow - made with sleep-aid ingredients, including melatonin, lavender & Chamomile. The product comes with reusable sheet and sachet to placed in your pillow sheet.
Our product concept is a spray bottle for pillow - made with sleep-aid ingredients, including melatonin, lavender & Chamomile. The product comes with reusable sheet and sachet to placed in your pillow sheet.
To test our idea, we went back to some of our interviewees to validate the product concept.
To test our idea, we went back to some of our interviewees to validate the product concept.
Product Validation
Product Validation
We asked them questions about what they think of the product as a whole and whether they believe it would help them solve their sleeping problems.
We asked them questions about what they think of the product as a whole and whether they believe it would help them solve their sleeping problems.
40% said yes and provided insights to help us solidify product.
40% said yes and provided insights to help us solidify product.
They shared the concern on convenient and challenge us to simplify the process of preparing and washing the sheet and sachet.
They shared the concern on convenient and challenge us to simplify the process of preparing and washing the sheet and sachet.
Iteration
Iteration
From this response, we transition to ready-to-use sheets infused with sleep-aid ingredients for convenience.
From this response, we transition to ready-to-use sheets infused with sleep-aid ingredients for convenience.
We continue to offer the spray bottle in our product line for those customers who are conscious about sustainability.
We continue to offer the spray bottle in our product line for those customers who are conscious about sustainability.
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