Godyssey

Problem Statement  

How might we help new mothers balance their caring responsibilities and professional goals when returning to work after maternity leave?

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Problem Background  

Black mothers returning to work after maternity leave encounter substantial difficulties in balancing their caregiving responsibilities with their professional aspirations. These challenges are exacerbated by inadequate federal support and limited maternity leave protections in the US. The US significantly lags behind other countries in providing paid maternity leave and comprehensive support systems, which can place additional financial burdens on Black mothers, who often serve as primary earners.

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User Pain Points & Research Insights

• Inadequate Leave Policies: Many Black mothers return to work shortly after giving birth due to insufficient maternity leave protections. In the US, 23% of women return to work just two weeks after giving birth, and 40% do not qualify for the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which offers 12 weeks of unpaid leave. Among those who do qualify, only 39% can afford to take the full leave.
• Financial Pressures: The lack of paid leave and robust support systems results in additional financial pressures, leading some Black mothers to reduce their working hours or opt not to return to work, impacting their career progression.
• Work-Life Balance Struggles: Balancing professional goals with caregiving responsibilities is a significant challenge, leading to stress and exhaustion. This difficulty can hinder career advancement and affect overall work-life balance.

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Supporting Data

• Survey Insights: From the Co.Lab 4-week Product Sprint Research phase, 86.7% of respondents indicated that work-life balance influenced their decisions regarding career changes or higher salary positions. Additionally, 80% reported needing childcare arrangements and flexible working hours to balance their professional and caregiving responsibilities. 73.3% considered pivoting to a new career path or seeking advancement opportunities after returning to work.
• Industry Data: According to Forbes, the top two industries for work-life balance in 2024 are tech and real estate. These industries will be a focus for professional development resources in the Godyssey app.

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Research Overview

Addressing the challenges faced by Black mothers returning to work is essential for improving their ability to manage both caregiving and career advancement effectively. Implementing solutions that provide better support, flexibility, and career development opportunities can help alleviate these pressures and support their overall well-being and professional growth.

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Landing on the Solution

Based on our target users’ pain points, we are honing in on the following features:

Core Schedule Management

1. Account Setup and Management
   • User Registration and Login: Basic account setup, including user registration, login, and profile management.
2. Schedule Creation and Management
   • Seamless Schedule Creation: An intuitive interface for creating and managing daily and weekly schedules.
   • Personal Time Scheduling: Features to schedule personal time for the mother.
3. Weekly Affirmation Notifications
   • Mental Wellness Support: Weekly notifications with positive affirmations to support mental wellness.

Family Schedule Integration

1. Children’s Schedule
   • Children’s Schedule: Ability to integrate children’s schedules with the mother’s work schedule, including:
     • Breastfeeding
     • Pickups/Dropoffs
     • Naps
     • Diaper changes
     • Playtime
     • Tummy time
     • Activities
     • Bedtime routine
     • Bedtime
2. Family Needs Scheduling
   • Include family events and obligations in the overall schedule.
3. AI-Driven Notification System
   • Childcare Notifications: A basic AI-driven system to inform support systems (like family members or babysitters) about childcare needs.

Goal Tracking

1. Goal Trackers
   • Personal and Professional Goal Tracking: Tools to set, track, and manage personal and professional goals, including progress indicators and reminders.

Professional Development Library

1. Professional Development Library
   • Resources and Learning Modules: A curated library of resources for career advancement in tech and real estate, including articles, videos, and courses.

Advanced Scheduling and Community Features

1. Advanced Scheduling Options
   • Recurring Events and Reminders: Features for setting recurring events and reminders.
   • External Calendar Integration: Integration with external calendars (Google, Outlook).
2. Social Networking and Feed
   • Social Feed: A feature for users to share updates, experiences, and interact with other users.

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Explanation of Solution

Our solution is designed to address the specific challenges faced by Black mothers returning to work by integrating essential features such as weekly affirmations, goal tracking, schedule management, AI-driven notifications, and professional development resources. These features aim to alleviate the stress of balancing work and caregiving responsibilities and support their career advancement.

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Wireframe Sketches for MVP 1

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Future Steps

What we have planned:

• Prototype Development: We will create prototypes to test the feasibility of the proposed features.
• User Testing: We plan to showcase the prototypes to target users for feedback on its usability and effectiveness.
• Feedback Analysis: We will use feedback to refine and enhance the features iteratively based on user needs and preferences.

Possible additional problems to address:

• Enhancing the AI-driven notification system for more precise and customizable alerts.
• Expanding the professional development library to include more diverse content and resources.
• Exploring additional wellness features, such as stress management tools or community support options.

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