Naijacart
Local Nigerian groceries delivered to your doorstep.
Problem Statement
How can Nigerians in the GTA quickly get their traditional groceries?
Problem Background
Moving to a new continent comes with different challenges, and food is a way immigrants stay in touch with their roots and themselves. For many cultures, the Nigerian culture being in focus here, several ingredients and groceries cannot be substituted with North American alternatives. This absence comes with a sense of isolation, disconnection from one’s core and disenfranchisement.
As numerous Nigerians in the Greater Toronto Area would testify, there is a shortage of traditional groceries from back home. The stores that happen to have these groceries are few and far between, and users have to travel long distances within the GTA to get their traditional groceries. Some have to wait for months for a friend in Nigeria to travel to Toronto and bring these items in bulk.
Landing on the Solution
A solution o the problem is to reduce the stress users go through to get these traditional groceries. There are already existing solutions that deliver groceries to users, but none of those solutions caters to the ever-growing Nigerian population in the GTA.
Voila has its own automated robotic warehouse from which it sources groceries and not from local stores. There is already an underrepresentation of Nigerian stores in the area; by extension, Nigerian groceries appear not to make it into Voila’s warehouse. Instacart allows retailers to sign up and register a storefront for selling on the app while charging variable commissions per order and markups to some retailers. From indications on the app, the Nigerian stores are majorly not on this platform.
A solution would be to aggregate these traditional groceries and list the stores from which they are sourced. The stores can be incentivised with a more accessible sign-up system and cheaper rates than what Instacart charges.
Learnings
Product Manager Learnings:
Obinna Enemuo
I have learnt that it is crucial to understand your users' problems and know how they already solve them.
If what you propose is not a novel solution, it is necessary to look at competing options since they already exist in the market AND understand how you will solve the problem they don't in a unique way.
You would also have to prioritise and decide what is most important. Some aspects of your work may be helpful, but you might have to relegate those aspects, especially when there are insufficient resources to handle them.
Designer Learnings:
Designer Learnings:
Jo Sturdivant
- Adapting to an Established Team: Joining the team in week 6 of 8 was challenging, as I had to quickly adapt to existing workflows, dynamics, and goals. This mirrors real-world situations where you often integrate into teams mid-project, and flexibility is essential.
- Work-Blocking for Efficiency: With only two weeks to complete the project, I learned the importance of a structured work-blocking system. This approach allowed me to manage my time effectively and meet deadlines under pressure.
- Making Data-Driven Design Decisions: Unlike my past projects, I had to rely on research conducted by others. This was a valuable experience in using pre-existing data to guide design decisions, helping me focus on the core insights without starting from scratch.
Developer Learnings:
Developer Learnings:
Vanady Beard
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As the back-end developer, I learned how important it is to create efficient and reliable systems that support the entire application. This experience also taught me the importance of optimising the database and ensuring the backend is scalable and easy to maintain.
Developer Learnings:
Stephen Asiedu
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As a back-end developer, I've come to understand the importance of being familiar with various database systems and modules. This knowledge enables me to build diverse applications and maintain versatility in my work. I've also learned that the responsibility for making the right choices rests on my shoulders, guided by my best judgement.
Developer Learnings:
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Developer Learnings:
Maurquise Williams
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- Process of Creating an MVP: Developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) taught me how to focus on delivering core functionalities balancing between essential features and avoiding scope creep.
- Collaboration in a Real-World Tech Setting: This experience taught me how to collaborate efficiently in a fast-paced tech environment, keeping the team aligned and productive, even while working remotely across time zones.
- Sharpening Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: This experience honed my ability to think critically and solve problems efficiently. By tackling challenges and finding quick solutions, I sharpened my decision-making and troubleshooting skills in a dynamic, real-world setting.
Developer Learnings:
Jeremiah Williams
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All in all this experience was very awesome I learned that in coding with others being transparent is key
Developers Learnings:
Justin Farley
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I learned how important communication is when working with a team. Communication provides understanding, advice, ideas, and much more. While working with the product team, I’ve found that communication keeps everything flowing smoothly. Working with a team also showed me that every member brings something different to the table and we all have to work together in order to align and meet our end goal.