Product Experience
Problem Space
Problem Statement
How can we make the home buying experience in Canada a much enjoyable experience
for everyone, not just immigrants. (After mentor, peer review and user interviews)
Our initial problem focused on: New immigrant residents to Canada being able to purchase homes as part of their integration and settlement into the community. The challenges were more on finances and navigating through all the processes.
Research Insights
User Pain Points
Financial challenges from earnings,the housing market economy and getting related home buying services were top on the pain points from both the surveys and user interviews.
Feedback
The solution would be useful not just for immigrants as we earlier focused on but for everyone looking to buy or rent a property.
Landing on the Solution
While there is still much to learn from this problem space and what solutions would be useful, a seamless platform for intending home buyers to adopt which would provide an end-to-end process till they close on the property.
Future Steps
From speaking to the interviewees on their perspective on owning a home or renting it came down to the economy whether or not it was a good time to buy or rent. The proposed solution could be adopted for renting as a future feature.
Images
LINK: https://obi.my.canva.site/settleease
Learnings
Product Manager Learnings:
Obiora Nkwocha
- I learned how important research is towards product success.
- Validating a problem space is critical to ensuring there is a need and why it should be done now.
- Keeping focus on the main problem space especially in the early stages and even down the product phase helps to focus and keep the plan aligned.
- The Co.Lab experience has been a good one, exposing me to areas of product management I didn’t really give any thought to. Learning that as a PM my focus should be the What and the Why. What is the Problem to be solved and Why should it be done now.
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.