SoloChef
SoloChef is a digital platform designed to address the cooking challenges faced by individuals living alone. It provides personalized solutions to streamline meal planning, grocery shopping, and recipe inspiration, ultimately promoting healthier, more sustainable, and cost-effective cooking practices.
Product Experience
Problem Space
Problem Statement
Developing a user-friendly cooking tool aimed at individuals living alone to address common challenges such as food waste, overbuying, and lack of inspiration in meal preparation.
Problem Background
The challenge of cooking for individuals living alone is compounded by issues such as overbuying ingredients, difficulty in portion control, and lack of recipe inspiration, leading to food waste, increased reliance on takeout options, and higher spending on meal kits, ultimately resulting in financial strain, environmental impact, and health implications due to the consumption of less nutritious meals. Targeting: Adults living alone (aged 18 and above) who struggle with cooking for one person and seek support in meal planning, grocery shopping, and recipe selection.
Research Insights
Results from surveys and user interviews suggest key pain points include overbuying ingredients, portion control issues, lack of variety in meals, and reliance on takeout options.
Some responses from the survey includes:
70% of respondents highlighting portion control bring and issue and the lack of inspirations when it comes to recipes.
There was also a desire for support in meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking healthier meals by 80% of survey respondents.
My user interview also identified 100% of similar challenges.
The research highlights the common struggles those living alone face with cooking, and points to opportunities for technology to help address these challenges.
Landing on the Solution
Based on my research, the solution to this problem is creating a digital platform designed to address the cooking challenges faced by individuals living alone. It provides personalized solutions to streamline meal planning, grocery shopping, and recipe inspiration, ultimately promoting healthier, more sustainable, and cost-effective cooking practices. While I have an idea of how this solution will be enacted, I’m looking forward to working with a team to establish the “how” of the solution in the near future.
Learnings
Product Manager Learnings:
Netel Murray
My experience at Co.Lab was truly fascinating. It provided me with an invaluable opportunity to gain insights into the world of Product Management from a unique perspective. One key takeaway for me was the significance of meticulously defining the problem before delving into potential solutions. Through conducting user interviews and crafting surveys, I not only gained a fresh perspective but also discovered the importance of refining my product. This experience also illuminated previously overlooked issues that I had not considered before.
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.