Scaleit is an all-in-one web app that empowers African sellers with seamless brand promotion and scaling.
Limited visibility and resources hinder the growth of young entrepreneurs in Africa.
18-35 year old entrepreneurs in Africa seeking to promote and scale their brands.
Scaleit is a SaaS social commerce platform connecting sellers to their customers, providing brand visibility and access to tools for business growth.
I was the product manager using the design thinking process. I worked in a lean startup team and collaborated with 2 UI/UX designers, one data analyst and a software engineer to create wireframes, mockups and the MVP.
To understand the needs and challenges faced by young entrepreneurs in Africa, I conducted extensive user research, including in-depth interviews and surveys. I also lead the team to conduct a competitive analysis of the market to understand current players and opportunity areas.
We discovered that many entrepreneurs struggled with limited resources, low visibility, and the absence of affordable tools to promote and scale their businesses effectively. Two key responses that significantly shaped the user personas are shown.
I also conducted a competitive analysis in order to understand the market and competitive landscape.
Based on the insights gathered during the empathize phase, I defined the problem, market opportunity and key user personas. To ensure alignment and buy-in from my team and other stakeholders, I also defined the product goal and communicated it to allow for feedback. At this stage and informed by research, I began developing the product strategy to create alignment for the team and stakeholders.
To provide a digital platform where young entrepreneurs can list their brands, engage with potential customers, access relevant scaling tools, and effectively promote their businesses at a low cost.
Goal: To provide a digital platform where young entrepreneurs can list their brands, engage with potential customers, access relevant scaling tools, and effectively promote their businesses at a low cost. Target Audience: Young entrepreneurs in Africa who are seeking visibility, profitability, and access to affordable scaling tools.
Many young entrepreneurs in Africa struggle with limited resources, low visibility, and the absence of affordable tools to effectively promote and scale their businesses, hindering their contribution to economic development and the creation of employment opportunities.
Many young entrepreneurs in Africa struggle with limited resources, low visibility, and the absence of affordable tools to effectively promote and scale their businesses, hindering their contribution to economic development and the creation of employment opportunities.
The social commerce market in Nigeria is projected to reach
$4.5B in GMV by 2028, while the global social commerce market represents about $724B global market in terms of revenue. Research findings also revealed a significant market opportunity in Africa for accessible and affordable social commerce solutions tailored specifically for young entrepreneurs.Age: 27 Occupation: Fashion Entrepreneur Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Background:Â Sarah is a young and passionate fashion entrepreneur who started her clothing brand two years ago. She specializes in designing and creating trendy and affordable clothing for young adults. Sarah has faced challenges in promoting her brand and reaching a wider customer base due to limited resources and a lack of affordable marketing tools.
Goals and Motivations:
Age: 24 Occupation: Student Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Background:Â David is a tech-savvy student who enjoys online shopping and exploring new products. He is always on the lookout for unique and innovative products that align with his interests and lifestyle. David values personalized customer experiences and seeks convenience when shopping online.
Goals and Motivations:
During the ideation phase, I collaborated with the team to generate innovative ideas and features that would address the identified needs of young entrepreneurs. We focused on creating a user-centric experience and came up with features based on user stories. I prioritized the user stories for MVP using the MosCow framework, came up with a testable hypothesis and communicated my decision to the team and other stakeholders.
By providing Scaleit, a digital platform that enables young entrepreneurs in Africa to promote their brands, engage with customers, and access scaling tools, we can increase the number of active entrepreneurs, fostering economic development and the creation of employment opportunities.
I prioritized the following features:
Goal: To develop a lean and scalable digital platform that empowers young entrepreneurs in Africa to promote and scale their businesses effectively, contributing to economic development and creating employment opportunities. Target Audience: Young entrepreneurs in Africa seeking affordable solutions to enhance brand visibility, engage with customers, and access scaling tools. Value Proposition:
Month 1
User Research and Needs Analysis:
Collaborating with the UI/UX designer and engineer, we developed a high-fidelity interactive prototype that incorporated the prioritized features.
Buyers UI
A marketplace that displays up-to-date products from Sellers on Scaleit.
Sellers Landing Page (Header section)
Entrepreneurs can become a seller on Scaleit by clicking on the ‘Become a seller button’ in the marketplace and explore business growth tools.
Sellers Landing Page (Header section)
Entrepreneurs can become sellers on Scaleit by clicking on the ‘Become a seller button’ in the marketplace and explore business growth tools.
Sellers UI
A software as a service platform that provides the tools for sellers to list products, analyze buyer behaviors, mange orders and inventory, as well as communicate with buyers to handle inquiries and build trust.
I led the team to conduct prototype or concept testing, usability tests, A/B tests, and gathered feedback from early users. I collaborated with my team to decide on product metrics, assess the product’s performance, identify new pain points, and refine the user experience to ensure seamless navigation and engagement. The prototype was tested with a group of young entrepreneurs first to gather feedback and make necessary refinements. After the sellers we proceeded to test the marketplace with buyers to learn and get feedback.
Users easily understood what the web app was for immediately they got on the prototype.
Sellers found certain steps or fields in the product listing process to be confusing or redundant. Simplifying the process by streamlining the required information and providing clear instructions would greatly improve the user experience and reduce friction for entrepreneurs when listing their products.
Buyers loved that they could chat with sellers before buying. It helps them build trust quickly.
After extensive testing and iterations, Scaleit was officially launched to the target audience of young entrepreneurs and tech-savvy online shoppers in Africa. We implemented a robust go-to-market strategy, leveraging social media channels, industry partnerships, and targeted advertising to maximize reach and awareness. We finally decided to sunset the product after some failures and wins, and I also shared some future recommendations here.
Employ tailored marketing campaigns, leveraging social media platforms, influencer partnerships, and targeted advertisements to generate awareness and engage with young entrepreneurs in Africa.
Establish Scaleit as a thought leader in the social commerce space through the creation of informative and educational content such as blog posts, video tutorials, and webinars that provide value and insights to young entrepreneurs.
Forge strategic partnerships with relevant organizations, industry influencers, and local business communities. Collaborate on events, joint marketing initiatives, and co-branding opportunities to expand the reach and credibility of Scaleit.
Implement a referral program that incentivizes existing users to invite other entrepreneurs to join Scaleit. Offer rewards or exclusive benefits to both the referrer and the referred user, fostering organic growth and user acquisition.
Provide personalized and timely customer support to build trust and loyalty among users. Establish an online community or forum where entrepreneurs can connect, share experiences, and support each other, thereby enhancing the overall value of Scaleit.
Employ tailored marketing campaigns, leveraging social media platforms, influencer partnerships, and targeted advertisements to generate awareness and engage with young entrepreneurs in Africa.
Establish Scaleit as a thought leader in the social commerce space through the creation of informative and educational content such as blog posts, video tutorials, and webinars that provide value and insights to young entrepreneurs.
Forge strategic partnerships with relevant organizations, industry influencers, and local business communities. Collaborate on events, joint marketing initiatives, and co-branding opportunities to expand the reach and credibility of Scaleit.
Implement a referral program that incentivizes existing users to invite other entrepreneurs to join Scaleit. Offer rewards or exclusive benefits to both the referrer and the referred user, fostering organic growth and user acquisition.
Provide personalized and timely customer support to build trust and loyalty among users. Establish an online community or forum where entrepreneurs can connect, share experiences, and support each other, thereby enhancing the overall value of Scaleit.
Scaleit, a product from Sagefour was selected as top 50 most innovative youth-led initiatives for the SDGs in the world by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN SDSN). As a result of the selection, Scaleit was also featured in the Youth Solutions Report for 2020.