Situation

I was brought on board as a Senior Product Manager and AI Consultant for Interior AI, a startup aiming to revolutionize the interior design industry by making it accessible to everyone through a multi-sided platform. The platform leveraged Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) to offer personalized interior design solutions via a mobile application. Despite the promising concept, the project faced significant challenges including a limited budget of $100k over two years and the notorious cold start problem for marketplaces.

Task

My primary task was to build an innovative tool and marketplace that could provide personalized interior design services within any budget. This included developing a technology capable of matching user styles and preferences to the most suitable goods available from popular suppliers. Additionally, I was responsible for creating compelling offers for partners to secure affiliate marketing and commission incentives, ensuring the startup had a defensible competitive advantage.

Action

To tackle these challenges, I led the design and development of the platform’s key features:

• I implemented an AI-based photo scanner to create AR digital images from photos taken on mobile devices or tablets.
• I developed a comprehensive style quiz, color quiz, mood board, and budget input system to gather user preferences.
• I integrated machine learning algorithms to optimize design solutions based on client preferences, presenting them in real-time.
• I enabled the platform to display detailed offerings including costs and timelines for completion.
• I worked closely with suppliers to build robust relationships, facilitating the automatic purchasing of home goods.
• I created compelling offers for partners, including affiliate marketing and commission incentives, to attract and retain them.
• I overcame funding challenges by efficiently allocating resources and securing acceptance into a major incubation center in Canada.