At the beginning of 2020, a pandemic was on its way, and no one was quite sure how to handle it or what effects it was going to have. Specifically for our company, the majority of our customers are in the consumer packaged goods business, and we were starting to see effects like shortages of key components in the supply chain and general uncertainty as to when or how those shortages might be addressed.
The ramifications to product makers were that they had a spike in demand for their products but issues producing them and/or getting them to consumers. For consumers, it simply meant they were having a hard time getting the things that they used in their everyday lives, like toilet paper or rice.
As a company whose efforts are positioned squarely in the middle between the products and the consumer, should we try to help, and if so, can we make a difference?
How Observa could help
Honestly, we struggled with this. The biggest question was whether we could actually make a difference given our limited resources, even though we designed the Observa platform with the ability to collect and analyze data for altruistic purposes. Sure, we make a difference to our customers and our Observers on a daily basis, but how could we positively impact the information needs of the entire country, or even, in our own humble way, the whole world? After throwing around tons of ideas one afternoon as we packed up our office for permanent remote work, we came up with something we thought could be beneficial to everyone without distracting too much from our core purpose and products.
Our idea was to allow people who were out getting the products they needed to report back and let others know when and where they found them. From the information-gathering side, the thought was that it wouldn’t be an inconvenience or unnecessary trip, as people were just taking an extra step while shopping. From the data presentation side, the information would reduce the need for shoppers to visit multiple locations searching for hard-to-find items.
A real-time view of the shelf, so to speak, which is a core component of Observa. We scoped it out, figured it would require a minimal investment of engineering time, and went for it, using a descriptive and not-too-cute name: Shelf Scout.
Technically, Shelf Scout used our current app to collect information, and we just had to build a new front end for people to search for product information at nearby locations. All of that was surprisingly easy, and even brought some joy to the engineering and marketing teams as they rolled out a modern, minimalist website with cool graphics and dynamic JS charts, linking into our platform via APIs.
Overcoming hurdles
We did run up against a hurdle in the technology space, however, when we wanted to get the location of website visitors without being too invasive or requiring their GPS location via HTML. We initially allowed zip code input, then looked those up in a Redis cache to get GPS coordinates. That solution was fast and easy, but not very effective, as zip codes can cover large geographic areas, making them not super useful for hyperlocal information. It also only worked in the U.S., and there was no reason not to allow the world to use our free tool. Fortunately, we found a great partner in Geocode Earth, who gave us free access to their geographic information. That was the final piece Shelf Scout needed to go fully live.
So we did it. We created something useful, gave it away for free, and got people to use it. The information Shelf Scout was based on was also donated by our amazing Observers. We received feedback from Observers who were happy to contribute and even a few thanks from people trying to find things.
You may be wondering why I’m referring to Shelf Scout in the past tense. The simple answer is that we shut it down. The bonus answer is that it no longer seems necessary, as the retail supply chains are now much healthier and more stable.
What did we learn?
Our project worked. It gathered tens of thousands of visitors and hundreds of submissions, but it didn’t get as much traction or participation as we would have liked:
- We couldn’t run an effective press campaign. The media was saturated with pandemic news, and readers were more interested in how Amazon was coping or what local regulations were being enacted.
- As anyone who goes to the park on a sunny weekend, or starts a tech company, knows, lots of people have the same idea at the same time. Competing for attention on an altruistic project isn’t feasible for a lean startup.
- Spending on advertising wasn’t even considered. In fact, we couldn’t have spent on ads if we wanted to, most outlets banned ads related to COVID topics, even altruistic ones.
- It was a humbling experience trying to be part of a solution to a global problem. I salute those who take on such challenges daily.
- Startups are often advised not to partner with other startups. It’s solid advice, but when you’re building something non-core quickly, every tool is on the table.
- Guerilla marketing 101: helping others can help your business too. It can make your team feel good and drive platform usage. But like any product, it doesn’t make sense to keep it alive if it’s not being used.
Thank you
Science and entrepreneurship are driven by experimentation. Failures teach as much as successes, and even the most successful efforts are eventually replaced by new ideas. Shelf Scout was a worthwhile experiment, and we’re proud of its impact. Hopefully, the need it served won’t return. Thank you to everyone at Observa, Geocode Earth, and to our Observers for making it possible.