LekkerKids · Product decisions
Visit live productThree months.
Three assumptions I had to change.
I built LekkerKids as a parent information platform for Calgary families. Over three months, evidence kept challenging what I thought would work.
Location should drive discovery.
Observed and interviewed 10 parents. Tracking showed people used the list. They rarely used the map.
A better product would bring parents back.
The product got better. Distribution didn’t.
A shorter, clearer message would increase claims.
A better preview and 100-word email produced the same 4/20 claim rate.
Map-first → List-first
Location mattered. The map wasn’t how people explored.
What I believed
I thought location would drive discovery. I built the experience around a map.
What challenged it
I observed and interviewed 10 parents. I also reviewed tracking data. Parents scanned the list and barely used the map.
Decision
Make the list primary. Keep the map available on demand.
The trade-off Less space for the map. More space to compare options.
The product got better.
Distribution didn’t.
Parent-first → Supply-side
Promotional posts drove short bursts of traffic. Visits soon returned to the previous level.
What I believed
If I made discovery useful enough, parents would start coming back.
What challenged it
I asked parents why they weren’t using LekkerKids. They already had familiar ways to find activities. Usability wasn’t their main concern.
I had confused product quality with acquisition.
Decision
Add studio pages with richer program information for parents. Use those pages to start partnerships and encourage studios to promote LekkerKids.
The trade-off
Less time and capacity to maintain and improve the Activities page.
Studios as a distribution path: still a hypothesis.
I changed the message.
The result stayed the same.
Message → Friction
I expected a better preview, clearer explanation and shorter email to raise claims. My target was 40–50%.
The action stayed the same: claim an existing studio profile to manage its information on LekkerKids.
- Longer explanation
- Basic profile preview
Clearer explanation
200 → 100 words
- Clearer explanation
- Better profile preview
Clearer and shorter. Same 20% claim rate.
Small, non-randomized sample: 40 studios in two batches. The result challenged my message diagnosis, but it did not identify the main barrier.
Trust · Perceived value · Setup friction
This was a go/no-go threshold, not a benchmark. If close to half claimed a ready-made profile, the channel would be worth more investment.
Pre-fill studio information with AI. Ask owners to review and confirm it instead of entering everything themselves.
In progress · No result yetFrom building to the frontline
I started seeing the same pattern at Neo.
Sales Representative · Neo Financial
LekkerKids
Parents already had familiar ways of finding activities.
Neo
Some customers keep using a familiar card, even when Neo offers better benefits.
Existing behaviour is harder to change than I originally assumed.
Some customers are unsure how cashback works or what it is worth. Both experiences make me curious about how people understand and adopt products.
