Tag: Dscover

The Fourth IoT Product — A Venture to Consumer Market

ENTREPRENEURSHIP STORIES

Consumer IoT is not an easy game — that’s what we discover.

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Each IoT product development journey is an odyssey filled with insights, challenges, and evolution. Today, I share the narrative of our fourth IoT venture, Dscover, and how it became a transformative segment of our IoT suite.

The Genesis of Dscover

The seeds for Dscover were sown amid the successful launch of our first IoT product, Raqib, in 2018. At this crossroads, feedback was not just a guide but a compass that pointed us toward innovation.

While Raqib was making strides, and as we progressed with Favorsense and the Favoriot IoT platform, there was a budding notion that it was time to chart a new path.

That’s when Dscover started to take shape.

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Understanding the Underlying Need

With Raqib, we ventured into tracking solutions beyond the Bluetooth smartwatch and smartphone. Yet, it became clear that our users’ interests lay elsewhere.

They needed a different kind of tracking — one that provided safety and connectivity, especially while traveling. The market demanded a solution that prioritized security without compromising the freedom of the individual or group.

This was the crux that led to the ideation of Dscover.

Embracing Market Realities

Initially, our eyes were set on the bustling Travel and Tourism market. However, the onset of the pandemic in 2020 drastically altered the landscape and our strategies.

We had to pivot quickly, transforming Dscover into a tool for families and friends to stay connected despite global travel restrictions.

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The Decision for an App-Centric Approach

Selecting a mobile application as the vessel for Dscover was strategic.

It was a nod to cost-effectiveness, leveraging existing smartphone technology, and aligning with the ease of deployment through app stores.

The aim was to create an unobtrusive yet powerful tool that users could integrate into their daily lives.

Tackling Go-to-Market Hurdles

The B2C model presented unique challenges, particularly in understanding and targeting user demographics through social media.

One stumbling block we encountered was the app’s initial name, “D’scover.” It proved problematic for searchability, leading us to the pivotal decision to rename it “Dscover.” (Note: Later, we observed that the spelling “Dscover” and how we pronounce it as “Discover” became a big misunderstanding in searching in the App store)

The initial B2B strategy targeted travel agencies and governments, but we widened our scope as the pandemic reshaped the world.

We even considered using Dscover for monitoring quarantined patients, an idea that, despite its potential, did not gain official traction.

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Introspective Moments

This juncture compelled us to reflect — did we invest enough in marketing and sales for our existing products before venturing into another? It was a solemn reminder of the complexities inherent in product development within the IoT space.

Gleaning Lessons Along the Way

Adaptability Emerged as Key

The development of Dscover underscored the significance of market adaptability. The global changes of 2020 necessitated a shift from a travel-centric application to one that served families and friends, illustrating our ability to respond to macro-environmental shifts.

Valuing User Feedback

The feedback from our users was paramount. Their insights directly influenced the trajectory of Dscover, underscoring the need to align our product closely with the user’s desires and expectations.

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The Art of Naming

A name is more than a label; it’s the first touchpoint with the user. The transition to “Dscover” was a calculated move to facilitate ease of search and foster brand recall. It was a lesson in the subtleties of product naming and its impact on visibility and accessibility.

The Need for Continuous Evaluation

Before plunging into new product waters, a thorough assessment of our existing products’ presence in the market became an evident necessity. Such evaluations and robust marketing and sales strategies are the bedrock of successful product evolution.

Carrying Forward the Insights

These lessons from Dscover are part of our collective wisdom as we forge ahead. They act as a direction that guides our product development, ensuring that our creations resonate with the market’s pulse and enrich our users’ lives.

Reflecting on this journey, I am reminded that each step, whether forward or backward, is a learning opportunity.

Through these experiences, we chart a course for success, navigating the intricate waters of IoT development with a keener sense of direction and a more refined vision for the future.

The story of Dscover is more than a chapter in our history; it’s a catalyst that propels us towards innovative horizons, ever ready to adapt, grow, and excel.

How We Build Our Fourth IoT Product

Why did we build another IoT product? Why can’t we maintain the three IoT products developed earlier. Here’s the story.

When we launched the first IoT product called Raqib commercially in 2018, we received a lot of feedback from users and potential customers.

We have to decide to enhance the current product or spawn into a new product altogether.

Meanwhile, there are two more IoT products that we are still building and enhancing – the second product called Favorsense and the third product called Favoriot IoT platform.

Finally, we decided to follow our gut feeling and start building our fourth IoT product called Dscover (formerly named D’scover – we will reveal the reason for changing the spelling later).

The Problem Statement

When we introduced Raqib as a single device solution for tracking (instead of using a Bluetooth smartwatch and a smartphone), we received much feedback that they don’t need the features of monitoring vital health signs.

But in which market is tracking the best suit for this product? Why the need for monitoring an individual in the first place?

In our early customer development process, tracking an individual is critical for safety – especially during travel.

If a person travels in a tour group, he wants to have some freedom on his own. But he also needs to be constantly connected with the group or his tour bus.

In the case of a tour guide responsible for the group, he must ensure the group’s safety, and the travel itinerary must be adhered to and to ensure no one is late or left behind.

If that person is lost, the easiest way is to locate through the mobile app. The app should also have a travel planner feature to organize and share among the tour members.

How Big is the Market

Initially, we targeted the Travel and Tourism market, which was vast and active before the Covid-19 strikes in early 2020.

Below are the statistics of the world’s and Malaysia’s No. of arrivals.

Travel and Tourism Market

However, when travel and tourism were severely affected in 2020 and 2021 by restricted movement orders and banned in traveling, we pivoted our market to a family and friends app.

The IoT Solution

We chose a mobile app as the solution because of the following reasons:

  • Cheaper because this “IoT” solution uses the individual’s device, i.e., smartphone. GPS is the only sensor needed. The user has paid their connectivity charges (mobile data). The user only needs to download the app and pay for premium features.
  • Easier to deploy and manage the users (only via the Google Store and App Store)
Dscover

Go-to-Market

The biggest challenge for such a product is that it has become a B2C model whereby the channel to market can be very challenging.

The most accessible marketing channel to reach the users is via Social Media – Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

To conduct targeted ads, we need to identify the users’ demographics – in this case, the family members and friends.

Earlier, we named the product D’scover, but it is complicated for a user to search the app in the App Store because of the unique spelling. Finally, we decided to change the name to Dscover.

In the travel and tourism market earlier, we have a B2B model approaching Travel Agencies and Government, but unfortunately, Covid-19 has a significant impact in this sector.

We have even expanded the market segment to solve the issues of monitoring quarantined patients. However, for some unforeseen reasons, this solution did not get the buy-in from the authorities.

Time to Stop Developing New IoT Products

We asked ourselves, have we done enough marketing and sales before moving into another product? Building a new product can be long and tiring.

All four IoT products have their strengths and weaknesses – which I will be able to share in other Blog articles. It is only the beginning of my IoT Adventure – you may subscribe to the newsletter or the RSS feed.

Dscover Resources

Articles worth reading:

  1. How We Build Our First IoT Product
  2. How We Build Our Second IoT Product
  3. How We Build Our Third IoT Product
  4. How We Build Our Fourth IoT Product