Order Your Life Wins Delta I-Fund

We’re Winners!

Earlier this year, Order Your Life had the honor of winning the Delta I-Fund. The Delta I-Fund provides funding and mentorship to early stage startups. Although winning funding sounds nice and flowery on paper, in reality it is a grueling and demanding process (but a phenomenal learning experience).

In a supportive partnership with the exemplary Ms. Sarah Walker (Thanks mom!), I am proud to say we survived the grueling pace of the start-up program.

After months of hard work, homework, dozens of customer discovery interviews, and many late nights, we are ready to share the results of our hard work.

The Press

• Delta I-Fund Winners Announced - Talk Business & Politics

• Delta Innovation Fund Selects 20 Delta Startups for Accelerator Program

• Chairman Caldwell Congratulates 20 Early-stage Startups from the Mississippi Delta

• Delta I-Fund

Our Results (aka The Pitch)

The Problem

Before we begin, let me ask you a question. Would you rather, A. Move, B. Plan a wedding, or C. Go to jail?

In a recent survey of 2000 Americans, Life Storage and OnePoll found that 1 in 4 Americans think moving is more stressful than a job interview; 1 in 5 think moving is more stressful than planning a wedding; and 1 in 10 Americans think moving is more stressful than spending a week in jail.

With more than 35 million people moving every year, there has got to be an easier, less stressful way to move.

Customer Discovery

In search of a solution to moving stress, we interviewed 59 consumers and 5 business people who work in the moving industry. As a complement to our interviews, we surveyed 114 additional people. Our grand total for customer discovery interviews is 178.

According to the consumers we interviewed, packing, unpacking, and organizing for a move are their biggest pain points. They don’t know where to start or how to get organized. In fact, a few interviewees told us they packed at the last minute, put their belongings in garbage bags, and they had no idea how to find their stuff.

That said, it’s not surprising that it takes the average American nearly four and a half months to completely unpack all of their belongings. And some people never finish unpacking

On the business side, our interviewees informed us that people don’t know how to move; they need guidance. Furthermore, professional movers would welcome a system that helped consumers get organized and thus decrease the stress level of the professional mover.

In short, consumers say “I really need to label my boxes so I can find my stuff.”

While, professional movers are saying, “I really wish these boxes were labeled so I can put them in the right rooms.”

Now that we’ve defined the problem, who is most likely to embrace our solution?

The Pivots

When we started this process, we believed military wives and middle aged women would be our early adopters. However, as we conducted our interviews, we discovered that this was not the case.

In fact, young professionals aged 25-40 who are in the engineering, technology, and construction industries are more likely to be our early adopters. These individuals are more likely to move every 2 to 3 years. 

As up-and-coming professionals, they have disposable income. And, given their ages and career fields, they embrace new technologies. In sum, they are in search of more efficient ways to move.

The Solution

Given that young, tech savvy professionals are searching for moving solutions, our solution is to combine our existing resources. We will combine the Order Your Life Moving Guide and our moving labels to create a moving app.

Thus, people who are moving can receive the guidance they need while using technology to stay organized.

The Launch

In preparation for the launch, our next step is to test our solution. We have created two videos for A/B testing. The videos start out the same, with an exhausted mover packing her boxes.

In video A, she uses the moving guide and labels to pack her home.

In video B, she uses labels and the app to pack her home. She uses the app to take pictures of the items in each box.

The Launch - Requirements

If consumer responses to the app are favorable, we will move on to the next steps. Additional launch requirements include creating interactive wireframes, wireframes testing, and customer solutions interviews. 

Champions

Last, but not least, we require champions who will connect us to an audience of early adopters who are looking for an easier, more efficient way to move. Are you a champion?

Thank You!

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