Web app · 0→1 · Cofounder, Product & Strategy
Dododo.it
Context
Families of neurodivergent children often wait months for professional assessment — and in the meantime, they're left alone with uncertainty. A parent who doesn't understand what's happening with their child spends more time on fear and doubt than on actually engaging with them. Not because they don't want to — because they don't know where to start.
A parent completes a therapist-designed assessment; the platform identifies their child's developmental needs and creates a personalised plan of daily activities. Progress is tracked over time, with guidance that helps parents build effective routines and confidence.
How it works
The pivot that defined the product
We started with a different idea: subscription boxes with activity materials. A series of parent interviews changed that. The real problem wasn't how to run activities — it was what to do in the first place. So we shelved the boxes and, working with therapists, built a developmental questionnaire that generates a personalised activity plan. The goal: make starting simple, and make it work anywhere — no special materials required.
Key product decisions
For the MVP we deliberately kept the interface minimal, focusing on the core loop: assessment → plan → activities. We chose a web app over a native app for flexibility and speed of iteration — critical for a two-person product team learning from real families in real time.
Designing for anxious parents, across cultures
Our research covered the UK, Europe, the US, and Latin America — and revealed real differences in how families approach developmental concerns and how much support systems offer them. Designing for this audience means designing for someone under stress: the tone, the pacing, and how results are communicated matter as much as the features.
What the pilot taught us
The UK pilot drew responses from over 100 families. The strongest signal in the feedback: the parent module — designed to help parents notice their own resources and state, not just their child's — mattered more than we expected. As one parent put it: "The most important thing for me was the parent module — I realised how much I need to pay attention to my own resource. The traffic-light system helped too." We're now strengthening that module, and building trust the slow way: through conversation, free trials, and partnerships with therapists.
Outcome
• Live UK pilot launched
• 20 pilot families
• 100+ parents participated in validation
• Early angel investment secured
• Partnerships with therapists underway
• 20 pilot families
• 100+ parents participated in validation
• Early angel investment secured
• Partnerships with therapists underway
My role
As cofounder, I owned product and strategy — from the initial research and the pivot through design and directing development to the live pilot. The platform is now live, supported by early angel funding, with my focus shifting to product strategy as the team scales go-to-market.