Supporting Unpaid Carers

The Journey of Creating Take Care

In today’s society, the challenge of caregiving has become increasingly prevalent, especially among young working professionals. Balancing a career while providing care for a loved one is no small feat, and it’s a struggle that often goes unnoticed. This realization led me to embark on a journey to develop a product that could alleviate some of the challenges faced by unpaid carers in London.

From initial user interviews to product experiments, this journey culminated in the creation of Take Care - a product designed to support and empower unpaid carers.

This product was a part of my product management course with General Assembly.

The Problem

With an ageing population, many young professionals find themselves becoming unpaid carers at a much younger age. During my interviews with young professionals aged between 21-35 years old, it became clear that this issue is widespread. While they are committed to providing the best care possible for their loved ones, the rising cost of living and a constrained healthcare system add significant challenges to their caregiving roles.

Key Insights from User Research

Through interviews with young professionals, insights from carers’ forums and speaking to informal carers’ groups, I identified several critical frustrations and needs.

Additionally, the needs of carers varied depending on the duration of their caregiving role and the life stage at which they began caregiving.

User persona

Meet Jiashree, Athena and Leon. They have been caregiving for varying lengths of time and would be the main target group for Take Care.

Market Analysis

To understand how the problem is currently being addressed, I examined the existing solutions. Information and services are often provided by state systems and the third sector. These systems are heavily constrained and will likely continue to be so with an increasing aging population. Through this analysis, I identified three key areas where there is an opportunity to make a significant impact:

Targeted Approach: Providing tailored support that addresses specific needs of young carers
Accessibility to resources: Making caregiving resources more accessible, user-friendly and readily available
Time-Saving Solutions: Offering tools and services that save time and reduce the burden on carers

Keeping the user personas and areas of opportunity in mind, I launched a product experiment – the Take Care newsletter. This newsletter aimed to gauge interest, validate the product idea, and gather further feedback from carers.

Revenue Streams

As I considered the future of the newsletter and potential monetization strategies, it became clear that a B2C-only approach might not be sustainable due to the price sensitivity of the market. Therefore, exploring the B2B market emerged as a necessary strategy to increase revenue streams. Based on user interviews and competitor analysis, Take Care will adopt two primary revenue streams:

B2C Market: Offering affordable services directly to carers
B2B Market: Partnering with companies to provide Take Care as a benefit for employees, and collaborating with councils or social services to reduce the burden on healthcare professionals

North Star Metric

The success of the Take Care newsletter is to be measured by the number of active users. This metric serves as the North Star, guiding the development and growth of the product.

Roadmap for the Future

The roadmap for Take Care focuses on several key steps to transition from a newsletter to a fully-fledged product. In the near term, the aim is to continue building the database of information for carers and explore the B2B market.

Future Launch Plans

The next phase involves launching Take Care on an additional platform, such as a website with user logins, providing access to various types of content, and determining pricing models for companies. The end goal is to develop an accessible app or platform with flexible pricing options, catering to both individual users and companies.

Conclusion

The idea of creating Take Care has been driven by my personal caregiving experience and I aim build a product that supports unpaid carers and alleviates some of the challenges they face. By understanding their needs, analyzing the market, and experimenting with product ideas, Take Care aims to become a vital resource for young professionals balancing their careers and caregiving responsibilities.