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NineFive centralized freelancer-client collaboration by consolidating updates, files, and feedback into a single platform, reducing tool fragmentation. It featured performance analytics and Wanda, a context-aware LLM agent designed to automate client support.
Phase 1: Discovery & Research
Conduct Nationwide Qualitative Research: Led in-depth interviews with a diverse cohort of freelancers and small agency owners across the country to avoid local bias.
Map Operational Workflows: Documented the "everyday operational requirements" to visualize current user journeys and identify friction points in their daily routines.
Phase 2: Synthesis & Definition
Compile & Analyze Data: Aggregated qualitative feedback into a structured research repository to identify recurring patterns and pain points.
Define Core User Needs: Translated raw data into precise user stories and functional requirements, ensuring the product roadmap was driven by evidence rather than assumptions.
Phase 3: Execution & Recalibration
Drive Product Recalibration: Used research insights to pivot (or "recalibrate") the product strategy, aligning the feature set directly with the validated needs of the target audience.
Validate Solution Fit: Ensured the final design architecture accommodated specific user constraints, closing the loop between user feedback and shipped features.
The launch metrics from Ninefive in 2023 reveal the harsh reality of early-stage product fit. While our value proposition was compelling enough to drive a high 18% visitor-to-signup rate, we struggled to translate that initial interest into a sustainable daily habit. The funnel shows a steep drop-off: only 43% of signups activated, and despite a 54% retention rate among those users, our active base plateaued at just 23 Weekly Active Users with volatile daily engagement.
We had proved interest, but not stickiness. Faced with this lack of compounding traction and a depleted treasury that offered no runway for further iteration, we made the difficult but necessary decision to cease operations.