The Problem To Be Solved

Seafarers, often spending months away from home and traveling across international waters, face a myriad of financial hurdles:

1. Multi-currency cash management : Seafarers have to grapple with the cumbersome task of carrying and managing multiple currencies in cash, leading to security risks and difficulties in tracking expenses.
   

2. Currency fluctuations : Fluctuating exchange rates pose a constant threat to the value of their savings.
   

3. Logistical hassles at port : Upon arrival in foreign countries, seafarers are burdened with the time-consuming process of locating money changers to convert their cash into the local currency, often delaying their access to essential services and leisure activities.
   

4. Limited banking options at sea : The absence of convenient banking facilities while at sea makes it virtually impossible for seafarers to initiate money transfers or manage their finances effectively.
   

5. Wage payment challenges : Many seafarers receive their wages in less stable and therefore less desirable currencies like the Indian Rupee, despite their preference for more global currencies such as US Dollar.

Approach

I co-led a scrum team of product designer and (front and back end) developers to develop a multi-currency digital wallet that would cater to the unique needs of seafarers and crew managers. Given the complexity and dynamism of the project, I wore multiple hats, as a

• Product Manager: Strategising and co-leading the conceptualisation, delivery, go-to-market and launch of a MVP [Read more...]

  
  

• Product Owner: Managing the product’s technical evolution and onboarding its first 1,000 users [Read more...]

  
  

• UX Researcher and Service Designer: Conducting user research and translating findings into actionable features and a seamless user journey [Read more...]

  
  

• Agile Coach: Facilitating sprint ceremonies and setting the ways of working and methodology [Read more...]

  
  

Lessons Learnt

Partnership challenges:

Business partnerships bring both value and challenges. Working through partnership requirements and legal agreements can be complex and time consuming. I have learnt that beyond the black and white, a successful business partnership requires patience, understanding and oftentimes, a setting aside of egos.

Team collaboration and culture:

Likewise for building a team, the challenges are in the nuances like culture, language and working style differences. While it takes time, self reflection, forcing functions and frequent conversations to make a team work, I have found that being transparent aids in this process. For example, to improve collaboration, I encouraged the team to share a short description about themselves and what we can do to get the best / worst of them (“You get the worst of me when you are not clear in your instructions”).  

Personal growth and development:

Being in the founding team of a startup has opened my eyes to a myriad of fun and challenges. I needed to learn fast and pick up new hard skills (e.g. content design and setting up Google Analytics and Firebase) and soft skills (e.g. managing a cross-cultural and functional remote team). I have learnt that delivering high-quality work requires diligence and honesty, striving to always leave things better than I found them.

Strategising and Co-leading the conceptualisation, delivery, go-to-market and launch of a MVP