Problem definition

What is the real problem?

Why

• People are increasingly accumulating more things, underutilizing them, and generating environmental issues, space problems in homes, and becoming more individualistic (in the past, it was more common to lend or inherit clothes, etc.). Looking to the past often gives us clues about less abundant times, where the way we acted, produced, and consumed had less impact.

• Solutions already exist, but they are not designed from the perspective of social impact and sustainability.

• The goal is to create a tool that facilitates a process that occurs naturally in some cases but faces challenges in others: communication, security, information, and spaces to implement it.

• The problems are several:

  • Lack of space in homes, increasingly expensive per square meter, where unused goods accumulate due to consumption patterns (Fast Fashion…).

  • The social circle of individuals has reduced.

  • There are products that we only need occasionally (a drill is used for an average of 15 minutes over its lifetime, and everyone has one at home).

  • The main problem: goods that are either not used or underutilized, leading to the generation of more than what we need, resulting in unnecessary energy consumption, raw materials, and pollution.

• We are working on this project because we firmly believe in responsible consumption, creating bonds between people, and more rational use of goods.

Expected impact

• Greater awareness of product quality and their lifespan.

• Healthier and closer relationships between individuals and communities.

• Reducing the shipment of "waste" to developing countries (electronics, clothing…).

• Companies will see social consciousness regarding extending the life of consumer goods and will emphasize sustainability, durability… following the motto "less but better" as a company positioning. Laws like "the right to repair" and recycling and the circular economy align with this direction.

Business Aspect

• This is yet to be defined, and we will explore some interesting avenues:

  • Integrating excess stock and products from past campaigns into the consumption cycle.

  • Researching consumption subscription systems and rental of goods, like (Grover.com) but for individuals.

  • Agreements with public organizations related to recycling points, reducing the amount of products sent for recycling.

  • Utilizing components, both from fashion (upcycling) and electronics (hacking) to create new products.

Who

• Anyone with awareness and/or a need to reduce their footprint.

• A secure, agile, and effective means of connecting supply and demand is necessary.

• There are different user subgroups: those who need to monetize their goods, those who are reluctant to throw things away, and those who believe in the potential of recycling and restoration (the entire movement of furniture repair and modernization).

How and When

• We live in times of uncertainty, with economic issues and inequality (VUCA environments). In this context, many people are holding back spending and looking for ways to save.

• The service would be used in neighborhoods, but also in towns, already established communities, or anonymous connections.

• On one hand, there will be a sense of pride in being rational in consumption, as well as excitement for having access to an interesting product that would otherwise be complex to obtain. This reticence has long been broken with second-hand platforms for computers, photography, etc. It doesn't have a negative perception; on the contrary, it’s about knowing how to buy and take advantage of interesting goods and extending their use.

Motivations

(Pending in-depth research)

• Relief: it’s easier to give something to someone than to throw it away or take it to a recycling point.

• Excitement: having something new in your closet at no cost or very low cost.

• Awareness: related to ecological impact and responsible consumption.

• Savings.

What

• We are going to build a service (which will have a mobile application at its center) that will allow people to exchange goods.

• The company's goal is to validate the proposal and find profitability through a socially conscious initiative.