Challenge

Epicore Biosystems has developed skin-like wearable microfluidic solutions that are capable of non-invasively measuring sweat biomarkers, skin health, and physiology – all in-real time. While Epicore is actively co-developing the Gx Sweat Patch solution with Gatorade using this capability, the team was interested in pursuing other markets where users are considered “industrial athletes” due to the physically demanding work and need for constant hydration.

OpPORTUNITY

• What are the market segments of “industrial athletes” that might benefit from biometric tracking? What are their needs?
• What unit economics / pricing model would these markets bear?
• What needs to be true to achieve product-market-fit?
• What are the motivational factors for users (“industrial athletes”) and buyers (safety departments)?

RESULT

We presented to Epicore’s entire executive team twice – once for our mini class presentation and a second time to the entire company for a deep dive discussion. Components of the final deliverable included: our research findings, product roadmap, business case and unit economic model, proposed pilot and next steps. The Epicore team was extremely impressed by our work, and they described our findings as “extremely thorough, rigorous, and insightful.”

Focus Area & Skills

• User research & secondary research
• Business case development & financial projections
• Stakeholder mapping
• Product roadmap development

Key learnings

• In an industry where safety measures are heavily regulated, understanding the regulatory limitations of introducing new gear into the work environment is crucial.
• Use cases involving wearable technology naturally introduce complex feelings regarding data privacy. Since these reactions have the potential to undermine the desirability of the product, any go-to-market strategy must take into account thoughtful and researched change management measures to ensure successful adoption.

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Our Design Process