Background
Menders is an innovative startup with a mission to connect individuals facing life’s challenges (“Mendees”) with a diverse community of problem-solvers, experts, and mentors (“Menders”). The goal is to create a safe, anonymous social platform where users can post their problems and receive free advice, solutions, or opinions from others. Additionally, the platform would empower experts to promote their paid offerings—such as online classes, books, or mentoring sessions—creating both a support network and income opportunities.
The ideation phase began with in-depth workshops to clarify the platform’s dual purpose: providing free, crowd-sourced support while enabling experts to monetize their knowledge. We mapped out user personas, including individuals seeking advice on sensitive topics like divorce, childcare, financial health, wellness, and credit repair, as well as professionals eager to offer guidance and services.
To ensure inclusivity and relevance, we designed a system where users could define and create new topics, allowing the platform to organically grow and adapt to emerging needs.
Drawing inspiration from modular design principles, we structured the Menders platform into distinct, scalable components:
Anonymous Posting Engine: Allowed users to share their problems or questions without revealing their identities, fostering a safe space for open discussion.
Solution Marketplace: Enabled users to respond with free advice or promote their products and services, such as books, online courses, or one-on-one mentoring.
Expert Matching Algorithm: Used AI to connect mendees with relevant menders based on topic, expertise, and user ratings.
Dynamic Topic Creation: Empowered the community to define and manage discussion topics, ensuring the platform remained user-driven and comprehensive.
Reputation and Review System: Built trust by allowing users to rate solutions and experts, highlighting the most helpful contributors.
We adopted a card-based prototyping approach, creating modular feature cards that described user flows, data requirements, and interactions for each component. For example, one card detailed the process for a mendee to anonymously post a question about credit repair, while another outlined how a financial expert could offer both free advice and a paid e-book.
Early prototypes were tested with a diverse group of users. Feedback revealed that anonymity was crucial for sensitive topics, and that clear labeling of free versus paid solutions increased trust and engagement. Iterative testing refined the user interface, ensuring seamless transitions between seeking advice and exploring expert offerings.
By embracing a modular, user-driven design and focusing on anonymity, trust, and opportunity, Menders successfully created a vibrant social product platform ready for development. The result is a dynamic opportunity to create a community where people can both give and receive help, find solutions to life’s challenges, and connect with experts—demonstrating the power of technology to foster support, learning, and empowerment.