Final Assignment_sshyamas

Soumya Shyamasundar
11th May 2015
STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN
OUTLINE FOR
Roommate Finder
19-692: Strategic Marketing & Product Planning for
Technical Innovation

1 | 19692 Marketing for Innovation & Entrepreneurship Soumya Shyamasundar
Executive Summary
One of the most basic needs for a student when they start their college lives is finding the
right roommates and apartments. This document develops a strategic marketing plan for a
website and phone application – Roommate Finder, to solve the problem of finding
compatible roommates and apartments by making the whole process faster, easier and
more reliable than the existing methods to do the same. It addresses the challenge by
offering a more accurate recommendation by correlating interests and specific qualities a
student is looking for before choosing a roommate. It also has the apartment finder feature
which integrates the available apartments in the required area thereby reducing the hassle
of going through all the realty management websites. The target customers and market in
the short run are incoming freshmen in the nearby Universities and will be expanding to
include all Universities on east coast of USA. What’s unique about this offering is that it is
exclusively for students and the university is the biggest stakeholder by providing the
database thus increasing the reliability, trust in addition to saving upto 75% search time.
Current solutions do not offer the same kind of flexibility and trust. The pricing strategy is
based on the freemium model and with an initial trial period. The basic version of the
application will be free and students will only be charged a nominal amount for a successful
find of a roommate or an apartment. The MVP is based on value based pricing and the
application will help student maximize comfort and satisfaction while reducing the search
time. The route to market strategy includes several marketing channels like Facebook,
University official websites and realty management websites which are easily accessible to
students. As it is a simple b2c model, the higher the number of marketing channels, the faster
the proliferation into the market. Depending upon the user behavior and feedback
received, the database will be expanded to include more universities and realty
managements. Roommate Finder hopes to achieve its short term goal of at least 50%
penetration among the targeted student population in the US with 25% users having found
compatible roommates and apartments through this product within 12 months of launch. If it
successfully achieves this goal, the long term vision of a tight integration with the University to
automatically update the database as when the new students come in will look promising.
The student community is large and growing perpetually and hence there is tremendous
opportunity to make revenue by tapping into this market.

TABLE of CONTENTS
Serial No. Contents Page No.
1.0 Product Idea 3-4
1.1 Product Description 3
1.2 How it Works? 3
1.3 Product Category 3
1.4 Feature/Attributes/Uniqueness 4
2.0 Customer Analysis 5-9
2.1 Customer Persona & Roles 5
2.2 User Persona 6
2.3 Usage Occasions 7
2.4 Job to be Done 7
2.5 Outcomes 8
2.6 Customer Journey Map – Current State Appendix
2.7 Value Opportunity 9
3.0 Market Analysis 10-15
3.1 Market Segmentation 10
3.2 Market Profile 11
3.3 Categories & Competitive Category Profile 12
3.4 Competitive Products Profile 13
3.5 Market Segmentation Analysis 14
3.6 Evaluating Market Position 15
4.0 Marketing Strategy 17-20
4.1 Target Market Selection 17
4.2 Market Coverage Strategy 18
4.3 Market Entry Strategy 20
5.0 Positioning Strategy and Value Proposition 21-24
5.1 Positioning Map 21
5.2 Value Proposition 24
6.0 Product Strategy 25-30
6.1 Total Solution Plan 25
6.2 Minimum Viable Product 25
6.3 Product Feature Priority 28
6.4 Product Strategy 29
6.5 Product Roadmap 30
6.6 Future State Customer Journey Map Appendix
7.0 Pricing 31-32
7.1 Value Based Pricing Estimation 32
8.0 Route to Market Strategy 33-36
8.1 Sales Channels 33
8.2 Sales and Marketing Channel Map 34
8.3 Buyer’s Journey Map 35
8.4 Product Datasheet 36
Appendix 37-39
Addendum 40-44

1.0 PRODUCT IDEA
1.1 Product Description
Roommate Finder – a website and mobile application exclusively for students to find
compatible roommates and apartments with options for specifying ideal qualities required in
a roommate and the apartment. It was conceived when plenty new students from my
batch had trouble finding a compatible roommate who understands their food, study and
sleep habits. They also had trouble finalizing on a realty management as they had to go by
the dissimilar reviews heard from their seniors that confused them further.
1.2 How it works?
Students have an easy access to the website because they need to login with their university
credentials. As the database will be provided by the university, there is a high degree of
reliability. As their details are available with University, the information gets populated once
the student logs in and gives permission to access their details. There are various filters for
finding the ideal roommate as the website gives recommendations depending upon the
students choices for food habits, study and sleep times, nationality etc. The apartment
finding feature also has a variety of options like distance from the university, amenities
required among other things.
1.3 Product Category
The product falls into the following category.
Figure 1. Flow chart elucidating product category
There are other methods to find roommates and apartments as well. But this is one of the few
dedicated websites only for students.
1.4 Features/Attributes/Uniqueness
 High degree of reliability as the University does thorough background checks and the
website uses the University supplied database
 Reviews and suggestions for apartments and potential roommates from seniors and
previous tenants
Find Roommates
and Apartments
Google
Facebook/Snapchat/Wh
atsApp
Dedicated websites for
student housing
Roommate Finder
Realty mngmt sites
Realty mngmt sites

 Freemium model with trial period. More detailed filters will be included in the premium
version
 Reduction in search time by about 75%

2.0 CUSTOMER ANALYSIS
2.1 Customer Persona and Roles
Persona Role
Freshmen, Graduate, Undergraduate student Initiator, buyer, primary user, decider
Friends Influencer
Parents Buyer, gatekeeper, influencer
Realty management representative Secondary User
Other friends, realty management representatives Gatekeeper
Table 1. Customer roles and persona
Initiator: The students who are in search of an apartment or are looking for a roommate are
the initiators of this application. It may also happen that the student already has an apartment
and is looking for a roommate or they already have a potential roommate with whom they
would like to share an apartment with.
Influencer: Friends will be the foremost influencers. Often we get connected to different
people in similar situations through our friends. To find a good roommate, students usually first
look among their peer groups and friends to find someone with a matching temperament.
The next round will be to look for friend’s friends and acquaintances. Everyone values opinions
of their friends and usually the second level of search happens in that circle instead of
randomly approaching people who are looking for someone to share their apartment with.
Friends will often influence decisions if they have already had some experience with the
potential roommate and the shortlisted realty management. Parents and relatives can also
be influencers sometimes.
Buyer: Students and parents will be the buyers as the students are the users and parents will
always want the best for their children.
Primary User: Students starting school/college away from home will be the primary user as they
would want to find a roommate, an apartment as well as a realty management which fits all
their needs and constraints.
Secondary User: The realty management can be the secondary user of the application in
order to find students who are looking for the apartments and amenities within different
budgets, requirements and preferences.
Decider: Typically after evaluating various aspects and characteristics of the potential
roommate, the student decides whether to go ahead or not in finalizing a realty management
and an apartment.
Gatekeeper: Parents can be gatekeepers with respect to the monetary budget as they are
the payer in most cases. Other friends also can be gatekeepers by either disclosing or keeping

critical information from the primary user. Realty managements also fit into this category as
sometimes they fail to disclose certain negative aspects of the apartment in consideration.
2.2 User Persona
Graduate student: Looking for a roommate – Myself
Tag: Finding a compatible roommate should be easier and the procedure to get an
apartment should be more streamlined:
Background
Age – 26 (college/graduate students) Social Media Usage – Heavy
Occupation – International Student Friends and contacts – Large
Number
Budget – Tight Time for myself – Extremely less
Spends most of the time in college
Attitudes, Principles and Beliefs
 Intense workload due to heavy courses
 A lot of extracurricular activities apart from course work
 Manages to sleep only for 3-4 hours a day
 Loves coffee
 Hates to fight with roommates for petty things
 Prefers to work at school to avoid unnecessary conflicts and waste time instead
completing assignments
 Gets along with everyone usually
Goals and Motivations
 Wants to work efficiently and increase time for doing more research and
extracurricular activities
 Likes to keep house and surroundings clean and tidy and hence ends up having a lot
of work at home as well
 Live with roommates that equally contribute to the maintenance of the house
 Find the perfect roommate who becomes a friend for life
 Wish there was an easier way to find more likeminded people
 Very organized and tries to be disciplined
A day in the life
 Tries to cook everyday as hate eating outside due to food preferences
 Ends up working for 16-18 hours straight
 Responsible and sincere and attends meetings regularly
 Loves listening to music in the morning

 Takes the public bus to school every morning as walking is not preferred
 Hoping to manage time better and has improved considerably when compared to
last semester
Success
 Feels everything will be worth it when she gets a good internship and a full time job after
her master’s degree
2.3 Usage Occasions:
There are 6 different situations where this application could be of great help:
For the Primary User Persona,
1) Apartment and roommates searching from a distant home
2) Newly arrived
3) Already existing
4) Two students who plan stay together as roommates and have to find an apartment
For the Secondary User Persona,
1) Parents helping their children to look for housing (Primarily based on how much they can
afford)
2) The realty management has a vacancy
The ideal usage occasion for the primary user persona would be when the user has moved to
a new place to start school or college. As this application is exclusively for students, it would
be extremely helpful for the student to use this application to find a roommate to share an
apartment with. The student may start the search before coming to the new location or after
coming to the city where she will be studying. The access to the website will be through the
laptop computer or a smartphone. Parents, friends and realty management can also be
involved in this situation to help the student to choose a roommate depending on the specific
requirements and availabilities. This situation typically occurs when a student has been
admitted to a University far from home and her native country.
2.4 Job To Be Done:
A student needs to find a compatible roommate.
Other usage occasions may demand other jobs to be done like finding ideal roommates in all
situations. Realty managements are secondary users who need students to occupy their
apartments.
Presently, focus will be on the job to be done highlighted in bold.

2.5 Outcomes:
1) Minimize the search time for finding a roommate
2) Maximize roommate compatibility
3) Maximize comfort by sharing personal space with the roommate.
4) Minimize wasting of time
5) Maximize satisfaction
6) Maximize time spent on important school work
7) Reduce rent expenses
8) Minimize Rental time without roommate
2.6 Customer Journey Map – Current State – In the appendix
2.7 Value Opportunity
Value Opportunity Statements:
Amongst students starting school in a new place, an opportunity exists to simplify the search
for ideal roommates that will help the student to lead a comfortable life
Amongst students starting school in a new place, an opportunity exists to simplify the search
for roommates through a roommate finder portal that will ease the hassles of trying to find and
contact an ideal roommate.
Value Opportunity Importance Satisfaction (Imp. - Satis.) Rating
One stop shop 9 3 6 14
Ideal roommate to maximize
comfortable life
6 3 3 9
Reliable and trustworthy
source to maximize safety
9 5 4 13
Specific filters to prioritize
qualities to maximize
compatibility
7 5 2 9
Reduce search time 8 4 4 12
Easy access to previous
tenants and seniors
6 5 1 7
Students from same university 7 8 -1 6
Finalizing the area 8 4 4 12
Table 2. Value Opportunity Table

The highlighted opportunities are the ones that will be addressed by the website and
application.
One stop shop: Find roommates and apartments on the same website/application. Large
database consisting of students and apartment listings
Reliable and trustworthy source to maximize safety: University database and hence the
reliable due to already conducted extensive background checks
Reduce Search time: Search time is reduced considerably due to availability of many filters
and many options
Finalizing the area: Finding apartments on the same website/application with filters to
calculate distance from school, assessing crime rates, availability of different amenities

3.0 MARKET ANALYSIS
3.1 Market Segmentation:
Job to be done: Find a compatible roommate
Primary User: Student
Usage Occasions: Apartment/roommate searching from a distant home, newly arrived,
already existing
Market segmented based on Usage Occasions: Incoming freshman students, Undergraduate
students, Graduate students
Variables that can be used to segment the users:
1) Demographic: Income, ethnicity, education, food habits,
2) Firmographic: Channels used, customer size
3) Geographic: Country, world region, climate, upbringing
4) Psychographic – Lifestyle, interests, opinions, activities and hobbies, sleep hours, school,
personality, likes and dislikes, cultures
Brief Description:
Incoming Freshman Student:
 No income of their own and cash strapped
 Would be more comfortable to live with students from the similar educational
background (engineers, doctors, artists, actors etc.) and studying at the same
academic level i.e other freshman in this case
 Finding roommates through social media primarily
 Would prefer students with similar or same food habits, same culture and country, similar
upbringing (rural, urban, developed country, developing country), accustomed to
similar climate conditions, from the same country or world region
 Would prefer roommates with similar lifestyles (party animal, homebody, easygoing,
serious etc.), sleep hours and hobbies, likes and dislikes as well
Undergraduate Students:
 Have done this before and have a fair idea as to what works and what does not
 Have experience searching for roommates as well. Know the best method to find
compatible roommates
 May already have a roommate and is in search of the apartment
 May have an apartment ready and is in search of a roommate
 Would prefer undergraduate students only

Graduate Student:
 Have had some renting experience before but are new to the city and school
 Can afford slightly higher rates
 Would prefer graduate students only because of like-mindedness
 More matured and have a clear idea in terms of the type of person they want to share
the apartment with.
3.2 Market Profile
Market Profile
Market Segment
Name
Incoming Freshman
Students
Undergraduate
Students
Graduate Students
Market Segment
Definition
Incoming students
who are new to the
city and new to
college life
Students who have
spent atleast one
year in college and
in the city
Incoming students
who have had prior
experience with
renting but are new
to the city
Size
~ 323,570 freshmen
needing apartments
and roommates (1)
~ 200,000 (refer to
calc) on an
average each year
(sophomore, junior,
senior)
~500,000 (2)
Growth Rate
Increasing. Exact
figure not available
n/a
Exact figure not
available
Trends Increasing
Decreasing.
Students dropping
out from college
Increasing.
Demand
Usually the beginning
of the school term
(Spring and Fall
semesters)
Beginning of school
term but can be
year round as well
Higher at the
beginning of the
school term, but
mostly they have
demand year round
Market Readiness
Tend to be early
adopters of new
innovations which
make school life easier
Early majority
Can be early
adopters or early
majority
Accessibility
Practically every 2nd
person in University
towns. Can be found
in and around schools.
Information diffusion is
Practically every 2nd
person in University
towns. Can be
found in and
around schools.
Can be found in
universities offering
higher education

quick through the use
of social media
Information
diffusion is quick
through the use of
social media
Entry Barriers
Facebook, WhatsApp
and iMessenger like
applications, existing
web services, word of
mouth
Tend to stick with
the herd. Will be
reluctant to
experiment. Will go
by what they
experienced.
Social media, prior
experience, may not
be too open to try
out something new
as they are more
mature
Buying Practices
Online and social
media, heavy
dependency on
friends’ and seniors
recommendations,
prone to impromptu
and rash decisions as
well
Dependency on
social media,
friends
recommendations,
but will mostly stick
to lessons learnt
from experience
Recommendations
from friends already
living here, social
media, will derive
from past experience
Table 3. Market profile for segmented market
3.3 Categories
 Student services
 Lifestyle
 University housing
 Online roommate matching services
Competitive Category Profile: Profile of a direct competitor at the Product Category Level
Product Category Online roommate matching services
Product Type Website
Primary Function Help students find apartments and roommates
Primary Usage Occasions
Options for prospective, incoming, graduate, undergraduate,
for landlords, for parents
Common attributes
Easy to access, students categorized based on academic
level, roommates and apartments both can be found at one
place, options for landlords and managements to tie-up with
university housing
Key Technology Used
Leveraging the already existing vast database of student
information
Tech Adoption Stage Between early adopters and early majority stage

Annual Revenues
Around 20,000 students overall (3) apply every year for its
graduate and undergraduate programs. So atleast 20,000 hits
for the webpage
Annual Units sold Not available
Trends
Increasing number of students accessing it due to its safety
and guarantee of finding good apartments nearby &
validated credentials of prospective roommates. The site is the
university’s own & hence trust factor is high
Weaknesses
Lack of choice when it comes to preferences for roommates
Very limited options for housing and apartments
No benefits for a CMU student
Table 4. Competitive category profile – online roommate matching website
3.4 Competitive Products Profile
Profile of a direct competitor at the Product Level
Product Name Roommates.com Roomiematch.com
Company
No affiliation to any university,
roommates.com llc
No affiliation to any university,
Roomiematch.com llc
Product Category
Online roommate matching
service
Online roommate matching
service
Product Attributes
Most of the information available
without signing in, Free basic
membership for contact info, has
an age, gender, area criteria
Claims to be the best online tool
for roommates. Cannot access
the main website until after
answering a series of 25-30
questions and providing contact
details
Key Technology
Online search, easy and very
intuitive
Online tool
Uses Find roommates, apartments Find roommates
Value Chains Roommate matching service Roommate matching service
Uniqueness
Photo profile, 2-Way Matching,
Power Roommate search
Unknown
Target Markets
Professionals, students, people
new to the city
People in need of a roommate

Customers
Any age group between 18-99
who has an apartment & needs
an roommate or needs an
apartment & a roommate
Unknown
Channels Online through the web Online through the web
Business
Performance
50,000 visits & 1,000,000 page
views per day (4)
Unknown
Strengths
Wide base with presence in more
than 70 cities across US
Claims to have a presence is a
large number of cities across US
Weaknesses
Bad UI which gives a shady
appearance, cannot measure
how trustworthy it is
Doesn’t let you access the site
without giving out a lot of details,
Gives a feeling of invasion of
privacy with the kind of questions
asked
Table 5. Competitive product profile
3.5 Market Segmentation Analysis
After profiling the market for the market segments, a target market has to be selected
depending upon how attractive the market segment is. Each of the markets are rated for
their attractiveness depending upon the same attributes they were profiled for.
Rating Market Attractiveness
Market Segment
Name
Incoming Freshman
Students
Undergraduate
Students
Graduate Students
Market Segment
Definition
Incoming students
who are new to the
city and new to
college life
Students who have
spent at least one
year in college and
in the city
Incoming students
who have had prior
experience with
renting but are new
to the city
Size Medium Small High
Growth Rate Faster n/a Faster
Trends
Increasing
Faster
Decreasing.
Slower
Increasing.
Faster
Demand Strong driver Moderate driver Strong driver

Market Readiness Highly attractive Medium attractive Highly attractive
Accessibility Easy Easy Easy
Entry Barriers Moderate Strong Moderate
Buying Practices Mostly Simple Moderate to hard Simple to Moderate
RATING HIGH LOW HIGH
Table 6. Market attractiveness table
3.6 Evaluating Market Position
The following table is used evaluate the market position of the market segments.
Incoming Freshmen Undergraduates Graduate
Solution’s Importance to Market
Does this product address their
primary activity? A frequent
activity? A significant activity?
Significant activity
Occasional
activity
Occasional
activity
Competitive Landscape
How many alternatives are
there?
Few Many Several
Market Adoption of Alternatives
To what extent have the next
best alternatives (product
categories and products) been
adopted?
Little or no
adoption
Little or no
adoption
Little or no
adoption
Uniqueness
How unique are the
Features/benefits of the idea vs.
the alternatives?
Moderate Moderate Moderate
Trends
What is the net impact of trends
on your idea & alternatives?
Positive Negative Neutral
Fits your strengths
How does it fit your capability to
do this?
Great Not at all Somewhat
Overall Rating Strong Weak Moderate
Table 7. Market position evaluation

3.7 Selecting a target market
Figure 2. Positioning matrix
From the positioning matrix, we see that the incoming freshmen students’ market segment
has to be targeted.
Market Position
MarketAttractiveness

4.0 MARKETING STRATEGY
4.1 Target Market
Since the market segmentation is within the student group, some factors are very closely rated
relative to each other. The main driving forces that can be used to distinguish the
attractiveness of the market are size, growth rate, trends and market readiness. The incoming
freshman students market has to be targeted.
Market size and growth rate: The rating given to size of the market is justifiable by the number
of students in that segment. Graduate students are the highest no doubt because they
consists of domestic as well as international students. The number of international students
coming to the US for a master’s degree has been increasing rapidly. The number of students
opting for college education has also increased in the recent years.
Demand: Freshmen are new to the city and usually arrive a few days before the school term
officially begins. More often than not, they come to the new city and find roommates and
apartments. There are students who find apartments before coming to the city as well. For
such students the easiest accessible data for roommates and apartment hunting is the
internet. Hence they will definitely explore all their available options. Undergraduate students
will stick with conservative methods depending upon their past experience. Also, they will
know when the best apartments become available and will try and get it then. Demand is
year round as their schedules differ greatly due to internships and other activities. Graduate
student number have been increasing steadily. Demand from them is high as well.
Trends: Trends reflect the growth rate. According to ‘The American Freshman’ (1) report
released by the higher education research institute at UCLA, close to 75% of the incoming
freshmen aspire for higher education. This shows a clear increasing trend. More and more
students are realizing the value of higher education in the best schools in the world. Hence the
trend for graduate students is also increasing as well.
Market Readiness: This is a very important factor as incoming freshmen tend to be young and
brash. Hence they are more open than their counterparts in the undergraduate and graduate
degrees. As there is not data supporting the claim, it can be said that freshmen being early
adopters is an assumption. Undergraduate students may not be necessarily matured but they
tend to value their friends’ opinion and rely on their past experience more than the students
in the other two segments. Thus they are mostly in early majority segment. Graduate student
on the other hand are definitely more matured among all the segments but still would be open
to try out something new as they are new to the city and graduate life. Some students may
be coming back to school after a couple years of industry experience and there would be
greater probability among such students to explore and try something new. That being said,
there can also be students who are more conservative and prudent and may not be open to
try out different alternatives. They would rather stick to the tried and tested methods. Hence
they can be categorized as early adopters and early majority which can again me a
moderate to strong driver.

Accessibility: Easy for all three segments as it is easy to find different types of students in any
university.
Entry Barriers: The entry barriers are on the higher side as students are already finding
roommates and apartment through social networking such as Facebook and WhatsApp
groups. It might definitely be tedious to find ‘compatible’ roommates and most 1st year
undergraduate or graduate students eventually live with students found through some process
of shortlisting atleast for a year. By the time the year gets done, most of them would have
made friends and have a better idea to choose their potential roommates. Hence they will
stick to conservative methods of finalizing on an apartment and roommates. This becomes a
high entry barrier as they will not be very open to try out new methods to find what they are
looking for.
Buying Practices: New students are willing to try out different alternatives to get the job done.
Freshmen tend to make impromptu decisions as they are highly energetic and enthusiastic
about staying away from parents and their permanent homes. They trust social media more
as well. Hence their buying practices are simple and predictable. Undergraduate students
might exercise some caution as they have already gone through the process of finding
roommates and apartment at least once before. They will trust their experience and friends
more than social media. Hence their buying practices are scattered and harder to predict.
Graduate students too are new to the city in most cases and have more specific requirements
in terms of compatibility with a potential roommate. Hence they might depend more on
authentic information and data to make their choices. This makes them ideal candidates to
use the application as there is a systematic way in which roommates can be chosen by
ensuring all the requirements are met through appropriate amount of personalization.
4.2 Market Coverage Strategy
Given that the product is an application and can be extended to be a website, accessibility
will be mostly through smart phones and the internet. As all the students in market segment
have more or less unlimited access to it, we can safely go ahead with an undifferentiated
market strategy. Customization can be incorporated with a differentiated strategy. This will be
applicable to the graduate students who might want more options and differentiating factors
to choose a compatible roommate. Differentiated strategy can be introduced as a next layer
after applying the undifferentiated strategy to the whole market segment.
Product Variability:
The same product will cater to both the market segments although a further degree of
customization can be incorporated through differentiated strategy.
Market Variability:
All the users will react to the market in the same way. Some level of customization can be
expected once the student has made certain feature selections.
Competitor’s Strategy:

The competitors are using an undifferentiated strategy as well. Although their market segments
are different and includes all individuals looking for roommates and apartments and not
necessarily only students.
4.3 Market Entry Strategy
Roommate finder will most likely enter the market as a fast follower as there are already a
number of websites which cater to similar need although not the exact same need. Moreover,
a part of the target market consists of early adopters. All incoming new students are potentially
early adopters as they are new to the city and school. The application will be the first of its kind
in the student housing services category as it caters exclusively to students. It does incorporate
some features from existing online roommate matching service and hence fast follower
strategy makes more sense. Fast follower strategy will help in making appropriate changes in
the product when compared to the existing ones in order to increase the number of students
resorting to specific websites and applications rather than using traditional social media
websites.
4.3.1 Near Term Focus
The goal for the near term strategy is to maximize permeability of the application among the
incoming freshmen and graduate students in USA. This can be measured by the number of
downloads of the application coming from University areas. Hits and time spent on the web
version also have to be maximized. The idea is to let more people know about the existence
and reliability of such an application
4.3.2 Long Term Focus Strategy and Growth Strategy
In the long term, I would like to integrate this with university websites and let students use them
with their school ids. It would be ideal as the database will be updated automatically when
the school updates its records when new students come in. Affiliation with the university will
increase the credibility of the application.
Given that there are existing similar products in the market that addresses a specific market
segment namely freshmen and graduate students, the quadrant with ‘New Market
introduce it to close friends
- mix of freshmen and
graduate students : 2
Weeks
4 weeks to 2 months -
introduction to all freshman and
graduate student at CMU
In 3 to 8 months - Introduction
to freshmen and graduates in
other universities like UPitt,
UPenn, NYU, Columbia etc.
Within 12 months of the launch
- Other universities accross USASegment – Freshmen & Graduates
Persona – Students
Job to be done – Find compatible
roommates and apartments
Journey – After getting admitted to
the university
Opportunity/Problem –
Easy/systematic way to find
compatible roommates, apartments
Goal – Product market fit
50% penetration among targeted
student population in the US
25% users should’ve found
compatible roommates/apartments
through this application
Early adopters use the
app, at least 25
downloads/hits per day

Development’ can be applied to the Roommate Finder. ‘Selling of existing products to new
customer’ fits well for this application.
Most of the resources should be spent on making sure the database is updated regularly with
the arrival of new students and availability of apartments during the school year.
After success in the United States, other education hubs across the globe can be explored.
4.3.3 Barriers to entry
Existing social media groups are major barriers. But they can be overcome by advertising
about this application on these social media pages or at other university events. Students get
directly exposed to the application by introducing it in the university events. Cost of these
activities will be reasonable and bearable as creating a Facebook page or an Instagram
account does not cost any money. Advertising it in the universities will require pamphlets and
pinups on school notice boards. Some manpower will also be required to get the message
across during social events at school.

5.0 POSITIONING STRATEGY AND VALUE PROPOSITION
5.1 Positioning strategy and positioning map
For defining a positioning strategy for Roommate Finder, a set of factors or customer’s criteria
for making choices among the available alternatives have been derived. There are two
alternatives which students currently resort to while finding roommates.
1) Relying on social networking sites, groups, word of mouth and recommendations
2) Roommates.com
Following is the table identifying factors and summarizing the reasoning for the positioning
strategy for each factor.
FACTORS DESCRIPTION
Affiliation to the
University
Both the alternatives suggested above do not have a direct affiliation to
the University. Roommate Finder will have affiliations to the university
which will give it authentic data on the students looking for rooms or
other students available to partner with. This factor is being CREATED as
none of the existing alternatives have it.
Reliability
Friends may not necessarily give reliable information. Sometimes it may
not be complete. Moreover what works for one person may not work for
another. Not all incoming students may have friends in a new city.
Roommates.com seems to be reliable. Roommate Finder will be
definitely be more reliable due to its affiliation to the University as the
database is obtained directly from the school records. Hence this factor
will be RAISED to strengthen the websites’ position.
Customization
Friends and social networking groups may not be always available and
reliable. Roommates.com does not have customization for students. The
website is for all individuals who are looking for apartments. Hence this
factor will be RAISED to strengthen the websites’ position.
Compatibility
across all
platforms
Availability of friends is always uncertain. Searching for specific things on
social networks is not very easy. Roommate Finder will have a mobile
phone application compatible with iOS, Android and Windows systems.
It will also have a website version incorporating all the requirements. This
factor is being CREATED as none of the existing alternatives have it.
Specificity
Friends and social networking sights do not give options to choose
roommates with specific qualities. Roommates.com also doesn’t have
options to indicate preferences and qualities required while searching
for a roommate. Hence this factor will be RAISED to strengthen the
websites’ position.
Maximize
compatibility
Matching like-minded people may not be possible through friends and
social networking sites. Roommates.com does a two-way matching and
photo-matching option. Roommate Finder will also have a similar
feature which will be less creepy as there will be only the student
community. Hence this factor will be RAISED to strengthen the websites’
position.

The positioning map mapping customer’s choices is as shown below:
The map clearly shows that Roommate Finder is well positioned by focusing only on the
students market. It has a high rank with respect to all the factors listed when compared to
both its nearest alternatives. Some more new features can also be incorporated in
Roommate Finder to make its market entry stronger.
5.1.1 Unlike Statements
Unlike Roommates.com, our application/website is compatible across all platforms – iOS,
Android, Windows, and Web
Unlike social networking sites, our application/website is more reliable
5.2 Value Proposition
Roommate Finder is targeted at the students’ community where there is still no singular one
stop shop for finding a compatible roommate or apartment. The following value proposition
statements can be generated for the
Primary User - Student
For new students in need of roommates and apartments
Who want hassle free and compatible roommates as per their preferences
We offer Roommate Finder, an online site for roommate matching service
Figure 3. Positioning Map

That provides a 75% reduction in search time and 100% satisfaction by finding compatible
roommates
Unlike social networking sites or Roommates.com
Our application/website uniquely reliability through affiliation to University and highest
customization to find the perfect roommate
The above value proposition is for the primary users of the application. As we have used an
undifferentiated market strategy, this statement is applicable to all the three market
segments – incoming freshman, seniors and graduate students. Students want to find
compatible roommates in a quick and efficient manner. They would be saving on time by
pursuing other sources which are uncertain and may not always yield the required results.
With Roommate Finder the success is 100%, as the student enters the required preferences
and the application/website will present them best possible available options.
Secondary User – Realty Management Representative
For Realty Management Representative who have vacant apartments
Who want to reduce the non-occupancy time for apartments
We offer Roommate Finder, an online site for roommate matching service
That provides a 75% reduction in search time and 100% satisfaction by finding compatible
roommates
Unlike social networking sites
Our application/website uniquely gives access to students who are looking for apartments
Calculation of % reduction in Elapsed (search) time:
On an average,
Students take upto – 2 months or 8 weeks to search roommates/apartments as per their
specification
With roommate finder –
1 day – registering and preference information entered (habits, culture, food choices etc.)
+2 days – validation and verification of identity by the University
+2 days – gives available options, can choose one and sends out a request
+3 days – acceptance or denial from the potential roommate
+1 day – asks either to reiterate process of zero-in on the match found
+1 day – documents of consent and acceptance sent out
+2 days – sign and upload.
+1 day – search closed
Total number of days – 13 days ~ 2 weeks
2 weeks/ 8 weeks = 75% reduction in time

Key Stakeholder – University
For the University which brings in 100’s of new students every season
Who want all their students to maximize time spent on academic/recreational activities in
the University
We offer Roommate Finder, a good source of income and value addition to offer their
students
That provides their students a 75% reduction in search time and 100% satisfaction by finding
compatible roommates and apartments close to the school
Unlike social networking sites and Roommate.com
Our application/website uniquely provides all students with roommates and apartments
search information, help for pairing students according to their preferences for on campus
housing as well.
The University is the key stakeholder here as they can benefit a lot from the use of this
website/application. They can bundle the information of Roommate Finder with their
application which will give them a reputation of taking care of their students to the
maximum extent. They don’t fall under any market segment as the application is not useful
for them directly. They provide the database for students so they are one of the key
stakeholders.

6.0 PRODUCT STRATEGY
6.1 Total Solution Plan
Analyses till now have given a list of features that will be incorporated in the first release of
the app/website for Roommate Finder. The following table summarizes the total solution plan
indicating the potential collaborators and the sources for different needs to make the
product a complete solution for the incoming freshman, undergraduate and graduate
students.
Solution component Source
Finalizing area to live in Google Maps, Here maps
Availability of apartments based on area
Trulia.com, Zillow.com, realty management
websites
Pictures of the available apartments Realty management websites
List of potential roommates
Student database provided by the
University
Photographs of students in profiles
University database, Facebook, Instagram,
user uploaded
Search mechanism
Algorithm matching specified needs and
requirements
Social network integration Facebook, Instagram
Desktop/Laptop computer Macbook, Lenevo Z40, Dell Inspiron, Asus
Mobile Device iPhone 6, Nexus 6, Samsung Galaxy
Compatibility – desktop device Accessible on the internet as a website
Compatibility – mobile device
App on iOS, Android and Windows
platforms
Internet access 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, Ethernet
Table 8. Total solution plan
6.2 First Product Release – Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
a) Product Requirement statements
The persona chosen is Student. As per the market segmentation, the student can
categorized into three different groups – freshman, undergraduate (sophomore + juniors)
and graduate students. The product requirement statements would be generic to the extent
that it caters to all the three market segments.
As a student, I want to find a compatible roommate so that I can maximize satisfaction and
comfort at home

As a student, I want to find a compatible roommate so that I can maximize my time spent on
studies and school work
As a student, I want to find a good apartment so that the time spent at home is as
comfortable as possible
As a student, I want to live in an apartment close to school so that I minimize time spent on
travelling.
As a student, I want to live in an apartment that fits into my budget.
The product shall have ideal roommate requirement matching
The product will be compatible on platforms: IOS, Windows and Android, Web
Figure 4. Product requirements
b) Product Features and Priorities
The following features/benefits of the app/website that will be incorporated in the first
release of the product:
Amongst students there is an
opportunity to have a one-stop
shop to find roommates and
apartments minimize search
time by 75%
As a student, I want
to find a compatible
roommate so that I
can maximize
satisfaction and
comfort at home
As a student, I want to
find a compatible
roommate so that I can
maximize my time
spent on studies and
school work
As a student, I want to
find a good apartment
so that the time spent at
home is as comfortable
as possible
As a student, I want to live
in an apartment close to
school so that I minimize
time spent on travelling.
As a student, I want to live
in an apartment that fits
into my budget.
The product shall
have ideal
roommate
requirement
matching
The product will be
compatible on
platforms: IOS,
Windows and Android,
Web

No. Feature Product Requirement (s)
Feature
Priority
1.
Can be customized to include
exact qualities needed in a
roommate
As a student, I want to find a
compatible roommate so that I
can maximize satisfaction and
comfort at home
The product shall have ideal
roommate requirement matching
1
2.
Collaboration with a lot of
independent landlords and
realty management firms
thereby having a variety of
apartments
good apartment so that the time
spent at home is as comfortable
as possible
1
3.
Large database of students
studying at the same university
thus likelihood of finding batch
mates higher
compatible roommate so that I
can maximize my time spent on
studies and school work
2
4.
Integration with maps to find
out exact distances
As a student, I want to live in an
apartment close to school so that
I minimize time spent on
travelling.
2
5.
Search feature for students
and apartments with a strict
budget
As a student, I want to live in an
apartment that fits into my
budget.
3
6.
Compatible roommates and
apartments only for students
at one place
Collaboration with the realty
managements and University to
provide all the data at one place
1
7.
It will be available on a wide
range of platforms
The product will be compatible
on platforms: IOS, Windows and
Android, Web
1
Table 9. Product features
6.3 Product Feature Priority
Feature 1 – Can be customized to include exact qualities needed in a roommate
This feature offers high value to the customer as it offers customization to the maximum
extent. In terms of effort required, it can be categorized as high as well because the students
have to give a lot of details about themselves in order to avail this feature. Also, in terms of
cost, it will be high because the search algorithm has to look for a large number of matching
features (higher % of matching features).
Feature 2 – Collaboration with a lot of independent landlords and realty management firms
thereby having a variety of apartments

This feature offers high value to customers and the business as well because of collaboration
with landlords and realty management firms. This not only expands the database and reach
of the website/app but also will become more credible and easier for students as they will
have more options to choose from. Incorporating this feature will be high on cost and effort
because coordinating and convincing landlords and realty managements to put up their
postings will be difficult.
Feature 3 – Large database of students studying at the same university thus likelihood of
finding batch mates higher
This feature is high on the value it offers students as all the students in the university who are
looking for roommates and/or apartments will be there on the app/website. Its low on the
effort scale as the University will provide the roster to the application. It is assumed that the
cost is low as the university will also benefit by bundling this product while highlighting their
services to students.
Feature 4 – Integration with maps to find out exact distances
This feature will rank high on value to the students as distance between school and their
apartments is of primary importance to most students. The effort of integrating this will be low
as maps (Google, Here etc.) are flexible and more than willing to have their maps featured
on the application/website.
Feature 5 - Search feature for students and apartments with a strict budget
It is assumed that most realty managements and landlords having properties within 5 miles of
the University offer their housing services at reasonable prices as the majority of their
customers are students. Inspite of this, there may be a small percentage of students who
have strict budget. It will be very difficult to find incorporate such rigid constraints. Hence it
lies high on the cost and effort scale. It ranks lower on the value scale as the percentage of
students who may want this feature is low. Thus, its given low priority.
Feature 6 - Compatible roommates and apartments only for students at one place
There is no existence of one single application or website exclusively to cater to students
housing needs. Hence this app/website would fill that gap and so the value for students as
well as the business would rank high. On the cost and effort, it will rank high as getting all the
collaborators and data together require time and immense effort.
Feature 7 - The product will be compatible on platforms: IOS, Windows and Android, Web
This product will be available on the above-mentioned popular platforms. Value to the
students will be high whereas the cost and effort of incorporating it will be fairly low due to
the availability of tools and kits to write the application.
6.4 Product Strategy
The ideal strategy for my product would be Segmented Product Strategy. As the product
caters to students and the market for freshman, undergraduate and graduate students is
different, the segmentation will be done based on the type of users –

a) Incoming Freshman –
 Will be looking for very roommates with similar lifestyles, same class and year
perhaps.
 Will not have very specific requirements as they are going through this process
for the first time.
 Will rank comfort higher over budget
The above points suggest that a basic version of the application/website would be enough
to cater to their needs. This will be the most inexperienced segment and hence they will not
require very sophisticated features.
b) Undergraduate students –
 Majority will be specifically looking for roommates taking same courses as they
can double up as project/study partners.
 Will have some particular needs to be matched like food habits and sleep
timings.
 Will weigh comfort and budget equally
The above suggests that this group of students will definitely have more experience with this
process and hence will get picky when it comes to roommate and apartment selection.
Hence they will require intermediate features and a higher than the basic version.
c) Graduate students –
 They will have specific needs as this group will be the most experienced market
segment
 Chances of most graduate students having higher financial assistance via
research/teaching assistance is also high. Hence they might value comfort over
budget.
 High degree of specificity and requirements
The above suggests that graduate students will require sophisticated features will be very
picky and specific to cater to their requirements. They can be considered as power users of
the application.
Thus, after the above analysis, a segmented strategy would be best suited to account and
cater to the different needs of all market segments.
6.5 Product Roadmap
May - June 2015 -
MVP
August – September
2015
Jan – Feb 2016
Target
Market
Users – University Students
Universities can be added as database expands
Product
Name
Roommate Finder
Roommate Finder
Version 2
Roommate Finder
Version 3

Key
Features
-Find compatible
roommates and
apartments
-For students only
from the same
university
-Find compatible
roommates and
apartments
-For students only
-Universities in the
nearby states also
integrated
-Recommendations
for addition of
students who are not
there accepted
-Find compatible
roommates and
apartments
-For students only
- Recommendations for
addition of students
who are not there
accepted
-Majority of the big
Universities in the US
integrated
- Acceptance of alumni
in the database
Key
Benefits
-Easy and a reliable
recommendation to
find roommates and
apartments
- Hassle free method
to find short term
leases when in nearby
cities due to
integration of more
universities
- Increased
customization with
allowing
recommendations on a
particular person or an
apartment
The roadmap is the plan for the launch of the product keeping in mind the near-term focus
and market strategy. The entire student market is considered here and increased
customization is done for each market segment – incoming freshman, undergraduate and
graduate students in every version of the product. The required addition of features are
done with respect to feedback received from the user for each iteration.
Minimum Viable Product
The total product is the application which helps students to find housing and roommates that
maximizes satisfaction and comfort. It also reduces time the students spend on this process
and ensures that the process is a pleasurable one rather than a frustrating one. The MVP will
be compatible with the mobile platforms on iOS, Android and Windows as well as with a web
version.
6.6 Future state customer journey map with my product features
Enclosed in the appendix.

7.0 PRICING
7.1 Value Based Pricing Estimation
Given that the competitors for Roommate Finder are free, the product might face some
challenges with pricing. In the long term, because of its tight integration with the university
databases, a nominal fee can be charged with every successful find for a roommate or
apartment. It can also have a pay as you use model as students undergo this process
intermittently. Prices can be charged based on the market segment as well. The basic
version will be priced low when compared to the advanced version. Students can buy
subscription packs for either of the versions. Yet another method for pricing can be charging
the landlord or realty management every time they find students via this service to occupy
their properties.
The product can provide value to three key stakeholders:
1) Students – Primary users of the product
2) Landlord/Realty Management agents
3) Universities
From the earlier analysis, time savings will be the value that can be used as a basis to arrive
at a price ceiling:
4)
Initial price of $0.99 for a successful find of a compatible roommate of comfortable
apartment
Calculation of % reduction in time:
On an average,
Students take upto – 2 months or 8 weeks to search roommates/apartments as per their
specification
With roommate finder –
1 day – registering and preference information entered (habits, culture, food choices etc.)
+2 days – validation and verification of identity by the University
+2 days – gives available options, can choose one and sends out a request
+3 days – acceptance or denial from the potential roommate
Next Best
Alternative:
Roommates.co
m
Price - Free
Roommate
Finder
+ only for
University
students
+75% time
reduction
New
application/we
bsite
Has to build
credibility

+1 day – asks either to reiterate process of zero-in on the match found
+1 day – documents of consent and acceptance sent out
+2 days – sign and upload.
+1 day – search closed
Total number of days – 13 days ~ 2 weeks
2 weeks/ 8 weeks = 75% reduction in time
Calculation of economic value:
Average no. of days per semester (Fall or Spring) at CMU – 71 days
Fees paid by students (freshman, undergrad, grad)/semester - $25,000
71 days = 71 x 24 = 1704 hours
Hence $/hr = 25,000/1704 = $14.67 = $15/hr
By using the product, the students can potentially find a compatible roommate in 2 weeks =
2 X 7 x 24 = 336 hours
Therefore monetary savings every they undergo this process = $15 X 336 = 5,040 $-hr
Comparing to the 8 weeks they might have taken otherwise = 8 X 7 X 24 = 1344 hours which
would work out as $15 X 1344 = 20,160 $-hr
The time savings in terms of monetary value is high.
But as its nearest competitor is free, the application/website will be launched as a product
with limited free trial period.
Prices will be assigned depending upon feedback received after the launch of the product.
If the downloads/hits per month exceeds a limit signifying customer acceptability, a higher
price can be charged. Other alternatives (like Facebook and chat groups) have to be kept
in mind as well when coming up with a price.

8.0 ROUTE TO MARKET
8.1 Sales Channels
After identifying the pricing strategy for Roommate Finder, it is important to discuss the route the
application will take to market. The sales channel has to be identified and a coverage strategy has
to be put forth that will maximize the reach of the MVP. The channel coverage strategy will be
intensive sales as it is a website and mobile application to find roommates.
As the application is only for students, multiple channels can be identified based on the purchasing
needs of students.
As there are three market segments considered, the following are the sales channels
Incoming Freshman Undergraduate student Graduate Student
Website Website Website
University webpage, catalog App stores University webpage/catalog
App stores In app App stores
In app University webpage In app
Table 9. Sales channel for different market segments
The above distribution channels might also serve as marketing channels in order to promote
Roommate Finder to target users. The sales channels were primarily chosen because Roommate
Finder is a software and mobile application targeted towards university students.
Justification:
Website for all three market segments:
The Roommate Finder website will be accessible to all students from the particular university. This will
be a type of direct channel as it’s the company’s own website. Students are never seen without their
laptops and computers. They will easily access the website.
University webpage, catalog:
When students first hear of the university they want to join, they would typically want to access the
university webpage to look at the academic programs. A tab for apartments and roommates can
be included. This an indirect sales channel.
App stores:
App stores are obvious choice of distribution channel as it’s accessible by all students easily.
Application recommendation sites also help in driving downloads from app stores. This is an indirect
channel for sales.
In app:
In app purchases also drives downloads. This is also an indirect channel of sales.

8.2 Sales and Marketing Channel Map
The sales and marketing map shows the different channels for distribution of the application/website
and also shows the feedback which will enable us to keep the customers.
Marketing
Sales
Feedback
The Marketing channels are common touch-points for students which makes it ideal to use them to
market the application/website. They fit the product strategy.
Roommate
Finder website
Google Ads
Facebook/Twit
ter/Pinterest
CMU official
website
App giveaways
Roommate
Finder website
iStore,
Playstore,
Marketplace
In app
purchases
Roommate
Finder website
Roommate
Finder app
Rockwell
Realty website
Word of
Mouth
Recommendati
ons and
referrals
Product ratings
& reviews
CMU Website
Twitter
CMU website

8.3 Buyer’s Journey Map
Customer Journey
Map
Awareness Discover Compare/Review Try Use Bond
Roommate Finder
Website
Mobile app
Google Ads
Facebook/Twitter
CMU official
website
Rockwel Realty
website
Word of Mouth
Recommendations
& referrals
Product ratings &
reviews
The above marketing channels were chosen as they are highly accessible by students who are the
target market. Students Google almost everything nowadays. Google Ads is a good way to get the
product noticed. Another source of advertisement can be on the social networking sites like
Facebook and Twitter as well. As the university is an affiliate, the ads for the website and application
is found on the university website also. This builds credibility and trust as students will more willing to
make use of the application. Other management websites will also show it as students look at the
management websites before making decision to buy or not. There are options for referrals too which
will benefit both the segments – sellers and buyers. Once the student plays around and finds out that
the university also supports it, he downloads the app. When students interact with each other, it may
drive more downloads as they can recommend the website.
Product Tagline
Find the right roommate now!
Sees
Roommate
Finder Ad
on Google
Ads
Clicks &
comes to
Roomma
te Finder
website
Checks
reviews
&
ratings
of the
website
Finds
referen
ces on
CMU
website
As
university
affiliated,
trusts it &
creates
account
with CMU
id
Finds
apartm
ent
Downl
oads
app &
likes it
a lot
Tells
friends
to avail
special
discoun
t for
referrin
g them

Key Messages to communicate
 Reduce 75% of the time used to find roommates
 One stop shop for all your housing needs
 We offer the security and trust of finding the best housing solution in town
 More than 1,000 listings and 2,000 members to choose from!
8.4 Product Datasheet
Product Feature Benefits and Description
Customization
Custom made filters to find the most compatible roommate. Filters
include:
 Food habits
 Study habits
 Sleep times
Lot of variety and
options to choose from
Specific needs to the T can be catered to because of innumerable
options for apartments and roommates to choose from
Map integration Finding precise distances between home and school
Exclusivity Only for students. No outsiders
Credibility/Trust
Background confirmation and checks by the University the student is
from
Compatible roommates
and apartments at one
place
Get done with all your housing needs in one place

Current State Customer Journey Map

Future State Customer Journey Map

References
1. Kevin Eagan, Ellen Bara Stolzenberg, Joseph J. Ramirez, Melissa C. Aragon, Maria Ramirez Suchard, Sylvia Hurtado.
The American Freshman: National Norms Fall 2014. Higher Education Research Institution, UCLA. Los Angeles :
Cooperative Institutional Research Program, Fall 2014. p. 86, Research Survey.
2. U.S. Graduate Schools Report Slight Growth in New Students for Fall 2012. Council of Graduate Schools. [Online]
2015. [Cited: March 22, 2015.] http://www.cgsnet.org/us-graduate-schools-report-slight-growth-new-students-fall-
2012.
3. Carnegie Mellon University. College Data - your online college advisor. [Online] 2014. [Cited: March 8th, 2015.]
http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg01_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=204.
4. Home Page. Roommates.com. [Online] March 2015. [Cited: March 8, 2015.] http://www.roommates.com/.
5. Sallie May. How America Pays for College. Newark : Ipsos Public Affairs, 2014. p. 6, National Study .
6. Best Off-Campus Housing. Niche.com Inc. [Online] March 2015. [Cited: March 8th, 2015.]
https://colleges.niche.com/rankings/best-off-campus-housing/.
7. Real Estate Speculation In College Towns. Investopedia.com. [Online] March 2015. [Cited: March 8, 2015.]
http://www.investopedia.com/articles/mortgages-real-estate/08/real-estate-speculation.asp.
8. Back To School Statistics. National Center for Education Statistics. [Online] March 2015. [Cited: March 8, 2015.]
http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=372.

ADDENDUM
Idea Name Roommate Finder
Idea
Description
Brief: A one stop shop to find compatible roommates and an apartment
with a Realty management. An application and website where students
can find roommates according to their requirements of gender,
nationality, food habits, personal habits, school and the courses taken.
The website also provides an option to find a realty management
according to the budget the students can afford, distance from the
school, amenities required among other things. They can contact the
realtors via phone or skype and can set up a request for a virtual tour of
the house.
Key Issue: Students often forced to find roommates via Facebook groups
with not much information about each other and finally ending up with
someone difficult to live with. Realty firms painting a colorful picture of the
apartment/house before the students finalize on one and subsequently
finding something totally unexpected. Other online roommate matching
services have to be verified thoroughly before being used as they may
be untrustworthy. Also students have to sift through other people like
professionals, vagabonds etc. to find student roommates.
Proposed Solution: A website/application to help students find the ideal
roommate by considering their needs, habits, cost budget, amenities,
distance from the school etc. They will be able to interact with previous
tenants as well to get a student’s perspective of a potential apartment.
Additionally they will be able to contact and chat with the realty agents
and set up a virtual tour of the selected apartment or a new apartment
can be also found through the apartment finder feature. Subsequent
procedures of completing formalities such as filling up the lease forms,
transferring the deposit amount, signing the agreement will also be made
easy through the website with guidance from realty agents as well as
previous student tenants.
Working: With the affiliation to the University, each enrolled student
already has an account. The students will have to activate it by logging
in. The students will have to log in and complete a profile indicating their
likes-dislikes, preferences, habits, affordability etc. Background checks
and authenticity of the user will verified by confirming with the university
where the student is enrolled. This won’t be hard as the University will be
giving the database to the website.
What’s different from the ones already available?

a) Exclusively for students currently enrolled in a University program.
b) Very specific needs like choice of food, nationality, type of the
course being pursued can also be incorporated.
c) Virtual tour appointments with the realtors rather than relying on the
unrealistic photos put up on their websites.
d) Providing services needed after the students find roommates and
have finalized on the realty management.
Users Students looking for similar minded peers to share an apartment with
Use
Occasions
Whenever students need to find roommates
Usage
This website/application will be very easy to use. Typically a student
looking for a roommate will have to log in when searching for an ideal
companion. The website/app will allow the student to apply different
filters to fit one’s needs and requirements to find a roommate and an
apartment of choice. Contact details will have to be shared but they will
be confidential and will not be shared with the other people before
verification – background checks with university, department, etc. The
students will also get notifications if a potential match is found. The mobile
app will be exactly similar to the website.
Value
It will help students to find suitable roommates to live with in accordance
to their habits and mutual interests. It will be extremely helpful for
international students as they can get the choice of their roommates
before starting the term at the University especially if they do not have
friends coming along with them or seniors already studying at the same
University. The realty management also can find students who are looking
for apartments in specific areas, types (1,2,3 BHK, Townhouse), amenities
etc. They can advertise the unique features and attributes and even
target the specific kind of students (PhD – long term leases, natives – may
not require certain amenities etc.)
Uniqueness
First formal website/application exclusively to cater to the needs of
students. Facebook and other general websites like Roommate Finder,
Roommate match do exist, but they cater to all kinds of people and not
only to the student community. This will be the first of its kind only for the
student community.
Changes highlighted in blue. The major changes to the product idea is
1) In the working of the product. The student doesn’t need to ‘sign in’. They just have to
login and give the website permission to access details from the university website.
2) Segmenting the students – based on year of college i.e freshmen, undergraduates
and graduates

3) Looking into the currently available options deeply – people still prefer social networks
despite availability of dedicated applications/website.
4) Including apartment finder feature
5) Name of the product from Roomie Finder to Roommate Finder
Changes in Decisions
1) Primary user persona – Name too long, changed to ‘student’ to make it more concise
and crisp. This change made the subsequent sections clearer as it was easy to include
and perceive ‘student’ as a persona rather than something long.
2) Secondary user persona – Changed it from parents to realty management. Parents
and the primary user persona had the same needs. Hence changing it to Realty
Management representative gave the product another dimension for revenue. We
added the ‘apartment finder’ feature also due to this.
3) Including roommate as a persona – Initially, including a generic ‘roommate’ as a
persona was also considered. But it did not help as it could again be student which
would be the same as the primary user persona. Hence it was eliminated.
4) Goals in the user persona description – some goals were rephrased to make them
goals and motivations. Although the difference was subtle, rewriting made them fit
well in the context of goals and motivation
5) Usage occasion – Shortened to make it more readable and clear.
6) Outcomes – Shortened to make it clearer.
7) Outcomes – Multiple outcomes were combined. Separating them helped see two
different end. ‘Maximizing satisfaction’ is difficult to quantify whereas minimizing
wasting time can be quantified. Hence it was a good decision to separate them.
8) Value Opportunities – More areas for opportunity were observed and added. This was
really beneficial in identifying the need for this product. Evaluating more opportunities
gave rise to more features to be included in the product. It also gave an insight as to
which one to prioritize while launching the MVP.
9) Market Segmentation – Initially, the market was segmented as per the user persona. It
was changed to segmenting within the primary user persona. This helped in building
the product catering to different segments of students.
10) Product category – Categorizing this product seemed a challenge in the beginning.
Analyzing the competitors helped categorizing the product as ‘Online Roommate
Matching Services’, housing for students, Student housing services, University housing.
The earlier category was ‘One Stop Shop’.
11)Target Market – As students was the primary user and all 3 segments – freshmen,
undergraduate and graduate had almost the same needs, it was hard to see one
market to target. The position evaluating table helped tremendously in clarifying the
target market. The market screening matrix also helped in measuring the
attractiveness of each of the segments. Finally, the market position matrix gave a
clear picture of the market to target. This made all the decisions ahead much simpler
and intuitive.

12) Market entry strategy – Two methods of market entry cannot be chosen. Deciding on
‘fast follower’ strategy changed the goals of the product launch.
13)Discussing competitive factors – Competitive factors discussion from the ‘create’,
‘raise’, ‘reduce’ and ‘eliminate’ perspective gave a realistic position on the
positioning map. The factors helped in determining the rightful place of the product in
the market. This affected in the addition and deletion of product features.
14)Value proposition – There were other stakeholders apart from the primary user persona
in this product. Writing the value proposition for the secondary persona and a ley
stakeholder helped realize the value it has to other people apart from students.
Making the above changes helped identifying whether the product is viable or not. There
certainly is a need from the students’ angle, but it seems like the current alternatives have
been serving quite the market quite well.
Uncertainties and Assumptions
The product idea evaluated has certain assumptions made which might greatly affect
the viability of the whole website/application.
Assumption #1 – Students need this is website and it can make their life simpler
The product idea was inspired when we observed current graduate students going through
a hard time when searching for roommates and apartments. Although the existence of this
product will certainly make their lives simpler, it is hard to gauge whether the students will use
the application or not. Considering the nearest competitors are social media and
Roommates.com and the latter is less frequently used, it gives us some food for thought.
There is a high chance that students will stick to referrals from friends and social networking
websites due to the high trust factor. Moreover, its easier than logging in to a separate
website as this activity happens not more than 2-3 times a year at best. Hence it is still
uncertain whether students are really looking for such a product to make their lives simpler.
New students may still open to try the product as they are new to the city and will not have
contacts and friends to help them search. Doing a pilot with the freshmen will certainly help
is delving into whether this application is required or not. Also, the fact that students ‘need’
this website and not ‘want’ it is also one of the biggest assumptions.
Assumption #2 - The University will be ready to give the database for students
Another assumption made is that the university will give the database of the enrolled
students to the product owners. There is a lot of emphasis on privacy in today’s world.
Institutions go at length to protect user data. It would be difficult to say whether the university
will lend their student database. The product is new and unless shows good potential and
builds credibility, the university will not help with providing the database. The product should
be profitable to the university as well. Then only collaboration can be thought of. Also,
permission of all the students will be required to let the university share its database. It is
again assumed that the students will be ready as they need this product. But it is an

assumption as there is no proof yet of the success of similar competitor applications. It is
unfair to compare the product directly with existing competitors as none of them are
exclusively for students. A pilot launch would help evaluating these aspects better. Privacy
has to be dealt with carefully as it is a question of students’ private records.
Assumption #3 - Revenue streams for the product
Making profits and revenue is still uncertain because we are using the Freemium model for
pricing. There will be a limited trial period. Students will have to buy the application/subscribe
to the website to avail more restrictive filters for choices of roommates and apartments. As
the nearest competitors are free and ‘good enough’ it is uncertain whether the student
would be willing to pay. Moreover the student will also pay a nominal fee ($0.99) with a
successful find of a roommate or apartment. Again, it is uncertain whether the student would
be willing to pay. It will difficult to incorporate the pricing mechanism too especially if the
student is using the basic free version or is in the trial period of the website/application. These
aspects have to be ironed out as well. Making sure of revenue and profits for the product
owners and stakeholders involved is highly uncertain. It also depends on the market and
acceptability for the product. A pilot launch of the application will help determine the need
and gaps that can be explored to make profits. It might change the model used for pricing
altogether.
Thus the above uncertainties will significantly affect the future of the application. Evaluating
them in depth will help assessing the viability of the product. There may not even be a
requirement for the application at all. Or it has to be refined further to get the students to
‘want’ it rather than ‘need’ it.

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