Alset 2024
Helping to build reliable power for those in the rural developing world, or in extreme environments.
My Role
To build a robust product strategy that answers the needs of the target market in India, also applying to other developed markets. Help build the product, craft product and human experiences. Communicate product story and strategy to investors.
Farmer | Market | Environment Learnings
Behavior:
Lugging solar panels around
Common use of trailers pulled by tractors, motorcycles, or SUVs.
Regularly filling up generator in the field, or at home with costly fuel from small bottles
Stealing power from grid to cool homes
Environment
Warming temperatures
Electrical grid strain from over use, leads to lack of reliable power, especially during hotter months…
Power Needs in many locations
This is a map layout of a rural farmer’s regular travels around a farming village, in rural India. A typical farmer travels to his farm a few miles away to water his field with a generator. He runs processes his crop in another location, then it is stored somewhere else. He sells fresh crops in a distant farmers market, or a road-side depending on the day.
When needed he will travel a few hours into a major city for equipment, or other goods / family needs.
Digging for needs
Using a current farmer journey map, I was able to identify existing pain pts. in red. These were the key areas I worked with the team to focus our solutioning around.
Pain Points:
Lugging a generator around
Purchasing and fueling generator
Setting up road-side crop stand, selling, and take down
General reliable light, doing homework, in the home, at night
Synthesis & Ideation
After learning about and synthesizing the spread out power needs mix with the farmer travel patterns, I helped the Alset team begin to visual a solution that can be used in many scenarios and setting based upon the needs of the rural farmer and his family.
Solution Journey
Focusing on hero moments:
Understanding hourly weather, precipitation, humidity to optimize water crops and working in the field
Easy transport and and setup of mobile solar unit
Selling crops and battery swapping
Reliable power and light in the home at night / early morning
Prototyping Tech + Experience
Different phases:
Wood frame - testing folder out mechanism and solar power draw
Steel frame - Transit use in farm + general feedback
Battery use
Value data sharing
User flow
Focus areas:
Know weather patterns at all times
Power generation and consumption from solar equipment
Power savings and environmental impact
Customize preferences based on personal daily needs
Simple design + construction
Design:
Following targeting brand guidelines (colors, text, look and feel)
Construction:
Simple onboarding
Weather - first surface
Quick access to equipment power generation + money savings + money generation
Be informed on the go
Know at a glance:
The source of power
Weather details
Cost savings
Earnings
Energy generation + production
Crop optimization
Next Steps
India and USA use cases for extreme environments:
Alset is building product in the USA and India markets for different kind of customers
Rural farmers
Disaster relief
Extreme events / environment with no direct power sources
Alset is fundraising and continually in discussion with investors.
** Please reach out if you want to get involved, or invest to help bring reliable power to those who need it most!