Troop

In the midst of the current dazzling strive for deeper meaning and fulfillment, an increasing number of individuals decide to take on the journey of independency. As a result, a variety of new services have emerged, all aimed at helping freelancers and entrepreneurs succeed in their endeavors. Small scale insurance subscriptions, all types of co-working spaces, specialized retirement funds and loan providers, neo banks, accounting apps, you name them... Despite all that, small business owners - both newbies and seniors - still seem to ask the same questions, face the same issues and need the same level of (human) support.

What type of company should I create? Which insurance should I choose? Am I overselling or underselling my services and products? How can I be more productive? Which bank/accountant should I choose? How do I maximize my chances of getting a loan from the bank? And nowadays, the problem doesn't seem to be the lack of information or services, but rather the overflow of them. One can feel disoriented and confused about what to choose for their specific situation and who to trust. This is how Troop was born. Created by and for independent workers, Troop is the trusted advisor who analyzes your situation and points you in the right direction.

We spent a month collecting the questions that the independent workers of our different networks asked on social media. We then spent hours discussing those needs with them in a variety of different ways (from extended phone calls, to focus groups and workshops). This enabled us to build a comprehensive empathy map, sort the needs by category and prioritize them. The conclusions we drew from the research led us to the sketch of a simulator meant to recommend the best administrative setup and financial services to consider. The user would answer a couple of questions, the simulator would calculate the best options given the user's specific situation and would give targeted recommendations accordingly.