Minipass iOS - Product Management
I led Minipass, a B2C mobile app connecting consumers with restaurants based on the restaurant management system at Minitable. With features like dining trip management and an all-in-one member wallet, it quickly gained traction. Within 10 months, we achieved 100k+ downloads, 300k+ users, and 3M+ user engagements, leading to $1.8M funding in Dec 2022.
Scope
Minipass iOS mobile App
Related web pages
Minipass admin and CRM system
Merchant-end integration
Responsibility
Product Strategy
Product Specification
Design >>
QA testing
Product Operation
Product Marketing
Tools
Jira/Trello
Monday
Figma/Sketch
Miro/Draw.io
Google Analytics 4/Excel
Minipass interface design - Login page, Merchant profile, and membership
Introduction
Minitable is a startup specializing in restaurant management systems, providing SaaS services to thousands of North American restaurants. Its offerings include waitlist and reservation systems, contactless ordering, and POS systems. In January 2022, I joined the team as a product manager to spearhead the development of Minipass, a new B2C iOS app. Minipass seamlessly connects consumers with merchants by leveraging the established B2B product fleet and building new features.
My Role
As the team lead, I oversaw the product development lifecycle and design process, working with a part-time UI designer and 2 part-time engineers. Later, in December 2022, I expanded the team by adding 1 operations intern and 2 new part-time R&D members.
Target Users
After conducting research, we discovered that 98% of the Minitable user base is on the iOS system. To validate ideas and save budget, I proposed building an iOS app as our first priority.
Our target users were young professionals aged 18-45 who have a preference for Asian cuisine, seek social connections, and reside in major cities.
Minipass interface - the schedule page
Product Vision
Evaluating our existing B2B product fleets, I noticed a gap in serving the consumer-merchant relationship. Despite Minitable's extensive user base in the US, the company wasn't effectively capitalizing on the data to generate more profits.
With Minipass, I aimed to bridge the gap by offering management tools and marketing platforms. This consumer-oriented product would complement the Minitable ecosystem, featuring loyalty points, trip management, a virtual wallet, and social scenarios. It would become the go-to app for users dining out, while businesses would benefit from strengthened customer loyalty and increased sales of our SaaS products.
Roadmap
In a lean start-up environment, I successfully applied the agile approach to deliver products with speed and intensity. Over the course of 18 months, I led the delivery of 10+ key features and oversaw 200+ iterative builds for various front-end products. Until May 2023, the overall product roadmap aligned with the product vision, complementing the ecosystem. However, a transition in May prompted Minipass to embark on a new business model exploration through various experiments.
In this case study, I’ll share my product management experience of 2 key features: Schedule and Draw.
Minipass roadmap from 2022 to 2023, over 18 months
Schedule
⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Building a product from scratch and achieving initial growth.”
Problem Statement
Some users may not receive the trip SMS due to carrier issues, while others struggle to locate the URL of the trip web page among the influx of messages they receive.
Solution
I led the new Minipass team through 3 MVP iterations, leveraging limited resources and aiming for rapid iteration. With user research and feedback collection, we optimized the product and validated its feasibility. The final MVP iteration included key features like dining trip management, merchant profiles, quick login, user surveys, and basic profile settings. This version effectively addressed user pain points while aligning with our company's business goals.
Trip management interface
Benefits for users:
Easy Trip Management: Users can conveniently find, track, and manage their dining trips in one place, eliminating the need to search through messages.
Social Engagement: Users can share trip details and invite friends, enhancing social connections.
Seamless Waitlist and Reservations: It allows users to book a dining trip online, providing accurate and timely information through the SaaS database.
Benefits for businesses:
Growing User Base: Attracting merchants' consumers as Minipass users expands the user base for future marketing.
Resolving Carrier Issues: The tool mitigates problems caused by carrier issues, reducing reliance on SMS and saving costs.
Rapid Delivery and Validation: Leveraging the established waitlist and reservation system, the MVP can be quickly delivered and validated, eliminating the need for developing a new system.
Quick login user flow
Result
In August 2022, we cold released Minipass on the App Store, allowing users to download it through an advertising banner on our webpage. Streamlining the onboarding process with a seamless one-click sign-in or sign-up button, resulted in acquiring over 200 weekly user growth in the initial two months. Additionally, we received over 15 positive feedback and validated our product's value.
Free and Paid Draw Event
⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Led the product strategy with the data-driven approach.”
While preparing for the next iteration, I received a new top-down requirement to incorporate a lottery feature. Faced with this change, I proactively confirmed the adjusted priority and expectations with executives, ensuring a clear understanding of the problem to deliver an appropriate solution.
Problem statement
Merchants lack an intuitive channel to directly communicate with customers, hindering their ability to notify and organize marketing events effectively.
Solution
I conducted market analysis, comparing competitors' business models and strategies in industries such as footwear and entertainment. Based on the evaluation of company resources and operational capabilities, I designed the engaging Minipass Draw feature, enabling users to effortlessly participate in both free and paid lotteries and win prizes from restaurants.
To streamline the entire process, I developed an automated CRM system for seamless event management, including result notifications and prize redemption, resulting in a 50% increase in effectiveness.
MInipass Admin - CRM and Dashboard
Benefits for users:
Access to Promotions and Marketing Events: Users can easily discover and participate in promotion and marketing events, adding a fun and engaging element to their experience.
Exclusive Prizes for Free: Users have the opportunity to enjoy exclusive prizes, such as Skip-line fast passes or $1 combo meals, at a significantly reduced cost or even for free.
Benefits for business:
Improved User-Merchant Connection: Minipass facilitates stronger connections between merchants and users, boosting dining leads and driving sales of SaaS products.
New Monetization Model: The Paid Draw events introduce a fresh revenue stream, providing businesses with a new way to monetize their offerings.
Participate a draw event
Result
Collaborating with cross-functional teams, I released Draw features in Nov 2022 and hired an intern to operate the events. After streamlining the operation SOP, we published over 70 draw events and monitored data to optimize the strategy over time, resulting in over 1400 participants in 60 days.
Overall journey of decision making for each key feature
Throughout the journey of Minipass, there were numerous significant iterations that influenced its success and encountered both successes and failures. As the product manager, I navigated these challenges under pressure from stakeholders, budget constraints, business considerations, and my unwavering commitment to creating a problem-solving product. If you're interested in learning more about my experience in product design, please feel free to explore my Minipass Product Design Case Study.
Conclusion
I successfully delivered 10 significant features across multiple front-end channels, including web, iOS native, and hybrid platforms, under high pressure and resource limitations. Minipass achieved over 100,000 downloads and an astonishing user growth rate of 2000%. Through my contributions, I played a pivotal role in positioning Minipass as a key strategic asset for the company.
I poured my passion into Minipass and grew up with it, and I couldn't be prouder. While my story with Minipass may not continue, the cherished memories and valuable lessons will continue to inspire me as I embark on creating meaningful products and serving even more users. I am deeply grateful for the growth and experiences that Minipass has granted me, and I carry them with gratitude as I forge ahead in my career.
Takeaways
Product positioning and strategic planning
Positioning the product as a strategic asset, aligning initiatives with business goals.Team collaboration & management
Effective cross-functional collaboration, stakeholder alignment, and driving project progress.Technical proficiency
Strong understanding of APIs, databases, and full-stack development.Entrepreneurial mindset
Cultivating creativity, resourcefulness, resilience, and calculated risk-taking for business growth and innovation.
Delivering under pressure
Timely product delivery within constraints, demonstrating excellent time management and organization skills.
Cross-platform development and design
Developing products for web, iOS, and hybrid platforms, ensuring a consistent user experience.User growth and marketing strategies
Achieving significant user growth rates through effective marketing strategies.Rapid learning and adaptability
Quick acquisition of new skills, adapting to challenges, and finding innovative solutions.