The Kawa Project

Mission


a) The company’s mission: To reduce food waste and lower CO2 emissions.
b) The oil’s mission: Recycle food waste from coffee production to create upcycled oil, which is then used to make various products like soap, mayo, and cooking oil.


Users


a) Individuals purchasing products at supermarkets.
b) Restaurants.
c) Hotels.


The company’s mission is to reduce food waste by normalizing the use of upcycled products. That’s why focusing on individuals (user type A) is our starting point. If we address their concerns and make upcycled products appealing to them, larger businesses will naturally follow.


Pain Points


a) Limited variety of upcycled products.
b) Higher cost compared to regular alternatives.
c) Lack of transparency about how they’re made.


To encourage individuals to adopt upcycled products, we’ll begin by tackling the issue of variety. If people don’t find upcycled versions of the products they already enjoy, they won’t adopt them.


Solutions


a) Soap and detergent
b) Mayo
c) Cooking oil


Addressing food waste requires us to focus on increasing product variety. To choose which to launch, we evaluated market impact and barriers to entry. The soap and detergent market is too price-sensitive for us to compete. This leaves mayo and cooking oil as viable options. We’ve selected mayo because it’s a common household item often shared at gatherings, giving us a chance to accelerate product visibility and adoption.


Metrics + MVP


a) Number of jars of mayo sold.
b) Number of customer complaints.
c) Click-through rate on digital ads.
d) Amount of food waste upcycled / CO2 reduction equivalent.


The MVP is a homemade mayo made from upcycled coffee waste. While it can't be immediately commercialized due to health regulations, this initial version allows us to refine the recipe and start collecting pre-orders from interested customers.

Responsibilities


• Led product ideation to identify new growth opportunities for the company.

• Shaped product branding, enhancing customer engagement and connection.

• Managed product production, including material sourcing and delivery strategy.

• Developed two new product lines by aligning market opportunities with the company's production strengths.


Achievements


  • Drove market research and customer surveys, identifying and validating market needs to develop a new product that increased net revenue by 21% quarter-over-quarter.

  • Successfully launched two new products, complete with branding and marketing strategies.

  • Played a key role in securing the company’s first B2B customer.

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