> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.meetsquad.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Building a New Product

> Step-by-step guide to creating your product strategy from scratch with Squad

<Info>
  This guide walks through building a complete product strategy for GrubGrab, a new food delivery app aiming to be faster and cheaper than competitors. Follow along to learn Squad's workflow for new products.
</Info>

## Overview

Starting a new product? Squad helps you move from idea to roadmap systematically. This guide shows how GrubGrab used Squad to:

* Define their mission and goals
* Discover market opportunities
* Generate validated solutions
* Build a prioritized roadmap

**Time to complete**: 20 mins initially, then ongoing iteration

## Step 1: Foundation (5 mins)

### Create your workspace

<Steps>
  <Step title="Set up Squad workspace">
    Click **Create Workspace** and provide context:

    ```text theme={null}
    GrubGrab is a food delivery platform launching in urban markets. 
    We're targeting price-conscious professionals who order 3+ times 
    per week. Our key differentiators are 30% faster delivery and 
    20% lower fees than Uber Eats. Initial launch in 15 US cities.
    ```

    Add any existing research or information you have. E.g user interview transcripts, articles, research papers, pitch decks, etc! It's all helpful for Squad.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Define your mission">
    Work with Squad to craft a clear mission:

    **Initial attempt**: "Be the best food delivery app"

    **Squad suggestion**: "Make food delivery faster and more affordable than cooking at home"

    This mission is specific, measurable, and differentiated.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set initial goals">
    Ask Squad: "What goals should we set for our first year?"

    Squad analyzes the market and suggests:

    1. Achieve 25-minute average delivery time (vs 38 min industry avg)
    2. Maintain total fees under \$3 per order (vs \$5+ competitors)
    3. Reach 50,000 monthly active users by month 12
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Step 2: Market Discovery (5 mins)

### Competitive analysis

Before building, understand the landscape:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Competitive analysis">
    Use Squad to conduct competitor research or upload any existing information to workspace knowledge:

    * App store reviews of Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub
    * Reddit threads about food delivery pain points
    * Industry reports on delivery economics

    Squad identifies patterns:

    * 67% of negative reviews mention high fees
    * 45% complain about cold food from long delivery
    * 34% frustrated by inaccurate delivery estimates
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="User research">
    Import early user interviews:

    **Key insights Squad surfaces:**

    * "I'd order more if it wasn't so expensive"
    * "I hate not knowing when food will actually arrive"
    * "The fees make a $12 meal cost $20+"

    Squad clusters these into opportunity themes.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Generated feedback">
    If you don't have any existing research or you're unsure who your competitors are, use the "Generate feedback" button that bootstraps your product with example customer feedback.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

### Generate opportunities

Click **Chat** and ask: "Based on the competitive analysis, what are our biggest opportunities?"

Squad generates prioritized opportunities:

1. **Reduce total customer cost** (Impact: Critical)
   * 78% of potential users cite cost as primary barrier
   * Average order increases by \$7-10 with fees
2. **Minimize delivery time** (Impact: High)
   * Food quality degrades after 25 minutes
   * Competitors average 38-45 minute delivery
3. **Provide accurate time estimates** (Impact: High)
   * Current apps off by 10-15 minutes on average
   * Uncertainty creates anxiety and complaints
4. **Simplify ordering process** (Impact: Medium)
   * Competitors require 15+ taps to order
   * Checkout abandonment at 67%

## Step 3: Solutioning (5 mins)

### Recommended solutions for each opportunity

Select your top opportunity and check out the **Recommended Solutions**:

<Accordion title="Solutions for 'Reduce total customer cost'">
  Squad suggests:

  **1. Dynamic pricing algorithm** (Recommended)

  * Adjust fees based on driver availability
  * Batch orders to reduce per-delivery cost
  * Off-peak discounts
  * *Impact: High, Effort: Medium*

  **2. Restaurant partnerships**

  * Negotiate lower commissions for volume
  * Exclusive deals with local favorites
  * Direct integration to reduce overhead
  * *Impact: Medium, Effort: High*

  **3. Subscription model**

  * \$9.99/month for free delivery
  * Breaks even at 3 orders/month
  * Creates predictable revenue
  * *Impact: High, Effort: Low*
</Accordion>

### Create solution one-pagers

For each selected solution, Squad generates a PRD:

```markdown theme={null}
# GrubGrab Plus Subscription

## Problem
Users order less frequently due to delivery fees adding 40% to meal cost

## Solution
Monthly subscription for unlimited free delivery

## Key Features
- $9.99/month pricing
- Free delivery on orders over $12
- Member-exclusive restaurant deals
- Priority support

## Success Metrics
- 30% of users convert to subscription
- Subscriber order frequency: 8x/month
- Subscriber retention: 85% at 6 months

## Implementation
- Phase 1: Payment processing (2 weeks)
- Phase 2: Member benefits system (3 weeks)
- Phase 3: Marketing launch (1 week)
```

## Step 4: Roadmapping (5 mins)

### Prioritize your backlog

Navigate to **Roadmap** and drag solutions into priority order:

**Quarter 1: Foundation**

1. Basic ordering app (MVP)
2. Restaurant onboarding system
3. Driver network setup
4. Dynamic pricing v1

**Quarter 2: Differentiation**

1. GrubGrab Plus subscription
2. Smart routing algorithm
3. Real-time tracking
4. Batch order system

**Quarter 3: Scale**

1. Multi-restaurant orders
2. Scheduled ordering
3. Group ordering
4. Loyalty program

<Tip>
  Focus Q1 on core functionality. Save differentiators for Q2 when you have real user feedback.
</Tip>

### Define success metrics

For each roadmap item, set clear targets:

| Solution           | Success Metric   | Target            | By When |
| ------------------ | ---------------- | ----------------- | ------- |
| Basic ordering     | Orders per day   | 1,000             | End Q1  |
| GrubGrab Plus      | Subscriber count | 5,000             | End Q2  |
| Smart routing      | Delivery time    | less than 30 mins | End Q2  |
| Real-time tracking | CSAT score       | 4.5/5             | End Q2  |

## Step 5: Validation & Iteration (Ongoing)

### Set up continuous discovery

Configure integrations for ongoing insights:

1. **Analytics**: Connect Google Analytics to track user behavior
2. **Feedback**: Set up Typeform for post-order surveys
3. **Support**: Connect Slack to capture issues
4. **Reviews**: Monitor App Store and Play Store

### Weekly strategy reviews

Every Monday, check Squad Insights:

* Are we hitting our success metrics?
* What new opportunities emerged?
* Which assumptions were wrong?
* How should we adjust the roadmap?

<Warning>
  Don't wait for perfect data. Launch your MVP quickly and let real usage guide your strategy.
</Warning>

## Common pitfalls to avoid

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Over-planning" icon="calendar-xmark">
    Don't plan beyond 3 months in detail. Markets change too fast.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Ignoring data" icon="eye-slash">
    If users aren't using a feature, kill it. Don't get attached.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Feature creep" icon="puzzle-piece">
    Stay focused on your core mission. Not every idea needs building.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Competitor copying" icon="copy">
    Differentiate don't duplicate. Build what makes you unique.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Measuring success

Track these KPIs in Squad:

**Month 1-3: Foundation**

* Daily active users
* Order completion rate
* Average delivery time
* Customer acquisition cost

**Month 4-6: Growth**

* Monthly active users
* Order frequency
* Subscription conversions
* Unit economics

**Month 7-12: Scale**

* Market share
* Geographic expansion
* Contribution margin
* Lifetime value

## Next steps

<Steps>
  <Step title="Connect your tools">
    Set up integrations to start collecting real data
  </Step>

  <Step title="Share with team">
    Invite co-founders and early employees to collaborate
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start building">
    Export your roadmap to Jira/Linear and begin development
  </Step>

  <Step title="Schedule reviews">
    Set weekly Squad review sessions on your calendar
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Info>
  **Remember**: Strategy is a living document. Use Squad's Chat feature weekly to ask "What should we adjust based on this week's data?" and keep evolving.
</Info>

## Other guides

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Iterating on Existing Products" icon="arrows-rotate" href="/guides/existing-product">
    Already launched? Learn how to use Squad for continuous improvement
  </Card>
</CardGroup>