Pitch deck: Femtech & the vaginal microbiome.

uBiome competitor analysis.

In the fall of 2019, I compiled a 60+ page deck, taking a look at our top competitors and top potential competitors. I looked at everything from the science behind the companies and tests, to the marketing messaging and features. The goal was to identify themes, and to determine what was and wasn’t working for other companies. I then took a close look at what we were doing wrong, what we were doing right, and where they may be opportunities for us to stand out as a microbiome testing company.

The discovery.

My competitor analysis, above, led to a discovery: We had a unique opportunity to build a consumer vaginal microbiome monitoring tool. I found very few microbiome companies tackling the vaginal microbiome, and those that were, were following a clinical route (typically tied to STD testing)

Why this was surprising: I knew from working with scientists that the vaginal microbiome is much less diverse than the gut microbiome. Fewer microbes make for a simpler test and simpler results. And a less diverse vagina is actually a healthier one! Moreover, recent vaginal microbiome studies abound with ties to menopause, chronic pelvic pain, urinary tract infections and infertility.

It didn’t take long to convince my manager (VP of Commercial Ops) of the opportunity, and with the CEO’s support we carved out a small to work on the pitch deck. The team included a science writer, a PhD in microbiology, and a health and fitness consultant. Together, we called our venture Project V.

In the middle of this process, while doing research, I stumbled upon the Femtech industry, coined in 2016 by Ida Tin, the founder of Clue. With estimates of around $200 billion being spent on Femtech products each year, and with a. predicted market potential of $50 billion by 2025, it was immediately clear that we would use the Femtech lens to develop and market our product.

Below, some slides from round one of the pitch deck.

User research.

I worked with our marketing lead and science research lead to develop a simple, online survey in Mailchimp (below, left). The survey was sent to all of our SmartJane customers. Our SmartJane clinical vaginal test, focused on HPV, had died at this point, but we had a large number of former SmartJane customers (many of whom were OBGYNs) who jumped at the chance to answer questions about the vaginal microbiome.

Below, the survey and our first user persona, based on survey results and user research.

Design inspiration.

The period of design allowed for this project was short, as it was conceptual and being used to move the conversation along. Below are some of the colors and styles that stood out to me. It was clear that personalization was key.

On-boarding.

I was taken with Lola’s mission statement. (above): “Our mission is to build the first life-long brand for a woman’s body, from first period to last hot flash.” To personalize the Project V product experiences, we created an on-boarding survey. The research made it clear that even a “healthy” vaginal microbiome can look very different from one vagina to another because of age, race and other components. A woman entering menopause is much less likely to want microbiome support for fertility issues, and survey questions asked during on-boarding would help us better serve different types of customers.

Trends.

Because the vaginal microbiome has fewer microbes than the gut, it’s easier to track and monitor. In their first pass of publication and studies analysis, our in-house data science team determined that Lactobacillus, overall diversity and PH balance were three key indicators of vaginal health. Initial designs were focused on these three buckets:

Personalized education.

Our highly skilled science writer was eager to start populating our education section. We wanted to make sure the stories and data would grow with the product, not only as we gained more insight into the users, but as the science of the microbiome is still in its nascent stage. Below, the designs reflect a filtering system, tags and the ability to bookmark stories that interest you, to return to them later.

Reflections.

Working on this project was a high point for me, a mixture of curiosity about the subject matter, mixed with excitement over the designs and ideas that are quickly emerging from the Femtech industry.

Our biggest challenge: We were unable to determine how to market this product. The vaginal microbiome has a potential effect on everything from pregnancy to infertility, from urinary tract infections to vaginal dryness and discomfort. We needed more market research done before we could tackle the strongest consumer path.