AI-Startup, automating the maze of legal, financial, and administrative tasks that come after the loss of a loved one.
AI Startup Company • FinTech • Series B • B2C, B2B, B2B2C • Sales-Enabled Funnel • App + Human service • Joined at 30 people • Led product marketing through hyper growth.
Deliverables: Positioning & Messaging, Personas, Pricing, Consumer Insights Research, Competitive Research, Sales Enablement, Content Marketing & Thought Leadership, Go-To-Market Strategy
Business Challenge
Category Creation | Until this startup came along, all the tasks that come after the loss of a loved one didn’t have a name, and most people didn't know there was a way to get help.
Communicate Complexity | The service involves 150+ tasks that otherwise take 900 hours over 18 months. It combines AI automation, a seamless family-sharing app, and the help of an expert human guide to deliver its value proposition.
Close Trust Gap | New on the scene, this startup was looking to transform the estate settlement space, but that meant going up against high trust incumbents like 100 year old banks and family-referred lawyers
Consumer Insight
#1: AI could power efficiency but it would not win customers
In my consumer insights research consisting of user interviews, social listening and a 500 person national study, we learned that our prospective users feel an enormous sense of personal responsibility.
So unlike so many other businesses in San Francisco, where AI power became something to shout from the rooftops, this category demanded a new approach. Thankfully, these users do want clarity, confidence, and their time back, at a price that feels accessible.
#2: The strongest fit was with busy professionals
When I joined the brand, they were doing a very successful job reaching blue collar professionals who found the brand through search. The consumer insights work I led revealed an even more valuable white collar professional consumer segment who valued the time saving and expert guidance of the product.
#3: Sell simplicity
Previous teams had approached the company's product marketing by trying to explain the power of the AI tech or by getting into the laundry list of everything the solution handles. These were important levers at the very bottom of the funnel, but what kicked sales into hyper growth was a shift at the top: This is estate settlement made simple.
We learned that most people don't even know where to start. That became our primary "job to be done."
#4: They had pricing power
After identifying a more upmarket ideal customer, I led a stream of pricing and packaging work to test my hypothesis that no one wants a cheap steak.
Consumer research revealed that demand for this offering was relatively price inelastic. Even at significantly higher price points, prospective customers perceived the offering as just as valuable (if not more so) and remained just as open to considering the service.
Strategic Choice
#1 - Position Upmarket | I helped deploy a premium brand across channels to the new upmarket ideal customer profile.
#2 - Deploy Tailored Trust Signals | Consumer data showed that the company's ideal customer looked most to word of mouth references and financial advisor recommendations for help in this area. We launched a campaign to influence both with custom messaging.
#3 - Raise price | Following the pricing insights, I led an A/B test to raise prices meaningfully. The cells competed on revenue with the test cell seeing only a small impact on demand and vastly improved unit economics.
Work Shipped
• Consumer Segmentation
• Positioning
• Pricing
• Competitive Intelligence
• Sales Enablement
• Onboarding Adoption
• Product Influence
• Website Design and Copy
Result
3x Sales in 6 months | After a stagnant prior period, monthly sales more than tripled within six months of the new messaging and positioning going live, with lead quality (MQL, SQL) holding steady as volume grew.
Meaningfully Improved Unit Economics | Repriced to match the upmarket customer's perceived value, with only a modest impact on demand.