Gaussian Consulting

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the head of product and design at an award-winning consumer transportation company. We sell beautiful, simple products worldwide that help urban commuters travel sustainably and safely.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Gaussian Consulting?

Our company was growing rapidly and was capital-heavy, so we had to think carefully about how to continue growth while generating cash flow and a sustainable outcome for the leadership. That's where Gaussian came in.

SOLUTION

How did you select this firm and what were the deciding factors?

We considered working with many partners, investors, advisors, consultants, and experts, but in the end, chose Gaussian based on the strength of early conversations and advisory relationships.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

Gaussian started with a phase of discovery where they analyzed financial data, products, markets, and so on. We also assessed the goals of the owners/shareholders and used that to decide what the 3-5 year objective needed to be. Then we started weekly strategy calls with one of the partners, where we reviewed progress against this objective and the initiatives needed to get there. Every quarter, we decided on new interim objectives as part of this progress. We also used their Sapium tool to keep track of the most important initiatives and objectives for our strategy, which kept us accountable and made meetings very efficient.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Primarily we worked with one Gaussian partner but were supported by Gaussian's market research team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the engagement that demonstrate progress or success?

We keep hitting our sales targets (which are aggressive), and the financial strategy put in place helps us finance our supply chain. We generated not only good cash flow but also confidence in the future of the cash flow.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was good, and we never wasted time we didn't need to spend.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Before Gaussian, we hadn't thought it was possible to create innovative products and be creating good cash flow. Usually, you need lots of investment to make amazing new products, especially in our industry. But with Gaussian's advice, we were able to design and scale award-winning products that customers love while creating profits and cash.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Not that I can think of

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

CEO of a physical design studio startup that makes a wide range of consumer goods

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Gaussian Consulting?

We were relatively early on and needed help deciding what products to focus on because we had a wide range of possibilities.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Recommendation

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

1. Research of market and customers -> customer segments -> prioritized customer segments for us to pursue based on attractiveness
2. Created list of top customer needs (in rank order) based on customer pains and behavior
3. Mapped potential products against the top customer needs 
4. Selected (few) products to pursue based on high degree of satisfying customer needs, and low degree of cost/effort
5. Built a plan for implementing products.

Gaussian was the facilitator and thought leader for the above stages, working with our team.

What was the team composition?

Not sure - 1 Partner, and maybe 1-2 Market Researchers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We were very pleased with their performance. The products we chose are profitable.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Yes

What did you find most impressive about this company?

There was a lot of structure and logic, which is usually missing from product/portfolio strategy (even though everyone thinks they're "data-driven")

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

No