NEARVILLE

Company

Nearville

Duration

Dec 2024 - Present

Drove 0→1 build and fast feature iterations, adapting for product–market fit pivot.

Overview

Our first suburban rental pilot stalled under the weight of safety concerns, trust gaps, and mismatched supply. I led a high-stakes pivot toward college campuses, where trust already existed, redesigning onboarding with student email verification, referral credits, and verification badges. Within weeks, we launched a student-first pilot that validated adoption and unlocked a scalable new direction.

Role

Co-Founder & Lead Product Designer

Platform

Mobile First P2P Marketplace

Scope

6 Months

Team

Product Manager, 2 Engineers

Visit Website

Starting in the Unknown

Nearville began with a bold but simple question: what if borrowing everyday items was easier than buying them? We set out to build a peer-to-peer rental platform where neighbors could share tools, gear, and household items. The hypothesis was that suburban homeowners with full garages would supply listings, while others would save money by borrowing instead of buying.

Why This Project Mattered

I imagined users like my dad: suburban homeowners in their 30s–60s with a garage full of tools, ladders, and random things that could be rented out. Surely, they’d see the appeal of making some side income. At first, many of them loved the idea when we explained it. It sounded practical and even exciting.

My First Hypothesis

My first assumption was that the problem was primarily a tooling gap.

My first assumption was that the problem was primarily a tooling gap.

But...we got stuck.

But when it came to actually trying the product, reality looked very different: Trust concerns: Early users expressed worry about damage or loss. Safety concerns: Older suburban users were reluctant to share their home addresses, and coordinating “neutral” safe spaces for exchanges added too much complexity. Mismatched supply and demand: Categories were too broad, and early adopters were hesitant to post listings. Business constraints: Insurance and ID verification were costly and impractical at an early stage. This gap revealed a deeper product–market fit issue: Without supply — and without safe, scalable ways to build trust — there was no marketplace to test. Our suburban pilot stalled, and our first product-market fit hypothesis had failed.

But when it came to actually trying the product, reality looked very different: Trust concerns: Early users expressed worry about damage or loss. Safety concerns: Older suburban users were reluctant to share their home addresses, and coordinating “neutral” safe spaces for exchanges added too much complexity. Mismatched supply and demand: Categories were too broad, and early adopters were hesitant to post listings. Business constraints: Insurance and ID verification were costly and impractical at an early stage. This gap revealed a deeper product–market fit issue: Without supply — and without safe, scalable ways to build trust — there was no marketplace to test. Our suburban pilot stalled, and our first product-market fit hypothesis had failed.

Rethinking the Approach

The obvious answer seemed to be trust-building mechanisms — things like insurance coverage or ID verification. And we knew these needed to be in place for the product to work long-term. But as a 0→1 startup, the business constraints were clear: Insurance providers either refused to cover peer-to-peer rentals or charged rates far too high for us to absorb. ID or address verification added significant cost and friction, which wasn’t feasible for such an early-stage product. We weren’t blind to the solution — we just couldn’t prioritize it yet. And that forced the real question: if we can’t buy trust right now, where can we design around it?

The obvious answer seemed to be trust-building mechanisms — things like insurance coverage or ID verification. And we knew these needed to be in place for the product to work long-term. But as a 0→1 startup, the business constraints were clear: Insurance providers either refused to cover peer-to-peer rentals or charged rates far too high for us to absorb. ID or address verification added significant cost and friction, which wasn’t feasible for such an early-stage product. We weren’t blind to the solution — we just couldn’t prioritize it yet. And that forced the real question: if we can’t buy trust right now, where can we design around it?

The turning point came during a conversation with a younger friend, a junior in college. She told me she had rented and lent out several items — clothing for events, furniture for sleepovers, even an extra computer — all for a small fee. That lit a fire. I thought: If she’s already doing this, how many other students are informally borrowing and lending on campus? Intrigued, I ran quick interviews with 20+ students. Consistently, they described being cash-strapped, living in tight dorm spaces, and constantly borrowing or lending items informally. Unlike suburban homeowners, students weren’t paralyzed by trust barriers. Their community identity (“we all go to the same school”) provided built-in accountability.

Designing MAL

We designed a visually stunning website for Luxe Beauty with high-quality visuals, elegant typography, and a sophisticated color palette to balance modernity and timelessness. Our development team created a user-friendly, responsive site with fast load times and a secure e-commerce platform. Enhanced features like advanced search, personalized recommendations, and customer reviews improved navigation, engagement, and conversion rates.

We designed a visually stunning website for Luxe Beauty with high-quality visuals, elegant typography, and a sophisticated color palette to balance modernity and timelessness. Our development team created a user-friendly, responsive site with fast load times and a secure e-commerce platform. Enhanced features like advanced search, personalized recommendations, and customer reviews improved navigation, engagement, and conversion rates.

Solutions

Solutions

Result: What Changed

The new website significantly boosted Luxe Beauty’s online presence and user engagement. The elegant design and improved functionality attracted more visitors, reduced bounce rates, and increased conversion rates. Luxe Beauty saw a substantial rise in online sales and customer satisfaction, establishing their website as a key asset in their brand’s success.

The new website significantly boosted Luxe Beauty’s online presence and user engagement. The elegant design and improved functionality attracted more visitors, reduced bounce rates, and increased conversion rates. Luxe Beauty saw a substantial rise in online sales and customer satisfaction, establishing their website as a key asset in their brand’s success.