Oak

Oak is a project that shows how potent the collaboration between an industry expert and technical team can be. It’s a story of collaboration, problem-solving, and iteration.

The Story Behind Oak

Every great product starts with a problem, and Oak was no different. Jared Cairns, a seasoned professional in accounting and operations, had firsthand experience with the chaos of managing contracts, approvals, and financial reporting. These weren’t just inefficiencies—they were roadblocks to effective business operations.

During a catching-up call, Jared shared his frustrations: "Every life sciences company I’ve worked for has this same thorn in their side. Managing contracts, approvals, and reporting is a huge pain. If we could simplify it—get it to where it’s scalable and easy to use—it would solve a massive problem for so many people." This insight fueled the mission to create a scalable, affordable, and intuitive solution for contract lifecycle management (CLM) for life-science startups.

The Proof of Concept: Iterating Through Feedback

Oak began with a simple Proof of Concept (PoC) focused on dynamic approval flows and contract management. Early iterations involved countless discussions about what worked and what didn’t. Jared’s input was crucial. He didn’t just bring expertise—he brought a clear sense of what companies like his desperately needed.

In one call, he highlighted the significance of early functionality: "Just having a system where you can store contracts, search them, and track approvals is already a game-changer. You don’t even need all the bells and whistles for it to be valuable."

From fixing UI issues to brainstorming e-signature capabilities, the team refined Oak through an iterative process. Jared’s hands-on testing, combined with Jorge’s technical guidance, helped transform Oak into a robust MVP.

Key Features and MVP Evolution

As Oak evolved, the team focused on delivering practical features while staying lean. Core elements of the MVP included:

• Approval Workflows: A system to confirm and track contract approvals.
• Searchable Repository: Quick, intuitive access to contracts based on specific criteria.
• Billing Integration: A feature to manage and track billing alongside contracts, addressing a critical need for life-science startups.
• Error-Handling Improvements: Fixes for edge cases that surfaced during testing.

During this phase, Jorge highlighted on the iterative approach: “Contracts alone are the selling point. Billing was a natural next step because it’s such a key pain point. By focusing on these essentials, we can build something people will pay for, even before we refine every edge case.”

Positioning and Marketing: Cashing in on Favors

The real value of Oak lies in its simplicity and affordability. Jared knew this firsthand: "I've seen companies get gouged with $40,000-a-year software that doesn’t do much more than this. Oak solves the same problems, but at $500 a month, it’s a no-brainer."

The challenge wasn’t just building the product—it was convincing people to try it. Jared planned to leverage his network, saying, "I’ll start by reaching out to people I know, cashing in some favors, and getting feedback. It’s about showing them how simple and intuitive this system is."

The team also discussed using Loom videos and live demos to explain Oak’s functionality. “You don’t need a perfect product to get people interested,” Jorge reminded. “They just need to see the value.”

Looking Forward: Iteration and Scalability

The path forward for Oak is clear:

• Iterate Through Feedback: Jared’s philosophy is simple: “It's not going to hurt my feelings to take feedback that's negative and then just keep iterating and making it better.”
• Focus on User Acquisition: The team prioritized attracting and onboarding new customers.
• Scalable Growth: With low hosting costs and an efficient tech stack, Oak can scale without significant overhead. “Even at 500 users, the costs stay negligible.” Jorge assured.

Jared is optimistic about Oak’s potential. “Every life sciences company I’ve worked with needs this. It’s not a nice-to-have—it’s essential.”

Key Principles & Lessons

• Industry Expert Collaboration: Having a domain expert like Jared was invaluable for product development. His insights guided feature prioritization and ensured the solution addressed real market needs.
• Start Simple: Beginning with core functionalities that solve immediate pain points proved more effective than building a feature-heavy product from the start.