The document discusses initial assumptions and feedback from renters and landlords about building a service to connect high quality renters with landlords. It describes surveying renters and landlords to understand problems with the current rental application process and potential solutions. Based on feedback that renters would be reluctant to pay upfront and landlords value rental history over credit reports, it pivots the idea to have landlords pay for access to verified renter profiles.

1. RenterID
Helping great renters
get great deals
on great apartments

2. Initial Assumption
The Customer:
•Renters who are planning to rent a new property in the future
•Landlords and management companies
The Problem (we assume):
•Renter: The landlord charges fees to apply to rent, which are costly
•Renter: It is difficult to show that as a high quality renter
•Landlord: Credit check data is expensive to acquire
•Landlord: there is overhead in validating a renter’s application
Major functionality to solve problem:
•Rental history verified by independent 3rd party (fact checking)
•Credit check on file for renter with profile
•A reusable profile has been created for the renter

3. Gen 1
Gen 1

4. #CustDev Touches
Method Touches Outcome
Renter Survey 14 Initial feedback, open to profile, reluctant to
pay
Landlord Survey (Long) 15 Landlords frustrated with fragmented tools,
want central solution that’s accurate
Post-Pivot Renter Survey 9 Would pay for verification, would love to
have search brought to them
VerifyApp: Mock-up feedback:
Views / Feedback
292, 45 Feature/design feedback. Not that
actionable
Landlord (E-Mails & Calls) 30 Rental history is more important than credit
report
Renter (E-mails & Calls) 20 Found 2 “30+ min interview subjects”
Statements of Interest (LL) 7 A need to find qualified renters
Statement of Approval (LL) 4 Validation of pivot, up to 1 month’s rent

5. User Feedback
RenterLandlord
“It would be
super useful, if I
could get what I
was after” (L)
“It would be
super useful, if I
could get what I
was after” (L)
High quality
renters should
be wooed (JC)
High quality
renters should
be wooed (JC)
“To pay for
something with
no guarantee is a
tough sell (JZ)
“To pay for
something with
no guarantee is a
tough sell (JZ)
I would pay up to
one month's rent
just for a tenant's
verified rental
history
I would pay up to
one month's rent
just for a tenant's
verified rental
history
I would love to be
able to find
qualified renters
online. Screw the
brokers!
I would love to be
able to find
qualified renters
online. Screw the
brokers!
I would rather have a
tenant's verified rental
history than an actual
credit report
I would rather have a
tenant's verified rental
history than an actual
credit report
"Can I sign up
today?"
"Can I sign up
today?"

6. Pivot Table
Assumption Lesson Pivot
Renters will pay up front Renters only want to pay if
there’s a guaranteed value
“Verification” is an add-on
to differentiate users, paid
later
Renters want help in the
rental negotiation
Renters want help in
finding a deal on a great
place
Use a renter profile as a
means to connect renters
and landlords
Searching isn’t a problem,
there’s Craigslist
“Craigslist is a bitch” (GH),
while it’s a great tool, it’s a
lot of effort to do a search.
Make the search process
easier by rewarding renters
with matching landlords
Verifications are mainly
good for a renter, so they
should pay
Landlords want qualitative
renter data beyond a credit
rating as well
Let landlords pay to get
access to these high quality
renter profiles

7. After
PivotAfter
Pivot

8. Validation
4
Signed Statements
of Approval
Signed Statements
of Interest
7