The Two Steps Back

Welcome to the fourth edition of the Kini Journal.

As always, we want to start with a thank you. Thank you to the families, testers, coaches and mentors who have shared their experiences, challenged our thinking and helped us understand where we've got things right and where we still have work to do.

This month has been our biggest learning month yet. And surprisingly, that learning didn't come from building something new. It came from realizing that we needed to take a step back.

One Step Forward. Two Steps Back.

After months of research, conversations, building and refining, we reached an exciting milestone. We had something to put in front of families. Anyone who has reached this point in a business knows how exciting it is.

We were okay with what we'd built, somewhat embarrassed, but mostly happy that there was actual proof of the Kini App. Having said that, what kept us going is what they say about your first version: ‘If you’re not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.’ — Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn. So with embarrassment being the goal, we kept going. The Kini App worked, it was useful, families could see the value in it and most importantly, this is what families told us they needed, so we couldn't be wrong...right?

So naturally, we thought:

We've got it. Then we started testing, and families told us something we needed to hear. "It's good. But it's not quite what we need first." Ouch!

It's one thing to hear that an idea needs work when it's still an idea. It's another thing to hear it after you've spent months building it.

It can humble you, it can even be discouraging, but one of our coaches has always emphasized the importance of moving because of what customers tell you (Dennis Mhangami). So, even though we were not expecting to hear this, we are glad it came from our direct target audience. What felt disheartening to begin with became incredibly valuable. Because ultimately our job isn't to build what we think families need. Our job is to build what families actually need.

Back to the Drawing Board

Testing has reinforced why we chose a customer-led approach to building Kini. Everything we create must be informed by the people we're building for, which means listening carefully, asking questions and being willing to change direction when the evidence tells us to.

Sometimes moving forward means going backwards first.

In fact, our testing has brought us back to an idea we explored at the beginning of this journey, one we didn't initially believe was the right place to start.

We've learned that something can be good and still not be the right thing to build first.

What Families Told Us They Needed First

Through testing, we began to understand that before families can effectively coordinate care, they need a clearer picture of what's happening in their ageing parent's day-to-day life.

They need a shared space to document and organise important information, daily updates, responsibilities and the different aspects of their parent's care. Information that might otherwise be scattered across WhatsApp conversations, messages and different family members.

In essence, they need a care map: a shared picture of their parent's life and care that helps the family understand what's happening, what's being taken care of and where the gaps might be.

This was an important realisation for us. We'd been thinking about how families could coordinate care, but our testing highlighted the need for visibility first.

Before families can coordinate what needs to happen, they need to understand what's happening already.

Every Family Is Different

Another important insight from testing has been just how different families can be.

Every family we spoke to has an ageing parent, but their circumstances, responsibilities and needs vary considerably.

For one family, the challenge might be coordinating siblings. For another, it might be understanding a parent's health. For someone else, it might be managing care from another country.

Some families have plenty of support, while others are carrying almost everything themselves.

These differences matter, and they leave us with an important question:

What is the common thread?

What underlying need connects families navigating such different caregiving experiences?

That's what we're excited to explore next.

What's Next

Our focus now is on going deeper.

• Continuing conversations with families.
• Understanding the different needs within families.
• Identifying the common thread.
• Challenging our assumptions.
• Refining our thinking.
• And building towards the next version of Kini.

We're not rushing to rebuild. We want to make sure we understand what we're building before we build it.

Thank You

To every family who tested Kini with us this month, thank you for making time, being honest and challenging us.

You may not realize it, but telling a founder, "This isn't quite what I need," can be one of the most valuable things you do.

It gives us the opportunity to stop, listen and rethink. We're still learning, and we're even more excited about what Kini could become because of it.

Sometimes, going backwards is exactly how you find the way forward.

Until next month,
Rudo Mudzingwa & Sisi Nxumalo, Co-Founders, Kini

This Month's Insight

Sometimes, the most important step forward is taking a step back and listening.

We'd Love to Hear From You

Kini is being built alongside the families it aims to serve. If you have feedback, know someone who is caring for an ageing parent, or would simply like to share your experience, we'd love to hear from you. Every conversation helps shape the future of Kini.