A clearer first step
Location, plant, and garden-planning cues help people move from interest to an idea they can act on.
Case study · early-stage marketplace
Farm Your Yard
A product concept for helping people turn unused yard space into practical, local growing projects—without making the first step feel like a farming degree.
- Role
- Lead product manager
- Focus
- Marketplace, planning, and trust
- Status
- In development
The product problem
A spare yard is not automatically a growing project.
People may have underused space and an appetite for local food, but they still need to make decisions about location, plants, timing, effort, and expectations with anyone helping them grow. That ambiguity is where a promising idea often stops.
Farm Your Yard was designed to make the possibility concrete: show what could grow, give people a plan they can understand, and build enough shared context for a homeowner and grower to begin together.
The approach
Turn an abstract idea into a sequence people can see themselves completing.
- 01
Start with the space
Use simple location and yard details to ground the experience in what is actually available, not an idealized garden.
- 02
Make the plan visible
Translate growing choices into a visual garden plan so newcomers can understand trade-offs before committing.
- 03
Build trust into coordination
Set clear expectations around the project, responsibilities, and timing before matching two people around a shared yard.
In the product
A garden plan makes the next decision easier.
Planning tools turn a high-level intention—“I want to grow something”—into an understandable layout, plant selection, and seasonal sequence.
Designed capability
A concept direction for a calmer path into local growing.
Shared project context
Homeowners and growers have a common picture of the space, the plan, and what participation involves.
Trust before a transaction
The product prioritizes clarity and expectations early, which matters more than an abstract marketplace match.
Key learning
Marketplace trust starts before matching.
For a two-sided experience, the initial product job is not to create a connection as quickly as possible. It is to help both people understand the project, the commitment, and the next practical step.
Next case study: Lapa LopaProject Overview
Reimagining Urban Agriculture
The Challenge
Urban food production is limited by space constraints while millions of residential yards remain underutilized. Aspiring farmers and gardeners struggle to access land, while homeowners have unused space that could benefit their communities. The disconnect between these groups represents a massive missed opportunity for local food production and community building.
The Solution
Farm Your Yard creates a seamless marketplace that connects homeowners with available yard space to local farmers, gardeners, and food producers. The platform handles everything from initial matching and contract negotiations to ongoing project management and harvest sharing, making micro-farming accessible to everyone.
The Impact
The platform has facilitated over 500 yard partnerships, resulting in 50,000+ pounds of fresh food produced locally. Community engagement has increased dramatically, with 95% user satisfaction and measurable improvements in neighborhood connections and environmental awareness.
My Role & Responsibilities
End-to-End Product Leadership
Product Strategy
Defined product vision for sustainable community marketplace
Conducted extensive market research on urban agriculture
Established partnership framework and legal guidelines
Created go-to-market strategy for dual-sided marketplace
User Research & Design
Interviewed 100+ homeowners and farmers to understand needs
Mapped complex user journeys for both sides of marketplace
Designed intuitive matching algorithm and interface
Created comprehensive onboarding and education flows
Product Development
Led 5-person cross-functional team through full development cycle
Managed technical requirements and platform architecture
Coordinated with legal team on contract frameworks
Launched pilot program in Seattle metropolitan area
Community Building
Developed community engagement and retention strategies
Created educational content and resource library
Built partnerships with local agriculture organizations
Established metrics for environmental and social impact
Design Process
From Concept to Community
01
Research & Discovery
Understanding the Urban Agriculture Landscape
We conducted comprehensive research with homeowners, urban farmers, community gardens, and agricultural experts. Through 100+ interviews, we identified key barriers: access to land, legal concerns, lack of knowledge, and difficulty finding reliable partners.
Stakeholder Interviews
Market Research
Regulatory Analysis
Community Mapping
02
Problem Definition
Defining Multi-Sided User Needs
We identified four primary user personas: The Interested Homeowner (has space, wants to contribute), The Urban Farmer (needs land access), The Community Gardener (seeks local connections), and The Sustainability Advocate (wants environmental impact). Each had unique motivations and concerns.
User Personas
Journey Mapping
Value Proposition
Success Framework
03
Platform Design
Creating Trust and Transparency
We designed a platform that prioritizes trust and transparency through detailed profiles, reference systems, and clear communication tools. The interface emphasizes community building with features for sharing progress, coordinating activities, and celebrating harvests together.
Platform Wireframes
Matching Algorithm
Contract Templates
Mobile App Design
04
Development & Testing
Building for Community Scale
We built a scalable platform with robust matching algorithms, integrated mapping, and secure communication systems. The beta launch included 25 pilot partnerships across Seattle, allowing us to test and refine the platform based on real-world usage and feedback.
Beta Platform
Matching System
Mobile Apps
Community Guidelines
05
Community Launch
Growing the Network
Post-launch focus shifted to community building and organic growth. We partnered with local organizations, created educational workshops, and developed a referral system that encouraged existing users to bring in neighbors and friends, creating natural community clusters.
Public Launch
Community Events
Partnership Program
Growth Analytics
Key Features & Solutions
Connecting Communities Through Sustainable Agriculture
Intelligent Yard Matching
Advanced algorithm matches homeowners with farmers based on location, yard conditions, farming goals, and personal preferences for optimal partnerships.
Perfect partner matching
Location optimization
Goal alignment
Collaborative Project Tools
Integrated tools for planning seasons, tracking progress, scheduling activities, and sharing updates between yard owners and farmers throughout the growing cycle.
Streamlined communication
Progress tracking
Seasonal planning
Built-in Legal Protection
Comprehensive contract templates and legal frameworks protect both parties while establishing clear expectations for responsibilities, harvests, and conflict resolution.
Legal protection
Clear expectations
Dispute resolution
Community Learning Hub
Educational resources, seasonal guides, best practices, and community forums help users succeed while building connections with other local farming partnerships.
Knowledge sharing
Community building
Educational resources
Results & Impact
Measurable Community and Environmental Impact
Community Growth
500+
Active Partnerships
Homeowners and farmers successfully matched
1,200+
Platform Users
Total registered community members
15
Cities Covered
Across Pacific Northwest region
Environmental Impact
50,000 lbs
Food Produced
Fresh, local food grown in communities
200 acres
Land Activated
Previously unused yard space converted
75%
Waste Reduction
Participants composting and reducing food waste
User Experience
95%
User Satisfaction
Based on quarterly satisfaction surveys
4.8/5
App Store Rating
Consistently high user ratings
89%
Renewal Rate
Partnerships continuing into second season
Key Learnings
Insights from Building a Community Platform
Trust is the Foundation of Marketplaces
Building trust between strangers sharing personal space requires careful design. We learned that detailed profiles, verification systems, and community guidelines are essential for user comfort and safety.
Education Drives Adoption
Many potential users lacked gardening knowledge or confidence. Investing in educational content and mentorship programs significantly improved user success rates and platform retention.
Local Community Matters More Than Scale
We discovered that dense local networks were more valuable than broad geographic coverage. Focusing on building strong communities in specific neighborhoods led to better outcomes than spreading too thin.
Seasonal Patterns Drive Usage
Agriculture's seasonal nature required flexible platform design. We learned to adapt features and communications to match planting, growing, and harvest cycles for maximum engagement.
User Testimonials
Stories from Our Community
Gabriel was a professional from the get-go. He impressed us during the hiring process and continued to impress us during the project. His ability to get requirements from us, and his detail oriented nature is an asset to any project. We would hire Gabriel again for similar requirements. Thank You Gabriel!!
Sustainable Innovation
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