WattShare Practice Story
Brief Summary of Sprint – January 2025, Web Application V1.0. As of the time of writing this summary, Watt Share has released Web Application V1.4.2.
Executive Summary
WattShare emerged from a simple observation: EV owners had unused home chargers while neighbors and tenants lacked convenient charging options. This case study explores the journey from problem identification to MVP launch, covering user research, technical implementation, and strategic decision-making.
The Problem
Market Gap Identified
- •EV owners with home chargers had unused capacity 80% of the time
- •Tenants and neighbors in MURBs lacked access to convenient charging
- •No peer-to-peer solution existed to monetize underutilized infrastructure
- •Public charging was expensive and often inconvenient
User Research & Validation
Research Methodology
Qualitative Research
- • 20+ user interviews with EV owners
- • 15+ interviews with potential renters
- • 5+ property manager discussions
- • 5+ utility company consultations
Key Insights
- • 70% of EV owners open to sharing their charger
- • Average willingness to pay: $2-4/hour
- • Safety and trust were primary concerns
- • Scheduling flexibility was crucial
Technical Implementation
Architecture Design Factors
High performance, highly scalable, security protocols, large Dev community support, DevOps & AI friendly for rapid development in production.
Code reusability, WebSockets for Real-time booking, highly contollable payments and userflow.
Key Technical Challenges
Real-time Booking System
Implemented WebSocket-based booking to prevent double-booking and ensure real-time availability updates
Payment Integration
Built secure payment flow, handling escrow and automatic payouts to charger owners
Trust & Safety
Implemented user verification, insurance integration, and dispute resolution system
Product Demo
WattShare Web Application Demo
Watch this brief demo of the WattShare platform showcasing the user experience, booking flow, and key features that make peer-to-peer EV charging accessible and convenient.
Demo showcases: User registration, charger discovery, booking flow, payment processing, and real-time availability
Product Strategy & Roadmap
MVP Features
- • User registration and verification
- • Charger listing and discovery
- • Real-time booking system
- • Payment processing
- • In app messaging between users
Future Roadmap
Phase 2
Advanced scheduling, bulk bookings, API integrations, EV charging matchmaking, and AI integration.(Achieved)
Phase 3
smart charger integration, analytics(Achieved)
Phase 4
Enterprise features, white-label solutions, Mobile/Carplay
Results & Impact
Achievements
Development Metrics
- • 40% reduction in development costs
- • MVP & Pilot launched in 6 months
- • Beta launched
- • 50+ beta users onboarded
- • Zero critical bugs in production
Business Metrics
- • Early-stage funding secured
- • 70% user satisfaction score
- • 85% booking completion rate
Lessons Learned
Key Takeaways
What Worked Well
- • User research-driven feature prioritization
- • Technical stack choice for rapid development
- • Iterative development approach
- • Strong focus on trust and safety
Challenges Overcome
- • Complex payment flow implementation
- • Real-time system reliability
- • User verification and trust building
- • Regulatory compliance considerations
Use Case Story: Enhancing the EV Charging Experience
A Product Manager's Sprint Narrative
This detailed case study explores a comprehensive sprint focused on optimizing the electric vehicle charging journey, demonstrating the practical application of agile principles in driving product excellence.
The Challenge: Optimizing the Electric Vehicle Charging Journey
Our product, "ChargeNow," aims to be the leading platform for electric vehicle (EV) owners to find, reserve, and pay for charging spots. In a rapidly evolving market, user experience is paramount.
We identified several key areas for improvement in our existing platform, particularly around:
- • Reservation and payment flow optimization
- • Visibility of charging spot details
- • Overall user confidence and trust
- • Real-time availability and booking accuracy
User Journey Flow Diagram
Click to view detailed flowchart
Interactive User Flow Visualization
The Sprint Goal: Streamlining Reservations & Boosting User Confidence
Our primary goal for this sprint was to streamline the reservation and payment process, making it more intuitive and transparent for users.
The Sprint in Action: Tackling Key User Stories
As a product manager, my role involved translating user needs into actionable stories for the development team, prioritizing tasks, and ensuring alignment with our sprint goal.
Effort 1: Seamless Reservation Flow
User Problem:
Users were completing reservations without fully confirming their desired time slots, leading to potential conflicts and frustration. They also lacked visibility into the start and end times of their chosen reservation.
Solution:
- • Mandatory time and date selection before proceeding
- • Clear display of reservation times on gateway and confirmation pages
- • Real-time availability checks with error notifications
- • Edit functionality directly from gateway page
Impact:
Dramatically reduced reservation errors, increased user confidence, and improved overall booking experience.
Effort 2: Enhancing Charger Spot Discovery & Trust
User Problem:
The "Find Chargers" page lacked visual appeal with missing images, making it harder for users to quickly assess charging options. Users wanted more information about charger spots.
Solution:
- • Added images to charger cards on discovery page
- • Improved image upload quality (4MB+ compressor)
- • Fixed multiple image display issues
- • Introduced information buttons across key pages
Impact:
Visually richer listings and readily available information empowered users to make more informed decisions.
Effort 3: Payment Flexibility & Registration Streamlining
User Problem:
The payment gateway required immediate car information, creating a barrier for users who preferred to complete payment first. Registration process had routing issues.
Solution:
- • Implemented "Do it later" option for car information
- • Allowed direct payment completion
- • Fixed registration routing issues
- • Streamlined new user onboarding
Impact:
Increased conversion rates by offering more flexibility and improved new user onboarding experience.
Effort 4: Backend & Operational Improvements
Technical Challenges:
Identified several backend and operational tasks crucial for system stability and future scalability.
Solutions Implemented:
- • Database modifications and GraphQL optimization
- • API efficiency improvements
- • Automated deployment pipeline on Vercel
- • Enhanced data protection and security
Impact:
Foundational improvements ensured system reliability and enabled faster future development.
The Agile Workflow: Collaboration, Iteration, and Delivery
Sprint Process
Sprint Planning
Team reviewed prioritized backlog, estimated tasks, and committed to sprint goal
Daily Scrums
Continuous alignment, progress tracking, and blocker resolution
Development & QA
Continuous integration with incremental testing and feedback
Stakeholder Reviews
Mid-sprint check-ins and end-of-sprint demonstrations
Impact and Metrics: Measuring Success
Key Performance Indicators
Reduced Reservation Errors
Lower abandonment rates at gateway and fewer support tickets
Increased Conversion Rate
Higher percentage of users completing reservation flow
Improved User Satisfaction
Positive feedback through surveys and direct comments
Faster Deployment Cycle
Reduced time from code commit to production deployment
Conclusion: The Product Manager as an Orchestrator of Value
This sprint exemplifies the multifaceted role of a product manager in an agile environment. It's not just about writing tickets; it's about deeply understanding user problems, translating those into clear requirements, prioritizing relentlessly, fostering seamless collaboration across diverse teams, and constantly seeking ways to deliver incremental, measurable value.