Revello

The go-to platform for local student deals

I. Problem Definition

The Problem

Students choose whether or not to go out with friends based on deals, but there is no consolidated place to find these deals.

College students are constantly looking for ways to save money while exploring their college town, but information about discounts and promotions is scattered across different platforms, social media, and word of mouth. This fragmentation creates a significant barrier for both students seeking savings and local businesses trying to attract the student demographic.

Additionally, local businesses struggle to effectively reach the student population, which represents a major customer segment in college towns. Traditional marketing methods often fail to generate the engagement and loyalty these businesses need to thrive in competitive local markets.

Customer Discovery & User Research

Our journey began with extensive customer discovery across the Texas A&M campus. I led a systematic research process that included:

1. Initial Interviews: We conducted over 50 one-on-one interviews with students to understand their spending habits, how they discover local deals, and what frustrations they experienced.

2. Business Outreach: We spoke with 25+ local business owners in College Station to understand their challenges in reaching student customers and their current promotion strategies.

3. Competitive Analysis: We analyzed existing solutions including social media groups, coupon apps, and campus bulletin boards to identify gaps and opportunities.

4. Prototype Testing: We developed multiple low-fidelity prototypes and conducted usability sessions with student focus groups to refine our interface and feature set.

A key insight from our research was the importance of continuous feedback loops. We developed a process to regularly message our most active users through in-app notifications and personalized emails, inviting them to participate in UX improvement sessions. This approach yielded valuable insights that directly influenced our feature prioritization and UI refinements.

By implementing a dedicated feedback channel within the app, we created a virtuous cycle where user suggestions were rapidly evaluated, developed, and deployed – leading to higher engagement and retention metrics.

Company Overview

Revello is a digital platform designed to bridge the gap between college students and their favorite local businesses. By providing exclusive deals, promotions, and engagement opportunities, Revello helps businesses increase their presence within college communities while offering students cost-effective ways to explore their town.

Our platform operates on a B2B2C model, where local businesses pay for access to promote their deals, while students use the app for free to discover savings and events. We monetize through subscription fees from businesses and potential advertising partnerships.

Revello is now available on the iOS App Store and can be accessed via our landing page at revello.collegetowndeals.com.

Who are we building for?

II. Key Features

Platform Features

Revello offers a comprehensive set of features designed to connect students with local businesses:

III. Team Leadership & Product Journey

From Ideation to Launch to Growth

As the co-founder and head of business development & product design of Revello, I led our team through each critical phase of the product lifecycle:

Ideation Phase: After identifying the market opportunity, I assembled our core team, defining our vision and establishing our initial product roadmap. I facilitated design thinking workshops to refine our value proposition and develop our MVP specifications.

Development Phase: Led by our talented developers Brayden Bailey, who built the MVP, and Jeff Slobodkin and Tanmay Chhimwal who architected and built the mobile app and business dashboard. From the beginning, we prioritized user experience and performance and emphasized quick iteration.

iOS App Store Launch: After rigorous testing and optimization, we successfully launched Revello on the Apple App Store, navigating the complex review process and ensuring our app met all Apple's guidelines. The iOS launch marked a significant milestone in our growth, expanding our reach and lending additional credibility to our platform. Our meticulous attention to UI/UX details during development paid off with strong initial ratings and positive user feedback.

Marketing & Launch: Working closely with our marketing lead, Alex Jorgenson, we developed a multi-channel launch strategy targeting the Texas A&M campus. This included partnerships with student organizations and marketing campaigns at popular off-campus locations. We also created a comprehensive landing page at revello.collegetowndeals.com to drive downloads and provide information to potential business partners. Our initial customers were manually onboarded so we could gather feedback and iterate quickly.

Growth & Scaling: Post-launch, I focused on establishing metrics-driven growth processes. We implemented an analytics framework to monitor key performance indicators, allowing us to optimize user acquisition channels and improve retention. This data-driven approach has resulted in impressive traction, with 2,100+ students actively using the app and 60+ local restaurants successfully onboarded. Several restaurants have already begun paying for premium advertising placements, validating our business model and revenue strategy.

By maintaining a balance between strategic leadership and hands-on management, I ensured our team remained aligned with our vision while empowering each team member to excel in their respective areas. The complementary skills of our team—Jeff and Tanmay's technical expertise paired with Alex's marketing creativity—created a foundation that enabled us to move quickly and adapt to user needs.

IV. Conclusion & Learnings

What I Learned

Leading Revello from concept to market has been an invaluable learning experience that has shaped my approach to product development, team leadership, and entrepreneurship:

Product Design Mastery - Through the iterative development of Revello, I developed a framework for product design that balances user needs with business objectives. By constantly testing our assumptions against real user feedback, I learned how to create products that truly resonate with their intended audience.

App Store Optimization - The iOS launch process taught me valuable lessons about app store optimization, including how to craft compelling store listings, strategic keyword selection, and the importance of encouraging user reviews. These skills were crucial in achieving strong initial download numbers and establishing our app store presence.

Team Management Skills - Managing our diverse team taught me how to leverage individual strengths while maintaining unified vision. I discovered the importance of clear communication, delegating effectively, and creating an environment where innovation thrives.

Data-Driven Decision Making - Implementing analytics and feedback systems showed me the power of making decisions based on concrete data rather than assumptions. This approach allowed us to optimize resources and focus on initiatives with the highest impact.

Future Applications - The framework and methodologies developed during this venture have created a robust template that I plan to apply to future startup ventures. From customer discovery to product-market fit validation to scaling strategies, the lessons learned with Revello will continue to inform my approach to building successful companies.

Revello represents not just a successful product, but a comprehensive learning experience in how to bring ideas to life, build effective teams, and create sustainable business models. These insights will be instrumental as I continue to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities that solve meaningful problems.