Research debrief / readout

Decision Run a large-scale national survey of engaged women in the US to validate bride + family pain points, then layer qualitative interviews on top (separate deliverable). Why a survey (after public data) PESTLE analysis and publicly available data outlined macro trends and venue-owner challenges but couldn't answer bride-side decision-making questions: - What factors influence venue choice? - How much are couples willing to spend? - What are must-have features? - How do families influence the final decision? Methodology Target audience: engaged women in the US. Sample size: large national panel. Instrument: 40 structured questions across budget, venue type, logistics, planning services, seasonality, and decision-making factors. Goal: identify bride + family decision factors when booking a venue. What the venue-owner side already told us (validated via public data + interviews) 1. Lower budgets + declining guest counts — 58% of 2025 weddings have < 75 guests; 85% of couples report inflation pressure. 2. Intensifying competition — venue count is up; bookings per venue are down vs 2022. 3. Marketing struggle — most venues spend < $1K/month on marketing with minimal return. 4. Rising costs — average wedding cost up to $36K in 2025 (from $33K in 2024). 5. Evolving preferences — ambiance, sustainability, and unique experiences dominate. Bride-side survey — 7 key insights & recommendations 1. Budget & value (70% prioritize cost / value as the #1 factor). Rec: communicate pricing clearly + highlight included services to justify costs. 2. Venue preferences & backup plans (100% prefer outdoor; 60% require indoor backup; 50% want 71–80°F). Rec: market both outdoor features AND indoor contingency options. 3. Guest experience & logistics (80% say travel distance affects attendance; 40% expect >75% of guests to need overnight accommodations). Rec: highlight nearby accommodations + lodging partnerships. 4. Planning services & coordination (40% want full-service planning; 50% expect setup / teardown / guest coordination). Rec: bundle planning services or partner with experienced planners. 5. Seasonal & timing preferences (40% prefer March–May; 50% plan 12–18 months out). Rec: market early-booking promotions + offer virtual tours for early planners. 6. Communication & tour expectations (preferences for in-person meetings + visibility into ceremony, reception, dining, bridal suite, and photo locations during tour). Rec: design tour scripts that hit every expected stop + offer pre-tour digital previews. 7. Booking blockers (cost + weather concerns). Rec: publish weather-contingency policies + transparent all-in pricing. What venue owners must do (synthesis) - Increase bookings — drive occupancy despite shrinking guest counts. - Decrease costs — optimize operations + reduce waste. - Enhance the experience — seamless, stress-free planning for couples. - Maintain competitive edge — stand out via technology-driven advantages. Why this matters The survey alone would surface patterns but not emotional drivers. Pairing it with the AI-moderated interview synthesis (companion deliverable) gave the product a complete picture — breadth + depth — and let the product vision land with both quant evidence and qualitative texture.

Decision Onboarding friction is the #1 churn driver. Pricing trust is the rising second. Treat both as foundational inputs to FY26 planning. How we got here 14 churn interviews across 3 cohorts (months 3–5 post-signup). Recruited via exit-survey opt-in and refund requests. Mix: 8 owner-operators, 4 ops leads, 2 finance. Top themes Theme 1 — Onboarding friction (9 of 14) Direct quote: "I signed up Tuesday, by Friday I still hadn't sent a dispatch. I gave up." Pattern: workspace config step is the first hard stop. Owner-operators don't have an admin to hand it off to. Implication: shorten setup, defer config until value is felt. (See onboarding PRD.) Theme 2 — Pricing trust (6 of 14) Pattern: list price felt fair until the first surprise. Two reported overage charges they didn't understand. One reported a per-seat charge for a user who "only logged in once." Implication: transparent metering and predictable upgrade ladder. (Separate pricing review.) Theme 3 — Mobile parity (4 of 14) Pattern: field crews can't reliably complete dispatches on the mobile app. Implication: mobile parity must be in scope for any onboarding redesign. What we are *not* concluding - This sample is qualitative. Don't size churn impact off these 14. - One mention does not equal a pattern. Anything < 3 mentions is parked, not actioned. Next step Three artifacts to follow: 1. Onboarding PRD (committed, Bet 1). 2. Pricing-trust review (Q3 candidate). 3. Mobile parity checkpoint (folded into onboarding rollout).