03. Product
User Research

Product Research

Market Analysis

Market Size & Growth

  • Co-parenting app market: $1.5-1.7 billion in 2025
  • Growth rate: 16-18% CAGR
  • Broader parenting apps market: $1.53B (2024) to $1.72B (2025)
  • Global market projection: $1.14B from 2025-2029

Target Audience

  • Primary: Divorced or separated parents
  • Scale: ~50% of marriages end in divorce
  • Annual impact: 1M+ children experience parental divorce annually
  • Unmarried parents: 40% of births, potential separation market
  • Total addressable users: 20-25 million co-parents in US alone

Market Dynamics

  • Regional focus: North America expected to be largest market
  • Institutional adoption: Some apps mandated by courts/lawyers
  • Legal integration: Courts mandate co-parenting apps in custody plans
  • Market segments: Pregnancy, baby care, co-parenting apps

Competitive Landscape

Direct Competitors

  1. OurFamilyWizard

    • Established market presence
    • Court-mandated adoption model
  2. AppClose

    • Direct competitor in co-parenting space
  3. TalkingParents

    • Claims "most all-inclusive co-parenting service"
    • Focus on comprehensive feature set

Competitive Analysis

  • Market position: Fragmented market with limited feature differentiation
  • Opportunity: Few competitors offer AI-powered features
  • Customer acquisition: Community-driven marketing potential
  • Estimated CAC: $40-60 per user (vs $100-150 for project management tools)
  • LTV:CAC ratio: Potentially 10-15x (stronger than typical 4-6x)

User Research Insights

Development Velocity

  • Current progress: 40% complete after 3 weeks
  • Team: Small, lean with $300K annual salary costs
  • Development approach: Greenfield without technical debt

Pricing Research

  • Target pricing: $10/user/month regular
  • Early bird: $4.99/month (50% discount, first year)
  • Market validation: Competitive with existing solutions
  • Tier structure:
    • Starter: Free (basic features)
    • Plus: $9/mo (analytics, payments, multi-child)
    • Family: $15/mo (multi-co-parent, legal templates, API)

Strategic Insights

Differentiation Opportunities

  • AI features: Core differentiator from competitors
  • Automation: "Auto-Complete for Parenting" positioning
  • User experience: Simplified, harmonious approach
  • Brand philosophy: Otter-inspired teamwork metaphor

Market Entry Strategy

  • Niche positioning: Underserved specific needs
  • Community building: Natural network effects around parenting
  • Lower barriers: Less competitive than broader markets
  • Court integration: Potential institutional adoption path

Investment Landscape

  • Family tech interest: Growing VC attention post-pandemic
  • Women in VC: Driving capital to parent-focused solutions
  • Sector funding: 60 familytech startups, $939M aggregate
  • Average funding: $15.7M per company
  • Recent examples: FAMS raised $400K pre-seed

Research Sources

  • Web search analysis on co-parenting market statistics
  • Competitive landscape research via web findings
  • Family tech investor analysis
  • Expert consultation on startup valuation and market positioning
  • Product development progress tracking

Last updated: Based on comprehensive market research and analysis documented in content scaffold (2025-06-25)