Product Development - The Story of OOST - How we built the brand, Part 2

Product Design, from Concept to Reality

Over many coffees Wendel and I talked through the idea. We found that we could easily relate to the problem as it was affecting us and many of our friends, this naturally brought us on to who our potential customers could be and also to recognise what their likes and dislikes are. We spent a lot of time looking at the different products already in the market and how we could differentiate. We wanted to design a product which effectively targeted our specific pain point and equally as important, was administered in an easy and convenient way.

The Original Duo and the Promise of Immediate Relief, the pillars of our product development

Being able to lean on Andrew's experience in nutrition sales gave us invaluable insight into what ingredients were out there and opened many doors for informal chats with experts in the field. Initially we had 2 ingredients in mind, Collagen and Glucosamine, which are two of the most well known supplements in the market. We began to look at chondroitin, which when combined with glucosamine, is fundamental to cartilage care and general joint health. We wanted our product to offer immediate as well as long-term benefits. This led us to look at curcumin, the active element of turmeric, which is well documented down through generations for its health and anti-inflammatory benefits. Our knowledge of the benefits and effectiveness of these ingredients was limited, is proof of their benefits out there? It turns out that there are many studies supporting the benefits of each ingredient. At this stage, we needed some expert guidance, we were experts in the world of aches and pains, but didnt have the expertise to understand or collate the proof and benefits of each ingredient.

Navigating Partnerships: From Setback to Synergy

We started a lengthy process of finding an expert to develop our product. After discussions with a number of product development teams in Ireland and UK, we finally decided on using a company in the UK. During the product development with this company it slowly but quite clearly (and expensively) revealed a mismatch in vision and expectations. Despite its reputation, they couldn't align with our brand design and vision for a convenient and premium supplement, also presenting a financial challenge we just couldn't justify. This setback made us approach other development companies and finally settled on one that was not only in sync with our vision but also enthusiastic about it. This partnership was transformative, resulting in a product that is as convenient and enjoyable to consume as it is effective.

From the start, our ideal situation would have been to do the product design and manufacture in Ireland. However we were unable to find a local manufacturer capable of producing liquid sachets, which fitted our requirements. We were adamant that our product must be the most convenient solution out there and unfortunately, unless we went down the powder or capsule route, this was not an option within the Irish manufacturing landscape. Much like product development, our manufacturing search eventually extended to the UK, which increased our available manufacturing options however did create a slight geographical problem and also the associated BREXIT headaches for importing product from the UK into Ireland.

Our Product Design Vision

Our vision extends beyond merely developing and introducing a new supplement to the market; we are aiming to shift the narrative surrounding joint health. Historically there has been an acceptance of joint discomfort, it would have been seen as an inevitable aspect of ageing and traditionally men in particular would have accepted these aches and pains without seeking any solution. During our product development journey we also found that a large cohort of people did not know that there are solutions for their aches and pains. Our aim is to challenge the acceptance of joint discomfort, you don't need to subject yourself to unnecessary aches and pains!