Livestories (Now forwardplatform.com) launched as a data storytelling and collaboration platform for governments, nonprofits, and foundations. Market research helped narrow the focus from targeting all 25 million government employees across all levels of government, as well as foundations and nonprofits, to focusing on health departments.
Not only was the product a great fit for the data storytelling needs of health departments, they are also among the largest departments in terms of employees and budget. Every level of government from city to federal has a health department and they work closely with non-profits, foundations, and other government functions. The analysis identified health departments as a potentially great land and expand candidate.
The hypothesis was tested and validated through multiple interviews that led to an even deeper understanding of health department needs, use cases, and resources. The deeper understanding in turn informed an improved targeting around focusing on epidemiologists at county health departments in mid-sized to large counties.
Result
The market research and narrower focus allowed for better execution on all go-to-market efforts and led to landing 100 accounts in 18 months, including some of the largest health departments in the country. This momentum helped the company secure a $10M Series A funding round from leading investors.
