Tuli | Cannabis Marketplace
The cannabis industryās premier digital ordering social-commerce platform.
Role
Advisor turned Co-Founder
Responsibilities
Sole owner of all product design
Co-lead product direction and strategy
Work with engineering team to build entire application in both mobile and desktop
Industry
The Cannabis and CBD industries are growing at a rapid pace, and the need for modern and cost-effective technology within retail and marketing operations is dire. There are over 17,000 cannabis retailers and brands in Los Angeles alone, and over 50,000 THC & CBD companies in North America seeking digital help to grow.
Problem
There is an opportunity within the Cannabis industryā¦
87% of cannabis users donāt want to shop retail in-person.
86% of brands and retailers are seeking for new digital solutions to grow their business.
91% of Cannabis users would use a digital marketplace to shop for their cannabis products.
Solution
Like Amazon or Uber Eats, we provide cannabis consumers an elegant and streamlined digital e-commerce experience while connecting with like-minded people from around the world. Tuli customers can shop, choose from pickup or delivery, learn, and be part of a community via Tuli Tribe.
Weāre an ancillary technology company so we bypass licensing and legal red tape by connecting retailers & brands with global customers.
The typical e-commerce user visits a website on average every 30 days, whereas a social-commerce user visits an average of 7X per day and shops 300% - 500% more frequently.
Typical e-commerce is a thing of the past as people are demanding content and human connection. The need for people to be part of a community, and find their Tribe, is stronger than ever.
User Flows
As with any project, itās always important to fully map out the possible paths your users could take throughout your product. The user flows below were used as a brain-storming tool to work through possible solutions to various problems faced when working within the cannabis industry.
Our marketplace featured various independent retailers, yet each retailer carried numerous types of products. As a user, was it possible to order products from across different dispensaries? Would users need to place an order with one dispensary first, then another dispensary second? Do we allow multiple cartsāor should we lock users in to a singular location once an item is added to their cart?
There were many questions around how these features worked, and new problems appearing all the time. The user flows below were crucial in starting the conversation with engineering and the CEO, and keeping the conversation moving.
The Tribe
Tribe is an intertwined community where people shop, share, get inspired, and learn from certified Thought Leaders. Users can seamlessly move between e-commerce, their Tribe feed, and follow categories like health & wellness, music, business, and travel. Users can purchase products directly from Tribe through posts and hashtags.
First CBD-only Marketplace
Not every cannabis consumer is seeking the effects of THC. There are tens of millions of consumers using CBD and over 30,000 CBD companies in North America. Global brands like Coke, Constellation Brands, Neiman Marcus, Walgreens, and Ulta Beauty have invested and are selling CBD products today. The problem is, the industry is convoluted, confusing, and thereās not a trusted one-stop shop digital option until now.
With the touch of a button, Tuli becomes the first CBD only marketplace in a growing $25 billion industry. Simply touch the āCBD Onlyā button on the home page and your shopping experience is customized. Tuli gives CBD companies a place to market, sell, and expand their brand.
Delivery
There are thousands of licensed cannabis delivery companies across North America. The majority of these companies are seeking help with technology and improved efficiencies to improve revenue and profitability. Tuli addresses this major gap in the market through our white label driver app.
In closing
Working with the Tuli team as a design advisor turned Co-Founder was an incredible experience. It was a very tough but exhilarating period of time that gave me wonderful lessons in professionalism, design, and product. After I parted ways, the team pivoted from Cannabis to the restaurant industry. What pleases me the most is that the designs I created stood the test of time, and are now being fully utilized within Tuli restaurant foodie app.
This opportunity fueled my drive and satisfied my desire to build a product from the ground up. Iām thankful for the time I spent leading the design and product initiative. In January of 2020, I decided to part ways with the team due to the amount of stress working two full-time jobs.
