Product Strategy, GTM & Behavioral Design: Solving Choice Overload with AI

Flavora AI is an early-stage startup developing a dual-sided AI platform for the food and beverage industry. It features a B2C chatbot—integrated into e-commerce sites and physical stores—and a B2B analytics dashboard that provides industry managers with deep data on customer preferences.

The client

The challenge

Ever felt overwhelmed by a 100+ item wine list? That is the problem Flavora solves: choice overload. I joined the founder when the project was just a raw concept. My task was to transform that idea into a validated MVP ready for investment, ensuring the product experience addressed both the frustrations of business managers and the conversion blockers of customers.

My role

As an early team member, I wore many hats to shape the product's DNA, from behavioral research and UX design to branding and investor relations.

Applying Behavioral Science to Solve Choice Overload

Food and beverage customers face a universal problem: when presented with too many options, they experience choice paralysis. This leads to frustration, brand fatigue, and a tendency to stick to the "same old thing."

• I conducted a deep dive into the research of choice architecture to audit the MVP.

• I redesigned the chatbot's interaction tree and simplified the UI to ensure the language and design reduced cognitive load rather than adding to it.

Increasing AI Adoption and Recommendation Acceptance

A significant barrier to our technology was trust; not everyone is ready to accept a machine’s recommendation on what to eat or drink.

• I used behavioral science to optimize the chatbot's tone, making it feel more human and less robotic.

• I reframed the value proposition to position the AI as a helpful "assistant" rather than a threatening "replacement," significantly increasing the likelihood of users following the product suggestions.

Branding and Investor-Ready Landing Page

Creating a brand identity that appeals to both B2B managers and B2C consumers is a difficult balance.

• I developed a brief for the logo, colors, and tone of voice based on psychological research and unofficial user interviews.

• I led the copywriting and structure of our landing page, clarifying the "how" and "why" behind Flavora to attract our first business partners and investors.

Outreach and Content Marketing

To secure our first leads, I managed the full spectrum of early-stage marketing: LinkedIn outreach, email campaigns, and newsletter content. This was essential for building the initial momentum needed for the product’s co-development phase.

Results

Flavora is still in its early stages, but the behavioral foundation we built has already led to significant milestones:

• Acceptance into the Le Village (Crédit Agricole) acceleration project.

• An award from the Italian Chamber of Commerce.

• Securing the first B2B partners to begin co-developing and testing the platform in real-world environments.