Got It Study, the Homework Help App, Gets it, Thanks to Unexpected Insights from the Teens at The Ambassadors Company

Companies who need or want teen users have discovered something important: You can find out more about what they actually do and need by asking them.

This approach powers The Ambassadors Company, run by 17-year-old CEO Maxine Marcus. Her team of teen ambassadors, a crew of around 100 young people, are determined to give raw but cogent feedback on product, app, and service, by using them in the wild of everyday life at school, sports, and activities.

Got It Study, an app designed to unlock the power of one-on-one homework tutoring for all, knew they had to reach one of the US’s toughest, savviest, and most overwhelmed demographics: high school students. They had a unique resource to give teens, more than 20,000 live tutors waiting to help with homework and other study tasks, connected for short real-time chats via a proprietary AI system.

Got It knew they had to get the user experience and model just right. As they rolled out new features and models, they turned to Ambassadors Company, seeking input at every stage. “They have had us walk with them on their entire app development process,” explains Marcus. “They had us test their original app with twenty ambassadors, who then looked at screenshots of an update to see if it fixed the problems. Then we tested the update with a fresh 20 teens.”

Marcus and her team gather direct and honest input from teens, who use the product for a set period of time as they go about their busy lives. She then gleans ideas and suggestions worth passing along to the client, as well as organizes the raw feedback, so that clients can see everything. Marcus has been testing and reporting on products and services since her early teens, and she’s passed along some of her approach to a growing number of teen testers.

In Got It’s case, The Ambassadors’ feedback included the usual comments on functionality and user experience Got It founder and CEO Peter Relan expected. But it also pointed out several key aspects of the service that led the company to change its pricing model. “There were a couple of major a-ha moments,” Relan says. “We got real insight into what teen habits are. We learned that they are really tuned into Spotify and Netflix as a way to think about a subscription service. ”

The Ambassadors drew an unexpected parallel with Spotify, which inspired Got It to package its offerings differently. “We as builders didn’t think that way, but the teens did,” Relan continues.
“They saw us as a service, though we are connected to real live tutors. We decided to present Got It as a subscription package, allowing users to access a set number of hours of tutoring time per month. The Ambassadors Company collaboration helped us find this new model, as well as the right price point on par with Spotify’s monthly subscription rates.”

“We’ll only spend our money if we have something we relate to, especially if it’s our money, vs our parents’,” explains Marcus. “We explained that basic thought process. That helped Got It guide their pricing.” And unlock the potential of a regular cadre of dedicated subscription users.

About The Ambassadors Company

The Ambassadors Company is a research, testing, and marketing consulting firm that harnesses the power of real, raw feedback from more than 100 teens. Going far beyond focus group testing, ambassadors work with products, apps, and services in their everyday lives, giving honest insights into exactly what works for busy teens. Founded by 17-year-old Maxine Marcus, the company provides exciting work for young people and valuable insights for companies like SoundHound, Got It, and numerous start ups.