HomeWallet Phase 0 - Market-Led Validation
6-week discovery phase to validate which system should power Home.com
Home.com is a Homeowner Operating System
Not a mortgage portal
- Continuously monitors home + money
- Explains what changed
- Guides decisions
- ✅ Monitoring + alerts are foundational
- ✅ Progressive permissioning
- ✅ Assumptions always visible
- ✅ No underwriting promises
Why Phase 0?
Most products fail because they build what sounds right instead of what pulls hardest. Phase 0 is a disciplined 6-week validation sprint that uses real market signals—not opinions—to determine which system should become Home.com's identity. We test 10 systems, kill the losers fast, and collapse to focus before building anything substantial.
The goal: One primary system emerges. Max 2 secondary systems support it. Everything else is deferred, partnered, or killed.
Visual One-Pager
Fast, board-ready explanation of the plan.
The Market Reality
Homeowners face a fragmented landscape of tools: one app for equity, another for maintenance, a third for projects. None of them talk to each other. The result? Critical decisions get made with incomplete information, unexpected costs create stress, and opportunities slip away unnoticed.
Home.com aims to be the single operating system that connects all these pieces—but which piece should lead?
The Problem We're Solving
- Equity exists but isn't usable when needed
- Shock resistance is overestimated
- Next home readiness is unclear
- Maintenance surprises are expensive
- Project planning leads to regret
- Service discovery is risky guesswork
- Financial planning without meetings
- Credit/debt clarity is missing
- Insurance gaps go unnoticed
10 Systems Across 3 Batches
Test → Measure → Decide → Collapse
Usable vs Paper Equity
Safety Net Smaller Than You Think
Ready in Head ≠ Ready on Paper
Never Wonder What's Next
Know the Real Cost
Trusted Pros, Not Guesswork
Planner Without Meetings
Debt Is a Tax on Options
Check Coverage Without Calling
See It Before You Change It
The Kill/Promote Discipline
Most teams struggle to kill their darlings. They argue, debate, and eventually ship everything—diluting focus and confusing users. Phase 0 removes opinion from the equation: market signals decide. Every 48-72 hours, we evaluate performance and make hard calls based on data, not attachment.
The rule: Bottom 30-40% gets killed. Top 20-30% gets promoted. No debates without a test.
Kill / Promote Decision Framework
- ❌ Bottom 30-40% CTR
- ❌ CPC > 2x concept median
- ❌ Negative sentiment spikes
- ❌ Attracts rate shoppers
- ✅ Top 20-30% executions
- ✅ Strong downstream intent
- ✅ High trust signals
- ✅ Repeat engagement potential
- Completion ≥ 35%
- Rerun ≥ 20%
- Assumption views ≥ 25%
- Human escalation ≤ 10%
6 Weeks Is Enough
Longer discovery phases don't produce better answers—they just delay decisions. Six weeks is enough time to test all 10 systems, run multiple iteration cycles, and develop the conviction needed to collapse to focus. The cadence is weekly readouts, with kill/promote decisions every 48-72 hours.
By Week 6: One primary system emerges. The product identity is set. Building can begin.
6-Week Execution Plan
Simulators: The Evidence Machines
Simulators convert abstract concepts into measurable behaviors. When a user completes a simulator, we know they understood. When they rerun it with different inputs, we know they're engaged. When they view assumptions, we know they're building trust. Every interaction generates evidence for which system creates the strongest pull.
🚀 Live Simulators - S1 Equity
Three interaction modes to test which approach creates deepest engagement.
Engagement Tiers
Structured validation packages—choose the depth that matches your conviction.
- 1 concurrent track
- Up to 25 variants/round
- Single-track validation for focused hypothesis testing
- 2 concurrent tracks
- Up to 50 variants/round
- 30-day advisory support
- Dual-track testing with 30-day advisory support
- 3 concurrent tracks
- Up to 75 variants/round
- 60-day support + 10h implementation
- Full 3-track testing with 60-day support + limited implementation
📢 NOT included in tier pricing - always show separately
Recommended test media budget: $2k–$5k
📅 Phase 0: Week-by-Week Breakdown
Click "Summary View" above to return to the overview. This detailed walkthrough shows exactly what happens each week.
Week 1: Foundation & Batch 1 Launch
- Finalize ad creative for S1-S3
- Configure Facebook Ads Manager
- Set up UTM tracking
- Deploy landing pages
- Launch S1 Equity ads (8-12 variants)
- Launch S2 Shock ads (8-12 variants)
- Launch S3 Readiness ads (8-12 variants)
- Begin 48-hour observation
- First kill/promote decisions
- Kill bottom 30-40% performers
- Reallocate budget to winners
- Document learnings
Week 2: Batch 1 Iteration + Batch 2 Launch
- Analyze Week 1 performance
- Create Batch 1 iteration variants
- Finalize Batch 2 creative
- Prep S4-S6 landing pages
- Launch Batch 2 (S4, S5, S6)
- Deploy Batch 1 iterations
- Monitor cross-batch performance
- 48-hour observation begins
- Second kill/promote cycle
- Compare Batch 1 vs Batch 2
- Identify emerging patterns
- Week 2 stakeholder readout
Week 3: Full Portfolio + Batch 3 Launch
- Launch S7-S10 (Batch 3)
- Continue Batch 1-2 iterations
- All 10 systems now live
- Begin portfolio comparison
- Kill/promote across all batches
- Identify top 3-4 performers
- Deep dive on winner patterns
- Test messaging variations
- Mid-point review
- Preliminary system ranking
- Identify candidates for focus
- Week 3 readout
Week 4: Convergence Testing
- Reallocate 70%+ budget to top 4
- Kill bottom 5-6 systems
- Create winner iterations
- Test new angles on winners
- Head-to-head comparisons
- A/B test landing page variants
- Test simulator mode performance
- Measure email capture rates
- Identify clear leader(s)
- Document why winners work
- Prepare collapse recommendation
- Week 4 readout
Week 5: Collapse to Focus
- Final winner comparison
- Stakeholder alignment
- Select primary system
- Define secondary support
- 90% budget to primary
- Final validation of choice
- Stress test messaging
- Document decision rationale
- Prepare collapse package
- Create implementation roadmap
- Define Phase 1 scope
- Week 5 readout
Week 6: Validation & Handoff
- Final performance validation
- Confirm primary choice
- Harvest winning messaging
- Document user insights
- Create Phase 1 spec
- Define MVP scope
- Prioritize features
- Resource planning
- Final presentation
- Executive readout
- Handoff to build team
- Phase 0 complete
📊 Phase 0 by the Numbers
Ready to Find Your Primary System?
Phase 0 transforms opinion into evidence. In 6 weeks, you'll know which system creates the strongest pull—and have the conviction to build it.