Tackling Loneliness Program

Led end-to-end program management for an 8-week gamified mobile app experience that tripled DAU and doubled session time.

Tackling Loneliness Program

About the Project

I led a customer-focused, 8-week in-app program aimed at helping users combat loneliness through gamified features such as virtual pets, badges, weekly activities, and personalized To-Dos. The initiative was designed to increase engagement during the holiday season—a time when loneliness spikes—by offering a more meaningful, interactive app experience.

Goals:
  • Help Customer to reduce their loneliness and Social Isolation.
  • Increase DAU and session time
  • Improve user retention and satisfaction
  • Launch before Thanksgiving 2022 to align with user vulnerability trends

My Role

  • Owned end-to-end program management, including planning, execution, launch, and hypercare
  • Coordinated across Product, Engineering, Analytics, Content, UX, QA, Marketing, and Customer Support
  • Acted as the central point of accountability for delivery timelines, decision-making, and cross-team execution

Program Management Approach

  • Structured Planning:
    • Created a Project Charter and Goal Alignment Document to define scope, outcomes, and team expectations
    • Established feature boundaries—what we will and will not build—to avoid scope creep
    • Created Feature requirement documents to outline specific functionalities and user stories
    • Developed user journey and wireframes to visualize the user experience
    • Developed a detailed project plan with timelines, milestones, and dependencies
    • Established a risk management plan to identify and mitigate potential project risks
    • Created status reports to communicate progress and issues to stakeholders
  • Cross-Functional Execution:
    • Organized weekly workgroup meetings by function (Content, UX, System Architecture, Marketing, Data)
    • Guided decision-making on content cadence, onboarding flows, user activity tracking, and marketing strategy
  • Communication & Risk Management:
    • Set up dedicated channels for action item tracking, risk mitigation, and live issue triage
    • Maintained detailed meeting notes and drove resolution on blockers
  • Delivery & QA:
    • Partnered with engineering and architecture teams to prioritize sprint deliverables
    • Designed and led UAT (User Acceptance Testing) with QA and business, based on real user scenarios
    • Created comprehensive launch FAQ and onboarding material for customer support and marketing
  • Hypercare:
    • Formed a dedicated hypercare team for post-launch support to quickly resolve user-reported issues during the first two weeks

Tech Details

Frontend:
Built as a Progressive Web App (PWA) and converted to native Android & iOS apps using the Ionic Framework. The architecture provides a unified user experience across all platforms through responsive design and reusable components that maintain consistency while adapting to each platform's native feel.
Backend:
Engineered with feature flags, a daily content delivery system, and comprehensive engagement tracking capabilities. The system is deployed on Microsoft Azure using a multi-tenant architecture that enables client-specific branding and content segmentation, allowing each organization to maintain their unique identity while sharing the underlying infrastructure.
Analytics:
Comprehensive user event tracking monitors daily active users (DAU), session duration, and detailed engagement metrics with various activities. This data provides actionable insights into user behavior patterns and content effectiveness.
UAT Framework:
Implemented business scenario-based test planning that integrates seamlessly with bug triage workflows and hotfix prioritization processes, ensuring rapid response to critical issues while maintaining quality standards.
Compliance:
HIPAA-Compliant Architecture: Protected health-related data through comprehensive encryption, granular access control, and secure storage solutions. The system maintains isolated tenant-level data to ensure strict client-specific privacy boundaries.

HiTrust-Aligned Practices: Implemented robust data handling, logging, and operational controls aligned with HiTrust CSF standards. Regular audits and operational checklists are built into both development and infrastructure processes to maintain continuous compliance.
Marketing Channels:
Integrated marketing approach utilizing in-app banners for contextual messaging, targeted email outreach campaigns, and comprehensive FAQ systems designed to streamline user onboarding and drive engagement.

Outcomes

2 weeks
Ahead of schedule
3x
DAU increase within a week
80+
Users enrolled in first 7 days
2x
Average session time increase

Press Coverage

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