Product Designer
San Francisco, California, Us
At Digital Green, I was part of the founding team of Loop - a tech-enabled platform that empowers farmers to organise themselves in groups, get access to rates across different markets and sell their vegetables in the best possible market right from their doorstep.During my stint, we scaled from 0 to 21,000 farmers across Bihar, Maharashtra and Bangladesh. I played a key role in streamlining on-ground processes and managing UI/UX for mobile apps, analytics dashboards and IVR-based products. I also developed impact evaluation and market recommendation algorithms.I spent a significant time in villages talking to farmers, trying to understand the on-ground challenges and running big and small pilots to find their solutions. In the first 18 months, I felt that we were creating something pathbreaking that would have a sustained impact in the lives of farmers. However, later on, I didn't align with the direction we decided to take as a team and left the organization. Loop eventually shut down after a few years.I still feel sad that we weren’t able to do what was needed to make it work. I also have a lot of gratitude for everything that I learned in this journey:- I closely experienced how the existing market-driven agricultural system disempowers farmers and deprives them of their freedom and safety. We need nothing less than a paradigm shift in food and farming!- I learnt about the complexities of the non-profit ecosystem. Sometimes, a good solution isn’t good enough. You need something that works for all stakeholders involved.- I worked with individuals who were passionate about their work and have spent decades working with farmers. Their drive and purpose were infectious!A lot changed within me while I was trying to change the world.
