FuelFlow
about case
Membership & Loyalty Platform
FuelFlow is a mobile membership and loyalty platform purpose-built for independent fuel and car wash operators — helping them compete with national chains through subscriptions, secure digital access, fuel rewards, and local promotions.
Key Contributions:
01
Conducted customer and operator research across 43 participants
02
Defined the product vision, positioning, and MVP feature set
03
Built the membership pricing model and unit economics
04
Created the RICE prioritization framework for MVP scope
05
Designed the pilot launch strategy across different station types
06
Developed the GTM messaging for operators, members, and investors
07
Defined KPIs, success metrics, and product roadmap
The Challenge
Independent gas station and car wash operators are being outcompeted by national chains
with robust digital ecosystems. This:
- Limits their ability to build recurring revenue
- Creates manual workflows and high admin costs
- Leads to membership fraud through shared static barcodes
- Makes it harder to drive in-store purchases
- Prevents smaller operators from offering modern loyalty experiences
Solution:
A mobile-first SaaS membership and loyalty platform that gives independent operators subscription management, secure dynamic barcodes, fuel rewards, in-store promotions, and a lightweight owner dashboard without needing a custom-built enterprise system.
What We Set Out to Solve
Help independent gas stations and car washes compete with national chains
Create predictable monthly recurring revenue through memberships
Reduce membership fraud caused by barcode sharing
Replace manual loyalty workflows with a mobile-first digital experience
Discovery Highlights
1. Analyzed owner pain points around revenue volatility, fraud, and admin burden
2. Studied customer pain points around physical cards, renewal friction, and unclear benefits
3. Compared national chain capabilities against independent operator limitations
4. Identified mobile loyalty, secure barcode access, and promotions as core product gaps
MVP Design
- Defined a mobile member app for membership management, secure barcode access, fuel rewards, and in-store promotions
- Defined an owner dashboard for usage analytics, pricing management, and promotion launching
- Designed a secure barcode system that refreshes every 30 seconds
- Created a plug-and-play SaaS model for operators without developer resources
MVP Design
- Built a pilot revenue model using Unlimited Wash and Basic Wash membership tiers
- Modeled estimated monthly revenue of $3,998 per station
- Estimated net operator gain of $3,083 per station/month after costs
- Projected FuelFlow revenue through a $199/month SaaS fee plus 1% transaction fee
- Created CLV and CAC assumptions to validate business viability
Launch Strategy
01
Designed a 3-station pilot across urban, suburban, and rural station types
02
Planned in-store QR signage, receipt QR codes, referrals, local ads, and owner network outreach
03
Created separate onboarding journeys for customers and operators
04
Defined success metrics across business, usage, and operational KPIs
Key Metrics
43
total user interviews conducted
$4000
predicted monthly membership revenue per pilot station
$143,400
projected Year 1 ARR
What We Delivered
Member App
Membership management, barcode access, fuel rewards, and promotions
Owner Dashboard
Usage analytics, pricing controls, and promotion launcher
Fraud Prevention
Dynamic barcode refresh every 30 seconds
Revenue Model
$199/month SaaS fee + 1% transaction fee
Pilot Strategy
3-station pilot across different traffic profiles
KPI Framework
MRR, conversion, churn, CLV, redemption, and fraud metrics
Roadmap
MVP, V2, V3, and V4 product expansion plan
Supporting Artifacts
Product Case Study README
Interactive Mobile App Prototype
Competitive Analysis
Unit Economics Model
KPI Dashboard Framework
MVP Scope & Roadmap
GTM Launch Plan
Marketing Copy & Investor Summary
Stakeholder Insight
“Independent operators do not need a $500K custom loyalty platform to compete with national chains. They need a simple, secure, and affordable membership system that helps turn everyday fuel and wash visits into recurring customer relationships.”
Product Insight, FuelFlow Case Study
What Worked
1. Identified a clear market gap for independent fuel and car wash operators
2. Connected owner pain points directly to product features
3. Built a strong business model around recurring revenue and fraud prevention
4. Created a realistic MVP scope supported by research and financial modeling
5. Designed a GTM strategy using low-cost, high-visibility acquisition channels
What Could Be Improved
1. Validate POS integration requirements earlier
2. Test willingness to pay across more station owner segments
3. Build a live clickable MVP demo with onboarding and barcode flows
4. Add more detail around fraud detection logic and backend security
5. Include pilot results once actual station testing is completed
Personal Growth:
This project strengthened my ability to think like a founder and product manager at the same time. It taught me how to connect customer discovery, market sizing, MVP scoping, financial modeling, and go-to-market strategy into one complete product story.
Project Overview
The Problem & Objectives
Research & Execution Process
Results & Deliverables
Retrospective
