Life Dash aimed to solve a significant problem faced by individuals in managing their health: the overwhelming and fragmented nature of health information. Target market users struggle to discern relevant and accurate data from the abundance available, and often find it difficult to consolidate their personal health history and symptoms effectively when interacting with healthcare practitioners. Traditional hospital or national healthcare platforms are typically built for institutions, not for the individual's long-term, customisable control.

Melissa Petros and Van Sternbergh, co-founders of Life Dash, know the frustration firsthand. Existing health platforms fell short: some were walled gardens tied to rigid, costly testing protocols; others lacked current information or failed to offer any real customisation. Recognising the need for something better, they set out to create a solution that empowers individuals to take control of their health data—across systems, borders, and throughout their lives—so they can be their own best advocates.

Life Dash chose Decodifi for their MVP development due to a combination of factors: Decodifi's approach was not overly large or factory-like, nor was it a one-person operation. Decodifi's lean startup ethos and "fail fast" methodology resonated deeply with Life Dash's vision for agile development. Decodifi also provided crucial end-to-end support, guidance, and effective communication, which was invaluable for a first-time venture.

The key goals for the MVP phase were to validate the core concept and determine if there was sufficient market interest to take the product to the next stage of development. Life Dash understood that this initial version was a starting point, anticipating many changes and new insights from user feedback.

Decodifi addressed these challenges by building a bespoke web application that focused on empowering the individual:

• Centralised Dashboard and Structured Sections: The application provides a single hub where users can input and track their medical data. Health information is broken down into core, interconnected areas, offering a framework for understanding complex health relationships. This directly addresses the problem of scattered data and helps users make sense of their health journey.
• AI Data Extraction: While not providing medical advice, the platform utilises AI to extract relevant information from uploaded documents (like test results or prescriptions). This "AI extraction" streamlines the process of populating the user's dashboard, enhancing ease of use and saving time.
• Secure Sharing Functionality: Users can securely share their dashboard information via email. This feature empowers individuals to have more informed and efficient conversations with their healthcare practitioners, maximising limited consultation time.
• Strategic Guidance and Iteration: Decodifi's collaborative process involved guiding Life Dash through design (e.g., Figma), providing expert input, and pushing back on ideas when necessary to ensure optimal solutions. This iterative approach, helped Life Dash make quicker decisions and avoid wasting time on non-viable paths. The initial development in Bubble enabled rapid prototyping and testing, aligning with the "fail fast" principle without substantial upfront financial risk.

The MVP launch of Life Dash has provided crucial validation and insights, confirming the demand for an individual-centric health management tool:

Key Outcomes & Validation:

• Strong User Validation: Initial beta testing garnered highly positive feedback, particularly for the AI data extraction, validating the core concept of a centralised, individual-focused health platform.
• Confirmed Ethical AI Approach: The MVP process successfully reinforced the strategy of using AI for data organisation rather than medical analysis, aligning with user trust in professional healthcare advice.
• Effective Agile Development: The agile, MVP-first approach proved highly successful in gathering crucial insights and iterating rapidly, mitigating financial risks.

The project demonstrated that people are increasingly seeking to be empowered in managing their health, and a tool like Life Dash can supercharge that empowerment by providing a trusted framework for understanding and discussing their health data with professionals. Life Dash is now poised to refine the application based on early feedback and explore next steps for scaling and future development.