reko.day is my start up. I hope it is used by millions of folks as the easiest way to buy and sell locally. While it was conceived as like a virtual farmer's market that catered to farmers, it became obvious that just about every local farmer, maker, and baker wants this.
This page is where I will be working in public.
Current Focus
First Customers (Updated 2026-03-21)
Core problem: Farmers are excited in person but won't download/sign up after conversations. Every passive method has failed (cards, mailing list, Facebook posts). Buyers will sign up (proven via Facebook ads). Farmer activation is the sole bottleneck.
What we know:
- Hundreds of in-person farmer conversations over years, near-universal excitement, near-zero signups
- Farmers hate manual pickup coordination but tolerate it because alternatives (LocallyGrown, Shopify) have high fees
- Reko Day pitch: batch pickups, no seller fees, lower processing fees
- iOS only. ~1/3 of farmers are Android, can't use the product
- Farmers' kids handle tech but aren't at markets
- Buyers pay $4.99/mo subscription (free to browse, pay to purchase). 2-month free promo active.
- Facebook ads successfully drive buyer signups
Strategy (next 8 weeks):
- THIS WEEK: Email Rogers Farmer's Market organizer. Ask her to introduce you to 5 farmers. Position Reko Day as additional sales channel between market days, not replacement for their tools.
- April (markets open): Collect phone numbers at booths. Follow up by text next day with specific call time. Walk farmers through setup on 15-min phone calls.
- Parallel: Keep Facebook ads running for buyers so demand is waiting when farmers come online.
- Goal by end of April: 3-5 active farmers with products listed. One successful reko pickup completed.
Rogers Farmer's Market organizer:
- Has expressed interest in helping small businesses and saw potential for Reko Day to replace their ordering/pickup software
- Reko Day can't handle taxes (market requirement), so pitch as complement not replacement
- She has direct relationships with farmers Ryan can't reach otherwise
- Her endorsement carries more weight than Ryan approaching booths individually
Next action: First farmers market (April)
- Goal: Collect 5-10 phone numbers from iPhone-owning farmers. NOT pitching the app at the booth.
- Follow up by text the next day with a specific time to call and walk them through setup (15 min)
- Break the conversion into two steps: get number at market, do setup on phone later
Farmer interview questions to validate assumptions:
- "What happened after we last talked? Did you try to download it?"
- "How do you sell outside of the farmers market today?"
- "If I could get you 10 customers who'd buy from you every week without you going to a market, what would that be worth?"
- "What would need to be true for you to try this week?"
App Improvements
Smoothing out onboarding, better and more robust notifications and adding some QOL things throughout the app.