humea
We read between the wants
Research and Positioning
Product Strategy
Design and Identity
Engineering
Growth
Why do good products go unloved? A strong team, a sound idea, clean execution, and still the people don’t come, or they come and drift. We help you find out what’s going on underneath
We read between the wants
Research and Positioning
Product Strategy
Design and Identity
Engineering
Growth
Why do good products go unloved? A strong team, a sound idea, clean execution, and still the people don’t come, or they come and drift. We help you find out what’s going on underneath
Brand portfolio
Brand portfolio
Case studies
Case studies
Work we’ve done with fintech, healthtech, infrastructure teams and other various products
Fully diluted value
Fully diluted value
Fully diluted value
Annual recurring revenue
Annual recurring revenue
Annual recurring revenue
Transactions per second
Transactions per second
Transactions per second
Requests per second
Requests per second
Requests per second
humea
humea
humea
We’re particular about what we take on. Fewer things, and things worth having built.
Our approach is patient: find the insight through research, shape the product together with you, and keep refining until it’s ready. No unnecessary complexity, nothing added for show.
Our approach is patient: find the insight through research, shape the product together with you, and keep refining until it’s ready. No unnecessary complexity, nothing added for show.
Design and code were never the hard part. We do both, with senior people who’ve worked on everything from brand to protocol. And because good UX doesn’t survive shaky tech, we hold the engineering to the same standard as the research.
Design and code were never the hard part. We do both, with senior people who’ve worked on everything from brand to protocol. And because good UX doesn’t survive shaky tech, we hold the engineering to the same standard as the research.
Why choose us
Why choose us
Everything else follows from the understanding
If this sounds like your room, let’s think it through.
If this sounds like your room, let’s think it through.
If this sounds like your room, let’s think it through.
People will tell you one thing and do another. Not in bad faith, they simply don’t have access to most of what moves them. So we start by watching what people do, not what they say. Once that’s clear, strategy has somewhere to stand, design knows what it’s for, and engineering knows what it’s building.
01
Successful projects completed
We’ve delivered 50+ projects that help companies generate real results.
01
Successful projects completed
We’ve delivered 50+ projects that help companies generate real results.
01
Successful projects completed
We’ve delivered 50+ projects that help companies generate real results.
02
Customer satisfaction rate
02
Customer satisfaction rate
02
Customer satisfaction rate
What we do
What we do
Services
Services
(5)
(5)
(5)
(001)
Market entry and positioning
Before you enter a market, we go and study how it actually works. The research is designed with academic ethnographers, and it becomes a clear position and a plan for launch.
Core service
Market research
Ethnographic studies
Competitive landscape
Positioning
Launch strategy
Category definition
6+
Market entry and positioning
(002)
Product strategy and design
We work out what to build, in what order, and what to leave out for now. Then we design it.
Core service
Product strategy
Backlog and roadmap
User research
UX and UI design
Design systems
Prototyping
6+
Product strategy and design
(003)
Engineering and delivery
A senior in-house team, supported by partners we have worked with for years. Good user experience is only possible when the tech underneath it works.
Core service
Architecture
Frontend
Backend and APIs
Infrastructure
QA and testing
Partner network
6+
Engineering and delivery
(004)
Licensing and compliance
Banking licences, regulatory strategy and compliance. We look at this early, because what you are allowed to do shapes what you can build.
Auxiliary service
Banking licences
Regulatory strategy
Compliance frameworks
Legal structuring
Risk and governance
Reporting and audits
6+
Licensing and compliance
(005)
Investment readiness
The model, the narrative and the data room that hold up in diligence, plus introductions where they help. We do this for ventures we help build.
Auxiliary service
Financial modelling
Investor narrative
Data room
Diligence preparation
Investor introductions
Cap table and structure
6+
Investment readiness
(001)
Market entry and positioning
Before you enter a market, we go and study how it actually works. The research is designed with academic ethnographers, and it becomes a clear position and a plan for launch.
Core service
Market research
Ethnographic studies
Competitive landscape
Positioning
Launch strategy
Category definition
6+
Market entry and positioning
(002)
Product strategy and design
We work out what to build, in what order, and what to leave out for now. Then we design it.
Core service
Product strategy
Backlog and roadmap
User research
UX and UI design
Design systems
Prototyping
6+
Product strategy and design
(003)
Engineering and delivery
A senior in-house team, supported by partners we have worked with for years. Good user experience is only possible when the tech underneath it works.
Core service
Architecture
Frontend
Backend and APIs
Infrastructure
QA and testing
Partner network
6+
Engineering and delivery
(004)
Licensing and compliance
Banking licences, regulatory strategy and compliance. We look at this early, because what you are allowed to do shapes what you can build.
Auxiliary service
Banking licences
Regulatory strategy
Compliance frameworks
Legal structuring
Risk and governance
Reporting and audits
6+
Licensing and compliance
(005)
Investment readiness
The model, the narrative and the data room that hold up in diligence, plus introductions where they help. We do this for ventures we help build.
Auxiliary service
Financial modelling
Investor narrative
Data room
Diligence preparation
Investor introductions
Cap table and structure
6+
Investment readiness
(001)
Market entry and positioning
Before you enter a market, we go and study how it actually works. The research is designed with academic ethnographers, and it becomes a clear position and a plan for launch.
Core service
Market research
Ethnographic studies
Competitive landscape
Positioning
Launch strategy
Category definition
6+
Market entry and positioning
(002)
Product strategy and design
We work out what to build, in what order, and what to leave out for now. Then we design it.
Core service
Product strategy
Backlog and roadmap
User research
UX and UI design
Design systems
Prototyping
6+
Product strategy and design
(003)
Engineering and delivery
A senior in-house team, supported by partners we have worked with for years. Good user experience is only possible when the tech underneath it works.
Core service
Architecture
Frontend
Backend and APIs
Infrastructure
QA and testing
Partner network
6+
Engineering and delivery
(004)
Licensing and compliance
Banking licences, regulatory strategy and compliance. We look at this early, because what you are allowed to do shapes what you can build.
Auxiliary service
Banking licences
Regulatory strategy
Compliance frameworks
Legal structuring
Risk and governance
Reporting and audits
6+
Licensing and compliance
(005)
Investment readiness
The model, the narrative and the data room that hold up in diligence, plus introductions where they help. We do this for ventures we help build.
Auxiliary service
Financial modelling
Investor narrative
Data room
Diligence preparation
Investor introductions
Cap table and structure
6+
Investment readiness
About us
About us
humea
Closer to anthropology than to a sprint
A slower, more patient way of working. You can’t rush your way to understanding a person. Here is what it looks like in practice.
01
The first weeks are groundwork: research, not guesses
01
The first weeks are groundwork: research, not guesses
02
It ends in things you can act on, not a deck
02
It ends in things you can act on, not a deck
03
One team carries it from strategy through design to production code
03
One team carries it from strategy through design to production code
04
Once launched, we optimise performance for the best outcomes
04
Once launched, we optimise performance for the best outcomes
Testimonials
Testimonials
Experiences
4.9
4.9
/5
56+ projects so far. The metric that moved was different each time, revenue, retention, ratings. The way there was the same
humea
56+
Trusted by
clients worldwide
James Carter
Wilson & Co
Incredible team! They delivered exactly what we needed, on time and beyond expectations.
James Carter
Wilson & Co
Incredible team! They delivered exactly what we needed, on time and beyond expectations.
Emily Davis
StartUp Hub
A smooth process from start to finish. Highly professional team!
Emily Davis
StartUp Hub
A smooth process from start to finish. Highly professional team!
Anna Martinez
Marketing Director
Our new branding is exactly what we envisioned—clean, modern, and unique. #1 in our industry.
Anna Martinez
Marketing Director
Our new branding is exactly what we envisioned—clean, modern, and unique. #1 in our industry.
Free strategic session
Start by narrowing scope with us
Book an intro call to qualify for a free strategic session
Book an intro call to qualify for a free strategic session
No commitment required
No commitment required
What will I get
Strategic positioning deck & plan
What do I need
No preparation reqiured
“They kept asking why until the answer was something we could actually build. The numbers followed.”
Angela Smith
4 hours
4 team members
For the best outcome we recommend to allocate 3-4 team members for 3-4 hours
Certainty compounds
Insights
Step 1
Gaps
Step 2
Market
Step 3
Goals
Step 4
How we charge
How we charge
Pricing
From $20k a month. You pay for a month of work, and we agree together what that month contains.
One deliverable a month
A validated MVP. It keeps its shape from month to month, it just grows in value.
Scope agreed every month
We recommend what matters most at this stage. You make the call on what gets built.
Start with one month
The first month is 50% upfront, and you are not committing to a whole project.
What a month costs
Product
$25k to $80k a month
Small
Small
$25k
Medium
Medium
$50k
Large
Large
$80k
Engineering
$20k to $100k a month
Small
Small
$20k
Medium
Medium
$60k
Large
Large
$100k
Product and engineering are priced separately. Taken together, a month of both runs from $45k to $180k.
The spectrum
The core is always the communication strategy. What changes is how far we take everything built around it.
Static materials, made well
Static materials, made well
Animated properties, validated with a user study and a test campaign against a simulated market entry
Animated properties, validated with a user study and a test campaign against a simulated market entry
What sits outside this
Licensing, compliance and investment readiness run alongside the core work when they are needed, rather than inside these bands. We can also help build the internal team that takes the product over when we step back.
Denis Soldatenko
Product Manager
Denis Soldatenko
Product Manager
humea
humea
humea
The people behind the work
The people behind the work
Be part of our mission
If this way of working sounds like yours, we’d be glad to hear from you.
We’re a distributed practice of under forty people: researchers, strategists, designers, and engineers. Small enough that senior people do the work themselves, not oversee it.
Research Lead
at humea
Alex Kotsalainen
Watches what people do, not what they say, and turns the gap between the two into insights the whole team can build on.
Research Lead
at humea
Alex Kotsalainen
Watches what people do, not what they say, and turns the gap between the two into insights the whole team can build on.
Research Lead
at humea
Alex Kotsalainen
Watches what people do, not what they say, and turns the gap between the two into insights the whole team can build on.
Design Engineer
at humea
Vitor Pinho
Knows that good UX doesn’t survive shaky tech, and builds interfaces with production code to match.
Design Engineer
at humea
Vitor Pinho
Knows that good UX doesn’t survive shaky tech, and builds interfaces with production code to match.
Design Engineer
at humea
Vitor Pinho
Knows that good UX doesn’t survive shaky tech, and builds interfaces with production code to match.
Product Strategist
at humea
Martina Lidman
Gives strategy somewhere to stand: a clear read on who the users are, what moves them, and what to build next.
Product Strategist
at humea
Martina Lidman
Gives strategy somewhere to stand: a clear read on who the users are, what moves them, and what to build next.
Product Strategist
at humea
Martina Lidman
Gives strategy somewhere to stand: a clear read on who the users are, what moves them, and what to build next.
Product Manager
at humea
Denis Soldatenko
Gives the understanding its form: identity, interface, and a design system that saves real time later.
Product Manager
at humea
Denis Soldatenko
Gives the understanding its form: identity, interface, and a design system that saves real time later.
Product Manager
at humea
Denis Soldatenko
Gives the understanding its form: identity, interface, and a design system that saves real time later.
FAQ
FAQ
Things people usually ask before we start working together. If yours isn’t here, just write, we’d like to be helpful.
Ventures entering markets or categories where the rules are not obvious, often regulated ones. We work across five layers: market entry and positioning, product strategy and design, engineering, and where it is needed, licensing and investment readiness. We are particular about what we take on. Fewer things, and things worth having built.
With an intro call. If it looks like a fit, we run a free strategic session together. That session is where we narrow the focus and the budget down to the work that actually matters at this stage. You are not committing to anything by having it.
From $20k a month. Product work runs from $25k to $80k depending on size, and engineering from $20k to $100k. The two are priced separately, so a month of both runs from $45k to $180k.
No. One month is a real engagement. The first month is 50% upfront, and you are free to stop after it.
A validated MVP. It keeps its shape from month to month, it just grows in value. Every month we review the scope together. We recommend what matters most now, and you make the call.
The core is always the communication strategy, and that part does not change much. What changes is how far we take everything built around it. One end of that spectrum is static materials, made well. The other is animated properties, validated with a user study and a test campaign against a simulated market entry.
By going and looking at it. Our studies are designed with academic ethnographers, so the research holds up rather than telling us what we hoped to hear. We watch how people behave around the problem today, not what they say about it in a survey.
Yes. A senior in-house team, supported by partners we have worked with for years. Good user experience is only possible when the tech underneath it works.
Yes, as auxiliary work alongside the core. Banking licences and regulatory strategy we look at early, because what you are allowed to do shapes what you can build. For funding we prepare the model, the narrative and the data room, and make introductions where they help. We do that for ventures we help build, not as a standalone mandate.
Ventures entering markets or categories where the rules are not obvious, often regulated ones. We work across five layers: market entry and positioning, product strategy and design, engineering, and where it is needed, licensing and investment readiness. We are particular about what we take on. Fewer things, and things worth having built.
With an intro call. If it looks like a fit, we run a free strategic session together. That session is where we narrow the focus and the budget down to the work that actually matters at this stage. You are not committing to anything by having it.
From $20k a month. Product work runs from $25k to $80k depending on size, and engineering from $20k to $100k. The two are priced separately, so a month of both runs from $45k to $180k.
No. One month is a real engagement. The first month is 50% upfront, and you are free to stop after it.
A validated MVP. It keeps its shape from month to month, it just grows in value. Every month we review the scope together. We recommend what matters most now, and you make the call.
The core is always the communication strategy, and that part does not change much. What changes is how far we take everything built around it. One end of that spectrum is static materials, made well. The other is animated properties, validated with a user study and a test campaign against a simulated market entry.
By going and looking at it. Our studies are designed with academic ethnographers, so the research holds up rather than telling us what we hoped to hear. We watch how people behave around the problem today, not what they say about it in a survey.
Yes. A senior in-house team, supported by partners we have worked with for years. Good user experience is only possible when the tech underneath it works.
Yes, as auxiliary work alongside the core. Banking licences and regulatory strategy we look at early, because what you are allowed to do shapes what you can build. For funding we prepare the model, the narrative and the data room, and make introductions where they help. We do that for ventures we help build, not as a standalone mandate.
Ventures entering markets or categories where the rules are not obvious, often regulated ones. We work across five layers: market entry and positioning, product strategy and design, engineering, and where it is needed, licensing and investment readiness. We are particular about what we take on. Fewer things, and things worth having built.
With an intro call. If it looks like a fit, we run a free strategic session together. That session is where we narrow the focus and the budget down to the work that actually matters at this stage. You are not committing to anything by having it.
From $20k a month. Product work runs from $25k to $80k depending on size, and engineering from $20k to $100k. The two are priced separately, so a month of both runs from $45k to $180k.
No. One month is a real engagement. The first month is 50% upfront, and you are free to stop after it.
A validated MVP. It keeps its shape from month to month, it just grows in value. Every month we review the scope together. We recommend what matters most now, and you make the call.
The core is always the communication strategy, and that part does not change much. What changes is how far we take everything built around it. One end of that spectrum is static materials, made well. The other is animated properties, validated with a user study and a test campaign against a simulated market entry.
By going and looking at it. Our studies are designed with academic ethnographers, so the research holds up rather than telling us what we hoped to hear. We watch how people behave around the problem today, not what they say about it in a survey.
Yes. A senior in-house team, supported by partners we have worked with for years. Good user experience is only possible when the tech underneath it works.
Yes, as auxiliary work alongside the core. Banking licences and regulatory strategy we look at early, because what you are allowed to do shapes what you can build. For funding we prepare the model, the narrative and the data room, and make introductions where they help. We do that for ventures we help build, not as a standalone mandate.
Notes from the work
Notes from the work
What we’re learning about people, products, and why the two sometimes miss each other.
humea
Human
stories
Human
stories
Let’s talk.
Tell us about your venture, the market you are entering, and what you are still unsure about.
Quick response.
If you’re ready to create and collaborate, we’d love to hear from you.
Clear next steps.
After the consultation, we’ll provide you with a detailed plan and timeline.
Let’s talk.
Tell us about your venture, the market you are entering, and what you are still unsure about.
Quick response.
If you’re ready to create and collaborate, we’d love to hear from you.
Clear next steps.
After the consultation, we’ll provide you with a detailed plan and timeline.
Let’s talk.
Tell us about your venture, the market you are entering, and what you are still unsure about.
Quick response.
If you’re ready to create and collaborate, we’d love to hear from you.
Clear next steps.
After the consultation, we’ll provide you with a detailed plan and timeline.