Tako - AI Birthday Party Concierge

Lean Canvas

Problem

  • Research is difficult (venue/vendor discovery)
  • Cost/budgeting challenges
  • Managing food allergies of guests
  • RSVP tracking and coordination
  • Collaborative task assignment

Existing Alternatives:

  • Partiful/Evite — Digital invitations + RSVP tracking (free), but no planning help
  • Pinterest + Spreadsheet — DIY combo for inspiration + tracking; most common approach
  • ChatGPT/Claude — Free AI advice for timelines/budgets, but no integrated execution
  • Printable checklists — Free PDFs from mom blogs; static, no personalization
  • All-inclusive venues — Outsource everything (expensive, ~$500+)

Solution

  • AI concierge that generates theme ideas, age-appropriate activities, and vendor recommendations (the playbook)
  • Integrated todo list for RSVPs, allergy tracking, task assignment, and timeline (the project plan)
  • Creates invitation copy, shopping lists, day-of schedules

Key Metrics

  • Landing page conversion
  • Completed party plans
  • Repeat usage (multiple kids, annual parties)
  • NPS from parents

Unique Value Proposition

AI concierge + todo list that gives first-time party parents both the playbook (what a good party looks like) and the project plan (how to execute it).

Unfair Advantage

  • Experienced founder (execution speed, iteration)
  • Friend network of parents (validation access)
  • No domain expertise yet — moat would come from compounding assets (vendor data, user content, community)

Channels

  • SEO ("birthday party ideas for 5 year old", "unicorn party ideas")
  • Pinterest (huge for party planning)
  • Facebook mom groups
  • Instagram/TikTok party content
  • Partnerships with party venues

Customer Segments

Target: Working parents of young kids (first or second child, ages 3-6)

  • Time-constrained
  • Haven't built party planning muscle memory yet
  • Middle to upper-middle income

Early adopter: First-time party planners who are also time-poor.

Cost Structure

  • AI API costs
  • Local vendor data acquisition
  • Marketing/content creation

Revenue Streams

  • Per-party fee (max $20)
  • Affiliate revenue from vendor recommendations

Score

Criteria Score Reasoning
Pain severity 3 Discovery calls confirm real friction; workarounds exist but parents still frustrated
Willingness to pay 1 Problem validated but no pricing conversations; $20 is untested
Market size 3 Focused niche (first-time working parents, kids 3-6); sustainable for solopreneur
Reachability 2 Channel types identified but specific communities unknown
Learning moat 1 Experienced founder + friend network, but no defensible advantage yet
Build speed 4 2-4 weeks to MVP
Founder fit 3 Good alignment with goals
Total 17/35

Risks & Falsifiers

Top 3 Riskiest Assumptions

  1. Parents will pay $20 for something they currently do free (Pinterest + spreadsheets) — leap of faith, fatal if wrong
  2. First-time working parents are findable/reachable in specific communities — leap of faith, high impact
  3. The "mental load" pain is severe enough to drive action, not just agreement — anecdotal, high impact

Other Risks

  • Low frequency (1-2 parties/year/kid)
  • Local vendor data is hard to scale

Falsifiers

  • If 5+ parents say "I wouldn't pay $20 for this" in pricing conversations → pivot pricing or value prop
  • If can't find 3 specific communities with engaged first-time parents → reachability problem
  • If parents say "I just use Pinterest" and aren't frustrated → not enough pain