Reducing Solopreneur & SMB owner's feelings of isolation while using Quickbooks

Why

Solopreneurs using Intuit products Quickbooks for their Small Businesses financial management, frequently experienced loneliness, uncertainty, fear, and confusion when interpreting financial data or handling suspicious emails—patterns surfaced by leadership through analysis of customer service calls. These challenges were amplified by the absence of teammates or real-time support. 

My Desk research indicated that: 

• Loneliness & isolation impact health – Social isolation increases risks of anxiety, depression, & even mortality (Harvard Public Health • WHO)
• Having a Human companion helps even in the form of online support can provide relief in distressing situations https://www.mdpi.com/1477634
• Human-like virtual presence can reduce anxiety – Avatars & digital agents provide support similar to real social connections (Journal of Medical Internet Research • EurekAlert)

My desk research & literature reviews helped arrive at the hypothesis that -- Could a multi-modal AI avatar assistant—voice + humanlike (Hyper realistic avatar HRA) —help solopreneurs feel less alone & more confident while working through complex financial tasks related to Intuit products.  

To dig deeper and evaluate whether an AI avatar could improve the user experience within Intuit tools, I conducted a series of targeted research studies laid out below.

How + Findings

Prototype Development: Introduced “Alex,” an AI avatar positioned beside the Profit & Loss report in QuickBooks.  

Study 1 – Discovery & Interviews (N = 8 . 1.5 weeks)

• I interviewed 15 solopreneur participants having them walk through a before/after experience of Quickbooks with & without an Avatar assistant.
• Explored feelings of anxiety when interpreting data alone with no AI assistance and later with the presence of a Quickbooks expert AI Avatar Assistant names Alex.
• I tested early user interactions with Alex to assess value, usability, & user sentiment towards the AI Avatar present on the screen and its related emotional impact.

Study 2 – Prototype Testing (N = 8 . 1.5 weeks)

• Gathered feedback on Alex’s presence, usefulness, tone, and this time their willingness-to-pay for Alex as an AI Assistant by these solopreneurs.
• Findings: While Alex was helpful, his formal look & accent felt “too accountant-like" to users which they did not like. Some users shared being unable to follow Alex's accent and wanted him to sound like their local accountant with a local accent.
• This sparked the customization feature concept (gender, clothing, accent, tone).

Study 3 – Feature Testing (N = 10 . 1.5 weeks)

• Later I compared 3 interaction modes:
  1. Avatar + Voice + Chat
  2. Voice + Chat (no avatar)
  3. Avatar + Chat (no voice)
• My Usability testing report confirmed the multi-modal version (Avatar + Voice + Chat) best supported user needs, with chat as a crucial fallback in low-audio environments.

Impact

• Emotional Support: Research showed Alex reduced friction, helping solopreneurs feel less alone & more confident in financial workflows. These findings provided leadership with evidence to consider Alex as a potential feature.
• Customization: Strong user demand for personalization as found in my research with solopreneurs, validated the importance of tailoring avatars to comfort & identity (PubMed). Designs were created to reflect this need, should Alex be introduced across QuickBooks, TurboTax, & other Intuit products.
• Interaction Preferences: Participants emphasized that voice presence created relational comfort, while chat offered flexibility & privacy. These insights informed design recommendations for any future AI avatar implementation.
• Business Value: Research positioned Alex as a value-add for Intuit’s ecosystem, with potential monetization through premium or add-on features. Ultimately, it is up to leadership to decide whether introducing Alex makes sense from a business perspective and my research report ensured they had everything needed to make an informed decision towards go/no go. 

Positive User Quotes

“When I’m stuck in QuickBooks, it feels like I’m alone. Having Alex there makes it feel less intimidating.”

“He’s helpful, but the way he looks & sounds feels too formal—let me make him mine.”

“I like the chat option because I don’t always want to talk out loud when I’m working.”