2026 · In progress
Calo Now: winning on what delivery apps can’t copy
Calo is moving into on-demand food. Talabat and other delivery apps win on choice. Calo can win on what it already knows: the exact macros of every meal, and what each subscriber has eaten today.
- Role
- Product manager
- Also
- Solo designer
- Markets
- Saudi Arabia, Bahrain
- Result
- PRD approved
Setback
Leadership rejected my first version. The challenge they set: if a competitor built Calo only for on-demand, what would it look like? I went back to first principles, rewrote the PRD and got it approved.
Key decision
Recommend, don't generate.
AI-generated meals were on the table. I scoped them out. Every suggestion ranks meals already on the menu, so the kitchen can cook them today and their macros are already verified. Less risk and a faster launch, and the edge stays the same.
Prioritisation
- Macros lead the product. After review with the Director and Head of Design, V1 centres on macro filters, macro-goal shelves and a "remaining macros today" strip for subscribers.
- Ops sets the scope. Every launch customisation has to be something the kitchen can make on day one. Anything else moves to a later phase.
- Saying no. Group ordering, split payment, auto workout detection and UAE expansion were cut, and each cut is written into the PRD.
