The RotaCrutch Business Model
STARTUP
Customer Risk:
Customer Pain Point
The bottom line here is that crutches and using crutches absolutely sucks. They are surprisingly expensive, clunky, and if you have ever used them you know how uncomfortable they are. There is a whole lot of chafing and discomfort in the underarm area associated with using crutches, even for a short amount of time, due to the hard material of the pad rubbing on the patient's underarm.
Pain Points and Lack of Existing Solutions
No solutions currently exist to this issue, with the current ‘best practice’ and doctor recommendation being to “tape or tie a towel to the pad for some extra cushioning. For a device that is almost as old as the wheel, a lack of innovation is ridiculous. Patients in the 21st century should not have to suffer such discomfort with a device that has remained essentially unchanged in five thousand years. That’s where RotaCrutch comes in.
Customer Segment
RotaCrutch is, well rather obviously, for people who are using crutches for any reason. The primary customer segment here is likely people who have sustained injuries or undergone surgeries in the lower parts of the body, however anyone using underarm crutches for any reason can benefit from the use of the product. RotaCrutch should appeal to anyone who is using crutches and not a fan of how they feel, but should be especially appealing to tech-savvy and research-driven people, those who value ergonomic design, innovation, and a solution that uses simple technology to great effect.
Personal Segment Experience
Knowing exactly how this customer pain feels, due to my time in crutches after my surgery, I can confidently say that they are frustrated by traditional crutches that feel cheap, awkward, noisy, or overly clinical, while failing to meet basic levels of comfort.
The Solution
The primary point of pain here, at its base, is underarm discomfort due to chafing as a result of using crutches. RotaCrutch fixes that. Using a unique rotating cradle mechanism, supported by two rows of rotational bearings, the RotaCrutch device eliminates underarm friction. The device relocates that point of motion away from the heavy friction environment of the underarm and into hyper-low-friction bearings, allowing the contact surface with the patient to remain fixed in relation to the body, with only the lower portion of the crutch swinging with walking motion.
The Difference
This seemingly small but crucial improvement transforms the crutch from a rigid burden into a fluid extension of the user’s movement. For many individuals, each step taken on traditional crutches is a sore reminder of injury or limitation; RotaCrutch redefines that experience by offering stability without stiffness and comfort without compromise. With its lightweight frame and sleek, adjustable components, RotaCrutch is ideal for short-term users seeking support without the discomfort associated with existing short term solutions and without the cost or bulk of long-term mobility aids.
Validating Hypotheses:
Minimum Viable Product
There's not really a super scaled back version that this could be, so it would essentially be an unpolished and not necessarily super sleek and sexy device, perhaps without fully adjustable range of motion or different sizes. The main feature here is the actual rotating mechanism. That is the important part to get out into the world.
Virtual Prototype
For potential investors, a pitch deck would be the way to go. For the customers, (and included in the pitch deck) I would create a 3D render of the final product, so images in high resolution of the actual current product design could be made, showcasing the RotaCrutch from every angle. This could then be animated to show the motion and functionality of the device.
Concept sketch of the RotaCrutch mechanism
Prototype
For the prototype itself, it would be that minimum viable product, or at least my first iteration of it before customer feedback. I intend to design the product in CAD software, so prototyping should be relatively straightforward as I just have to create the physical mechanism digitally at a human scale and make sure it fits the off-the-shelf components like the bearings and padding parts. 3D printing is absolutely amazing for prototyping and allows me to try out a design, assemble it, test it, tweak it, and then try out that tweak all in a relatively short period of time.
Solution Test
Taking my 3D printed prototype and getting it out there is the name of the game here. Focus groups come in handy. I assume most of my testers will be people who are not currently on crutches, but the beauty here is that all you have to do to fully simulate needing/using crutches is holding one foot up. These testers will then give feedback on every part of the device.
Questions for Iterating
My biggest question here is, of course, "does it work?" Essentially, does the rotating mechanism function as I intended it to, and if so, does that actually reduce chafing/discomfort and subsequently solve that customer pain point. If this is a "no", I have to go back to the drawing board. And there is a nonzero chance that a rotating mechanism like this actually just doesn't help the issue, no matter how it is designed, in which case the concept is flawed and needs a major pivoting.
Tester Feedback
Beyond the "is my entire groundwork and concept a failure and misguided waste of time" questions, there are what I like to call the "happy camper" points. Since there are no competitors, customers are stuck using my products, but *if there were a competitor* what would the customer like to see on mine that would secure me their favor. How comfortable is the product? Is adjustability necessary or a useless complication? Should I make multiple versions at different price points? Some more questions will be raised below.
Product Risk / Cost & Price:
Manufacturing Process and Costs
This is relatively scalable, as on a smaller level the entire device can be 3D printed quite inexpensively. In terms of material costs, it could, even initially be as low as $18 for one of the crutch attachments. ($10 of plastic PLA filament for a 3D printer along with $8 of off-the-shelf rotational bearings, and then some screws and nuts) As the company scales, this can be changed to injection molding or even CNC milling for a metal product. The full crutch cost is essentially the same plus the lower portion of a crutch which can be bought off-the-shelf or manufactured in-house. Even with recent economic shenanigans, I can't see a scenario in which tariffs or anything would hugely affect supply chain or manufacturing logistics. This is a product that I can print and assemble multiple of per day for very little up front cost, and make iterations and evolutions practically instantly and for free. This keeps the product and design agile and adaptable while requiring very little initial investment on the manufacturing side.
Pricing Scheme
This gave me the most trouble in thought. It partially depends on the sales channel and if it will be covered by insurance, but given the projected cost of manufacturing, margins will be high regardless. Personally, I would happily have paid about $250 to eliminate my discomfort with my last crutch usage, however I know this will vary wildly from person to person. It is also worth bringing up the intention to have multiple products once again. The RotaCrutch attachment should be cheaper than a full RotaCrutch with the actual crutch leg. I am debating making the full RotaCrutch essentially just a bundle of the attachment and a pre-existing cheap crutch that is compatible with the attachment. That would be as opposed to designing two separate products, one which was inseparable from a crutch leg and the other which would be the removable attachment. As of right now I would say that I'd want to price the RotaCrutch Attachment at $135-160 for the pair and then $160-185 for the pair of full RotaCrutches (be it the bundle design or the permanently attached version. I feel like that is a price point that is low enough that most people who could afford it would purchase it if in enough discomfort, while being high enough that it both ensures a large profit margin and has the subliminal customer price-quality association with being a legitimate and quality piece of medical equipment. Regardless I want to keep the cost as low as reasonably possible, because chafing armpits sucks.
Market Risk:
Initial Sales Format
D2C
The RotaCrutch products will initially be made available through direct-to-consumer (D2C) online sales and shipped to individual doors. At the small scale this can be relatively easily managed by me. Using an online shop platform (refer to “Online” Page for more detail) and personally shipping packages is feasible until orders exceed a few a day. This channel of D2C sales aligns with the habits of the initial target market for RotaCrutch—tech-savvy, research-driven individuals who are likely to search for mobility aids and methods/technologies to reduce their discomfort online following an injury or surgery that requires using crutches.
Reaching Customers Where They Already Are
To reach these customers, RotaCrutch will leverage organic social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and clinical referrals from physical therapy and orthopedic offices. These strategies are designed to meet an expanding customer segment where they already seek health solutions: through online searches, recovery forums, and trusted healthcare providers. This is discussed further on the "Marketing" page.
Expansion of Sales
As brand awareness grows, RotaCrutch would expand into bulk sales with national pharmacy chains such as CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart, as well as orthopedic and rehabilitation offices that regularly sell durable medical equipment (DME) on-site. In-store product placement will offer easier access for customers who prefer in-person purchases, and usage of display stands will allow customers to feel the mechanism to better understand it before purchase. For retail and clinic partners, distribution would occur through wholesale or consignment models. This staged approach minimizes upfront logistical complexity while allowing RotaCrutch to scale through channels that reflect how its customers actually discover and purchase mobility solutions.