David Kooi, Co-Founder & CEO of Jointly – Interview Series

With an extensive career in e-commerce that spans well over a decade and into a time where e-commerce itself was a relatively new subject, David Kooi founded the data collection and cannabis retailer interface program Jointly in 2018. Very recently, Kooi created the Spark AI system, an artificial intelligence system created for and catered towards the burgeoning cannabis industry.

Tell me about your professional background and how you first got into the cannabis industry? And how was your previous professional experience helpful in entering the still tumultuous industry?

My journey into the cannabis industry began with a simple, transformative experience in 2012 when I discovered the potential of cannabis inside a pack of THC-infused peach gummies. This marked a turning point in my life, where I began to see cannabis not just as a substance or drug but as a tool for enhancing well-being. Professionally, I spent years in leadership and analytics roles at Fortune 500 companies and also ventured into retail by founding a successful bicycle shop. These experiences, particularly in data analysis and retail, were instrumental in navigating the cannabis industry’s complexities.

That said, the cannabis industry is so unique that sometimes it feels like nothing can fully prepare you for it. Despite the parallels to other sectors, cannabis presents its own set of challenges and dynamics. However, I believe that as the industry continues to develop and mature, it will increasingly reflect characteristics of other similar industries, especially in how it leverages data and consumer insights. The skills I developed—understanding consumer behavior, managing operations, and leveraging data—have proven invaluable as I’ve navigated this exciting, yet unpredictable, sector.

What formative moments and/or serious business needs led to the creation of Jointly? And in your own words, what does the platform do for cannabis business owners, especially those experiencing troubling times?

Jointly was born out of frustration with the lack of reliable, data-driven guidance in the cannabis industry. After my personal experience with cannabis, I became fascinated by the numerous variables that could impact a cannabis experience. The unpredictability of outcomes, combined with the industry’s reliance on anecdotal claims rather than evidence, led to the creation of Jointly.

The platform serves both consumers and businesses by providing data-backed insights into how different cannabis products perform for specific goals. For business owners, especially during challenging times, making the most out of every customer visit is crucial. Jointly empowers retailers with goal-specific product insights that help them connect their customers with the most effective products for their needs. By enhancing the accuracy and relevance of product recommendations, retailers can maximize each customer interaction, leading to higher sales, increased customer satisfaction, and stronger loyalty. In an industry where every sale counts, Jointly provides the tools that help retailers turn each visit into a successful and rewarding experience.

From user testimony, how has Jointly assisted cannabis businesses with the ongoing daily problems that cannabis businesses face? Simultaneously, how does Jointly help with regulation compliance?

Jointly has significantly helped cannabis businesses by providing them with tools to better understand and meet customer needs. Our platform’s data-driven approach allows businesses to offer personalized product recommendations, addressing common challenges like inconsistent customer experiences and complex product selections. Spark Pro, our AI-driven tool for budtenders, simplifies the training process and ensures that even new staff can offer expert advice, reducing the impact of staff turnover.

One of the key benefits of Jointly is its goal-based framework, which enables retailers to sell cannabis by focusing on the effects it provides, such as relaxation or creativity, rather than making medical claims that could lead to regulatory issues. This approach allows dispensaries to guide customers to the right products based on their desired outcomes without stepping outside of compliance. By avoiding recommendations tied to specific medical conditions, which dispensaries are not permitted to do, retailers can confidently enhance the customer experience while staying within legal boundaries. Jointly’s focus on data integrity and transparency further supports businesses in maintaining compliance, all while delivering high-quality, compliant service.

How did Spark Pro come into existence and how is this system catered exactly towards the cannabis industry and cannabis roles?

Spark Pro was developed in response to feedback from cannabis retailers who were struggling with the complexity of product offerings and the training of budtenders. The concept was conceived in late 2021 and launched in 2022, specifically addressing these challenges. Spark Pro is tailored for the cannabis industry by integrating goal-specific data from hundreds of thousands of user experiences, providing budtenders with insights into product performance based on specific consumer goals. This makes it easier to recommend the right products in a market where the diversity of offerings and consumer needs require a more nuanced approach than in other industries.

One of Spark Pro’s standout features is how it transforms upselling into a pleasant and collaborative experience. The tool identifies which products are performing best for the reasons why customers are shopping and why budtenders are selling. This allows budtenders and customers to work together to select the best options, creating a more engaging and informed shopping experience. By effectively doing the upselling for the budtender, Spark Pro not only increases sales but also enhances customer satisfaction, making the entire process seamless and enjoyable for everyone involved.

How does the system collect all these data points and customer purchasing trends to better recommend products for consumers?

Jointly’s system collects data from user reflections within our app, where consumers log their cannabis experiences, including the products used, the goals they aimed to achieve, and the outcomes. This vast dataset, now covering over half a million unique experiences, fuels our product matching algorithm. The algorithm analyzes factors such as product type, cannabinoid content, terpene content, and user feedback to recommend products that are statistically most likely to meet a consumer’s specific goals. The system continuously refines its recommendations as more data is collected, ensuring that the insights remain current and relevant​​.

How do you see AI systems as a whole impacting the cannabis industry and would that be an overall positive or negative impact? Where could the implementation of AI systems go specifically within the cannabis industry?

AI systems, like our Spark platform, have the potential to revolutionize the cannabis industry by enhancing personalization and improving the overall consumer experience. I believe the impact of AI will be overwhelmingly positive, as it allows for more informed decisions, better customer service, and streamlined operations. Specifically, AI can assist in product recommendations, customer education, compliance monitoring, and inventory management.

However, an AI is only as good as the data that informs it. One of Spark Pro’s key strengths is the quality and transparency of Jointly’s data, derived from hundreds of thousands of real cannabis experiences shared by users. This data-driven approach ensures that the AI’s recommendations are accurate, relevant, and trustworthy. Retailers and other industry participants should be cautious of AI systems that aren’t transparent about their data sources, as the effectiveness and reliability of AI depend heavily on the quality of the underlying data. By using AI responsibly and focusing on data integrity, we can maximize its benefits while enhancing, rather than replacing, human expertise in the cannabis industry.