Direction
Demand first. Baking second.
The most expensive batch is the one nobody wanted. We think the order of operations is backwards.
What works today
Right now a drop is something you decide on first. You know what you are making, you set when it opens and closes, and when you open it, one tap texts the people who asked to hear from you. Orders arrive against the quantity limits you set, and the drop closes itself when the window ends.
That already answers the practical half of the problem — you see every order in one place, you stop reconciling a group text, and you know who has paid before pickup rather than after.
What it does not answer
It still assumes you already know the batch is worth making. You are guessing at the number, and you are guessing at whether the people near you want apricot or hot sauce this month. A sold-out drop tells you that you guessed low. A half-sold one tells you nothing useful about why.
Why tell you before it exists
Because it shapes what we build in the meantime, and because the people it is for are the people using BatchDrop now. If this is the product you want, the customer list and drop history you build today are exactly what it will run on.
Start with what works now.
Set up a drop, text your list, and be ready for what comes next.