How did Avni learn to truly understand consumer needs?

Her experience as a brand manager, particularly in pharmaceuticals, taught her the importance of observing consumers in their natural environment and understanding their behaviors, not just their stated needs. This involved going into homes and seeing challenges firsthand, like difficult pill packaging.

What advice does Avni have for managing dual-career partners and children?

Open and deep communication is key. Partners need to have honest conversations about their comfort levels and expectations. It also requires a system of support, potentially including family, a nanny, and a clear division of responsibilities to avoid resentment.

What was the initial idea for Avni's first startup, and why did it fail?

The first startup focused on building subscription boxes that introduced children to different cultures monthly, aiming to raise globally savvy kids. It failed because it was not a fundable or scalable business, relying more on product desire than a robust solution to a critical problem, and customer acquisition was too costly.

How did Avni's first startup experience lead to the idea for Poppy?

After the first startup failed, Avni spoke to parents about their biggest daily problems, consistently hearing about the challenges of childcare. She realized people lacked a 'village' for support and hypothesized technology could solve this through vetting, matching, and scheduling.

What is the 'four-week test' method for validating a startup idea?

The four-week test is a method to quickly assess if an idea has traction by aiming for a small number of paying users (e.g., 200). It uses low-cost tools like Typeform, Excel, and SMS to simulate the product and measure consistent weekly growth, proving user demand before significant investment.

How does Avni measure product-market fit for Poppy?

Product-market fit is measured by retention and whether the problem is solved so completely that users 'can't even fathom being a parent without it.' This is evidenced by consistent growth, user demand pulling the product, and customers expressing how much worse their lives would be without it.

What is Avni Patel Thompson's advice for aspiring female founders?

Don't get stopped by obstacles; give yourself a shot and start. Be comfortable with messy and complicated beginnings, and take big swings, especially for venture-backed startups aiming for disruptive technology. Focus on solving a real problem, not just building a small business.

Key Moments

The Number One Goal is Getting Started - Avni Patel Thompson of Poppy

Y Combinator

Science & Technology5 min read48 min video

Mar 2, 2018|7,835 views|93|5

YC Y Combinator Avni Patel Thompson Poppy Podcast Female Founder Female Founders Conference Seattle Interview Babysitting Startup Tech

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Key Moments

TL;DR

Avni Patel Thompson shares her journey from corporate success to founding Poppy, emphasizing user-centric problem-solving and the importance of starting.

Key Insights

Identify user problems by observing behavior, not just listening to stated needs.

The decision to start a business is often driven by a compelling human problem, not just a conventional career path.

Dual-career partnerships require open communication and equitable distribution of responsibilities.

Starting a venture is a continuous process of testing, learning, and adapting, with user validation being key.

Persistence and resilience are crucial for founders, especially when facing rejection and navigating the complexities of entrepreneurship.

Embrace 'messy' beginnings and take big swings; the number one goal is simply to get started.

NAVIGATING A TRADITIONAL CAREER PATH

Avni Patel Thompson's early career followed a conventionally successful trajectory, starting with an undergraduate degree in chemistry and proceeding to brand management at Procter & Gamble. This initial role, despite its non-obvious connection to pharmaceuticals, taught her the critical skill of understanding consumer psychology by observing behavior in their natural environments. This observational approach revealed a significant disconnect between product design and user experience, highlighting the limitations of traditional market research methods like focus groups and surveys when dealing with subtle user needs and emotional barriers.

THE THREAD OF CONSUMER PROBLEMS

Her career continued through an MBA and consulting, consistently focusing on consumer-facing companies across various sectors, including grocery and drugstore brands. This was followed by a role at Adidas in footwear and apparel. Thompson emphasizes that her choices were never about the specific industry, but rather about identifying and solving compelling human or brand problems. This consistent pursuit of understanding user needs laid the groundwork for her future entrepreneurial endeavors, demonstrating a unique ability to connect diverse experiences around a central theme.

BALANCING DUAL CAREERS AND FAMILY

A significant life event, the birth of her first daughter, prompted a re-evaluation of her career priorities. Coupled with her husband's career moves, this led to a period of working for Starbucks while her husband joined Amazon in Seattle. Thompson highlights that managing dual careers, especially with children, requires constant communication and a shared understanding of mutual support. Her relationship operates on the principle of equality, with both partners having moved for each other’s opportunities, emphasizing that career decisions are made based on the net good for both individuals and the family unit, not always on individual career acceleration.

THE SPARK OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Thompson's entrepreneurial drive stemmed from her parents' experience as small business owners. While many might pause entrepreneurial pursuits after having children, she saw it as a catalyst. Becoming a parent shifted her calculus on time, making her desire to dedicate her away-from-home time to something deeply meaningful. This personal conviction fueled her decision to eventually leave corporate life and embark on the startup journey, driven by a desire to contribute to something she personally believed in, rather than solely pursuing financial security or traditional career advancement.

LEARNING FROM A FAILED VENTURE

Before founding Poppy, Thompson launched a subscription box service focused on culturally curious children. Despite passion and a year of bootstrapping, this venture did not prove to be fundable or scalable, leading to its closure. This experience, though difficult and involving personal financial investment, provided invaluable lessons. It underscored the importance of genuine market validation beyond verbal affirmations, emphasizing that only money truly proves product-market fit. The failure also reinforced her commitment to entrepreneurship, pushing her to learn from the experience and identify a new problem to solve.

IDENTIFYING THE 'VILLAGE' PROBLEM AT POPPY

Through conversations with parents after her first startup failed, Thompson identified a pervasive and significant problem: the lack of a reliable 'village' for childcare. She realized that modern families, often displaced for careers or education, lack the built-in support systems of the past. This gap creates immense stress and insecurity. Her hypothesis for Poppy was to leverage technology—specifically vetting mechanisms, matching algorithms, and scheduling tools—to re-create this essential support network, addressing a core parental need with a novel, tech-enabled solution.

THE FOUR-WEEK TEST AND GETTING STARTED

Thompson advocates for the 'four-week test'—a lean approach to validate an idea by focusing on acquiring a small number of paying users. For Poppy, this involved using simple tools like Typeform, Excel, and SMS to approximate the service. Despite limited resources and personal doubts, this test yielded consistent growth and a strong signal of demand. This experience solidified the belief that starting, even with imperfect tools, is paramount. The key takeaway is that proving traction through user adoption is more powerful than extensive planning, especially for underrepresented founders facing additional hurdles.

PERSISTENCE, GROWTH, AND FUNDRAISING

Thompson faced rejections, including multiple applications to Y Combinator, emphasizing the critical role of persistence. She learned that visible growth—acquiring users and demonstrating demand—is a powerful tool for overcoming skepticism. This growth attracted her co-founder and eventually led to investment. She highlights that fundraising for mission-driven companies like Poppy requires investors who not only offer capital but also believe in the mission and long-term vision, rather than seeking a quick exit. The focus remains on solving the problem for parents, with the understanding that significant challenges require sustained effort and the right partnerships.

MEASURING PRODUCT-MARKET FIT AND PARENTING IN THE FUTURE

Product-market fit, for Thompson, is defined by users who cannot fathom life without the product and exhibit high retention. For Poppy, this means becoming an indispensable part of how parents manage childcare. She also reflects on the future of parenting, favoring a return to more communal or multi-generational living models that distribute the burden and foster resilience in children. This aligns with Poppy's mission to build positive relationships and support systems for families, recognizing that resilience is built through strong, diverse connections.

BOUNDARIES AND BIG SWINGS

Balancing founding a startup with parenting requires deliberate boundary-setting. Thompson and her husband establish clear roles and schedules, ensuring dedicated time for both the business and family. They prioritize self-care and maintaining their identity as individuals and a couple. For aspiring female founders, Thompson advises embracing 'messiness' and taking 'big swings.' The number one goal is to start, even if the path is unclear. True startups, she argues, aim for disruptive, high-growth potential, and founders should align their vision with venture-backing possibilities, focusing on solving significant problems for a large market.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Products

●Software & Apps

●Companies

●People Referenced

Common Questions

Avni was driven by a passion for solving compelling human and brand problems, rather than just climbing the corporate ladder. The birth of her children also shifted her calculus on how she wanted to spend her time, seeking more meaningful work.

Topics

Business & Entrepreneurship Career & Skills Mindset & Self-Improvement Startup Founding Career Transitions Consumer Psychology Parenting Challenges Childcare Solutions Product-market Fit Founder Mindset Startup Validation

Mentioned in this video

Companies

Adidas

A global sportswear company where the speaker worked in footwear and apparel strategy, including a period in China.

Squarespace

A website building and hosting platform used by the speaker for her four-week test, leveraging its free trial.

A messaging application, mentioned in the context of fundraising where venture capitalist targets are compared to its massive growth metrics.

Starbucks

A coffeehouse chain where the speaker worked before transitioning to the startup world.

Uber

A ride-sharing company used as an example of a successful company that changed consumer behavior and solved a problem comprehensively.

Amazon

The tech giant where the speaker's husband worked after they moved to Seattle.

Airbnb

A short-term rental platform cited as an example of a company that achieved product-market fit by fundamentally changing a category.

Poppy

The name of the speaker's current startup focused on solving childcare challenges by creating a 'village' for parents.

Software & Apps

Hacker News

A technology news aggregator where the speaker started reading content that sparked her interest in startup ideas and growth strategies.

Medium

A publishing platform where the speaker began reading essays from PJ, which influenced her approach to testing startup ideas.

Google Calendar

A scheduling application used by the speaker as a scheduler during the early stages of Poppy's development.

People

Steve Jobs

Co-founder of Apple, whose quote about connecting dots looking backward resonated with the speaker's career path.

Tim Ferriss

Host of a popular podcast where the speaker heard insights from Chris Sacca regarding investment strategies.

Michael Scott

A fictional character from 'The Office', humorously associated with Wayne Gretzky's quote about taking shots.

Chris Sacca

An investor and venture capitalist who was featured on Tim Ferriss's podcast, discussing investment strategies like giving oneself an opportunity to get rich.

Wayne Gretzky

A legendary Canadian professional ice hockey player, quoted for his saying, 'You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.'

Locations

Seattle

The city where the speaker and her husband relocated to be closer to family, and where both found employment in large companies.

China

The country where the speaker and her husband lived and worked for Adidas, a significant period that influenced her entrepreneurial aspirations.

Products

Crest

A toothpaste brand by Procter & Gamble, cited as an example of the consumer products the company produces.

Pampers

A brand of baby products known for diapers, manufactured by Procter & Gamble and mentioned as an example of their consumer goods.