Two founders from last month’s Startup Bootcamp program share their ideas and what’s next on their entrepreneurship journey.
Parent Hero
Student founder: Nadim Muzayyin (MBA ‘24)
What’s your idea and who are the consumers?
Our initial idea was a smart crib that tracks baby data for parents. The initial hypothesis was that moms and dads want more data on their children. But after discussions with moms and dads, that initial problem hypothesis was invalidated. We figured out that moms and dads struggled to discover content on parenting that was searchable, aggregated and curated. Did you know that 88% of parents do not feel prepared when they first have children? As an expecting dad – I feel the same!
So we started Parent Hero for first-time parents dissatisfied with current methods of gathering information on parenting. Parent Hero is a platform that provides content discovery, verification and curation. Unlike fragmented courses, “mom-fluencers”, and friends or family, we offer a one-stop, trusted platform.
How did the idea come to mind?
The idea came to mind as we were speaking to parents. It was in our conversations with moms – and with our brilliant Startup Bootcamp coach Christina Wallace – that we discovered a consistent theme in the way moms and dads prepared for parenthood. They would talk to friends, talk to their parents, follow mom-fluencer accounts, take courses that were recommended to them and get information that had already been used over and over again by new parents. We realized that most of this information was already out there, but with friction in discovering it.
How did Startup Bootcamp help you and your team develop your idea?
We could not have gotten to where we are without Startup Bootcamp, Christina, Martin and the rest of our cohort! Startup Bootcamp gave us the platform to test test test and speak to as many potential customers as possible.
We were able to build out website MVP and collect valuable data on what moms and dads were clicking on when they searched for parenting help. Through our website MVP we discovered that parents looking for help wanted searchable content (first), experts to speak to (second), and a community to speak to (third). Given these findings, we decided to focus our product roadmap on content to start. Most importantly, Startup Bootcamp helped us focus on customers, focus on product, and focus on building something for people who actually need and want it.
What’s next for your idea?
We’ve applied to the New Venture Competition to continuously test our pitch and idea. We are building out a beta for 30-50 moms and we are reaching out to top content creators in the parenting space to work with us on content.
Moai
Student founder: Brandon Chi (MBA ‘24)
What’s your idea and who are the consumers?
At moai, our mission is to create healthy communities through products inspired by Japanese wellness. Our consumers are health-conscious people who care about the ingredients they put in their body. The first problem we are trying to tackle is toothpaste. Current toothpastes on the market are filled with toxic chemicals and carcinogens, while “natural” toothpastes lack effective ingredients. Our solution is to create a toothpaste that is not only clean and safe but also more effective, by using superior ingredients sourced from Japan, where oral health ranks amongst the best in the world.
How did the idea come to mind?
After brushing my teeth with Tom’s of Maine toothpaste for years, I came across a podcast last summer that revealed the toxic chemicals in toothpastes (Colgate, Crest, Tom’s, etc). I was shocked – for something we put in our body twice a day, everyday, it should be one of the healthiest products we use. I immediately started shopping for a different brand but couldn’t find a good alternative. I was also working in consumer venture capital at the time, where I saw the explosion of clean beauty and personal care. But the oral care market was ripe for disruption.
How did Startup Bootcamp help you and your team develop your idea?
Startup Bootcamp was really helpful in two ways: customer discovery and testing assumptions. We conducted interviews to understand our target customer and ran tests that were effective in approving or disproving our hypotheses.
Above all else, we learned the importance of having a strong, diverse team. Edgard, who spent 7 years at Colgate, was our industry expert. Hilary, who was a merchant for Sephora’s clean beauty portfolio, really understood our target market and retail channels. Alice, who was a data scientist in Meta’s small business advertising group, was essential in helping us run A/B testing with Instagram ads. Without Startup Bootcamp, I wouldn’t have been able to work with this amazing team to further develop and execute our vision for moai.
What’s next for your idea?
Product development will be our focus for the next 6 months. And oral care is just the beginning for moai; our ultimate vision is to create wellness products across a multitude of categories.
In Okinawa, Japan, the word “moai” represents a group of lifelong friends, and “moai” is a key reason why Okinawans live some of the longest, healthiest lives in the world. Our team is focused on channeling this idea to customers, by creating healthy communities through products inspired by Japanese wellness. Watch our journey unfold at @moai_wellness on instagram!
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