Sandra Oh Lin, Founder of KiwiCo, turned after-school projects with her kids into a multi-million-dollar subscription box business. She tested her craft project idea with kids and investors, eventually launching KiwiCo. They discuss challenges, growth, and expansion into new areas. Financial challenges led them to fundraising, and they now offer a range of activities for kids, teens, and adults.
Read more
AI Summary
Highlights
AI Chapters
Episode notes
auto_awesome
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
KiwiCo started as a subscription box for kids, offering hands-on projects centered around color and later expanded to include other lines like Tinker Crate and Doodle Crate, resulting in increased subscriptions and profitability.
KiwiCo differentiates itself by providing tactile, offline experiences for kids, emphasizing the value of physical engagement and its positive impact on creativity and problem-solving skills.
Deep dives
Launching KiwiCo and the Shift to Subscription Boxes
Sandra O'Linn, founder of KiwiCo, discusses how the company started as a subscription box for kids in 2011. They initially focused on hands-on projects centered around color and expanded their offering to include Tinker Crate, Doodle Crate, and Quali Crate. The launch of these lines resulted in a significant increase in subscriptions and paved the way for profitability. Sandra highlights the importance of creating a fun and engaging customer experience that goes beyond traditional toys, appealing to parents who want their kids to learn and explore.
Navigating Challenges and Scaling the Business
Sandra discusses the challenges KiwiCo faced in the early stages, including raising capital and managing inventory. The company had to source materials domestically and kit the products internally at first, gradually shifting to sourcing materials overseas. By launching multiple product lines and targeting different age groups, KiwiCo was able to meet market demand and significantly grow their customer base. With continued focus on brand building and household recognition, Sandra envisions KiwiCo becoming a well-established name in the industry.
The Value of Analog Experiences for Kids
Amidst a highly digital world, KiwiCo differentiates itself by offering tactile, hands-on projects for kids. Sandra emphasizes the appeal of physical experiences and the positive impact on children's creativity and problem-solving skills. While digital engagement is pervasive, KiwiCo strives to create memorable and engaging activities that resonate with both kids and their parents. The company's success and the positive response from parents and children demonstrate the value of offline experiences in a digitally dominated landscape.
Building the KiwiCo Brand and Future Aspirations
Sandra shares her aspiration to build KiwiCo into a household brand similar to iconic companies like Lego. The company's focus on creating engaging and educational experiences for children has been well-received, leading to significant growth and customer loyalty. While profitability and a successful exit are key goals, Sandra's primary focus is on establishing KiwiCo as a trusted brand and inspiring children to be creators and problem solvers.
KiwiCo founder Sandra Oh Lin took an after-school pastime and turned it into a multi-million-dollar business. After quitting a high-powered job in tech, she dived into doing after-school projects with her kids, like making puppets out of Styrofoam or combining baking soda and vinegar to see what happens. When she discovered that other parents liked these projects too, she decided to create a subscription box company that sent out science and crafts kits every month. She gathered kids in her garage to test-market her ideas, and pitched her plan over and over to investors in Silicon Valley, where her car was “the only minivan in the parking lot.” Today KiwiCo is the leading subscription box for kids, and has shipped over 50 million crates worldwide.
This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.
It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Josephine Nyounai.