This Dad Makes Moms Cry (In a Good Way) | Chet Kittleson (Dad of 3, TinCan)

Nov 6, 2025

Chet Kittleson, a serial founder and co-creator of Tin Can, shares his journey of building an analog phone for kids that promotes screen-free voice connections. He discusses the importance of teaching children healthy relationships with technology and how to embrace boredom for creativity. Balancing family life with entrepreneurship, Chet reveals how he involves his kids in his work and maintains household systems reminiscent of a startup. With a hopeful view of an analog revival, he inspires parents to prioritize intentional, engaging family experiences.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Landline Reinvented For Kids

Tin Can recreates a simple, voice-first connection for kids to call approved people over Wi‑Fi.
Chet believes voice calls teach emotional regulation and bonding that texts cannot produce.

INSIGHT

Voice Calls Produce Real Connection

Voice calls trigger oxytocin and calming physiological responses that texting does not.
Teaching kids voice communication supports emotional health and real connection.

ADVICE

Physically Remove The Phone

Put your phone physically out of reach during family hours to reduce distraction and be present.
Use tools like a ‘brick’ device or a committed charging spot to enforce the boundary.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

In this episode of Startup Dad, Adam Fishman sits down with Chet Kittleson, serial founder and co-founder of Tin Can, an analog phone for kids that helps families stay connected without screens. He’s also a dad of three, building a hardware company from his kitchen table while raising a young family in Seattle.

Chet opens up about the inspiration behind Tin Can, how his childhood landline shaped the idea, and why he believes kids need more analog connections in a digital world. He talks candidly about the challenge of being “distracted dad” while building something he’s intensely passionate about, how he and his wife run their household like a startup, and why learning to unplug is still a daily work in progress. We discussed:

Creating balance at home: The systems, boundaries, and frameworks that help Chet stay grounded as a founder and father.
Lessons from failure and obsession: What Chet’s learned about being present when work and family both demand everything.
The art of analog parenting: How Chet and his wife teach their kids healthy relationships with technology and boredom.
Raising kids is like running a business: From household “OKRs” to making space for unstructured family time.
Hope for the next generation: Why Chet believes we’re entering an analog revival and what it means for parents raising digital natives.

Where to find Chet Kittleson:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ckittleson/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tincan.kids/
Tin Can: https://tincan.kids/

Where to find Adam Fishman

FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/
X: https://x.com/fishmanaf
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/

In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Introducing Chet Kittleson
(02:31) The childhood inspiration that sparked the idea for Tin Can
(11:13) Finding balance between family life and startup life
(13:38) Lessons learned from building, failing, and trying again
(16:21) Partnering in parenting and business with his wife
(21:34) Building Tin Can from an idea to a real product
(35:22) How parenting priorities shift as kids grow
(36:16) What team dynamics look like inside a family-led startup
(37:14) Early prototypes and how the family helped shape Tin Can
(38:50) Seeing kids’ real reactions to the analog phone
(40:02) Teaching kids to balance tech time and real-world connection
(46:38) Finding optimism and practical solutions for modern parenting challenges
(50:11) How to support Tin Can’s mission to connect families
(53:10) Lightning round: paper calendars, dad hacks, and dishwasher rules

Resources From This Episode:

Tin Can: https://tincan.kids/

Paper calendar: https://a.co/d/dbPXEsG

Brooks: https://www.brooksrunning.com/

The Anxious Generation (book): https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/

Brick (app): https://getbrick.app/

The Hundred-Foot Journey: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2980648/

Chef: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2883512/

Toy Story: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114709/

The Mighty Ducks: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104868/

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097523/

Freaky Friday: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0322330/