Building Non-Addictive Apps for Kids | Melissa Cash, Pok Pok
Jun 27, 2024
auto_awesome
Melissa Cash, Co-founder of Pok Pok, discusses creating non-addictive kids' apps, pricing strategies, waiting to launch on Android, and lessons learned from working at Disney. She shares advice on starting a company, fundraising tactics, building a network, and meeting people at events.
Melissa Cash founded Pok Pok to bring Montessori-inspired digital toys for kids, emphasizing open-ended play.
Pok Pok focuses on creating non-addictive games to gain parents' trust and ensure brand loyalty.
Designing low-stimulation content without ads or in-app purchases promotes calm and imaginative play.
Expanding to Android, Pok Pok strives to redefine digital play through innovation and storytelling.
Fundraising success relies on strong narratives, networking, and relationship-building at every stage of growth.
Deep dives
The Genesis of Pock Pock: Digitizing a Unique Toy Concept
Starting with the favorite toy of a child, an idea emerged to digitize a busy book with captivating artwork. The vision was to bring Montessori-inspired, open-ended play into a digital space for children, offering a unique and bespoke experience that was absent in the market.
Parental Support and Business Model: Fostering Loyalty through Quality Content
Pock Pock's focus on providing content that parents trust and genuinely enjoy has been central to their vision. By creating non-addictive yet engaging games, the brand aims to secure parental buy-in, crucial for sustainability, brand loyalty, and longevity in a competitive market.
Navigating Screen Time Concerns: Designing Mindful Content for Kids
Amidst concerns about screen addiction, Pock Pock has strategically designed low-stimulation content with no in-app purchases, ads, or distracting elements. The emphasis is on creating a calm and gentle virtual world that promotes imagination, independent play, and non-addictive interactions.
Growth and Future Horizons: Scaling Innovatively in the Digital Play Space
As Pock Pock prepares to expand its reach by launching on Android, the team navigates challenges and successes of scaling a company focused on creative play. With a diverse founding team, a passion for continuous innovation, and a commitment to storytelling, Pock Pock aims to redefine digital play for the future generation.
From Disney to Pock Pock: Evolution of a Founder's Journey
Starting with experiences at Disney designing physical products, Melissa's journey unfolded into the founding of Pock Pock. Her childhood, marked by limitless creativity and parental support, shaped her belief in the boundless possibilities of entrepreneurship, making her a storyteller and networker adept at securing funding and fostering brand loyalty.
Fundraising Insights: Crafting Compelling Stories and Building Network Connections
In fundraising endeavors, early-stage success hinges on coalescing a strong narrative and personal belief in the idea. As funding stages progress, finesse in networking, relationship-building, and reputation management become pivotal in securing investment for continued growth and sustainability.
Networking as a Constant: Sustaining Connections for Ongoing Success
Navigating the intertwined worlds of entrepreneurship and fundraising, Melissa emphasizes the perpetual nature of networking. Building relationships, nurturing connections, and seizing opportunities from chance meetings underpin her journey of sustained growth and development in the startup landscape.
Networking and Building Connections
Building a network early on is emphasized as crucial advice, highlighting the importance of initiating connections within one's industry. Starting with familiar topics of interest leads to naturally forming relationships by engaging with others through appreciation and shared values. Attending events regularly and connecting with people who share similar passions or values is encouraged to expand one's network and potentially find valuable connections.
Standing Out and Engaging Influencers
Wearing distinctive attire at events is suggested as a way to stand out and initiate conversations. By creating a memorable visual presence, individuals can attract attention and facilitate networking opportunities. In influencer collaborations, the strategy of utilizing educators and advisors early on to build relationships and later establish affiliate deals has proven effective. Tailoring influencer partnerships to niche parenting audiences and tracking performance for optimization are vital steps in successful influencer engagement.
Balancing Growth Strategies and Adapting Innovations
Reflecting on the company's growth trajectory, the focus has shifted towards ensuring profitability and sustainable expansion. The strategy involves optimizing content updates, diversifying offerings with STEM-specific toys, and maintaining a healthy pace of growth. Implementing structured influencer campaigns, post-campaign evaluations, and refining outreach tactics based on performance have enhanced the overall marketing approach. The podcast concludes with a discussion on navigating the emotional intensity of entrepreneurial journeys, underscoring the significant impact of the company's products on children's lives and the gratification derived from making a positive difference.
Get Attio, the next generation of CRM: https://bit.ly/AttioThePeel
Warp: Don’t let payroll and compliance hold your startup back: visit https://joinwarp.com/peel to get started and receive a $1,000 gift card when you first run payroll.
Melissa Cash is the Co-founder and CEO of Pok Pok, a montessori-inspired collection of digital toys that spark creativity and learning through open-ended play. Prior to Pok Pok, Melissa spent a decade working in marketing and design roles, helping Snowman drive 9-digits of downloads across its game portfolio and designing physical products at Disney.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(05:46) Creating a Montessori inspired game
(12:18) Why it's impossible to avoid screen time
(15:35) Designing a non-addictive product
(17:38) Monetizing a non-addictive game
(21:47) How to price a subscription game
(24:18) Using new features to drive retention
(26:04) Marketing a kids game to parents
(30:59) Why Pok Pok waited to launch Android
(34:12) How getting pickpocketed in Germany led to a job designing products at Disney
(39:23) How great products can define a childhood
(43:21) Lessons from having a great idea while working at Disney
(46:03) First coming up with the idea for Pok Pok
(49:00) Advice for starting your first company
(50:10) Fundraising tactics from Pre-Seed to Series A
(54:08) How to build your network from zero
(57:08) Getting the most out of Slack groups
(59:07) Melissa’s hack for in-person events
(01:01:33) Tactics for meeting people at events
(01:03:39) Winning multiple Apple design awards
(01:07:07) How to get press for your startup
(01:13:17) Prioritizing getting women on Pok Pok’s cap table
(01:18:38) Strategies for staying creative
(01:21:58) Melissa’s influencer marketing hacks
(01:24:24) Lessons from failed influencer campaigns
(01:28:19) Growing 5x YoY, adding STEM content
(01:30:28) What surprised her about starting a company
Referenced:
Try Pok Pok for 50% off an annual subscription with code POKPOK50: https://apple.co/3XAGSwT
Snowman Studios: https://www.builtbysnowman.com/
Hampton Private Founder Group: https://joinhampton.com/
VC Backed Mom’s: https://www.vcbackedmoms.com/
The Peel Podcast episode with Eric Newcomer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXH_peQWtnc
More on Pok Pok’s Series A: https://techcrunch.com/2024/06/18/now-a-series-a-startup-kids-app-and-digital-toy-pok-pok-is-coming-to-android/
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
