399 - Sarah Hardy (Bobbie) On Creating Organic Infant Formula

What is going on everyone Thanks for tuning in to another episode of forward-thinking Founders. I am very grateful to have your attention at least for the next 15 minutes of this episode forward-thinking Sounders is a podcast right interview apri Feed and Seed stage Founders about their products what they want to build into the world and why we dive into how they spend their time. What's their Vision? What's the origin of Thor's all these things? You can learn all about what's coming tomorrow? Cuz these companies haven't hit critical skill yet. Most of them haven't hit product-market fit. These are just early-stage companies and the big question is what can this be it? And in this podcast we bring that out. So is that I really hope you enjoy your time listening today's episode and I've already done two hundred plus if you like this one listen to some of the other ones like with a Mighty Coon Austen Allred Leah Culver with great interview to check it out. Enjoy the repository in for now. Let's get into the Days episode of there we go.

All right. How's it going? Everyone? Welcome to another episode of forward-thinking Sounders will be talked about his other companies their business to the Future and how the two collided today. I'm very excited to be talking to you soon after party. Who was the co-founder of Bobby welcome to the show. How's it going? Thanks for having me. Matt happy to be here a happy to have you on a more and more that what you're working on for people that haven't heard of Bobby aren't familiar with you can kind of share what you working on. I'd be happy to any chance I can get to talk about Bobby. So Bobby's in Organic Infant Formula and we have a european-style recipe that also makes us FDA requirements. So what does essentially mean double down on the ingredients in the sourcing of ingredients for a formula, we are founded myself and my co-founder Laura by moms and led by moms on for direct consumer. We have a subscription model.

So would love to hear a little bit into the origin story. Why did you decide to start this and then we can kind of get into the experience of how it works and what someone can expect while using it. That sounds good. And this is kind of funny as you can imagine. I didn't grow up thinking to myself that I would get into infant formula as an adult. I don't think any kid dreams that way but you might notice that I'm a mom. So nobody really has fueled by personal experiences, you know, we're a team of parents and the Inception of Bobby really was our experiences mom's feeding are babies. So for me, you know that started

6 years ago at this point when I had my first daughter, I was working at Airbnb. I was there for seven years before Bobby and I was the first mom to return from maternity leave there. So I didn't even have a maternity leave policy, but I was going to get experience myself. I did what a lot of moms do is I plan to exclusively breastfeed my daughter and

I was thoroughly surprised you know, it came fine and easy when I was on maternity leave the second. I went back to work it all came to a screeching halt and for the very first time I was sitting there I'll never forget being something around being like, okay, how long does it take to feed my daughter and to exclusively breastfeed is 35 hours a week. I know it's the first time it dawned on me that this was not sustainable if I wanted to hold on the job and provide for my daughter. So anyway, so I found myself importing formula from Europe which has risen as one of the go to places to go to get the highest quality formula in the world and honestly reflecting on this moment the thing that was so corny and to Laura myself was we work so closely with one another for so many years. We've never talked about her feeding Journeys. I'm sure we were for the very first time reflecting on our journey together and wondering what what was it about?

That made us hold back and it broke down to feeling like a failure in the stigma that comes with feeding. So that really is the driver behind this, you know, one of the most remarkable things about our stories. Is there totally unremarkable. Yeah, many many parents the vast majority over 80% turn to formula the first year, but you don't talk about it cuz it's so stigmatized and that is what you wake up every morning thinking about honestly Bobby.

So let's say you know, let's say I'm in the market for that so I know someone in the market for that so you cannot walk me through the whole kind of experience. I'm kind of actually new to the deepest sea world. Did you get an eye exam like what that means what that means for, you know your customers and then kind of what someone can experience when they have I get a subscription to a subscription for Lobby.

The first thing to note about formula especially not, you know, I'm familiar with it is once you start transitioning to formula. It's the most reputable predictable product that you need in your one. So it was a no-brainer to be direct-to-consumer now subscription. So when you land on Bobby we have a seamless user experience that really is designed for that. Mom's going to be on a hip and has her cell phone in the other hands are really making sure not only is easy to check out and get what she needs but also that she supported along her journey. So, you know for parents who find themselves in this boat 50% of the questions about the product is 50% about how do I do this? Like, how do I actually introduce formula and so we do a lot of guiding and nudging along and our in our experience as well to make sure the parents have other questions answer before they check out and that they feel good about joining our community.

And I'm serious for you because I think there's some beauty in the Simplicity of the subscription model and b2c. I had it previously had a subscription model company. I'm curious for you. What are you spending your time on? Are you spending time? You know getting the word out about Bobby. Are you fundraising, you know, you're getting getting getting customers. I guess what's a day in the life for you? I am for this company. I feel like I've been waiting my whole life for the last couple of months. So we've been an R&D for almost three years. It is hard to be in that mode for a long time, especially when you know, you need to create your own momentum and create your own milestones and driving and motivating a team. So we've recently made the pivot here Friday to go to market and it feels so good to get the adrenaline naturally going, you know for us what we spend. Most of our time on is really going super high level down to the details as well. So how do you think at 30000 feet and think on the strategy and what you need to get done?

And also being ready to execute, you know on the garage, so that's basically how we spent a lot of our day.

Congrats on it. Can I get it getting no getting through that that that's. Of R&D and you know getting that that product out for you if you were to look out, you know into into the future and how to zoom out from the day today zoom out from Hannibal when you started and then looking to the Future, what does it look like? I got the other words, you know, if you could look at five or ten years. What is it like then and what's the vision that you have for Bobby what direction of your growing it every day? So you can imagine from hearing even my own personal story is about much more than that and we're really sitting out to do is up all of the conversation about what it means to speed your child really moving away from how you're feeding your child to what you're feeding your child. I'm really starting by using her platform honestly to instill confidence and parents often times. I know when they're done with the right decision is but they don't have the confidence.

Portugal to make decisions that are right for them and their families our product line will follow suit, of course, you know, I'm do that but it really is your starting was truly evolving the conversation around feeding.

And it's someone you know, what here's that and they're like this is interesting. I you know, I'm compelled I want to I want to you know, how how can the forward-thinking founders community help? Are you looking for more customers or users? Are you looking for investors? Are you are you hiring? How can the 14th Founders Community assist know? We are actually real on tour right on the precipice of launching and we are rapidly hiring a lot of go-to-market folks. So absolutely of our mission is resonating with anybody this community would love any recommendations and you can reach out to me personally on that.

You know what? I'd say beyond that ask the community kind of unconventional but you know, we're a team of parents in a startup which is not what you think of when you think of star and you don't even covid for us has been challenging working remotely. I have the oldest child. She just turned 6 on our team. We've hired three moms recently who all have either just had a baby is on a maternity leave and I think my oscar is community is to not Overlook parents and parents in the workforce and taking a leap of faith and being willing to work through it and see what their needs are cuz it does pay you back when we see it every single day in our team.

I like that a lot. If someone is is you know, what here's what you're saying in the one of them or they're interested in any capacity. How can they how can I learn more refined you do you have a website on social media, you know you so our website is high Bobby h i b o b b i e

LinkedIn always happy to connect and you can email me directly Sarah at high bobbys.com. I would love to connect with anyone but you today.

Alright, well, thank you so much for coming onto the podcast. I really appreciate it.

Alright, thank you so much for listening to the episode of forward-thinking Founders. If you're sitting there, you're just saying that I want more. How can I get more? Well luckily you can get it at forward-thinking at city 4th of June city is a community for the forward-thinking network. Right aspects of the city 1 a.m. Is some of the previous guesses have been on the podcast like Jonathan Farkle Kristen Anderson, Austin all right to come back and they do animes with the residents. You can ask him any question that you want, right? You can ask him about fundraising the early days how they got their customers. We do these every single week with another, you know, really great founder that has been on the podcast. Additionally we are pitched battles, right? So if you want feedback on your pitch in the opportunity to potentially pitch in front of a VC's and talk one-on-one with venture capitalist. This is where to do at these are monthly pitch battles. So if you don't get in the first time try again right goal is to improve and get feedback to eventually want to raise I get into the room with VCU.

To raise Capital 3 season get back to your company building a great start at building a great business. The last thing I'll mention is that if you were kind of interesting just Community, we have our coffee hours and happy hours where you can meet other residents learn all that. They're working on talk about social things anything you want. This is a city for Founders. It is for investors. It is for startup enthusiasm is for anyone that loves startups. So if you're interested in what I'm saying, go to forward-thinking. City and join the city for $15 a month, you know the way the reason I charge it cuz I wanna be able to do this full-time bring as much value as I possibly can. I think it's well worth the value can ask any of the current residents and they will attest to that they're going to forward-thinking. City doing the city and you'll see immediately then the next day and may the next expatel the next event and I hope to see you there for thinking. City. Thanks for listening. See you tomorrow.