Remember Your Why
I recently went one on one with Sara Schaer. Sara is the co-founder and CEO of Kango, a family ride-share and child care app designed for safe child transportation and babysitting.
Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
Sara: While Kango is the third startup I’ve been involved with, its mission strikes closest to home, as it solves a pain point I personally encountered. Before this venture, I worked for an early stage company called Snapfish and saw it grow and scale dramatically during my time there. The experience of joining a startup just a couple of months after the US website launched, helping it to get acquired, then to grow into a global service operating in 22 countries, was an ideal training ground in preparation for running a business of my own.
Adam: How did you come up with your business idea? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with great ideas?
Sara: Like many business ideas, the concept of Kango was born out of a need I had in my own life. As a busy working mother, I found it challenging - if not almost impossible - to juggle between my office calendar, and carpool for school pickups and after-school activities. I found myself wishing for a trustworthy transportation provider or service that I knew would be safe for my most precious cargo: my kids. None of the existing sitter services were an acceptable solution.
For anyone looking to start a company, I’d advise that it helps to solve a problem that you are passionate about – whether it’s personal to you or not. It also helps to pick a challenge that you have unique insights about. Lastly, realize that it’s an iterative process. The first version of your product or service may not resonate with customers, but don’t get discouraged. Use it as an opportunity to make things even better than before.
Adam: How did you know your business idea was worth pursuing? What advice do you have on how to best test a business idea? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with great ideas?
Sara: One of the earliest pieces of advice that we received from startup veterans, was to create a solution that fills a verified, existing need – except the new solution has to be ten times better than the current one(s), in order to attract customers. Childcare and carpooling were existing challenges that not only I had, but everyone else in my school and parent community seemed to struggle with too. We decided to leverage the recent emergence of the smartphone in order to create a new type of ride experience that was trackable in real-time by parents, and that enabled instant communication on the go. Those trust-building elements were missing from existing solutions such as traditional babysitting. Vetting the drivers ourselves was another significant improvement over the status quo. Parent feedback made that clear.
Testing our concept on paper and in person with parents, and online in user testing groups, helped us to validate our solution before building the actual app.
Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level?
Sara: Kango currently serves major cities in California and Arizona. In California, we serve the San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County, the San Gabriel and San Fernando Valleys, and San Diego. In Arizona, we are in Phoenix and now Tucson. As a provider of safe transportation and care for children, we have deliberately chosen a policy of measured, responsible growth – both operationally and financially. As founders, it is important to chart a course that makes sense for your industry, for the economics of your business, and for your values.
Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips?
Sara: At Kango, we started out by focusing on the direct to consumer side of the business: parents booking rides or childcare directly on the app. To attract parents as customers, trust creation is paramount. This drives a sales and marketing strategy that must include word of mouth and trusted partners, and must emphasize authenticity and safety, among other elements. Advertising is not enough.
We then added schools and other organizations as customers. Marketing on the B2B side requires some different tactics, but many of the B2C pillars still apply. At the end of the day, all students are children - and parents must also accept and trust the service in order for the customer relationship to succeed.
Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?
Sara: Early stage startups are hard. This requires that a leader possess certain qualities and skills that may not be as important in a mature business or large company environment. Vision, tolerance for risk and ambiguity, flexibility, and empathy are key. The ability to communicate a vision, chart a course into the unknown, and lead by example are all important in the ability to recruit and motivate a startup team.
Adam: What is the best advice on building, leading, and managing teams?
Sara: Again, in my view this varies depending on the company stage. In an early stage startup, my advice is to seek out motivated team members who share your passion for the company’s mission. Tolerance for ambiguity, a strong work ethic, skill, and integrity all come a close second. But without believing in the mission at hand, commitment through tough times will be much more difficult to maintain.
Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?
Sara:
Define your vision and communicate it clearly to your team and to stakeholders. You cannot reach your goal if you can’t visualize it and share it with others.
Don’t get discouraged in the face of criticism or rejection. Accept it from a growth mindset and learn from it. This can be hard.
Be flexible. Things won’t necessarily go according to plan. Don’t panic! Experiment and adapt.
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Sara: The best piece of advice I ever received is to “Remember your why.” This mindset can apply to every facet of your life, not just business, which is what makes it so evergreen. Think about why you started your business; why you’ve surrounded yourself with the people closest to you; why you’re willing to make sacrifices for those you love and what you do. It’s a north star.
Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?
Sara: Pay it forward! It is extremely rewarding and energizing to turn around and be a mentor for the next wave of first-time entrepreneurs working on their passion. Your experience is more helpful to others than you may think!