This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Bob Monahan, cofounder of UPPAbaby. It has been edited for length and clarity.
My youngest son, Denny, was born on the day that I launched my company. His birth was an induction, and I was there for it. Then, I hopped on a plane from my home in Massachusetts to a trade show in Florida.
The trade show itself was a funny story. I met the salesperson I’d been working with. Her cousin, who was just out of jail, was setting up the booth, making a mess of it. It wasn’t even much of a booth, but people came by and liked our product.
That story embodies the early days of UPPAbaby. We had to be scrappy. I went from working successful jobs to living off PB&Js, while raising three kids under three. It was scary sometimes.
I wanted to bring together style and ease of use
Before starting UPPAbaby, I worked for major brands including Ford and Reebok. After that, I worked for established companies in the baby space, designing products from baby gates and monitors to ride-on cars.
I noticed that European brands were considered the most high-end. But they weren’t always user-friendly. American brands were typically lower cost and not that exciting.
I wanted to create a company that delivered a product that was high-end and easy to use. Dads like me were becoming more hands-on with baby gear, and I knew there was a market for a sleek, functional product that would appeal to moms, dads, and babies.
I grew the business by taking small steps that we could afford
I wanted to be an entrepreneur for a lot of reasons. I felt that working for a company, I was pigeonholed. If I were an engineer or in sales, there would be little opportunity to cross over into product development or engage with other aspects of business operations.
As a business owner, I could do everything — and I had to. If I wasn’t doing it, it wasn’t getting done. That was an adjustment. In my previous roles, I had budgets of millions of dollars, which I could spend however I liked. There were a lot of resources.
With UPPAbaby, I could only do what we could pay for. Luckily, we were in the black pretty quickly. We moved forward with very intentional baby steps, surviving on hardly anything. But within a year and a half, I was able to fund the business and support my family pretty adequately.
We’re always marketing to a new set of customers
The baby space is interesting, because your customer is always new. If you’re selling watches or cars, you can rely on brand recognition. With strollers, no one really knows your brand until they need it. We’re always marketing to those new customers who wake up suddenly in a world where they’re having kids.
I love seeing people using the product. One time in the airport, a parent was having trouble folding up the stroller, and I showed them how to do it more easily. I knew exactly who had designed that button and all the people involved in making the stroller easy to use. Sharing that was pretty neat.
I try to surprise and delight customers
Today, the company — and my youngest son — are both 20. I’ve learned that things are always changing. The industry has had massive shifts at least three times since I’ve been in it. I’ve learned to embrace change and stay quick on our feet.
We grew without investment for a long time. That wasn’t always easy. Sometimes it felt like we were just barely keeping it together. Eventually, I decided to bring in outside partners, who had not only money but expertise. My investors have helped me connect with resources that were too complicated for me to access on my own.
Today, we have a recognized brand. Still, I try to surprise and delight customers. We do that by being even better than they expect at serving their needs. If you serve the customers, the sales will follow, and if you surprise them in unique ways — like with stellar customer service — they’ll tell their friends.
