Jared Carlin and James Shamim, co-founders of Willow, share their journey from identifying a common household problem to launching a solution on Kickstarter. In this episode, they dive into building a product that helps people keep their plants alive using sensor technology, tips for Kickstarter success, and how they grew Plant with Willow beyond crowdfunding.
Australians kill 72 million plants a year. Imagine how big this could be globally?
A sensor device to track your plant's health with a mobile app that teaches you how to look after it.
Have a large enough customer base and problem to warrant going after it. Find the passion in what you are doing. Maintain that level of passion – test, iterate and learn.
00:00 – 02:52: Introduction to Jared Carlin & James Shamim
02:53 – 03:54: Origins of Willow – where the idea came from
03:55 – 06:41: Pop Quiz – What business would they start today?
06:42 – 08:46: When they knew Willow was onto something
08:47 – 10:42: How to move from identifying a problem to building a product
10:43 – 14:41: Tips for Kickstarter success
14:42 – 19:57: Growth challenges with hardware
19:58 – 20:44: Who uses Willow today?
20:45 – 21:56: How Willow works
21:57 – 22:47: How most plants are killed by their owners
22:48 – 25:35: Sensor technology behind Willow
25:36 – 27:05: Gamifying the product experience
27:06 – 28:56: Growing beyond Kickstarter
28:57 – 30:58: Marketing channels and content strategies
30:59 – 32:20: Designing a workspace for success
32:21 – 33:04: The team behind Willow
33:05 – 33:57: Where Jared & James focus time as founders
33:58 – 36:35: Partnership with Bunnings
36:36 – 38:13: What’s next for Willow
38:14 – 39:57: One big piece of advice for founders
39:58 – 41:38: Show & tell – One thing they can’t live without
41:39 – 43:56: Storytelling in sport
43:57 – 45:04: Wrap up
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