The Number One Goal is Getting Started

Thompson describes how her early work at Procter & Gamble taught her to observe consumers in their homes. In one example, a customer cut apart a pill pack and sorted the pills into a weekly organizer, revealing friction that focus groups had missed. She says watching real behavior can uncover problems people may not be able to explain in a survey.

After moving to China for her husband’s job, Thompson and her husband later chose Seattle to be closer to family while raising children. They discuss career decisions as shared choices, with honest conversations about money, work, childcare, and possible resentment. She says clear routines and defined parenting roles help the family adapt when plans change.

Thompson’s first startup sold subscription boxes introducing children to different cultures. She and her co-founder spent about $20,000 and learned that praise for an idea was weak validation; customers paying for it was a stronger signal. After closing that business, she heard parents repeatedly describe unreliable childcare and a missing support network, which led to Poppy’s focus on connecting families with caregivers.

With about $200 left, Thompson tested Poppy manually using Typeform, Excel, Google Calendar, and text messages. She emailed 15 parents, offered access to three caregivers, and received one booking that day and four that week; bookings then grew week by week. The early demand gave her evidence to keep building before she had an app.

Thompson recommends a focused test that helps founders learn whether customers will pay, even when time and resources are limited. She urges founders to accept messy beginnings and set concrete targets such as 100 paying users. For a venture-backed startup, she says the ambition should match the scale of the problem, while founders first solve the immediate problem in front of them.