Summary:
Sandra Oh Lin started KiwiCo as a garage side hustle to foster creativity and problem-solving in her kids, growing it to over $1 billion in revenue.
She raised $10 million in venture funding and leveraged her background in engineering and ecommerce from companies like eBay and PayPal.
Key challenges included supply chain issues during the pandemic and early operational inefficiencies, overcome through strong supplier relationships and better systems.
KiwiCo is profitable and self-funded, with products now in Target and Barnes & Noble, impacting over 40 countries with educational activities.
Sandra advises entrepreneurs to build a community of founders for support and emphasizes the importance of defining company culture early on.
The Inspiring Journey of Sandra Oh Lin and KiwiCo
Sandra Oh Lin, a 50-year-old from Los Altos, California, leveraged her engineering background to start a side hustle that evolved into KiwiCo, a company generating over $1 billion in lifetime revenue. What began as a way to foster creativity and problem-solving in her children through hands-on play has grown into a global enterprise shipping more than 50 million crates to families in over 40 countries.
From Inspiration to Action
After stepping away from a seven-year stint at eBay, where she launched PayPal Mobile and led the fashion business, Sandra was exploring a new startup idea. However, her focus shifted when she sought to engage her kids with educational activities. Drawing on her own childhood memories of building things with her mom, she started creating projects in her garage. These initial efforts were shared with friends during playdates, sparking enthusiasm that convinced her to pursue it as a business.
Building the Business
To get KiwiCo off the ground, Sandra raised over $10 million in venture funding by leveraging her network. Despite her strong background in product design and ecommerce from roles at Procter & Gamble, PayPal, and eBay, she lacked experience in fulfillment and operations. She surrounded herself with experts, like Mike Smith, former COO of Walmart, who provided invaluable guidance.
KiwiCo quickly became profitable and self-funded, with a subscription-based model ensuring consistent monthly revenue from the start. The company has created over 1,500 hands-on products and activities, emphasizing creativity and confidence-building for children.
Challenges and Lessons Learned
One of the biggest hurdles was during the pandemic, when surging demand made it difficult to source supplies. Sandra emphasizes the importance of strong relationships with suppliers to navigate such challenges. Reflecting on her journey, she wishes she had focused earlier on defining and cultivating a strong company culture to avoid costly hiring mistakes.
A memorable early setback was the first alpha shipment, which took a team of five an entire day to box and ship just 19 crates. This highlighted the need for better systems to scale efficiently.
Growth and Impact
Today, KiwiCo has expanded into wholesale channels, with products now available in Target and Barnes & Noble. Sandra takes pride not just in the financial success but in the millions of moments of creativity and discovery facilitated for families worldwide. Her children remain involved as testers, ensuring the products resonate with kids.
Key Advice for Entrepreneurs
Sandra's top piece of advice is to find a community of founders. Sharing challenges and opportunities with peers provides both actionable insights and empathetic support, which is crucial for navigating the ups and downs of building a business.
Image Credit: Courtesy of KiwiCo. Sandra Oh Lin.
Image Credit: Courtesy of KiwiCo
Image Credit: Courtesy of KiwiCo
Image Credit: Courtesy of KiwiCo
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