StartUs Presents: TutoTod

Describe TutoTod in 50 words or less.

TutoTod (Tutorials for Toddlers) is an educational app that offers parents ideas and detailed steps on how to spend quality time with their children. The app offers 49 arts and crafts tutorials for children, sorted and selected according to the material a user has at home.

Why did you decide to pursue your own dreams rather than someone else’s?

I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I have my way of doing things and people don’t always accept different approaches, especially when it comes to working in big corporations. TutoTod is the fourth company I founded. The first one is closed, the second one is profitable, I sold the third one, and now my focus is on TutoTod only. My statistics show TutoTod is going to be the most successful one.

I am definitely pursuing my dreams, but that’s what life is all about, isn’t it? I had the opportunity to do so and I took it. Hopefully, my dreams will come true.

7 years from now: How did your startup change the world?

It’s impossible to predict what kind of jobs today’s kids are going to have. Most of them don’t exist yet. We believe the best thing a parent can do today to help his child become a happy and successful grownup tomorrow, is to boost his or her creativity. The best time to start is when a child is between one and five years old.

7 years from now, our startup has helped millions of parents to boost their children’s creativity as preparation for the future world we know nothing about. And we brought billions of smiles on kids’ faces all over the world as they are now spending more quality time with their parents, focused on making something together.

In what ways do you measure your success and how do you make sure you don’t lose track?

By setting milestones. I’m addicted to putting checkpoints next to my tasks. If you are passionate about your job, then a good plan is all you need to keep you focused and motivated.

TutoTod was launched 2 weeks ago, and since then we’ve been spending so much time on statistics, insights, analytics… It’s fun! But our biggest success will be measured by the number of happy parents and their children.

Describe your typical working day from coming to the office to leaving it.

I love what I do and never get tired of it, so it’s kind of a whole day thing. Phone calls and emails go through all day, from 8 am to 11 pm. Working hours are flexible and I combine them with my private schedule. I don’t have an office, at least not yet, because I don’t really need one, but I have my craft workplace with a small studio that I go to when new tutorials need to be made. Actually, now that I think about it, I don’t think I have a typical working day.

Already pivoted? Did customers use the tutorials for toddlers like you imagined it in the beginning?

Yes, we pivoted already. It happened a few months ago. After talking to many experts in the tech field who have their apps in the App Store, we decided to change some crucial things. So now we have a new business plan and a new way of organizing tutorials. Of course, other changes can be expected when our app hits the US market.

Bootstrapped or financed: What fuels your startup now and what will in the future?

Bootstrapped so far. We won a financial prize on the Zagreb Connect startup contest that helped us a bit. Our first investment from ZIP (a Zagreb-based incubator), where we graduated as part of their 6th generation startups, came a month ago and speeded things up. We just found out that the state and the municipal will also give us grant money.

In a few months, when our first marketing campaign ends, we’ll decide what to do next. Hopefully, we won’t be needing more investments.

With ferocious competition and a booming trend to build new companies: How do you make sure you don’t get lost in the shuffle?

We believe we have a great product that will help parents all over the world. Also, our team has experience in working with parents and children on craft projects. We sold our educational and creative workshop so we can work on TutoTod and bring our knowledge to parents all over the world. Beside the product quality, we’re focused on marketing. It’s very hard for a European startup to get noticed in the US, especially if your business is B2C, but we have a niche market which gives us the chance to stand out in the market.

What do you look for in team members?

Passion, creativity, knowledge, experience and that factor X which connects all team members. It’s very important that people really fit in, have some similar characteristics and are not afraid to speak out. It’s easier and more fun to work in such an environment, because a well tuned team gets the best out of every member.

Why would a talent join your team?

Every startup is an adventure. You never know what tomorrow will bring. TutoTod is like that, unpredictable and fun. When I say TutoTod, I mean people working in TutoTod. People are everything, so we treat our team members with respect. We don’t just delegate, but tend to discuss everything, so people grow and feel free to express themselves.

What was your most memorable moment so far?

Winning a prize at the Zagreb Connect startup contest. A huge wave of emotions in only one second. I remember talking to my partner at the conference about other pitches that took place. They were really good and we thought it’s a great success to even be among the 18 finalists. But when the host pronounced ‘TutoTod’ we were overwhelmed. The prize is always a confirmation you’re doing a good job. That was our first one and I’ll never forget that feeling.

What advice would you give fellow founders for their startup?

Mingle. Meet new people. Use coworking spaces. Go to conferences. Go to pitching contests. Talk about your idea. Get out on the street. Talk to your (potential) customers. Write down notes. Set milestones. Track all the activities that you possibly can. Listen. Rethink. Don’t underestimate yourself. Get bored sometimes, it’s good for your creativity. Work hard, but then take a break and look at what you’ve done from ‘the distance’. You will get a better perspective.

You will have ups and downs, but that’s the way it goes. Don’t give up!