Introduction
Welcome back to our series! If you haven’t read Episode 1: The Story of Peanut and Tofu - How GuineaDad Began yet, be sure to check it out to hear how Peanut and Tofu, our first guinea pigs, became part of our journey.
Today, I’m excited to share the next chapter in our journey: the birth of GuineaDad. We’ll discuss how Tofu played a crucial role in our evolution.
The Birth of GuineaDad: the Guinea Pig Product Company
After a few months with Peanut and Tofu, I found myself deeply emotionally invested in them. I wanted nothing but the best for them and dedicated at least half of my time and budget to their care. I wasn’t working because I was waiting to join the MBA program at the University of Chicago in September, so I had plenty of time to devote to them.
Peanut was being her usual self, trying to make Tofu's life miserable with her incessant butt-poking, while Tofu maintained her indifferent attitude. One day, however, I noticed that Peanut was bothering Tofu less. Initially, I thought Peanut was maturing or perhaps getting tired of it, but then I noticed something odd about Tofu. She had crusted eyes, which, according to my research, could indicate a health issue.
I immediately sought out a vet, who diagnosed Tofu with bacterial conjunctivitis and prescribed eye drops. Despite following the vet’s advice, Tofu's condition worsened after two weeks, with red protrusions appearing from the bottom of her eyelid. Another vet visit resulted in antibiotics being prescribed.
Although Tofu was young and energetic, showing no signs of lethargy or loss of appetite, I was determined to find the root cause of her health problems. My research suggested that environmental dust might be causing respiratory irritation, leading to bacterial infections. To help her, I bought some fleece from Joanne's, washed it with scent-free detergent, and used it to line her cage, replacing the paper bedding altogether.
Success!
Within a week, Tofu's eye condition improved, and Peanut stopped sneezing altogether. This success sparked my obsession with preventing bacterial infections in guinea pigs, a prevalent issue among these pets. I bought a sewing machine (having never sewn before) and created some fleece liners, which I was proud of – even though they were a bit crooked.
Later, I moved to Chicago to start my MBA. This transition was meant to be a break from my intense investment banking career. Unfortunately, business school led to an even more intense work schedule, but this only made me attend to my guinea pigs with more passion and love.
The Need for Guinea Pig Product Innovation
However, I soon discovered another issue. Peanut's mischievous nature led her to burrow under the fleece liner, making the cage floor and her belly wet. Tofu soon followed suit.
Despite my extensive research, I was initially unable to address this problem due to my busy school schedule. During the winter, I decided to reach out to Sean, who is now the co-founder and COO of GuineaDad, for help. Sean and I have a long history, which I’ll share in another episode.
I asked Sean to help me create fleece liners with specific features: an absorbent bamboo layer, a fleece layer that passed water through, and a waterproof bottom layer. To prevent Peanut's burrowing, I designed a pocket, ensuring it was enjoyable for the guinea pigs and manageable for owners.
With Sean's help, we developed a prototype that met all my expectations. The liners stopped Peanut and Tofu from burrowing, and I didn’t have to clean the cage extensively every day.
My work with Sean made me realize my passion was not in tech. I wanted to create guinea pig products. I worked closely with Sean, and after many tests and failures, we founded GuineaDad in May 2017 with $3,000 each.
Sean's Leap of Faith
Later, Sean told me that when I first reached out, he thought it was going to be a small, short-term project. However, I was very meticulous about every detail of the product. Although my attention to detail stressed him out, he found it enjoyable to create a new product that didn’t exist in the market and start a new trend.
When I suggested he drop everything and go full-time with me, he took a leap of faith, trusting in our vision, and became a 50% owner of the guinea pig product company.
The Power of Passion
The takeaway from this story is the importance of being passionate about something in life. Passion keeps you going despite exhaustion and challenges. I love animals so much that I continue to push forward, even when burnt out. It's not the strongest that survive, but those who can keep going despite the hurdles.
Teaser for Next Episode
In the next episode, we’ll dive into the challenges we faced with the liners and how influencers and the community helped us improve the guinea pig products and grow our company. We will express gratitude to the many people and experiences that have helped shape this journey.
Thank you for being part of our journey. Your support means everything to us. Don’t forget to subscribe to our blog and follow us on social media for more exciting content. See you next time!
