15 | jeanie baby with Imogen | Stainless steel baby tableware, product idea validation strategy, pre-launch share to 1.2M followers, founder-led TikTok content, manufacturer sourcing via Alibaba

Imogen is the founder of jeanie baby, a premium stainless steel baby tableware brand created after she started solids with her first born. With so much noise in the feeding space and growing concerns around silicone, plastic and bamboo alternatives, Imogen set out to design a safer, more durable option for everyday mealtimes. In this episode, Imogen takes us through the journey of bringing jeanie baby to life while working part time and navigating early motherhood. We talk about validating the idea through surveys and search data, researching materials and why stainless steel stood out as the safest option for babies starting solids. Imogen shares how she approached finding a manufacturer through Alibaba, narrowing suppliers based on quality, communication and trust, and navigating multiple sampling rounds to get the materials, silicone grade and finishes right. We also explore the realities of launching lean. Imogen breaks down her initial investment of $30k, the trademarking learning curve and how she balanced perfectionism with moving quickly when unexpected demand hit. She shares how founder-led content on TikTok and Instagram helped build early awareness, the organic moment that led to a major influencer sharing jeanie baby before launch and why she chose to open pre orders earlier than planned. We chat about Meta ads, email waitlists, influencer gifting, reviews and the tools she relies on to run the business, including Shopify, Klaviyo and Judge.me.You can explore jeanie baby online or follow as Imogen continues to grow the brand alongside motherhood. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.