BabyPlate app

Inspiration

We have worked with different apps for many years as founders of a marketing agency, helping them grow. But we always dreamed of creating our own product, where we could implement everything that didn’t work out in client projects.

The BabyPlate app is not our first experience: in 2021, we created the Noworry app (an AI psychologist), tested it, and closed it. We drew conclusions and chose the next idea very carefully - we wanted to build something truly useful that solves a concrete problem.

When many of our friends had children, we saw how stressful starting solids was. Especially for first-time parents - there are countless questions. That’s when we decided to create an app that helps start solids safely, confidently, and with less stress.

We analyzed the market: similar apps already exist and make money, but have many negative reviews. For example, in one popular app users complained about poor UX and that after changing devices, all their data disappeared. We decided we could do better.

What it does

BabyPlate helps young parents safely start solids. In the app, you can:

• read practical guides
  
• check any of 380+ foods – how to serve by age, benefits, iron content, choking risks
  
• use a food tracker: log what the baby has already tried and what reactions there were. This helps understand what’s already been given and what still needs to be introduced.

How we built it

We built BabyPlate completely bootstrapped, with a team of 2 people - me, my wife (we’ve worked together for over 8 years as marketers), and a freelance developer. We created the MVP in React Native in about 5 months.

Challenges we ran into

Problems started right after launch. Since it was an MVP, we didn’t expect so many users. For example:

• one user kept free access after the trial ended
  
• another user paid for a yearly subscription but couldn’t log in because in Dubai the local provider blocked our Supabase database. The app only worked via VPN.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

• The hypothesis was confirmed: demand exists, even with competitors.
  
• We have 14,122 downloads.
  
• We acquired all users organically through TikTok, where one video gained over 1.8 million views.
  
• Our content is different: very useful carousels where we explain not only “what to do” but also “why.” For example, why at 6 months foods with high iron content are needed (because the baby’s natural stores are running out).

What we learned

We began to understand parents and their needs better by observing how they use the app.

We started building new features based on real problems. For example, first-time parents worry a lot about how to introduce solids. That’s why we started developing checklists (step-by-step instructions) for each age – what to introduce during the week and in what sequence.

And overall, we realized that our main audience is first-time parents with 6-month-old babies. They are the most likely to look for solutions and pay for them. Those with second or third children worry less – as long as the child is healthy, that’s good enough!

What's next for the BabyPlate app

Our goal is to make BabyPlate the best assistant for a safe start to solids and make life easier for parents worldwide.

Next steps:

• Age-based checklists with weekly action plans
  
• Adding visual “how to serve” images instead of only text
  
• In-depth interviews with active users
  
• Product improvements: adding images in “how to serve,” adding weekly plans for 6-8-12 months
  
• Streaks and community for better retention

In marketing, TikTok has become the main growth channel, but we don’t want to rely only on it. We plan to:

• Develop Instagram with video content
  
• Engage influencers
  
• Diversify acquisition channels (we already see TikTok content doesn’t always work, so we need to build long-term marketing).

Built With

• appsflyer
• expo.io
• onesignal
• postgresql
• posthog
• react
• revenuecat
• sentry
• supabase
• typescript