Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Coco Chen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Coco, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of our favorite things to brainstorm about with friends who’ve built something entrepreneurial is what they would do differently if they were to start over today. Surely, there are things you’ve learned that would allow you to do it over faster, more efficiently. We’d love to hear how you would go about setting things up if you were starting over today, knowing everything that you already know.

If I were to start over with Toasty Toasts, I’d take a different approach. Initially, I was too cautious, which slowed down growth. I designed a fun, competitive card game that sold over 2,000 copies in the first year, but looking back, I see that trusting the early demand and scaling production sooner would have allowed me to reach more customers faster.

I’d also focus more on building excitement before launching the Kickstarter. While the campaign was successful, I could have done more to engage potential backers early with teasers, sneak peeks, and social media content. Creating a buzz before the launch would have given the campaign a much stronger start.

Lastly, I’d bring in help sooner rather than trying to do everything myself. Handling design, marketing, and fulfillment on my own taught me a lot, but it also slowed down the process. Delegating tasks would have let me focus on the creative work I love, while still growing the business faster. Though I’m proud of what I’ve built, these lessons would have made the journey even smoother.

Coco, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Coco and I created the deliciously competitive card game Toasty Toasts. By day, I work in tech, but I’ve always had a passion for designing and drawing. Toasty Toasts came to life after I played a complicated game with friends and thought, “I could design something more simple and fun.” Naturally, I picked my favorite food—toast—as the theme!

What I’m most proud of is how much I’ve learned along the way, from connecting with professionals in the tabletop game industry to designing, testing, crowdsourcing and starting a small business. In the first year, Toasty Toasts sold over 2,000 copies and is now expanding internationally!

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I had no idea how much money was needed to start a card game business, so I dove into researching past successful games like Exploding Kittens. That’s when I discovered that Kickstarter and other crowdsourcing platforms were perfect for raising the initial capital I needed.

With only a homemade prototype, I put together a Kickstarter campaign and shared it across all the relevant board game social media channels. At the same time, I went to local game stores for playtesting nights, where I connected with other game designers and got feedback on the game. Although there were moments when it seemed like I might not hit my fundraising goal, I kept reminding myself that this was all part of the learning process. In the end, the validation from strangers who supported the game was incredibly rewarding!

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

Who knew a simple card game could involve so much work, from designing to choosing the right card materials? I initially had no idea how to manufacture games, but I sought advice from other local game designers and figured out the type of materials I wanted for both the cards and packaging.

After getting quotes from a few different vendors recommended by others, I went with the one that had a good reputation and reasonable pricing. They sent me a sample, and I made a few adjustments before giving the green light to produce the first 1,500 copies of Toasty Toasts. I’ve learned that finding the right manufacturer—one that offers the right price while also communicating and collaborating effectively—is key!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://toastytoasts.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toastytoastsgame/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cocoyikechen/