We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Neha Shah. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Neha below.

Hi Neha, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

The idea of Kaboo came to me on Christmas Day, almost seven years ago. My then-husband and I had splurged on a cool Star Wars themed robot toy for our nephew, mostly out of guilt because we had not gifted him anything for his birthday. This nephew was probably 8 at the time, and he lived in a different city. I barely knew the kid, and the logic we used was that he was an 8 year old boy who liked Star Wars and robots so hence he would like this present – and we would be crowned best aunt and uncle. The reality was that the nephew actually played with the toy robot for all of 15 minutes, and then it sat in a corner, while he played with a completely different present he had received. It was apparent that we had used stale information about the nephew’s interests. The story doesnt end there. The following Christmas, and the Christmas after, this very issue of what do we gift our nieces and nephews showed me that there a slight disconnect between the stories I would see shared on social media about our nieces and nephews, and the young people who would show up in front of us. That was my first sign that perhaps, perhaps…maybe I should spend more time getting to actually know them and speak with them directly.

I started doing more video calls at times that worked with their schedule and their parents. I would send them postcards each time I traveled. And then, the pandemic happened — and I learned two things —
1. Everyone, including children, had digital fatigue and did not have the time and energy to converse meaningfully on the phone.
2. The most meaningful and memorable communications I received were actually quirky hand-drawn or hand-written snail mail I received from the kids.
3. In the absence of in-person connections, there was sense of emotional angst building up in the kids and a lot of parents felt alone and disconnected from the “village” that should be there to help them raise their children.

And that’s how I decided I would create a platform that was focused on building long-distance, intergenerational relationships between children and their loved ones. All of the pieces came together slowly, intentionally — and I think that is perfect because the entire platform is about slow, intentional communication and relationship building.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Kaboo was started with a vision to improve the lives of diaspora children, and not have distance be a barrier to meaningful relationships. The immigrant experience can be frustrating, especially when trying to connect with or relate to loved ones abroad. For children under the age of 13 years, technology is especially limited because video calls or just text messages feel fleeting, or get lost in the flurry of group threads. Calls or text messages don’t create a strong connection unless there is already a foundation. For both kids and adults, there is nothing more heartfelt than receiving a personalized card in the mail, something that one can tangibly hold and read without distractions.

Kaboo innovates on a centuries-old solution by bringing modern, digital twist for kids, parents, and their long-distance loved ones to build memories. We do this by offering a hybrid online-offline communications systems that uses actual greeting cards to help create and preserve memories. Parents can buy our card bundles in advance so they can make card-writing a dedicated, offline activity – and when they are ready to mail it out, the Kaboo app will take care of the shipping. No need to go to the post office! In addition, for last-minute card creation, our app also allows on-demand card creation with the ability to attach a video or photo or audio file. Recipients receive actual greeting cards, and it is delivered in less than a week using our localized fulfillment system. Each Kaboo greeting card has a unique QR code that connects it to the digital archive on the app, and that is how the photos and videos attached are also preserved.

I got the idea to build Kaboo after one Christmas where she had no clue what to gift her nieces and nephews. I didn’t see them every day, so most of her understanding of their life was through what their parents posted on social media or text message threads. Video calls with the kids were a rare treat, but too short, and also a bit awkward, if not entirely interrupted due to technology issues. So, I spoke to hundreds of parents, grandparents, family members, and kids about this confusing dynamic. I also learned that many were worried about the social disconnect, and the excessive screen-time necessary for the kids to get to know their remotely situated relatives. With the help of the Kaboo Advisory Board that consists of child-psychologists, educators and tech experts, we identified a kid-friendly and senior-friendly technology solution to solve this problem. Kaboo was launched as a hybrid physical-digital communications platform in Fall 2023!

Professionally I identify as a tech entrepreneur with over 10 years of experience in the software product industry. I am also a first-generation immigrant and third-culture kid who grew up in four different countries. That is why I am passionate about bridging cultures and creating kid-focused products. On the tech side, I have worked with a number of different startups, but I got my introduction to family tech products when I was on the founding team of an early childhood development focused baby wearable company. In addition to starting Kaboo, I am also the author of a bilingual children’s book series “Meet Buckley”.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I started out my career in Washington D.C. working in public policy. I was not a US citizen at the time, and was sponsored for a work visa. This helped me get a break to work in my dream career at the time. But I soon realized the limitations. I worked on critical infrastructure policy related to smart grid, national telecom networks etc. I was unable to get security clearance to attend meetings, even enter certain government buildings even though I worked on the presentations. This was soul-crushing for me. I was not a citizen, and the path to becoming a citizen was not a feasible one for me at the time. I was in this career in policy to make a meaningful impact and difference in the world. Yet, I was not finding it entirely fulfilling. In addition, I was impressed by all the innovation in the field of technology I saw from the industry partners I worked with — which was inspiring to me. I soon realized that my career growth was limited if I stayed in policy. I ended up enrolling in a 2-year part-time MBA program at the George Washington University while I was working full-time. When I graduated, I moved to San Francisco without a job. I networked, took every opportunity to showcase how my transferable skills from policy would be relevant in a completely different setting. It all worked out eventually and I was able to establish a career in tech.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Most of the time, everyone on your team is doing their best. Their best may not equate to your best; and that is why many managers tend to be critical and end up leading with a harsh attitude. The biggest emotion you can show your team is gratitude. Being a solo founder who is bootstrapping their startups, I had to remind myself that none of the people on my team “needed” to work for me. But they showed up, did the best to their capabilities and understanding, and it was up to me to decide if they were still a good fit for the team. But it was not for me to undermine their dedication and hard work. So to every manager I say — understand your team’s strengths and weaknesses, motivate with positivity, show gratitude, and empower your team to do the best to their capabilities.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://neha-shah.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/shahnorama
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nshah31/