We recently connected with Tim Struby and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Tim thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
Eight years ago, my girlfriend at the time stood in my living room and made an announcement. “I can’t take it anymore,” she declared. “This has to change. Now.”
She wasn’t referring to our relationship. She was talking about my furniture. I had a fantastic mattress, but it sat on a flimsy metal frame (on wheels!). My dresser was a college relic. The living room couch sagged in the middle and my coffee table looked like it had been pulled from a dumpster. In my defense, I pointed out the state-of-the-art TV and the sleek framed photographs hanging on the walls. No luck. You’re in your 40’s, she explained. There’s simply no excuse.
But I did have an excuse. I’d wanted to upgrade my furniture for a long time. I had the money to do it and had a solid idea of my preferred aesthetic. But where to start? I didn’t have a clue about furniture. Where to buy it, what to buy, how it all might look and fit into my place. Not to mention the fear of overpaying or getting something that would fall apart in a year or the worst: having to return furniture shipped to my apartment. The few online shopping attempts I made lasted all of twenty minutes. Too many choices, not enough knowledge. And the thought of spending my weekends going to furniture stores instead of playing tennis or hiking or doing something (anything!) I enjoyed? Nothing sounded worse. An interior designer would help, but that sounded expensive, time consuming, and I hoped to go through life never having to look at a bunch of swatches. I wanted an upgrade to my apartment, but I just wanted it fast, easy and reliable.
That Saturday, my then-girlfriend took me shopping. She knew exactly where to go, what to buy. It lasted less than two hours. Two weeks later I had a new bed, dresser, couch, coffee table and sideboard. The furniture wasn’t cheap, but the quality was exceptional. The style, perfect. And every day since, I’ve reaped the benefits. I’ve been more comfortable, confident, and productive. Friends, co-workers and girlfriends have all been impressed. Who knew it could be that simple?
Cut to late 2020. The heart of the pandemic. With everyone stuck at home, I wanted to improve my living space again. Upgrade my furniture. But I was single at the time and had the same issues. No clue what to buy. Then I got thinking: I know a lot guys in the same boat. What if there was a service that could help people like us?
So I began doing research. Does this already exist? If not, why doesn’t it exist? And the more I did, the more I realized that there was an opportunity to be had. Innovative startups like Stitch Fix, Birchbox, and Instacart had changed the landscape for clothing, cosmetics and groceries. Couldn’t the same be done for furniture? It was an enormous undertaking, considering I knew next to nothing about furniture or startups, but I’ve always loved a challenge, solving big problems, and this, I felt, was a big problem that could be solved with brains, imagination and hard work. I retired from writing (I was a journalist) and toTree was born.
Did I understand how much work at the time? Not in the least. But the journey has been well worth it so far.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
toTree is the first-ever furniture shopping service, combing just the right amount of interior design expertise with a fast and easy online process. Or as we like to say, ‘Furniture Shopping Perfected.’
Like so many startups, I founded toTree because of personal pain. The pain of furniture shopping. And when I started researching the space and the climate around it (putting my journalism skills to work) I discovered I wasn’t alone. Lots of friends I interviewed spoke of many pain points. Too many brands/options. Little guidance. Long wait times to order. Many found the entire experience intimidating, especially for those lacking in furniture knowledge. Armed with this list, I set out to solve those problems.
How’d we do it? For simplicity, we created a user-friendly, online survey to glean a client’s needs, style preferences and budget. Per guidance, every client gets their own dedicated specialist throughout the toTree process. For those needing their furniture yesterday, we built an internal app that ensures every selection sent to a client is in-stock and ready to ship. To make potential buyers feel at ease, toTree’s branding/voice is funny, thought-provoking, and educational – we’ve even created a furniture photo glossary so folks like me (when I started out) could tell the difference between a chaise and a sectional. But the best is yet to come as we are currently developing a few game-changing tech features.
When I quit writing and took the leap into the startup world, I had no idea what I was getting into. It took roughly two years from ideation to our launch in early 2023. On the afternoon toTree.co went live, I was as happy and proud as I’ve ever been in my life. The first furniture manufacturer in the United States opened their doors in 1620, and in the subsequent 400-plus years, no one has ever done what we’re doing at toTree.We’ve made history. That day we launched, I celebrated. For precisely seven hours. Then I got back to work because I knew we were just getting started.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
Managing a team – even the best team – can be tricky. As the CEO, it’s my job to be the evangelist, the true believer, to be so positive and enthusiastic that I’m the fuel that keeps the engine running. That said, I’ve learned a few key additional lessons to help with team management.
First? Communication. In my experience, most issues arise from a lack thereof. Whenever I’ve added a new team member, I immediate stress the importance of talking, sharing and ensuring clear lines of communication.
I also teach my team my three favorite words: “I Don’t know.” If a project or a directive is confusing, obtuse or someone simply doesn’t understand – no matter how basic – don’t pretend you understand., It’s a terrible mistake and can lead to even bigger issues. Simply say “I don’t know.” This applies to me as well, and I’ve found it both liberating and empowering.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
I’ve never been a fan of self-help, motivational or entrepreneurial books. When I began developing the idea for toTree, I certainly read a few, as well as listened to a myriad of startup/business podcasts. Yet there is a book, a somewhat unconventional one, that has made an incredible impact on my life and in turn, my entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy: Conversations with Walker Percy.
Percy, a doctor-turned-novelist/essayist, was a student of science, philosophy and life. In this series of interviews, he delves into everything from Kierkegaard to semiotics to theology. While these works don’t appear to apply directly to a startup and leadership, I’ve found they in fact do. More so than I could imagine. He’s thought me to think openly, broadly, challenge myself, and most importantly to seek the truths in life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://totree.co/
- Instagram: @totreeco
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-struby-57873b47/